Rajmael of Clan Lavellan

by Powerslammer

Rajmael is an elf possessed of great pride and an incredible power. Born with a powerful name and a greater destiny, he has lived his whole life by the the Vir Tanadhal. And now he must use his ancient knowledge to stand against forces that threaten his world and everything he loves. Watch as he stands as a Dalish Elf, a Herald and as The Inquisitor. Please, please review.

20. The Way of Shadow: Part IV

The Way of Shadow: Part IV

Earlier at the Cradle of Sulevin….

"ENASALIN!"

Rajmael's war cry echoed throughout the ruined temple as he engaged the demons. Only an idiot would try to attack four Revenants possessed by Pride Demons. He jumped over all four and threw a massive fire ball at them, and used the explosion to lift him to the next floor. His fiery attack did nothing except make the Revenants laugh at him. One of the mocking entities vanished in a puff of smoke. Where did he go? Rajmael could still feel its malevolent presence. He could feel it…right behind him!

Without turning behind to look, Rajmael instinctively blocked the Revenant's overhead strike with Enasalin, then phased incorporeally behind the creature and in one deft stroke, knocked its head off with Evanura. The Revenant fell to its knees, and its head rolled of the stump that used to be its neck and crumbled to dust, leaving behind what looked like the handle of a sword.

Before Rajmael could think of picking it up, the second Revenant appeared and swung its inhumanly long sword at Rajmael, aiming to split the intruder in half. The Inquisitor dove beneath the powerful swing and grabbed the shattered sword handle and did a perfectly timed front handspring back on to his feet, only to land right in front of the third Revenant. He jumped up to meet the demons face, then planted his foot into its armored chest and flip kicked right off the creature, snapping its head and neck backwards like a horseshoe.

Rajmael jumped back several feet, the Revenant he kicked snapped its helmed head back on straight, and both demons glared down at the sprightly elven mage-warrior before them with their cruel swords ready and malicious glee in their eyes. It had been a while since an intruder had entertained them so well.

Enasalin in his right hand, Evanura in his left, and now he was backed up against a wall with two powerful Revenant standing in front of him. There was only option before the Inquisitor at this moment: fucking kill them!

The three combatants engaged one another, the two demons against the single elf. They swung their incredibly long swords with astounding ease while Rajmael blocked and counter attacked with relentless tenacity. His two swords blazing with purifying veilfire, the Arcane Warrior actually managed to drive his larger, demonic adversaries back. The second brought his sword down with a powerful overhead strike, forcing Rajmael to block with both swords, while the third one stuck its weapon into the ground and conjured an attack of dark energy in its hand. Not wanting to be a stationary target, Rajmael phased away from the Revenant pinning him down, and threw Evanura at the infernal beast and separated its head from its neck with the swords burning white blade. The headless body disintegrated to dust and left a ruined sword hilt behind.

That was two out of four by decapitation in the intruder's favor. The third Revenant decided it was not going to fall so easily. It stretched out its hand and launched an ethereal claw at the Arcane Warrior. Rajmael deflected the claw and flashed an arrogant grin at the demon as he mimicked the creature's clawing motion and pulled the air towards him. There was a loud thunk, like metal being punctured. The Revenant looked down and saw Evanura's blade sticking out of its chest like a tree branch. A shrill screech erupted from the possessed corpse as the blade ignited with cleansing veilfire, and burned its victim to ash, leaving behind a tarnished, bejeweled pommel.

Rajmael lifted his hand and magically summoned Evanura back to his grip. He picked up the second and third Shards of Sulevin left behind by his infernal victim, and glared down at the final Revenant that was waiting on the floor below him. It looked up to him and motioned its hand beckoningly, daring him; Rajmael wasn't going to keep it waiting.

The Inquisitor pounced down at the demon, both swords blazing with white veilfire. The final Revenant blocked both swords with the face of its shield, but Rajmael came down on it with such force, the veilfire on his blades burning with such purity, the thing's shield splintered like wood. Rajmael was not going to relent, not with victory so close. The Revenant brought its sword down on the Inquisitor with all its might, Rajmael blocked the demonic blade with both swords and shattered it between them with all the strength he could muster. Unarmed and alone, the Revenant stood no chance against the relentless assault from the Inquisitor as he rained down his flaming white swords on the possessed corpse with epic speed and ferocity. Within seconds, the Revenant was cut down into pieces, and those pieces turned to ash. And amongst that pile of ash was the final Shard of Sulevin. The blade was tarnished black, like it had been left in a fire pit, but the edge was still so sharp.

He had done it, he accomplished the impossible. A sense of victory overcame Rajmael, for the first time in eight hundred years an elf actually held the Shards of Sulevin in his hands. He had accomplished a piece of his people's dream and reclaimed an irreplaceable piece of their heritage. Rajmael's sense of accomplishment was soon overcome with a sense of dread and worry. What could Nethras have planned for this ancient and mighty weapon? In all good conscience, Rajmael could not let Nethras possess this sword, nor could he return to him empty handed. What could he do? Then a plan crossed Rajmael's mind. A plan that involved a certain eccentric dwarven Arcanist. Rajmael would put Dagna's skills to the test, and he hoped her furnace was hot by the time he got there.

The Temple of Elgar'nan, Present Time….

"NOOO! Rajmael!" Cassandra screamed in horror as she watched the man she loved fall to the ground in a pool of his own blood. She, Varric and Cole frantically ran to Rajmael's body.

"This cannot be happening." Varric denied as he ran.

"No. No. NO!" Cole said as though repeating would make it true.

"RAAAGH! YOU BASTAAARD!" Iron Bull roared as he angrily, blindly charged Nethras, with the intent to snap his neck for what he did to Rajmael.

"Maker damn you!" Blackwall cursed as he attacked alongside Iron Bull.

"You'll pay for this!" Dorian promised as he unleashed several balls of fire.

Vivienne launched a flurry of icicles at Nethras' head. "Do you realize what you've done!?"

"Stupid-Ass, elfy, shit-faced motherfucker!" Sera cursed as she loosed an arrow with each profanity at Nethras.

Solas' staff blazed with offensive magical energy and he hurled a Spirit Fist at Rajmael's killer. "How could you!?"

The Iron Bull threw his muscular fist at the elven assassin with the intent to crush him flat. Nethras easily intercepted the Qunari's angry blow and threw him into the Grey Warden, knocking both warriors on their backs, and simultaneously deflected Sera's arrows, and the mage's projectiles. Nethras placed his foot on Iron Bull's throat and put down enough pressure that with a flick of his ankle he could kill the massive oxman if he chose to, and rested the tip of his sword on Blackwall's throat. Blackwall could actually feel the edge of the sword tickling his beard.

Painful tears of rage welled up in Cassandra's eyes as she looked down at Rajmael's cloven body. She unsheathed the Avenger and furiously attacked Nethras. Nethras backed away from the Warden and the Qunari, and focused on the pissed off Seeker. There was no thought, no care or technique in Cassandra's attacks, she was too overflowing with rage to give a shit. All she wanted was to knock this bastard's head off, to cleave his skull in half, and rip his heart out just as he did to her. She was so blinded by her anger Nethras was easily able to dodge each furious attack. Nethras dodged one more blind attack and planted his fist into her diaphragm, knocking the wind right of her, and launched her ten feet away from him. Cassandra doubled over and tried to breathe air back into her lungs.

Nethras raised his hand and all of his marksman, assassins and even mages that he had recruited raised their arms against the now deceased Inquisitor's companions.

"Enough!" Nethras demanded as he brandished the mighty Sulevin Blade. "I could kill all of you if I wish!"

Cassandra, Cole and Varric went to Rajmael's side. A river of blood was running from the destroyed remnants of his Keeper's Robe. The horrid wound that Nethras' sword had inflicted stretched from his left shoulder all the way beneath his right ribcage. Cassandra tried to feel for a pulse. Maybe he could still be saved, they could get him healing magic. Please, Sweet Andraste, let him be saved. There was nothing. His pulse was completely still. Rajmael was dead.

Cassandra wept silently over her lover's body and whispered a final prayer for him. She then turned her gaze over to Nethras, the bastard who murdered the man she loved, Rajmael's own brother.

"You killed him! You killed him!" Cassandra snarled with angry tears. Varric and Cole did their best to hold her back, lest she suffer Rajmael's fate.

"Halamshivaris, shemlen! The sweet sacrifice of duty!" Nethras growled back. "For the Dirth'ena Enasalin, there is no greater honor. And I will regret and hate myself for it until the day I die." Nethras looked down at his brother's lifeless face with a glint of pitty and regret in his eyes and sighed a deep breath of remorse. "My brother chose his path, just I chose mine, and my conviction to the path was stronger than his. I don't understand why, but my brother cared about you. And because Rajmael cared about you, I'm going to let you and your followers to leave this temple alive."

The Vir Banal'ras herded the Inquisition agents to the middle of the room where Cassandra was still holding Rajmael's body, all except Marquis Briala.

"You're not going anywhere, I'm afraid, Marquis." Nethras said the title as though it tasted bitterly in his mouth. "You have information I want, and I still want the Eluvians." Nethras looked down at Cassandra who was still giving him that hateful glare that could make dragons feel fear. Deep down he didn't blame her, but he wouldn't accept being judged by her. "Don'e give me that look, Seeker. How many of your own holy brothers and sisters did you kill, or would have killed if your precious Chantry commanded it?"

Mother Giselle looked down upon Rajmael with a look of forlorn sadness. She raised her hand over the Inquisitor's body to recite a prayer. "Ashes we were, and to ashes we return…."

"SHUT UP!" Nethras demanded, his voice was so powerful it took Giselle back. "You will not profane this temple with your false god's prayers, and I will not let you dishonor my brother with your heresy! Your Maker is unworthy of Rajmael's soul. If you truly care about Rajmael, then give him a Dalish burial. Invoke the rites of our gods and plant a Vallasdahlen tree over his grave. He deserves that much." Nethras pulled on a nearby lever and the floor beneath of them began to descend like an elevator.

