"Rose?" Kathan gave Cassandra a concerned look. "Everything alright?"
She sighed. "I can keep staring at this, but I won't get any closer." Cassandra looked up from the map she'd been studying."
"Something I can help with?" He walked over.
"Yes." She nodded. "Possibly." She gestured at the map. "We saw so many red templars at the assault on Haven. Perhaps all that was left of the Order. What we didn't see was Lord Seeker Lucius." She shook her head, and bent back over the map. "Indeed, I've seen no hint of any Seekers amongst the red templars. Or anywhere." She met his eyes. "I've a growing suspicion Corypheus has imprisoned them."
"Findin them obviously means a lot to you." Kathan folded his arms. "I'll tell Leliana to see if'n she can pick up a trail anywhere. And if'n they are imprisoned, we'll go bust them out."
Cassandra smiled. "I left the Order, but I can never abandon them." She sighed. "I cannot even claim that rescuing them would be beneficial - they wouldn't look kindly on the Inquisition."
"Don't matter. They're your people." He put his hand on hers. "I ain't a merc no more, but Cullen tracked down my old band. He's got them fighting demons in Orlais." He shrugged. "They sent a thank-you letter. With correct spelling and everything."
A small laugh escaped her. "Thank you, Inquisitor."
#
"Hey, Sera. How'd your thing with the place go?" Kathan knocked on the door to the room she'd taken over as he entered.
"Whatsit?" Sera looked up at him. "Oh, Verchiel. Heard it went good for you. Headin out to see if it went good for me. Bring your empty pockets."
"I'll grab Ser Stabbity and we can head out."
#
They hadn't been there long when they began to get an inkling things weren't as they should be. Maybe it was the distance from the city. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the veil. Or maybe it was the panicked young man running towards them. "Don't hurt me. Harmond made me do it."
"Right." Kathan nodded. "Things have gone sour. As they do."
The young man looked up at him, panting. "No, no. It has to go right, or he'll kill me for the marching. It wasn't my fault."
Sera stepped to Kathan's side. "You were the one with the rumor out of Verchiel? My friend?"
His eyes widened, and then he was dashing off, yelling to someone that it was Red Jenny. A couple hours from somewhere in the shadows cut him off. Kathan growled, and reached for his knives as the ambush he'd been waiting for sprang to life.
#
"Whoa-ho-ho. Hold on." The man by the stone marker started shaking his head. "I was not aware the Inquisitor was personally involved." Kathan and Sera walked towards him, Iron Bull, Blackwall, and Dorian following. "This is a tragic misunderstanding. Let's all sheath our swords, you walk out, and we'll conduct this like business."
Sera and Kathan exchanged a look. Sera spat. "Don't believe this pissbag. He started it."
They came to a stop by the man, who smoothed his tunic when he looked up at Kathan. "There. That wasn't so hard, was it? We identified the confusion, and we worked past it. I'm Lord Pel Harmond." He squared his shoulders. "I do hope, Inquisitor, that you continue to respond to reason. After all, your choice of company is hardly virtuous."
Kathan glanced over his shoulder at his companions. "Was that an insult?"
"Yes." Dorian nodded. "I do believe this man is questioning our character."
"Friggin user, you are." Sera glared at him. "Another noble prick who punches down."
Lord Harmond blinked, then looked back at Kathan. "We're the same, you and I. Well, that is overstating it. You are nothing like me. But we both need people."
He rubbed at his horns, then looked back over his shoulder at his companions again. "What's he doing?"
"I believe he is attempting to negotiate." Iron Bull replied.
"Oh." Kathan nodded. "He's really bad at it."
"Yep." Iron Bull nodded. Sera snickered.
"This ambush..." Kathan glanced at the corpses they'd left behind them, then pointed a knife at Lord Harmond. "You?"
"Granted, it wasn't a direct attack, but the first move was hers and, apparently, yours." Lord Harmond's face betrayed a bit of confusion. "Honestly, previous to this very moment, I thought you'd also been tricked by these Red Jennies." Lord Harmond smoothed his tunic again. "Despite your 'foreign' nature, as Inquisitor, you are a social peer. I attacked them on behalf of us both."
"Arse-biscuit." Sera shook her head.
"Quite." Lord Harmond spared only a brief glance at Sera. "Inquisitor? Herald. I don't want to be your enemy. I am barely invested in being hers. If you are willing to recognize an opportunity, we could be exceptional partners."
