Stories Untold

Chapter Twenty-Six: High Voltage

What Pride Had Wrought

Skyhold was a flurry of activity. There was no where you could go to be alone. Messages were heading back and forth across the hold. I received several in the span of an hour after the announcement had been made. It was so damn weird to be this entrenched in anything.

Soldiers came up to me to relay information. I was asked for last chance lessons. That was the real shocker. I was asked by five different people if I would make sure Cullen got this message or that note. It finally occurred to me that they considered me to be one of their own. Also, that they weren't blind and knew what was going on between Cullen and I.

Not as much as I would like, to tell you the truth. But that was my fault as well. I would have to fix that. With that in mind I made my way to his tower. He was busy as always.

I pushed myself up to sit on Cullen's desk, waiting for him to finish what he was doing. We'd been so busy getting ready for the march that we hadn't been able to take some time for ourselves. It's possible that's where part of our problem came from. Not having much time to spend together.

Cullen looked up from his desk and smiled. "I'm glad you're here. I haven't had much time to see you."

I stuck my tongue out at him, trying to hide my nervousness. "I know. That's why I'm here. I missed you. There's just too much crap going on and not enough hours in the day for everything."

"You seem... nervous," he commented, seeing through me. "Anything I should be worried about?"

"No," I sighed. "I just noticed something today and it's been bothering me."

"What is it?" he asked, coming around to stand in front of me. "Is everything alright?"

I gingerly touched my stitches. "Does it... bother you? That I screwed up bad enough to leave behind scars?"

Cullen's eyes softened. "Of course not. Is that what you're worried about?" he asked softly. "That your scar is going to scare me away or that it disgusts me?" I nodded, the thought had crossed my mind. "It won't and it doesn't. You have nothing to worry about. I love you the way you are." He didn't seem to notice what he'd just said.

"Do you?" I asked as Cullen moved to give me hug. "Love me, that is."

"I-" he started, but quickly shut his mouth. He thought it over for a moment. "I truly do. In spite of everything, or because of it, I can't imagine not loving you. Do you… could you feel the same way?"

I smiled and stuck my face against his armor. "I do love you, Cullen. I can't say that I've ever loved anyone the way I love you. I can't imagine being with anyone other than you."

Cullen smiled brightly and kissed me.

Hollow shifted beneath me, tuned to the nervous and excited energies of the soldiers around us. It was unreal, unlike anything I had ever seen before. So many different people marching for the same cause. The whole thing called to mind a song from Fuel. Won't Back Down. I won't back down, I will not fail, I've come to bring you down, I live again despite the things you did, I've come to bring you down.

The Inquisition's allies would be waiting for us at base camp. On our arrival, I noticed Chevaliers, Inquisition scouts and soldiers, Orlesian soldiers, and many others moving through the camp. That feeling of how unreal this was came over me again. I brought Hollow to a halt near the Empress. The Fade horse wandered away from all the activity once I was on the ground.

A weird feeling snaked up my spine. I wasn't so sure we should be here. Explosions in the background made me flinch. Loud noises when I'm already on edge? Lovely. They were basically burning down the Wilds around us. It made me wonder if were just that close to the Red Templars. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.

"You seem on edge," Cullen said as he came to stand beside me.

I let out a long sigh. "Something tells me we shouldn't be here."

"I see you've been listening to the witch's stories," he sighed. "She has a lot of people spooked."

"I don't want to know what she's been saying about the Wilds," I ground out. I'd avoided Morrigan's stories so far. "I just know I'm getting a weird feeling. Hollow's been on edge since we got here. He doesn't like it here." Hunter issued the order to move out. "I guess you should get going."

Cullen gave me a tight hug before leaving to lead the army. No goodbyes for us. We would be seeing each other again.

Hollow and I carved a path through the Templars. Fighting along-side my horse was different. Varric shouted for me to watch my back. I turned and took the Templar down. We hadn't run across any of the big bastards yet and it was bothering me. Hunter was just ahead of me, firing arrows into an on-coming mob. This was getting ridiculous. It didn't help that we were fighting so damn close to a ledge.

There was a roar across from us in the woods. I spoke too soon. A massive corrupted Templar smashed through the trees, heading right for Hunter. He fired arrow after arrow at it, but it wasn't going down. It was just coming closer at top speed. I was going to regret this shit later.

