One Step Ahead Chapter 4
They were finally safe.
Or, at least, that was what Leliana had thought when Commander Cullen led the main force of soldiers up to the hill, before they marched on the Breach. Solas insisted on helping Aaron, despite the latter's attempts to wave the elf off, but even so, Aaron's strength was obviously flagging. It lent them all a frustrated sense of urgency as he slowly made his way up to what remained of the Temple of Sacred Ashes.
Vast columns of half-melted black rock jutted upward and outward from a smoking crater, shading the few pieces of architecture that were still recognizable as such. The corpses soon became visible, twisted forms half-sunk into swirling pools of molten and re-solidified stone. They were frozen in agony, and most of them were unnaturally aflame like the wicks of a lantern, even a day after the blast. The choking smell of death, smoke, and burned flesh drifted on the wind. Leliana was all too familiar with that smell, and she tried to force down the revulsion and the bad memories. Aedan nearly dying in an Emissary's flames, the Tower filled with horrors and nightmares, the massacre at Denerim…
If only the Maker had sent her another vision, she could use the deeper meaning that it provided, the strength it had given her to face the darkness with her companions during the Fifth Blight. But where the Blight had been an epic battle against evil, this tragedy was so much more personal, so much more senseless, so much more implacable. People succumbing to sin and hatred, senselessly murdering each other, seemingly immune to all reason.
Was this how the Maker had felt when he turned his back on humanity? Had he felt this hopelessness, this crushing disappointment? Despite the terrible things she had seen and done in her past life as a bard, Leliana had never truly believed that people deserved the Maker's abandonment. She had always agreed with Andraste, that mankind only needed to be shown a better way.
But now Leliana just felt purposeless, like her one great contribution was over and done. She could rely on no more guidance, no more mercy from the Maker. What a child she had been.
Beside her, Cassandra staggered as she slipped on loose stones of the embankment leading down into the remains of the temple. She just barely managed to right herself. The entire time, she did not take her watery eyes off of the twisted corpses, like she was unaware of her surroundings. Leliana was reminded that Cassandra had not seen the Temple up close yet, unlike her.
"Are you going to be okay, Seeker?" Varric asked gently.
"I…" Cassandra faltered, then fell to her hands and knees and retched, but only coughed up watery bile. She had obviously not eaten in quite some time, and that was affecting her in addition to all of the other stress and grief.
Leliana and Varric were immediately kneeling at her side, and even Aaron took a half-step forward, but he seemed to think better of it and stopped.
"It'll be okay, Cassandra. We have a good plan, we can save more people." Varric muttered so that only Cassandra and Leliana could hear him. Leliana wondered if he even believed it himself. She was finding it hard to.
"We'll get through this together. We're all here beside you, Cassandra." Leliana whispered, offering a handkerchief. It was pathetic as far as help was concerned, but it was the only thing she could think of.
Cassandra leaned on them both for support and stood, wiped her face, then nodded to Varric and Leliana. She spoke in a much firmer tone. "I need to be here. There is no other way."
Leliana nodded, then raised her voice to address the others around them. "Archers! Take up your positions around the Breach! Keep your bows strung and an arrow nocked, there could be demons at any time!"
As the archers moved into the waiting chamber, Varric included, Cassandra turned to Leliana. "Most Holy, has she…?"
Leliana shook her head. "No. Our scouts swept the area again, and we still found no trace of her body. At least, not that we recognize. The entire floor where she was is gone."
That's almost a blessing, Leliana thought. She doesn't need to see that. No one does.
Cassandra looked to Aaron, standing behind them, supported by Solas. Her face was flushed red, and the accusation and hate was plain on her face.
"I don't remember what happened here," Aaron said helplessly. "I wish I did. I'm truly sorry."
Cassandra opened her mouth as if to respond, but she was interrupted before she could say a word.
"Seeker! We've got problems!" Varric shouted from the chamber beyond.
"What is it, Varric? Demons?" Cassandra shouted back, finally snapping back into her commanding role.
Varric jogged back into view. "Red Lyrium." he said darkly.
