A/N: Well, "The Young Inquisitor" was the more popular of the two, so this story will continue on while "The Final Reaping" will stay back for a bit. So, I present to you… chapter two!
Chapter 2: The Inquisition
Ruby slowly started to wake up, this time to a warm, soft light instead of the cold rocky ground. Ruby slowly sat up, finding a large quilt over her and she was in different clothes. What she was wearing now felt like she was wearing a cross between a pair of pajamas and winter clothes. They were a dull grey color with shiny metal clasps and buttons. Ruby looked around the wooden room she was in, thinking that the entire structure was just about as big as her room back at Beacon.
There were two people sitting in the room with Ruby, a guy wearing metal armor and the other was a girl wearing, what looked like, robes. The armor was the same as the guy that blocked the attack from the Pride Demon. Instead of the bucket helmet, which now sat on a small table to the guy's left, he had dark orange hair that was cut very close to his head. He had pale skin and green eyes, a small scar starting from his right temple and stopped at his jaw line. The girl had similar features, the same dark orange hair but hers was longer, stopping at her shoulders.
She had the same pale skin and green eyes, but she had a black tattoo over her left eye. It was a strange circle above her eye with the top quarter missing while there were two lines beneath her eye that stopped an inch below. The two looked at her, Ruby waving nervously at both of them.
"Go tell the Seeker she's awake. I'll get her to the Chantry." The guy exclaimed as he stood up. The girl nodded and promptly left, leaving Ruby alone with the guy in metal armor. She noticed that his armor had the same flaming sword symbol on his chest as the man Cassandra and her found when she first gained consciousness. He stood up and greeted Ruby with his right arm to his left shoulder.
"Greetings, I am Raphael, formerly of the Templar's Order." Raphael greeted as he walked over to Ruby. Ruby slid to the edge of her bed and stood before Raphael, seeing that she was about a head shorter than him.
"Hi Raphael, I'm Ruby."
"I know. Everyone knows who you are. You stopping the Breach from expanding has been the talk for the past three days."
"Three days!? I've been out that long!"
"Yes, but don't worry. The healers have patched you up and the smith has given you new armor. Your weapon is currently at the smith as well, something about wanting to take a look at it."
"My baby!"
Ruby immediately tried to run out of the building, but Raphael caught Ruby around the waist before she could.
"Slow down! Everyone is waiting outside to see you. If they see you running off, they'll be put into a panic. Besides, Seeker Cassandra wants to speak with you in the Chantry. Let me take you there."
Raphael went to the door and placed his hand on the knob, awaiting sign from Ruby to show that she was ready. Ruby adjusted her coat and nodded, ready to meet the masses that she had help save. Raphael opened the door, Ruby seeing a similar sight, the wooden buildings and tents she saw when she was being escorted towards the Breach. This time, there were soldiers lined up to both sides of Ruby, holding back the mass of people that were trying to get a look at her. Raphael started walking with Ruby right behind him, everyone wide eyed to see the one that stopped the Breach from expanding.
Ruby decided to present herself in a better manner, she stood up straighter and smiled as she followed Raphael, appearing more confident. All of the soldiers that made the path held the same position Raphael had greeted her in as people whispered about her.
"Is that her?"
"She's so young."
"It's her! The Herald of Andraste!"
They turned up a set of stairs and Ruby was staring at something that looked like a massive church, so she could only assume that this was the Chantry. Raphael brought Ruby through the massive doors, Ruby already hearing the argument that was at the far end of the building. The two moved and Ruby could clearly hear Chancellor Roderick arguing with Cassandra.
"The Breach remains. The child failed, Seeker!" Roderick argued.
"She stopped the Breach from expanding." Cassandra replied.
"For all you know, she planned for this."
Ruby decided she was done listening and walked through the door, seeing two more men in metal armor like Raphael's. Ruby saw a large table at the center of the small room with Cassandra, Leliana and the girl from before on the opposite side while Chancellor Roderick was on the end to Ruby's left. Cassandra nodded and the two armored men, as well as Raphael and the girl, left the room. Ruby turned back to the trio, ready to face what was going to happen to her.
"Chain her! I want her ready for travel to the capital for trial!" Roderick exclaimed as he pointed at Ruby. Ruby sighed since he was certainly persistent she face trial for something she knew nothing about. Ruby was about to respond when Cassandra did.
