Chapter 9
Village of Haven
"This is not a good sign," a young Chantry sister spoke, placing her hand on the clammy brow of the lone survivor from the destruction of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. "He is not responsive… do you see how dilated the pupils are?" she asked, pulling up the patients eyelids and urging Cassandra and Bethany to take a look for themselves. "Breathing is shallow as well. His heart is racing, the pulse is overly fast... unless we can get his heart to work normally, it will kill him soon."
"I won't allow that to happen... not until I have my answers," Cassandra ground her teeth, giving the survivor an accusing glare. Alistair and his group had carried the man down to the forward camp where they had constructed a makeshift stretcher before bringing the man down to Haven where he could be treated.
"What do you need in order to save this man, Sister?" Bethany asked, appearing less eager to extort answers from the barely living survivor.
"I am not sure, ma'am... I am not much of a healer, you probably have more skill at saving lives than I do," the young Chantry sister replied a little helplessly. "I think that the common elfroot could be used to reduce heart rate... I need to look at my notes one more time..."
"Of course," Bethany snapped her fingers, looking at the local apothecary, an older man by the name of Adan, standing respectfully by the door and waiting if anything will be required of him. "Do you have the ingredients to make some elfroot extract for us, Master Adan?"
"I have some on hand back at my place, my Lady," Adan replied. "As well as fresh ingredients to make more. Would you like me to bring a bottle?"
"Yes, please do so," Bethany smiled at the elderly apothecary as he turned to leave.
"I'm not sure that it will be enough to save this man," another voice spoke up quietly, the elven mage standing discreetly at the corner of the room, as if thinking his presence was unwelcome and wanting to be as far from everyone else as possible.
"What do you mean?" Cassandra demanded harshly, turning around to glare at the elf.
"The magic on his hand. I can feel it thrumming from over here," Solas replied, refusing to look at Cassandra, but instead facing Bethany. "Can't you?"
"I only sense that something is... not right with it," Bethany replied uncertainly. "I have not seen or felt anything like this before. Do you know where it comes from?"
"I do not," Solas shook his head. "But I think that it is killing him. Would you allow me to try something to see if I can help him?"
"If your actions in any way lead to this man's death, you will answer for it," Cassandra warned.
"I am willing to take that risk," Solas shrugged.
"I think we should allow him to try," Bethany voiced her opinion. "It's not as if anyone else here really knows what to do. And the magic on his hand... there is something strange about it, I can sense as much."
"Understood," Cassandra nodded reluctantly, beckoning Solas to step forward. The elf immediately answered the invitation and stood next to the bed with the unconscious patient. The elven apostate focused for a while and then shielding white energy burst from his hands and began to envelop the survivor, concentrating in particular on his hand, marked by the sickly green glow of magic.
"What are you doing?" the surprised Chantry sister asked in a perplexed voice.
"Is he making it worse?" Cassandra immediately demanded.
"No! No, quite the opposite... I can feel the heart rate dropping... breathing becoming normal again. This is helping him!" the healer exclaimed happily.
After a while, Solas stopped channeling his spell and stepped away from the bed. "My apologies, but I cannot maintain the cast any longer," he explained. "Still, this should help for a few more hours at least."
"What did you do, Solas?" Cassandra asked.
"I believe he suppressed... blocked the magic on the man's hand," Bethany cut in to explain, earning a nod from Solas. "It seems that this strange magic is indeed the reason why this man lies unconscious."
"Suppressing the magic... could this also be done by the templars?" the Seeker wondered.
"I believe they would be much better at it than the paltry efforts of any mage," Solas agreed. "And they would not need to expend as much effort as it took me."
"I will ask Lysette and the other templars to set up a rotation," Cassandra spoke, then frowning a little. "Provided they have not sided with those few villagers who demand to see this man hanged. I will not allow that to happen... not until he tells us what happened at the temple." She paused for a moment, turning towards Bethany. "Do we at least know the man's name? Do you remember him passing through the village?"