"Lemme see if'n I got this straight. You sent a bunch of your people to run other people off of their land, they had the gall to defend themselves, so you attacked. My soldiers broke it up, so ya decided to come try to kill a friend of mine and me. Ya threatened and murdered an unarmed guy. Then, ya tried to better your position by askin to be my ally instead of apologizin." He glanced at Blackwall. "Did I miss anything?"
"He insulted our virtue." Blackwall raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, ya did that too." Kathan nodded. "Man, I think you're the dumbest guy I've met in weeks, and believe me, that's saying a lot. Cause I'm regularly dealing with folks who shove red lyrium up their asses." Kathan shrugged. "Now, ordinarily, I'd just insult you some more and send you on your way, but there's a problem with that."
Lord Harmond's eyes were almost comically wide. "I'm sure we can overcome any difficulties that..."
"It's Sera's birthday." Kathan turned to Sera, and gestured to Lord Harmond. "Happy birthday."
Sera flung a knife at Lord Harmond. It hit him hilt first. He bent down to pick it up, and she kicked him between the legs. When he collapsed, she kicked him in the face.
#
"Ya got a little Harmond on ya there..." Kathan pointed at Sera's tunic as they walked away.
"Ew." Sera brushed at her tunic. Then she glanced up at Kathan. "My birthday is next week."
"Oops." Kathan shrugged.
#
Kathan walked with the soldiers, listening as Cullen filled him in on the plan with occasional interjections from Loghain. "I'm thinkin in might be best to have Silky back with the main forces. Her barriers could make a difference for the folks tryin ta breach the walls."
"I can put her with the ladders." Cullen nodded.
"And I'm gonna tell Sparkly to stick with Bull and the Chargers, give them some additional firepower. Shiny will come with me, if'n we're dealing with demons it's best ta have the guy who knows the most about them. Rose and Stabbity will also come with me. Gonna need their shields and in a pinch, Stabbity's a damn good battering ram."
"I heard that." Blackwall said from behind them.
"I reckon Scribbles is gonna be up Hawke's ass." Kathan frowned thoughtfully. "Buttercup, ya stay with Generally In Charge here, shootin anything that tries shootin at him."
"Heh." Sera gave him a salute that incorporated a somewhat rude gesture.
"I do not require a bodyguard." Cullen shook his head.
"Tough shit." Kathan shrugged. "That's what ya get for stickin me with the being in charge thing." He stuck his tongue out at Cullen.
Cassandra made that noise again. He grinned.
#
He headed in through the breached gate, flinging a knife at a demon. His companions followed, making short work of the inner gate's defenses. Cullen followed them in a moment later. "All right, Inquisitor. You have your way in. Best make use of it." He glanced at the battering ram. "We'll keep the main host of demons occupied for as long as we can."
"We got this." Kathan nodded to him. "Try ta keep the men from gettin dead, alright?"
"We'll do what we have to, Inquisitor." Cullen glanced up at where the soldiers were fighting on the walls, then shook his head. Warden Loghain will guard your back. Hawke is with our soldiers on the battlements. He's assisting them until you arrive." A demon threw one of the soldiers off the walls. Cullen narrowed his eyes. "There's too much resistance on the walls. Our men on the ladders can't get a foothold. If you can clear out the enemies on the battlements, we'll cover your advance."
"Ya heard the man." Kathan gestured at his companions. "Let's go save the day."
#
They fought their way through. Some of the Wardens were fighting each other. Kathan yelled for them to stay back, and was rather relieved when they did. Loghain sounded relieved as well.
Hawke they found on the battlements, busily living up to his reputation with the help of Varric and Bianca. Kathan shook his head fondly as he sent them to go help the other soldiers. "Were they keeping score?" He asked Blackwall.
"Sure sounded that way."
"Huh."
#
The Warden-Commander was actually giving a speech when they found her. A speech about how the Wardens were never thanked for what they did. Considering only a couple months ago he'd met a couple Gray Wardens that were sitting on friggin thrones, it felt a little off. And the magister was urging her to get a move on. "I'm sure you can't wait for Clarel to do that. How else are you going to bind her?" Kathan took a few steps forward, only to have some of the Gray Wardens step forward to block his path.
"Yes, Inquisitor. I want to bind the Warden-Commander to a demon. Everyone in this room already knows that." Erimond folded his arms. "And yes, the ritual requires blood sacrifice. Hate me for that if you must, but do not hate the Wardens for doing their duty."
Clarel spoke up. "We make the sacrifices no one else will. Our warriors die proudly for a world that will never thank them."
