Chapter 9: Justice and the Practical Man
The Baroness had fallen…again.
Solona slumped to the ground, even with her enhanced warden stamina it had been a tough battle across the marsh. The Pride Demon that had once been Black Marsh's ruler had sundered the veil in at least a dozen places. One by one the wardens had attack those tears, sealing them preventing anymore demons from flooding into this place.
Then they had attacked the demoness herself. They had cornered the creature in the ruins of her own towers courtyard. The spirits powers had enabled them to hurt the creature, but it had still been a hard battle.
Everyone looked exhausted. Anders leaned against one of the crumbling walls, he put a lyrium potion to his lips, trying to keep from passing out. Nathaniel moved slowly, collecting arrows that the Baroness had batted away; he had no intention of wandering around this dark place unarmed. Oghren sat flat on his butt in the mud, his armor was already coated with the stuff, so it was not like he had to try to stay clean anymore, he took a long hard pull on his hip flask.
The spirit still trapped in Kristoff's body stood over the demons body, his cloudy glowing eyes unreadable even in the dim light of the coming dawn.
Solona struggled to rise and limped over to him.
"May this woman's victims find peace," the spirit whispered, "May they go to their rest and know no more fear or pain. Where ever they have gone."
His words surprised Solona. The fade was supposed to be the land of the dead after all.
"You don't know where they have gone?"
The spirit shook his head, "No…we believe that there is someplace beyond the fade, a place where even we go when we cease to exist. We…we have no more answers to such things than you do mortal."
Solona shook her head, that wasn't very comforting.
"Can we go home now Commander," Anders begged, "It is not like we can do anything for Kristoff now?"
"Anders," Nathaniel spat.
The former apostate fell silent.
He had a point however; even Solona had to admit that. Kristoff was dead; there was nothing they could do for him anymore. The spirit however still required their attention.
"Is there no way for us to return you home?" she asked it.
"I do not think so," it said sadly, "even if this body was destroyed, it may take me with it. I do not wish to die, but at the same time…what am I to do now? I have no purpose in this world."
Solona could not help but be reminded of Shale, the golem who had accompanied them during the Blight. Shale had said something similar when Solona had first awoke her. The y had offered the golem a place at their side, and into their friendship. She had saved Solona's life several times during the course of that journey.
Did she owe the spirit any less?
"What say you mortal?" the spirit asked her, "Can you advise me in this? What should I do now that I exist in your world?"
"You could always join us," she offered, "You are a skilled warrior spirit, and the body you know inhabit once belonged to one of our brothers."
The spirit paused; it seemed to look inward for a moment, examining its new body for the first time.
"Yes," it said quietly, "This body…this Kristoff…he…was a Grey Warden…but he was slain by the darkspawn, the creature known as the First."
"The darkspawn are who we battle," Solona informed him, "We protect the people of Thedas from their evil."
"Protect…yes," the spirit nodded, "this man died most ignobly, and the ones that command the First still live, they should be punished for what they have done," a hint of a smile came to the spirit's dead lips, "To avenge his death, yes that would be a purpose! I will stand with you Grey Warden."
Solona smiled, they had not been able to save Kristoff, but they had apparently gained an ally in the war against these talking darkspawn.
"So what shall we call you then spirit," she inquired, "You do inhabit Kristoff's body, we could call you that?"
"That is not my name," the spirit stated, "I have no name, only an ideal I aspire to, if I must have a name in this world, then that should be it."
The spirit stood a little straighter, it met her gaze evenly, even proudly.
"I…you may call me… Justice,"
IOI
Nathaniel was grateful to finally be out of the Blackmarsh, he had never been so happy to be as far away from a place as he was now.
Yet…he could not help but feel a sense of pride in their accomplishment. They had not saved Kristoff, but they had freed those poor people from a demon's thrall.
It seemed that his little boy dreams had come true after all, he had gone to Blackmarsh and put the wrong things right.
A hint of a smile tugged on his lips.
They made their way slowly back to Vigil's Keep. Oghren and Anders were back to bickering again behind him while Solona rode up front with their new companion. Nathaniel did not know what to make of this Justice. The spirit seemed like it wished to do good, but years of chantry teaching warned him about trusting such a creature.
Of course, Nathaniel Howe was no mage; he would have to trust the Commander's judgment on this.
Nathaniel shuddered, he still remembered escaping the desire demon's trap, the creature had been intent on holding him, but he had managed to fight his way free.
The nobleman grimaced, the foul creature had turned itself into Elissa, not the Elissa he had remembered, but his perfect idea of Elissa, one who needed his protection, and had offered him her undying love.
Nathaniel Howe was a practical man, he knew at once that this was not Elissa Cousland, Elissa was now Queen of Ferelden, and hated his family with a passion.