"I seem to vaguely recall him. I believe he spent an uncomfortable amount of time staring at me," Bethany replied, rolling her eyes as she did so. "I believe he was a part of one of the delegations from Ostwick. And no, I don't think he was with either mages or the templars. It is hard to imagine why someone like him would have any reason to do... something as horrible as what happened at the temple."
"He could have been acting on someone else's behalf," Cassandra pointed out logically. "But that is all idle speculation at this point, and it is getting us nowhere. I shall go and speak with the templars now."
"I will remain here and keep an eye on things," Bethany replied quickly to reassure her friend.
"The Seeker is truly a formidable woman, is she not?" Solas asked with a rare smile once Cassandra had vacated the premises, everyone in the room seemingly relaxing a little with the Nevarran woman's departure.
"She is formidable, and more than that," Bethany returned the elf's smile. "And she has the best interests of us all close to her heart, despite her taciturn manner."
"Yes, I am sure that she does," Solas nodded before turning to look at the now slightly less thrashing patient on the bed. "I observed your affinity for magic during the demon attack on Haven. You are quite talented, yourself... and you appear to have quite the sharp mind to go with your natural talent."
"You are too kind, Master Solas," Bethany promptly summoned a demure blush to hit her cheeks.
"I did not intend to flatter, I simply meant that you are the kind of person worth asking for their opinion," the elf smirked. "For example... the magic that this man suffers from. What do you think of it?"
"I could not help but notice the similarities between it and the Breach in the sky," Bethany answered. "I have been wondering... what if this mark on his hand has been created by the same magic that ripped open the sky?"
"Ah yes, my suspicions have been confirmed, you are indeed worthy of intelligent conversation," Solas smiled at her again. "What you said mirrors what I have been thinking myself. Great minds think alike, is that what they say?"
"Something like that," Bethany winked at the man, but the lack of reaction on his part confirmed what the newly minted Left Hand of the Divine had already suspected. This elf would not be swayed by her charms... but perhaps he could be won over by her intelligence.
"The templars are coming," Solas said, looking outside the window, Lysette together with one of her fellows approaching the impromptu infirmary. "I would prefer to be out of their sight, despite your reassurances. Shall we continue this conversation at a later time?"
"Of course, I would love to, Master Solas," Bethany smiled at the elf before following him out of the infirmary. "Right now, though, I should really get at least a few hours of sleep. We've all had a rough and sleepless night." Solas merely nodded at her as Bethany began the slow trek back to her quarters at the chantry.
He knows more than he is telling us, far more, the new Left Hand of the Divine thought to herself as she walked. I wonder if he actually knows what happened at the temple... part of me thinks that he might, but I cannot be sure. The connection between the Breach and the mark on the survivor's hand, knowing how to neutralize that magic... it is very curious that he would simply be able to guess these things, but then again, I made that connection myself, so it is not improbable. One thing is clear, Lady Bethany Hawke, she told herself, entering her quarters and plopping down heavily on the bed without bothering to undress herself, feeling way too exhausted for that. Getting Solas to reveal his secrets will be a major undertaking... that much I am certain of...
Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast was one step away from the doors of the war room, when an insistent and irritating male voice stopped her. "Seeker, I must speak with you immediately!" spoke a man in the robes of a Chantry cleric, approaching her with a deep frown on his perpetually disapproving face.
"Chancellor Roderick," Cassandra ground out, swallowing some of the more colorful epithets that she felt tempted to use when addressing the fastidious bureaucrat. "Can't this wait? I was in the middle of something..."
"No, it can't wait, Seeker," Roderick snapped, doing his best to appear properly outraged. "I must inquire about the condition of our prisoner. When will he be ready for transportation to Val Royeaux?"
"I beg your pardon?" Cassandra actually blinked in surprise.
"This... survivor, you found in the temple," the Chancellor explained. "Surely he must be our main suspect! Who else but him could have been at the heart of this dark conspiracy?"
"I admit that it is not impossible," the Nevarran woman sighed reluctantly. "But we cannot explain how he could have caused this explosion and yet managed to survive it. Can you explain it, Chancellor Roderick?"