I ran at Hunter and shoved the man out of the way, Hollow on my heels. The Templar bashed into me with so much force and speed that it couldn't stop. The bastard was about to kill us both. The ground came out from under us and we started to drop. Right off the ledge. Fade horse and all. Why did he have to follow me like that?

What seemed like hours later, I picked myself up off the ground gingerly. The Templar was doing the same. I tried to grab my daggers and rush it while it was still down, but I was in worst shape that I thought. My left ankle was twisted. Left shoulder out of socket. The Red Templar wasn't fairing any better than I was. It couldn't stand at all. Hollow was nowhere to be seen.

Someone shouted close by, but I couldn't understand what they said. I tried to pick myself up off the ground again. I managed to stand this time, but it hurt. There was no way I was going to manage to kill the big bastard.

I didn't have to. Someone rushed the Templar and cut it down with a massive sword. He wasn't tall enough to be Bull, but he wielded his great sword much like the Qunari would. I tried to step back as he came toward me, but my ankle wasn't having it. That was not anyone I knew. That was a pissed off elf.

"Garas quenathra?" The very angry elf asked, great sword at my neck.

"Um," I said, trying to find my voice. I had no idea what he'd just said.

Green eyes glared at me. "Garas quenathra?"

I touched the tip of the sword and slowly pushed it away. He looked pretty confused at the gesture. "I don't speak-"

Hollow burst through the trees, charging the elf. The guy was quick enough to get out of the way. It was apparent he had no idea what he was looking at by the shocked look on his face.

"Whoa!" I yelled, trying to get Hollow's attention, waving my good arm at the Fade Unicorn. "Hollow! Stop! Heel!" Like that was going to stop the rampaging creature. Surprisingly enough, Hollow snorted and cantered to my side. I reached out and smoothed my hand over his neck. "It's ok. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Calm yur shit, buddy."

"What manner of creature is that?" the elf snarled. "A demon?"

I scrunched up my face in revulsion at the suggestion that my fade-touched mount was a demon. "No! He's an undead horse. He used to look it until a friend of mine turned him into this." I tried to pull myself up on his back, but that wasn't happening. "Ow, shit. I forgot about my arm."

"You're hurt?" he asked, even though he didn't sound that concerned.

"I twisted my left ankle," I ground out. "I think I might have also dislocated my left shoulder. Either from the fall or from that big bastard slamming into me when I pushed my friend out of the way."

The elf looked up at me sharply. "You took the fall in their place?"

I nodded. "What kind of friend would I be if I had just let that thing plow him over the edge like it did me?"

He started walking towards me. "What is your name?"

"Korbin," I said as he inspected my arm. Without warning he grabbed my arm and rotated it until it popped back in place. "OW!" I hissed. "A little warning would have been nice!" I pulled a potion out and downed it. I could already feel the socket healing.

"I am Adrahel," the elf said with a nod. "Come, you must leave this place." Adrahel turned and started walking away. Away from where I needed to be.

I looked over at Hollow. "Is this guy serious?" I asked before turning toward the elf. "I can't leave now! My friends still need me. Hell, they probably think I'm dead!"

Adrahel started to say something, but there was a loud roar over head as an undead dragon flew over the Wilds. He seemed at a loss for words after that.

"Shit!" I spat, panicked. "Corypheus' dragon is here. We need to get to the temple before it's too late."

My new 'friend' turned suddenly and glared at me. "You know what it wants?"

"No," I sighed. "Not really. At this point we're only guessing. What I can tell you is that, that thing is part of the reason why one of my best friends are dead. Hell, that thing is part of the reason why a lot of people are dead. So you tell me: what would a darkspawn magister want with an ancient elven temple?"

Adrahel grimaced, but I could tell he wasn't going to share. Instead he walked towards me quickly, snatched me up off the ground, and deposited me on Hollow's back. "Come, we must warn Abelas," he said, quickly. I snorted at the lack of information, but followed him. Whoever this person was he was taking me to, they better have a damn good reason not to help us keep the Templars out of the temple.

If not, I was going to be really pissed off. We'd worked too damn hard to fight that damned darkspawn to have it collapse under us because of some wild elves. "Fuck my luck."

On the bright side, we found the elf named Abelas. On the other hand, he wasn't too happy to see me. At least, that's what I gathered from his angry shouting. This crap went on for a good fifteen minutes before I'd had enough.

"As much as this is entertaining," I drawled out, "My friends are in a hell of a lot of danger! So if you don't mind, shut up and hop to it!" Yeah, that was a bit rude. "Sorry," I grumbled. "They probably think I'm dead at this point, but I still have to help them."

