Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, and self isolation is boring! I never thought I would want to work so much in my life


Mahanon looked around unimpressed. He had been called to the Fallow Mire to help save kidnapped Inquisition soldiers. He had taken along Dorian, Bull, and Cole. Zevran complained the whole way but came along anyways.

Charter approached the Inquisitor. "Thank you for coming. Maybe you can solve this mess. Out missing patrols are being held hostage by Avvar. Barbarians from the mountains."

"What are they doing in a bog?" Zev asked.

"That's the thing. Their leader…he wants to fight you." The dwarf pointed to Mahanon. "Because you're the Herald of Andraste."

"And what does what people call me have to do with this?" Mahanon complained.

"Well…the Avvar think there are gods in nature. As in, the sky has a god, and the forest. The Avvar say you're claiming to be sent by one, and they'll challenge the will of your god with their own. I think their leader's just a boastful little prick who wants to brag he killed you," Charter informed.

"Should I autograph something before he tries to behead me?" Mahanon wasn't too concerned with the Avvar threat. He had had much bigger enemies try to kill him. "Varen alhan sul min (left the wild for this)," he complained under his breath.

"They think reading is for the weak. You know, scholars, lowlanders, Orlesian peasants. Getting to our troops won't be easy. You'll have to fight your way through undead. Wait… you're not squeamish about undead, are you?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting the Avvar butcher the Inquisition's people," Mahanon responded.

"Wait, really? You've faced Corypheus and didn't bat an eye but the undead bother you?" Dorian chimed in.

"Smell makes me gag. Rotting biting teeth. Too slow. I'm sorry, lethal'lin." Cole added in. "It wasn't your fault."

Zevran pulled his partner close to offer wordless comfort. "Yes, thank you, Cole," Mahanon replied just to get the spirit to stop. Dorian had a feeling he had crossed some sort of line and fell back, pretending to take great interest in his new staff.

Charter had the tact to not say anything on the subject. "I appreciate you doing this, Inquisitor," she responded instead. "The Avvar are holed up in the castle on the other side of the Fallow Mire. Maker willing, the Inquisition's people are still alive." Charter dismissed herself.

They started exploring the area looking for any sort of clue as to what happened to the people that used to live here. "Look. Signs of a plague," The hunter observed.

"A cheerful addition to any decent swamp," Dorian chirped sarcastically. "At least in the city you can find a decent healer. Out here you have, what? Roots and berries?"

"Let's keep moving, yes? We can have Inquisition soldiers burn the bodies after this is all over," the assassin suggested.

They approached the water. "So many old songs under the water," Cole commented.

"Just remember, anything poking up from the water could be a horrible monster acting like a stick," Bull grunted.

The trees had warned him about disturbing the water. "We'll have to stay on the platforms. Disturbing the water means undead," Mahanon instructed.

"Won't hear be complaining," Dorian agreed.

"Oh, I'm sure we will," Zev quipped.

"Like you won't be, vhen'nan." Mahanon got to the platform and saw a corpse shambling towards them. "Fenedhis!" He cursed and drew his bow.

With one lone corpse, it was a short fight. Bull had turned the head into pulp with a swing of his axe before Mahanon could loose a second arrow. "I got you, Boss," the Qunari grinned.

"I'm not afraid of the undead," the Dalish muttered.

A short way from yet another empty hut stood a pillar with a single torch and an illegible rune. "A beacon?" Mahanon questions. "Dorian, light the torch with veil fire."

The mage approached the torch. "Trees tell you something will happen?" He asked, still wanting to know more about the ability.

"They don't have to. Something tells me something will happen if we do," he explained.

Dorian lit the torch and an inhuman screech rose up around them. "The 'something' is demons!" Zev hissed.

"And the undead!" Bull added.

"I'm not afraid of the undead!" Mahanon yelled and shot a demon showing too much interest in Dorian.

A green mist was Mahanon's only warning before a Terror Demon shot up from the ground and sent the elf flying back into the pillar. He lay on the ground in a daze as the Terror approached.

Mahanon could feel panic trying to overtake him. Before it could, the hunter opened a rift and the demon was pulled inside.

Zevran was also close to panicking but because he had nearly watched his other half get torn apart by those long claws. After the last enemy was killed, he knelt by his partner and fretted while Mahanon shook off his daze and rubbed the back of his head where it had connected with the beacon. The assassin pulled out an injury kit and wrapped the cut on the back of the other elf's head. "I suggest we avoid the beacons from now on."