"Listen to yourself, woman! The Divine is dead, along with all the Grand Clerics, and you are wondering about the 'hows' and 'whys' instead of doing your sworn duty to bring the guilty party to justice!" Roderick fumed, his face red with righteous anger.
"And you think that a sacrificial scapegoat will make it all better? That it will fix the hole in the sky?" Cassandra retorted, also raising her voice.
"That man is responsible for it, and for the fate of the Divine!" the Chancellor argued passionately. "The prisoner must be taken to Val Royeaux and thrown into the dungeons there until a new Divine is selected to administer justice for their heinous crimes!"
"And how much time will it take to select this new Divine? Months? Years?" Cassandra challenged. "There is nothing to gain by moving the prisoner to Val Royeaux, not now, not until we have learned everything he has to say. If the man ever regains his ability to speak, that is."
"By what authority are you making this decision, Seeker?" Roderick sputtered with righteous indignation.
"By my authority as the Right Hand of the Divine," Cassandra shrugged. "You seek to challenge it? I wish you the best of luck in finding anyone who will follow your orders over mine."
"I don't know what game you are playing, Seeker... but it is a dangerous one," Roderick warned. "Remember that I am a dangerous man to cross, Lady Pentaghast."
Cassandra actually burst into laughter at that, further enraging Roderick. "My Lord Chancellor, I must thank you for lightening the mood with your most amusing delusions," she then added with a fierce glare that seemed to cool down and deflate Roderick. "As for what game I am playing... I promise that you will know all about it before the day is through." Roderick opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Cassandra had had enough, turning away from the man, entering the war room and slapping the door shut in the Chancellor's face.
"That was some impressive shouting right there," Alistair looked up at her, hunched over the war table and studying the map of the region of the Frostback Mountains surrounding Haven.
"I apologize if I interrupted your work," Cassandra bowed her head lightly. "In fact, I came here because I wanted to speak with you, Warden Alistair, but Chancellor Roderick intercepted me at the most inopportune moment."
"Well, I'm all ears, Seeker," Alistair looked up at the formidable woman in front of him.
"I will speak plainly... as you might have noticed already, diplomacy is not my strong suit," Cassandra said, ignoring the light smirk on the Warden's lips. "The explosion at the temple has inflicted a death toll that is... difficult to comprehend. I don't think it has truly sunk in yet. Your Order lost many good men and women as well... this must weigh heavily on your mind."
"It does, yes... and yet..." Alistair frowned, then letting out a pent up sigh. "I will be honest with you, Lady Cassandra. Something tells me that I can afford to be." The Seeker gave him an appreciative nod, urging the Warden to continue. "I initially came to Haven because I simply did not understand why so many members of the Order had been sent here, on an errand that had very little to do with Grey Warden matters. Let's just say that I was slightly... confused about the Gray Warden purpose here."
"The Divine asked the leaders of your order to provide forces neutral in this conflict between mages and the templars to ensure her protection, and Warden-Commander Clarel obliged," Cassandra explained. "To be perfectly honest, this request seemed odd to me as well, but the Divine has... had always viewed Grey Wardens as a force of righteousness. So perhaps there is nothing odd about the presence of your fellows here."
"Perhaps... it does make some sense," Alistair seemed to agree, but not entirely, though he did not say more on the issue. "I will have to report to the Warden-Commander about this, of course. She will be devastated about the loss of lives, not just those of the Wardens."
"Alistair, do you think that the Grey Wardens will want to investigate this matter?" Cassandra asked plainly. "I realize that it is not related to the darkspawn and the Blight, but so many of your Order have been killed. Surely you should be interested in discovering the truth behind these events?"
"I would most certainly be interested in investigating, but I cannot do anything without the authorization by the Warden-Commander," Alistair replied. "That said... I do not have to return to Val Royeaux immediately. Sending a runner is also an alternative."