"Disregard that order, and leave us." Cassandra ordered, the three heavy armored men bringing their right hand to their left shoulder and leaving, as well as the robed girl. Roderick hardly looked pleased as he sneered a venomous sneer at Cassandra.
"You walk a dangerous path, Seeker." Roderick practically hissed, Cassandra ignoring the tone in his voice.
"The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it."
Ruby was still uncomfortable with the entire situation. A member of a massive church trying to send her to a trail where she would more than likely be used as a patsy, and a woman who worked for the same church doing everything she could to prevent it. Ruby decided to put her word in, at least so they knew how she felt.
"I… I did everything I could. Stopping the Breach from spreading nearly killed me." Ruby muttered, unsure if what she said would make anything better of everything worse. The answer was apparently worse, since Roderick scowled at her with a snarled response.
"And yet here you are. A convenient result, as far as you're concerned." Roderick snarled. Cassandra stepped up to Roderick, the Chancellor stepping back as she did.
"Have a care, Chancellor. But the Breach is not our only threat." Cassandra exclaimed. Leliana moved to Cassandra's side, but in a way that was both completely silent and utterly graceful.
"Someone caused the explosion at the Conclave and killed the Divine. They may either be alive, or may have allies that still live." Leliana continued, her eyes like daggers digging into Roderick for a response.
"I'm a suspect?"
"Along with many other surviving members of the Chantry."
"But not the prisoner?"
"I heard the voices at the Temple. Most Holy called out to her for help."
Roderick clearly didn't like that answer as he scowled with a look of disgust. The fact that Cassandra, the Right Hand of the Divine, her most trusted bodyguard, was defending the very person who may have killed her, was appalling at best.
"So the prisoner's survival, the mark on her hand… all, coincidence?" Roderick questioned, throwing his disgust around like a weapon. Cassandra stood firm against the Chancellor, like a wall of iron against a constant barrage.
"Providence. The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour." Cassandra exclaimed. That was something that threw both Ruby and the Chancellor off, mostly Ruby since she had no idea who this "Maker" was. Unfortunately, Ruby made the mistake of asking one question.
"Who's the Maker?" Ruby questioned, simply trying to understand the situation. That question nearly sent Chancellor Roderick into a fury, his face becoming a deep red as his anger began to boil.
"You say the Maker sent her and yet she doesn't even know who the Maker is!?" Roderick nearly roared. Yet Cassandra stood strong, unyielding against Roderick. Cassandra still had more responses to Roderick's tantrum.
"I know that she is exactly what we need at the time we needed it." Cassandra exclaimed as she walked to the table in the back left corner of the room. Leliana decided to step forward and give her own mind into the conversation.
"The Breach remains, and Ruby is currently our only hope to close it." Leliana pointed out, which she was completely right.
"That is not your decision to make!" Roderick barked as he pointed at Leliana. To Ruby's surprise, Leliana didn't pull a dagger from behind her back and slice Roderick's hand off. Instead, she stood silently as Cassandra returned and slammed a book on the table. Cassandra placed a finger on the book as she schooled Roderick about it.
"Do you know what this is, Chancellor? It is a directive from the Divine, giving us the authority to act. As of now, I declare the Inquisition reborn." Cassandra declared in a voice that did nothing but command authority. Roderick even took a step back from the force of the declaration.
"The Chantry will hear about this!" Roderick declared as he turned and stormed out like a child. Ruby turned back to Cassandra and Leliana, who still had stone-like looks on their faces of determination.
"A writ from the Divine, to reform the Inquisition. To reestablish order and find those who stand against Chaos." Leliana exclaimed as she looked down at the book herself. She took a deep breath and sighed, Ruby wondering what could make a woman do such a thing.
"We are to close the Breach. With no resources, no allies, and now, no Chantry support." Leliana pointed out, establishing everything that could have possibly been wrong with their current situation. Cassandra, however, was still determined to do whatever it took to get the Inquisition up and running.
"But we have no choice: We must act now. With you at our side." Cassandra exclaimed as she looked to Ruby. Ruby took a deep breath and sighed at the situation she was in, having to stand with an unknown group and rebuild order in a world she had no clue about. In the simplest of terms, she was fucked.
"What's the Inquisition of old? I might as well know a little bit about it." Ruby questioned. Leliana was more than happy to give the answer.
"It preceded the Chantry, a group to establish order in a world gone mad." Leliana answered, leaving Cassandra to finish up.
