Chapter 11:

Sylina wandered around the mage's floor. She went into the mage laboratory to see where she would now be mixing potions and heard that Senior Enchanter Leorah was in a cross mood and to avoid her. She walked to the library kept on the mage floor and examined all the books she would now be allowed to read. She couldn't wait to start learning advanced spells and reading the tomes that senior mages specifically made off limits to apprentices.

However, hours later, Sylina found herself in front of First Enchanter Irving's study again. She sighed. She knew why she was there, but she felt miserable about what she was about to do. She knocked. A faint "Come in!" was heard, and she opened the door.

"Ah there you are, child," Irving said from his desk, getting up and coming around. He was smiling. "I ran into Duncan. You seemed to make a good impression; he was pleased to have met you."

Sylina smiled and blushed. "I can't believe I met a Grey Warden."

"You should speak to him more if you get the chance. He's a wise and learned man." He looked at her, his smiled disappearing and concern coming entering his eyes. "Have you seen Jowan today?"

Sylina's smile vanished. Did he know already? "I..." she looked down. "Yes, First Enchanter. I saw him a few hours ago."

"Did you speak with him? I was wondering if you knew if he is...feeling all right. He seems to be acting nervous lately. I was thinking you might know why."

Sylina fidgeted with her new robes. She liked the color. They were green and brought out her eyes. She sighed. She knew she couldn't lie or keep something this huge from the First Enchanter. He had been like a father to her growing up. She wouldn't let him down. "I...uh...I was wondering if I could talk to you about that, actually?" She bit her lip and looked up at him.

Irving's face softened. "Of course, child, tell me what is bothering you."

She took a breath to steady herself. "Jowan...I think he is nervous because he thinks he is going to be made tranquil." She said the words quickly and snapped her mouth shut when she was done.

Irving sighed. "I would assume his lover Lily told him about this?" Sylina's mouth gaped open. He shook his head. "I have known about them for some time now." He paused and walked past her to the door of his study. He shut it and returned. "Child, this tower has many eyes and many ears. I know Jowan and Lily discussed something with you today. What did they say?"

Sylina felt the wind get knocked out of her. Not only did the First Enchanter know about Lily and Jowan, he also knew she had spoken to them. What if she had agreed to help? He would likely have known that too. They wouldn't have even made it to the phylactery room before they were stopped and killed by templars. Suddenly, she exhaled. No, she thought, this is why I told Jowan I could not help him. His plan was doomed from the minute he started having feelings for a Chantry initiate.

She told Irving that Jowan planned to escape and that she had refused to help him. It felt good to tell someone, like the burden was lifted off her. It was out of her hands what happened to them now.

Irving, however, had other plans for her. "You should help him destroy his phylactery and escape," Irving said calmly when she had finished the story.

Sylina stared at him. "What!? I didn't hear you right, surely?" Did Irving want her to be killed also? Was everyone in this tower out to get her?

Irving shook his head and walked a few paces before coming back to her. "Child, if I merely report Jowan to the templars he will be punished." Sylina cringed at the thought that Jowan would get in trouble because she told the First Enchanter. She felt crushed inside. She realized what a horrible person she was being. Irving continued. "But Lily also broke her vows and she deserves to be punished just like Jowan. In order to make sure the Chantry does not stand behind her, claiming she has been framed or is in the thrall of blood magic, we need irrefutable proof of her crime. There must be no doubt in the minds of the Chantry that she helped him voluntarily."

Sylina shook her head. "Why in the Maker's name do you want Lily to get in trouble too? Isn't it enough that...that Jowan will..." Sylina trailed off. She wished she could hide or run away. Perhaps she should have just helped Jowan and escaped with him.

Irving put his hand on her shoulder. "Lily is as guilty as Jowan of this crime. I refuse to see him suffer while the Chantry shelters her." A small smile showed at the corner of his lips. "Sometimes we must remind the Chantry that their members are not as perfect as they pretend. Go. Tell Jowan you will help him. I will be outside the repository with a contingent of templars. Let them see the mischief their initiate led our student to."

Sylina left Irving's office in a state of shock. The man had known about Jowan and Lily and he had done nothing about it. She shook her head. He could have stopped this before it began. Worst of all, not only was she putting herself in danger, she was also betraying a friend. She went back to her room and sat on her bed. She knew that she had to go tell Jowan she would help him, but she wasn't ready. Sylina cried. She cried because she knew this was all her fault and because so much of this was wrong.

