Chapter 29: Shepherding Wolves pt3

When the Ashkaari looked upon the destruction wrought by locusts,

He saw at last the order in the world.

A plague must cause suffering for as long as it endures,

Earthquakes must shatter the land.

They are bound by their being.

Asit tal-eb. It is to be.

For the world and the self are one.

Existence is a choice.

A self of suffering, brings only suffering to the world.

It is a choice, and we can refuse it.—An excerpt from The Qun, Canto 4

The Undercity

The fighting was done and all around the gang was burned corpses from Ketojan's rampage. The qunari mage burned brighter than any flame they have seen before, and was without restraint. Anymore of this and Ketojan flames would consume them all. Ericks ran up to him. "The danger has passed, Ketojan. Settle down, now!" Right on cue, the qunari calmed himself and went right back to being quiet.

"Huh you did what I said, did I hit the right phrase or something?" Ketojan just looked at him and growled. Ericks sighed. "Right…Could have expected that answer"

"Maker, what brought that on, I wonder?" Sebastian asked.

"It could be because the leader threatened Hawke" Anders said.

"We just knew him for a moment, why would he protect me?" Ericks asked. Ketojan just growled. "How much of this is just blind instinct, I wonder" Another growl.

"You can't just gesture or 'stomp your for yes' of something?" Another growl from the qunari.

Merrill tilted her head. "Why does that woman think he wants to leave? He's just…sort of great lump"

"Let's get you out of here before you 'help' again"


Wounded Coast

The gang continued on through a long cavern which spilled out into the Wounded Coast. Ericks took a deep breath; it was good to smell the outside after dealing with the dung of the Undercity. As they went down the hill, the gang spotted a group of Qunari that had made camp; one of them spotted the gang. An armored qunari approached them his face was obscured by his helmet, the rest of qunari gathered around him. "You will hold basra vasheden. I am Arvaarad, and I claim possession of Saarebas at your heel" he said. "The members of his karataam was killed by Tal-Vashoth, but their disposal leads only here, to Saarebass and you"

"Well would you look at that, more qunari, who would have guessed?" Ericks asked dryly.

"You speak as if ignorance is your natural condition. The bodies of his slain karataam could lead only here" The Arvaarad said. "I do not know how you come to hold his leash, but you have no claim in the Qun. He will be returned and this crime cleansed"

"And if he doesn't want to go back?" The Arvaarad walked up and looked at Ketojan.

"Saarebas! Show that your will remains bound to the Qun" Ketojan kneels in compliance. "He has only followed you because he wants to be led; he is allowed no other purpose"

"You don't care that someone abused your dead to get you here?" Ericks asked.

"No doubt they were cast from your shoulders as you or your partner thieves grew weak" he said. "It is a crime whose victims are beyond caring. It will be dealt with, but the greater threat is clear"

"It is my role to secure Saarebas. It is the role of another to purge the perversions of your kind"

Anders frowned. "He is bound and abused, and you want him caged. Why?"

"The power that he has, that all saarebas has, draws from chaos and demons. They can never be in control"

"So you fear them" he said in disdain. "Like so many others"

"We leash Saarebas because they are dangerous and contagious" the qunari said. "Not even your Templars fully grasp that threat"

"I'm not giving him to you" Ericks said. "He'll choose his own path"

"He wants what the Qun demands, he is nothing else" The Arvaarad took out a golden rod. "You, basra, your kind have no sense. The opportunity for reason will be forced upon you" The starts to glow and he then points it at Ketojan freezing him in place. "You will all be brought to the Qun" The qunari attacked, Merrill formed her rock armor and zapped them with lightning. Sebastian took cover and hit them with a volley of arrows while Anders rained fire down upon their heads. Ericks coated his daggers in poison and slashed the vital points causing the qunari to die a painful death. More came over the ridge and threw spears at the gang; Anders and Merrill cast a barrier around everyone to deflect the spears while the prince shot the qunari in the head. Ericks threw a frost grenade to freeze the approaching warriors in place allowing Merrill to shatter them with her rock fist. As soon as all of the Qunari were dealt with, the gang headed back to Ketojan who was still frozen.

"Can you stand?" Ketojan pointed to the golden rod near the dead Arvaarad. Ericks picked it up…he couldn't make heads or tails of the contraption. He held it over his knew and broke it in half. The bindings broke and Ketojan was able to stand again.

"I am…unbound. Odd…wrong…but you deserve honor" he said. It seems that rod did more than just restrict his movements; it allowed Ketojan to talk again. "You are now Basvaarad, worthy of following. I thank your intent, even if it was…wrong" He turned and looked out on the coast.

"I know the will of Avaarad. I must return as demanded. It is wisdom…of the Qun"

Ericks sighed. "I save you and you still want to die, that's some logic you got there"

"I do not want to die; I want to live by the Qun"

"Which means dying"

"Yes, is that hard to grasp?" Ketojan asked.

"Avaarad couldn't kill us perhaps he was wrong about your death too" Sebastian said.