Loghain stepped forward. "And then he takes your mages minds for his real master: Corypheus."
"Corypheus?" Clarel looked startled. "But he's dead."
"These people will say anything to shake your confidence, Clarel." Erimond put a hand on her arm.
Slowly, she nodded. "Bring it through."
"Please, I have seen more than my share of blood magic." Hawke added his voice to the argument. "It is never worth the cost."
"I betrayed the Wardens once, and it cost me everything." Loghain just sounded frustrated. "Are you mad enough to think I'd do it again?"
"Be ready with the ritual, Clarel." Erimond's smirk made Kathan wish he could throw fireballs. "This demon is truly worthy of your strength."
"For fuck's sake." Kathan took another step forward. "I didn't come here to kill Wardens. I've spared the ones I could. You're being used." He turned his gaze to the men in front of him. "And some of you damn well know I'm right."
One of the men nodded. "The mages who've done the ritual? They're not right. They were my friends, but now they're like puppets on a string."
"You cannot let fear sway your mind, Warden Chernoff." Clarel shook her head.
"He's not afraid. You are." Hawke gestured, glaring up at her. "You're afraid that you ordered all these brave men and women to die for nothing."
Loghain looked around at the gathered Wardens. "One day, you may be asked to give your lives to stop a Blight. But not today."
"Clarel, we have come so far." Erimond gave Clarel a beseeching look. "You're the only one who can do this."
Slowly, Clarel shook her head. "Perhaps we could test the truth of these charges, to avoid more bloodshed."
Erimond sneered, and drew his staff. "Or perhaps I should bring in a more reliable ally." He looked down at Kathan and began tapping the butt of his staff against the ground. "My master thought you might come here, Inquisitor. He sent me this to welcome you."
From somewhere above them came the roar of the dragon. "Shit." Kathan sighed. He drew his blades, and then saw Clarel grow a brain. She sent a blast of lightning into Erimond, then shouted for the Wardens to help the Inquisition.
#
"So, Loghain..." Kathan yanked his blade free of a demon. "You were there when they killed the last Archdemon. Any particular trick to it?"
He batted a demon aside with his shield, and grunted. "You need a ballista and a half dozen lunatics."
"We've got us and Bianca." Kathan nodded. "So..." He shrugged. "I guess we're good?"
Loghain actually laughed.
#
Erimond actually managed to keep being smug even with Clarel kicking the shit out of him. The Warden-Commander shrugged off Erimond's spells almost as if she couldn't be bothered to notice they were there, then sent magic of her own back at him. He went flying.
For just a moment, Kathan thought it was over. Then the dragon landed, snatched up Clarel, shook her a few times, and tossed her to the stone before coming at them. "Oh. Not good." Kathan held a blade in each hand.
He could hear Clarel's voice weakly reciting the Warden oath as she turned. And fired a blast of lightning at the dragon, sending it stumbling.
It shattered the bridge as it fell. "Run." Kathan gestured to his companions. "Make with the running." He caught Loghain as the Warden nearly fell, and made it only a few more steps before the bridge collapsed beneath them.
Below, something gleamed green in the air. Well, they were dead either way. He held out his hand, and opened the rift.
#
He was falling down, and then he was falling up, and then he was just sort of hanging in the sky. Kathan extended a hand to touch the ground, and then he hit it, landing with an oof.
"What happened?" He heard Loghain ask. He saw the man standing on a rock that was apparently oriented to an entirely different gravity.
"Um..." Kathan looked around. "Don't anybody panic, but um..." He sighed. "I think I mighta done something a little crazier than normal."
"That..." Blackwall stood. "Definitely sounds like the kind of thing I should panic about."
"This is the Fade." Solas was looking around, wonder evident on his face. The Inquisitor opened a rift. We came through..." He smiled. "And survived. I never thought I would ever find myself here physically..." He gestured. "Look. The Black City, almost close enough to touch."
"No touching Black Cities." Kathan immediately shook his head, then a glowing green stone on one of the outcroppings caught his eye. "Oh, what's this?" He bent to examine it, touching it with one finger. It felt strange, rather tingly. Solas immediately launched into an explanation of Fade properties.
"Sweet Maker." Varric sighed, and turned to Hawke. "And I thought you were bad."
"If you two are quite finished..." Cassandra folded her arms and glared at Kathan and Solas. "Perhaps we could see about finding a way out of here?"
