In record time, and as promised, here's chapter 12! Huzzah! I'm happy that Kaela and the others are nearly out of the Circle Tower! Yay! I hate that place... it's annoying. So... soon they'll be on their merry way :) Enjoy this chapter... it's probably the second last involving this quest :)
Please enjoy and review :D
Chapter 12:
Finding The Insane Mage:
"We cannot stay here much longer."
"Kaela's still not awake! We can't just leave her here."
"But we cannot stay. We must move to stop Uldred."
The concern in their voices was evident, but I was too tired to open my eyes. Instead, I decided to stay right where I was... just for now.
"I won't just leave Kaela!" exclaimed Alistair, "She's... she's my friend!" Friend? He thought of me as a friend... that was nice... I suppose.
I heard Wynne sigh before she said, "You will not have to 'just leave her'. I am strong enough to conjure a barrier to put around her as she rests."
"And what happens when she wakes up in the barrier! I don't think she'd be too happy about it!"
No, he was right about that. I don't think I'd like being in a barrier... too constricted if you ask me. "We have no choice, Alistair! We cannot wait around any longer."
"Fine," grumbled Alistair, "But I'm still not leaving her here."
"Then what do you propose we do?" demanded Wynne, exasperation seeping through her words.
I forced my eyes open, and found myself staring at the very dark ceiling. "We... can... get... going," I murmured, slowly sitting up, "I'm... fine."
Alistair and Wynne both darted over to where I was lying, and I felt Leliana's hand on my forehead. I didn't even know she was there. "You don't sound fine," said Alistair, concern rising in his tone.
"I am," I replied, my voice getting stronger, "We need to... get going, anyway. I can... rest later."
Alistair looked like he was about to protest, but he didn't say a word. He knew we had to keep moving.
"You are not ill, Kaela," murmured Leliana, worry evident in her voice, "But take it easy, yes?"
I nodded slowly. "I will – but we need to keep moving, regardless."
The three watched me closely as I got up and walked towards the door. I suddenly stopped,m and turned to face my companions. "Do we have the Litany?" I asked.
Wynne nodded. "I retrieved it before... remember?"
I frowned. I didn't remember. "Okay... well... lets keep going, then."
I shook it off and walked through the open doorway – and into the corridor, only to be attacked by some really cute creatures. Unfortunately – even though they were really cute – we had to kill them... they were trying to kill us.
"You keep dragons in here!" exclaimed Alistair, his voice insanely high-pitched.
Wynne just glared at Alistair and said, "Now is not the time."
I frowned and just shrugged as I opened the nearest door. It was a small room, with rubble lying everywhere. These demons really had destroyed the tower. I was about to leave, when I heard a small whimper coming from the edge of the room. My frown deepened as my eyes scanned everything – catching onto the slight movement in the corner. "Come out right now!" I demanded.
"Don't hurt me! Please!" exclaimed a young girl, clambering out of a small hiding spot. Terror filled her eyes. "Please don't hurt me! I didn't do anything wrong! I swear!"
I looked the girl up and down, amazed at how young she looked – she was a mite shorter than me, indicating that she was definitely a child. "Who are you?" I asked, my tone softening.
"Chiara Surana," said the young girl, her brown eyes looking up at me, "I got scared when everyone started yelling and my friend told me to hide, so I hid in the corner. He didn't come back, though. I... I was too scared to go anywhere else. Scary things are everywhere and the older mages are using red magic that just looks scary and Mister Uldred isn't himself anymore and Mister Irving ser was taken to the Ha... Harr... Harr...o...wing chamber!"
I put a hand on her red hair and murmured, "It's alright now, okay. You're safe with us."
"Chiara!"
The little girl flinched and looked up at Wynne in fright. "M-miss Wynne."
Wynne frowned and knelt down to face the little girl. "Why where you up here in the first place? There was no need for you to be here. What were you doing?"
Chiara lowered her head and murmured, "Genevieve got in trouble when you were gone and no one told me where she or Jowan were... so me and Caleb came up to find out but then everything went badly and I hid... I'm sorry Miss Wynne, I just wanted to know where they were!"
Wynne's frown deepened. "Jowan was found to be a blood mage, Chiara. He escaped the tower with it. Genevieve was sent to prison for conspiring with him."
The very pale-skinned child turned a sickly white. "S-she wouldn't! Genevieve wouldn't! She wouldn't!"
"She did," said Wynne harshly.
Chiara flinched. I guess it was a hard thing for the small girl to believe. I suddenly noticed the two small, pointy ears she had. She was an elf! "You should go back and hide," I murmured, "We'll come and get you when we defeat the scary things."
Chiara nodded. "T-thank you," she stammered, "Please be s-safe." Tears were rolling down the little girls cheeks. Heart-breaking tears. She turned around and ran to her little hiding spot.
Wynne and I turned around and left the room. Alistair and Leliana were standing in the corridor, looking into the room. Both of them had curiousity written all over their faces. I let out a sigh and led the way down the corridor in a haste. My heart was breaking for that small girl.
We slowly walked into a room at the end of the corridor... half filled with a pinkish barrier – behind it was a man, crouched over at muttering something under his breath. We walked up to the barrier, our footsteps reached his ears and the man looked up. "This trick again?" he growled, glaring at us, "I know what you are. It won't work. I will stay strong."
I blinked. "What won't work?" I asked
"The boy is exhausted," said Wynne as we stood in front of the pinkish barrier, "And this cage... I've never seen anything like it."