Cassandra never took her hateful glare of Nethras as they began to descend downward. "This isn't the end, Nethras. The Inquisition will find you, and make you pay for this!" The angry Seeker promised.

Nethras laughed at Cassandra's threat as she and all her companions descended further down the hidden shaft. "I think you know better than I do, Seeker, that without an Inquisitor, the Inquisition is nothing. And I think you know just as well as I do, that there is no one who could ever replace Rajmael."

~XoXoXo~

Nethras waited until the lift carrying Rajmael's companions and his body descended out of sight. He held the Sulevin in his hand and looked at it's blade intently. He pulled a cloth from his vest and began cleaning his brother's blood from the sword's blade with respected deference, as if the blood was more sacred to him than the blade. After thoroughly cleaning and sheathing the legendary weapon, he turned his attention back to his men, and the Marquis.

"Vir Banal'ras! We are very near to reaching our goal." Nethras addressed authoritatively. "Gather the Blessings and each unit follow their given path where we will rendezvous at Nehn'numinas. Velara, you will accompany me, and bring the Marquis with us."

"As you wish, Hah'ren." Velara said obediently.

Briala glared hatefully at Nethras. If her gaze were arrows, Nethras would be a pincushion right now. The elven radicle noticed the Marquis glare, and he wasn't intimidated or impressed.

"Don't give me that look, Marquis. You don't have the right to judge me." Nethras said with a vitriolic tone.

Briala couldn't believe the arrogance she was hearing from this man. "Don't have the right? You just murdered your own brother! I'd say that gives any half-decent soul alive would have the right to judge you, you bastard!"

"That'd be true if you were a half-decent person, but you're not. Are you, Marquis Briala?" Nethras asked skeptically. "You whored yourself out to the Empress of a nation that spits on our people from her ivory palace. You slept on silks doing your lover's dirty work while the rest of us were starving and living in fear. You never even bothered to stand with your fellow elves until after your precious Celene fucked your life up."

Briala stayed silent, but continued to glare daggers at the murdering radical.

"And when you finally started doing something meaningful with your pathetic existence, leading our people against our oppressors. But then you failed so epically, and by your own choice." Nethras continued with disgust. "You chose to return to your lover's hypocritical, scheming arms than to keep fighting for our people. You chose to compromise than truly stand for what you believe. And compromise is just another form of subjugation." Nethras cringed at that word. When the Chantry conquered the Dales, the elves who surrendered made the worst compromise in history. It was a word he learned to hate. "You were never a leader, Briala. Just another servant looking for more benefits from your master."

"And what about Inquisitor Lavellan? Was he just another pretender, or was he just another obstacle for you to step on?" Briala demanded fiercely.

Nethras glared back at Briala, deeply offended that she would dare invoke his name. "Rajmael was a truer elf and greater leader than you could ever dream of being, seth'lin! He never compromised his honor. He never let anything dictate what he believed in, and wasn't afraid to fight for it...to die for it. You couldn't begin to hold a candle to my brother, and you don't have the right to even speak his name."

Nethras snapped his fingers and signaled his men to take Briala away. He walked back through the dark corridors of the temple and stood before the great shrine of Elgar'nan in secluded privacy. Nethras held the cloth that was now covered in Rajmael's blood in his hand and stared at it. Remorse and regret welled up inside of him. He angrily smashed his fist against the wall, feeling nothing but sorrow and anger at himself. Was this what he had been reduced to? Had he fallen so low that he now shed the blood of the brother he loved to accomplish his goals? How does this make him any better than the shemlen he despised?

No. Nethras could not allow himself to falter now. Not when he was so close. Rajmael never faltered in his own path, never backed down, not even to him. If Nethras was going to save their people, he needed to do the same, even if it ripped his soul apart to do it. The only way he could honor his brother now was to finish what he started. Nethras allowed himself a moment of weakness and shed a single tear for his beloved Little Brother and whispered.

"Evanura...if you're out there, please forgive me. Because I will never forgive myself. I do this...so our daughter will not suffer as we did."

~XoXoXo~

The lift made its final descent and the gears moving it made a thunderous echo as landed on the final floor at the base of the mountain. Eveyone gathered around Cassandra as she cradled Rajmael's head in her lap, her tears falling on his face. Amongst the torrent of emotion they were all feeling, they all wondered the same thing: what were they going to do now? The Inquisitor, their leader, and for most of them, a dear friend. Not only did he have the power to seal rifts, a gift they needed to combat Corypheus, but he also had the gift of bringing people from all walks of life, race and creed to a common cause, to make them like brethren. Just look at them. Without Rajmael, all his companions would have probably killed each other by now, or not even had bothered with the Inquisition's mad quest to begin with. But right now, none of them were more distraught, or heartbroken, than Cassandra.

Cassandra held her beloved's head in her lap, her bitter, salty tears stung her eyes as she removed several stray hairs from Rajmael's beautiful face. Her heart ached in a way she had not known since her brother, Antony, was murdered, it was a pain she wished that would never have to feel ever again. Cassandra couldn't help but contemplate the sick irony of it all: when she first met Rajmael, she wanted him dead. Now she wanted him back, to hold her, make her smile, to make her feel the joy she didn't know existed. After years of dedicated loyalty and service in His name, Cassandra wished more than anything that the Maker would show her an ounce of kindness.

"No. No he…he is not gone yet. Cassandra, he isn't gone." Cole said consolingly. The living spirit grabbed Rajmael's lifeless arm as if he wanted to wake him up.

Vivienne looked at Cole with disgusted outrage. "Not even dead for an hour and already this thing wants to possess the Inquisitor's corpse."

Something fell from Rajmael's coat. Some kind of coin. Cole picked it up and held it close like it was trying to tell him something.

"Cole, now's not the time for your oddities." Dorian tried to explain, still feeling the effects of Rajmael's sudden death.

"Ugh! I think this thing's broken." Sera grunted.

"No. Cole, what do you mean he's not gone yet? What are you saying?" Cassandra asked with fervent hope.

"He…he wanted you to do something. If the worst happened." Cole tried to explain like. It was as if he was trying to relay the answers from some invisible voice. "He had a plan. He needed you to do something…"

Wait. Was Cole trying to say Rajmael knew he would probably die? Was there a way to save him? "What, Cole? What did Rajmael need me to do?" Cassandra asked desperately.

Everyone stood around the pale young man waiting for his answer, but Cole had this completely dumbfounded look on his face. "Sleep?"

There was a long awkward silence amongst them.

"Wait. You're saying Rajmael knew he might die, and after such a traumatic event, he wanted Cassandra to take a nap?" Dorian asked disbelievingly.

"Yep. This thing's definitely broken." Sera confirmed.

"Kid, can you be a little more specific?" Iron Bull asked.

"He wants Cassandra to do that thing she does in bed?" Cole answered confusedly. "But what else do people do in bed besides sleep?"

"Cassandra…." Varric asked with suggestive look on his face. "What's Cole talking about."

Everyone's attention suddenly turned to Cassandra, who was now trying to hide the shade of red she was blushing. She knew exactly what Cole was talking about. Cassandra motioned Solas over to her and whispered what Cole was talking about into his pointed ear.

"Really, Seeker?" Solas almost embarrassedly, his own cheeks almost turning red. Cassandra nodded her head slightly in embarrassment. "Well, that certainly…redefines the, er, applications of Templar techniques on mages." The awkward look on Solas' face was soon wiped away and replaced with realization. "Of course. Of course! That was his plan!"

Solas tore open Rajmael's coat and unveiled the grievous sword wound that stretched from his left should to the bottom of his right ribcage. The blood had stopped flowing and was now like a caked, nearly black canvas over the burn scars on Rajmael's body. The urgency with which the elven apostate was moving confused everyone else.

"Hey, Chuckles, what's going on?" Varric asked.

"If you intend to do an autopsy, then you're being redundant. The cause of death is obvious." Vivienne commented.

"Seeker Cassandra uses her abilities to ignite the lyrium in Rajmael's veins to heighten passion while they're having intercourse." Solas answered nonchalantly, causing Cassandra's blush to grow deeper. Everyone looked at Cassandra with bawdy surprise.

Vivienne wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That is rather crass, and most irrelevant…."

"And definitely worthy of its own publication." Varric interjected.

"What does their bedroom behavior have to do with our current situation?" Vivienne finished.

"Unlike Templars who can only suppress magic, Seekers are capable of both suppressing and igniting the lyrium in a person's veins, like electrocuting someone with lightning." Solas explained.

"Sorry, what? Does anyone else get this magey stuff, or is it just me?" Sera asked absently.

"Nope, I'm right there with you." Iron Bull answered.

"Cassandra, you, and you alone, right now have the power to save Rajmael." Solas beseeched. "I don't know what his plan was, or if it will even work, but whatever he intended, he meant for you to save him."

Cassandra knew what she needed to do. She wasn't going to fail Rajmael like she did Antony and Regalyan. She was not going to lose the man she loved. Cassandra placed her hands over Rajmael's chest and focused. She cleared her mind of everything and concentrated only on the lyrium in her lover's veins. It was there, it was somehow still alive, but it was faint, like the dying embers of a dead fire, but they were still fighting to burn. Cassandra extended her will and connected herself to the lyrium in Rajmael, and made the embers burn with life. Everyone watched in amazement as the blood that caked on Rajmael's body became liquid once more and crawled back inside of him as the horrid death wound began to close. Within a matter of moments, all traces of Rajmael's injuries had been erased, but still he remained lifeless, not even a pulse.

Cassandra felt the weight of mountains crushing her heart and smothering all hope in her soul. "This is it? Even after all this, I still lose him?" Cassandra choked back her sobbing. "Solas…is there nothing else I can do?"

Cassandra felt something familiar squeeze her hand. She opened her eyes and found Rajmael's beautiful golden eyes looking back at her, and in that moment, she felt her heart almost burst with joy. "Once again, my goddess came for me…hmph!"