The Inquisitor shook his head and gripped it when the motion made everything spin. "We've cleared the area for our soldiers and anyone else who comes this way. We will have to find more."

"The veil is thin here, demons seeping into every corpse and tree they can. Clearing a path is not a bad idea. And now we know what we will be facing," Dorian agreed.

The area stopped spinning and the Inquisitor stood up. He lit a torch with the veil fire and held it to the rune. The words became visible.

The message was largely gibberish with certain letters and numbers repeating. "I bet if we find more beacons, we can unlock what the rune says." Dorian theorized, "it could be an enchantment."


They had been walking along the path when they came across an Avvar standing by a temporarily closed rift. The Avvar approached them but stayed far enough away when Fen'nas started growling.

"So, you're the Herald of Andraste," the Avvar started, "my kin want you dead, lowlander, but it's not my job. No fears from me."

"Really? I thought the Avvar wanted to fight me." Mahanon patted Fen'nas on the head to get him to stop growling.

"Our Chieftain's son wants to fight you. I'm called in when the dead pile up. Rites to the gods, mending for the bleeding, a dagger for the dying. That's what I do. I don't pick up a blade for a whelp's trophy hunt," Sky Watcher explained.

"Why aren't you with the other Avvar?" Zevran asked, still not trusting the giant in front of him. From how his other half was standing, neither did he.

"Trying to figure out this hole in the world. Never seen anything like its like. They spit out angry spirits. Endless. What the sky's trying to tell us, I don't know."

"I would say the sky is saying 'there is a giant hole in me spitting out demons'." Zevran snickered.

"They're caused by the Breach in the sky. It was some kind of magic gone wrong." Mahanon explained.

"I know that, lowlander, I'm talking about the Lady of the Skies. Do you not know of her? Can't you see the warnings she writes through the bird flocks in the air?"

"You use the patterns of flocking birds as an augury then?" Dorian asked.

The Avvar turned to the mage. "We don't 'use' them. They're sent. You see it, or you don't."

"I prefer the warnings of trees to birds, personally. But that's not important. The other Avvar kidnapped an Inquisition patrol. Are they alright?"

"A few were injured in the skirmish, but were alive. Last I saw them. Someone's trained them well. They killed more of us than I thought they would."

"Farewell, then."

"Watch the water."

Mahanon turned his attention to the rift and forced it open so it could be shut properly. Wraiths emerged and with the help of Sky Watcher, they were disposed of quickly and the rift closed.

"Lady of the Skies! You can mend the gaps in the air?"

"Pretty great, huh?" Bull grinned.

"Maybe you do have a god's favour."


After more demons, corpses, and mud-soaked shoes, they finally arrived at the castle where the Avvar leader was waiting.

"Herald of Andraste! Face me!" The leader shouted, "I am the hand of Korth himself!"

Mahanon drew his bow. "I'm not the Herald of Andraste and I don't know who Korth is!"

Dorian cast chain lightning, shocking the two Avvar defenders fighting with their leader. Iron Bull roared to keep their attention on him. Fen'nas charged with Bull. "Cole, keep them off of Dorian! I'm going for the leader!" Mahanon ordered. Cole slipped into the shadows and attacked from behind to keep the Avvar confused and distracted. Zev disappeared to keep out of sight until he had an opening to either kill the man or cripple him. Neither saw the hidden bowmen until it was almost too late.

Zevran saw them first and gave up his position to slit the throat of one and warn Mahanon of the other. The assassin threw a bottle onto the ground and used the smoke to hide from the remaining archer to get in postion.

One of the defenders took out Cole before falling to the ground. Bull roared again and brought his axe down on the other.

The Hand of Korth ignored Mahanon's arrows and got Bull in his bad leg, sending him to the ground with a grunt. Korth raised his hammer against the Qunari, but the weapon bounced harmlessly off of Dorian's barrier.

Korth charged at the mage but got interrupted by an angry elf. Mahanon ended up sacrificing his bow to ensure the Altus got out of the way. The elf cursed; his daggers wouldn't be able to get through the leader's thick armour. He rolls out of the way of the hammer. By luck he spotted a fallen sword and dove for it. Sorry, when'nan, looks like I'll have to risk my secret to win he thought and used the sword to deflect the next blow.

Korth clearly wasn't expecting that and momentarily lost his balance.