"They do not seem too concerned to see you alive, Fen'asha," Abelas said in a way that made me want to punch him in the throat.

I snorted. "Apparently you haven't noticed the Red Templars and that big ass undead dragon on your doorstep. If they don't see me before this is over they'll come back and look for me. I have no illusions that I'm more important than the rest of Thedas surviving Corypheus."

That seemed to shut him up. I had no idea what he'd called me, but I'd have to ask Solas later. As much as that pained me. Solas could be hard to talk to when you aren't exactly best friends with the elf. Then again, I didn't exactly go out of my way to make friends with him either. Go figure.

"And the beast you ride is not a threat?" he asked.

"What is it with you Arbor Wild elves not liking my poor horse?" I countered, exasperated. "You shoulda seen him before my friend Dorian turned him into what he is now. We used to call him the Bog Unicorn. Now he's a Fade Horse." Again, Abelas seemed like he was done opening his big mouth, but that wasn't the case.

"Why do you wish to help these people so badly?" he asked, before adding, "This is not your war nor is it your world." It caught Adrehel off guard. Apparently Abelas hadn't mentioned that to him.

"How did you know?" I asked simply.

"You do not blend with the fade," he explained. "It pulls in around you as if you were a mage. Though it is clear you are not."

"That explains a lot," I grumbled, thinking of all my fade related problems. "Are you going to help me help them or not?"

Abelas seemed to look down his nose at me. "That depends."

"On what?" I snapped, losing patience quickly.

"It depends greatly on whether or not your friends choose to enter Mythal's Temple the correct way, Fen'asha."

A while later I was pacing a hole in the floor of the Petitioner's Chamber. Some ancient elf or another would pop in and update Abelas on Hunter's progress through the Petitioner's Path, but ignored the shit out of me. Apparently no one thought I was important enough to answer questions for. That was ok though. Before long my friends would be here and I could help them fight back the dead magister.

Adrehel watched me pace. It kinda looked like he wanted to kill me to get me to sit still. The warrior had even less patience than I did. Not that I really blamed him. Poor guy was stuck in limbo with me with the answers thing. He let out another long sigh, trying to get my attention yet again. Well, it was that or he was trying to get me to stop singing 'If I Fall' by Five Finger Death Punch under my breath.

"What?" I asked irritably. "You keep sighing, but you never say anything. Am I doing yet another thing that you old guys don't like?"

Adrehel gave me a disgusted look. "Why will you not sit still?"

I gave him my own disgusted look. "Are you seriously asking me that question? Really? My friends are out there facing the biggest threat to Thedas since the Blight and you're just going to sit there and ask me that?" He nodded. "There is no hope for you," I told him flatly.

"You are not asking questions as I thought you would," Adrehel said slowly. "It is... disconcerting that a shemlen does not care to learn."

"Really?" I snorted. "On any other day you'd be sick of me asking questions. Right now I'm too worried about my friends to care. Keep in mind that I'm not from this world. Over the last several years I've stopped questioning how things work in this world. I'm friends with a Dalish blood mage. I'm friends with an elf from Tevinter that has lyrium tattoos. I'm friends with a man that has glowing green hand. I'm friends with a Qunari after the shit that happened in Kirkwall. I'm friends with a dwarf. I spoke to my grandfather in the Fade. I walked through the Fade in person. Not much bothers me at this point."

He seemed to consider that for a moment. "That... would explain many things."

I started to answer him, but shouts from the main area of the chamber interrupted me as a raven flew past. I took off for the shouts. It had to be them. Down below the balcony (how the hell did I not noticed that?) I could see Hunter, Solas, Dorian, and Bull. "Hey assholes, missing something?"

"Korbin?" Hunter asked, looking up at me. "Varric and Cole are searching the ravine for you!"

I sighed loudly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I wanted to warn you about the dragon, but Abelas and Adrehel here wouldn't let me. They said you had to walk the path on your own."

"Do you always have to get yourself in trouble?" Bull asked. I just shrugged at him. Hunter quickly explained what had happened and what was going on. I basically twisted my new friend's arm to get him to take us to the well. Shit was about to get real.

Go figure we couldn't get very far before we ran into Red Templars and someone I recognized. Granted, it didn't help that he had Kirkwall's insignia on his back. I didn't listen as he rambled on, but I was pissed. I'd finally had enough. "Sampson, you little shit!" Better than yelling kneecaps, right?

