Chapter 5 - Red templars

A visit to the Western Approach confirmed what Logain had said. The Inquisitor witnessed a group of mages from the Grey Wardens summoning demons then using blood magic to bind them together. It was hard to watch as the mages drove a dagger into the hearts of their comrades, binding them in a bloody ritual. The Inquisitor along with Logain and Hawke managed to stop the procedure before it got out of hand. The mages however were beyond saving. Bloody ritual bound them to the will of Livius Erimond, a tevinter mage in the service of Corypheus. Livius managed to escape, but not before proudly spouting the entire elaborate plan. So they had another lead. The Grey Wardens had gathered at the Adamant Fortress, and that was where the Inquisition needed to strike. They needed more men to do it however, and that took time.

Ayden stood over the massive table in the war room staring at the huge map placed on it. Again and again, he rearranged the pawns on it, contemplating his next move. The Inquisition needed influence. Only by winning over the right people would they have a chance to reinforce their armies in a reasonable amount of time. He rested his hands on the edge of the table stubbornly looking at the map. After a moment he rubbed his tired face with his palm.

-The Inquisitor's work never ends, I see? - he heard a familiar soft voice. He did not raise his eyes.

Leliana came closer.

-I think that's a rhetorical question. - he muttered under his breath. He reached again for two pawns and rearranged them carefully.

Leliana laughed sweetly.

-I think I can assist you in your efforts, Inquisitor. - she announced. Ayden lifted his gaze. His elbows however, were still resting on the table.

-Are you the bearer of good news then? Your spies have found out that Corypheus is gone, consumed by the void, and we can all go home? - he asked seriously.

Leliana laughed a little louder.

-The Inquisitor honored me with one of his golden jokes? I feel honored. - she said in amusement.

-I have my moments.

Leliana leaned over the table. She grabbed one of the unused pawns and placed it near South Orlais. Ayden straightened up.

-Emprise du Lion? - he asked briefly waiting for further explanation.

-My scouts report that Sahrnia has been occupied by the red templars. Since they entered the quarries there, the locals have begun to disappear one by one. We have also noted large concentrations of red lyrium around these quarries so there is little doubt why the templars occupied them. If we find out what happened there, we'll gain Sahrnia's favor, and that's no small favor. Emprise du Lion has considerable influence in Orlais. But we must act quickly. Something has blocked the river routes so Sarhnia has been cut off from supplies for several days.

Ayden made a quick calculation. Iron Bull headed to the Storm Coast to meet with his contact. Dorian set out with several of Leliana's spies to investigate the Hissing Hollows. Several venatorii had been seen there recently. Casandra had to deal with an urgent matter related to the Seekers. Blackwall went to Hinterlands on some matter related to the Wardens. Vivienne was stopped by family matters somewhere around Val Royeaux. Varric had to take care of business related to the Merchant's Guild. Solas was absorbed in gathering information on Corypheus and the anchor spell. Hawke, on the other hand, went to Denerim. She did not explain why. Only said she would be back in two days.

-Do we have any free soldiers who could go with me? - he asked after a while.

Leliana rubbed her chin.

-Cullen should have a few. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to go on a mission with the Inquisitor himself.

Ayden took one last look at the map.

-All right then. I will consult with the commander on who he can spare.

-Good luck, Inquisitor.

Cullen put his two best warriors at his disposal. One of them was a stocky, clean-shaven man named Atros. From what Ayden had learned about him, he was from Ferelden and had served there for several years as an attached guard to one of the banns. However, the darkspawns killed both the bannermen and his family. Since then Atros has worked as a mercenary, protecting merchant caravans from the bandits. He learned of the Inquisition by chance from a merchant who supplied Skyhold. He didn't even think about his decision. The other soldier was Katria. The woman must have had some chasind's roots. Tall and stocky she looked more like a man. Her ragged long hair was tied up in a high ponytail and a few sporadic braids, decorated with beads here and there, poked through the sizable black mane. The left side of her head was shaved to make the elongated geometric tattoo visible.

