Chapter 0ne
Cullen had been sitting in his tent when it all happened, mages and Templars alike had been pouring in and past Haven for days, both treating him with the same level of distrust. Still most had avoided staying in the village directly as both sides were trying to avoid the other and the only permanent guest where pilgrims and his recruits, if you could call a handful of farm hands and disheartened Templars recruits.
Cassandra had recruited him to lead the inquisitions forces, kindly failing to mention that technically the inquisition didn't exist yet, it was the Divines backup plan a last resort for if the conclave failed, the fact was both her right and left hand where convinced that it would fail miserably and where acting accordingly didn't make it any easier to muster a force without a cause.
Cullen just wished that the conclave would end one way or another and soon, he was never good at doing nothing with too much time on his hands he always found himself lost in the darkest corners of his memory and without lyrium he found peace nether night or day, let the conclave end so he had something to do.
Cullen had never regretted his wish so quickly as that moment for the thought had barely left his head when the ground began to violently shake seconds before a deafening blast knocked him and everything else to the floor.
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Cassandra was on her way to the temple or Sacred Ashes when the blast had occurred, she had been in Haven only a few days having arrived from Kirkwall with Varric and its few remaining Templars, she had taken the Dwarf to the temple sooner eager for him to share his story, hoping his connection to the champion alone would hold enough weight for people actually listen.
However Divine Justina had told he to wait, let the anger and hate of both sides burn out and when everyone was tired of fighting then bring the Dwarf, his tale of Templar abuse driving mages to blood magic and in turn blood magic reinforcing the Templars fears for mages would fail to convince anyone that the war was both unnecessary and pointless while tempers ran hot.
By the fourth day however Cassandra was over it, stuck in haven guarding Varric was trying her patience, reports indicated the conclave was failing and though that wasn't unexpected every day it continued made the entire gathering more volatile.
She didn't trust anyone, she didn't trust the Templars to not take advantage of the situation to try and wipe out the mage uprising, she didn't trust the mages to keep the heads cool and their magic in check, she didn't trust Varric not to run given the first opportunity, she didn't trust that Divine Justina would recognise the danger she was in till it was too late and mostly she didn't trust herself.
Past caring whether the conclave succeeded or failed she grabbed Varric and ordered him up the mountain, Lilliana spotted them on the way towards the bridge leading out of Haven and trotted over to them concern in her eyes.
"Cassandra had the Divine finally sent word for you?" her voice seemed relieved.
"No she has not" Cassandra didn't turn her gaze from Varric if he was going to run now would be the time beside she didn't need to see Lilliana face to her the disapproval in her voice
"Then what are you doing?" Her voice raising in pitch "Justina said to wait"
"I've had enough, this is ridiculous we've been stuck in haven for days the conclave is getting us nowhere and every day the Divine is up their without us she is in mortal danger"
"what do you think barging in will accomplish?"
"It will accomplish ending this maddens, it's been days Lilliana if they are still not willing to listen then they never will be, tempers will just continue to rage out of control till the entire conclave is prime to explode"
Varric who was short tempered himself after days of confinement turned towards them both halting their progress "if anyone one is about to explode Seeker my money is on you"
"Shut up Varric" she snapped angrily "I thought you of all people would be eager to get this over with, once this is over you can leave after all"
"And lose the joy of your company why would I want that?" he turned away from them and continued his trek up the snowy mountain Cassandra following right behind.
"Cassandra do you think this is wise?"
"It may not be wise but I believe it is necessary" Lilliana arched one of her eyebrows unconvinced and waiting for an explanation "There is something wrong Lilliana, the divine is in danger, we are her left and right hand and right now she needs us something is wrong, something has changed I can feel it"
Lilliana didn't argue with her further nodding her head slightly she continued to follow them up the hill, it had been a long time since she had taken any stock in gut feelings, they were rarely useful indications of true information however even she had awoken that morning with an uneasy knot in her stomach.
Their accent was rather slow, Varric wasn't partially well built to trudge up hill in snow three inches' deep, none of them had eaten and so when the rumbling first began Varric had been sure it was just his stomach however soon all three of them struggling to keep their balance as the rumble grew in strength and shook the ground
"What the?..." Cassandra said as she steadied herself on the nearby fence.
"Cassandra" Lilliana cried out "look" her voice was pained and her eyes had tears in them, her two companions followed her gaze and adopted her pain, the Temple that had loomed off in the distance was shaking and groaning under an unseen force.
"Oh shit" whispered Varric, Cassandra however was silent her hand grasping the hilt of her blade and time seemed to stand still the moment before the explosion hanging in the air then the Temple gave way to a green flame that had formed in its centre pushing out it walls and blasting debris in every direction.
