ACT II: Into the Madness of the Shade


Note: This is it. The first half of the finale. It is LONG, over 12K for each half. Take breathers, I couldn't break it up any further because it felt so choppy. This is it, guys. We're onto Act III. This work is unbeta'd, any mistakes are mine and I am tired. Enjoy!


"If you were going to be drinking, love, you should have invited me." Dorian watched me warily from across his desk. I sat on the other side, my head resting on the cool surface of the wood with my arms dangling down.

"Dude, I would have been happy to have you, it's… meh." I decided not to elaborate, it wasn't the time or place to contemplate my changing relationship with The Iron Bull, and I had more pressing concerns with helping my mage friend. Carefully and with much consideration, I pulled my head upright and sat back in my chair.

The world went a sheer, neon green for a moment, and then peace.

"Christ." I rubbed at my eyes with hard fingers. "So tell me, how did the conversation with your father go ‒ or would you rather not share?" Dorian spared a moment in silence, his mouth working under his mustache as he pondered his answer. Regardless of what he told me, his safety was my only concern. Patiently, I waited with my arms and legs crossed over each other.

"He says we're alike. Too much pride." Dorian started quietly, his gaze down on the book in his hands, his fingers running over the edges of the pages. "Once, I would have been overjoyed to hear him say that. Now… I'm not certain. I don't know if I can forgive him."

"I can wax poetic of what I remember about forgiving people, not that I believed it." I replied softly with a shrug. With a lean, I rested my elbows against the desktop and held my chin in my hand. "You mentioned at the tavern… that he tried to change you? Is that…"

"The come-apart I had about your dragon-blood experiment?" Dorian finally brought his gaze up to my face, but the lines across his mouth and at the edges of his eyes were hardened. "Yes. It was similar to something my father wanted to attempt."

"Ah, shit." I exhaled in disbelief. "I'm sorry for poking at the wound, Dorian."

"So compassionate, my love." Dorian chuckled, but it didn't quite reach his humor. "Yes. Out of desperation. I wouldn't put on a show, marry the girl, keep everything unsavory private, and locked away."

"Nor should you, that isn't fair." I replied gently. It wasn't like Dorian was a rapist, or a reckless, wanton murderer, he wasn't an evil creature with evil intentions set in his bones and looking for the next hapless, helpless victim. Dorian deserved far better than to be treated like the nasty gum on someone's shoe.

"Selfish, I suppose. As I told you previously, I didn't want to spend my life screaming on the inside." He sighed and closed the book in his hands. A moment of hesitation passed through his frowning mouth and he drew his hands together. A war between his thoughts waged behind his eyes and I knew better than to push him.

It made sense to me now, why he had been so incensed at the ritual, at the use of the dragon's blood. No doubt Dorian would disown me on the spot if he knew part of the concoction also used human blood. A frown tugged at my mouth. How easily I had stepped into a cultural quagmire of misinformation. A heavy sigh also escaped me, bringing Dorian's gaze up to my face.

"He… was going to do a blood ritual. Alter my mind. Make me… acceptable. I found out. I left." A thin, sharp exhale slipped between his teeth at the confession. The painful knowledge that someone he loved and trusted was going to flip a switch and hope for something different yanked at my heart. I can understand now why he was so angry after I drank the blood. What a royal cowpie I stepped in, without knowing the full ramifications of the process.

I fisted my hand around the Mark and pressed on.

"It crushed me to think he found the chance of having a vegetable for a son preferable to scandal." Dorian rushed the words out, his hands fisting on the desktop with the anger that rolled through him. Without a thought, I reached over for his hands and settled mine over his, comforting him as best I could.

"Part of me always wanted to believe he would never go through with it. He's a good man, my father." Dorian forced through his tightened throat, working his mind and thoughts through his grief. "Deep down, I know it. He taught me principle is important."

"And now?" I prompted quietly, worry etched in my forehead.

"He cares for me, in his way." Dorian admitted sadly. "But he won't ever change. I won't be able to forgive him for what he did. I won't."

"Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be able to put this both behind you." I replied weakly, but seeing the heat on Dorian's face spoke otherwise.

"You've very optimistic." Dorian kissed my knuckles warmly. "It's a charming trait, but I doubt it will go as smoothly for me as it does for you, my love."

"You're outta your mind if you think anything goes smoothly for me." I chuckled, taking back my hands. The topic would be placed away for now, as I could see the emotional toll it had taken on my friend. Instead, I turned my attention to the stack of books he had along the edges of his desk and pointed to them.

"And what are we looking at here, friend?" The book titles were in another language I didn't know, but recognized, Tevene. Dorian picked one up and glanced at the spine, his brow raised skeptically.

"Old history books. I passed along some information to your spymaster, about Corypheus." Dorian mentioned casually. A small tremor of shock rocked my shoulders and I sputtered.

"What the fuck? You actually found something on him?" I croaked, surprised. I glanced back at the books with a new, critical eye. What could he possibly have found that either Solas or Leliana would have missed?

"Your Corypheus may have a secret base." Dorian murmured, a low threat echoing at the back of his throat. He shuffled a few of the books and brought one up, brown and caked with age. He flipped through it carefully, his eyes scanning each page with care.

"Here we are." He muttered and flipped the book around to me. "This chapter explains the teachings of Dumat and its following. It also describes The Shrine of Dumat." I took the book carefully from Dorian. Though I couldn't read the passages, I could see the drawing of the shrine. It seemed unassuming and, in better days, perhaps charming with its stonework and arching walls.

"Does it give us a location?" I asked, memorizing as much of the visage as I could.

"No, unfortunately. Hopefully, Leliana will be able to locate this shrine for you. We may glean some secrets from our dearly rotting corpse." Dorian sighed, his arms crossed over his chest. A stirring of amazement tickled through my lungs and I grinned up at Dorian, immensely pleased.

"You're fantastic, you know that?" I complimented him happily.

He smirked. "Naturally so."

-0-

I had made my way to the War Room, hoping Leliana would be in Josephine's office to discuss Dorian's findings. I was halfway through the Grand Hall before a runner sprinted from Josephine's office, determination on their pale face. They hadn't made it more than a few steps before spotting me. At a small jog, they were at my front in seconds, the words tumbling from their tongue.

"Lady Montilyet requests your presence in the War Room immediately, Inquisitor." They exhaled, shoulders straight and spine ram-rod sharp. Concerned, I nodded and waved them off. With a hurried step, I rushed my way toward the War Room, eager to find out what had gotten my advisor into a fit enough to find a runner for me. The door swung open, the fire in her hearth was dead, and her desk in disarray. Worry flooded my lungs, choking me as I jogged the rest of the way to the main room at the back.

The door opened to reveal the dark and haggard faces of my advisors, and Hawke. Surprised, I shut the door behind me with a hard clink. No one spoke as I stepped up to the table. My gaze floated between each of them; Cass, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine. Hawke met my gaze readily, his scarred mouth turned harshly in a frown.

"The Wardens are on the move." Hawke started, gruff. "I received an urgent missive from Stroud. They have set up camp at the Western Approach. We're out of time."

"Christ." I exclaimed sourly, my hands running through my hair over my head. My gaze shot to Cullen, "How long to get there?"

"On foot? Nearly a month. Horseback? A little over two weeks. If they have the full force of Weisshaupt Fortress, what army we can muster may not be enough." Cullen reluctantly answered. Leliana's expression hardened over her lips, her mouth tight under her nose.

"They may not have all of the Wardens there." Leliana speculated quietly. All eyes turned to her, but her gaze was focused on the map, traveling the roads and marking the mountain ranges.

