Arcane Warrior

Chapter 3

Bound in Blood and Magic

Part 2

Betrayal

Alim walked slowly out of the Chantry on leaden feet, his footsteps slow and ponderous as his mind was burdened by thoughts of what he should do with the information he just received from his lifelong friend.

Jowan, who had always been a good friend to him and the other apprentice mages, consorting with a chantry sister. Everyone knew he was a little soft in the head, but this... this was sheer madness.

Every mage knew that romantic relations of any sort were forbidden in the tower, though not quite to the point of punishment, due primarily to Gregoir's rather liberal stance on mage treatment.

But a relationship between a mage and a chantry initiate? The best-case scenario would be for Lily to oust Jowan as a maleficar, as in that case it would only be him to be punished for his own actions.

The worst-case scenario however would be for Lily and Jowan to defend their love as true as they had told him and choose to share in the punishment for their actions. If that were to happen, the templars would most likely restrict the rules on relations further to the point of punishment.

Perhaps things would get so bad that the knight commander would invoke the Right of Tranquility for any mage who was caught taking a lover like he had heard tell from the mages transferred from some of the stricter circles.

The sense of bliss left from his parting with Leorah was now lost, replaced with the knowledge that his friend might very well be put through the Right of Tranquility in the near future, that said friend had an illegal affair with an initiate of the Chantry, was suspected to be a blood mage, and that said friend wanted Alim to make him an apostate.

True, he was only assuming the latter most detail, but given the circumstances there was nothing else that Jowan would ask his help with.

He was also infuriated with his 'friend' for getting him involved, secrets could not remain such forever, and once it got out as it oh so inevitably would, he would be labelled as a criminal for keeping this information to himself. Therefore, by helping Jowan escape and making him an apostate, the only true options he himself was left with were to become an apostate alongside him or to sacrifice himself to the templars to give him the chance to escape.

He knew in his heart that Jowan likely wasn't smart enough to realize it, but by bringing him into the loop and asking for his help, he was truly giving him no choice but to sacrifice himself, one way or the other.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Graegoir knew of Lily's affair and was using her in some grand gambit, knowing that they would go to him, what with Jowan and he being so close, giving him the excuse he so wanted to get rid of him. But then again Graegoir really wasn't that much of a manipulator, preferring to live as an example for the men and women under his command to follow, doing his duty by the book and without falsehoods.

But even if that weren't the case, he very much doubted that the Knight-Commander would damn two souls, innocent or not, just to impose restrictions on Alim. Being a Knight Enchanter, he was going to have to leave the tower at some point, but he would return after whatever battle he was called to fight in was over. Why then was it that the man wanted to keep him in in particular inside the tower?

As he passed through the library, he absentmindedly picked up a book he had been meaning to read. He sat down in creaky old chair in the hopes that engaging in some light reading would help to clear his mind as it always had in the past.

Alim sighed, it was a difficult place to be. If Jowan was truly using blood magic, and the elf was unsure he truly believed his friend when he denied the fact, then he deserved to be Tranquil. But there was no way to be sure. As a mage he knew his duty, and that was to report to the First Enchanter. Perhaps Irving would be able to calm his fears about Jowan being a blood mage if nothing else.

"I trust you saw Duncan back to his quarters?" Irving asks, looking up briefly as Alim walked into his office once again.

"Of course, First Enchanter." Alim said and looked around the room for anything that might play into his suspicions.

"I'm glad you met him. He's a most honorable man." Irving said.

"I agree. It was an honor to have met him." Alim says, genuinely gladdened to have met someone so important as the Commander of the Gray.

"Grey Wardens are peerless warriors who sacrifice all for our sakes." He ran his hand slowly across his head as he spoke, clearly deep in thought even as he addressed his star pupil. "We can learn much from them. Now, did you need something?"

Alim stopped his pacing as he spied the books on the First Enchanter's desk. He had read practically every book in first two floors of the tower, and he recognized most of these titles, though he did remember that they seemed to have disappeared from the first-floor library as of late. "Why do you have books on blood magic on your desk?"

Irving paused. "I've removed them from the library. I was…advised it might be unwise to leave them where any apprentice may read them. They will be put away somewhere very safe."

Alim sighed in disappointment, he was hoping that he wouldn't find something like this, the suspicions gnawing at his mind didn't need any added fuel any longer. At this point it was more unlikely that Jowan actually wasn't a blood mage. But even if all the clues pointed in that direction, it didn't necessarily mean it was true.

He tried to convince himself of this, not wanting to believe his friend of evil.

The books in the library had given Jowan a way to learn blood magic, if nothing else. Not an easy way certainly, as the books were simply historical texts and chantry teachings about blood magic.

He had to ask, there was nothing for it.

His body tensed as he spoke. "When is Jowan going through the Harrowing?" His voice inaudibly trembled as he asked, and Irving raised an eyebrow at the seemingly out of topic question "When he is ready."

"He... fears he is going to be made Tranquil." Alim admitted at last, somewhat relieved to tell one so much wiser than himself.

"And how does he know this? I suppose the young initiate he dallies about with revealed it to him" he said, shocking Alim into silence. He had suspected that Irving, as the master of the tower, might already know, but to hear it confirmed was something else entirely.

He had to wonder in the back of his mind if Irving also knew about him and Leorah, or indeed about every other couple that formed within these walls.

"You think I didn't know?" He said to Alim's surprised face "I did not become first enchanter by keeping my eyes and ears shut." His voice was almost harsh as he said this, though he detected not a small amount of amusement in the words.

Biting his lip, Alim continued. "So, it's true then?" his quiver audible this time.

Irving nodded; his voice soft again. "I'm afraid it is. Greagoir says he has proof—and eyewitness testimony—that Jowan has been practicing blood magic. I cannot say more. Were it left to me; things might be different? But the Chantry…" He sighed in surrender that he would have to punish one of his own so seriously. "I'm sorry child, this Rite of Tranquility will happen."

Alim looked away to hide his tearful expression, not that turning away did him any good as the sagely man saw it anyway and allowed him a moment of silence.

