A Templar's Faith, A Mage's Resolve
Chapter 3
The Inquisition, Reborn
The faint smell of varnished wood, burning wax, the crackle of fire. Maev's eyes fluttered open, staring at the wooden ceiling above her. This was a much better way to wake than in a dungeon, she had to admit. Beneath her she could feel the plush mattress, a knitted quilt. It was certainly an upgrade. She moved to sit up, and immediately the world gave a sickening spin, forcing her to slump back into the pillows. She groaned loudly, clamping a hand over her eyes until the sound something crashing to the ground caught her attention. She dropped her hand, her eyes falling on a young elf girl, clambering over herself to repack the box.
"I'm sorry I didn't know you were 'wake." She said as she scooped a bottle into the box.
"Its alright, just, stop for a minute." Maev managed, her voice hoarse. How long had she been unconscious? The girl stopped, whirling to look at the mage. "Is there something to drink around here?"
"Y-yes ma'am!" She girl chirped, abandoning her box to launch herself at a wooden pale, using a mug to scoop out some water and practically spring across the room. It seemed Maev couldn't drink the water herself, thus the elf helped, tipping the mug back slightly.
"Thanks." Maev grunted, slumping back onto the pillows.
"Lady seeker will want to know you've woke, they've been waiting a long time for you to wake. Thought you'd keeled over." She said with an honest shrug. "At once! She said, At once!"
"A long time? HOW long?" Asked the mage, forcing herself to sit up, leaning against the headboard.
"Three days m'lady, three whole days. Everyone's been waiting, worried!"
"Worried? Last I checked they were all lining up to stick me with sharp objects. Are you saying they're happy with me?" Confusion set in as the mage raked her mind searching for memories.
"You stopped the sky hole from growing. Aren't you happy?" The elf stared for a moment, maybe two before leaping to her feet from Maev's bedside. "At once she said!" She cried before turning and LITERALLY running out of the small... cabin? Maev groaned. She wished she had time to ask for some bread. She felt incredibly empty, and weak. It seemed though, that the only way she'd be able to find a good meal and perhaps something to drink other than water, was to get up.
It took a few tries, and even longer to pull on her robes, all the while her mind reliving the events she last remembered. Taking the mountain path, the temple; decimated. The reek of the bodies, curled in unnatural positions, trapped in their final moments. The echos of the fade, the moments before the explosion. And the rift. The mark that had spread to her shoulder, but the shine less bright, winding tattoos of deep, etched green. Much like the winding vallaslin that decorated her face, but with a constant burning sensation For the moment, she would simply have to get used to it.
The mage stepped out into the sunlight, immediately throwing her hand up to shade her eyes. It was less painful than the sudden light from the depths of the dungeon, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. Trying to focus her eyes she perhaps thought she was going mad, but after a few rapid blinks, she was not wrong. It seemed every soldier, villager and everyone in between had stopped to stare. Not in the murderous mob kind of way either. A few crossed their arms over their chests, others bowed their heads as she made her way through them to the only logical place for the seeker to be holed up; the chantry. A ghostly whisper followed her the entire way, passed from person to person, one word repeatedly catching her long ears, 'Herald'. Officially? She was thoroughly creeped out. Once she had reached the set of tents by the chantry, her tired body wasn't in good enough condition to turn tail and flee, thus she had no choice but to continue. Taking every bit of effort to stay on her feet without assistance.
Maev stepped into the chantry, immediately catching the attention of the templars at either side of the massive doors. She could hear the loud clanking of their bulky armor following her into the room at the end of the hall where Cassandra loudly argued with none other than the grand chancellor himself.
"Chain her!" He practically sang out, Maev stiffening as the templars took a step forward. "I want her taken to the capital for trial."
"Disregard that, and leave us." Cassandra barked over the man's orders, the templars doing as she commanded. Maev tried to not let her sigh of relief be too noticeable. Even after all this she was a suspect. That was more than frustrating.
"You walk a dangerous line seeker." The chancellor grumbled. The man reminded her of a growling dog.