Rajmael was unable to say anything else because Cassandra desperately crushed her lips to his and kissed him with all the joy she was feeling right now. He was alive, he was alive and still with her. There was no way to describe the happiness she was feeling right now.

A wave of relief, joy and disbelief washed over all of Rajmael's companions as they watched their leader, who they all truly believed to be dead, was kissing Cassandra like there was no tomorrow. Right now, they could all relate to how the Seeker was feeling.

Iron Bull turned away from everyone else, he didn't want them to notice he was probably going to cry. He lost too many friends and comrades that he couldn't save, and to have a good friend suddenly come back was almost too good to be true.

Cole hid his face under his hat and cried softly with a look of confusion on his face. "Why am I crying? I'm happy the Inquisitor's not dead, but I can't stop crying."

"I know the feeling, kid." Varric patted Cole on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Probably one of the best feelings in the world."

"I'm glad to see the Maker was on our side for once." Blackwall sighed with relief.

"I knew it would take more than that to kill the Inquisitor." Dorian stated he wiped his eyes.

"Praise the Maker. It's a miracle." Mother Giselle praised.

"A miracle? Hardly!" Rajmael denounced as he separated his lips from Cassandra's. "Just a very risky, and very well thought out plan."

"But how is this possible? The Sulevin Blade should have killed you!" Solas asked.

"Indeed. You lost so much blood, had no pulse, for all intents and purposes you were dead." Vivienne added.

"You're not some kind of…dead..corpsey thing, are you?" Sera asked nervously.

"No, I'm not undead, you twit!" Rajmael answered. "I'm Dirth'ena Enaslin! My power lies in master of my own being, and my body is just another tool I can control. At the very last second I lowered my Shimmering Shield enough to take just enough damage from the Sulevin Blade, but I used all my mana to freeze the lyrium in body and put myself in a death-like trance. If Cassandra hadn't ignited the lyrium in my body I would have died from my heart being still for too long."

"Wait. You're saying all this was a feint?" Dorian asked. "You don't think that was too risky?"

"You've played chess and Wicked Grace, Dorian. Sometimes to get the big win, you need to make a big risk and a really big bluff, and sacrifice almost half the blood in your body." Rajmael groaned as he tried to sit himself up.

"Damn! Remind me never to play cards against you!" Varric laughed.

"But why? What was the point of all the deception?" Iron Bull asked.

"Dirth'ena Enasalin means Knowledge That Leads to Victory. In that title the word 'Knowledge' comes first." Rajmael answered. "I needed to know what Nethras was planning, and there was no way I could mount a siege or send our forces against the temple, it's too well positioned and fortified. And I had to fool Nethras into thinking I can no longer threaten him. Now I know exactly what he is planning to do, where he is going to execute his plan, and his guard will be down and his spirit conflicted now that he thinks that he's killed me."

"You knew Cole would find that coin in your coat and that Cassandra would be able to wake you from your self-induced coma? Really?" Blackwall asked disbelievingly.

"That…was actually the biggest gamble I've ever made in my life." Rajmael confessed. "But I had faith in both of them." Cassandra and Cole both smiled happily at the Inquisitor for his faith, and were proud to have been so important in his plan. "But seriously though, can someone give me a poultice and some lyrium. I'm actually in a shit load of pain."

Rajmael quaffed both the lyrium vials and the health poultice like he was downing a shots of whiskey. Both potions regenerated his wounds and replenished his mana. Within moments Rajmael had enough mana to fully heal himself completely.

"Inquisitor, you said you know what Nethras is planning. Something about another elven temple. What do you mean?" Cassandra inquired.

A bitter look came over Rajmael's face. "Nehn'numinas. The Place of Joyful Tears. According to Dalish lore that place is where all the waters in Thedas converge. Every river, stream, every ounce of water that flows throughout this continent flows there. In the time of the Elvhen Empire, the ancient priests would convey at that place and bless the waters that flowed there with the favor of the gods they served, and those blessings would be carried throughout the rest of the empire. Nethras plans to taint the waters with Elgar'nan's Blessing and poison any and all humans not just in Orlais, but in Ferelden, Nevarra the Free Marches, and kill them. The death toll will be…genocidal."

"Sweet Maker…that's insane." Blackwall stated.

"Wow. And here I thought only my own countrymen were capable of destruction on such grand scale." Dorian said sarcastically.

"People have hurt him, and now he wants to hurt everyone." Cole said sadly.

Varric shook his head. "This sort of thing makes what Blondie did seem like a minor accident."

"Vengeance has completely poisoned Nethras' judgement." Solas confirmed.

"Using chemical warfare to wipe out his enemies." Iron Bull sighed. "I didn't know the elves had it in 'em. I thought only the Qunari did that sort of thing."

"He would murder countless innocents for what the few and misguided have done?" Mother Giselle gasped.

"How can he even think of doing such a thing?" Cassandra asked abashed.

"He's a terrorist, dear Cassandra." Vivienne answered haughtily. "It doesn't matter why he does anything. It's this sort of action that makes those in power despise elves."

"Stupid elf doing stupid shit, now he's using stupid elfy crap to hurt people." Sera commented in disgust. "This is why elves are stupid, trying to be elves instead of being people."

A dangerous glare shot through Rajmael's eyes. He had enough. The Inquisitor got up, despite the pain he was still in, walked up to Sera and Vivienne, and slammed their heads together so hard they were both probably seeing stars. The he kicked their legs out from under them both, making them land flat on their backs.

"I…I never!" Vivienne said in complete shock as she rubbed her throbbing forehead.

"What the fuck!?" Sera cursed.

They both shut their mouths the instant Rajmael drew his sword on them. "Shut up! You will not insult Nethras, or my people, in front of me again! You have no right to judge him, or anyone who follows him!" Rajmael looked at them, and then everyone else. "You humans speak of nobility and strut around with it like peacocks, but the instant someone, something stands in the way between you and whatever it is you desire, you lie, cheat, murder and hide behind your illusions of nobility to get it. Amongst the Dalish, many of us are taught that humans lack honor, morals, any semblance of nobility, and much of what I've seen leading this fucking Inquisition proves us right."

"Even after everything that they've done, even knowing what they plan to do, you would still defend those assassins because they are elves?" Vivienne asked incredulously as she staggered to her feet.

"You're damned right I do!" Rajmael spat. "Just like you keep defending those rotting shit-sacks you call the Orlesian Empire and the Chantry. It was Nethras' father, Junnarel, saved my life when I was condemned to burn. He owed me and my parents nothing, he could have just left me there to roast on the pyre and gone home, but instead he risked the Chantry's wrath and saved me. His wife, Ariva, healed my wounds and sang to me while I slept, then she adopted me and raised me as her own instead of treating me like a flat-eared stranger."

"None of that changes the fact that these elves are acting like shits." Sera pointed out vehemently.

"What do you, what do any of you know about being an elf? Yes! Elves are a shitty, violent, self-righteous people! We hate the world and we'd sooner break a shemlens neck than break bread with them. But who taught them to hate the world, who showed them how to be nasty and violent? You did!" Rajmael pointed his sword to everyone in the cave. "You humans enslave elves! Under your laws it's not a crime to murder or rape an elf, but the instant elves try to take any justice for themselves, you punish them like they started it! You showed us that the only way to get anything in this world is to be violent and vengeful!"

Rajmael's attention turned back to the Friend of Red Jenny. "And you…Sera! It was elves like you, flat-eared shits who spit on your own kind that turned my family over to the Chantry! It was elves like you that murdered my parents, because us being elves was so horrible!" Sera tried to return Rajmael's angry gaze, but his eyes were more powerful, and she turned her head away in shame. "You were raised as noblewoman's adopted child and lived in fancy manor, but you spit on the nobility and elves alike. I pity how empty and pointless your life is."

The Inquisitor turned his hateful gaze to Mother Giselle. "And you, and the entire fucking Chantry…your crimes against the elves are the worst! Did you even notice that most of the elves who follow Nethras aren't Dalish? They're City Elves who are tired of your lies, your false promises. When the elves surrendered at Halamshiral, you promised to give them protection if they accepted the surrender and followed the Maker. But where's your protection when Chevaliers rape elven women, or test their swords on elves out past curfew? Where was your protection when Empress Celene burned Halamshiral's Alienage?! Huh?! Answer me! Where is your protection!?"

Once again Rajmael had brought up the injustices of the Chantry, and once again Mother Giselle had no answer for him. "I am sorry, Inquisitor. But that is one more failure the Chantry bares."

"None of you have the right to judge Nethras for being the nightmare you made him to be." Rajmael seethed. "Only I have that right. As a Dalish elf, and his brother, I have to show him that this is not the way. And I have to be the one to end the nightmare. This is the burden I must bear, and it has my burden ever since your holy Templars and beloved faithful murdered my family. And you know what the funny thing is? Three years ago, I might have joined him after what the Templars did."

Rajmael walked to the entrance of the cave to calm down, and once again all his followers were left stunned by his words, more so than usual given the fact that they had just given him up for dead not an hour ago. Sera and Mother Giselle were especially shaken by his words, though Sera seemed more angry than shaken. Dorian also felt a wedge of guilt grinding into him because while Rajmael never said it, he knew in his heart that the plight of elves throughout the world was yet another fault of his countrymen, and coming from a family of slave owners.

"Well, that was…bracing." Blackwall admitted.

"Not back from the dead for ten minutes and the Boss is already laying down the law." Iron Bull added. "I love working for this guy."

"He hurts." Cole informed. "His brother is broken inside because of what the humans did, now he has to put his brother down like a rabid dog, before his mad disease spreads and kills what they hold sacred."

"I know what that's like. Maker, do I ever." Varric confessed.

"What? You mean to say you know what it's like to kill a brother?" Vivienne asked skeptically.