Jowan had lied to him, he knew the consequences for blood magic, and the truth of the matter made Alim's insides ache. His first instinct was to claim that Greagoir's testimony to be a lie, but he knew full well how Greagoir viewed mages, and he knew that even though that man distrusted them, he would not lie about such an important matter.

There was only one 'right' thing to do now. "You must know that Jowan plans to escape the Circle…. he plans to destroy his phylactery." He ignored the fact that once again he was only assuming that last detail, but there was nothing else it could be. It wasn't even a gamble; he was so certain of this that he would stake his life on it.

If a... he hated himself for admitting it... maleficar wanted to escape from Kinloch Hold, then they would certainly try to destroy their leash first.

Irving put his hands behind his back and walked closer. "And I suppose his lady friend is involved? Yes, she must be helping him. She would know more about the repository than he would. Do you know anything else?"

Alim shook his head. "No, I came to see if you could confirm Jowan's dabbling in blood magic before I proceeded."

Irving sighed. "I suspected Lily would tell him of the impending Rite if she found out. But I never expected they would have the gall to break into the repository."

"What will you do with Jowan?" he asked somewhat hopefully.

"Reporting him to Greagoir and the templars will accomplish nothing beyond what's already planned." Irving admitted, "if the Circle must punish one of its own, I will see the Chantry does the same courtesy. Lily will not walk free while my apprentice suffers." Irving's face was dark, and there was an undertone to his voice Alim didn't think possible from the calm, kind old man.

"Could you not just tell them she's involved?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but still hopeful that he was wrong, and that the Chantry would deal out punishment to one of its own and not make up excuses, taking the words of an elf-blooded human mage and his elven apprentice over that of an initiate.

Irving shook his head. "If we mention her involvement, the Chantry will say she was framed. No, she must be caught in the act." Alim sighed—it was true. It was unfair of the Chantry to let Lily walk free. It was her information that led to the decision facing the three now.

"Jowan will become Tranquil, but Lily must also face the consequences of her actions." Irving continued in a grim tone, "How did you learn of their plan? Do they trust you?"

Alim pressed his eyelids together tightly, he had never known that duty would taste so bitter. "Yes, they do."

"Good. Convince them you will risk all for their cause. I will be outside the repository with a contingent of templars. Let them see the mischief into which their initiate has led our student." He said and tapped his staff on the ground, the loud crack of silverite on stone signifying that they were finished with this meeting and Alim bowed and left.

Alim walked back into the Chantry and pulled Jowan aside one last time. "I need to talk to you about one thing before I decide Jowan." He said quietly, his soft voice rumbling in his chest.

His friend's eyes widened. "Really, what is it?"

"The rumor about you being a blood mage isn't true? Do you swear?"

"Of course not!" Jowan growled, frowning. "I'd never use blood magic. I've been sneaking around to meet Lily in secret. Maybe others have seen me and assumed I must be doing something forbidden. I suppose we are, but…they think it's blood magic, and it isn't." He pleaded, not knowing the irony in his statement. Using blood magic or dallying with a priest, both were crimes worthy of the Rite of Tranquility in the eyes of the Chantry.

Alim sighed, Jowan had sealed his fate. So be it, there was nothing more that he could do for him. "Alright then, I'll help you." His stomach still knotted as he spoke, he was pitting one loyalty against another, and if he was wrong in this it would mean catastrophe.

Lily walked back to Jowan's side and smiled, holding her lover's arm. "Thank you. We will never forget this." Alim cringed inside. "I can get us into the repository. But there's a problem. There are two locks on the phylactery chamber door. The first enchanter and knight-commander each hold one key. But it is just a door. There is power enough in their place to destroy all of Ferelden. What's a door to mages?"

Her statement was... slightly insulting to be honest, to be honest. Of course, her estimation of their power was flattering, but the casual and dismissive way she said it sounded like she was saying that mages not only could do such a thing but would feel nonchalant or apathetic about such a thing as well.

'What does Jowan see in her? I could live to be one hundred and still never understand humans.'

It didn't help his opinion of her that she was already on his bad side for getting them into this mess.

"What if it's an enchanted door?" Alim mused, and Lily and Jowan's eyes widened, they clearly hadn't thought of that.

Definitely not the evil mastermind sort, these two.

Jowan shook his head. "We have no choice. We cannot get our hands on both keys." He paused. "I once saw a rod of fire melt through a lock. You could get one from the stockroom—I'd do it, but Owain doesn't release such things to apprentices."

Nodding, Alim agreed. "I will go and retrieve a rod of fire." He gritted his teeth, he really had to get a hold of himself, he was going to give himself away if he kept fighting himself like this.

Lily looked up at Jowan, stars in her eyes. A look which Jowan returned in earnest.

After seeing the same look from Leorah, only directed at him, it became painfully obvious to him that she actually was serious in her devotion to his friend. His eyes softened at the sight, and he resolved to head to the laboratory after this to go see her.

Alim gripped his staff tightly as his heart gave a lurch, anyone capable of such love and devotion as he could see between them could never be so irredeemable, blood magic or not. "We should stay here." She said softly. "One mage at the stockroom will attract less attention than a mage, an apprentice and an initiate. Our prayers go with you" she said sincerely.

Just as there were a great many priests who viewed magic as a curse, a mark of the Maker's hatred upon their souls, there were those who viewed magic as a gift from the Maker. They viewed magic as the Maker's gift to those chosen by him to protect and look after the world he had created and abandoned. Of course, these were but fringe elements of the Chantry, and only preached this philosophy behind closed doors.

Perhaps Lily was such a one, and maybe that was why Jowan was attracted to her.

Either way though, Alim couldn't leave the room quick enough. The whole situation made him feel dirty, but what he was doing seemed to him to be the lesser of two evils. His heartbeat quicker than when he had been fighting in the Fade as he hurried to the storeroom. Owain, the tranquil mage who managed the storeroom, was waiting there as he always was.

Owain was a tall man, his finely featured face would be considered attractive to many if it weren't always void of expression. His bald head only drew attention to the Chantry sunburst brand on his brow. He occasionally wondered how it was put there, what exactly was done to make mages Tranquil. The sunburst emblem was slightly indented into his skin and marked with yellow ink, so perhaps a heated brand? Lyrium maybe? Perhaps lyrium in close enough proximity to the brain was enough to cut a mage off from the Fade, or perhaps the brand was simply meant to mark Tranquil mages.