Cassandra's frown deepened. "Red Lyrium? Like in Kirkwall? Are you certain?"
"Yes," Varric grit out. It looked like he would crack a molar from the tension in his jaw. "There are huge spikes of it, jutting out of the ground in the corner of the chamber. It doesn't look as concentrated, or… refined as the idol, but I don't doubt that this shit is just as deadly. And it makes me really nervous, not knowing where it came from."
"It's possible that magic could have drawn on Lyrium beneath the Temple, corrupted it," Solas mused.
"You've encountered this before," Aaron observed.
"All too often." Varric growled. "And I can tell you right now, Seeker, we need to do something about it."
"We don't have time for that." Cassandra said flatly. "The Breach is the most pressing threat. We will press ahead, and try to be quick."
Cassandra flicked her eyes up to Aaron. "Let's not delay any longer. It is time for you to unmake what you have wrought."
Cassandra had visited the Temple of Sacred Ashes many times before, but the blast had gouged a massive crater in the center of the building and rendered it all but unrecognizable. She felt a pang of sadness as she stared out at the great statue of Andraste. It stood shattered, and yet the massive pieces floated in midair, slowly bobbing and turning like ice in a lake. At the center of it all was the enormous rift which led directly up into the Breach, wrapped in tendrils of light and magic, but seemingly still for the moment.
Red Lyrium was sprouting from a small corner on the right side of the room, looking for all the world like it had always been there, growing up like stalagmites. Cassandra noticed that Aaron seemed wary of it. He stood straighter, like an animal that had sensed something of interest.
"Whatever you do, don't touch it," warned Varric as they skirted what remained of the the stone banister to avoid it.
It was slow going, climbing down to reach the rift, particularly with Aaron being so weak. At least it gave the archers and swordsmen time to surround the Breach.
Cassandra was close to the rift, now, but nearly lost her footing when suddenly she was seized by a disorienting double-vision. There was movement in the corner of her eye, and she turned to see.
Vague, shadowy figures stood, their hands aimed directly up at Divine Justinia, who was floating, bound, and in great distress.
"Most Holy!" Cassandra gasped.
No, she realized a second later, it is part of an illusion. The Fade, it's just a hallucination from the Fade.
The disappointment nearly shattered her wavering resolve.
A great, echoing voice boomed out. "KEEP THE SACRIFICE STILL."
Then she saw it: a towering, blazing shadow, with red fire for eyes.
Behind Cassandra, there was a crash as doors to the chamber were flung open. She whirled to look, and could see both the real opening where the doorway once stood, now blasted to pieces, and the slightly translucent, intact doors from the vision.
The shade of Aaron rushed in, just the same as the real one standing next to her, save for the waraxe strapped to his back and the lack of a mark or shackles on his hands. He halted suddenly at the sight before him. "What is—who are you!?" he exclaimed.
"Run while you can! Warn them!" the false Justinia cried out.
"ANOTHER WARDEN?" the huge shadow said, sounding slightly confused. Then it pointed a long finger at the vision-Aaron. "NO, HE IS NOT ONE OF OURS. SLAY HIM."
Then, there was a burst of light, and the vision vanished. Cassandra jumped down the last ledge, landing braced on her feet. She straightened and rounded upon the prisoner.
"What was that!? Tell me how you did this!" Cassandra yelled.
"I don't know if I caused that!" said Aaron, sounding confused.
"No, you didn't. At least, not directly." Solas quickly interjected. "I believe the Fade is ringing with echoes of what happened here. What we saw may have been distorted, but it reflects what really happened here. It seems our Aaron might not have been the one responsible after all."
"He sure looked like a bystander to me," added Varric. "I'd be more interested in that cabal and their freakish leader, whatever the hell kind of thing or demon that shadow was."
It seemed impossible, but there was no way that Cassandra could make the events she had witnessed fit the idea that Aaron had been solely and directly responsible for the Divine's death. On a level, that was almost too convenient, and she suspected him of fabricating the vision. But how could he have done that?
"We can still use this," Varric said. "Aaron, can you make a list of everyone you think that might have been?"
