The last few days have been quite active within Haven, albeit, the kind driven by sheer exhaustion.

The survivors of the battle of Therinfal Redoubt are still in recovery, as the equally recuperating Cullen and Cassandra are finding themselves very occupied with the recent influx of Templars and other such associates of the Order they formerly represented, and as such, taking it upon themselves to personally aid in integrating the newest addition to the Inquisition's forces. Despite the end of that nightmare involving the Envy Demon and its Red Templars, the severe fallback from such a political catastrophe haunts the counselors and leaders of the Inquisition, as well as leaving a black and bloody stain on the Templar Order's already tarnished image.

The overflowing outcries having come in the form of letters and soon-to-be arriving representatives from Orlais, the former to which Josephine had already spent sleepless nights working to alleviate the fury of so many nobles and associates, whose lives were endangered or even taken away during the Red Templars' onslaught. Not only putting the Order in a very precarious position, but the Inquisition's as well, considering that they were the ones to invite them to Therinfal in the first place, and now have a full-blown alliance with the ones responsible for that lethal debacle. The Inquisition is at the risk of losing powerful allies just when they have received them.

At the very least, with the help of Leliana and Cullen, the Inquisition's Ambassador was able to quell the demands of the Order's disbandment, as well the calls for their heads. And that's discounting the fury of the majority population in Thedas, whose distrust in the Templars have deepened and further spread ever since the Envy Demon, in the guise of the Lord-Seeker, called every Templar from battle and left many people and their lands unprotected. The Inquisition and what's left of the Order are working as far and wide and as much as they could to remedy the situation, but it is a long process.

Like the aftermath of a whirlwind, it is a down-right mess.

Barris guides templars from out their medical tents as he tells them to take it easy. There aren't enough healing potions to be shared amongst so many injured at this time. Some of the templars are still with broken bones and internal bleeding, so they'll have to be monitored until they make an eventual if not full recovery. He employed the assistance of Fletcher as his right-hand man, who also recommended another templar, Saphri, the woman who had spoken out the Inquisition's offering a peace alliance with the Mage Rebellion.

Though Saphri, like many other templars, still has her resentment against the mages, having lost close brothers and sisters in arms to them during the war, Barris knows Saphri to be a dutiful and loyal officer, someone he can trust to put aside personal matters if it's for the greater good. He'll need another strong head to help lead the templars at a new age, as Barris saw the current state of the Templars to be completely disorientated.

Thankfully, he found another much-needed and direct, hands-on aid in the form of the steadfast and reliable black-haired Lysette - a former member of the Order from Orlais. Apparently, she was still new to joining the Templars when the Conclave exploded and seeing how her own Order chose to continue fighting the Mage-Templar War instead of properly dealing with the Breach before it was too late, Lysette stuck by her personal morals and defected to the Inquisition in order to repay their forces for saving her during the first hours of the Breach's existence.

Barris can't help but wonder what it says about him that a newbie saw the writing on the wall before a seasoned veteran like him did.

Still, he is thankful for Lysette being here when during these trying times, happily aiding her former comrades-in-arms at navigating Haven and its people, preventing any stumbles and other unfortunate mishaps that could have arisen without her guidance and familiarity with Haven's population, cramped locations and areas and all. At this point, she has effectively become Barris' left-hand woman in all but name, rarely being seen outside of his presence these days and doing her best to make sure her former brothers and sisters are able to fit in during these turbulent times.

Right now, Barris and Lysette are meeting with Fletcher and Saphri outside the tents, together in watching their men and women moving about through the camp, several seen wearing bandages and fractured armors.

"It might take us years before the damages the Order has done could be half-repaired," Barris states to his newly promoted officers.

Fletcher grimaces, "I still can't believe we let it get as bad as it did. How the Lor- the Envy Demon, I mean, could fool us all."

"I had my suspicions of the Seeker, though it was nothing like what I had thought," Saphri speaks up, shame written on all over her tense expression, "It was always strange to me how closed off the Lord-Seeker had been, reserving himself with the oldest and newest recruits. But his reputation is what made me overlook his questionable actions. I should have known better, I should have done something."

"We were all under the pressed thumbs of our leaders," Fletcher assures, looking at her with sympathy, "A trust that was clearly misplaced, but none of us could have known."