"Or a raven. We have some at our disposal, though they seem to take greater delight in pecking Varric than delivering our messages," Cassandra smirked. "To be perfectly honest, Alistair... we badly need someone like you here, at least in the short term until your Warden-Commander decides to recall you. The Divine left contingency plans in case of her death... have you heard about the Inquisition of old?"
"I read every possible legend during my all too short templar training, yes," Alistair nodded. "They were harsh warriors, oftentimes brutal, but the tumultuous times called for such measures. Why are you mentioning this Inquisition of old?"
"Because it was the Divine's will to see the Inquisition restored to bring order to this world of chaos, should the Conclave fail," Cassandra explained to the surprised Warden. "The Conclave has failed, and once the words of these events reach Val Royeaux and spread to every corner of Thedas... chaos will break out everywhere, I'm sure you realize this. I think that the Divine was absolutely correct in predicting the necessity for the Inquisition, which is why she has tasked me and Bethany to restore the Inquisition of old."
"Oh?" Alistair's eyes widened in surprise at those words. "Clearly, Lady Bethany is no mere lay sister, is she? In fact… she reminds me of someone I once knew…"
"One of Justinia's last decrees was to name Bethany the Left Hand of the Divine," Cassandra explained. "She is my equal, and together we have this mountain of a task before us. As you already saw, neither of us is prepared to lead armies, however. But... well, you are."
"What are you saying?" Alistair blinked. "You want me to... join this Inquisition of yours?"
"I want you to seriously think about it," Cassandra nodded grimly. "Of course, you can claim that this is no Grey Warden matter, but the chaos that is coming will affect the Grey Wardens as well. It already has, many of your fellows lay dead amidst the ruins of the temple!"
"You are... not wrong about that, Seeker," Alistair admitted after a brief moment of thought. "Still... regardless of how sympathetic I might be to your cause, I will need to consider my decision carefully. And I will need to speak with Master Varric about sending a raven to Val Royeaux and hope that the Warden-Commander will respond."
"Why would she not respond?" Cassandra asked quickly.
"Well... that was the strangest thing... and another reason why I came to Haven to investigate," Alistair admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and looking a little confused. "There was nobody present at the Warden headquarters in the capital when I returned from my previous assignment. It was... as if the place had been deserted. I'm sure it's nothing, but... I simply found that quite odd."
"Hmm," Cassandra frowned, but declined from saying anything else, not knowing what to make of this revelation. "Should I leave you to contemplate your decision, Warden?"
"Alistair will do just fine, especially if we end up working side by side," the man gave her an honest, friendly smile.
"Only if you call me Cassandra and forget all about the Seeker," the Nevarran returned the smile before taking Alistair's hand in a firm handshake. "Find me once you have reached your decision, Alistair," she added, then turning around and walking out of the war room.
Bethany was rolling around her bed restlessly, having been awake for a good quarter of an hour already, but still not quite feeling like getting up, even if her conscience was slowly beginning to eat away at her. It did not take long for her to start feeling guilty for sleeping in when everyone else were up and about, trying to help out in any way they could around the village. As Bethany slowly got out of the bed, she began to sense someone milling around uncertainly just outside the doors to her room, as if trying to build up the courage to knock. The Left Hand of the Divine walked up to the doors and then opened them in the exact right moment when Ambassador Montilyet had finally gathered her resolve and turned to knock, now almost tumbling over the doorstep, Bethany catching her arm and helping Josephine steady herself.
"Whoa, careful there," Bethany chuckled, welcoming the blushing ambassador into her room and closing the doors behind them. "I think you should know that I was awake for a while, so next time don't hesitate to knock. Even if I'm asleep, I will not mind you interrupting my rest."
"I... shall remember that for future reference," Josephine, still a little flushed, managed to recover quickly. "But Bethany, while you slept, certain rumors have started to circulate... and they are making my head spin. It doesn't help that I am still struggling to accept that the Divine might be dead..."
"I'm afraid so..." Bethany sighed. "I... came to really look up to her. She was just so... different from Grand Cleric Elthina back in Kirkwall. Divine Justinia recognized injustice when she saw it, and she tried to work to right these wrongs. I will miss her..."