Alim idly wondered if Owain ever slept. But that was silly, he admonished himself, the man was tranquil; he may not have emotions, but he was still human.

Despite having no emotions, or perhaps because he had no emotions, Owain was very perceptive. He would have to carefully watch what he said and how he acted in front of him.

"Welcome to the Circle's stockroom of magical items. How may I assist you?" He called out from the desk he sat behind as he saw Alim approach.

Smiling, Alim waved. "Hello again Owain. I need a rod of fire."

The Tranquil went back to scribbling on the pages before him. "Rods of fire serve many purposes. Why do you wish to acquire this particular item?"

Biting his tongue, Alim quickly replied "I need it for a research project I am undertaking. I'm no good at fire magic so I'm going to need to use a workaround to get things going."

He knew that a convincing lie needed a reasonable and believable premise to build upon. He was just grateful that Owain was tranquil, otherwise the lie would need to be more complex.

Alim may have been skilled in a number of areas, but his skill in lying was certainly his weakest area. That was not necessarily a bad thing, but under the circumstances...

Plus, perhaps admitting to a personal shortcoming would help matters some.

Owain didn't look up from his work. "I will set down that you require the rod of fire to deal with a personal matter. Here is the form—"Request for Rod of Fire." Have it signed and dated by a senior enchanter. I will release a rod to you once I have the signed form." Owain said emotionlessly and efficiently.

Alim sighed as he took the form and walked away. He understood fully why mages were no longer allowed to take from the storeroom freely and the need for all this protocol. All that needed to be said on that matter was that Lily's earlier statement about the tower having enough power to destroy all of Ferelden was not entirely without merit.

It was thanks only to a young Irving's actions that they were not Annulled.

Part of him hadn't wanted to get away with fooling Owain. But regardless, he needed to find a senior enchanter to sign his slip. Of course, he could always ask Irving, however the more he was seen with the first enchanter, the more he feared Jowan would find out the plan.

So, he had to find someone else.

As luck would have it, that someone else turned out to be none other than Leorah herself.

He was relieved that the laboratory was empty save for her when he got there, with nobody there he wouldn't have to lie to her which was the last thing he wanted. Of course, he couldn't tell the truth either, doing so would have put the operation in jeopardy.

"Oh, hello again love" she said when she saw him, checking that the two were alone he smiled and pecked her on the lips. "I need another favor."

"Oh?" she asked with an amused and teasing look "I should hope this favor won't be as draining as the last one I owed you, I can still hardly feel my legs." She teased him, emphasizing her seated posture. He blushed heavily and rapidly shook his head in the negative, causing her to burst out laughing.

He groaned to himself, she was normally strict and intimidating, but when they were alone with each other she allowed her more playful and humorous side to come out.

'I'm not so sure that's a good thing anymore' he thought in jest.

"Oh, calm down, I'm just playing with you," she said through her laughing. He couldn't help but smile as his depression over the situation with Jowan was washed away by her sweet-sounding laughter.

Women were natural anti-depressants, they just had to smile or laugh, and it lit up the whole world.

"No" he said, trying to get back to the task at hand, "I just need you to sign this form." He handed her the form and knelt down to pick up his staff from where he had dropped it.

"A rod of fire? What's going on, you wouldn't be trying to use magic tools to disguise your lack of efficiency with primal magic, would you?"

She was now in her 'stern teacher' mode, clearly thinking that he intended do something like hide the rod in his sleeve to cheat on an exam or something. With everything that was happening, the thought seemed so ridiculous that he wanted to laugh, and probably would have were it not for Leorah's glare.

Surprisingly, the woman somehow managed to seem intimidating even despite her seated position and the flush on her cheeks.

He instantly sobered up, "I'm doing a service for Master Irving. I wish I could say more, but I just can't." She raised an eyebrow at his hesitant posture, but knowing how much he revered his grandfather figure, and knowing he would not lie about something like this, she relented.

"Sure, why not, what harm could it do." She laid the form down on the table and dipped her quill into its ink well, causing him to sigh in relief.

He promised himself that if he survived all of this, he would sit her down and explain everything. She would undoubtedly be angry with him for taking such a large risk to see one initiate brought to justice, but he knew she would understand his initiative.

"Thank you" he said retrieving the signed form and kissing her again but lingering a little longer this time. They separated and he began to walk away but was stopped short by a tug on his hand, so he turned around to see that she was still holding his free hand.

They shared a smile and a quick laugh before he left the laboratory.

Alim quickly walked down the hallway back to the storeroom, lost in his thoughts.

It just occurred to him that if this all went badly, he might never see Leorah again. Or even worse, she might think him a traitor to the Circle, follower or a thrall of a blood mage. That thought, more than any other, made him resolute in his first task as an official mage of Kinloch Hold.

The bald Tranquil's blue eyes stared at him. "Do you have the form?" The elven mage nodded and handed the paper over. Owain thoroughly looked the small piece of paper. "Everything looks to be in order." He walked over to one of the locked cabinets in the back of the room and drew a thin, white ostentatiously designed wand.

"Here is the rod you requested." Slowly, Alim bowed and attempted to walk confidently out the door and down to the Chantry.

From the rate he was breathing, he assumed he was not accomplishing 'normal' behavior. Soon enough, however, he was at the Chantry, and he joined Jowan and Lily in their corner. He could hear Jowan muttering as he approached. Leaning in close to the two he said softly, "I have the rod."

Jowan's face lit up. "That was quick!"

Lily smiled beside him. "To the repository then, freedom awaits."

The three walked slowly, making small talk down to the first floor where the apprentice dormitories and the basement door were. Alim was sending out small waves of magical energy to detect if anyone came to close and evade them, so they weren't seen, making sure to keep the waves just weak enough that they blended seamlessly with the ambient magic of the tower.

He told himself that even if they were caught on the way down to the basement, a mage, an apprentice, and a priest were not that much of an unusual sight to be completely out of place.

Priests normally took every opportunity they could get to convince mages of how much the Maker and the world he created loathed their very existence. Killing mages outright was ethically wrong but talking them into suicidal depression was perfectly acceptable.