"Speak, Leliana." Cassandra commanded softly.

"There is a watchtower in the Western Approach. We can send scouts ahead to confirm my suspicions, but I do not believe they will be there." Leliana sighed in deep thought, her words distant in memory. She leaned forward and marked the Western Approach with a figure of a griffin.

"Why's that?" I prompted into the tense silence.

"They would be exposed. There isn't a working fortress—"

"There is." Cullen suddenly pushed another figurine, a small lion that snarled at the griffin from an inch or so away, further into the Approach. "Adamant Fortress."

"They would go there, Stroud states they are amassing their full population." Hawke nodded his head, a hand running down his stubble. "Bethany was told they would make their last stand in the Western Approach, it would make sense to hold there."

"Is Bethany among this crowd?" I asked, knowing there was little chance I could hold Hawke to helping us if the safety of his sister was uncertain. Hawke spared me a glance but shook his head reassuringly.

"My sister is the smartest of the Hawkes. She's safe with Aveline and Fenris now. You'll pardon me if I do not say where." Hawke grinned with wolf's teeth flashing under his lips.

"Never, you've earned one less busybody in your life, Ser." I nodded to his small chuckle. My hands landed on my hips and I glared over the map. We needed to get out there in a flash, but there were only enough horses for half of the standing army that was the Inquisition.

"You said it would take a month to get the troops out there on foot?" I asked Cullen, my gaze floating up to his face. He nodded, silent. Instead, I turned my questing gaze to Leliana.

"Could we buy out the horses from Val Royeaux? You have to pass through their boundaries on your way to the Western Approach. I can take a smaller group with me, like the Chargers, and have you guys break off to Adamant." I suggested; the tip of my index mapping out the routes for the different paths we would take.

"It would save us time, yes." Josephine answered, her brow furrowed with calculations. "We could purchase additional horses from Val Royeaux and make it within a week of your arrival."

"We would have to push hard." Cullen interjected, a hand at his neck. "And if we're to contest them, we'll need our trebuchets and battering rams."

"I can send a missive ahead of our party." Josephine added. "With it, perhaps it would lessen the time the transitioning would take to saddle our troops and ready the carts."

"See to it." Cullen commanded roughly, his hand dropping to his sword. "To march, then, Inquisitor?"

"To march, Cullen. I'll ready the Chargers." I agreed. An internal shriek of cold ice shot through my veins as my advisors exited the War Room. Hawke remained, undisturbed in the silence. His gaze remained on me as I tried to collect my nerves, my eyes bore into the map.

"Something on your mind, Inquisitor?" Hawke asked softly, shifting toward my right side, just a shadow from my peripheral. A torrent of questions rushed between my ears, confusing and crushing thoughts that ran into each other in the chaos.

"What are we going to find there, do you think?" I finally asked my voice a tremble.

"Madness." Hawke intoned, then with s sigh, "I doubt this will be a bloodless battle. We should endeavor to save as many as we can, not all of the Wardens subscribe to this folly."

"No, if my Warden is anything to go by." I murmured thoughtlessly. I rubbed at my brow. "I just wish we had some idea of what they were planning to do. I don't want to lead my own men to death." Hawke watched me for a moment longer and then, suddenly, his warm hand dropped on my head. With a blink, I looked up with wide eyes. For a brief moment, we stared at each other in silence before he smiled, a sunshine bright expression.

"You're a good sort, Inquisitor. You'll do right by your people, and that is far more than what we could have asked for." He patted my head gently, but there was no condescending tone to his words and his hand slid down the back of my skull and over my braid before he also left the room.

Without warning, tears warmed my eyes and blinded me, the gesture had been familiar to me.

Like an older brother to their brat sister.

-0-

The courtyard was in a hussle. Soldiers dashed from one side of Skyhold to another, as most of them had been on downtime. They hurried their way toward the rear of Skyhold and the merchants were just as quick to pack supplies and organize a sudden departure of the company. Taking a step off the stairs, my feet led me toward the tavern to collect my men. The door was already wide open and the innards were emptied of any singing or visiting soldiers.

Krem and Bull were at the back, as usual. What wasn't was the fact that Krem was standing by Bull's seat, arms crossed to hold his elbows as they spoke in low voices. Quietly, I snuck my way over and situated myself next to Krem. The conversation had stopped well before I was within earshot, as Bull's only eye had swiveled over to me at my arrival by the entrance.

"I take it the sudden buzzing hive is your doing?" Bull teased with a grin.

I sighed. "Yeah. We need to pack up and march to the Western Approach."

"Good. Following up on that lead from the stray Warden?" Bull stood from his chair with his hands clapped on his knees. Krem shifted to allow us the way, but I didn't step off toward the door. Both men paused. My expression may have given way to one of concern.

"More than that. We think… we're gonna find a full force there." I answered quietly. Gently, my gaze bounced between them. "You need to saddle the Charges. The full company is coming with me, and only me. We need to get there in under two weeks."

Bull whistled low. "All right. A rush job, then. Krem?"

"On it, Chief." Krem nodded at me. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready," I replied, a tint of exhaustion against my tongue. Krem raised his brow in surprise but didn't question it. A hard salute clanged against his armored chest and he bustled out without a backward glance. Bull stood with me, his shadow against my side. The memory of Hawke's hand against my head sent a hard shiver down my spine.

Bull tilted his head. "Boss?"

"I feel weird." I blurted. A wince caught my eye and I sighed hard. My knees trembled and to avoid any more embarrassment, I dropped to my haunches and slapped my hands to my face, hiding behind my fingers. The sound of Bull kneeling next to me had me hunching further into my bent needs as I tried to control my breathing.

"What's running through your head, Boss? Worried about confronting the Wardens?" Bull asked near my head. I uncertain how to explain the abrupt nausea and turbulence that had taken over my stomach. The Mark was quiet in my left palm, but it pulsed in the faintest pattern of a heartbeat against mine.

"Something about this doesn't feel right." I muttered against my palms, my voice muffled. "It feels like a trap. Like someone's dragging us out into the open to drop a rock on us." It felt like more than that, but my voice caught in my throat. We had barely recovered from the fall of Haven and managed to set a foothold in our new home, only to be forced into a warzone once again.

Bull was quiet, his hand warmed a spot between my shoulders.

I sighed again, my hands dropping from my face. "This is gonna sound… really stupid, but… I need you to make sure you drag my people out if shit goes sideways."

"Of course, Boss." Bull agreed, his head tilted. "Chargers don't leave men behind."

"No, I mean." I hesitated, pressing my left palm to my chest, over my heart. I turned my gaze to him, willing him to understand how chaotic my wires felt under my skin, how much threatened to burst from my chest with the anxiousness that was slowly encompassing my mind.

"As a favor to me, Bull." I followed up quietly. "I need you… this cannot be another Haven." The Qunari waited, his hand was solid and secure against my back, but I could feel his fingers curl against my spine and snagging on my tunic. A small smirk formed and he nodded faintly.

"Sure thing, Kadan. I'll make sure the kids get home." He replied, amusement in his tone. I frowned but accepted the fact that he most likely thought I was being strange about the whole thing. A swallow worked down my throat and with a helping hand from Bull, I was on my feet again, ready to head out the door.

Wait.

That word.

I had heard it before, the hazy night before coming back. I stopped just out of the entrance of the tavern, my eyes glued forward as Bull gently bumped in behind me. Another tremble went through me, but this one shook my veins with a wild, untethered fright.

"Boss?" Bull inquired, flicking my ear.

Not now.