I left Sampson to Hunter and Bull. Instead I rushed one of the oversized Templars. He tried to bring his blade down on me, but I ducked and took his feet out from under him. Adrehel took the guy's head off with one hard swing. Dorian lit up the next Templar with fire and Solas finished him off. That left one grand asshole with six people after his roided out ass.

Hunter and Bull were having a hard time with Sampson. I dashed past the bastard, stowed my daggers at my back, and scooped up what looked like a broken flag pole. What the hell I thought I was doing with it, I had no idea. I yelled 'roundup' and hoped like hell everyone caught my meaning. They apparently did. Bull and Adrehel headed to Sampson's left and right respectivly. Solas and Dorian worked to keep the bastard from moving too far. Hunter kept his attention to the front.

The two warriors rushed forward with me behind them by just a few steps. Sampson's armor shattered on impact and he dropped to his hands and knees. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worst, he had a flag pole shoved up his ass. I could not have planned that better if I had actually known what I was doing.

I stood there with my arms crossed and repeated my thoughts out loud. Everyone looked at me in a new light. A little crazy, but a frickin' genius! All Adrehel could say was that Fen'asha fit me perfectly. I still had no idea what the hell that meant. If Sampson survived this, he would be taken to Skyhold for judgment. I have four words for you: Walk like a duck.

At the well, shit was about to go down hill fast. Morrigan and Abelas were trying to pull Hunter to do what they wanted him to do. I wasn't exactly thrilled about that. Why did people have to push Hunter at every turn when he knew he had a hard decision to make? I didn't notice when the conversation settled down. I just remember that Abelas basically disowned Adrehel for helping us get to the well.

The well, that was another thing. It looked about as stagnant as water can get. It was a rusty brown. In short, it looked disgusting. I tried to dismiss the thought that came to my mind. It didn't help. We shall see one another again before this is over. I wonder what Flemeth meant by that? Why the hell am I even thinking about this now?

"Adrehel," I said softly, catching the elf's attention. "What do you think would happen if a non-mage drank from the well?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment. "The knowledge would likely be lost with time. However, they may find what they are looking for before that happens."

"Huh," I mused. "I wonder what would happen if I drank from the well."

"That I do not know," he said slowly. "You may fair better than another since you do not have the conceptions of this world that others have. Why do you ask this?"

I gulped. "Because I'm about to do something really fucking stupid, even for me." I swallowed hard and moved forward slowly. My friends were preoccupied and wouldn't notice until it was too late. If power is what this is all about, why not give it to someone that knows where corruption and abuse leads? Someone who wouldn't dare abuse that power?

I moved into the gross looking water. It was cold and came up to my waist. I shuddered. To think I was about to drink this shit. Behind me, my friends had come to a decision, but it was too late. I scooped up a handful of the water. Everyone aside from Adrehel was telling me to stop. That I didn't know what I was doing. Oddly enough, that didn't bother me.

Fuck it, I thought and dipped down into the water. I was going to regret this later. The breath rushed out of me as the water rushed out of the well. I had no idea I'd gone down until Hunter was telling me to get up. I shook my head as I stood up. "Oh wow," I muttered. "There's a lot of shit going on up there."

Black smoke started rising around our feet. Corypheus was coming. We could see him in the distance, flying off the ground. Huh, he flies on a black fart cloud. Who knew? I turned towards the mirror behind the well and watched it turn blue. "Um, get through the mirror folks!"

"How could you?" Morrigan screamed. "You have taken our only chance to stop Corypheus! And for what? To sate your own curiosity?"

I sighed. "Wrong on all counts, but whatever. You of all people wouldn't understand."

She threw her hands up and walked away from me. Solas picked up where she left off. "And why wouldn't she? What made you jeopardize everything we've worked so hard for?"

I sighed again. "Solas, do you mind not yelling at me? My head hurts. I don't know what made me do it. I just know that my friends were fighting over something pretty damn simple to solve. Why? Did you want the power of the well?"

"No," he said quietly. "I never wanted it."

"Then what's the fucking problem?" I snapped. "Does everyone distrust me that much? This isn't a lost cause. If everyone would shut the fuck up and stop yelling at me I could sift through everything and figure this out. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going up to Cullen's tower. At least I know it's quiet up there."

I stood up and walked off. Adrehel at my heels. He'd made it pretty damn clear that he was going to protect the Keeper of Well's Knowledge, as he put it. That was all well and good, but he didn't need to follow me around a place I knew was safe.