Zevran had gotten the remaining archer and hurried to help his other half. Fen'nas had taken to keeping Dorian out of harm's way as the mage did what he could for Cole and The Iron Bull. The Altus more than once was distracted as Mahanon fought against the massive Avvar. While it was clear the elf was better with a bow, his swordsmanship wasn't not terrible either. He was also amazed at how well the two elves worked together without needing a word. The assassin used his poisons and smoke screens to keep Korth from fully focusing on one target while the hunter tried to get through the armour with his sword.

Zev was tiring though. One time he was sent flying by the hammer because he couldn't avoid the hammer in time and didn't get back up. "Vhen'nan!" Mahanon shouted. Dorian cast a barrier to protect the unconscious elf. Mahanon was on his own.

Too big to aim for the throat. Not big enough to climb up like and Ogre he pondered and rolled to avoid the hammer again. Looks like I'll just have to outlast him. He mentally thanked his Grey Warden stamina.

The elf focused on deflection and avoidance and his patience was paying off. Korth was tiring. Just a little bit more. A mistimed deflection caused the sword to shatter. Mahanon drew his daggers, his only weapons left. He had lost where he was in the room and ended up with his back to a wall. Korth swung his hammer but it bounced off a barrier. Mahanon cast a quick glance at Dorian, who's perplexed and astonished expression told him that this wasn't his doing.

Korth was too tired to recover quickly from the rebound and staggered back. The elf pressed his advantage and launched himself off the wall to body slam into the Avvar. Korth fell and the hunter buried his daggers into his throat.

Mahanon sheathed his daggers and rushed to Zevran who was staggering to his feet. The others climbed to theirs as well.

The Inquisitor pushed the door open to reveal the missing patrol. "Herald of Andraste!" They saluted.

"I dealt with the Avvar. Is everyone alright?" Mahanon asked.

"Yes, Your Worship. The injured need some rest, but we can return on our own."

"I can't believe the Herald came for us."

"I told you he wouldn't leave us."

"They're happier now," Cole smiled.

Outside the castle was Sky Watcher. "Your god looks after you, Herald. There lies a brat. His father, chief of our holding, would duel me for the loss, if he cared enough."

"You could always work for me. The Inquisition has a purpose your chief lacks," Mahanon offered.

"Is this why the Lady of the Skies led me here? To help heal the wounds in her skin? Aye. I'll join you. Let me make peace with my kin, and I'll find where you set your flag." The Avvar nodded.


They arrived back at Skyhold to see the hall repaired and a throne waiting for him. Josephine caught the two elves staring at it. "Impressive. Is it not? Fit for a leader. Meant to show influence and the burden of it. It is where the Inquisition will sit in judgement. Where you will sit in judgement."

"Still more lived in my hands," the hunter sighed.

"You are a beacon of law, Inquisitor, as others retreat from responsibility. But this needn't be bloody. The Inquisition's sovereignty is derived from the allies who validate it. You are both empowered and bound. Justice has many tools. If their application is clever, execution may even seem merciful by comparison," Josephine explained.

"Is there anyone I should judge?" The elf asked.

Josephine nodded. "Take the throne when you're ready. We will bring him before you."

Mahanon sat on the throne and hated judging people already. Zevran declined a chair in favour of standing beside his beloved to better protect him.

The archer resisted the urge to shift in his seat as the ambassador approached. "This was a surprise. After you returned from the bogs, we discovered this man attacking. The building. With a…goat." An Avvar was brought before him in chains. "Chief Movran the Under. He feels slighted by the killing of his Avvar tribesmen. Who repeatedly attacked you first. What should we do with him? Where…should he go?"

Mahanon put on his best Commander face and addressed the Avvar. "You answered the death of your clan…with a goat?"

Movran stepped forward and laughed. "A courtroom? Unnecessary! You killed my idiot son, and I answered, as is my customer, by smacking your holdings with goat's blood."

Mahanon blinked at the answer and turn to Josephine. "Don't look at me."

"No foul! He meant to murder Tevinters, but got feisty with your Inquisition. A redheaded mother guarantees a brat!" The Avvar continued, "do as you've earned, Inquisitor. My clan yields. My remaining boys have brains still in their heads!" He laughed again.

"It seems our conflict was accidental, Chief Movran, but it can't be repeated. I banish you and your clan- with as many weapons as you can carry- to Tevinter."

The chief laughed again. "My idiot boy got us something, after all!"


I'm surprised I got this chapter done so quickly. When I started I had no idea where Theron would end up. I'm kind of surprised he ended up Fallow Mire. I wasn't planning on writing him there.