"No, but we were aware of the effects regardless," Barris retorts firmly, not wanting to eye away from the truth. There's been enough of that already. "We were doing more harm than good following orders. Even those who could see it could only watch as we rode ourselves more into the war than we did for Thedas."

"If that truly is the case, then it seems that me being a new recruit saved my life," Lysette speaks up, swallowing in nervousness at what could have been, "I've been wondering lately if I only joined the Order a little earlier...then, would I have been one of the ones corrupted into doing the Envy Demon's bidding?" She visibly shudders at the possibility, "It's honestly terrifying to know how close I was to being apart of that madness, to actually aid in the Order's fall from grace."

"It's not what my family had fought for," Saphri growls almost to herself, containing the anger that was slowly building in her clenching hand. "All of our comrades in arms who gave their lives throughout this war, they never needed to die at all if not for that wretched demon!"

"And whoever placed it in our ranks in the first place," Fletcher reminds with a deep, contemplating frown, "For all that modified Red Lyrium to be snuck past us so easily for so long. Morale is low like never before. And who knows how long it will take for the public to put their faith in the Order again."

"It makes you wonder how much of the Templars' choices were theirs in the first place."

From behind the gathered Templars, Cullen walks up to them, being joined by Cassandra as both looked hardly better for wear, but still better and clearly recovering from the ordeal at Therinral Redoubt "Or if everything they did was the lyrium's influence?"

"Commander," Barris salutes to Cullen and receives a nod from the ex-templar, before the blonde man turned back to the bustling scene.

Cullen remembers the incident that happened with Knight-Commander Meredith, how she made a sword from Red Lyrium. He wonders if the decisions she made was because they were really based from her beliefs, or if she was slowly corrupted by the sword? All the deaths and destruction that happened while under her lead, if perhaps she had no actual control over what she has done. If that was the case, he wonders if maybe he could have done something, if he could have helped her.

Well, it was pointless to mull over it now. She was dead, and no one can know the truth now. Such would have been the Order's fate overall had the Inquisition not stepped in.

"It will take time before the Templar Order can be fully rebuilt," Cassandra states almost mournfully beside the commander. "But the Templars are still standing strong, even after so many have been infected by the lyrium. So long as there are members alive who see the error of their ways, then all that can be done now is to right the wrongs of the Order's past, and forge a new future for us all."

Barris slowly nods as he looked back to the gathering people, seeing two templars consoling and encouraging each other through joined hands. "I will do whatever I can to make that a reality, for our Order, and for the people we protect."


Once again, within the Chantry house of Haven, the Inner Circle of the Inquisition has gathered in the War Room, various members sitting and standing around the table to discuss their next plan of action to deal with the Mage Rebellion at Redcliffe Castle.

Of course, there are some missing in attendance thanks to the chaotic events at Therinfal Redoubt, with Vivienne and Sera taking this time to rest more and are currently in their respective resting homes, and Arturia herself not summoned due to her...current condition.

Cassandra - even if she and Cullen are just as injured from the very same Templar quest, being leaders of a still burgeoning group doesn't allow certain luxuries - has already informed the other members of Arturia's condition ahead of their return to Haven after recruiting the Templar Order, a change that by now must be noticed by everyone in Haven at present time.

The advisors have chosen to withhold the discussion of Arturia's heritage and her possible connection to Flemeth due to the similar appearance of their eyes, with the rest from that mission briefing agreeing to keep that piece of speculation to themselves. It is better not to let such information slip out for the public to get a hold of, or else make Arturia's and the Inquisition's already shaky position all the more challenging.

With the concern of their herald's condition being Envy's doing, it is being debated whether to include Arturia in this meeting or not. There are concerned expressions on some of the members, particularly Varric and Blackwall over the young knight. The Iron Bull betrays no such thoughts on his own face, but inside, he finds it better for Arturia to be missing from this meeting, if only for her to rest up and make sure nothing sinister is still lingering inside.

The very idea of having a demon infest and take over one's mind, quite frankly, makes him want to shit himself.

Solas and Dorian, on the other hand, disagree with such an exclusion.

"Arturia will be playing an important part in our plan," Dorian pushes back from his seat, though curious to hear more details about the changing eyes of the knight. "And even with her having golden eyes now, the Venitori still will practically fight with their bare hands over her. They're positively obsessed with her and her mark, and let's not forget that she'll be meeting with Alexius directly with few members joining her, until we can break through the traps from the back passageway in time."