"You're damned right I do." Varric answered trying to hold back his emotions. "My older brother Bartrand went insane from red lyrium and slaughtered everyone who served and cared about him. And I had to put him out of his misery. I can talk all the shit I want about my brother because I know the kind of man he was, and everyone who knew him did, too. But Rajmael's brother was a good man and the world fucked his life up. Now Rajmael has to stop him before Nethras can fuck up the world. Except Nethras didn't go bad because of lyrium, he went this way because people drove him here, and no one else seems to give a shit about that. Just like with Hawke, Rajmael is a family man, but the world just keeps screwing his family over."

Cassandra followed after Rajmael, she understood the pain this was causing him. After the terrible truths she learned about her own Order, learning that everything she believed they stood for had been a lie, she knew all too well.

"I understand the pain this must be causing you, Rajmael. I loved my brother very much, and I would have given anything to see him alive again." Cassandra sympathized. "I can't imagine what I would do if he suddenly came back into my life and wanted to do something so horrible."

"Nethras has chosen his path, and he walks it with the determination and resolve befitting a follower of Elgar'nan." Rajmael acknowledged. "But his path is one of wanton, careless destruction, and if he isn't stopped he could violate and destroy everything my people hold sacred. I know my path, and what I must do."

Rajmael gathered everyone, Sera and Vivienne kept their mouths firmly shut around him, and they made their way to the summit of the mountain where The Bull's Chargers and the Dalish Agents were waiting for them.

"Hey, Chief! How's it going?!" Krem greeted his commander.

"Krem, Dalish, Grim! How the fuck are you guys doing?!" Iron Bull boomed.

"Taking care of other people's bullshit, as usual, Chief." Krem laughed. "Hey, Chief, we heard the most ridiculous story before we got here. Something about some elves…grabbing the Bull by the horns?" Most of the Chargers started snickering beneath their breath while Bull looked like he was blushing with embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah, get it out of your systems. Boss' got a plan to get some pay back against those assholes." Bull waved off.

"I assume you have a plan of attack, Inquisitor?" Solas inquired.

"We are going to assault Nehn'numinas. And we're going to kill every member of the Vir Banal'ras who stands in our way." Rajmael answered with determination in his voice. "And Nethras…is mine."

At the Temple of Nehn'numinas….

Briala was shoved forward by the elven assassins further into the forest until they came to an uprupt halt. She wondered what could so important to just stop so far beyond the borders of the Emerald Graves, and then she lost her breath as she looked in awe; before them was a great temple of the Elvhen people that seemed to be wrought of faded crystal. Towards the end of each side of the temple were tall and strong towers, pointing towards the sky like longswords. The canopy that protected the inner sanctum was a great dome and guarding the entrance atop the stair were rows of snarling wolves of green stone. While tree roots and vegetion grew thick and clung to this great elven architecture. Briala was still at a loss for words at what the Dalish elves were capable of building. The Place of Joyful Tears was still awesome to behold even after centuries of abandonment. A magnificent structure that stood as testament to the glory that the elves once possessed, a glory Nethras sought to resurrect.

She didn't have long to admire the outside of the temple long though, her captors shoved her forward and the continued on. As she passed through the main hallway there tall statues of elven knight with their spears pointed downwards as if ready for combat and the walls were adorned with torches alight with veilfire. As she went further into the great temple she noticed the floors were decorated with deep long canals rushing from the center of the building. Finally they had reached the inner sanctum. And awaiting Briala and the company that lead her here were many elves, some were Dalish others, but most were city elves, and they glared at the Marquis with intense anger and hatred.

Nethras stood in the Inner Shrine and basked in its ancient glory. The floor turned into a walkway that extended over a roaring vortex of water. The sanctum was like a gigantic chasm with the temple built over it, it was large enough to house half of the Winter Palace. Standing proudly above the shrine, over the massive whirlpool, were statues of the Creators hewn from purest crystal. Elgar'nan, Mythal, Sylaise, June, Ghila'nain Dirthamen, Falon'din and even Fen'harel. Their immense size was breath taking, and their images were flawlessly captured. All the gods looked down upon this sacred room with cascading waterfalls rushing from their eyes, making it seems as though the colossal statues were weeping. That must be how this place got its name.

There was a small shrine dedicated to each of them on the floor below, beneath their feet. It was here that all the waters in Thedas converged and flowed back into the world. It was here Nethras would execute his plan against the humans. Nethras knelt before the shrine of Elgar'nan and made a small offering of blood and flowers. Then he stood and laughed triumphantly. Soon everything he had fought and killed for would come to fruition.

"Look at this place, Marquis!" Nethras laughed as he took in the shrine's beauty. "Imagine! Once all of Thedas was like this. Elves were the masters of our destiny, we commanded magic and might like no other. Then the humans came, and with them they brought disease, mortality, and later they brought the Blight. Like a plague, they destroy everything they touch than move on to destroy something else, all the while claiming to righteousness and holiness as their excuse. But today, I will cut out the disease from this world."

"And how do plan to do that? This temple is place is more like a place of worship than a weapon." Briala pointed out.

A sinister smile crept on Nethras' face. "I'm glad you asked. The waters from this temple flow throughout all of Thedas. Water is one of the greatest necessities in the world, and after I administer Elgar'nan's Blessing to this well, the instant they put any water, anything made, soaked, or distilled by water, it will destroy. It will burn inside them like they just ingested molten led, and burn them from the inside out, until there is nothing left but a charred, hollowed out husk that used to be alive. I tested it on a few Freeman of the Dales just to make sure."

"You think what you're doing here is righteous? You're mad, Nethras!" Briala denounced. "How can you possibly even think that this is what's best for our people?"

Nethras looked back at her with a serious look on his tattooed face. "I'm not mad, I'm pissed and I'm tired! Tired of seeing elves living like dogs fighting over the scraps that humans throw them, pissed that everywhere the Dalish tribes wander we are treated like vermin. I'd rather be with my daughter right now, but I can longer sit idly by and let the humans threaten her, and her future."

"And you think what you're doing here will make her future brighter? This could turn the whole world against us, again. Even you must realize that this can't possibly kill as many humans as you wish it could."

"Perhaps not, but it will kill enough of them, and they'll be too busy fighting and blaming each other, their neighbors, their brothers to focus on us, and by the time they realize it, our heels will already be on their necks." Nethras looked at Briala with an almost pitiable look. "I don't expect you to understand why I'm doing this Briala. You're a servant, you've always been a servant to our oppressors, even when you were leading a shadow war against Celene and Gaspard. Now you're just a servant with benefits. I want you here to bear witness to what the price of justice and freedom truly is, and I want you to realize how weak you've always been, and how you, and Rajmael, failed our people."

Nethras ordered his men to cart in massive casks, Briala could her something sloshing around inside them, and judging by the care with which they handled them, she knew it must have been the waters from the Temple of Elgar'nan. Elgar'nan's Blessing. Sweet Maker, he was truly going to do it.

"When you're life is in danger, when you're feeling joyful, relieved, or desperate, Briala, whose name do you invoke? The Creators, or the Maker's?" Nethras asked casually. "I already know the answer. For too long the Creators have been denied, and now Elgar'nan will have his due." Nethras raised his hands and began chanting in the Elvhen tongue with anticipation and ecstatic joy, he was preparing these waters to poison the well here.

"Don't do it!" Briala begged desperately. "I've read your journals, Nethras. I know you were a good man once. What was done to you was terrible, but killing You're a father, you must have been a good man once. Think of all the innocents you're condemning to a horrible death!"

Nethras looked at Briala with twisted look of pain. "There are no innocents, Briala. There are only oppressors, victims and potential victims. And my people have been victims for far too long!" Then, just as he was about to administer Elgar'nan's Blessing, there was a massive crash outside that seemed to shake the whole temple. The tremor was so powerful it almost knocked Nethras off his feet. "What the FUCK!?"

Back outside Nehn'numinas….

Just like with the Cradle of Sulevin, Rajmael knew the path to The Place of Joyful Tears. As the First of his clan, it was knowledge that was allowed to him, knowledge he was sworn to protect. He stealthily guided his companions and the handful soldiers through the dense forest and treacherous paths. They came across several of Nethras' scouts, and they were quickly subdued. Rajmael just finished snapping one of the scouts' neck in his hands. They could not let their presence be known now.

Rajmael gazed upon The Place of Joyful Tears with awe and reverence. Even after so many centuries of abandonment, it was beyond beautiful. The fact that Nethras would use this holy place as the epicenter for his revenged was beyond appalling, it was sacrilege. Rajmael could not let these sacred waters be tainted for the sake of vengeance, no matter how righteous it may seem. This needed to end now.

"You got a plan, Boss? 'Cause those guys are dug in pretty deep, it'll be hard to just assault them with the numbers we've got." Iron Bull asserted.

"And we don't know how many is there. They could have numbers against us." Solas added.

"After what those stealthy bastards did to us before, I don't want to walk into another trap." Blackwall concurred.

"I have a plan, one that I never thought to execute." Rajmael answered. The Inquisitor receded back into the forest to a small clearing amongst the trees, his silvery white halla, Neirin, and Cassandra was waiting for him. "When it starts, it's going to be big and loud, chaos and panic will be running rampant, that will be me and Neirin's key into the temple. I want you and the others to kill any of the Vir Banal'ras I leave behind and try to make your way inside." The Inquisitor informed urgently.

"Wait. What's going to happen? What are you talking about?" Cassandra asked worriedly.

Rajmael tenderly placed his hand on his lover's face, and looked at Cassandra with all the love and affection he had for her. Cassandra lovingly pressed his hand against her face "If for any reason I don't come out of that temple Cassandra, you are the new Inquisitor. You must lead the fight against Corypheus if I die here."

"No." Cassandra stubbornly denied. "You're going to come out of there alive, and then you're going to continue leading this Inquisition. And we will defeat Corypheus. Together."

Rajmael smiled warmly at Cassandra, having her support and her love gave him even more drive to succeed. The Inquisitor took his swords and planted them in the ground, then knelt as though he were praying, reciting some sort of chant in the elvhen language. No one but Solas seemed to know what he was saying.

"Are you…praying before battle, Inquisitor?" Dorian asked.

"No." Cole answered quietly. "He's trying to wake them up. But they've been asleep for a long time."