A sound wave followed the explosion with the force of a mountain behind it knocking them off their feet as the green flames shot skywards cracking the heavens in a secondary explosion a eerie green glow now inhabited the clouds as the swirled around the gaping hole in the sky.
People were screaming as flames and lighting began to fall from the Breach some blasts as big as boulders crashed into the snow one landed up the hill from them and the three watched in horror a demons emerged from the smoke, it was at that point that they collectively realised that the explosion had torn the veil asunder.
"Oh maker" whispered Varric "Help us all"
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She didn't know where she was, it was dark and twisted she could feel magic cracking in the air, she was more scared than she had ever been and recently she had been scared a lot.
She didn't know where she was going but she stumbled in the dark heading towards a light in the distance, that had to be better than standing in the dark.
As she drew closer she saw a person silhouetted within the light glowing brightly she realised this person was the light. It called out to her but she couldn't hear what they were saying she began to climb upwards the person reaching for her.
A movement from behind caught her attention looking back she screamed creatures made of eyes, fangs and legs scuttled after her closing the distanced quickly. She scurried up the stair scrambling against the stone her fear intensified the person was so close now a lady made of light and warmth she reached out to take her hand only to have her own hand burst into pain
She was falling now the lady of light was gone and so where the monsters, she tumbled onto the ground everything hurt people where rushing over and then everything fell away to darkness once more
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
After the explosion Cullen had stumbled out of his tent to discover the horror that was the breach, half dazed it took him a second to realise that the temple was missing and the sky was broken soldiers ran past him and he caught him by the arm screaming to hear himself over the ringing in his ears "Where is seeker Cassandra!" he barked.
"She was last seen with the nightingale and the dwarf from Kirkwall" the man hesitated not wishing to continue.
"What is it!" Cullen demanded
"They were heading towards the" the solider looked over at the giant hole in the sky still hesitant to speak "Towards the Temple"
Cullen followed his gaze the Temple of sacred Ashes was now reduced to ash itself if they had been inside at the time it would be unlikely that he would even be able to recognise their bodies if he found them.
Still he had to try whatever or whoever had done this had ruined all chances of peace that was for certain and if the left and right hand of the Divine had perished with her then there was nobody left who stood a chance to restore order, if they lived he needed to find them.
As he pushed past villagers he heard people yelling of demons further up the path, grabbing any abled bodied person who knew how to handle a blade or bow he urged them forward with talk of survivors and duty and though most had little training and less reason to follow him they fell in line, what they lacked in numbers and knowledge they made up for in heart.
So far from the breach in the veil they faced little resistance and much to his surprise and relief Seeker Cassandra had not even reached the second bridge on the path towards the Temple
"Seeker Cassandra" his called rushing towards them flowing of him as they reunited.
"Commander" she greeted seeming to be as glad to see him as he was her "The Temple is gone" her voice broke a little as she relayed the information "and demons seem to fall freely from a breach in the veil"
"I know" he replied trying desperately not to think about it "we need to reach the temple before the demons overwhelm us"
"It's too risky" cried Lilliana "the demons will be more concentrated closer to the breach"
"We have to try" he demanded "something or someone created that explosion and is responsible for this if we can find out what or who did this we may be able to stop it otherwise Thedas will be overrun with demons within weeks"
"There may also be saviours who need our help" Varric met his eyes and they shared a look of bitter remembrance, this scene was too familiar for both of them and Varric at that moment was both regretting and rejoicing and his decision to hide the location of Hawke from Cassandra.
Hours later saw the group nearing the Temple the fighting had been fierce and unending for every demon that was vanquished two more fell from the sky it was hard to imagine any remained in the fade yet the still came and Cullen couldn't help but wonder how more mages didn't fall to possession if so many demons existed, a mage in the fade must be outnumbered a thousand to one. Nine-hundred and ninety-nine to one he corrected himself as another demon fell before him.
The only relief that time had offered was the continued trickle of new fresh soldiers, men and woman who had been on their way to the conclave already or just people from the soundings areas who had witnessed the blast firsthand and had raced toward Haven offering their assistance.
However, time had its downside he was tiring and he wasn't the only one, Cassandras shield seem to drop lower each hour and Lilliana and Varric where low on ammunition and the soldiers he had dragged out of haven had long fallen behind, it had not been for naught however they had taken the third and finale bridge, the Temple was just up the path and on the other side of one finale hill.