"I agree. It will be her life on the line, after all," Solas supports from his spot in the room, fingers tapping on the edge of the table that holds the map of Thedas.

"I prefer not to exclude her in meetings like this if it can be helped," Cullen himself addresses directly towards the mages in the room.

"It is for the best that she rests up as much as she can," Josephine grouses out, though if one is to give a name to the dark circles in her eyes, it should be hypocrisy. The number of letters for days and nights she had to answer, reading the anger and worry of many, many, many important people. At this point, her own hand is cramping that she can't even hold her precious pen. "We are only looking out for her well-being, something we all should have in mind given current events."

"Or you're a little worried that a demon might just jump right out of her any second," Varric remarks, earning a dirty look from Cassandra. He only shrugs at it, "Just calling it as it is, Seeker."

"Are we sure the Hearld will be alright?" Blackwall questions from his seat from the table's end, a deep furrow of his brows as he crosses his arm, "Will Alexius not question the change in her eyes?"

"On the contrary, I'd think he'd be even more intrigued," Leliana assures smoothly, seemingly melded within the shadowy corners of the room - a tactical decision in order to properly observe the other occupants, "or at least, his Venitori will be."

"We were able to convince the Templars in ceasing all war efforts against the Mage Rebellion," Josephine begins to recount, although the travesty that happened afterwards is its own cart full of headaches, she's still able to find pride within this fact. "A decent start if we are to convince Fiona to join our cause, even if we can prove to her that Alexius is deceiving her."

"Before we can reach Fiona though, we have to deal with Alexius first," Cullen points out, looking to Dorian. "Are you certain you can remove any planted spells through the secret passageway without anyone noticing?"

"Of course, I know Alexius' spells like the back of my hand. I studied under him for years after all," Dorian answers with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, before stating more seriously, "You have my word that your agents will get through, I'll give my life on that promise."

"Dorian and Scout Harding will lead our agents through the passageway," Leliana approaches the war table, moving a piece of a wooden carved figure of a knight to Redcliffe entrance, "Cassandra, Sera, and Vivienne are still recovering from their wounds, so for this meeting, Iron Bull, Blackwall, Varric, and Solas will accompany Arturia to meet with Alexius face to face. They will be the distraction until we can get our agents in position, and take out their forces."

"Alexius will try to get Arturia alone," Cullen states, the crucial note of this laced in his low tone of his voice. "Under no circumstances can we allow that to happen, especially after what occurred in Therinfal. We need the four of you to stay close to her as guards, in case of anymore surprises Alexius might have waiting."

"No objections to that," Iron Bull agrees, before raising an eyebrow, "But what if Alexius calls off the meeting if he sees us sticking so close to her?"

"He won't," Dorian answers, pulling the Qunari's attention to him, "Alexius is desperate, he won't risk delaying this meeting any further."

"And even if he does have an issue with it, I doubt there's any reason to worry," Cassandra states with confidence, "Arturia has a way with words, she'll convince the magisters to have them stay with her."

"Then once Arturia successfully distracts Alexius, and the magisters dealt with, he'll be cornered," Leliana finishes the explanation before looking to Dorian, carefully observing the slightest emotion, "If Alexius truly is desperate, then I'm not certain he'll be willing to surrender."

"I know what you're going to say," Dorian cuts in, looking to Leliana with a sharp gaze, "If he resists in any way that could endanger your men, he'll have to be killed."

He steps up to the table, placing a hand over his own chest, "Let me and Felix have a chance to talk with him. I'm not only saying this because he is my teacher and Felix's father. He is a good man. He's just been severely misguided, and needs help to truly see what he is doing."

"You will have your chance, Dorian," Cullen says before grimacing slightly, "But I cannot promise anything."

"I understand. That is all I can ask for," Dorian nods in genuine gratitude, before suddenly lightening his tone, clapping once, "So! We have our bait, we have our fish, and we have our plan. Now, all we need is to move the boat into the water."

"I have the meeting date set and ready," Josephine announces, "Now we just have to make sure that Arturia is ready as well. Speaking of which, how is she doing, Solas?"