"Them? Them who, kid?" Varric asked curiously.

"Instead of praying, shouldn't we be more concerned about the elven assassins that could find us?" Vivienne urged.

"Maybe if you people would keep you mouths shut, and find out." Rajmael suggested. "And you'll see the power of elvhen magic." The Inquisitor's aura ignited around him as he extended his will to the very forest surrounding him. Enasalin and Evanura ignited with veilfire while they were in the ground. And then something began to stir within the forest. The ground shook, and something groaned within the trees, as though the forest were giving a great yawn. Then the forces Rajmael summoned began to move….

"H-hey, Chief! You remember that time we did that job in the Dales?" Krem asked nervously as he looked upon what Rajmael summoned.

"Holy shit!" Iron Bull, Varric and Blackwall said in shocked unison. Their jaws threatening to fall off their faces.

~XoXoXo~

"Hey! You know what happened to our scouts who were watching the forest?" One of the assassins asked.

"I've no idea, but there's something definitely going on over there. Look at the tree line." Another of the Vir Banal'ras pointed. It looked as though something was rustling the canopy, and it seemed like the tree line was moving. What was going on? Then something flew right out of the treetops and into the sky with astounding speed. It was heading right towards them, what was it?

"Holy shit!"

"Move!"

Neither of them moved fast enough. By they realized what was coming at them, the boulder that was launched out of the forest and into the air had crushed them flat. The Vir Banal'ras readied themselves for whatever enemy was foolish enough to track them here. But they were not prepared for what came storming out of the forest like something out of their worst nightmares.

Nobody was a badass when they The Inquisitor charging down at them on his white halla, swords in hand, with a veritable army of pissed of sylvans at his back.

"Forward!" Rajmael cried as he and Neirin charged forward to the temple. Rajmael had awoken the sylvans from the long slumber to aid him in this assault. He was finally able to apply his Keeper training to use. The sylvans would distract, scatter and weaken the Vir Banal'ras' forces and bombard them with boulders while his team would secure the temple and finish the assassins off. That would give him the opening he needed to get to the inner sanctum and stop Nethras before he could carry out his mad plan, and before their fighting destroyed this temple.

"Move, move, move!" Cassandra ordered as she led the other companions against the Vir Banal'ras. The assassins had been scattered, all the sylvan Rajmael had summoned were forcing them back, but they needed to keep this distraction up if Rajmael was to succeed. This time there were no shadows, no ambushes or surprise attacks. This time the battle would be in the Inquisition's favor.

"It's payback time, bitches!" Iron Bull bellowed as he charged in with his men, cleaving elves left and right with his massive axe.

Dorian, Vivienne, Varric and Sera rained explosive arrows, fire and ice down on to the battlefield, freezing, burning and sticking any and all their targets. Varric laid down a mine field around them that exploded with fire and shrapnel when the assassin tried to get to close.

Sera smashed one of her alchemical flasks one her jerkin and started firing arrows charged with electricity. "Nya-ha! How'd ya like that, ya elfy pricks!"

Blackwall held his ground and allowed the elven assassin to get just close enough, but they were unable to get past his defenses, and he finished them off with his mace. And Solas stood amongst the fighting giving barrier protection and healing where it was needed. So far the battle was going their way. Hopefully, these assassins would not rally back together, but in order for that to happen, to have true victory, Rajmael needed to find and defeat Nethras.

~XoXoXo~

Rajmael rode Neirin to the large, wooden entry doors, and the great white halla splintered it to pieces with his powerful antlers. Inside the entrance hallways where dozens of the Vir Banal'ras standing guard, and at the end of the hall was a stairway that would lead him to the Joyful Tears. But first he'd need to get past all these assassins. Perfect.

Several assassins threw the Bora'nan at Rajmael, Neirin stood on his hind legs and caught them with his antlers then charged like there was a fire on his flank. The Inquisitor swung his swords and cast down lightning on any enemy that was close enough, while Neirin gored their enemies on his antlers and trampled them beneath his hooves when they foolishly stood in their way. Rajmael jumped of Neirin's back and drop kicked into one of the assassin's face, smashing his skull beneath his heel. Now standing, with only his halla to assist him, Rajmael engaged his enemies and showed them why Arcane Warriors were to be feared.

Rajmael instinctively activated his Shimmering Shield and held both his swords ready as eight assassins charged him down. He dashed and phased through them like a ghost. Within a split second, he dashed past all of them and completely halted their movement, making them stand like statues. Rajmael flicked their blood off his swords, and they all dropped like felled trees behind him, their blood spraying through the air and spilling on to the ground.

Several more elves simultaneously swung their chained-sickles at the Inquisitor, Rajmael cut them all down in midair with Evanura and threw an ethereal blade of veilfire at the attackers with Enasalin, cutting them all in half at the waist.

Another six tried to surround the Inquisitor, swinging their chained-sickles with the intent to impale him with the spear end of their chains. Three of them threw their spear heads at him, but Rajmael phased through the attack and dashed past them, and the spear heads instead stabbed and killed the assassins that were behind their target. Rajmael jumped over the other three and summoned a fist-shaped boulder from the Fade and launched it at his aggressors, it crushed on of them like a grape, and the exploded shards perferated the other two.

Rajmael ran up the stairs to find his brother, dismembering, disemboweling and decapitating any Vir Banal'ras that stood in his way. When he made it to the final floor, where he could sense his brother was, there were eight more elves guarding the way. These ones were different, they were all Dalish, which meant they were more highly trained than all the other ones, and they were loyal to Nethras. All of them came at the Arcane Warrior, armed with swords and spears, they would not let the Inquisitor pass. Rajmael was in no mood for any more interference. He raised both his swords in the air and conjured a vortex of fire and lightning. The vortex pulled them all in with tendril of electricity, and the very heat of the fire inside the swirling maelstrom of magic blackened their flesh, and their screams were drowned out by the sound of thunder. Within moments the magical attack turned them into burnt husks billowing out the ashes that used to be their insides.

The path to the Place of Tears was sealed off by a massive stone door with magical reinforcements. It would take at least ten men to push it open. But Rajmael was in no mood to let a door stand in his way. His swords burned brightly, and he struck the door with both blades. The friction between the magical energies of the door against the swords was so great that it caused an explosion that shook the whole floor.

~XoXoXo~

"What the Fuck!?" Nethras cursed angrily. Were they under attack?

Rajmael emerged from the hallway and into the inner sanctum where the images of his gods stood over the waters that flowed from the world and into the giant vortex below. This was where the ancient elvhen priests of all the gods would convey to bless the waters of the world with the Creators' favor.

Nethras and Briala had a look of utter shock and disbelief at the sight of the pissed off Inquisitor standing before them, with blood splattered all over his body and his swords.

Nethras was shocked, and looked as if a ghost had reappeared to haunt him "How? How are you still alive?"

"Fuck you, that's how!" Rajmael spat with his swords drawn. "I'm Dirth'ena Enasalin. Superior to Vir Banal'ras!"

Nethras growled in frustration and grabbed the Sulevin and held it ready in his angry fist. "Keeper Deshana always said you were a pain in the ass! And I always admired you for it, but now you've turned your back on us! Even with all the power you wield, you would still have us remain as servant to the humans. Why, Brother!?"

"This isn't about just elves and humans, Nethras!" Rajmael answered angrily. "This is about survival! If your plan succeeds, you're only aiding the Elder One. You're not saving our people, you're damning them! And if this is the only way to get through that thick skull of yours…Ma nuvenin!"

Rajmael lunged at Nethras with both swords, he attacked with such frenzied tenacity he actually forced Nethras to defend with Sulevin. Nethras struck back, Rajmael countered and followed with three spinning back kicks to Nethras' head. Nethras brought Sulevin down to bear on Rajmael once again, and Rajmael locked it with both his swords. With their swords locked, Rajmael manipulated both of their weapons to get stuck in the ground, then took the opportunity to grab hold of Nethras and punched him in the face with all his might.

Nethras staggered backwards from the force of Rajmael's punch, then his brother shot lightning at him from his fingertips. Nethras dodged each bolt of lightning hurled at him and darted to Rajmael, then grabbed him by the arm and should tossed him across the room. Rajmael landed on his feet, then jumped back into the air and cast down a massive fire ball. Nethras barely dodged the attack, but sent flying over to the nearby balcony. The Inquisitor ran over to Nethras before he could get back to his feet and started smashing his head into the stone floor.

"You say you want to use the gifts our gods gave us, but you've perverted them!" Rajmael damned as he struck Nethras' head with each word. "You say you to revive our glory, and restore our people, but it's not going to happen! NOT LIKE THIS!"

Rajmael conjured pure magical energy into the palm of his hand and planted fist right into Nethras' chest. The force was so powerful it was like a small explosion, the floor Nethras was laying on turned into a crater.

Rajmael knew his brother was far from finished, there was still a lot left in him. He staggered back to his feet and tried to catch his breath, and he heard Nethras stirring to get back up, too. Rajmael looked down of the balcony and the battle raging on the temple floor beneath him, and felt that familiar sense of dread crushing his heart.

"Look what you've done, Nethras!" Rajmael yelled as he pointed to destruction before them. "Instead of rebuilding this place of worship for our people, you've defiled it with your need to murder! The dream of the Dalish is to revive our lost glory, not commit sacrilege against it!"

Nethras looked down and saw his own followers, the people who believed in him being slaughtered by the forces his brother had brought with. He turned his face away in shame, but not regret.

"Ir abelas, Rajmael. Both for what I did to you, and to this place. But I cannot stop. I've lost too much, and have gone too far to stop now. Our glory is already gone, and we'll never take back our place in the world so long as the humans rule it. This is my path. I am Vir Banal'ras, and I must take back justice for our people."

The Inquisitor looked at his brother with deep sadness and regret. Even after Nethras almost killed him, Rajmael had hoped to steer his brother away from this path and back to their clan and Eva. But he knew now that this was impossible. His brother had chosen his path, and Rajmael knew his.