I took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time. Whatever that word meant, it would have to sit on the back burner until this madness was dealt with and handled. The last thing I needed was a tornado of emotions screaming in the background. My molars clenched and I exhaled within a span of seconds.

"Nothing, sorry."

Later.

-0-

We arrived in about twelve days with the Chargers pushing their company and the horses to the limits. Dorian and Blackwall had packed up and rode out with us. I hadn't been in the full presence of the Bull's Chargers before and had been surprised to see more than fifty or so men to Bull's command. We broke the border of the Western Approach and watched as the land turned from a lush green, hilly oasis to a wide, sandy, devastated desert.

From atop Avonal, I paused and watched the wind swim over the fine sand and curl into the air. The heat that radiated from the ground brought in memories from my past life, my old home and my thoughts slowed to a crawl. Dorian came up beside me and his horse yanked its head as he waited, glancing at my face and then back out to the desert.

"My love?" Dorian prompted quietly.

"My old home looked like this." I whispered to him, mindful of the company and the only one of my inner circle that hadn't been given the full story. "The… whole thing just triggered a lot of emotions for me." Dorian frowned skeptically and cast another glance over the desolation.

"I know it isn't much." I replied to his look. "But I grew up in a desert, my brothers and I would always go out hiking and looking around for animal skulls and lizards."

Dorian snorted, hiding it behind a hand. "And your parents allowed that?"

"I mean," I drawled, laughing. "No, but by the time we came home, it's not like they could stop us." The Inquisition scouts that had gone ahead of us had set up a camp within a ravine, shielding themselves from the hot, gusting air and the scorching sun that blazed down on the golden sand. The Chargers swarmed the area and with a wave from Bull, began to unpack and set up their own campsite to avoid interfering with the Inquisition.

I hopped down from Avonal's saddle and patted his nose affectionately. A requisitions officer took the reins and with a huff, Avonal followed lazily. Bull, Blackwall, and Dorian floated up behind me as I searched my way through the camp for Harding. The dwarf popped up from a tent and held a hand over her brow to protect her eyes from the bright sunlight.

"Inquisitor!" Harding greeted sharply. "Welcome to the Western Approach!"

"Yo," I replied with a wave, urging her along.

Harding nodded, "Well, we've sighted Warden activity to the southwest, but no one's been close enough to figure out what they're doing."

"Fantastic." I groaned, my fingers pressed to my temple.

"Between the sandstorms and the vicious wildlife," Harding shrugged, "We haven't made it far out here in the short time we've arrived."

"Any idea what we should expect out there?" I asked, a gust of wind catching up under us.

"One of my men got too close to a poison hot spring and gave me a slightly delirious report of a high dragon overhead." Harding futilely brushed some of the blown-up sand from her sleeves and pants, sighing when the wind only brushed up again. "In short: this might just be the worst place in the entire world."

"Yikes, and you've seen some shit, too. I'll take that to heart, Harding." My brow jumped in surprise. Quietly, I clapped my palms together and tapped my fingertips in thought. A high dragon, poisonous hot springs. Not what home had, but perhaps not unmanageable.

"Do we know where this watchtower is, Harding?" I questioned after a few seconds.

She nodded and handed me a frayed map. "What survived of the reports. It's not far from here, and Adamant is further southwest. I haven't received any missives from Cullen on the approach."

"I got one a few days ago, they're about five or so days behind us." I sighed, my thoughts swirling. "Depending on how quickly shit goes down, we might have to move forward sooner than expected."

Harding hesitated, a nervous frown on her face. "Another thing, we intercepted a Venatori messenger and persuaded him to give up the orders he was carrying. We have them here." Dorian snatched the orders before I could reach out for them. His eyes flew over the scroll. At a glance, I could see the Tevene script and patiently settled back on my heels.

"There's someone here with the Wardens. Magister Livius Erimond." Dorian muttered roughly, unrolling the scroll further.

"A Magister?" Bull uttered. "The reports didn't mention a magister, just the mages from Ferelden."

"They did." I interjected, my attention remained on Dorian. "Do you recognize the name?"

"Not personally," Dorian clarified with a shake of his head. "If his family name is Erimond, he's of a lesser family. Janitorial status."

"What?" I blinked, confused. "The fuck does Janitorial mean?"

"The family doesn't hold a high status in court. They hold janitorial positions, infrastructure, utilities, and the like." Dorian explained briefly and rolled the scroll swiftly in his palm, tapping the end to level it.

"Did it explain why he would be with the Wardens?" Blackwall asked warily.

"He's here to lead the Wardens in a blood ritual. The details are vague, but that they are to start with a test at the tower." Dorian handed the scroll back to Harding, who took it with a grateful nod.

"And if successful, they'll move on to the bigger group at the fortress." Bull followed. He growled and rubbed thoughtfully at his chin. "Boss, you might want to fire a message to Cullen."

"Damn," I turned to Harding, "Get it down, send a translation to Leliana, and tell Cullen to double-time it, I need him here faster than five days."

"Will do, Herald." Harding saluted. "I take it you're heading out with the Chargers?"

"No." I shook my head and looked back to Bull, "Tell your boys to ready up for a fight. We're going to the tower, tell them to march to the fortress and to hold for a day. If we don't show up, have them pull back to wait for Cullen."

"Got it." Bull nodded, his mouth lined seriously. He stomped off through the sand, watching his footing to avoid sinkage. With tight fingers, I reorganized my braid and fitted my armor back into place with fidgety twitches. Dorian yanked up his hood and Blackwall settled his helmet over his head, anything to avoid the sting of the hissing sand.

"So what's the plan?" Bull asked upon his return. In the distance, I could see the mercenary group shuffling around like a herd of dark shadows.

"We need to reach that tower today, and stop the magister if we can." I held my helmet against my chest, dusting out the inner cloth of any sand that had gotten caught inside. "We also need to secure and pacify any Wardens with him."

"Are we arresting them?" Blackwall intoned eyes narrowed.

"Yes." I answered immediately, my gaze leveled with his. "Anything less allows for mistakes."

"I'm sure the Inquisitor will release them upon due process." Dorian soothed our roughened warrior. "We've seen the justice she deals, we needn't worry." Blackwall wasn't appeased, but there was little I could do to reassure him this was going to be anything other than straight chaos. I reached out for his shoulder and held it firmly.

"I can't promise this won't be a shitshow, Blackwall." I squeezed between the plates of his armor. "But I promise I'll do what I can to make sure the Wardens are treated with respect." The muscles under my grip relaxed and Blackwall exhaled, gently consoled for the moment.

"It's all right, Inquisitor. I trust you." He replied softly. With a smile, I clapped his shoulder and brought my helmet over my head. Blessedly, the cloth was smooth against my face and the shearing wind whipping past us was dampened. The slits for vision allowed for a greater view of the world around me without sand pricking into my eyes. Thank god.

I decided against taking the horses, as part of Harding's report mentioned a predator in the area called the Quillback, and trying to switch association from a fish to a fantastical beast was going to take a turn to do. Thankfully, a road bled out from the camp and circled around. From the sand, deeply darkened stone jutted up in jagged protrusions. As we passed by some of them, my hand would reach out to trail my fingers along the stone's underside.

Damn, you think you're over something and it snaps right back. I always missed home, but it was such a vivid reminder that I could feel, it had my heart twisting in my chest like a worried rag between anxious hands. We hurried along, keeping away from any passing predators and circling around sinkholes.

Before long, broken pillars struck up into the sky with aged, tattered banners swaying in the wind. The stone crumbled the higher it spiraled, eaten away by the sand and sun. Dilapidated carts lied the road up to the main entrance, creaking with the shifting sands. Two figures stood in the shadows of the watchtower's giant door and with a hop, I sprinted to them the last stretch of the way.