"She obviously thought a great deal of you, Bethany," Josie smiled sadly. "I have had to learn that you are not only a mage, but also the new Left Hand of the Divine. Talk about a discovery..."
"Uh... yes," now it was Bethany's turn to blush. "I knew that Justinia planned for it sooner or later, but I had no idea that she had already prepared her writ in the case of her death. Cassandra let me know just a little while ago. I was going to tell you, honestly."
"Well... you didn't have to, actually," Josephine pointed out. "Nor were you obliged to reveal to me that you are a mage."
"I wanted to, though," Bethany smiled demurely. "I want us to become the kind of friends that... well, who don't want to keep secrets from each other. So... there's actually one more thing that you should know..."
"If you mean about rebuilding the Inquisition, then I already overheard that as well," Josephine confessed. "Actually, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been thinking on how the Inquisition might actually function, what kind of help you and Cassandra might require to make it work..."
"It's... a bit too overwhelming to think about all the details, but... it's very comforting to hear that you want to help, Josie," Bethany smiled at her friend.
"Of course I want to help," Josephine nodded resolutely. "With this one single act of destruction, the face of Thedas has been changed forever. Everything else now feels... small and mundane next to the task before you and Cassandra. It is clear to me that if the Inquisition wants to succeed, it will need connections to the organizations of power and the nobility and the royal courts all over Thedas. Now, I know that you and Master Tethras have some kind of a... network to gather information discreetly... but you will also need official channels to work with."
"Yes... that sounds like something we definitely will need... and something that neither I nor Cassandra are well equipped to deal with," Bethany sighed, shaking her head. "What is your advice, Josie? How do we build these connections?"
"By employing someone who already has these connections," Josephine smiled at her, seemingly taking great delight in Bethany's confusion. "Someone charming, witty, well-mannered and patient... well, someone like me, for example..."
"You... want to join the Inquisition?" Bethany gasped.
"I simply feel as if this would be the right thing to do under the current circumstances," Josephine replied earnestly. "And on a personal level, it would be the kind of challenge that I am looking forward to truly test my mettle as a diplomat. My work as the Antivan ambassador has felt a little stale as of late, and I have been thinking about a career change before all this happened... so yes, I would very much like to be a part of the Inquisition. I could be your ambassador!"
"Do you truly mean it?" Bethany asked, wanting to be completely certain. "I mean, when you put it like that, your reasons make sense, but... I would hate you to regret your decision later..."
"Bethany... I am smart enough to realize what the Divine's death means for Thedas," Josephine said softly, placing a comforting hand upon Bethany's. "I'm not sure I can simply... go back to my old post in Val Royeaux as if nothing had happened. Of course... working alongside you is also a pleasant prospect to look forward to..." she added, both women exchanging coy smiles before turning away.
"As long as you're sure," Bethany managed, her voice a little hoarse with the emotion. "Cassandra and I could really benefit from your skills..."
"Then it is settled and I am staying," Josephine said decisively. "Together we will make this Inquisition work…"
Deep Roads, Northern Orlais
"I have never seen our Lord Corypheus quite this angry," an elderly Venatori magister remarked, looking on as two of their lowly recruits were busy cleaning up the scene of grizzly murder, Corypheus having blasted several of his loyal subjects to death simply for daring to ask about the events at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, the ancient magister clearly not taking this setback in his plans well at all.
"I think that given the circumstances, the reaction was understandable and only to be expected, Magister Alexius," Calpernia returned thoughtfully, glancing at the fellow Tevinter mage, Alexius one of the few magisters in the upper echelons of the Venatori who did not show open disdain at her meteoric rise through their ranks. "While waste of their lives was pointless, they were fools to choose this particular moment to indulge their curiosity. As we can clearly see, this time it killed more than a cat."
"Well said," Alexius smirked, giving his younger colleague a scrutinizing stare. "You must be relieved that our Master did not insist on you accompanying him to the very mountaintop." Calpernia nodded at that, allowing Alexius to continue. "Does that mean you also do not know what exactly happened at the temple?"
