Chapter 50. The Rite and the Just
Dread enshrouded Val at the sound of that voice. But it was not the Kirkwall Anders with whom she had fallen in love. Gone was the gaunt face and lithe body; in its place was a robust and muscled Anders. Instead of his dull-colored jacket and trousers, he wore an elaborately belted blue and gold robe with dark-blue feathered pauldrons. This was how he described himself as looking before he merged with Justice.
She swallowed before gasping, "Anders?"
Justice interposed himself, shielding her from the mage. "Be gone, demon!"
Anders leaned against a tall stone and crossed his arms. "You both know I'm no demon."
While Anders was focused on Justice, Val took out her dagger and quickly flung it at the mage. It landed in his chest.
Anders staggered and pulled out the dagger. "See? No demon."
Val couldn't stop herself. "Too bad."
"You would rather it be a demon instead of me?" Anders sounded genuinely surprised.
Val merely nodded.
Anders shook his head and walked towards them.
Justice raised his sword. "You will not touch her!"
Anders stopped. He looked offended by Justice's hostile attitude. "Why are you protecting her from me? She's the one who killed all the circle mages in Kirkwall."
"I know what Valentina did and why. The injustice was our doing."
Anders turned his amber colored eyes to Val. "No, their blood is on Val's hands. Has she seen justice?"
Val stepped out from behind the Fade spirit. "How dare you? I had no choice, you selfish son of bitch! It was either the mages of the Circle or the rest of Kirkwall. I chose the innocent people of Kirkwall…the ones you were content to let die."
"The innocent people of Kirkwall. That's rich."
Val ignored his comment. "When you blew up the Chantry, you forfeited the mages' lives."
"I know...Actually, I should thank you. You martyred them, just as I'd hoped." Ander smirked.
The impact of Anders' words hit Val hard. The emotional pain felt like a physical blow and it staggered her. She sat down and put her head in her hands. That bastard used me even after he died.
She looked up. "How…how could you?"
"Sacrifices needed to be made to start the wave of change." He knelt in front of her. "Val, look at how much better the mages lives will be now that the Inquisition has been defeated. You have carried on my work. The mages will be free."
Val stood up and stepped back. "The Inquisition would never have even begun if you hadn't slaughtered the people in the chantry! Because of the Inquisition, scores of people were tortured and killed for being a mage or just knowing of a mage. I beg you; please leave. My business is with Justice and does not involve you."
"Oh, I think it does. Remember Karl?"
"We cannot bring him back to life, Anders."
"I know that. I wa—"
"Stop! Just leave us alone," Val stopped. Justice had made no further comments. "Justice? You've been quiet. What's wrong?"
"Anders does have a point. The mages you killed were innocent. Where is the justice for them?"
"You cannot possibly believe that Anders is right?"
"The mages you killed were just as innocent as the non-magical people of Kirkwall. You made a choice, yes. However, the innocent have not seen justice."
Val calmly looked at the Fade spirit. "Is death the only way? A life for a life? Are we back to the barbarism of cutting off a thief's hand and removing a liar's tongue? Is any of that truly justice?"
The spirit was silent once again.
"Justice, if you challenge me I will fight you, and I will give you the death you seek. However, if I do that then the Tranquil will remain so until I can find another Fade spirit."
"You aren't critical to finding a Fade spirit; I can find another. I was a spirit healer, remember?"
"No!" Val raged, "You were a murderer! No Fade spirit will ever come near you!"
"Val is correct. They fear you, Anders."
Anders' cocky expression vanished. Val could see the eyes of the selfless healer she had met, all those years ago.
She seized the opportunity to try to reason with him. Her tone was soft but urgent. "Anders, there are notes and drawings pinned to the doors of your clinic. They are notes of thanks, wishing you to the Maker's side, notes about naming their children after you, that they will never forget you. Those are the people I saved that night. The very ones you made whole, whose children you brought into this world. Should I have sacrificed their lives after you fought so hard to save them?"
Anders sneered at her. "Without me, you condemned them to death!"
Val stood toe-to-toe with Anders. Her voice was low, almost a growl. "No. You did! You knew you were never going back there. Face it, Anders, you were a healer, but that ended when you massacred everyone in the chantry. You no longer brought life. You brought death."
Justice stood next to Val. "Anders, if Valentina had fought for the Circle mages then the people in Lowtown and Darktown would have suffered. Val would never have been Viscountess. Consequently, their living conditions would have rapidly deteriorated. In essence, those people would have been sacrificed twice."
Anders looked shocked and saddened. Slowly he sat down.
Not so long ago, I would have been at his side trying to comfort him. Val's expression reflected her contempt.
Anders looked at Val's abdomen, his eyes widened. Then he looked into her eyes. "He…you. You really love him, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. He taught me what it truly means to be loved."
"I loved you…before things became…complicated."
The remembered heartbreak drained Val's contempt. Instead, all she felt was a deep weariness that dragged at her soul and was reflected in her tone. "No, Anders. You never loved me; you loved the attention and concern I gave you. You loved having someone love you. That is not that same thing. Love is a partnership; it is about giving. All you did was take."