"Hawke!" I greeted. The Champion flashed his attention to me, his shoulders slumping once I was within reach and his hard hand gripped my bicep, yanking me toward him.

"I'm glad you made it, Inquisitor!" Hawke drew me through the door, Stroud followed after, leaving my men to bring up the rear. Hawke continued as we ran the walkway toward the tower, "I fear they've already started the ritual."

"Fucking hell." I growled, yanking my arm back and rushing forward. Closer to the tower, a streak of bodies lined the edges and mixed in with the broken tumbleweeds. The blood had dried in the sunlight, mixing with the sand and creating morbid lumps of sticky, squishy tumors.

"Wait, no!" Someone screamed from on high. I took the stairs two at a time, my breath rushing between my ears, my heart broiling through my ribs and urging me forward faster. The Mark pulsed warily in my palm, biting at my nerves.

"Warden-Commander Clarel's orders were clear!" The resounding shout echoed over our heads.

"This is wrong!" The first voice replied, desperation ripping through their voice.

No, no, no! Let me get there!

"Remember your oath," the second voice grinned through their words, "In war, victory—"

"The bastards!" Blackwall raged behind me. The Mark flared with his anger.

"In peace, vigilance—"

"What are they doing!" Stroud was nearly at my heels as he jumped a few steps in his charge to overtake my lead.

"In death," the second voice swam through our ears as we reached the top of the tower. The Wardens lined the walls, mages side by side with rage and sloth demons snarling at their hips, but one unlucky Warden slumped to the ground, his gut blackening with his blood from a stab wound.

"... Sacrifice."

I slammed on the brakes just at the entrance of the tower, holding my arms out to keep Stroud and Hawke behind me. Both men crashed into my back and nearly toppled over me, but I held steady and dug my heels in to keep them with me.

"No, no," I snarled under my breath, "if we rush now, we lose information!"

"Inquisitor!" Stroud snapped, voice strained into a whisper.

"Listen to her." Hawke supported me, holding onto Stroud's arm. "They don't know how many we have. Let us have the element of surprise." Hawke waved to my men just a few steps below and motioned to lay low. Bull and Blackwall nestled onto their knees with Dorian slithering up behind Stroud to hide in the larger man's shadow, his staff lowered and ready.

From the blood pool, an angry, bubbling swarm of the Fade crawled through and in it manifested a lumbering Rage demon that howled as it dragged itself up from the depths. Dorian hissed venomously from behind Stroud and gripped his staff tightly. Fear thundered in my heart as I watched, the creature screamed and the voice morphed from the first one of the Warden into a reversed, broken version that spewed fire.

"Good," the man at the top of the platform before the landing raised his hand, "now bind it, just as I showed you." The Warden mage hesitated, but after a moment raised his hand and from his palm, a pale imitation of my Mark sparked in a sickly green puff and a tether reached out and ensnared the demon to a leash. The creature struggled against the mage, the tether faded and both mage and demon settled.

I could spy a pulse of red from the other man's hand and with a silent wave, commanded the mage off to one side. With a smirk, the man stepped down to a lower stair on the platform and raised his arms to me in greeting. I shot a warning look to Hawke and cautiously stepped forward.

"Inquisitor!" Our host greeted me warmly, sending a shiver down my spine. "What an unexpected pleasure. Lord Livius Erimond of Vyrantium, at your service." He bowed to me in the Orlaisian manner.

"You are no Warden." Stroud spat heatedly from behind me. Erimond's attention shifted for a few seconds, assessing the threat of the Warden that waited in the shadows.

"And you found the Inquisitor and came to stop me. Shall we see how that goes?" Erimond's warmth slipped off his tongue as his gaze narrowed back onto me. Carefully, Erimond took a step back to be on the higher level and sneered down at me. I took a few steps to get closer, but I was extremely mindful of the mages with the demons linked to them.

"I see you've been busy." I muttered in disgust.

"Oh, this? I just needed his blood." Erimond flapped a hand at the dead body. "Want to see what else I can do?" With sinister ease, the magister raised his left hand, a glowing presence similar to the pulse of the Fade flashed from it.

"Wardens, hands up!" He commanded. As he raised his own hand, so did the Wardens before me. The demons shifted quietly in their places, gurgling and hissing at each other and their handlers. He smirked and allowed his hand to drop, "Hands down."

"Corypheus has taken their minds." Stroud growled darkly.

"I went to Clarel full of sympathy, and together, we came up with a plan." Erimond laughed. "Raise a demon army, march into the Deep Roads, and kill the Old Gods before they wake." I remembered this, this had come from the Envy demon. Their vision of Orlais being overrun by a demonic army with my body at the head of it. They had failed to take me, so Erimond was Plan B.

"I imagine it hasn't been easy to swallow being second place to the original plan." I answered sharply, hoping to keep him talking long enough to find out the rest of the plan. Something dark sparked between his imitation Mark and mine, a violent bite of bitterness and spite, white-hot within my palm.

"You knew about it, did you?" He spat, nose flared over his mustache. "Well, then, here you are." Dramatically, he sighed and gestured to the line of Wardens that stared into space, vacant and mindless in their swaying.

"Sadly for the Wardens," Erimond continued, "the binding ritual I taught their mages has a side effect. They're now my Master's slaves." He drew his shoulders back and regained his confidence enough to smirk.

"Let me guess," I interjected, annoyed by the snot in his voice, "This was a test, and if successful, you would take the rest of the Wardens and conquer Thedas?" There was a deep plunge into a pause. Yeah, you bastard, I saw that, too.

"I see you are more well-informed than the Warden-Commander." Erimond replied roughly. "Do you know, a Blight happens when darkspawn find an Old God and corrupt it into an Archedmon." He waited, watching as Stroud vibrated with rage behind me and Hawke's unnatural stillness threatened a swift strike to the throat if anyone drew near.

"In such a case, if someone fought through the Deep Roads and killed the Old Gods before they could be corrupted… poof!" Erimond explained sweetly, his smile congenial and smooth. "No more Blights, ever. The Wardens sacrifice their lives and save the world. Although… I fear history will remember them a little differently now."

"Seems like a rock-shod plan using demons, considering you have to sacrifice so many Wardens to get them." I pressed for more information. I could see now how a desperate Warden-Commander would lean into the plan. Anything to stop the demons, anything to stop Corypheus, a beast they knew existed but couldn't stop.

Erimond laughed, "Think! Demons need no food, no rest, no healing. Once bound, they will never retreat, never question orders. They are the perfect army to fight through the Deep Roads, or… across Orlais, bound to my Master." My Mark hammered in my palm, Dorian's icy temper fighting through its restraints to strangle the man in front of me. With a swallow, I took an instinctive step forward to keep the focus on me and away from my men.

Away from my mage.

"And you really think the best option is to see the world fall into the next Blight? What could you possibly get out of that?" I continued, tensing my throat to keep my tongue and words level and concise. I had enough spies in my group, Blackwall, Bull, and Hawke that would guarantee the information would get to Leliana, but the more I stalled, the longer we delayed the ritual with the rest of the Warden company.

"The Elder one commands the Blight." Erimond sighed, educating a dense child, "He is not commanded by it, like the mindless darkspawn. The Blight is not unstoppable or uncontrollable, it is simply a tool."

"You mean you are," Hawke snarled, coiled under his skin, spoiling for a fight. I raised my hand to keep him steady, desperately praying for time.