"That huge demon was on the other side of that rift Erimond was using, and there could be others." Loghain climbed down from his perch. "In the real world, the rift producing the demons was nearby, in the main hall. Can we return to the world through that?"
"It's as good a plan as any." Kathan nodded. "That way." He pointed.
#
"What's that?" Kathan pointed. Solas had barely finished the explanation when Kathan pointed at something else. "And that?" He let Solas answer, then started to point at something else. "And..." He trailed off when he caught sight of the woman standing there, waiting for them. "That?"
"Impossible..." Loghain's voice was little more than a whisper.
Divine Justinia stood there, looking back at them with a calm look on her face. "I greet you, Warden. And you, Champion."
Cassandra continued forward until she was standing next to him. "Divine Justinia? Most Holy?"
"Cassandra." The Divine gave her a warm smile.
"This um..." Kathan rubbed at one of his horns. "Okay, didn't see this coming. Rose, it really her?"
"I..." Cassandra hesitated, and Kathan put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know. It is said the souls of the dead pass through the Fade and sometimes linger, but..." Her eyes were wet when she looked back at him. "We know the spirits lie. Be wary, Inquisitor."
"This can't be the Divine." Loghain shook his head. "It's most likely a demon."
"You think my survival impossible, yet here you stand alive in the Fade yourselves." The Divine's voice remained calm and steady. "In truth, proving my existence either way would require time we do not have."
"Really?" Hawke rolled his eyes. "How hard is it to answer one question? I'm a human, and you are..."
"I am here to help you." The Divine met Kathan's eyes. "You do not remember what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Inquisitor."
"Nope." Kathan shook his head.
"The memories you have lost were taken by the demon that serves Corypheus." The Divine folded her hands. "It is the nightmare you forget upon waking. It feeds off memories of fear and darkness, growing fat upon the terror. The false Calling that terrified the Wardens into making such grave mistakes? It's work."
"Then perhaps I owe this Nightmare a visit." Loghain practically growled the words.
"You will have your chance, brave Warden. This place of darkness is its lair."
Kathan sighed. "Why couldn't we have landed in the happy fun part of the Fade?" He glanced at Solas. "There is a happy fun part of the Fade, right?"
#
Recovering the first set of memories was a strange experience. Especially when he realized that the others had seen them too. Wardens had held the Divine in a magical prison, while Corypheus had approached with the orb. The distraction he'd provided by entering had enabled Justinia to knock the orb away from Corypheus. Kathan looked down at the marked hand. And he'd caught it.
"So Andraste didn't bestow her mark upon you." Loghain straightened. "It came from the orb Corypheus used in his ritual."
Justinia nodded. "Corypheus intended to rip open the Veil, use the Anchor to enter the Fade, and throw open the doors of the Black City." She gestured. "Not for the Old Gods but for himself." Her eyes turned to Kathan. "When you disrupted his plan, the orb bestowed the Anchor upon you instead."
He looked up at the Divine. "Was that everything you wanted me to see?"
"For the time being." She met his eyes calmly. "You cannot escape the lair of the Nightmare until you regain all that it took from you. You have recovered some of yourself, but now it knows you are here. You must make haste. I will prepare the way ahead."
Hawke and Loghain argued briefly about the presence of the Wardens in the vision. Hawke didn't seem particularly thrilled about the whole thing. He really couldn't blame the man.
#
Cassandra walked beside Kathan, trying to make sense of what it was she'd just seen. She looked over her shoulder at Solas. "Could that truly have been the Most Holy?"
"We have survived in the Fade physically. Perhaps she did as well." Solas gestured with one hand. "Or, if it is a spirit that identifies so strongly with Justinia that it believes it is her, how can we say it is not?"
She sighed, and felt Kathan put a hand on her shoulder. His mark had come from Corypheus's orb. He'd said all along he wasn't chosen, but she'd... Part of her was grateful he'd said nothing about having been right. She placed her hand atop his, drawing some comfort from his touch. Chosen or not, he was still there, with her, fighting.
#
They hadn't gone much further when a voice seemed to come from all directions. "Ah, we have a visitor. Some silly little boy comes to steal the fear I kindly lifted from his shoulders. You should have left your fear where it lay, forgotten. You think that pain will make you stronger? What fool filled your mind with such drivel? The only one who grows stronger from your fears is me."
Kathan sighed, and turned to Solas. "Lemme guess. The Nightmare?"
"Undoubtedly."