A deep sorrow seemed to envelope him, but Val turned away. "Justice, please help Merrill, help me,"
"Your cause is just. I will help you. Follow me."
Val began to mark the path.
"Fear not, I will bring you back to where you started."
Val nodded and followed the Fade spirit, leaving Anders sitting on the ground with his head in his hands.
~oOOo~
Faenor shook his head. "Save for Val and Cullen, I know of no non-mages here that can traverse the Fade without falling to temptation."
"Val and Cullen have done enough! We cannot ask them to do this." Merenwen was insistent.
"The Creators will remain sealed in the Beyond." Elrohir said.
Ríneth looked wide-eyed. "You don't mean that? Dirthamen gave Adaia this knowledge so we could rescue the Creators."
"What else can we do? Merenwen is right. They have all done enough. After what they went through on Thedas…"
Faenor stroked his beard. "I believe Merenwen and Elrohir are correct, my love. Unless Andraste can help, we will have to wait."
~oOOo~
It took little time to find Merrill.
"The Veil is somewhat stronger than it once was," Justice commented. "You and Maric did well, Valentina. Despite the odds."
"I have no illusions that once the Veil is repaired the mages and templars will remain united."
"You have always been wise, Valentina."
"I wasn't very wise about Anders."
"You followed your heart. That is what you do. It is one of your greatest strengths."
"Thank you, Justice."
"Merrill sleeps, which will make this much easier. That is why I wanted to leave forthwith—it is nighttime in the Free Marches."
"So, what do you need me to do?"
"Nothing. Go over to that stone and stay there."
Without question, Val went to the stone. She was now about 20 yards from Justice.
At first nothing happened. Then she heard a loud cracking sound, and the area around Justice turned a light yellowish-green. A faint apparition appeared, and suddenly the Fade erupted in a familiar blue light. Val turned her head away as the intensity of the light increased.
She heard Merrill scream then everything went quiet. Val turned around and saw Merrill. It worked!
The Dalish elf was standing next to Justice. She looked haunted and confused. Then she noticed Val. "Hawke? Where am I? Is this a trick of the Dread Wolf?"
Val slowly approached. "No, ma falon, it isn't. You are in the Fade. You were Tranquil. Justice freed you of the Rite."
Merrill fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. "It was C…Cullen who made…made me Tranquil. Why?"
Val gathered Merrill into her arms. "It was Masurian's loyalty test; an unavoidable action in trying to infiltrate and defeat the Void-damned Inquisition. You will be safe now. Look at me, ma falon; there are important things I need to tell you.
Merrill lifted her head "The Inquisition had been defeated? Cullen helped?"
"Yes, to both."
Merrill still looked teary-eyed, but she took several deep breaths then asked. "What is it you need to tell me lethallan?
~oOOo~
Val told Merrill about Revas.
"Hawke, this…is beyond anything I could have dreamed. I will stay at Aveline's and wait for Fenarel."
"I will see you soon, Merrill. Now, wake up." With Merrill safe and whole, she turned towards Justice. "Thank you for standing guard and for helping Merrill. This means the world to me, and it will help Cullen heal."
He nodded his head. "It was the right thing to do."
"There are many Tranquil. Some have been tranquil for decades. I was told that the longer a mage has been Tranquil, the more likely it is that the sudden onslaught of emotions will drive them insane. I don't know how long is too long. Is that something a Fade spirit can sense?"
"Yes. Although the ones who have been Tranquil for a long time are nearly invisible to us."
"You are willing to help?"
"Yes. I can gather others. We will need mages on the other side of the Veil who can undergo the ritual."
"I will see what I can do about that. Is there anyway I can contact you, aside from coming into the Fade?"
"No, Valentina. This is the only way we can communicate, which is how it should always be."
"Thank you, Justice. Any mage I can send your way needs a code word. Can you suggest one?"
"Fenris," he said quickly.
"If you weren't a Fade spirit, I would think you jest. Fenris it is. Thank you, again."
"Farewell, Valentina Theirin."
Val felt lightheaded so she closed her eyes. When she opened them she was back in the hut and Maric was pulling her into a hug.
"Are you alright?"
"I am. Merrill is safe. I need to send Fenarel to bring her to Revas…"
"Later. It's time for us to go back."
Val nodded and looked at Andraste. "I have a feeling we will be seeing each other again soon."
Andraste nodded. "After you go back, I intend to pay a visit to Ser Adrian."
Val smiled. "Then by all means let us leave you to it."
After Val and Maric left, Andraste sat down. "Fen'Harel must be stopped. Creators help me, but I need Cullen and Val to do this."
~oOOo~
Anders was still sitting where Val and Justice had left him. He looked at his hands. He could still hear Val's last words, like an echo on a breeze: "You no longer brought life. You brought death."
~oOOo~
AN: Thank you to Pintsizedpsycho, Alpenwolf, EylssaCounsland, Melysande, and EasternViolet for your reviews.
Big hugs to my Beta Shakespira, she is da bomb!