Okay, so that was a bit of an overstatement on his part, but sometimes it truly felt that way.

Still, he preferred not to take any chances.

Stopping outside the heavy wooden door to the lower reaches of the tower, they waited until the area was clear and then bolted into the basement.

The repository was unnaturally cold, Alim could see his breath mist before him. They walked the single passage for a while before coming onto a large wooden door, reinforced with many overlapping boards and large metal bolts. Besides the size, there was a small sparking of magic around the door that intimidated Alim, it was both mage and templar in nature.

He could not tell what kind of spell it was though, despite it being some kind of barrier.

The lady initiate piped up beside him. "The Chantry calls this entrance 'The Victims' Door.' It was built of two hundred and seventy-seven planks, one for each original templar. It is a reminder of all the dangers those cursed with magic pose." After Alim raised a rather accusatory eyebrow at her she quickly continued. "Initiates must learn the Circle's history if they are to work with templars and mages. The door can be opened only by a templar and a mage entering together. The Chantry provides the password which primes the ward, and the mage touches it with mana to release it."

"But Jowan..." he said, pointing out the apparent unnecessity of his presence.

She paused. "Only a mage that has undergone their Harrowing may open the door."

Nodding, Alim stepped closer to the door. "I trust you have the password?" he said in a clipped tone, noting from the way she said 'cursed with magic' was not in a disagreeing way in any stretch of the imagination, meaning that he was wrong in his earlier estimation of her, and that even though she was in love with a mage, she was not one of those who sympathized with mages.

"Yes. I got it from a templar who recently accompanied a mage into the vault," making Alim raise an eyebrow at her "and he wasn't suspicious of you?" He questioned her on her odd behavior, making Jowan roll his eyes at his friend's 'overly suspicious nature' as he said.

"We have chatted on many occasions; I believe he trusts me." She shrugged and pressed her hand to the door.

"First, the password. 'Sword of the Maker, Tears of the Fade.'" A clicking noise echoed, followed by a small hissing noise that indicated the release of the barrier. Lily lowered her hand and continued softly. "The password only primes the door. Now it must feel the touch of mana. Any spell will do, but hurry."

With a flick of his wrist, Alim fired a bolt of spirit energy at the door. The bolt dissipated and the door slowly inched open with a creak, his mind making it sound louder than it actually was from the stress he felt at this situation. Directly in front of them now stood another large heavy door. The air was deadly still around the door as they approached, and Alim quickly pulled the wand out of a hidden pocket in his sleeve. Pointing the rod at the large silver lock on the door he directed his power through it.

Nothing happened.

Lily mewled beside him. "What's the matter? Why isn't it working?"

Alim carefully placed his free hand on the door. "I'm not sure..." He muttered looking the door over, tapping his staff on the ground in annoyance.

Jowan stared at his hands, then looked up at his love. "Lily…something's not right. I…can't cast spells here, nothing works."

Alim studied the area around the door and saw runes on the floor and walls, the same as the runes etched into the walls of the harrowing chamber. "I read about these markings…they're wards. Templar work, they negate any magic cast within the area." He said finally, turning to face the other two.

Lily's face darkened in hopelessness. "I should have guessed! Why would Greagoir and Irving use simple keys for such a door? Because magical keys don't work!" She laid her hand against the door and her head against her arm. "How do you keep mages away from something? Make their powers completely worthless!" She growled and threw her hands into the air.

"That's it then. We're finished! We can't get in." 'You'd make a terrible mage; you would get possessed instantly with that defeatist attitude' were his thoughts that went unsaid for Jowan's sake.

Alim desperately wanted to turn back, to just leave Jowan and Lily to their fates, but he had sworn to Irving and himself that he would carry this through. "That door there," he pointed down the hall. "Where does that lead?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think it's another way in?" she asked with a voice so full of hope that he almost pitied her.

Jowan rested his hand on Lily's shoulder softly. "That door probably leads to another part of the repository. What are the chances of there being another entrance?" He glanced at his elven friend.

Alim shrugged. "It's worth a try, right? Who knows…we might be able to make another entrance if we get out of this anti-magic zone…"

The Chantry initiate nodded. "We can't get into the chamber the way we planned but we're not about to give up" she said, confirming Alim's beliefs about her, her emotions swung too often and too out of control, which would have led to her immediate possession had she been born a mage, "we can see where this door leads, but I don't think it'll be easy…it looks locked for one."

Alim groaned in annoyance, when this whole debacle was over, he was working on a spell that opened locks. Crazy that no mage had discovered one yet, but then again, he wouldn't know if one had been invented or not because the templars would have forbidden it from being taught.

"The rod will work on those locks, shouldn't it?" he asked, idly twirling the rod in his left hand.

She smiled slightly "yes, let's hope they haven't warded that door as well."

Jowan nodded, heading towards the door "let's hurry, we've wasted enough time."

The very atmosphere seemed to change as they moved away from the warded door. Wand still in hand, Alim aimed for the lock. Sure enough, the wand spouted a jet of flame that melted through the metal lock easily. As the molten metal dripped to the floor, the door clicked open. Sighs escaped from the two humans behind him, relieved as expected.

What was not as expected was the clinking...as he turned around a suit of armor resembling the plate armor worn by the templars literally clamored over to them. If it had had a face, Alim assumed it would have been enraged; it was obvious from the raised greatsword that it wasn't there to escort them around the place. Lily hung behind Jowan as the two mages began to face off against the armor.

Instinctively, Alim took his staff into both hands and raised it up to block the overhead swing of the sword, and he then moved his staff up and to the left to put his opponent off balance and followed with a horizontal downward swing to knock it from its feet.

Once the empty suit of armor was on its back and he had some breathing room, he quickly took up the hilt of his spirit blade. Pointing it on the downed but recovering sentinel, he ignited the blade and stabbed it deep into the empty armor.

The suit's hands twitched as if in pain for a second before it stopped moving. The enchantments were disabled for the time being but would soon repair themselves with the tower's ambient magic.

"Wow, you didn't even need my help for that. Maybe I should just leave all the fighting to you." Jowan joked with a lighthearted look, while Lily just looked shocked that the suit of armor had moved and tried to kill them.