Leliana was right. They were both bursting with pride that they could accompany the Inquisitor on one of his missions. As they left the walls of Skyhold, the envious stares of the rest of the soldiers glared at them. The journey was not long and when they arrived, they were greeted by snow-capped passes and an ice-capped river. At least the mystery of the withholding of supplies was solved fairly quickly. Once they succeeded in eliminating the red templars Ayden would have to think about sending caravans overland.

Harding gave them a detailed report so they could plan their actions. The situation looked really bad and the Inquisitor admired the locals for still managing.

-The locals must have been through hell. - Katria said as she looked at the snow-covered ruins of the houses. She shifted slightly in the saddle of her mare making a massive shield clanked on her back.

-The red templars will regret showing their sorry asses here. - growled Atros, sitting on a grey horse.

-We must find out what is going on in those quarries. - announced the Inquisitor, gripping the leather reins of his white mount. - Follow me. - He patted the animal's flanks lightly with his feet and, making a clicking sound with his tongue, urged it to move forward. Both soldiers moved in formation behind Herold. They met the first stragglers not far from the buildings. The two infantrymen were hovering around red crystals that were sticking out of the ground. The Inquisitor assumed they were patrolling the area around Sahrnia making sure no one uninvited moved from there. They must not have been expecting three well-equipped armed opponents, for they fell from their blows before they could figure out what was attacking them. Ayden was impressed with the combat skills of his soldiers, their composure, and their reflexes. His only concern was that none of them had ranged weapons. Unfortunately, Cullen had no solid archer or crossbowman in reserve. Ayden counted on someone local, but all locals were in such desperate straits that he didn't have the heart to ask any of them for help. It was a consolation that all reports of red templars in the area spoke of an enemy fighting at close range so with such a lineup they should be able to handle it. Ayden paused a moment over one of the fallen. He clenched his teeth as he stared at the corpse. Half of the man's body was covered in red crystals growing out of his skin.

-What is this filth? - Katria asked in disgust. It was one thing to read a report and another to see them with one's own eyes.

Ayden shifted his gaze to the vast deposits of red lyrium piercing the snow. The crystals seemed to pulsate, and they emitted a faint warmth when one came closer. Varric told him a bit about how he and Hawke had found a statue made of this material in the Deep Roads. A statue that had driven his brother and the ruling templar of Kirkwall Meredith mad. He pressed his armored gauntlet against one of the crystals and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he took a few steps back.

-Atros crush it. - he said.

-With pleasure. - the man answered with a smile and reached for a massive hammer. He swung and only tiny pieces of the red crystals remained. Ayden bent down and picked up one of them. The shard was no longer glowing and its steady sound fell silent. It looked dead. Could lyrium "die"?

After a moment, he hurled the piece into the snow and the three of them moved on toward the quarry.

When they arrived, the area was covered with red lyrium. Somewhere in the distance, they heard someone talking. They dismounted from their horses and slowly approached the source, trying to remain unnoticed. Red templars scurried about throughout the quarry and their modified bodies were crackling with every step. Ayden strained his green eyes to estimate their number. Maker's breath, he was so pleased that the reports were confirmed and there were no archers among them. The walkers were guarding working slaves who were mining red lyrium as well as the stone. They were probably the missing inhabitants of Sahrnia. In addition, more terrified people were packed in the cart standing in the middle. The Inquisitor had a bad feeling about the purpose for which they had been brought here. After a moment he finished his calculations.

-I counted ten. - he whispered. - They look like the same ones we fought before. Atros, you will take care of those two guarding the cage. They need to be eliminated as soon as possible so that they don't pounce on the prisoners.

The warrior nodded.

-Katria you try to get rid of the ones by the crystals on the left.

The woman also took note of the order.

- I will draw the attention of the four on the right. If all goes well we'll be done before they have time to organize themselves.

With a plan laid out in his head, the Inquisitor and his two appendages attacked. Atros crushed the first opponent's skull before he could turn around. The second drew his crystal sword with a shriek as he threw himself at his opponent. The warrior pulled the hammer in front of him and the red blade stopped on its shaft.

Following the Inquisitor's example, Katria drew her sword and, shielding herself, charged at the templar nearest to her. Startled, the man lost his balance and fell onto his back. Her sharp-pointed shield fell upon him like a bolt of thunder, piercing his windpipe. The templar grunted quietly and went still. The second man had already swung, but the woman's quick reflexes allowed her to deflect the blow.

