The Wrath of Heaven 5: At the Forward Camp

There was another bridgehead. It was bustling with activity. Soldiers at bonfires prepped meals, the scent of herbs and meat wafting through the air. This combined with the smell of the dead. Other soldiers and some civilians were seeing to the deceased, wrapping the remains in linens and carting them from one location to another. The Chantry clergy gave these remains their last rites, preaching of the salvation of the Maker to the faith-hungry people. Other soldiers took care of the inventory and munitions, overseen by clerks with clipboards. Everyone wore a grim expression.

As the party passed through, Andras could feel the glares of the people upon him. He was the Destroyer, they whispered in hushed, hateful whispers – he survived the Temple falling while their Divine did not. He tore open the sky.

Yet not every face held such contempt for him. It was rare, he noted, but some few other survivors lacked the raw hate. Not acceptance, no – something else. Perhaps a debt repaid? Andras and his small party had saved some small bands of people from death by demons' hands. Perhaps these few were turning a blind eye to the Maker of the Breach, as the others named him.

Up ahead, Andras can see Leliana having a rather heated discussion with a rather mousy-looking cleric.

"We must prepare the soldiers!" Leliana demands.

"We will do no such thing," the mousy cleric rebuffs her.

"The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!"

"You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility."

"I have caused trouble?"

"You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven't you all done enough already?" he huffs

"You're not in command here!"

"Enough! I will not have it!"

At that moment, the mousy cleric looks up, seeing the party approach. "Ah, here they come."

Leliana turns to face Andras as the party approaches. "You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is–"

"I know who he is," Roderick interrupts, turning to face Cassandra. He continues, a smug look on his face. "As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution."

"'Order me'? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" Cassandra spits. Andras does not think he's actually seen her angry yet.

"And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!"

"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know," Leliana cuts back in.

"Justinia is dead!" Roderick exclaims. "We must elect her replacement, and obey her orders on the matter."

"So none of you are actually in charge here," Andras notes, looking from Leliana to Cassandra to Roderick.

"You killed everyone who was in charge!" the cleric exclaims, his face now beet-red.

"I didn't. At least, not intentionally. Or, rather, I don't think it was me?" Andras says, beginning to ramble. Turning to Varric who's now giving him a look, he continues, "Hey. I don't even remember how I got there in the first place."

"If that's the tale you want to weave…" Varric trails off.

Roderick shakes his head, his jaw clenched. "Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless."

Cassandra is scowling just as hard. "We can stop this before it's too late."

"How? You won't survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers."

"We must get to the temple. It's the quickest route," Cassandra reiterates.

"But not the safest," Leliana notes. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains."

"We lost contact with an entire squad on that path," Cassandra says, shaking her head. "It's too risky."

Roderick looks between the two women. "Listen to me: Abandon this now, before more lives are lost."

Andras' hand flares in pain. He breathes a sharp breath, and squeezes his eyes shut, willing the moment to be over. From his peripheral, he can see the Breach react in kind, flaring and swelling with its malevolent energies.

By this point, everyone in the party knows of his pain. They don't even bother asking whether he's alright.

Instead, Cassandra turns to Andras. "How do you think we should proceed?"

A perplexed look crosses his face. "You're asking what I think? I thought I was your prisoner."

"You have the mark," Solas notes.

"And you are the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own…" Cassandra trails off.

"Fine," Andras says, crossing his arms. "Then we use the mountain path. Like Leliana said: we can use the soldiers as distraction. And like you want, Cassandra, we can get to the Temple faster. We take the path. Work together. We all know what's at stake."

Cassandra nods. It's pretty obvious she's not happy with the decision, but since he's met her, Andras doesn't actually think she can be happy.

Yet, true to her status as military, she begins the execution of Andras' decision. "Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone."

At her proclamation, Roderick narrows his eyes. "On your head be the consequences, Seeker," he says, jabbing his fingers at her as the party departs.