"So… how do the two of you know each other?"
Avernus looked up from his book, annoyed.
"Are you still here? Don't you have recruits to train, or heal, or… whatever it is you can do?"
Anders scoffed.
"I'm not leaving you here with them. I'm keeping my eye on you." With a swing, he sat himself on Avernus's desk.
"Yeah," Sigrun added. "We don't trust you. We kinda thought that was clear." She was walking around the laboratory, looking at everything curiously, picking up books and vials and tools to examine them attentively.
"How heart warming," Avernus sneered. "Aren't we all learning to be a happy little family. Don't touch that!" he shouted at Sigrun, who shrugged and put a greenish potion flask back. "I assume you won't be staying too long, then?"
"Oh, but we will. We're the new Seneschal, or haven't you heard?"
"Wonderful. It takes two of you to get this job done? I can't believe I'm going to miss that Howe fellow. Much less talkative. I had no sudden urge to end his life so I can get a minute of peace."
"Can't scare me," Sigrun shrugged. "Already dead." She put herself on tiptoe to reach a book on a higher shelf, hitting a glass vial with her elbow. It went down and crashed on the floor. "Oops," she said, not sounding sorry in the least. Avernus sighed.
"And also, we can't be worse company than him," Anders added, pointing at the form of the Architect still suspended in the shining prison. Velanna was standing by him, incanting, throwing everything she got at the spell. "So this brings me back to my original question: how did you two meet again?"
"He came here seeking knowledge, and had some to give in return, so we shared. It was all very touching. Like a love story between mortal enemies."
"You don't want to answer, just say so…"
"We Wardens take help wherever we can. It never came in such disgusting packaging before, but I'm hardly anyone to talk. If the talking darkspawn has something to give, I am certainly going to take it before ripping his heart out."
"But what can he have that can be of any use to us? And how did he help the Commander?" Sigrun asked angrily.
"I am not saying anything. Least of all to you."
Velanna cursed heavily.
"I give up!" she shouted, throwing her hands up. "There is nothing I can do! Let's just hope he's not dying in there now…"
Avernus muttered something that sounded like 'foolish child'. He extended his hand and twisted his wrist abruptly. The crushing prison dispelled, letting the body of the Architect fall heavily on the ground.
All three Wardens gaped at him.
"I thought… I thought you could not dispel it," Velanna said, sounding a little miffed.
"Please," Avernus said disdainfully.
"But then why… why didn't you?" Sigrun breathed. "He could have saved her!"
"I owe you no explanation whatsoever," he spat.
"How about me?" called the low, breathless voice of the Architect. He was struggling to get up, but didn't manage to get past the kneeling stage before collapsing again. "Can I have… an explanation for this?"
Avernus stood up, closing his book in one swift motion, and crossed the space between them in a few long steps. He stood over him, looking down with contempt.
"Don't push your luck, darkspawn, and just be glad I stopped the spell when I did. I was not about to let you work you filthy magic on her. She will not owe you any more than she already does." He turned towards the others. "Shackle him up to this wall. He is not to be released until they return." He slowly walked back to his desk.
"Yes, sir," whispered Anders, a hint of newly found respect in his amused voice.
"When she comes back… she won't be happy about this," The Architect breathed, as they put the chains around his wrists and ankles.
Avernus stopped at that and turned, his gaze lingering on Kaylee's body.
"I know," he sighed.
They walked for what seemed a very long time.
Wynne's Fade was a succession of landscapes and buildings, some of them Kaylee did not recognize, but they also came across some places she knew very well. She took an habit of telling Justice about them: "This is the Brecilian Forest, where she found her former apprentice after believing he was dead for many years." "This is the Gauntlet we had to face to get to Andraste's Ashes. She was very moved when we got there." "This is arl Eamon's great hall. She saved a boy's life here, by entering the Fade to defeat the demon possessing him." Justice listened attentively to her every story.
"She seems quite the woman," he said finally.
"Oh, she was. She was brave and adventurous and kind. Can you believe she volunteered for Ostagar? She turned down a position of power within the Circle to accompany us on our crazy journey, and she barely knew me at all at the time. And she could weave spells like you wouldn't believe. She was a natural healer, she saved my life so many times I stopped counting. And she knew stories with griffons in it. She tried to explain to Alistair how babies were made…" Kaylee chuckled. "This one time…" Her smile faded. "I miss her…"
"We'll find her."
They walked silently for a while.
"How did you get back in the Fade, Justice?"
"After I left Kristoff's body, I ended up here. I don't know how. Maybe I wasn't meant to exist as an incorporeal spirit in your world." He paused, searching for words. "Did… did Aura… was she happy?"
"I believe so. We had a quiet little ceremony for Kristoff. She spoke to us about the man he was, before… you know."
"Yes."
"She was grateful, I think, for what you did to avenge him. But she was also grateful to finally be able to mourn him properly. It was… strange, for her, to see you. To see him."
"I know."
"Do you miss it? My world?"
He didn't answer.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I do not want to speak of this anymore."
They spent a few more minutes in silence.
"This… this must be it," she said finally. Before them, across a lake, stood the tall and majestic Circle tower. "This is weird, that she would have this in her Fade. I knew it felt like home to her, but Irving said she was never one to stay in the tower when there was adventure to be had."
As they got closer to shore, she had to smile. The doors to the Tower were wide open, like they never were in the real world. And on the grass in front of them, she saw a replica of their camp. Wynne was sitting by the fire, and she seemed to be sewing something. She looked at them when they got in the boat to cross the lake, and Kaylee saw her expression change when she recognized her.
"Oh dear…" she murmured as they got closer. "I'm so sorry, child."
"I'm not dead, Wynne," Kaylee said, hugging her tenderly. "I just missed you too much."
"Oh… well… how nice of you to visit, then…" Wynne said, amused. "If someone could pull that off, I guess it would be you."
"This is Justice. We… we have a history. Sort of."
"Welcome. Please, sit," Wynne said, gesturing towards the fire. They took place around it. Kaylee looked at her friend with relief. This time, she was persuaded it was really her. She looked younger, more relaxed, her hair falling loosely around her smiling face.
"How is it, Wynne? Life after death? You seem happy."
"I am. I have everything I once held dear, and I get to check on those I left behind occasionally. I lived a long, happy life, and I died content. Thanks to you, I was able to leave this world without regrets. Not many of us have that chance."
"You check on us?"
"As often as I can. I can't do anything, of course, but then, you seem to do pretty well for yourself. It warms my heart to see Alistair and you so happy together, and to see the wonderful king he turned out to be. But why don't you tell me why you're really here now? Do not get me wrong, it is nice to see you, but I will not believe you came here only because you missed me. Something happened, hasn't it?"
"You… you don't know? So you did not call to me?"
"I'm sorry dear, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Then it was the demon…" she sighed. "Is it possible that I got so close to death a demon called to me from the Fade, to lure me here and convince me to let him possess me?"
"We know so little of the Fade," Wynne said. "Even me, even here. Anything is possible, I suppose. But demonic possession, abominations… you would need to be a mage to fear such things."
"I… uh… learned some warrior techniques that allowed me to call upon the Fade. The lines have been… blurred, since then, and I gained a deeper connection to the spirit world. I don't know what is possible now. That is kind of the reason I'm here, actually. It probably allowed me to enter the Fade, and I'm wondering what else it could let me do."
"What do you mean?"
"To be absolutely honest, it was not exactly you I was seeking, Wynne. I was wondering… if you stayed in touch with the Spirit of Faith that saved you."
"No, not since my death. I don't exactly know what happened to her. Why?"
"Because I might need some saving of my own. Very soon."