Solas nods steadily, his expression creasing a bit in consideration for what he's about to say next, "She's...fine. Despite having faced the Envy Demon both mentally and physically, she has recovered far quicker than the rest who has fought at Therinfal Redoubt. No doubt due to whatever caused her eyes to suddenly shine golden now."

"Should we be worried?" Cullen asks in trepidation. While hearing Arturia recovering much better than the others did lighten his heart, the fact that such a feat was achieved by the girl under recent circumstances still called for concerns. "I still don't understand just what it was that led to her change."

Solas takes another moment of consideration, then turns to Cullen, "I have some theories. The Envy Demon invaded her mind, no doubt the effort to fight off his influence would be incredible. It could be Arturia's magic resistance that she was able to fend against Envy enough to push him out, but I've also speculated that some kind magic or essence must have been left behind within Arturia...and not by the Envy Demon itself. The new magic within her is harmless and not at all lethal to her life, so I have confidence that she will be ready for when we reach Redcliffe."

There is a faint scribbling from the corner of the room, and Solas spots Varric seemingly writing a new note in his journal that had a drawn picture of a familiar blonde knight. The elf mage holds back a sigh.

"Well, let's hope she is," Iron Bull states, removing himself from the wall, "Cause whether she can come to this meeting or not, we need her if we're going to make this plan work, and recruit the mages whether it's safe or not."

The rest of the room collectively, if silently, agrees.


"I have good news, Elder One. Arturia Pendragon will be arriving to Redcliffe and into our grasp, at long last."

This is what Alexius informs through a spherical glass device, a gift from his one and true master. He speaks in private within his chambers at Redcliffe Castle, having just dismissed one of Fiona's mages for a little bit of seclusion in order to discuss certain matters - in particular, news that had just recently reached Redcliffe.

That very news being the Templar Order's call for a peace talk, along with officially joining forces with the Inquisition in closing the Breach, and Fiona came to personally request if she could speak to Arturia Pendragon regarding it.

Whether the former Grand Enchanter sincerely believes it to be legitimate, or is so deeply skeptical that she wishes to confront the Herald of Andraste herself, Alexius denied the request. He can't have anyone ruin this opportunity, while he sympathizes with Fiona's feelings on the matter, there are far more pressing matters he has to prioritize, or else everything he and his countrymen have bled for will have gone to waste. It certainly is an impressive feat though, for the Herald to accomplish this in order to fulfill what the previous Divine had died for.

It is a tragic irony that he'll have to rip the knight from making such an achievement.

"The spell will be ready by the time of her arrival. One that will certainly recover the Herald from the time she arrived at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. She will be yours soon."

While the Mage Rebellion will not appreciate his betrayal of their interests in having the herald over their own wants and needs given their circumstances, Alexius couldn't give a damn about them. Whatever it takes, however it takes, he will go so far into the abyss itself to save Felix.

"Very good," From the other end of the communication, the Elder One is audibly pleased. "The Templars have failed me. I have expectations that you will not, Alexius...else you will end up failing your own son."

Alexius gulps the dread in his throat, and bowed his head, "I will not fail. I swear it."


The Elder One taps the top of the crystal ball and cuts off their communication. They have not received a word from Envy for a long time since the news of Therinfal's disaster, which can only mean that Arturia has managed to kill them off for good. It certainly is a surprise, as Envy was not an easy demon to deal with, even for the likes of Arturia. It would have been enjoyable to have the knight conscious while forced by Envy to bring destruction at every wake in her own body for the rest of her life.

Oh well, what's lost is forever that. And the Elder One will have a chance with the knight through the Mages yet.

Even with Arturia's Magic Resistance, the knight will not be able to prevent herself from being pulled into the new spell the Elder One gave to Alexius. Soon, the Elder One will have her. Soon, the Elder One will make her face the futility of all her work.

A chuckle escapes from them, "It seems that history is about to repeat itself."


A/N - *Submerges from water* And I'm back! Fall semester finally over and have been doing nothing but simmering down from all the stress and the ways of life. I'm also working on a personal writing project of mine that I'm hoping to get it done by the end of the year, but... well, I ain't got hopes for that.

Thank you all for waiting for the next chapter. This was a short writing BUT rest assured, the next chapter will be quite the excitement. Of course, I do not know when the next one will be, with Christmas just right around the corner. I do hope though that this is a good surprise gift for all of you beautiful readers. Thank you again for staying tune, and Merry Christmas!