"After they were through, they laid down their banner and formed the Templars, but they have since lost their way. We need those who can do what must be done united under a single banner once more." Cassandra answered, giving Ruby a brief synopsis on what happened with the Inquisition. Ruby nodded, happy to know that what she was doing would doing be doing everything they possibly could to help people.
"If you really are trying to help people…" Ruby trailed off.
"That's the idea." Leliana jumped in.
"Then I'll join you. I'll stand with the Inquisition." Ruby finished.
"Excellent. Leliana, send out the word. Tell everyone that the Inquisition has been reborn."
Leliana nodded and left, walking by a familiar face in the doorway. Brianna stood by the door, but quickly moved out of the way as a small flash of fear ran through her eyes. Once Leliana had passed, Brianna stood in the door way with a small, cloth wrapped package under her arm.
"Look who's back from the dead once again. Rachel told me you were up and walking around." Brianna chuckled as she entered the room. Cassandra stepped forward, clearly a little irritated that Brianna was either there, or had people reporting to her about every activity.
"I've been told that Josephine has already given you your payment. Is there something you need?" Cassandra questioned, stepping up to the elven heavy hitter. Brianna had a smirk on her face as she stood up and practically squared up against the Seeker. The elf moved the package from under her arm and into her hands as she answered Cassandra.
"I'm here to give Ruby a package from Harrit. He's put together some armor since her other clothes were kinda ruined." Brianna answered as she handed the package to Ruby. Ruby opened it up for a quick look, seeing that they looked almost exactly the same as her old clothes, only these were made with leather as opposed to cloth.
"Wow! I'll have to thank, Harrit? For this." Ruby exclaimed as she pulled out the entire gear. The only difference between her original gear and her new gear was the shoulders had small metal plates on them.
"You can use the room outside of here to the left. It will be your room for the time you are here. Feel free to walk around Haven and meet what allies we have here." Cassandra exclaimed as she turned to Ruby.
"And when you have time after being the big hero, swing by the tavern and meet my crew. All of them, including me, are at your disposal." Brianna added as she turned around. Cassandra was about to walk out when she stopped and looked at Ruby from the side.
"Thank you for agreeing to join us. Without you, our cause would not have the same impact that it does now." Cassandra thanked before she walked off to do whatever she did in her spare time. Ruby looked at the armor in her arms and decided to change while she still had the time. Ruby went into the room she was given and it was roughly the same size as her room back at Beacon. There was a bed in the center of the back wall with a nightstand to the left of it with a chest in the back left corner. She looked to her right to see a large wardrobe shoved into the corner with a table right next to it, closer to the door.
Ruby changed out of the pajamas she was in and into her armor, her mind being forced to wander to what her friends and sister were up to at the moment. Everything was so hazy, she couldn't even remember what actually happened before she showed up in that dark, cold place. Ruby shook her head, choosing to focus on the mission at hand rather than the past. Ruby adjusted her armor, a little uncomfortable with the long underwear she was wearing rather than her usual leggings. Ruby felt a little strange in the room, like someone was watching her and it was making her uncomfortable.
Ruby exited the room and then the Chantry, exposing her to the chilled air of the frost covered encampment. She spotted Leliana releasing black birds that looked like crows into the air. Curiosity got the better of her, so she walked over to Leliana to figure out what she was doing.
"Um, Leliana? What are you doing?" Ruby questioned as she got to her.
"Sending word to some of the major groups in the area. The Templars, The Mages, the Arl of Redcliffe, and the Chantry are some. We need their support if we are going to be able to close the Breach." Leliana answered as the birds started to fly off.
"How much help are we going to need?"
"As much as we can get. Once we get responses from any potential allies, we will form a plan. Until then, you are free to do what you please. I would suggest meeting with our allies here, the smith, the quartermaster and the herbalist are just a few. I would also recommend meeting with Brianna's crew, since we will be working with them for quite some time." Leliana suggested. Ruby nodded and looked around, unsure of where to go first. Leliana tapped Ruby on the shoulder and pointed at the large building towards the front of the settlement.
"There is the tavern. When they aren't working, the Misfits usually spend their time there. I would suggest being careful, since they do get rough at times." Leliana advised. Ruby was now a little unsure of meeting Brianna's company now, but she was one of the few people she actually knew in this world. Ruby shrugged and started walking over to the tavern, hoping to find some friendly people there so she wasn't so alone. The fact she couldn't remember what happened to her before she was dropped into Thedas was frightening. All she could remember was she was on a mission with her team, her sister and friends.