"Lord Corypheus was not in a sharing mood when he returned following the explosion," Calpernia scowled. "The orb worked, we can see the proof of it every time we look up into the sky. It ripped the Veil open and provided entrance into the Fade, as it was supposed to do. But for some reason, our Master was unable to enter the Fade, and he is not willing to share why. Clearly, something must have gone wrong."
"If the orb had malfunctioned, he would have surely blamed you," Alexius rightly pointed out. "And that means that we would not be having this discussion right now."
"True enough," Calpernia admitted. "Something must have prevented Lord Corypheus from entering the Fade, but I do not expect that he will simply give up because of this setback. Remember, the Divine is dead, together with a great many mages and templars, severely crippling the ability of the Southerners to fight back. In a way, this was a victory in defeat."
"I suppose you are right," Alexius began, but at that very moment the doors to the inner chambers of the ancient darkspawn magister sprang open, Corypheus storming out and pointing at them both with a grand, imperious gesture.
"Both of you, follow me!" the irritated magister snarled, turning around and returning to his chambers, Alexius and Calpernia getting up from the table and following, a little fearfully. "And stop cowering like frightened slaves! You are not to blame for what happened at the temple... if you were to blame, you would no longer be breathing by now."
"You are most fair and generous, Master," Alexius bowed deeply.
"How can we further serve you, Lord Corypheus?" Calpernia addressed her master with the proper obedience of a former slave.
"It is true that I have suffered a temporary setback in my plans to conquer the Black City and claim the power of the gods for my own, but it is only a matter of time until I discover other means to enter the Fade," Corypheus stated. "Meanwhile, our plans to crush the pathetic nations of Thedas must continue, and the events at the temple serve our purpose well. Through the fake Lord Seeker Lucius, I directed a large part of the templar order away from Haven and towards the fortress at..." Corypheus peered at the large map on the table in front of him, still not quite familiar with the current geography of Thedas. "Therinfal Redoubt, yes. There, their corruption with red lyrium will be completed, and we will receive dozens and dozens of powerful, nigh indestructible juggernauts of battle to bolster our ranks."
"A most brilliant move, master," Alexius commented. "Did you expect the ritual at the temple to be so... catastrophic?"
"Ripping apart the Veil is rarely a gentle event, you should know as much as a mage, Alexius," the ancient magister scowled. "Yes, I wanted a large part of the templars away from the temple, but not as many as to cause suspicion. Unfortunately... someone alerted the rebel mages that the templars were planning to hold some of their forces back. The rebel mages decided to do the same. Instead of heading for Haven, a large part of their forces relocated to the village of..." Corypheus glanced at the map again. "Redcliffe."
"Very unfortunate," Alexius frowned. "They should either be destroyed or recruited to our cause."
"You are half-right, Alexius," Corypheus slammed his fist against the surface of the table in an exaggerated gesture. "They are of no use to me dead, thus it will be your task to travel to this village of Redcliffe and do what you can to win over these rebel mages. Take as many Venatori with you as is required, but know that I would approve of the use of subtlety instead of a direct confrontation. Calpernia will travel with you, both to advise and to evaluate your performance."
"Her advice will be greatly appreciated," Alexius managed through gritted teeth. While he did not mind Calpernia, having come to on some level respect the crafty and sharp-minded woman, he most definitely did not want this opportunistic climber of ranks assigned to him as his personal keeper. But if it took this kind of sacrifice to prove his utmost loyalty to Lord Corypheus, then Alexius would tolerate it.
"Do not worry, Magister Alexius, I will not attempt anything to try and usurp your leadership," Calpernia spoke, and Alexius could almost believe that there was honesty in her voice… almost. "This is your task, and I will do my best to see that you succeed at it, simply because defeat would be disastrous for us all."
"Well said, Calpernia," Corypheus nodded to his favorite pet, then making a dismissive gesture with his gnarled, bony hand. "Now leave me... go and see to your appointed tasks!"