Why couldn't Jowan and Lily be in love? Why should anyone stop that? The more she thought about the consequences of her actions the more she cried. Finally, the tears all shed, she got out of bed. She had hoped that by telling the First Enchanter she would be able to leave this business behind her. She hadn't wanted to be caught knowing this secret. The Knight-Commander wouldn't have hesitated a moment to kill her over it. She sighed, straightened her robes and went to find Jowan.

She told him and Lily that she would help them and they told her their plan. It was simple. All she needed to do was get a rod of fire from the store room. Which was easy enough once she got Irving's signature, as horrible as that had been for her. She hadn't even been able to look him in the eye as she told him of Jowan and Lily's plan. Irving had told her to stay strong and that it would be over soon. He also told her that the rod wouldn't work on the door and that she would have to go to the artifacts room and break down the wall it shared with the phylactery room. Sylina couldn't believe he was telling her how to break down walls and destroy phylacteries. But as nervous as she was about this plan, she trusted that the First Enchanter knew what he was doing.

Her, Jowan, and Lily headed down to the repository. The first door was easy enough to get through. Lily said the password and Sylina threw a ball of ice at the door. It opened as if it had never been locked. At the door to the repository, Sylina attempted to use the rod of fire on the door. It didn't work, as Irving had told her it would.

"No, something isn't right," Jowan said, aghast. "I can't cast spells."

Sylina had noticed it too and had not been surprised. Irving had warned her.

Lily examined the door. "These wards...they must be templar work. They negate any magic cast within this area." She groaned. "Of course! Why would Greagoir and Irving use keys for such a door? Obviously, it is because magical keys wouldn't work." She turned back to the door angrily. "How to keep mages out of something? Make it so their magic doesn't work! We're finished. We can't get in!"

Sylina nodded. She was still very nervous about this plan and wished to say as little as possible. She didn't want Lily or Jowan to suspect what she had done. Hopefully they would leave now, she wouldn't have to suggest the other door and they could all put this behind them. She knew this wasn't going to happen. Irving had instructed her to make sure they reached the phylactery room. She internally groaned at him. She took a deep breath and pointed down the hallway. "Perhaps that door leads somewhere?" she suggested.

Lily looked at the door. "Do you think it could be another way in?"

Jowan rubbed his chin. "I bet that door leads to another part of the repository. There could be another entrance somewhere else."

Sylina looked between them. "We could always leave," she said innocently.

"No!" Lily shouted at her. "We are not giving up just yet. Let's see where this door leads." She started walking down the hall. Sylina was starting to understand why the First Enchanter wanted this initiate to get in trouble. Not only was she crazy, but she seemed to be the perpetrator behind the plan to begin with.

Sylina walked down the end of the hall with Jowan at her side. "I can't give up now Sylina! We have come too far!" Jowan said, his voice desperate. Sylina fought back tears as she looked at him and nodded.

They used the rod on the door and it worked. But as soon as the door opened, the statue behind them jumped to life with sword in hand. Sylina turned quickly and fired off a bolt of lightning, hitting the statue. It came close to Lily, but Jowan hit it with a fire spell that broke the statue to pieces. They all stared at the fragments of the once moving statue.

Sylina turned to Jowan. His face was white and he was staring at Lily. "So I guess we found out what happens when you force your way into the repository?" Sylina said trying to keep her voice from cracking. Walking statues? Maker help them.

"We can't...we can't turn back now," Jowan said. Lily nodded. Sylina sighed and turned to walk through the now partially burned door.

They had made their way through the repository. They fought armored statues and some kind of mage spirits. Sylina tried not to think about it much. Finally, they made it to the artifacts room.

"Let's split up and look for a way inside the phylactery room?" Sylina suggested. "I think one of these walls connects to it."

They split up looking around finally she heard Jowan say: "That wall looks like it is about to come down at any moment." She walked over to where he was. There was a bookshelf just barely obscuring a wall which looked about to fall down.

"The phylactery chamber must be on the other side of this wall," Jowan said, flicking the crumbling rock.

Sylina nodded. "It might be. The wall looks weak in spots."

"Perhaps we can find something to knock it down?" Jowan said. "Surely there is something powerful enough amidst all this junk."

"Let's move the bookshelf so we can see the wall more clearly." Together, they moved the bookshelf away from the wall. Sylina saw that it looked about ready to collapse on its own. She sighed. She knew what she was looking for. She found the dog looking statue that Irving had mentioned and she moved it closer to the door. Jowan saw what she was doing and came over to her.