Erimond shrugged, "As for me: while the Elder One rules from the Golden City, we, the Venatori, will be his God-kings here in the world." A spike of painful grief shot through my arm and I fisted my fingers into my Mark with a tight wince. Dorian's emotions were snaking their way through into my focus and I pushed back as well as I could.

"Great," I growled, reaching for my maul, "that's all I needed to know."

"Oh, please." Erimond sighed. Lazily, he raised his hand, and the red pulse from before sparked and flared to life. My Mark responded in kind and a searing, sizzling heat stripped through under my skin and yanked me to my knees.

"Don't!" I snapped. Stroud and Hawke made to lunge for me, but remained in place at my command.

Like hell this bastard gets to throw me around.

Erimond grinned viciously, "The Elder One showed me how to deal with you, in the event you were foolish enough to interfere again. The Mark you bear? The Anchor that lets you pass safely through the Veil? You stole that from my Master. He's been forced to seek other ways to access the Fade."

My fingers clenched into my palm, crescents bit into my skin by my nails. A grin cracked my face, I can step into the Fade, too, huh? You're telling me the bastard can't run away, then. Hopefully, it would never come to that, I would never have to step into the Fade and chase Corypheus through the Golden City of the Marker. The Anchor weighed my hand down to the floor, but I braced my knees against the stone and heaved back with all the strength I could muster in my legs.

The stone of the platform cracked around us, the air swirled and bit with crackling electricity. Stroud and Hawke stumbled back as tethers coursed around my feet and snared my ankles, igniting the sand around me into green spitting pockets of flames. Something still tugged on Erimond's side, but unless he had his own Anchor embedded into his bones, I doubted he could do much else with it.

"When I bring him your head, His gratitude will be—"

With a snarling roar, I stood and dug my heels in to haul his ass toward me.

Consume!

For a brief moment, there was a visible tether between us, a bridge that shifted between red and green, that trembled with the energy of both wielders. It was only a moment, though, because soon after I exerted my will over it, the tether splintered with a loud crack and shattered in Erimond's face, throwing him back into the wall of the watchtower.

"Kill them!" Erimond stuttered, supporting his weight against the wall to hobble away into the safety of the guards' quarters. Ferociously, the automatons of mages and demons turned like clockwork toward us and without pause launched fireballs into our faces. Hawke snagged me around the waist and threw me backward. I landed into Bull's chest with enough momentum that my Qunari spun us around and he guarded me against the wall, leaving the others to fight.

My world spun around me, the energy the Mark had utilized to contest Erimond had swallowed up a considerable amount of my reserves. Normally striking the demons with it only numbed my hand, or consumed their own energy. I suppose fighting a human would be different, as they didn't disperse as a spirit would. My vision darkened, but I could hear the clank of metal and the shots fired over the parapets of ice and energy. Bull's presence had disappeared and I was huddled into the shadow, struggling to regain my mental balance.

Not long after, the din of the fighting had simmered down into nothing. Like a pouting child, I was lifted from under my arms and stood on my feet. I swayed a bit and fell into the warm chest before me. Bull remained still, his arms covered in blood with one hand still holding his maul. Hawke appeared and reached in to check my vision, his cool hand brushing back the loose hair against my forehead.

"By the Maker, is it always like that?" Hawke asked, awed.

"Yes," Bull, Blackwall, and Dorian replied tiredly.

"Fuck you." I spat softly. I pushed off from Bull's chest and gently smacked away Hawke's hand.

"Ah, she's in good spirits!" Hawke smiled at me. A moment after, he sighed and it fell from his face, "Sad to see that they refused to listen to reason, we couldn't stop them, Inquisitor."

"You were correct," Stroud added, shifting around Hawke. "Through their ritual, the mages are slaves to Corypheus."

"And the Warden warriors?" Hawke asked.

"Sacrificed in the ritual." Stroud replied remorsefully. "What a waste to life."

I blinked hard, reaching up to remove my helmet. "Human sacrifice, demon summonings… who looks at this and thinks it's a good idea?" I shook out my head, hoping the last of the chaos from the Mark would sort itself out and leave me clear-minded. Fruitless, but the urge help giving me a sense of grounding.

"The fearful and the foolish." Hawke groused.

"The Wardens were wrong, Hawke, but they had their reasons." Stroud replied, stiffening under his armor.

"What reasons!" I argued, exhausted of the excuses. "Who! Who looks at this and says, sure! This is a grand plan! Where the fuck in the playbook of Common Sense does Demon-Summoning come in?" No one was laughing, and it was good fucking sense to keep their tongues in their mouths because I was about ready to rip them out. Stroud didn't answer me, but his dark eyes bore into mine. Most surprisingly, Blackwall remained quiet, a pace behind Dorian's shoulder, but nonetheless obedient.

"I have no excuses, Inquisitor." Stroud complied, relenting. I hadn't realized that Hawke had placed a hand on my shoulder, effectively holding me back from pouncing on Stroud.

"Everyone has a story they tell themselves to justify bad decisions… and it never matters." Hawke muttered the last part to me, his fingers gentle and firm at the junction of my shoulder and neck. Deeply, I inhaled and held my breath, puffing my cheeks comically to show that I wasn't about to lose my mind on all of them. Dorian smothered a laugh against his knuckles, but Bull chuckled openly behind me.

Relaxed, Hawke added: "In the end, we are alone with the actions we decide to take. Be grateful the Inquisitor sees this." I nodded and exhaled, understanding. Now wasn't the time to go apeshit on the only Warden to survive this encounter, not when we had other matters to attend to and subdue.

"Where's Erimond?" I asked, peering around for his body.

"I believe we now know where the Wardens are, Your Worship." Stroud replied, voice tight with anger. "Erimond fled on a horse in the direction of Adamant Fortress."

"Because of course he did!" I spat, disgusted. "Cullen was right. Back to camp, snag the horses, we need to catch up to the Chargers, now!"

-0-

"Adamant Fortress has stood against the darkspawn since the time of the Second Blight." Stroud explained as we gathered with the Chargers, a map stretched over a few pieces of flat rock and logs. Adamant Fortress was drawn out to the fullest, with pathways and entryways marked. The scroll was aging and ripped in some places, Hawke and Krem held the edges delicately.

"Fortunately for us, that means it was built before the age of modern siege equipment." Krem supplied, pointing out some of the lower walls and exposed viewports along the edges. "When Commander Cullen arrives with the trebuchets, it will do some major damage to those ancient walls."

"That's the good news." Hawke sighed.

"And the bad news?" I prompted, my shoulders tense under my armor.

"Since we've confirmed the ritual at the watchtower was a test, Erimond has had time to begin raising his army of demons in the fortress." Dorian explained with arms crossed over his chest.

"The Inquisition forces can breach the Gate, but if the Wardens already have their demons…" Stroud warned us, his glare ready to set fire to the map before us. "The most we have are these records I stole of Adamant's construction. There are choke points we can use to limit the field of battle."

"That's good, we may not be able to defeat them outright, even with the added force of the Inquisition." Hawke tugged at the edges of the map and searched the pathways for options to exert the most force with our smaller company of the Chargers.

"We can still get a head start," Krem explained, pointing out a path through the side and up the walls, "If we can cut off reinforcements, we can carve you a path to the Warden-Commander Clarel, Your Worship." I stepped away from the map and, as custom these days, ran my hands over my uncovered head. Tense, my molars clenched at the back of my mouth and I paced, ripping through my thoughts as quickly as possible.

"Taking this Fortress without the rest of the Inquisition is going to cost us a lot of Chargers," I didn't say it, but I turned toward Bull, my shoulders shivering under my armor, the promise I demanded of him echoing in my head. "Are the boys worth the gold?"