"Losing to you does not make him wrong, he spoke the Qun" the qunari said. "I have chosen, it is bred in the bone"

"You speak as if existence is a…choice"

"It is the only choice. Asit tal-eb, it is to be" Ketojan said. "But I'm not the one you should be worried about…the sister was not honest" Ericks raised a brow, the qunari couldn't say what she wanted but it was certainty not of the Qun. When he was picked up by the Templar, Ketojan could smell death on him.

"Others of your kind live outside of the Qun, you could join them" Ericks said.

Ketojan scoffed. "They are not my kind, I am Qunari, and they are not" he said. "They have refused what they are. I…can't choose to 'not be'"

"So even if let those other qunari live, you would still die"

"I was outside my karataam. I may be corrupted, I cannot know. How I return is my choice"

Anders shook his head in disbelief. "Of all the ridiculous, spineless, mind-controlled, senseless piece of shit arguments I've ever heard!"

"What comfort has freedom brought you, mage? You would have more if you submitted to the Qun"

Ericks shook his head and sighed. "Do what you want" he said. "My job ended when we exited the city"

"You know of certainty and borders, you are closer to the qunari than you admit" Ketojan said. "Your role would change little if you accepted the Qun"

"More like I know not to waste my breath on someone that committed to die" Ketojan gave Ericks a talisman.

"Take this secret thing, Basvaarad, remember this day" The qunari turned around and then immolated himself to the shock of the gang. There was no cries, no scream and all that was left of the qunari named Ketojan was a smoldering corpse.

"What is wrong with these things?!" Anders asked angrily.

"That was not right. It wasn't, was it?" Merrill asked.

"She may not have known about this, but clearly Petrice set up a trail right to us" Ericks said. "That bitch owes us some answers" The gang headed back to Kirkwall.


Lowtown-Old City Slums

By the gang made it back to Kirkwall night had sat in. Inside the old house, Petrice and Varell was about make their getaway. "Leave nothing; it must be clean with no ties. It…" The gang came in looking very unhappy. Petirce looked very surprised to see them. "Hawke, it was Hawke, right? From the streets?" she asked innocently. "You…took the Qunari from the city? Without incident?"

"Don't be like that, you know we know" Merrill said.

"Mind your tongue, elf"

"Please speak your mind"

"Ok tell me why I shouldn't gut the two of you and leave you in the harbor for fish to eat?" Ericks asked. "Because I have to tell you that is looking like a very tempting decision"

"Whether you believe it or not, I wished you no harm. That might have been useful for someone, but still regrettable" Petrice said. "A massacre of citizens protecting a slave might have forced the Chantry to doubt appeasement, to see the Qunari for the monsters they are"

"You would sacrifice innocent people to fuel your war with the Qunari?!" Sebastian asked in horror. "That is monstrous! The Maker would not stand this!"

"What I do is in the name of the Maker" she said. "Perhaps finding the mage was a rushed opportunity. If such a plot existed, I see how it might be…disagreeable to you"

"Your 'Ketojan' killed himself rather than be free" Ericks said. "Your little plan had holes in it"

"I assumed he wanted to escape, just as I would. My pity is genuine, but they are not like us" Ericks could only scoff, even now she denies what she did. He really wanted to kill her but he didn't want cause trouble for himself and his friends. Petrice took out a sack fat with coin. "Take your coin. Disappear back into Lowtown"

Ericks crossed his arms and frowned. "Shove it up your ass, bitch"

"Just like a dog lord, rest assure that I will not make the mistake of looking for help outside the faithful again" Petrice said. "The stakes…eternity…are just too high" She and her bodyguard left the house.

"She is going to be trouble…" Merrill said.

"Ugh, let's get out of here…I need to take a shower after this shit" The gang scattered and headed home to hopefully get the bad taste of this experience out of their mouths. Ericks was walking Merrill home.

"So the expedition is coming up tomorrow"

"Yep, I'll be away from Kirkwall for a few weeks" Ericks said. "If everything goes well, the Hawke family will soon be living well in Hightown"

"I would like to come with you" Ericks looked at her. "What?"

"Uh, you sure that's a good idea? I mean getting lost in Kirkwall is one thing, but we're heading into the Deep Roads there will be darkspawn"

"I can take care of myself, Ericks besides I always wanted to learn about dwarven things" Merrill said. "I've never seen one before"

Ericks scratches his head and sighed. "Well more magic is always a welcome" he said. "Just be careful…alright?"

The elf smiled. "Alright!"


Hightown

The next day Ericks and Bethany joined Varric and headed for Hightown where Bartrand was making the last of his preparation. "Watch it you idiots!" Bartrand barked. "That equipment costs more than you do!" The expedition was huge; Bartrand had to twist a lot of arms to get some of mercenary bands to sign on along with the excavation crew. By the end of his wheeling and dealing, the expedition had a good five hundred plus people to work the area. Bartrand turned and frowned. "Varric! Where did you get off to? And what are you planning?"

"Bartrand! So suspicious! I have, in fact, brought us our future partner!"

"Partner?! Why you stupid, nug-humping dirt farm!" Bartrand yelled. "Why did you go promising something like that?!" Varric nodded to Ericks and he showed the large sack of coin to Bartrand…the older dwarf quickly shut up.

"Because if we don't get this expedition moving, Brother, then we won't have any profits to argue about, will we?"

The Expedition begins! Next Time! Review and Comment!