"The breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it." Cassandra replied, smooth but unfaltering.
"So, even after stabilizing the big green demon spewing mass floating out there, risking my life to do so, I'm still a suspect?" Maev managed, stepping forward to lean on the table. "You need to re-read your Benedictions."
"You absolutely are."
"No, she is not." Cassandra. Bless her.
"Someone is responsible for the explosion at the conclave, someone most holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others, or have allies that still live." The right hand gave the chancellor a pointed stare. Maev nearly snorted at the look on his face.
"I, am a suspect?" Clearly, he didn't believe that someone of the chantry could be corrupted. Fool. She would bet her left boot that every single remaining cleric and chantry mother was beating each other over the head for the position of divine. A lump sprung into Maev's throat at the thought of Justinia. Poor woman.
"You, and many others." Her voice was like venom.
"Me, and not the prisoner?" Clearly, he was unable to wrap his head around things.
"I was there, I heard the voices at the temple, most holy called out to her for help."
"So, her survival, that THING on her hand - a coincidence?"
"Providence. The maker sent her to us in our darkest hour." Maev's head shot up, her eyes connecting with the seekers. Herald. Perhaps the actions of all the staring people made a little more sense if they believed such a thing.
"So you've changed your mind about me." Maev blurted.
"I was wrong, perhaps I still am. I will not, however pretend that you were not exactly what we needed, when we needed it." Maev was a little touched. The right hand wasn't exactly known for changing her opinions.
"The breach still remains, and your mark the only means of closing it for good."
"This is not for YOU to decide - " started the chancellor, interrupted by a loud thud. The seeker had slammed a book down on the table. Old, withered, and important looking.
"Do you know what this is, Chancellor? A writ from the divine, granting us the authority to act." She stared the man down. "As of this moment, I declare the inquisition reborn." Those were perhaps the last words Maev had expected to hear. The seeker approached the Chancellor, the man backing up as quickly as dignified. "We will close the breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval." Her words echoed through the chantry, the man throwing the three women a dirty look before retreating from the room, the ringing of Cassandra's words still bouncing off the stone around them.
"That was climactic." Maev managed to say, perhaps to kill the lingering silence. If only that dwarf were there. That would be a moment he could incorporate into one of his books.
"We're not ready." Said the right hand, Leliana, she believed her name was. "We have no leader, no forces, and now no chantry support."
"But we have no choice." Cassandra chimed in, "We have to act now, with you at our side." Maev felt the eyes of both the right and left hand on her. It seemed, for the moment that she had no choice in the matter.
"I agree." Maev released the table before latching onto it again for balance. "As much as I'd love to return home, the breach isn't going away. Not without intervention, and as far as we know, only THIS can close it." She shot a glare at her hand. "Just promise me something."
"Yes?" The right hand.
"I know the history of the last inquisition. I know the bloodbath that followed behind them through the land." Maev stood straight, her legs still leaning against the table. "The people of Thedas have suffered enough. Make this new inquisition something to be proud of." Cassandra moved to speak, stepping forward, but the mage raised a hand to silence her. "I will not aid a tyrannical group of soldiers hellbent of carving their path to victory through the corpses of anyone who will stand in their way."
"That is not what we intend here -"
"I know." Said Maev, offering a smile to Leliana. "But the road this inquisition will take rests on the edge of a blade. It will not take much to be swayed in the wrong direction."
"There is wisdom to your words, we will keep that in mind." Cassandra stepped forward, her hand extended. Maev reached for it, gripping it tight and giving it a firm shake. The mage swayed, her hip bumping into the table, pieces tumbled off the table. "You have not fully recovered."
"It seems a few days of no food and drink has had it's toll on me." Maev let go of Cassandra's hand.
"We have much work to do, the tavern has plenty of both, rest and we will send for you when we discover what our next move should be." Leliana's voice was sweet, comforting. It was a strange contrast between the two hands of the divine.
"I'll take my leave." Maev grunted, making her way slowly out the door and into the chilled air. Tavern... Tavern... Where oh where could it be?