"I am Dirth'ena Enasalin, and the Inquisitor. Our paths stand against one another. So let us leave it to the gods. No more of our people need to die." Rajmael said sadly.

Nethras sighed deeply, and for once listened to his brother. "So be it. Let us leave it to the gods."

~XoXoXo~

The fighting was still raging on the temple grounds. These Vir Bana'ras didn't know when to call it quits. Cassandra hoped the Rajmael would end this soon. Then, suddenly and without warning, all the sylvan ceased their attacks and began lumbering back to the woods. What was happening?

"ENOUGH!" shouted the powerful voice that belonged to Nethras. And at his word, all members of the Vir Banal'ras stopped fighting. Cassandra looked towards the temple entrance and saw Rajmael and Briala standing next to Nethras. What was going on?

"Inquisition! Cease all violence, and make your way into the temple." Rajmael ordered. Nethras said the same for his people.

"Inquisitor! What is happening?" Cassandra asked confused.

"Are they surrendering? Or are we?" Blackwall added just as confounded.

"Yes. Does this mean they're not going to try and kill us anymore?" Dorian inquired.

"I hope not. These guys put up a fucking good fight." Iron Bull laughed.

"As the leaders and representatives of our chosen paths, Nethras and I have decided to let act as the will of our chosen gods. The losing side must adhere to the will of the god who has granted favor to his champion." Rajmael explained sadly.

"You don't want to, but you know you have no choice." Cole said mirroring Rajmael's melancholy.

"Wait. What's he on about?" Sera asked.

Vivienne rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "Yes, Inquisitor. What are you talking about? More elven rituals?"

"To avoid any more bloodshed, Rajmael and Nethras will duel in the name of their chosen gods to determine whose cause is the most righteous. And the losers must abide by the will of the victor." Solas explained solemnly.

"What? No! You cannot be serious!" Cassandra rejected. "You've already fought him once, and that might have gone as you planned, but this time might be different."

Rajmael took Cassandra's face in his hand and abruptly brought her lips to his in a gently but passionate kiss. "Have faith in me, ma vhenan. Just as I had faith in you and Cole."

Cassandra firmly held his hand in hers. "I…will pray for you. Just to be certain."

Rajmael shook his head. "Cassandra, my god has already looked after me. You'll see."

~XoXoXo~

Rajmael and Nethras led their respective followers back to the Inner Sanctum, the chasm where the Joyful Tears flowed. They would watch and pay witness to this dual of philosophies, and respect the outcome. And the winner would decide the fate of this temple, and the failure's followers. The Arcane Warrior and the Dalish Assassin knelt before their patron gods, and made their offerings. Rajmael bowed before Dirthamen, and Nethras to Elgar'nan.

"Elgar'nan, All-Father, Eldest of The Sky, Lord of Vengeance." Nethras invoked. "Bestow upon me your blessing one last time, give me the power to carry out your will. Grant me the strength to do what I must, even if it means killing my brother."

"Dirthamen, Keeper of Secrets, Twin Soul to Falon'Din, let my knowledge be true, my skill certain, and my mind clear. Grant me the secret to victory, and should the worst come to pass, let your twin soul guide me to peace." Rajmael prayed calmly.

"Las ar enasalin, ten las ar atishan." Both brothers said in unison as they finished their prayers. The two elven leaders approached one another and bowed respectfully before assuming their stances.

Nethras took the stance known as Elgar'nan's Gaze, with the Sulevin Blade held high over his head, and his feet planted firmly to the ground. It was a stance meant for powerful, destructive strikes that could slay his opponent quickly.

Rajmael held the stance known as Dirthamen's Ravens. He pointed Enasalin at his opponent, and held Evanura horizontally across his body with the blade trailing behind him. It was a very deceptive, tenacious stance meant for relentless attack or impenetrable defense, but it was nowhere nearly as powerful as Nethras' stance.

The two Dalish brothers stood off against one another, assessing each other's intent, while their followers looked on anxiously and prayed beneath their breaths. There was so much tension in the air you could hang yourself with it. Rajmael's swords burned with Veilfire, while his golden eyes burned with power, and his Shimmering Shield glimmered like starlight around him. Nethras own eyes began to light up like angry hot coals as Elgar'nan's Blessing began to burn inside of him. The two elves' auras began to burn around them like pyres, their power reaching its peak. Both of them readied to duel. To kill. To die.

Once again, Nethras struck first. He brought the Sulevin Blade down vertically with all his might, seeking to cut Rajmael in half. But Rajmael quickly, easily caught the Sulevin between both his swords like it was nothing, as if it had no power. Surprised but undeterred by the sudden lack of power from his sword, Nethras manipulated their swords to the side and planted a powerful front kick to Rajmael's chest, then spun around with his sword in a wide arc to cut the Inquisitor in half. Rajmael back flipped over Nethras' blade, and attacked in force. Rajmael hailed down a flurry of attacks with both swords so furiously that Nethras was forced to defend with the Sulevin Blade. Where did all this strength that Rajmael now possessed come from? Nethras knew he had to step up his game against his brother. Nethras' eyes began to burn more intensely, and his strength increased with it.

Both combatants moved such incredible speed, Rajmael with his dash-phasing abilities, and Nethras with Elgar'nan's Blessing coursing through his veins, that both of their followers were barely able to keep up with them with their eyes. It was like watching lightning dance with fire in the middle of a storm. Their duel kept clashing back and forth, each swordsman trying to get the upper hand on their opponent, neither one relenting before their brother's might. This was not like before at the Temple of Elgar'nan, this was either elf's duel now.

Nethras locked his sword with Rajmael's again. He could feel the duel turning in Rajmael's favor, his skill combined with his sorcery gave him a distinct edge. Nethras was not going to be stopped, least of all by Rajmael. He had gone too far, sacrificed too much, and killed too many to be stopped now. Nethras summoned all his will and made the fire burning inside him blaze even greater, his body began to burn from the inside as though a furnace were roaring inside his chest.

"I can't afford to lose. I WILL NOT LOSE!" With Elgar'nan's Blessing blazing inside him, Nethras' attacked with vicious vigor. He would not be denied, he will win. Nethras knocked Rajmael's guard away and jammed the pommel of his sword into Rajmael's chest, knocking the wind out of him. He brought the Sulevin back down on Rajmael. Rajmael blocked the attack, but Nethras struck with such ferocity the force almost knocked Rajmael's weapons out of his hands.

Rajmael was unable to block the next three attacks, Nethras moved with too much speed and power; Rajmael could only narrowly dodge. The Arcane Warrior threw an arc of veilfire at his opponent, but the Dalish Assasssin cut down the wave of magical energy like it was paper. Nethras held his sword tightly in his grip, and the ancient writing on the Sulevin Blade began to twist and burn with life, and a dark energy enveloped the sword. Nethras swung the Sulevin and launched a sphere of condensed dark energy at his brother. Rajmael barely had enough time to set up a barrier against the projectile, but instead of bouncing off or exploding like he thought it would, the massive, crackling ball of pure energy pressed against the protective, magical shield, trying to consume its victim. Rajmael focused all his energy into reinforcing his barrier, lest it break through and kill him. Within moments the attack ran it course and exploded in a ring of pure mana so powerful it knocked everyone in the sanctum off their feet. All except the two dueling brothers.

Both the elves were reaching their limit. Elgar'nan's Blessing was consuming Nethras, and Rajmael had used up almost all his mana keeping up his barrier. But they could not stop now. Nethras lunged with Sulevin, Rajmael dodged and returned with both swords, stabbing and slashing with wide arcs and precise strikes. Nethras finally had enough of his brother's assault. They locked in the clench once more, and this time Nethras reached for the chained-sickle on his hip, and used it to lock the sword in Rajmael's right hand and ripped Enasalin from his grip. Nethras followed up with a horizontal strike, Rajmael wisely disengaged from him.

The two brothers assumed one more stance, and stared each other down. Neither one would be deterred from their resolve. They charged down one another with nothing but fury and determination in their hearts. Evanura struck against Sulevin. And the impossible happened. Evanura shattered the Sulvevin. The force of the destruction was so powerful it sent both combatants flying off their feet from each other. Both of them struggled to their feet, all their energy was practically gone, and every fiber of their bodies was screaming in pain. But they could not stop now.

Nethras looked at the ruined remains of his legendary sword with shock, how could this happen?! He looked over to Rajmael, who was struggling to his knees, and the explosion knocked his other sword out of his hand. This was it! Nethras grabbed his Bora'nan and swung the sickle end to knock Rajmael's head right off his shoulders. Elgar'nan's will be done!

Rajmael's mana was virtually gone, he could barely stagger to his feet. He was completely disarmed, and no energy left to conjure up any useful spells. Where were the Creators when he needed them? Then he saw the gods wink at him from the corner of his eye. With a single elfroot plant.

"ENASALIN!" Both elves cried as they performed their final act in this duel, their voices echoing throughout the temple.

Cassandra and the others watched in anticipation and horror. Rajmael and Nethras were both still standing still. Who won?

Rajmael's blood trickled from the wound Nethras' blade had inflicted. Rajmael blocked it with his left hand and tip of the sickle pierced right through his forearm. Nethras looked down in complete shock at his final act. Rajmael pierced Nethras' chest…with an ethereal blade that came from nothing but a single elfroot leaf between his fingers. Rajmael had won. And his god's favor was certain.

"I forgot...you could do that…." Nethras smiled as blood spurted out of his mouth and collapsed the floor.

Rajmael went over to his brother but instead of crying, the two of them started laughing. Like two good brothers who hadn't seen each other in a long time.

"How? How did you destroy the Sulevin Blade?" Nethras asked, coughing blood out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Nethras. But I never gave you the real Shards of Sulevin to begin with." Rajmael answered calmly. "I took the Shards and presented them to the Inquisition's Arcanist, and she was able to forge very convincing copies that would fit together like a puzzle. Dagna is a true wizard at the forge."

"Ha! Isn't that like a follower of Dirthamen. Always stacking the deck." Nethras laughed weakly. "That sword you used to shatter the blade, what sword was that?"