"Enough visions," growled the man, "If anything in you is human... kill me now and stop this game!"
"He is delirious," murmured Leliana sympathetically, "He's been tortured... and has probably been denied food and water. I can tell." How could she tell that? He looked weak, sure, but she seemed to know exactly what was wrong by looking at him. "Here," said Leliana, speaking to the man. She stepped forward, holding out her skin of water, "I have a skin of-"
"Don't touch me! Stay away!" yelled the man, jumping away from Leliana, "Filthy blood mages... getting in my head... I will not break... I'd rather die."
I rolled my eyes. This was annoying now. "Snap out of it," I growled, "I've no time for these games!"
The man glared at me. "Silence... I'll not listen to anything you say. Now begone!" His head bent down again, leaving us awkwardly standing there for a few moments. Then he looked up again, surprise shot through he expression when he saw us still standing there. "Still here? But that's always worked before. I close my eyes, but you are still here when I open them."
"You're pretty dense, aren't you?"
The man frowned and said, "Don't blame me for being cautious. The voices...the images... so real... My name is Cullen, did Greagoir send you? How... how did you get here?"
"My name's Kaela," I said slowly, "And I defeated everything in my way... Uldred is next."
Cullen nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. "Good... kill Uldred... kill them all for what they've done. They caged us like animals... looked for ways to break us. I'm the only one left... They turned some into... monsters. And... there was nothing I could do."
He felt helpless about it... what a terrible feeling to have. I hated helplessness myself.
I shook my head. "Where's Irving and the surviving mages?"
He stared at me for a second before glacing to the floor, horror in his eyes. "In the Harrowing Chamber," he murmured, "The sounds coming out from there... oh, Maker..."
"We must hurry," said Wynne, "They are in grave danger. I am sure of it."
"You can't save them!" exclaimed Cullen, "You don't know what they've become... they've been surrounded by blood mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts! You have to end it now – before it's too late!"
"I will end it... but I refuse to kill an innocent. I won't have that responsibility on my shoulders or their blood on my hands."
Cullen opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "Your cage looks like it won't be brought down until we get rid of the source... so we need to kill Uldred. Don't say a word, these mages can be saved and I'll prove that they can." With that out, I let out a sigh and stormed towards the stairs. Stone, I just wanted this to be over with!
oOo
"Ah... look what we have here. An intruder. I bid you welcome. Care to join our... revels?"
We all skidded to a stop as his voice reached our ears. I glared at the man standing before us and said, "I take it you're Uldred?"
He tilted his head to the side. "Oh. Very observant. I'm quite impressed you're still alive. Unfortunately, that must mean you killed my servants. Ah, well, they are probably better off dying in the service of their betters than living with the terrible responsibility of independence."
What a sodding nug-lover! "I'm sorry," I said sarcastically, "Are you upset that I killed your lackeys?"
He glared at me before letting out a sigh and stating, "We needn't fixate on who killed whom. That doesn't help our relationship."
"Relationship?" I repeated. That sounded creepy. "What are you even trying to accomplish by torturing these people?"
Uldred smiled a scary smile and replied, "A mage is but the larval form of something greater. Your Chantry vilifies us, calls us abominations, when we have truly reached our full potential! Look at them. The Chantry has them convinced. They deny themselves the pleasure of becoming something glorious."
Wynne glared at Uldred and snarled, "You're mad! There's nothing glorious about what you've become, Uldred!"
"Uldred? He is gone. I am Uldred and yet not Uldred." He was a little crazy, in my opinion. "I am more than he was. I could give you this gift Wynne. You and all mages. It would be so much easier if you just accepted it. But some people can be so stubborn."
"I'm glad so many of them stood up to you!" I exclaimed, my glare darkening.
"And what good did that do? I still won," stated Uldred casually, "I even have the first enchanter on my side, don't I... Irving?"
Uldred gestured towards an old man kneeling on the ground. He looked completely defeated and worn out. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and pain was etched on his face.
"What have you done to him!" demanded Wynne, staring in disbelief at the old man.
The old man, Irving, slowly lifted his head and looked Wynne directly in the eyes and said, "Stop him.. he... is building and army. He will... destroy the templars and-"
"You're a sly little fox, Irving, telling on my like that," interrupted Uldred, silencing Irving, "And here I thought he was starting to turn."
"N-never," stammered Irving.
"That's enough out of you, Irving," said Uldred, lifting a hand towards Irving – which immediately made the older mage lower his head again. "He'll serve me, eventually. As will you...
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded. I wasn't serving this nug-lover!
"Oh, I'm not stupid. Do you think I'm going to let you wander around this tower, knowing you are a pawn of the templars? You are a thorn in my side and I must remove you before you fester."
Ew, that was gross. "Did you have to use such a disgusting analogy?"
"No, but it served to bring the point across. I cannot let you be, but killing you... such a waste. Your raw potetial, with the strength of a demon behind it, would be unstoppable. I can do that- I can give you power, and a new life."
I frowned – it didn't sound like a good thing. In fact, he sounded a bit like torture... "That doesn't sound very appealing to me," I said grumpily.
" I don't think your opinion matters. That is what I've decided, and that is what will be done," said Uldred. That statement made me, and the others, lift their weapons and aim at insane mage. He sighed and shook his head. "Fight, if you must. It will make my victory all the sweeter.
"Don't forget the Litany," murmured Wynne, "It will thwart Uldred's attempts to control the mages and win this fight for us."