Aaron shook his head. "I don't know any more than you do. If I remember something or have a theory, I will let you know."
That was a lie, Cassandra was certain. But for now, they needed to seal the rift.
Solas helped Aaron get into position below the rift, explaining how to awaken the rift so that it could be sealed completely. All around them, there was the sound of straining bowstrings and swords coming out of sheaths.
This was it.
Varric couldn't stop himself from stumbling backwards as a truly gargantuan Pride demon materialized out of the reopened rift.
In the back of his mind, there was a mad, despairing little part of him that marveled at the fact that he had faced enough Pride demons to recognize one on sight, and yet he was somehow still alive.
But I won't be for long if that thing looks my way.
Aaron retreated from the battle as fast as he could manage, while the Pride demon clasped its hands together and pulled them apart, lightning dancing between them. The Pride demon cackled, sounding disturbingly like a person, then unleashed its power.
Varric was already moving, leaping and rolling out of the way as a whip made of pure lightning scored the rock he had just ducked behind, chipping the stone. He could hear the crackling noise rising in pitch, and he peeked out of cover to see the Pride demon, massive arm outstretched, forming a ball of lightning that it shot at the archers above it.
Two were caught in the lightning, and they screamed briefly before falling silent.
Cassandra was at the demon's feet, suffused in the golden light of her Seeker power, gracefully but ineffectually stabbing and battering its huge, scaly hide with her sword and shield. She was balanced on her front foot to leap away the moment it counterattacked. Solas was not far away, twirling his staff with fluid grace and speed, casting spell after spell. They had both been caught in the path of the whip, and were bloodied and burned, but they still attacked relentlessly. Varric sighted down Bianca, praying that his shots could distract the demon from killing them.
Bianca's bolts shattered and deflected against the demon's skin, only every third bolt or so gaining any purchase at all. Leliana was having more success, her arrows flying truer and sinking deeper as she strafed across the uneven ground and loosed her shots with a smooth, practiced motion, but neither of their attacks drew the demon's notice away from Cassandra and Solas. It scored another glancing hit on Solas, leaving him practically insensate, unable to dodge—
Noticing Leliana's effectiveness and Solas' predicament gave Varric a deeply stupid idea. He tried to project his cockiness as well as his words as he shouted, "Like hell I'm going to let you show me up, Red! I'm the best archer that ever lived, and Bianca is the finest crossbow ever made!"
Varric seized on his fierce pride in Bianca, fueled his own arrogance. The Pride demon's seven eyes flicked in Varric's direction, picking up on the familiar emotion.
"Yeah, I'm right here, ugly! I've killed a thousand demons like you!" Varric yelled, running out from cover. Being around heroes must have rubbed off on him, because trying to goad a Pride demon into rushing you by acting suicidally overconfident was just the kind of thing stupidly noble people did, wasn't it?
The Pride demon took a step towards Varric, nearly crushing Solas underfoot. Varric shot bolt after bolt as he fled, but to no avail. He quickly felt the cold stone of the wall pressing up against his back. The demon idly backhanded a soldier out of its path, sending him flying end over end into a rock pillar, and when he crumpled to the ground he didn't rise again. The demon leveled its hand at Varric, and a ball of lightning grew.
Well, shit.
Varric ducked as the rift suddenly exploded into a shower of light. The demon's lightning went wild as it was forced to its knees, and Varric was only slightly scorched as it passed by and burst harmlessly against the far wall. Varric looked around for the source of the disruption.
Aaron had circled around to disrupt the rift. Apparently, it had an effect on the demon.
Cassandra and the other soldiers rallied and fell upon the weakened demon, frantically attacking the stunned monster. Their blades cut deeper into the vulnerable demon, now that they could place their strikes and put real power behind them.
The demon gradually got to its feet again, but the damage had been done. The demon was wounded, and the fight became far less one-sided. Varric felt a glimmer of hope that they would win.
Then the shades arrived, and everything was thrown into chaos.
Every person was suddenly fighting for themselves, their attention split between the Pride demon and the new arrivals. The shades slinked forward with surprising speed, clawing and slashing, impossible to ignore. The Pride demon, wounded and lashing out, killed shades and soldiers indiscriminately.