"It's Evanura, the sword forged in the Temple of June, and wielded by Lindrinae in defiance of the Exalted March."

"The sword for which my wife was named? You found it? You reclaimed it and you even recovered the Shards of Sulevin. You've…you've regained so much for our people. I..I'm proud of you Rajmael. I've always been proud to call you my brother." Nethras confessed.

"Oh, Nethras. It didn't have to be this way. We could have fought alongside each other, as Evanura would have wanted. We could have gained so much for our people as brothers." Rajmael lamented. "Why? Why waste so much just for blood?"

"What father doesn't want to give his daughter the world?" Nethras answered sadly. "Everything I did, I did it so Eva would never have to suffer like we did." Nethras looked over to Rajmael's companions with bitterness in his eyes. "They'll never accept us, brother. Even now, they only see you as extension of their wretched god, and if they didn't need you, they'd cast you out for the heretic you are. Fear and blood is all they respect."

"I…am aware, brother. But as a priest of Dirthamen, it is my duty to enlighten with knowledge as well as protecting it. And as the Inquisitor, my job is to protect the world, and everyone in it."

"Hmph. The Creators have shown you favor, so maybe your path isn't as weak as I thought." Nethras conceded apprehensively. "But Rajmael, you can't trust the Chantry. It will never be worth saving. They will always be against our people. Just ask Sister Nightingale."

"What? What are you talking about, Nethras?"

"Ask her…why Halamshiral's Alienage was purged. What Divine Justinia had to do with it." Nethras groaned. Nethras coughed more blood and could say no more. "My time has come." Nethras gasped as he staggered to his feet, his blood rushing like a river from his death wound and proceeded to walk towards the crystalline statue of Elgar'nan. He extended his hand as though he were reaching out to an invisible person with sadness in his eyes. "My only regret is…that I'll never see my daughter live our people's dream. Please forgive me…Evanura." Nethras collapsed before the image of Elgar'nan. And this time, Rajmael knew for certain that his brother was dead.

Cassandra had never felt so sorry, or been so heartbroken for Rajmael until now. She loved Antony so much that her soul was crushed when he was murdered. Cassandra would have given anything to see him again. She couldn't imagine seeing her brother again only to kill him because he was going to do something so terrible. And even after Nethras had done such terrible things, tried to kill so many, and almost killed him, Rajmael still loved his brother, and was still so faithful to his gods. Even amongst the Chantry, Cassandra had rarely seen such devotion. Rajmael was strong, she knew that better than most, if anyone could still stand strong even after all this, he could.

Solas, turned away from the sight of the Inquisitor's tragedy. This would be yet another memory of elven loss and suffering. One that Solas did not want to remember. Just like all the greatest heroes throughout the annals of history, Rajmael has suffered more than any common man ever has.

Varric knew what it was like to kill a brother, and it was the hardest thing he ever did. And he and Bartrand were never close. Varric couldn't imagine what Rajmael was feeling right now, and he didn't want to.

Loss, self-loathing, and a horrible aching in his heart. That was what the Inquisitor was feeling right now, and Cole could feel it, too. But even feeling as he did, Rajmael was still trying to find inner peace. Cole wanted to take away Rajmael's pain, but he also knew that Rajmael wanted to keep his pain no matter what.

Dorian always wished he had a sibling. Someone he could share his suffering with back home. But in Tevinter, sibling was just another word for "competitor", and his parents didn't want their perfect heir to have a rival. They must regret that now. He may not have known what it was like to have a brother, but he does know what it's like, that feeling of betrayal and loss because one's family couldn't agree with their choices. Maker, he wished he had a drink right now.

Iron Bull had stuff like this before. Whenever he had to lead his men back in Seheron against Tal-Vashoth, there was always someone who grew up with those guys as kids. But brothers were different here, the connection was deeper. It was times like this Iron Bull was glad he grew up under the Qun.

Brother against brother. There was nothing worse as far as Blackwall was concerned. He had seen it far too often back in his old life as a soldier. Noble siblings always trying to steal what the other had, never truly caring about what brotherhood meant. But Rajmael did, and he didn't kill Nethras out of greed or envy's sake. He did it to save the lives of people who will never appreciate what he did and why. Maker's Balls, life could be cruel.

Rajmael could hear the Vir Banal'ras retreating back into the shadows and leaving the temple at the sight of their leader's death. The Inquisitor's companions all watched as he turned his Nethras over and closed his eyes. Rajmael knelt before his brother's body with tears streaming down his face, and paid homage to his gods.

"Elgar'nan, All-Father, my brother fought and died in your name, please grant him your favor in the Beyond. Mythal, All-Mother, please forgive our transgressions against each other, for there was no malice in our duel. Falon'din, Friend of the Dead, guide Nethras' soul to our ancestor's in the Beyond. Dirthamen, Keeper of Secrets, I thank thee for granting me the Knowledge that Leads to Victory, and granting me your favor. I ask thee all Creators to watch over and guide me in my mission to restore this world." Rajmael tearfully bowed low before all his gods. "But most of all I ask thee, please, grant your blessings to my stricken people."

~XoXoXo~

Rajmael and the others went back outside the temple to find the remaining Vir Banal'ras waiting for them, but this time it didn't look like they were here for a fight. Velara approached Rajmael and bowed respectfully to the Inquisitor.

"What will you do now, Velara? You could join the Inquisition? Be a part of the world again." Rajmael suggested.

"No, we cannot, Inquisitor." Velara answered sadly. "We all joined Nethras because our reasons for being a part of the world are gone. We are Vir Banal'ras, and we will return to the Temple of Elgar'nan, and whenever a crime is done against an elf, we will be there to exact Elgar'nan's vengeance." Velara and the others quickly disappeared into the forest like shadows, and evaporated into nothingness. Now that any and all enemies against Orlais' elves now had a new enemy to fear. The Way of Shadow endured, and was now stronger than ever. In twisted a way, Nethras' will was still being carried out.

Back at Skyhold

Rajmael and the others finally returned to Skyhold, and he had given his report to his advisors. All three of them stood in shock at what the Inquisitor had told them. Josephine wept at Rajmael's words while Cullen and Leliana truly felt sorry for what happened. All three of them agreed that this must be kept secret, no one else outside the Inquisition would ever know of the Vir Banal'ras' existence. If it were known that it was a cult of angry elves that were causing so much problems, it would create even more chaos. They would lay the blame at the Freeman of the Dales' feet, and no one would question it.

"There's just one thing I want to know, before we adjourn, Leliana." Rajmael stated seriously. "Before Nethras died, he told me something that just couldn't be true. He insinuated that Divine Justinia had something to do with Halamshiral's Alienage being burned. And he mentioned you by name, told me to ask you about it. Would you mind clarifying this for me?"

"It…it's nothing important, Your Worship. Just the unfortunate necessities of Chantry and Orlesian politics." Leliana evaded with guilt behind her eyes.

Rajmael looked at her with intensity in his eyes. "I asked you, now I'm ordering you as the Lord Inquisitor to answer my fucking question. What did the Divine have to do with Empress Celene burning Halamshiral?!"

Leliana sighed deeply and full of regret. "I…I'm sorry to say that those were desperate times, they still are, and I regret we took the steps we thought necessary at the time. Divine Justinia was trying to broker an alliance with the Empress when tensions between the mages and Templars began to ignite. The Divine would give Celene aid against Gaspard and his conspirators, and she would add imperial support to the Chantry to stop the Mage-Templar war from happening." A wave of guilt went through Leliana's eyes. "But then Halamshiral's elves began to rebel when a nobleman unjustly murdered an elven merchant, and there were rumors flying through the Empire that insinuated Celene favored the elves, and they were eroding her support. The times were desperate and we needed unity, so Divine Justinia had me relay a message to Empress Celene. Either quell this rebellion and the rumors that were destabilizing the Empire, or there would be no alliance. And after that, Celene marched on Halamshiral, and then the War of Lions started."

The anger in Rajmael's eyes was enough to shatter his own reflection. "You…you fucking hypocrite! You dare…?! You dare tell me how important the Chantry is to the world, despite its crimes against my people, and you were involved in one of those crimes!? How could you let either of them do that if you knew it was wrong!?"

"The Chantry was on the brink of collapse, we needed a strong alliance!" Leliana reasoned.

"You couldn't step in and give the elves justice?!"

"We were concerned for the fate of an entire empire, Inquisitor!" Leliana argued.

"And what's one more crime against elves when we're talking about the importance of a corrupt, decadent empire like Orlais, right?! I mean if the Chantry gets to crush elves with impunity, than everyone should get to, right?!" Rajmael demanded sardonically. "Your Chantry promised the elves protection, but then allow them to be raped and murdered, fit only to serve like polite pets, then you try to tell me how important the Chantry is to keeping the world stable when it allows these crimes!? Your hypocrisy makes me sick, Leliana!"

Leliana said nothing, and didn't avert her eyes from Rajmael's angry gaze. But the shame and guilt she was feeling was obvious.

"Do you think me a monster, Inquisitor? That I didn't feel that the elves were justified in their rebellion, or that I didn't feel horrible for giving that ultimatum to Celene?" Leliana argued back ardently. "Well, I did, and not a day goes by that I don't feel ashamed for it! But neither then nor now do I have the luxury of placing my personal feelings over what I must do. I feel for your people, I truly do, what has been done to them throughout history was evil. But I couldn't let what I feel for them interfere with my duty. Justinia was thinking of the fate of all Thedas. The Mage-Templar War was raging and Orlais was on the brink of collapsing; the elves rebelling at such a crucial time would only endanger the world even more. We did what we had to."

Rajmael was unmoved by Leliana's words. If anything, they only served to infuriate him even further.

The Inquisitor scoffed at Leliana's words like they were a bad joke. "That's funny, Leliana. Didn't Loghain Mac Tir say same thing when his crimes were revealed, right before the Hero of Ferelden chopped his head off? Make excuses for the terrible things he did in the name of duty?"