Clearly, she had never heard of the sentries that were kept here to protect the tower.

He didn't respond, simply turning to them with a stern look, which Jowan could only hold his hands up in surrender at "I'm joking! Just joking."

Every corridor and every room, more of those living armor creatures attacked, some of them even seemed to be mages.

Lily mumbled during the second attack about the 'unnaturalness' of it all, how the guardians were not of the Maker. Alim simply saw them as another example of Chantry hypocrisy. "No Lily," he started, getting annoyed at her attitude, "these things are not of the Maker. These things are of the Chantry, and their sole purpose for existing? The wholesale slaughter of those who step out of bounds or go where the Chantry feels they don't belong." He almost shouted, gaining him an almost tearful look from the 'innocent' initiate and an angry look from her lover.

His eyes softened at the look she gave him. "I'm sorry Lily" he said with a genuinely apologetic expression, leaning his staff against his neck and placing both his hand on her shoulders reassuringly, "these sentries are supposedly put down here to protect the tower. But... I just can't see what we need to be protected from, so it just seems to me that they are only here to kill mages who try to steal from the repository."

She looked at him like she wanted to argue with him, but she simply wiped at her eyes and lamented with a silent nod.

Crates littered the halls and storage side rooms, and Alim found himself wondering what mysteries were stored in the deep places of the Circle Tower. It seemed they had no time to investigate though, as his two companions pushed him urgently through the tunnels. The path stopped into a large room, filled to the roof with books, boxes and several statues. The three walked around the high-ceilinged room with wide eyes. Alim found himself drawn to a statue of a human woman in a back corner.

The statue was a masterful work of art, made of a beautiful white marble. The woman depicted seemed to be a mage wearing ancient Tevinter style robes, she held a staff in her right hand that seemed to be carved from the same marble as the rest of the statue.

The statue seemed to stare at them as they approached.

Jowan was the first to step past him and approach the statue "there's something odd about that statue."

Alim soon stood by him. "I wonder who this is, I mean it is obviously a female mage from ancient Tevinter if the robes mean anything."

"Greetings." The statue's seductive voice seemed to echo.

"Maker's breath!" The apprentice gasped, and Alim's eyes widened as he remembered reading horror stories about the Imperium's harsher punishments, such as transforming the offender into a sentient statue for all eternity.

"Did it just say something?"

The spirit's voice echoed disturbingly "I am the essence and spirit of Eleni Zinovia, once consort and advisor to Archon Valerius. Prophecy my crime, cursed to stone for foretelling the fall of my lord's house."

"Archon Valerius?" Alim knew the archons were the lords of the Imperium—mostly overthrown when Andraste founded the Chantry, and Valerius in particular ruled during an unspecified time during the ancient age, who was killed and his house destroyed, just as the statue said.

"'Forever shall you stand on the threshold of my proud fortress,' He said, 'and tell your lies to all who pass…' But my lord found death at the hands of his enemies and his once-proud fortress crumbled to dust, as I foretold."

Lily trembled behind Jowan. "A Tevinter statue! Don't listen to it! The Tevinter lords dabbled in many forbidden arts! This is a wicked thing!"

Alim had to suppress a growl at her blind piety. He was an elf and a mage, so he more than most had a right to hate the Imperium, but to hate something just because it came from that place...

She, on the other hand, had absolutely no reason to hate or even be afraid of the Imperium, except of course for conditioned hatred. She only had negative feelings for Tevinter because someone told her to, and she had thoughtlessly obeyed like a child. The Imperium destroyed his ancestors lives and they were the reason mages were oppressed by the Chantry, so he had very good reasons to despise them, but her...

He had to calm himself down before his anger attracted any attention from the other side.

It was in that moment that he decided that Lily was just as mentally addled as her lover appeared to be ever since this girl was introduced to him. Neither of them able to see any faults in the other, even where they were glaringly obvious to any with eyes to see. He had no idea how Jowan could have such devotion for her when every other word out of her mouth was an affront to mages.

'Humans' he thought with a sneer.

"It must have been here for years." Jowan shrugged and wrapped his arms around his love. "Look at the dust. I feel a little sorry for it…her." He added quickly.

"Weep not for me, child." The statue continued. "Stone, they made me, and stone I am. Eternal and unfeeling. And I shall endure 'til the Maker returns to light their fires again."

Alim shuddered. The punishment heaped upon this woman seemed like a crueler version of the Right of Tranquility. At least the tranquil could die, but to be cursed with emotionlessness as well as eternal life seemed to him like he would be doing her a favor by destroying this statue.

"What does that mean?" he asked, but Jowan spoke before she could respond "ambiguous rubbish, it could mean anything. I can do it too: The sun grows dark, but lo! Here comes the dawn!"

Creeping from behind Jowan, Lily placed her hands on Alim's arm. "Stop talking to it." She mewled. "Please, both of you."

"Yes, we have much to do." He said through gritted teeth as he threw Lily's arm off.

Lily just stood there for a moment, surprised at this elf's anger.

Near the petrified woman was another statue, this time of a sitting wolfhound, perhaps an ancestor of the mabari.

The statue was slightly decayed, but Alim recognized it by the runes engraved into the band of the stone collar as a device used by the Tevinters to amplify their magic. Against the adjacent walls were bookshelves, all old, but one seemed to stand out as it stood against a section of wall that looked like it was decayed by decades of dripping water. Jowan walked over to the wall and placing his hand to his chin. "I think the phylactery chamber is on the other side of the wall behind this bookcase."

Alim peered behind the bookcase. "The wall looks weak here."

"We should be able to find something that can knock some of the bricks loose."

The new mage already had a plan. "You'll have to help me with the bookcase then." Jowan nodded and the two mages lifted the shelf off to the side. Alim then went to the statue and rotated it to face the exposed wall and pressed the rod of fire to its neck.

A stream of blue fire burst from the statue's mouth and burst through the weakened wall with a great tremor. For a moment, he was worried about being found out. If Irving had not yet informed the templars of his mission and they came down here and saw the melted lock, they would most certainly assume the worst and come to kill them all.