She just hoped that they were okay, and they were probably worried sick about her. After all, she was only 16 and only in her second year at Beacon Academy, the school to teach young men and women to become Huntsman and Huntresses. Ruby shook her head, focusing on the task at hand; try and make some new friends. Ruby straightened up and headed for the door, when suddenly the door flew off its hinges and two large people came flying out of it. Ruby watched as the two massive individuals started to roll on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand on the other.
It was about a minute before the two stopped and Ruby got a good look at who, or what, they were. From what Ruby could tell, one was male and the other was female and they were both massive, at least 8ft tall. The most defining feature the two shared was that both of them had horns coming out of their heads as well as gray skin. The male's horns dipped down before curving straight up and looked like they had a bronze colored metal welded around them. The female only had one horn, the right one to be specific, the right horn curved to the right, then slightly back left and then fight again, making her horn look like something a dragon would have.
The left horn looked like it had been broken off close to the head, leaving only a broken piece attached to the left side of her head. Both of them had pointed ears like Brianna and Solas, so she thought that they were some kind of freaky elves. The male was wearing some kind of clothing that covered his upper torso, but not his stomach and he more shorts that were slightly longer than what Yang wore. The female wore armor that had a metal plate for the chest as well as metal greaves, but her arms were bare other than the leather gloves she wore. The two glared at each other for a moment before they started laughing and shook hands.
Ruby slowly slid passed the two and into the tavern in hopes of finding Brianna there, like she said she would be. The tavern was built in a T-shape, three long tables set up in the top with a few stands set up along the wall. At the far end was the bar set up with the usual bar with large kegs set up behind, Brianna sitting at the bar collecting pouches of coins from the other patrons. Brianna set all of the pouches on the table when she spotted Ruby and waved her over. Ruby slipped through the patrons, although any of them that noticed her instantly moved out of her way.
Ruby jumped up to the bar as Brianna held up two fingers, the bar tender nodding and filling two mugs with an amber liquid. Brianna tossed the bar tender one of the bags as they slid the mugs to them.
"So, how are you enjoying Haven?" Brianna questioned as she picked up her mug. Ruby simply looked at the large mug between her hands, wondering if she was even allowed to drink.
"It's kinda cold, but it seems like a nice enough place." Ruby responded as she took a small sniff of the drink before her. It smelled strange for an alcoholic drink, it smelled really fruity. Ruby finally decided to take a drink, lifting the mug to her face and taking a sip. The initial taste was pretty sweet, right up until she swallowed it and it started to burn her throat. Ruby started having a coughing fit as Brianna patted her back and chuckled.
"First drink?" Brianna questioned as she took a drink from her own mug. The burning in Ruby's throat finally stopped burning to the point where she could talk again.
"What was that?" Ruby coughed as she finally sat up straight."
"Some mead from the Free Marches. One of the few drinks that doesn't make you want to hurl or feel morbidly depressed."
"Why would you drink something like that?"
"I don't, but the Orlesians do. Bunch of damn weirdos. Anyway, I told you if you showed up, then you'd get to meet the crew."
Brianna downed her mug in a few more gulps, small streams of the mead flowing out of the corner of her lips. She slammed the mug down, wiped her mouth off and let out a satisfied sigh. She spun in her seat so she was now facing the patrons of the bar and called to her company.
"Misfits! Rally up!" She called, several of the patrons moving over to her, including the two horned individuals from earlier. Ruby looked at the group, also seeing Raphael and the girl from earlier. There was one more addition to the group was a woman that was about half a normal person's height with short black hair in pig tails. She wore dark brown leather armor that seemed like it was good for maneuvering, but didn't have a lot in the way of protection.
"Introduce yourselves." Brianna exclaimed as she leaned back against the bar. The large horned man stepped up, Ruby noticing the large staff he had on his back that had a small dragon statue as the head piece.
"Great Horns, Tal-Vashoth Knight Enchanter of the Misfits." The man replied with a deep voice. The next to step up was the woman he was fighting earlier, who now had a large greatsword on her back.
"Ataashi, Tal-Vashoth Reaver and heavy hitter." She introduced. Next was the short woman in the leather armor.
"Reka Temi, Dwarven Artificer Archer." She announced. Next was Raphael and the girl that he was with when Ruby woke up.