Josephine gasped in shock and even Cullen was put off by the Inquisitor's words. Leliana finally shed her cool exterior and he anger became visible. To be compared to Loghain of all people was heinous insult she would not suffer.

"How dare you!? I am nothing like that man! Justinia was nothing like him!" Leliana shouted.

"Bullshit, Leliana!" Rajmael yelled back. "Hawke was right about the Chantry. It deserved everything that's happened to it! Tell me something: if you tried to pulled this kind of crap over in Ferelden, what would Aedan Cousland have done?"

That took Leliana by surprise. If the Divine had told her to give such an order in Ferelden, could she have done it?

"The Hero of Ferelden would have murdered your sorry ass and the Divine's for daring to impose your will on his country, isn't that right?" Rajmael demanded.

Leliana remained silent, but she knew in her heart that that's exactly what Aedan would have done.

Rajmael was still not finished with his Spymaster yet.

"Do you think that because you fought in the Blight that you know what true evil is, Leliana? You don't. Let me tell you what true evil is. It's when we choose to surrender ourselves to the things we know to be amoral and unrighteous. It's to submit to tyranny, rather than defying it! It is when people mask their ideals to cover up the corruption they hide inside." Rajmael's eyes began to burn hatefully as his anger began to rise. "And that is all your Chantry has done for its whole existence! It demanded my people surrender our identity to worship your pale Maker! It ordered Mages to submit to its authority under pain of death or Tranquility! It masks itself in righteousness and holiness to cover up the rot and corruption that festered inside it! That is what evil is, Leliana! It's an evil you served loyally. And evil actions require evil people to carry them out!"

Everyone in the War Room was stunned into silence at the Inquisitor's words. All of them, no matter what they did, never thought to question the Chantry's authority, always believing that it did what was best for Thedas. But the Mage-Templar war proved those beliefs wrong, and proved everything that men like Rajmael believed to be absolutely right.

Rajmael sighed deeply, tried to breath the anger out of his body. "But what am I getting angry at you for, though? I've always known what the Chantry is, and nothing it has done could ever surprise me. You were just obeying the Divine's orders and doing her dirty work like an obedient servant. If Justinia was truly so benevolent, she would never have needed an agent like you, would she? And in the end, it doesn't matter. The Chantry is screwed, and Justinia is dead. Murdered in her own Conclave when she was trying to fix the problems the Chantry created. I don't know if that's cruel irony, or poetic justice."

Leliana shot an angry glance at Rajmael. "Do you truly need to speak of the dead so profanely?"

"No. But it does make me feel really good." Rajmael answered venomously. "Don't you dare ever try to tell me how wonderful and important the Chantry is again, Leliana. It has committed too many crimes for me to forgive to ever want to aid it. Now get out of my sight, Leliana. I can't bare to look at you right now."

Leliana wanted to stay right where she was. Wanted to stand her ground and fight back against the Inquisitor's words, let her voice be heard. But as angry as Leliana was, she knew that Rajmael was even angrier, and he had every right to be. The Chantry had always ignored the elves, and worse than that, the Chantry was directly responsible for the elves' suffering. The Chantry taught that the elves were an uncivilized and untrustworthy people, and erased their contributions from history. As a result, every nation in Thedas has treated elves like vermin for hundred of years because they followed the Chantry's example. Rajmael himself was a victim of the Chantry's bigotry, as evidenced by the scars on his body.

Rajmael was right about another thing: if Justinia had done this in Fereldan, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Aedan would have moved mountains to kill the Divine, and her as well for serving her. Every time the Chantry interfered, all they did sow seeds of resentment and anger. Just like they did when they forced mages to be in Circles under pain of death. Just like they did when they destroyed the elves' second kingdom. And most recently, when they made an enemy out of Garret Hawke for what they did and did not do in Kirkwall.

Justinia tried to change the Chantry, make it the center of light and hope it was meant to be. But she didn't push hard enough. Justinia was too held back by age-old traditions and was too gentle to ever bring about true change. For centuries the Chantry made enemies of the people it wanted to control by demonizing mages, brutalizing elves, and belittling dwarves. If the Chantry was going to survive, it needed to change. Perhaps she could be the one to change it.

~XoXoXo~

Rajmael made his way back to the Main Hall and sat on his damned throne. Sweet Creators, he hated living right now. What he would give to be back with his clan and with Eva instead of being here. He couldn't help but lament his tragedies. For the past three years a stranger has been buried next to first woman he ever loved. He had to kill Nethras to save the empire that has abuses their people, in the name of the faith that destroyed their people. And now, every day for the rest of my life, when looks at Eva, he to live with the fact that he was the one who actually killed her father.

But Nethras chose his path, and Rajmael stood by his, even after all the abuses he had suffered, even when he could have had revenge, he stayed true to the path he had chosen to walk. No Arcane Warrior and priest to the Creators could do any less. Even Nethras was proud of him in the end. And Rajmael would continue to stand for his people, their beliefs and what all that is meant to represent. The Chantry failed to represent Andraste and their Maker. Rajmael would not fail his gods.

"A moment Inquisitor?" Josephine voiced in. "Marquis Briala has returned to Skyhold, and wishes an audience."

Rajmael sighed in annoyance. After seeing so much negative with elves, and the fact that the person who put her through so much crap was his brother, he doubted he was Briala's favorite person right now. "Very well, Josephine. Bring her forward."

Once more the Marquis approached the Inquisitor with her entourage of elven maidens, all of them wearing those ridiculous Orlesian masks.

"Marquis Briala." Rajmael addressed. "After the little escapade we've been through together, I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"It is that little escapade we've been through together that I am here now." Briala answered. "Your Worship, I see now that both our peoples have suffered, and I may not have looked after them as well as I thought I did."

"What are you getting at, Marquis?" Rajmael asked curiously.

"Because of the civil war, most of the Orlesian court has fled to their estates in the capital to get away from the fighting and destruction left behind by the armies." Briala answered. "With the Dales under my authority, and with so much land being left empty and abandoned, I thought perhaps there would be enough room for both our people to settle, and be considered equals."

For a moment Rajmael thought his hearing was failing. "Are you saying that you'll...give us land to settle on? In the Dales?"

"That is exactly what I am saying, Inquisitor." Briala answered magnanimously. "Our people have suffered enough, and been separated for too long. Perhaps now is the time for us to come together again. Perhaps now we can both fulfill out peoples dream."

Rajmael did his best to maintain his composure. Land to settle on? In the Dales of all places? This was everything the clans dreamed of. There would be an untold amount of joy throughout all the clans. "Ma serannas, Lethallin."

"Ma nuvenin, Inquisitor."

The Marquis bowed humbly and took her leave. For the first time in a long time since he started down this path, Rajmael began to feel uplifted. After all of this tragedy he went through something great happened for his people, at last they could settle the Dales once again, and perhaps be their own nation once more. Maybe, just maybe, his dream, Nethras and Evanura's dream of Eva having land of her own would finally come true. Perhaps, after all this death and destruction, Nethras and Evanura's lives will not have been in vain, and Rajmael would continue to fight to make sure that would never happen.

However, Rajmael's feelings of accomplishment were overshadowed by a dark cloud that had was still hanging over him. Like a ghost, it had been haunting him for years now, and it was finally time to put it to rest.

~XoXoXo~

Rajmael stood before a cliff in the Frostback Mountains that overlooked Skyhold. The winds whipped painfully at his face and howled in his ears while the cold bit into his bones like a hungry wolf. It was nothing compared to the agony he felt inside. For the second time in his life, Rajmael had to make a grave for his brother. The first time, he unknowingly buried a stranger next to the woman they both loved, thinking it was Nethras. Now, Rajmael would bury his adopted brother here, in this cold place, alone. Nethras' daughter and his parents should be here to send him off to the Beyond, to mourn him as he deserved and bestow the blessings of the Creators as he made his Journey, not the man who killed him.

The world was cruel to elves, it robbed them of everything, even their identity and history. It took everything that mattered to Nethras and Rajmael. It turned Nethras vicious, made him hate the world back and everyone in it who wronged their people. Despite all the crimes that Nethras had committed, all the crimes he would have committed, he was still Rajmael's brother and a hunter of Clan Lavellan. Rajmael would see to it that he received the honors he deserved.

The Inquisitor buried his brother on a cliff overlooking Skyhold and placed a small but strong vhenadhal tree over him. His pained tears stung his eyes and froze to his face as they rolled down his cheeks. He remembered all the times they shared together. Even brothers bound by blood could rarely be as close as they were. The times they hunted together, trained together. When Rajmael was Nethras' second when he married Evanura. They day he delivered Eva and placed her in Nethras' arms. He would try to hold on to the memories that made Nethras' life bright, and not the final days where his soul turned dark.

All that was left were the words.

"Lethalin melana sahlin. Emma ir abelas. Souver'inan isala hamin. Vhenan him dor'felas. In uthenera na revas. Vir sulahn'nehn. Vir dirthera. Vir samahl la numin. Vir lath sa'vunin"

Language Codex:

Nehn'numinas: Elven, roughly translates as "The Place of Joyful Tears".

Sulevin: Elven, translates as "Purpose".

Enasalin: Elven, translates as "Victory".

Halamshivanas: Elven, roughly translates as "Sweet Sacrifice of Duty".

Bora'nan: Elven weapon, a chained sickle with a weighted spear end. Translates as "Flying Vengeance."

Vir Banal'ras: Elven, translates as "The Way of Shadow".

Dirth'ena Enasalin: Elven, roughly translates as "Knowledge That Leads to Victory".

Las ar enasalin, ten las ar atishan: Elven prayer, roughly translates as "Grant me victory, or grant me peace."

Author's Note:

Okay! The Way of Shadow Arc is complete. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it, a lot of personal free time went in to writing it. All work done in this story is completely fictional and written for the enjoyment of Dragon Age fans everywhere. Dragon Age and all associated characters and concepts associated with it are the property of the BioWare Gaming Corporation. Please review and tell me what you think.