"Let's hurry, someone would have heard that" he said, cutting short the silly celebratory dance Jowan and Lily had engaged in.

A short flight of steps led from the archive to the phylactery chamber, and to the left they could see the warded door from earlier, except that it likely wouldn't be awarded from behind so they wouldn't have to go back around. No sooner had their feet hit the chamber floor than three more living statues attacked them.

Sticking with the established strategy as it had worked out fairly well for them thus far, Alim used his staff to knock them to the ground or keep them at a distance and his used spirit sword to damage them when he found an opening. Jowan and Lily could only stay back and support, Jowan couldn't cast spells as he had run out of mana on the way here and he didn't trust Lily with any of the dropped weapons.

Not that she could even use them, the girl could be decently intimidating if armed with a knife, but not so for anything bigger.

The enchanted suits were getting too close by using their superior numbers, so he changed his stance and dropped his staff, taking up his sword hilt in both hands before pouring more magic into the runes on the hilt, lengthening and widening the blade until it resembled a greatsword. After disabling the two smaller suits with wide sweeping cuts, he focused his attention on the larger one.

This one was more of a challenge than all the others he had fought since coming to the catacombs, it was the size of a qunari and had a tower shield to go with its greatsword. He parried its sword and knocked its shield to the side with a burst of energy and swung his spirit blade over his head only for the sentinel to bring up its sword in both hands to block. It stood up and gripped its greatsword with both hands and rushed him, and they had a furious duel in which he had the mantle of his robe cut off and a gash open up diagonally along the length of his back before he managed to behead the thing.

The magic holding the suit of armor together dissipated as it fell to the ground. The guardian was silent, for now.

He panted and picked up his staff before leaning heavily against it as he dismissed his sword and applied healing magic to his back. The cut was long but not deep, from his right shoulder to his left hip. He sighed heavily, he was running low on mana after all this, and the cut would definitely scar.

At least it was a clean cut, which meant that with proper treatment the scar left behind wouldn't be jagged and ugly.

To the right was a stone stairway up to a raised portion of the room, where multiple cabinets filled with glass phylacteries were. Waving Jowan and Lily up, the three ascended the stairs. Suddenly Jowan pointed to a simple container on a far shelf. "That's my phylactery!" He cried, running towards it. "You found it!" Smiling the apprentice grasped the container and lifting the small, clear vial before his eyes. "I can't believe this tiny vial stands between me and freedom" he muttered, staring at the red liquid inside as it seemed to dance and sparkle in the dim light of the chamber.

"So fragile, so easy just to be rid of its hold over me-" the vial seemed to slip through his fingers as he opened his hand, the glass shattering on the floor "-and I'm free".

The blood from the vial seemed to emit a hissing sound as it met the chilly air, the sound making the elf shudder as it felt... wrong somehow, before seeping into the cracks on the floor and slowly disappearing from sight, almost as if it were actively trying to escape.

"Let's get out of here." Jowan said, suddenly tired from the journey down to the repository. He had hardly done any fighting, but he was now feeling as if all the energy had been sapped from his body. Perhaps a result of the phylactery breaking? The magical leash disappearing and freeing him from the control of the Circle?

Even though their trial was over, guilt gnawed at Alim's heart. Jowan and Lily were going to face an opponent even worse than tranquility. And he would be the one to send them to their fate.

Perhaps those who truly followed goodness always had to make such sacrifices... Alim prayed this would be the only time he would have to do something like this, make this kind of decision and lead a friend into darkness.

It was not until years later that he would realize how dreadfully wrong he was.

Sure enough, as they opened the door from the basement repository, Irving, Greagoir and a small contingent of templars stood in the hall waiting for the three of them to emerge. "An initiate, conspiring with a blood mage. I'm disappointed Lily." Greagoir muttered as he stepped forward. Alim could only turn away from the proceedings as Jowan and Lily backed away in surprise and fear.

"She seems shocked but fully in control of her own mind. Not the thrall of a blood mage then... You were right Irving. The initiate has betrayed us. This will not go unpunished."

His gaze turned almost immediately to Alim. "And here's your lackey, who so efficiently delivered these miscreants into our hands. Your plan worked after all."

'Lackey? As if I am incapable of doing anything on my own.'

Jowan face flushed with shock. "You! Lily and I trusted you!" His voice shook with rage as he screamed at his friend. "How could you betray us like this?!" Alim jumped away, the accusation in his friend's words striking him as a physical blow. He winced as the newly formed scar tissue on his back was disturbed, he backed away towards Irving as the templars stepped forward.

Lily drew closer to Jowan. "We're trapped…"

"Enough." Greagoir commanded. "As Knight-Commander of this Circle, I sentence this blood mage to death. This initiate has scorned the Chantry and her vows. Take her to Aeonar."

"The... The mages prison... no, not there... please..." Lily stuttered, clinging to Jowan as the templars drew closer around them.

"No! I won't let you touch her!" Jowan screamed, pushing Lily behind him. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew a knife from the folds of his robe and plunged into his hand. As the blood splattered himself and all around him, a wave of red magic knocked everyone but Lily to the floor, and every one of them save for Alim, Irving, Greagoir and a female templar with blond hair were knocked away from Jowan and Lily, rouphly colliding with walls or pillars and falling unconscious to the floor. Lily gasped and turned to her lover, backing up slowly.

Alim was staring at the man he thought he knew in shock. He knew this would happen, but seeing it was something different entirely. Plus, there was the power that he had just commanded, with a single spell he knocked away a dozen templars and mages. Was blood magic truly that powerful, that it could grant such power unto someone like Jowan?

"By the Maker, blood magic..." she muttered, backing away from Jowan and looking around at all the spilled blood and at all the bodies. Turning back to the man she thought she knew, she wailed in despair. "How...how could you! You said you've never..."

Jowan turned to her, his face dripping with sweat and his body shaking, his bleeding hand now cradled in the other. "I admit...I dabbled." He pleaded with her, trying to make her see that if she just trusted him then everything would go away. "I thought it would make me a better mage. Please, believe me! You don't know what it's like, to have spent as much time as I have as an apprentice but to not make an ounce of progress"

Alim gritted his teeth, he had lied to all of them! But of course he had, why wouldn't he when he backed himself into a corner and had everything to lose. If only he had known for sure sooner, then he could have done things differently. Now Jowan was going to get away and they didn't even have his phylactery to track him down!