He refused to live a lie.
He struck down the creature and escaped, he was not sure how long he wandered lost, looking for the Commander, but he found her being confronted by this Witch King creature.
Nathaniel shuddered, Solona informed him that this… King was some kind of a mage that fed off demons. Such a practice sickened Nathaniel. How could any living being do such a thing? Did this Witch King not worry about his eternal soul?
He probably did not.
Once again…Solona had surprised him; she stood up to the Witch King, and later the Baroness. She could have tried to make a deal with the demon but had chosen to defend those people.
The longer he travelled with her the more confused he became.
Where was the craven witch who had murdered his Father? Who had destroyed the world in which Nathaniel had grown up in just to feed her own ambitions?
Nathaniel was starting to believe that such a person did not exist.
He knew himself to be a practical man; he did not hide behind falsehoods. He was starting to wonder if Solona had had a legitimate reason to slay his Father.
That…was an extremely frightening thought.
Solona slowed her horse, she let it catch up with his, it seemed the Commander wished to speak with him.
He suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"Thank you for coming to help me in the fade," she said quietly.
He nodded, there was little more to be said.
"I think we need to discuss your future for a bit.
Nathaniel glanced at her, what was the mage playing at now?
"Of all of the others only you were able to escape a demons grip on your own. May I ask what it tempted you with?"
"I…I would rather not say Commander," he said grimly, he did not want to think about Elissa right now, "It…it was personal."
"My apologies," she offered, "I did not mean to pry."
Again she had surprised him.
"I'm going to be heading for Orlais in a few days," she informed him, "The Divine wishes to meet the vanquisher of the Blight."
Nathaniel noticed how there was no pride in her voice as she described her deeds. If anything…she sounded weary, weary and a bit sarcastic. He found himself wondering what her victory had cost her. One of his instructors in the Free Marches had told him that victory could sometimes be more costly than defeat.
Solona seemed to understand that as well.
"I will need someone to lead the wardens in my absence," she said quietly, "I would like that to be you."
Nathaniel's eyes widened in surprise, surely she could not be serious!
"Varel will help you with anything official, but I need someone I know can do the job, if battle breaks out."
"You would trust me with this?" he sounded surprised, "A man who came back to Ferelden to kill you?
"I choose to trust a skilled young warden," she added, there was a slight edge in her voice, "I watched you closely over the last few days Nathaniel. You seem to be a man of honor, someone I can respect. What you were before does not matter now. You are a Grey Warden, and a good one I think. I need such a man to stand with me as my Lieutenant. I'm offering that place to you."
Nathaniel was speechless…she…she was promoting him.
Solona regarded him carefully, it would be interesting to see if he could rise above the hate he felt for her and become something more.
It would be disappointing if the young man could not.
"If you think you cannot do the job say so now," she said flatly, "There will be no shame in admitting that to me."
The nobleman considered her offer.
"If I become your lieutenant, I will not be your yes-man," he informed her, "My marshal training in the Free Marches will not be wasted. I will have suggestions and opinions on ways to improve our fighting prowess. I will not question you in front of the others, but nor will I go along blindly. If you can accept that, then I agree to be your Lieutenant."
Solona considered what he had said, she smiled slightly.
"I think this working relationship will work out just fine Lieutenant," she said, "You may not like me, but I think we can at least do our duty well together."
Nathaniel nodded, he could live with that.
Solona rode back up front with Justice; the spirit warrior seemed a little overwhelmed by the rising sun.
Nathaniel shook his head.
You may not like me the commander had said. He could not say that was true any longer. He would be wary, he would watch her closes, he did not trust her completely yet, but…he had to admit that he had come to respect her.
He was after all…a practical man.
IOI
Justice stared at the rising sun, his dead eyes drinking in the great orange ball as it rose over the horizon.
He…he had never seen anything like it, not in all the countless ages he had existed in the fade.
It was…beautiful.
Kristoff's memories surged up into his mind. HE remembered another sunrise. Kristoff had been a hard man a violent man, but he had one tender memory of another sunrise.
He and his young bride had lain together in a lush meadow of flowers; it had been shortly after they had married. They had stopped for the night to rest, made love in the field…and then watched the sun come up together.
It was a wonderful memory, but it haunted Justice just the same, the context of it…it felt so alien to him.
Solona rode up next to him, a smile on her lips.
"Glorious is it not?" she asked him.
Justice could only nod.
"This world," Justice gasped, "it…it is not what I would have expected. It…it is so much more than I could have imagined."
"I think this world will surprise you Justice," she smiled, "It is violent at times, but there are thing that make you realize just how wondrous it can be."
Justice did not bother to respond to that; there…there was nothing left to say.
The Commander had said it all with a single word.
It was glorious.