"Oh, use the rod on that. I am sure it will work!" Sylina rolled her eyes and touched the head of the statue with the rod. A large burst of fire spilled out the dog's mouth and hit the wall. Sylina jumped back and covered her ears as the wall came crashing down. When the rubble had cleared there was a hole the size of three men in the wall and on the other side she could clearly see the phylactery chamber. Or what she only assumed was the phylactery chamber.

"It worked!" Jowan yelled and ran into the room. Sylina brushed the dust off her robes and followed him.

She heard Lily say behind her: "We need to find Jowan's phylactery. And quickly."

They entered the stone room and Sylina saw Jowan headed up the steps. "Jowan, look out!" she shouted as she saw an armored statue descend on him. Jowan jumped back just as the sentinel slashed where Jowan's head had been. Jowan tripped over his robes and fell down the stairs.

"Jowan!" Lily shouted and ran to his crumpled form at the foot of the stairs. Sylina grabbed her staff and threw an ice bolt at the armored sentinel. He froze and she hit him with an arcane bolt and then, drawing on more of her mana, she quickly cast a lightning bolt. The combination of pure spirit, ice, and lightning destroyed the armor and it burst into pieces. She breathed and ran to Jowan at the foot of the stairs.

"Is he alright?" she asked, bending down to look at him.

"I'm fine. I'm fine Lily, really. It's just a bump on the head I assure you." Lily looked ready to cry and Sylina felt a jolt of guilt. Perhaps she really did love Jowan? She felt another pang of guilt, but quickly suppressed it.

"Come on," she said, helping Jowan to his feet. "Let's find your phylactery and get out of here." They walked up the steps, Jowan limping slightly, and started checking bottles. They split up and it wasn't long before she heard Jowan shouting. "It's my phylactery! I found it!" Sylina walked over to him and saw the small vial with his name on it. He held it up to the light. "I can't believe this is all that stands between me and freedom." He smiled and dropped it. The vial shattered on the ground. "So fragile...and I am free"

"We should leave now," Sylina said. She started to walk towards the door. Jowan and Lily followed her and they left the chamber. They walked back through the halls to the entrance. Sylina felt very nervous.

"Is something wrong?" Jowan asked as they were headed up the stairs.

"N-no," she choked out. Jowan smiled at her as he pushed the door open.

"Come on, Lily," he said, holding his hand out to her as they climbed the last few steps. "We did it." He turned to Sylina and she felt her heart break. "Thank you. We could never have done this without you."

She looked down at her feet, unable to meet his gaze. She felt tears forming in her eyes and she tried desperately to push them away. Suddenly she heard armored feet headed toward them. She looked up as Jowan turned to face the approachers. His face was white.

"I see what you said is true, Irving," she heard the Knight-Commander say as the group approached. Sylina hung her head. She wished she could be anywhere but here.

"G-Greagoir..." Lily sputtered fear in her voice.

Greagoir's voice was steel. "An initiate, conspiring with a blood mage. I am disappointed, Lily." He cast a cold glare in her direction. "She is in control of her mind and not in thrall to the blood mage." He turned his head to look at Irving who was standing next to him. "You were right, Irving. She has betrayed us. The Chantry will see that she is punished." Then he pointed a finger at Sylina. "And here you are. I shouldn't be surprised that you are making light of the rules of the Circle already." She was surprised at the almost-smirk on his face.

She felt her heart race. No, she thought, Irving must have told him that I was only doing his bidding. Please Maker.

Jowan stood in front of Sylina. "This was my idea, do not blame her." Sylina buried her face in her hands and heard Irving speak.

"She is here under my orders, Greagoir. I take full responsibility for her actions."

Sylina felt Jowan round on her. "You led us into a trap! I trusted you! We trusted you!"

Sylina felt the tears fall down her face. "Jowan... I had no choice." A sob broke through her lips as his expression darkened.

"Don't you dare speak to me!" He rounded back on the templars.

Greagoir threw up his hands. "I have heard enough out of both of you," he said coldly. "As Knight-Commander, I sentence this blood mage to death." Sylina gasped and a small sob escaped her. She felt broken. How could she have done this? "And this initiate shall be taken to Aeonar."

Lily stepped back and put up her hands palms out. "T-the mage prison. No. Please." Two templars advanced to take her away, but Jowan stepped between them.

"I won't let you touch her!" he shouted, a knife suddenly in his hand. Sylina thought he would try to cut the templars down with it, but instead he sliced open his hand. Her eyes rounded as she realized what he was doing. Blood magic. A wave of magic crashed over the Templars and Irving. Sylina was thrown back as well.