Lily shook her head violently, tears streaming from her eyes as she looked between him and the fallen Knight-Commander. "Blood magic is evil Jowan. It corrupts people, changes them..."

"I'm going to give it up. Give up all magic...I just want to be with you Lily. Please, come with me." Jowan looked ready to fall to his knees, everything he thought he had left falling through his fingers even despite his best efforts.

"I trusted you, I was ready to sacrifice everything for you." Lily muttered to herself, more in shock at her own actions than at Jowan's now. "I-I don't know you blood mage, get away from me!" Betrayed and shaken to his core, Jowan let out a cry of sorrow and ran down the hall, his still bleeding hand clenched into a fist as he made straight for the great doors.

Soon after he disappeared around the bend, the templars out by Jowan's spell let out pained groans as they awoke, only to feel the pain of having their bodies none too ceremoniously flung about like rag dolls.

Alim groaned and sprung to his feet when he could move again, the magical restraints holding him down vanishing along with the man who cast the spell. As desperately as he wanted to chase down Jowan and stop him from leaving the tower, he knew that the man was most likely already gone. Besides, he had see to the well-being his comrades first and foremost.

It was the least he could do after the whole debacle he had unintentionally played a part in.

Alim limped to the First Enchanter's side, and soon the old man began to wake. Leaning on his student's shoulders, Irving turned to search for Greagoir and spoke in a strained and tired voice, shamed for being no less surprised and off guard than anyone else for Jowan's blatant use of blood magic. As Master of the Tower, he was supposed to be better than that.

"Are you alright? Where's Greagoir?"

The Knight-Commander was quickly at the First Enchanter's side, though there was a limp in his step as well. The infirmary was going to be seeing quite a few visitors today. "I knew it…blood magic. But to overcome so many…I never thought him capable of such power."

Alim bit his lip, staring the way Jowan had run out. "He was lying after all." He was still in shock after all that had happened in the past few minutes, he knew he had done the right thing...but his blood still felt like poison in his veins.

Iriving leaned on Alim, quickly directing the mage to place healing spells on himself and the templars with what little mana he had left. "None of us expected this." He said aloud, his face reflecting the selfsame self-doubt that was knowing at Alim. "Are you alright Greagoir?"

Greagoir scoffed, throwing off the man's concern. "As good as can be expected given the circumstances! If you had let me act sooner, this would not have happened!"

"He can't have gone far." Alim muttered, glancing towards the tower's exit. It wasn't a long stretch from here to the great doors, and even if Jowan knocked aside the two guards and burst through into the courtyard, there was nowhere to go. The bridge was long destroyed and the only way to the other side was to swim or take the boat that was moored on the lake's far shores. "You could still capture him."

The templar glanced narrowly at him, his nostrils widening as he fumed in anger over having let a blood mage slip by him. "Believe me, we will use our every resource. Where is the girl?"

"I…I am here, ser." Lily spoke softly from the pillar she was hiding behind, slowly coming out and guilty walking towards the Knight-Commander.

"You helped a blood mage!" Greagoir growled at her, sweeping his arms widely to his sides and gesticulating wildly towards all the damage Jowan had wrought. "Look at all he's hurt!"

"Knight-Commander I… I was wrong." Lily stuttered, and Alim did not try to defend her. The elf crossed his arms and left her to defend herself from the elder templar. "I was accomplice to a… to a blood mage. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit. Even... Even Aeonar."

The Knight-Commander was silent for a moment before turning away from her with a violent huff, "get her out of my sight" The female templar quickly limped over to drag Lily away as the Knight-Commander turned to Alim with a sour look. "And you. You were in a repository full of magics that are locked away for a reason."

Irving laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Did you take anything important from the repository?"

Alim shook his head, still in too dour a mood to say anything one way or the other. Greagoir snorted, not truly believing him but to angry to do much else. "Some honesty at last. But your antics have made a mockery of this Circle! Ah…what are we to do with you?"

The new mage bowed his head. "Nothing ser, I was just doing as I was told." It seemed so much like Greagoir to let his temper get the better of him, now more than ever he wished the Circle governed itself.

The First Enchanter nodded. "As I said, he was working under my orders."

"And this improves the situation? The phylactery chamber is forbidden to all save you and me!"

"I had my reasons." Irving replied, crossing his arms.

"You're not all-knowing Irving!" The Knight-Commander drew face to face with his old adversary. "You don't know how much influence the blood mage might have had. How are we to deal with this?!"

Suddenly a new voice joined the argument, and Alim turned to see Duncan. He had heard a loud bang coming from downstairs followed by a huge commotion, voices raised in argument and shouts for punishment. The Grey Warden smiled as the three turned to him. Indeed, the Maker was smiling on the Wardens.

"Knight-Commander, if I may…I am not only looking for mages to join the king's army." He said softly. "I am also recruiting for the Grey Wardens. Irving spoke highly of this mage, and I would like him to join the Warden ranks."

Greagoir's face reached a new level of red at this information. "What? You've promised him a new Grey Warden?"

"Alim has served the Circle well." Irving replied, expertly evading the question. "He would make an excellent Grey Warden."

Duncan nodded, and stood next to Alim, smiling slightly at the young man and resting a strong, calloused hand on his shoulder. "We look for dedication in our recruits. Fighting the darkspawn requires such dedication, often at the expense of all else."

'Even at the expense of friends and lovers,' he thought sadly. He was right in his earlier postulations; this was indeed going badly, and he might very well never get to see Leorah ever again.

"I object!" Greagoir cried, stepping closer to Duncan and putting his body in between him and the elven mage. His hands were clenched so hard that his fists visibly vibrated, the man's anger no doubt bringing him closer and closer to an all-out explosion.

"You say he operated under your instructions Irving, but I do not trust him. I must investigate this issue, and I will not release this mage to the Grey Warden."

Alim turned to Irving. As much as becoming a Grey Warden was an honor, he could do so much more to benefit mages here. "But I am a mage, my place is here." He said softly, thinking of Leorah.