"Raphael Travelyn, formerly of the Templars." Raphael introduced formally.
"Rachel Travelyn, formerly of the Kirkwall Mage's Circle." She introduced. Ruby tilted her head slightly at the announcement of the names.
"You're siblings?" Ruby questioned. The two of them nodded as Rachel answered with a small smile.
"Twins actually. We grew up together until I was about 13 when my abilities started to manifest." Rachel answered as she took a seat next to Ruby.
"Abilities?"
Rachel nodded and raised her hand, a small flame developing in the pal of her hand. Ruby must have looked like a small child as she ogled at the magic before her. Rachel closed her hand, Ruby noticing a small amount of frost developing in the cracks of her fingers. She then opened her hand, revealing the small ice rose in the palm of her hand.
"That's amazing!" Ruby cheered as she clapped a bit. Rachel shook her hand out, the ice rose turning into water as it hit the floor. Rachel couldn't help but smile at the young girl's wonder, even though Rachel and her brother were just barely older than Ruby was.
"If only everyone saw it that way." Rachel sighed as she patted Ruby's shoulder.
"Oh yeah, the Templars. Wait, Raphael, didn't you say you were a Templar?"
Rachel looked down at the floor with a sigh as Raphael shook his head.
"Formerly a Templar. I abandoned my post when Knight Commander Meredith gave the order to purge the Circle. I… I couldn't do it. I couldn't turn my blade on my sister, on the people who weren't guilty of the crimes they were charged with." Raphael exclaimed, looking down at the ground. Ruby noticed that everyone in the bar had become very quiet, apparently this was a very touchy subject.
"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried." Ruby apologized, immediately feeling guilty that she had brought up something so painful. Rachel put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to ease some of Ruby's discomfort. Raphael did the same, only placing a hand on her knee with a smile.
"It's alright, Ruby. It's a pretty big historical event, the Mage Templar War. I just chose to stand with my sister, not to hurt her."
"That's really good."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"Yeah, my big sister Yang. I hope she's doing okay."
Raphael patted Ruby's knee before leaning back, not sure on what to say to help the situation. She was just a kid lost in a world that was completely different than what she was used to, what do you say to comfort that? Ruby looked around and smiled, happy to be meeting people from the world that seemed like they were from different backgrounds and species. Ruby noticed that Brianna was looking around, like she lost something and needed to find it.
"What are you looking for?" Ruby questioned, a little concerned about Brianna looking around like she was.
"We're missing one. Anyone seen Malachi?" Brianna questioned as she stood up. Everyone started looking around and then all of them shrugged.
"Well go find him! Remember last time we left him alone?" Brianna reminded. Ruby noted that almost everyone looked up at their foreheads, then had a moment of horrible realization. Ruby was surprised at the speed some of them ran out of the tavern at was extremely surprising, the only ones left were Brianna and Raphael. Brianna looked at Raphael with a raised eyebrow, questioning why he was still sitting in the tavern.
"Aren't you going to go find him?" Brianna questioned. Raphael shook his head and remained in his seat, clearly not going to move. Ruby unconsciously took another sip of her drink, and then immediately started coughing again, but not as much this time. Brianna patting Ruby's back as Raphael moved to the seat next to Ruby.
"Doesn't this look like a sweet moment?" a new voice exclaimed from almost nowhere. Ruby looked around to try and find the source of the voice, but she wasn't able to find it. Brianna chuckled as she ordered another drink while Raphael looked generally annoyed. Almost in a plume of smoke, a man appeared in a chair across from them with crossed arms and an "eat shit" grin on his face. The man was as tall as Raphael, but he had short brown hair and dark brown eyes.
He wore leather armor like Reka, but his was more like Ruby's current armor. It was more like a coat, but was a black color and seemed more… thick, like there were several layers of leather under it. Ruby could see two long daggers at his hip, and they looked well used.
"Ruby, meet Malachi Black, our resident assassin." Brianna introduced before taking a gulp of her drink. Ruby observed the assassin's behavior, and she could easily see that he thought he was the greatest thing on the planet. The kind of guy who did whatever he wanted because he thought he could. Ruby was about to introduce herself, but Malachi held up his hand before she could.
"We've met, but you didn't know it." Malachi exclaimed as he stood up. He walked over to her, exaggerating each step until he was just a few inches away from her. He slowly bent forward until his mouth was right next to her ear and whispered into it.