Krem spared a look to his commander, waiting.

"No," Bull answered honestly, allowing my heart to drop through my stomach. Bull straightened, "But you are. I think Krem would disown me if I let you go in there without us." I shivered from the minor heart attack that hammered in my throat.

"Damn right you are," Krem sighed in relief. He cleared his throat and focused on me, "Our boys know the risks, Your Worship, and they know what we're fighting for."

"It'll be hard-fought, no way around it." Hawke interrupted coarsely, a tremble of relief also in his voice. "But we'll get that gate open."

"It's also possible that some Wardens may be sympathetic to our cause." Blackwall finally interjected, his voice a murmur through his grief. "The warriors may be willing to listen to reason, though I doubt they will turn against Clarel directly."

"The mages, however," Hawke amended, "are still slaves to Corypheus, they will fight to the death."

Krem nodded, his gentle gaze on me. "We've ready what weapons and men we have and Cullen's men arrive by tomorrow or the day after, Your Worship. Give the word, and we march on Adamant." A new throb echoed through my heart and I pressed my hands to my face, hiding from my crew before me. The exhale that escaped me was shaky and did nothing to calm my nerves.

It's Haven all over again. Not enough men, or time, or supplies.

I inhaled.

"Carve me that path to Clarel. Keep as many men behind as you can. Distract them, keep them busy, but do not lay siege to the area unless I've completely fucked it." I let the plan slip through my lips in a rush, hoping I wasn't about to make a great mistake. Cullen's missive had given us hope that he would arrive quickly, but the more time we waited, the more demons we would have to fight. The more chances the mages in my army would be exposed and enslaved.

"Aye," Krem nodded as he listened.

"If I'm not out by the time Cullen shows up, assume that I'm dead and raize the place to stop the demons." I nearly choked on the last bit, memories of my entrapment under Haven forcing themselves to the forefront. I wasn't sure if the Wardens were going to take prisoners, but I could possibly hold out for a day or so in the hiding places of Adamant without too much trouble.

"It will be difficult keeping ourselves motivated for reinforcements once we're in there, but it should be manageable." Dorian commented, his brow raised skeptically. "We shan't be getting any sleep, it seems."

"Wait, what?" I asked in surprise.

"Oh Maker, she thought she was going in alone." Blackwall muttered in amazement. "I swear, she's dafter day after day."

"Hey!" I fumbled, flustered at the comment. Bull's arm dropped over my shoulders and dragged me into his side, a rumble of laughter bubbling up from his chest to rattle against my ribs. A flush of heat traveled up my neck from my heart and colored my ears.

"You didn't actually think you were doing this alone, right, Kadan?" Bull teased just above my head.

"Y'all are a bunch of assholes and I hate you." I muttered thickly, embarrassed, and pleased. What bastards, treating me like a loveable idiot. It was already a huge favor that I was asking the Chargers to stay and fight, I had expected Bull to remain with them, and Dorian to keep outside of the fortress due to the threat, and Blackwall was a Warden.

"Well, then. Now that it has been addressed, let's ingratiate ourselves to our hosts." Dorian smirked, flicking my forehead.

"Smarmy bastard."

-0-

Krem and Rocky managed to give us an entry around the rear of the fortress through a narrow passage that snaked around toward the back of the and Hawke had left toward the other side of the fortress to try a different entrance in case my team failed. The Warden forces hadn't yet secured the perimeter with Erimond only arriving a few hours before we did.

The entry we were using was a soldier's escape, iron bars secured together tightly with iron bindings. The gate was about ten to twelve feet tall and the stonework a foot or so higher than that. We ignored the gate, Krem and Blackwall leaned against the wall just off the side and latched onto each other arm and arm, allowing Bull to step up and reach for the high edge of the wall's drainage.

"Maker, man, what do you eat?" Blackwall grunted, heaving Bull up.

"Don't ask," Krem grunted, holding onto Blackwall's elbow tightly.

"I will drop my ass on you, I promise." Bull warned. Once he had a hold, he took a step to brace his feet against the wall and climb up to the next edge, it wasn't wider than a foot for water drainage and hooked himself just under the archer's window. From there, Dorian went up and with Bull's hand, was able to climb over the Qunari's shoulders to the next edge of the second portion of the twelve-foot height of the wall, holding onto a decorative edge just under the walkway.

"On you go, Your Worship." Krem readied his stance for my climb. With my heel in the crooks of their arms, up I went into Bull's hold, who then, in turn, hoisted me up by my waist and handed me off to Dorian. Now in the hands of my mage, I climbed over his shoulders and reached the final edge of the wall, and tumbled over onto the walkway. There were no Wardens patrolling the area yet, so I signaled the rest of them up.

Bull reached for Blackwall, who jumped up with Krem's help. The Warden scrambled up over Bull's shoulders and hauled himself up next to Dorian, and leaned on the wall with one hand gripped to the decorative edge. Both of them reached down for Bull. The Qunari yanked himself up, and with the help of the men, pushed himself up to the last stretch where I waited. I reached for his outstretched hand and heaved him up.

"Well now, that's a surprising amount of strength from you, Boss." Bull whispered teasingly. I nudged him the rest of the way over with a hard elbow into his hip, ignoring his jab. I reached for Dorian and Bull lugged Blackwall over and with that, my team was on the enemy side of the protective walls. I signaled back to Krem that we were green to go and the lieutenant disappeared back into the prickly bushes around the fortress.

"Remember, if we can sneak past them, do so. If they catch us, reason with them first." I warned my team.

"We're in a better position now than we were with the Templars, not all of them have been convinced to succumb to the changing." Blackwall agreed. Carefully and quietly, we scuttled our way through the shadows, avoiding the setting sun as much as we could and looking for a passage toward the main courtyard in the hopes of finding Clarel. The upper landings were covered in sand from years of disuse. Some of the stone was eroded and crumbling, but a few corners showed that patrols had been set up, camps shielded in the corners from the sheer wind that whipped through the area.

We had made it as far as the other end of one of the walkways when Blackwall came to a sudden halt and shoved backward into us. Stumbling, the rest of us caught ourselves against the walls and waited. Blackwall's gaze scanned the area for a moment more before he looked toward me.

"We have a group of Wardens on the lookout. I count six." Blackwall warned us. I snaked my way through them and peeked around Blackwall. The Wardens were armored and resting. They had a small fire going and there was a small pot. They either hadn't been told to expect an invasion or Erimond hadn't arrived yet. I patted Blackwall's shoulder and without warning, I snuck out and shuffled my way toward the camp.

Three hisses of angry voices followed me, but they hadn't been fast enough to catch me.

A few of the crates and barrels of water allowed me safe passage closer to the group. Patiently, I waited, listening to their chatter until one of the unlucky souls passed by me. Swiftly, as the shadow passed overhead, I stood and with the dagger from my belt, I wrapped my arm through theirs, twisted it back, and brought the knife to the edge of their jaw.

"Maker!" The Warden cried, wiggling to dislodge me. I held on tighter and bent their elbow to hold them steady. The other five heard the cry and with various limbs flailing, they snatched up their weapons and surrounded me.

"Name yourself!" One of them cried, a woman older than I was with salt slithering through her ginger hair.

"Unhand him, ser, and we'll not harm you." Another commanded gently, holding his hand out to placate me. I adjusted the knife in my hand, turning the edge to lay flat against my hostage's neck and avoid knicking him.

"Kneel." I whispered to the Warden I held.

"Nay," he replied confidently.