Irving placed his hand on his young student's shoulder. "This tower is not the place for you. You have...a truly rare gift that must not be squandered."

Leaning in, he whispered harshly "your time is just beginning. The Grey Wardens offer a chance for something more. Take it."

Alim turned away thoughtfully, he knew what Leorah would say in this situation, and as much as he would like to go to her for council, he knew that he did not have the time.

Duncan had turned his full attention to the stubborn Knight-Commander. "Greagoir, mages are needed. This mage is needed. Worse things plague this world than blood mages, you know that. I will take this young mage under my wing and bear all responsibility for his actions."

He held out his hand to seal the vow, his calming voice washing over them all and made them relax. Some sense of calm returned to those assembled. Things weren't truly so desire, Jowan was a maleficar but seemingly had no desire to go out of his way to hurt anyone, his phylactery was destroyed but a lone mage wouldn't find surviving in the outside world easy, and he might just screw things up and get himself sent back to the tower on his first day out.

Greagoir muttered darkly, plainly still clinging to his anger out of sheer stubbornness. "This mage does not deserve a place in the Order."

"Why? Do we not reward service? This mage has served the Circle well." Irving turned back to Alim. "You have an opportunity few even dream of, do not squander it."

Alim bowed. "You honor me... but am I to leave the tower forever?"

Irving sighed, "the tower never forgets its apprentices, but the Grey Wardens shall be your family now. You are luckier than you know, child."

With a nod, Alim took a place at Duncan's side as the Grey Warden shook hands with a reluctant Greagoir. "Duncan, First Enchanter, may I gather my belongings and say my goodbyes?"

Duncan looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and nodded "you may, but do not tarry for too long. We must be gone by sunset."

"Thank you, Commander." Truthfully, he did not care too much about his few belongings, but he did not wish to leave without saying goodbye to Leorah.

He went to the mage laboratory first to see her and explain everything.

Once all was said and done, the two sat across from each other in silence. "Oh Alim" she started, attempting to find the words to comfort him, but didn't quite know what to say. What could one say to all of that? There was so much, blood magic, Aeonar, Gray Wardens...

Seeing that she was struggling to find any words to ease his mind, he simply did the first thing that came to his mind and closed the distance between them and kissed her passionately. He probably should have checked to see that they were alone first, for the first-time in... ever, he didn't have to worry about facing consequences for this kind of thing, but Leorah was still a member of the circle and still vulnerable to its rules.

When they separated, he smiled and cupped her smooth cheek in his hand. She chuckled and started to tear up, here she was trying to cheer him up, but he ended up comforting her instead.

She held his hand against her cheek for a moment before sending him a look that he couldn't place.

"Thank you my dear, but you must go. You don't have much time left, and you mustn't waste it all with just me. After all, you can come back to the tower anytime"

Closing his eyes and sighing, he stood up and turned away before walking to the laboratory doors. He couldn't help feeling like they'd never see each other again, that by turning away from her and walking away he was cutting her out of his life entirely.

Opening the door and stepping outside the door though, he met with Irving and Duncan. He didn't say anything to the two of them about the scene they no doubt must have overheard, the older men giving the elf understanding smiles and keeping their silence on the matter.

"Now then, if you are finished with your goodbyes, I must ask you to follow us, we have some things to give to you before you leave for your new life."

Alim looked up from the floor and followed them down the hall into his room. Once there he saw Irving handing him a beautiful silverite staff Duncan holding and neatly folded blue leather and metal uniform.

"This staff belonged to me when I was your age. In light of everything that has happened, I would like for you to have it" Irving said, handing him the staff.

"And this is to be your uniform in the grey warden ranks. We didn't have your exact measurements when they were made, so until we get to Ostagar you will have to manage."

"Thank you, First Enchanter, Commander."

"And with that, I shall leave you to prepare," Irving said as they walked quietly out of the room. "Do not take tarry overlong, you and I have a tight schedule to meet and must be off soon"

After the two older men left, Alim leaned the staff on a wall and walked towards the bed.

Alim striped out of his circle robe, a task made somewhat more delicate as the thin fabric was still torn wide open. He then sat himself down in front of his vanity mirror and removed a pair of small shears blade from the drawer.

His waist length hair was well suited to a life of a quiet scholar, not a life on the road. Staring into the shears reflective surface, he brought it to his head and proceeded to cut off his braid at his shoulders, and when the rest of his hair came loose of its confines, he used the shears to shape it into as neat a style as he could manage. When he was finished, his hair was shoulder length and swept back in a style he could only describe as... average.

The only thing that stood out was the white coloring, though that couldn't be helped. Save maybe with a hood.

Now that he had rid himself of his unwieldy hair, he walked to the bed and picked up his uniform to change into.

It began with a black leather formfitting shirt and a pair of matching trousers. Next was a deep blue leather tabard, at least he thought it was a tabard. He admitted to not being particularly familiar with the various types of armor in existence. The tabard was inlaid with silverite scale mail, offering him sturdy protection from most forms of attack but ultimately designed to allow himself to survive long enough to get himself out of trouble so he could resume spellcasting from afar.

The tabard extended past his waist and covered the front of his thighs but extended further in the back to past his knees, there was a slit running up the back for some inches. Though what purpose that served, he couldn't say.

A blue studded leather mantle came next, similar to a brigandine in structure and with a high, stiff collar wrapping around his shoulders and upper back, the garment turning into sleeves and ending below his elbows. Next, elbow length leather gloves with hardened leather vambraces, and knee length leather boots with hardened leather shin and knee guards.

Lastly, a series of plain leather belts and straps with steel buckles secured his Warden uniform tightly against his body. Spartan and practical, very like the Wardens themselves. Though there did seem to be at least one element that was more for show. He smiled to himself in amusement and noted that despite Duncan's words it fit him perfectly.

Picking up his new staff, he admired the craftsmanship and left the room shortly after. Meeting up with Duncan again in the first-floor library, where the man promptly and silently led him out of the tower and made the journey across the lake to the docks. Alim marveled at being out of the tower, but unfortunately didn't have the time to take in his new surroundings.

He would need to keep to Duncan's schedule. First the capital city of Denerim.

Then to Ostagar.