Once I was in the tower I sat down in Cullen's chair and pulled my knees up to my chest. There was a lot to sift through. I only had the tiniest idea what I was looking for in my own head. It was strange, to say the least. And then it clicked.

I rushed out of the tower, passing Cullen without a thought for how worried he had to have been.. "Meet me in the War Room!" I yelled as I rushed past, leaving Adrehel in the dust. I needed to speak to Morrigan and quickly.

I found Morrigan in her favorite place in the garden. I ran up to her and only stopped long enough to catch my breath. "I figured it out!" I said excitedly. "I know what to do. We have to match his power. It's the only way to beat him."

Morrigan seemed disturbed by the flow of information. "How do you intend for us to do that, exactly?"

"Come to the war room and I'll explain everything as best I can," I told her.

The trip to the war room was short and everyone was already gathered. Cullen and Adrehel were glaring at one another. I didn't even want to know what that was all about. Thankfully Hunter had filled them in on what happened at the well. Less explaining for me to do.

"We have to summon Mythal," I blurted to the whole room. "Well, not me, Morrigan. It takes a mage to summon her and I think she's the best suited to the task." They all started talking at once, yelling about what should be done. I snorted. "Seriously, you're doing this now? I just told you how we can beat the bastard and you start yelling at each other? Come on, people! Get your shit together!" I turned to Morrigan. "There's an Altar near the temple. It'll be simple enough. I need you to do this."

There was really only one thing she had to say about that. "The well wasn't wasted on you after all."

I sighed. "Come on Hunter, let's get going."

Standing before the Altar was strange. The voices were pretty insistent that I could speak to Mythal the same way I would have spoken to the Pagan gods back in my world. So I told Morrigan to just call to her. To pour her will into calling the goddess. At her call smoke began to rise up behind us. The person that walked out was not who I was expecting.

"Mother," Morrigan sneered.

"That explains a lot," I laughed.

"Now," Flemeth said with a slow smile. "Isn't this a surprise?"

Actually, it was. This must be what she had meant about seeing each other again.

"She is a deceiving witch!" Morrigan shouted, ready to fight.

"Morrigan," I warned. "Don't do anything stupid. There has to be a reason she's here."

She slowly deflated. "Then you are Mythal? I do not understand! How can you be Mythal?"

"Once I was but a woman," Flemeth explained. "Crying out in the lonely darkness for justice. And she came to me, a wisp of an ancient being. She granted me all I wanted and more. I have carried Mythal through the ages ever since, seeking the justice denied to her."

"So, you carry Mythal inside of you?" Hunter asked.

"She is a part of me," Flemeth answered. "No more separate than your heart from your chest. But what was Mythal? A legend given name and called a god, or something more? Truth is not the end, but a beginning." She walked closer to us. I wasn't sure what to expect.

"So, you're Mythal... and Morrigan's mother?" Hunter questioned.

"As well as a witch who prolongs her unnatural life by possessing the bodies of her daughters," Morrigan sneered.

"That's what you believe, is it?" Flemeth asked, not taking it too seriously.

This pissed Morrigan off. "I found your grimoire and I am no fool, old woman."

Flemeth let out a laugh. "If only that were so. My daughter ran from me long ago. I've let her be... until now, it seems."

"So, what now?" Hunter asked the question we all wanted the answer to.

"That's a very good question," I agreed.

"The voices did not lie, Korbin," she answered. "I can help you." I have no idea what she did to Morrigan, but she did something before speaking again. "The Altar's guardian will come. Master the dragon and it will be yours to command against Corypheus. Fail and die." She started down the steps, ready to leave us.

"Wait," Morrigan called.

"I wished to see who drank from the Well of Sorrows," Flemeth said. "It has been a very long time. Now I have and she is free to go."

"But what of us?" Morrigan asked her.

"A soul is not forced upon the unwilling, Morrigan," Flemeth told her. "You were never in any danger from me. And Korbin, your part in this world is not done, nor do I think that it ever will be in this lifetime. You are here because it is the will of Thedas. You were always meant to be a part of this story." With that, she turned and disappeared in the same manner she appeared.

Dear gods, I had a lot of reflecting to do after this. I thought everything was well and good until the fucking dragon landed, but it didn't take much to persuade it to stop fighting. I have no idea what I did, but I did something to make it leave. Huh, master the dragon. Well, ok then.