"All right." I answered, and willed my anger and frustration in the Mark. In the setting sun, the green flare of the Mark flared behind the Warden's back, illuminating us in a threatening glow. There was no other protest from the Warden I held, he slowly dropped to his knees and raised his chin to avoid the edge of my dagger.

"Herald." The first woman breathed in awe. She turned to her companions. "Lower your weapons!"

"How have you come by here, Your Worship?" The man who commanded the release of his friend stepped forward after sheathing his sword. They aren't hostile? Maybe there was some hope, then, that we could get through this with little bloodshed.

"How I came to be here isn't important. What do you know of Clarel's plan for the Wardens here in Adamant?" I demanded. Between the six of them, the other three remained silent, their younger faces turned toward the man and woman that held a conversation with me.

Leaders, or mentors, I ticked off.

"We know very little, Your Worship." The man answered, his gaze jumping between me and my hostage. "We were commanded to arrive at Adamant without delay. Half of our forces are already here."

"And the rest?" I demanded again, keeping my voice steady with a swallow.

"Within the next day or so." He answered carefully, head bowing shamefully. "We have abandoned our posts and left some of our conscripts, Your Worship, but beyond that, we have no information." The ginger-haired woman nodded in agreement, but her sword and shield were still raised and at the ready.

It was time to gamble.

"Warden-Commander Clarel is aligned with the Venatori. She's planning on driving you into the Deep Roads because of Corypheus' fake Calling." At their sharp inhales, I had them. "Think about it, this has all been rather abrupt and strange for you, hasn't it?"

"Warden-Commander… and the Venatori?" One of the younger ones with ashen curls hesitated.

"Lies," the one next to them spat.

"I would not risk life and limb to sneak into a Warden-ladened fortress on a lie, kid." I replied, turning the blade against my hostage's neck. The man in my hold shuddered and closed his eyes, exhaling to calm his nerves.

"Alone?" The ginger asked skeptically, her sword glinting in the dimming light.

"Alone," I lied, keeping my feet solid against the ground. "My issues are with Clarel and the premeditated murdering of her kin." Silence settled among the group. The elders shared a look and the male turned his placating hand to his ginger-haired counterpart. Finally, she sheathed her sword.

"We knew something was amiss when the Warden-Commander demanded the arrest of Stroud. He is a good man." The man sighed and shook his head. "Then when she demanded that we come to this dilapidated fortress, my suspicions grew."

"She's been muttering to herself, of demons and decisions. Ill-talk in these dark times." The ginger-haired woman murmured, leaning against her shield to keep it firmly in front of her. She nodded to the hostage, "Allow Dunbar his freedom, and we'll speak on equal terms, Your Worship."

Without hesitation, I released the man from my grip and removed the knife from his neck. He rubbed at it as he stood and stumbled toward his companions, muttering fearfully. The woman placed her shield to one side against a crate. The first man relaxed and took another step forward, his gaze flashing to my pulsing green hand.

"Please, Your Worship, we want no part of Clarel's dealings. I know not what is true or a lie, but my men will stay back, if you allow it." He asked, bowing his head again as he begged.

"Where is Clarel?" I deflected, knowing I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make this situation easier for my team and me.

"She had been called away to urgent business, to the main courtyard. A few of us remain to watch for invaders." The man replied instead. Something seemed to click behind his eyes and he paled starkly in the growing twilight. "... The Inquisition."

"Correct," I congratulated him sourly. "My men are here to take the fortress and stop Livius Erimond from taking Clarel and the Wardens in his ritual."

The ginger-haired woman snarled, "That snake. He's the Venatori? I knew he smelt foul."

"Let me through, take the men you can and abandon the fortress. Commander Cullen has been ordered to take it by force. You have until tomorrow." I warned with a wave. The mentors jerked as if to stop me, but the woman thought better of it and started barking orders to the younger Wardens, collecting their supplies and weapons. I slid back into the hiding place with my companions and almost immediately, Blackwall's grip snatched me up by the scruff of my armored neck and nearly held me up on my toes.

"What were you thinking?" Blackwall growled at me. It was comical, being held up by my neck like a puppy. I shrugged as best I could, keeping my toes extended so I would just dangle painfully from the belts around my shoulder and across my collarbone.

"Spywork." I answered smartly. "Look, we're pretty blind here, and if I could convince them to book it while they were flatfooted."

"On the very slim chance they didn't just attack you from the start," Blackwall inserted with a hot whisper of anger.

"Which is precisely why I caught me a hostage, hello." I deadpanned. "Blackwall, put me down, you lug. We're running out of time and Hawke's going to wonder where we are." The Warden narrowed his eyes at me and gently released me so I could stand on my own feet. I patted his chest affectionately and floated around him carefully so we could continue our silent invasion toward the courtyard.

As we snuck further into the fortress, the number of Wardens continued to grow. Even at half the population that was expected, it was a hefty amount of people set up to defend the crumbling stronghold. Thankfully, the fortress was built a bit like Skyhold with thin, narrow passages that allowed servants or fleeing soldiers to swim through the veins of the fortress, unseen by its inhabitants. There were still moments we had to pause or rest in a bailey to hide from slow patrols or a camping group.

There was no sign of Stroud or Hawke.

We had to avoid using the high walkways or main corridors, which made maneuvering with Bull far more difficult. Once we had made it past the inner hallways, we came to the gate that secured the main courtyard against unwanted visitors. It had been hours, the moon was nestled above our heads and blinked at us through the clouds.

"This is the last step," Dorian murmured from our hiding place in the guardhouse near the gate. "Once we open that door, we alert the fortress to our presence and there is no retreating the way we came."

"Not as if we could return," Blackwall replied dejectedly. "We have been tremendously lucky to get this far." I stared at the gate, wondering what we would find on the other side. Would this be the moment my luck ran out? Would my guys hit a dead end, caught up in Erimond's twisted plans? There was no way to tell and I was too far over the cliff to let regret swallow me up. Thoughtlessly, I stuck my hand out, palm to the ground and fingers splayed out completely.

"Love?" Dorian questioned quietly.

"Put your hands on top of mine, like this." I placed my other hand over my first. With a raised eyebrow, Dorian did as I asked. I removed my second hand and nudged Bull with my shoulder. He placed his hand with missing fingers over Dorian's and finally, Blackwall's rested at the top. I inhaled deeply and placed my second hand on top of them all.

"Whatever happens, I hope you guys know I wouldn't do this with anyone else at my side." I said lamely, losing my nerve at the last second to blurt out the you're the best, I love you guys. The emotion shriveled up.

"To the end, my darling." Dorian agreed.

"I follow you," Blackwall murmured softly.

"Horns up, Kadan!" Bull grinned.

"Horns up!" I stole his motto and bounced our hands before shoving them all up in a team salute that only I would understand. Blackwall stared at me in absolute confusion, but Dorian and Bull seemed to have caught the drift of what I was intending. With that, I shifted to the side and waved Bull toward the gate's lever. Dorian, Blackwall, and I readied at the mouth of the entrance to rush in once it was open.

What greeted us was a horror scene. Ten or twenty Wardens had gathered in the main courtyard, Clarel and Erimond stood at an overhang that addressed the room at large, and in the center was a crater that was slowly growing larger as a pit of Fade energy surged from within the depths. At the croaking groan of the gate, their full attention landed on us. Bull switched to the other lever and yanked it to shut the door with all of us inside. No one escaped, no one would leave until it was settled.

"See!" Erimond howled. "You waste your time on posturing and grandstanding while the Inquisition comes to thwart your plans!"