The Inquisitor raised the templar shield and struck it several times with his sword. The four red templars looked in his direction. For a moment they were confused, wondering if Ayden was definitely the enemy. Credit to his armor. He took advantage of the situation in a flash and swung his shield. Three of the templars fell to the ground. The air was pierced by the deafening sound of breaking necks and only one of them got up screaming at his tormentor. The one whom shield didn't reach came to his aid.

It seemed that despite being outnumbered the fight would end as quickly as the previous one. Surprised, the red templars fell to the ground one by one.

Ayden was pleased his plan worked but a piercing concern refused to leave him. Suddenly a loud rumble came from the other end of the quarry, and for a moment everyone could have sworn the ground trembled. A huge creature stood in the other narrow entrance leading into the complex. It looked like a moving cluster of raw lyrium. Red eyes glittered in fury.

-Maker's breath, what is that? - asked Katria, pulling a sword from the skull of her defeated opponent.

Next to the strange creature stood several smaller ones. Their scarlet spiked limbs looked like two daggers.

-Atros! - shouted the Inquisitor. - Break the padlock on the wagon! The prisoners must get out of here, and fast!

The man clutched the massive hammer and swung. One blow was all it took for the padlock to fall to the snow. The wooden cage door opened with a groan. The people crammed on the cart began to crawl free.

Massive stomping grew louder. The huge behemoth was approaching with great strides and with it a squad of scarlet assassins.

-Move! Move! Move! - urged the soldier. When the prisoners finally broke out of their cage, they fled in terror. Katria also shouted at the stunned workers to get out of the quarry.

-I'll get the big one on myself! - shouted the Inquisitor again. - You guys take care of the rest.

-Herald, you can't handle him. - said the woman.

-So hurry up with the killing. - Ayden replied and smiled slightly.

The woman raised the corner of her mouth and growled in a long breath, throwing herself at the two nearest assassins.

Atros did not remain indebted to her. His hammer whirled through the air as if it were the lightest thing in the world.

The Inquisitor drew the red behemoth's attention to himself.

-Maker, guide my hand to victory. - he muttered under his breath. The opponent's massive crystal hand took a solid swing. Ayden covered himself with his shield, but the force of the blow was so great that he flew several meters back, landing painfully on his back. For a split second, he could not catch his breath. The approaching footsteps quickly brought him to his feet. By some miracle, he managed to evade being crushed. Behemoth's mace-like hand bogged down. It was his window. He swung his sword aiming at the back. When his sword bounced off the red crystals he held his breath for a moment.

-He is immune to my attacks. - he said in horror. The behemoth swung again. Ayden had no time to dodge, so he shielded himself again. This strike was a little weaker, but it still left him off balance. Once again he landed with his back in the wet snow. When he opened his eyes he saw a massive foot approaching him. He squeezed the shield tightly, covering his stomach and chest with it. The muscles in his arms tightened to the limit, but the force of the pressure was getting stronger. He felt the inner grip of the shield push against his breastplate. The monster cried out loudly, pressing his foot down even further. Ayden felt like he was in a vise. He couldn't get out of those clamps anymore. Suddenly he heard something like a snap and a searing pain filled his right side. The force of the pressure must have broken his rib. With the last of his strength, he kicked his attacker's other leg in an attempt to unbalance him. It did not help much. He growled loudly, trying to muster the energy to repel the attack. Suddenly the leg the attacker was leaning on swayed and the behemoth had to relieve the pressure to keep from falling to the ground. Ayden seized the opportunity and rolling in the snow, managed to shift his position. With both hands supporting him, he managed to stand up. His right side pulsed mercilessly, making breathing difficult. He tightened his grip on the shield however, trying to stay upright. Behind his attacker, he saw Atros clutching a huge hammer. The Inquisitor's green eyes were drawn to the behemoth's lower back. Some of the crystals covering it fell off under the force of the blow.

-Atros. - he tried to scream but the pain reduced it to a mere utterance. - My sword has no effect on him. Only your hammer seems to be effective.

The man only nodded and again swung at his opponent. This time he hit him in the thigh. Another batch of crystals landed in the snow. Katria also joined the fight. Her arm was bleeding slightly but it was not a serious injury.