"So this is the part where it tries to annoy us to death." He kicked some kind of little deepstalker demon thing that came at them, sending it flying into a puddle of water. Then he drew his blades as more came at them. "Don't suppose you could magic us up two giant fingers or something in it's general direction?"
"Sadly..." Solas shook his head. "No."
"Shit."
#
The spirit that looked like Divine Justinia led them to the next set of memories. And they all watched the Divine save his life, moments before she died. She'd... He clenched his fists. "She saved me. Some nobody merc, and she saved me." He wiped a hand at his eyes. "Then she died."
"We've been following a demon, then." Loghain sighed.
Hawke narrowed his eyes. "You don't say."
The spirit gave the Champion a sad and kind look. "I am sorry if I disappoint you." He slowly nodded in response. Then the spirit shed her guise, becoming a being of warm light.
"Who or whatever you are..." Kathan nodded to her. "You've helped us."
Loghain and Hawke began arguing about the Wardens again, and his companions added their own voices. He was slightly surprised to hear Cassandra arguing on the side of the Champion, against the Wardens. Kathan shook his head, and then let out a shrill whistle that silenced all of them. "Hey, you guys do remember that there is still a giant fucking demon in our way, right?"
#
Demon after demon came, and they fought their way through. "You must get through the rift, Inquisitor. Get through and then slam it closed with all your strength. That will banish this army of demons..." The spirit led them onward. "And exile this cursed creature into the farthest reaches of the Fade."
"Look," Hawke pointed. "We're almost there."
"Great, Hawke," Varric glared at his friend. "Why don't you just dare the Old Gods to stop us?"
Then the only thing in their way was... Kathan sighed. A giant fucking demon. The spirit glowed brighter. "If you would, please tell Leliana, 'I am sorry. I failed you, too.'" And she threw herself at the Nightmare, driving it back.
#
A terror demon, one Solas helpfully identified as an aspect of the Nightmare, attacked. Kathan moved as fast as he could, stabbing it over and over until its form disappated. "Move." He gestured. On the other side of the demon's platform, Solas, Cassandra, Varric, and Blackwall were already heading towards the rift.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Loghain and Hawke stop in their tracks, and a chill went through him. He looked up to see the Nightmare's return. "We need to clear a path." Loghain shifted his shield.
"Go, I'll cover you." Hawke gestured with his staff.
Loghain protested. "No. You were right. The Wardens made this mistake. A Warden must -"
"A Warden must help them rebuild. That's your job." Hawke narrowed his eyes. "Corypheus is mine."
Kathan took a deep breath. And made a choice. "Loghain."
"Fight well." The old warrior smiled. "You will not die while I draw breath."
#
Kathan landed on the other side of the rift, and stood, drawing himself up to his full height. Fury filled him, and he clenched his fist. The rift behind him shattered, taking the demons with it.
A cheer began to rise from the soldiers of the Inquisition. Hawke turned back towards him. "She was right. Without the Nightmare to control them, the mages are free, and Corypheus loses his demon army." He smiled. "Though as far as they're all concerned, the Inquisitor broke the spell with the blessing of the Maker."
He rubbed a horn. "I am never going to get rid of the stories at this rate." He sighed.
One of Cullen's men came rushing up. "Inquisitor. The Archdemon flew off as soon as you disappeared. The Venatori magister is unconscious but alive. Cullen thought you might wish to deal with him yourself." He glared at a man wearing a griffin helmet who walked up to join them. "As for the Wardens, those who weren't corrupted helped us fight the demons."
"We stand ready to help make up for Clarel's..." The Warden closed a fist over his heart. "Tragic mistake." He swallowed. "Where is Loghain?"
" He was the only one who could see just how incredibly foolish this plan of yours was, and now he's dead. If he hadn't come to us, you would all be dead, and you'd have taken the world down with you. All the Wardens were, all they are, and you'd have thrown all that away because you were too fucking scared to think straight. And you called him, the only real Warden among you, a traitor." Kathan gestured sharply. "We have enough of a mess on our hands. Get your asses back to Weisshaupt until you can get your heads out of them."
The man practically wilted before Kathan's words. Blackwall, however, stepped forward. "Your Worship, I would stay, if you allow it, and continue our fight."
"Of course. I don't doubt you, Blackwall." Kathan nodded. And it wasn't like the man was an actual Warden anyway.
"Good luck with your Inquisition." Hawke smiled. "Try not to start an Exalted March on anything." He glanced at where the dwarven man stood next to Cassandra. "And take care of Varric for me."