"Warden-Commander, listen to me, please!" I held my hands up, my maul firmly holstered on my back. I needed her to listen, I needed to correct her course and hope I wasn't too late to save her and her Wardens. The Wardens which, at present, were brandishing their weapons in our direction. My gaze scanned the parapets just above Clarel's platform, looking for any sign of Hawke or Stroud, but there were no moving shadows above her head.

"You can't stop what is already in motion, Inquisition!" Clarel barked from her high landing. "We have the means to stop the Blight, and we shall do so, as is our duty!"

"What duty!" Stroud's voice ripped from overhead, his figure peering over the edge of the wall. "What duty calls to sacrifice good men and women for the madness of another, I ask you!"

Clarel reared up on her heels, her attention snapping to Stroud, "We make the sacrifices no one else will! Our warriors die proudly for a world that will never thank them!"

"And then your Tevinter ally binds the mages to Corypheus, I have seen it!" Stroud rebutted with a shout. "Listen to us, Clarel, see the evidence with your own eyes!"

"... Corypheus?" Clarel faltered, taking a weak step back. "But… he's dead."

Erimond snarled into Clarel's face, "These people will say anything to shake your confidence, Clarel!"

Clarel seemed to hesitate, bringing her hands to her face. The silence deafened the courtyard and the heartbeats of the people around me bled into the pulse of the Mark. Clarel's resolved wavered and for a moment, I saw it; we had won.

"Bring it through," Clarel commanded the Wardens.

Until we lost.

"Please!" Hawke cried, jumping down into the courtyard with Stroud. "I have seen more than my share of blood magic! It is never worth the cost!"

"I trained half of you myself!" Stroud pleaded, crowding around us with Hawke, his voice desperate. "Do not make me kill you to stop this madness!"

Suddenly, my eyes felt bloated and my temples pulsed with a searing heat. Something screamed from beyond the Veil, tearing at the fabric between the realities, demanding release. I gagged and held my throat, yanking off my helmet as sulfur and rotten fish assaulted my nose. The helmet clanked as it fell and I turned to Clarel, murderous.

"Listen to me!" I demanded viciously, my throat clogged and my voice thick. "I have no quarrel with the Wardens, I have spared those I could because this isn't right! None of you should die for the experiment of one Venatori! You know this is true!" A murmur of discontent and distrust echoed through the Wardens that guarded us, some lowered their weapons and others turned to Clarel, waiting for her excuses.

"You cannot let fear sway your mind, Wardens!" Clarel countered heatedly, her glare thrown my way.

"He's not afraid," Hawke growled, stalking his pace to the Wardens that stood between us. "You are. You're afraid that you ordered all these brave men and women to die for nothing!"

"I honor your bravery, my brother and sisters!" Stroud raised his hands, asking for surrender. "But this is not the way. You have been tricked." Once again, the Wardens hesitated and turned toward Clarel with confusion in their gazes. Clarel, in turn, focused her gaze on Erimond.

"Clarel," Erimond soothed, "We have come so far. You're the only one who can do this."

Clarel, thankfully, hesitated. "Perhaps we could test the truth of these charges, to avoid more bloodshed."

"Or perhaps I should bring in a more reliable ally." Erimond scoffed, turning away from her. "My Master thought you might come here, Inquisitor! He sent me this to welcome you!" No sooner had Erimond tapped his staff against the stone than the screech of that insufferable corpse dragon split the air above my head. A jolt of white pain speared through my Mark and caused my knees to buckle. Bull snatched the back of my armored collar and heaved me away, shielding me from the tremors and blast of fire.

The dragon flew over our heads and crashed through pillars and walls, throwing the broken stones onto our heads. More fire streaked through the air and both my companions and the Wardens ducked for cover. Bull and I pressed against an alcove with me tucked under his arm, searching for Clarel. Blackwall had his shield up from around another pillar with Dorian just behind him. I had lost sight of Stroud and Hawke once again.

"Clarel, wait!" Erimond's voice pleaded from somewhere across the courtyard. Shots of magic screamed through the tension and collided against the rotting hide of the dragon. Angered, the blighted creature swung down to blast fire at Clarel, providing Erimond a path to escape.

"Help the Inquisitor!" Clarel screamed, leaping over the flames and chasing after Erimond. In the confusion, the Wardens searched for me and my companions. I scurried out from my hiding place, intent on following Erimond.

"Take your brethren and abandon the fortress!" I commanded them as I slipped toward Clarel's escape, "Surrender yourself to the Bull's Chargers under the banner of the Inquisition!" There was no time to wait for their affirmation. My companions, Hawke, and Stroud followed on my heels as I peeled through the fortress, hot on Clarel's chase of Erimond.

We were led through several pathways and cut through multiple hallways before coming to a broken bridge area where Erimond had made his stand, his staff at the ready, flaming and sparking with his magic. Clarel stood on the other end, her back to us, the staff she wielded spinning over her head, cracking with lightning.

"You've destroyed the Grey Wardens!" Clarel accused, slinging another lightning strike and knocking Erimond on his ass. We were nearly at them, where they battled at the edge of the crumbling bridge.

"You did that yourself, you stupid bitch." Erimond laughed wetly, bracing himself on his elbow against the stone floor. "All I did was dangle a little power before your eyes, and you couldn't wait to get your hands bloody!"

Clarel didn't take too kindly to that and slapped him with another frightening spell. Erimond took it to the face and skidded across the bridge toward me. I pulled my maul from its holster and stood guard at the mouth of the bridge, his only feasible exit. My companions spread out along either side of my stance, with Hawke and Stroud taking a few steps in front of me.

"You could have served a new god." Erimond groaned, rolling in pain.

"I will never serve the Blight." Clarel growled, raising her staff for the last blow.

"Clarel, wait!" I jumped my way forward to defend Erimond, not willing to lose a valuable well of information. Not that it mattered, as from one second to the last, the dragon that had been summoned crashed down on our heads and snatched Clarel up in its mouth.

Holy fuck!

The dragon circled us overhead and landed on the nearby parapets. It shook its head and mauled Clarel's body before tossing her to one side, her body ragdolling over the cobblestone like Erimond's had done before. With a roar, the dragon stalked down from its ledge and stomped toward us. I raised my Marked hand, ready to strip the Veil between us in any effort to defend us from the demonic creature.

"In war, victory…" Clarel's weak voice called up from her puddle of blood. She turned onto her back, one arm had been ripped from her shoulder, but the other remained and she raised it, aiming for the dragon's chest over her. "In peace, vigilance…"

"Clarel, no!" I screamed, but it was too late. The Warden-Commander fired her shot and the lightning struck true, crashing into the scales of the mutated dragon. The creature had already lunged for us, but the force of the blast had it careening out of control as it tripped and crashed into the stone bridge.

"Everyone, move!" I shouted, tumbling off to the side and hoping to dash my way back up the bridge. Dorian's shout behind me had my head turning to find him, only to realize that the bridge was disappearing under my feet. The dragon clawed at the edge as it rolled and fell over into the abyss below. Hawke and Stroud disappeared with it.

"Kadan!" Bull shouted from somewhere over my shoulder. Without a thought, I made a mad dash toward Dorian and dove for him at the edge of the bridge. I managed to grip his arm, but the stone was shifting under us. Even as I managed to get my mage up and over the edge, a sickening crack sliced through the ground and in a moment, we drifted in space.

Then the plummet.

I screamed as I fell, my body twisted in the air aimlessly and I couldn't see the bottom of the ravine. My Mark pulsed with a deepening fear and a painful strike of grief. The green light of my palm flashed to life and thoughtlessly, I reached out to the approaching ground below me and swiped my fingers through the thin air.

Consume!

A mouth unzipped with a maddening cackle, and I was swallowed.