-Katria, try to get his attention! - shouted Atros. - A normal sword does not work on his armor.

The warrior only nodded and screamed out loud, trying to draw her opponent's attention to herself.

Ayden took a shallow breath and bent slightly. Suddenly a quiet whirring sound came to his ears. He looked around hastily. His gaze rested on the warrior woman. A sharp piece of red lyrium protruded from her right bicep. A moment later, another swish sounded and the Inquisitor felt a blow to his left thigh. He rolled slightly and fell to the snow. Red drops stained the white fluff. A similar piece of a sharp spike was just sticking out of his body. He gnashed his teeth and hurriedly looked around. On one of the platforms of the quarry stood another red templar. His long fingers held a set of crystals resembling throwing knives. Maker's breath, he would need an archer so much right now. He levered himself off the ground feeling the slowly growing pain that radiated from the impaled crystal. He shielded himself and tried to approach his attacker. If he was close enough to reach him with the chain at his waist, he could pull him towards him. He heard another swish and one of the red shards bounced off the metal shield. As he walked a few steps again another swish pierced the air. Covering himself with the shield this time did nothing. A sharp pain exploded in his left shoulder. He staggered again and growled in anger. A new red skewer stabbed from his left bicep. The green gaze quickly found the other individual who was quite on the other side. He would not be able to eliminate them both. He glanced at the fighting soldiers who were valiantly trying to defeat the behemoth. Two spikes were sticking out of Atros' right arm, but the man was swinging his hammer hard. The huge creature was already quite battered.

-Inquisitor! - shouted the soldier. - Runaway Herold. We will keep them here as long as we can. Tell our troops that the red templars have created something new.

-You will die here. - Ayden spoke. He began to feel weakness. The pain pulsed in three different places.

-You must survive Herold! - Katria spoke up this time. - We can be replaced. You cannot.

Her words stabbed harder than the red crystals poking into his flesh. He knew she was right. Only he could close those cursed rifts so good people like her had to die instead of him. He closed his green eyes and, grinding his teeth, rose once more. His left hand slowly began to lose its grip, so he left his shield in the snow and stalked toward the nearest quarry exit. He heard a swish. One. A moment later another. Both missed their target. He walked a few steps and another swish pierced the air again. The force of the blow knocked the air out of his lungs. Stripped of its hard metal shield, his back was an easy target, and another red crystal slammed into his soft muscles. Ayden staggered and fell to his knees. He growled loudly and ignoring the pain got up stubbornly pushing forward. As he stepped out into more open space he whistled quietly. Dark spots were already beginning to dance in front of his eyes. He whistled once again.

-Where are you Astral? - he whispered. A moment later, his white steed emerged from between the trees like a ghost. Ayden smiled at the sight of the stallion. The animal came up to him and whinnied loudly, smelling blood but it did not leave its master. The Inquisitor tried to climb onto his back, but he had no strength left. Two attempts ended with him almost landing face down in the snow. Seeing his master's efforts, the steed folded its head and lay down on the ground. Ayden took hold of its mane and with the last of his strength climbed onto its back. As the animal and its rider rose, two red spikes pierced the spot where its head had been a moment before. The horse turned its trunk and raced ahead, wanting to get away from the attackers. When the Inquisitor judged that they were far enough, he pulled lightly on the reins, forcing the horse to slow down. The animal obeyed and after a moment the gallop turned into slow wade through the snow. Ayden was under the impression that his helmet was starting to squeeze his head. He raised his weak hands and pulled it off carelessly. The shiny metal landed in a snowdrift he passed along the way. He grabbed the reins again. He felt himself getting weaker and weaker and if he will not somehow attach his body to the animal he will slip off. With a slow motion, he wrapped the reins around his forearms. Maybe that would be enough. He no longer had the strength to think any further. He no longer had the strength to keep upright and most importantly he did not have the strength to steer his mount, so he relied entirely on his instincts. He leaned forward and laid his head on the soft white mane. Pain radiated from his injured shoulder, thigh, and back, and with each inhale he felt as if another spike would rip through his ribs. He closed his eyes and his mind drifted off into a soothing nothingness.