Some the demons came for Aaron, who was now stripped of the protection of the soldiers that had gone in to press the attack on the Pride demon. Varric immediately began focusing his shots on one of them. Cassandra caught notice as well, and abandoned her attack on the Pride demon in mid-swing to rush towards the remaining demon.
It was too late. The shades were upon Aaron in a moment, and he collapsed to the ground.
Varric's heart was seized with panic. No! If he dies, it's all over—
With a flash of golden light, Aaron vanished.
What!?
Varric finally recovered enough sense to start shooting at the Pride demon again, for all the good it did. The Pride demon was mauling the soldiers, who in turn pummeled it mercilessly. The battle against the titanic creature was as terrifying as it was mesmerizing, the huge masses of bone and muscle crashing against stone and flesh with impacts that shook the ground.
With all its attention focused on the soldiers, the Pride demon couldn't attack the remaining archers, who unleashed a barrage upon it, many resorting to exotic reserves of explosive shots, grenades, or flaming arrows.
The Pride demon lurched on its feet, gurgling. Electricity danced across its body, but it no longer had the swaggering, confident demeanor it did before. It reached out towards Varric, gathering lightning into another sphere.
Better make this count. Varric stood and sighted down Bianca, slowly letting out a breath. The scorched, bleeding demon drew closer, crackling with electricity.
Varric pulled the trigger on pure ingrained instinct. Bianca jumped in his hands, as always making his heart miss a beat. The bolt flew true, and rammed straight through the Pride demon's seventh eye.
The demon swayed, then collapsed to its hands and knees with an great crash, and dissolved into nothingness. The rift reacted, changing from a dense amalgamation of crystals into a blinding cascade of green light.
And then Varric remembered to start breathing again. "Oh, Bianca, I never doubted you for a second." he gasped, giving her a quick, fierce kiss.
Cassandra, torn up but alive, rushed over to Varric.
"Where is he!?" she demanded. "Did you see where he went?! How did he—"
Cassandra was answered by the unmistakable sound of the rift shrieking before shattering completely. Unlike the relatively tiny rift before, this enormous rift closed with a flash and a tremendous BOOM that reverberated through Varric's flesh and bone like he was no more solid than a wineskin. Everyone was bowled over by the blast.
Then, finally, everything settled. The coiling, angry spiral of energy between the giant rift and the Breach was nowhere to be seen, even though the Breach still loomed far overhead.
Varric picked himself up, trying not to think of the ringing in his ears or the spasming back pain and the soreness he would feel in the morning. Everyone else seemed to be all right and accounted for, except for Aaron.
Wait, why had the rift closed if he vanished?
That was when he noticed everyone else suddenly seemed to be staring in the same direction, and he followed their gaze to see Aaron inexplicably standing atop of the shattered statue of Andraste, nearly on a level with where the rift once was.
Varric gaped in disbelief. What in Andraste's tits just happened?
A ragged cheer rose up from the soldiers, growing in intensity until it was a thunderous victory roar. Then, somehow, someone had started them chanting "Knight! Knight! Knight!"
"I think a legend was just born," Varric answered himself.
A/N
And now events are going to start really diverging from canon. Already, I'm starting to get comments and messages speculating about who or what Aaron could be, and they aren't things that I, or any of the characters for that matter, had even considered. I can't tell you how gratifying that is. But do please keep it to the reviews section, and know that this is a test! I will try to respond to all non-spoiler queries, but I won't give out spoilers, even in a private message, until someone manages to correctly guess for the right reasons. In all honesty, I would be truly amazed if someone manages to guess it correctly before the big reveal, but there are several other mini-mysteries to solve as well. For example, how on earth does Aaron seemingly "vanish" when that's pretty much impossible in the world of Thedas? The tools to solve these mysteries are all hidden in canon, so all you need to have done is played the games to be able to put together a theory! I look forward to seeing all the guesses, and seeing how many I can try to persuade with the characters' own theories, some of which may or may not end up being correct. As always, thanks to Bioware and thanks for reading!