"Commander we need to rest" Cassandra was normally the last to request a break but now she leaned heavily against the stone railing her breathing laboured
"No we're so close just…"
"Just a thousand more demons to go" Varric looked past him towards the path "Listen Curly we can't reach the temple if we're dead lets rest restock our supplies while Lillianas men scout ahead"
The plan though sound was unpleasant to Cullen but he couldn't deny the ache of his own muscles "Fine" he threw down his shield in defeat, it hit the ground with a loud clang and he collapsed with his back against the railing it felt so good to be sitting he didn't even notice the coldness of the stone "an hour we can rest an hour"
"Yes Curly rest" Varric sat beside him groaning in pain "ahhh shit why does this feel so familiar"
Cullen snorted in disgusted amusement "what fighting a hoard of demons prefaced by a massive explosion where have we done that before?" it was rhetoric he felt he had done this one too many times now
"No not that Curly I can feel it just before it hits something big is about to happen"
"You're confused Varric" Cassandra injected "possibly delirious something big has already happened"
"Explosions and demons? That's a Tuesday in Kirkwall I'm talking bigger than big it's the same feeling I got right before I met Hawke" Varric realised how insensitive he must sound but he couldn't help feeling that the world was about to shift for a second time that day
Backup began to arrive at that point, people with supplies who had been setting up makeshift camps along the path to provide rest and emergency care to the wounded had finally caught up to them. Lilliana sent two teams out one towards the temple and another up the mountain path seeking saviours she then collapsed beside Cassandra both the Left and Right hand looked so drained like their entire world had come crashing in around them and considering how close they had both been to the Divine that was not far from the truth.
"Tell it to me straight Lilliana" Cassandra said softly exhaustion seeped into her every word "how did this happen and can we stop it"
"Honestly?" Lilliana looked skyward the green glow of the breach swirling above them "I don't know" this admittance unnerved Cassandra more than she would admit she had only ever known her as the left hand of the divine, a powerful spymaster that always seemed to know everything about everyone.
Healers arrived and rejuvenate magic began to course through them, bones knitted, cuts closed and bruises faded under the flow of mana.
Cullen closed his eyes and relaxed under the mages affects, it had been years since any mage had willing done him such a kindness. His breathing had slowed considerably and he was at great risk of falling asleep when running footsteps broke the trance he had been in, opening his eyes he spotted three scouts running back from the temple.
"WE NEED A STRECHER!" a female voice screamed and one of the scouts halted before them. The other two grabbed a stretcher directly out of a healers grasp and shot back up the hill without saying a word "Madam Seeker!" called the one that remained she was doubled over as trying to catch her breath.
"What is it" Cassandra was on her feet within second trailed by the others
"We have found a survivor within the temple"
"Alive? Impossible nobody could survive that blast" Cullen eyed the scout wearingly the poor girl must be hallucinating
"I saw her with my own eyes she fell out of the fade"
"She?!" cried Lilliana "Is it the Divine"
The scout was taken back by such a question "Err I don't know… I don't think… No not the Divine I'm sure but her hand pulses with the magic of the breach" All four exchanged glances a woman possessing the magic of the breach, more likely the culprit than a survivor.
"Take us to her" the scout raised her arm across her chest in salute and turned on her heel as they followed her up the mountain and Lilliana began to integrate her scout.
"Did she say anything?"
"She fell unconscious immediately"
"is she a mage?"
"I don't know"
"Why do you say she fell from the fade how is that possible?"
"A crack in the veil appeared like the one in the sky only much smaller"
Cullen interrupted the scout to Lillianas annoyance "Yes we saw them in the distance on our way up releasing demons in waves"
"This one released no demon sir only her, there was another person a woman standing behind her"
"A woman?"
"Yes but she didn't come through"
They had reached the summit of the mountain without spotting any demons so the scouts had either dealt with all that had appeared or none had done so close to the breach, as the temple ruins came into view the party stood in silent horror.
There was nothing of substance left, what was once a mighty cathedral was now just rock and rubble, mighty statues and grand pieces of art most of it from the ancient age was gone in a single blast a thousand years and more of their history erased in seconds.
The residue magic made the hair on their neck prickle to think of the sheer power needed to be able to cause such destruction almost shivering in fear.
"Please tell me you have restrained the prisoner" Cullen asked with a slight croak in his voice
"No sir" all head snapped around to look at the scout in horror "it seemed unnecessary"
"Unnecessary?" Cassandra cried indignantly "Do you not see the destruction she had caused?"
"It seems unlikely that she was responsible"
"Based on what evidence" Lilliana demanded grabbing her by the arm
"She does not look capable of it she seems too…"
"Too what?"
"Young"
Eyes flipped around as the two scout from before now walked back towards them carrying a stretcher, any preconceptions that they had evaporated into thin air as the body lying in it came into view.
A small human child, a little girl who could be no older than ten lay covered in soot but seemingly unharmed except for her left hand that pulsed with the same green glow as the breach above.