"Nice underwear by the way, didn't have you pegged as a frilly kind of girl." Malachi whispered just loud enough so the group around him could hear him. Ruby's face immediately turned a deep red while Brianna spat out her drink. Ruby was about to slap Malachi across the face, but Raphael grabbed him by his collar and pulled him close.
"Apologize. Now." Raphael growled, looking like he was about to tear Malachi apart. Malachi simply smirked and looked Raphael up and down like he was trying to figure him out.
"What's this? Is the Templar sticking up for injustice? Or is he doing this for a more… personal reason?" Malachi questioned as he pushed against the Templar. The two were practically chest to chest, Raphael having the advantage with armor, but Malachi seeming like he would have speed.
"You invaded her privacy by abusing your abilities to watch her undress. Apologize to her."
"Is that really what's getting under your armor? Or is it that you wanted to see what was under her armor first?"
"That is not it, you disrespectful scum."
"I can see it. She's a cute girl, but I bet she'd be a real wild card in bed."
Brianna spat out her drink again, looking angry with Malachi's comment, but nowhere near as angry as Raphael. The Templar looked like he was about to swing on the Assassin when Ruby put a hand on Raphael's arm, stopping him from doing anything. Ruby put her mug on the bar as she hopped off her seat, moving so she was just in front of Malachi, who still had his "eat shit" smile. It seemed like, no matter what, that smile was going to stay on his face, even when Ruby slapped him across the face. Malachi looked back to Ruby as a deep red mark appeared on his face, his smile looking like it only got bigger.
"Feisty, I like that in a girl. Definitely a wild card in bed." Malachi commented. Ruby knew that slapping him again would only make things worse, so she couldn't help but stand with a pissed off look on her face.
"Malachi, training yard. One hour." Brianna exclaimed as she set her mug down. Malachi nodded and sighed, patting Raphael on the arm as he winked at Ruby before leaving.
"Completely worth it." Malachi commented as he walked out of the tavern. Brianna shook her head as Raphael returned to his seat, obviously extremely pissed off.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he pays for what he just did. Feel free to swing by and see his punishment." Brianna sighed as she turned in her seat to finish her drink. Ruby did the same and took a large gulp of her drink, trying to forget her embarrassing moment and severe privacy invasion. Raphael turned and ordered a drink as well, trying to numb his anger. Ruby took another large gulp from her drink when Brianna pulled it away from her.
"You might want to take it easy. Can't have the Herald of Andraste stumbling around Haven." Brianna exclaimed, reminding Ruby that she was some kind of symbol to the people. Ruby took a deep breath and sighed, remembering that she was supposed to meet some of the people that were key to the Inquisition.
"Um, Raphael? Can I ask you something?" Ruby questioned, wanting to get something off of her mind.
"Of course." Raphael answered before taking a sip from his mug.
"Did you… really want to see under my armor?"
Both Brianna and Raphael spat out their drink, unfortunately soaking the poor bartender, who then took their mugs from them.
"Ruby, I respect your abilities and decision to join the Inquisition. I would not stoop to Malachi's level of such… perversion."
"Okay, I was just wondering. I'm going to go meet with some more of the Inquisition. I'll see you guys around."
Ruby turned in her seat and jumped off, heading out the tavern to see the rest of Haven. Brianna and Raphael remained seated, both of them unsure of what to do now that they didn't have their drinks.
"So… just respect for the Herald?" Brianna questioned as she wrapped her fingers against the bar.
"Of course, Ma'am."
"You are such a liar. You've got a soft spot for Ruby. I see it, the company sees it, and worst of all, Malachi sees it. You know he likes getting under your skin."
"I would really appreciate it if we dropped this conversation."
"One last thing, I'd watch Malachi if I were you. Seems he's taken to Ruby as well."
Raphael turned in his seat and walked out as Brianna started to chuckle, amused by the small competition that was developing.
O00000O00000O
Ruby tried her best to get her mind off of the fact that she was being peeped on, it made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. She shook her head, knowing that it was just one individual and not the entire Inquisition, but it was still in the back of her mind. She walked out the main gate, seeing the shimmering lake that laid just beyond the gates of the settlement. There was a large training area to her right, soldiers clashing blades against shields, sending sparks and clangs through the area. There were several tents and training dummies set up near the lake, Ruby only guessing that Haven itself couldn't house everyone the Inquisition employed.
To the left she spotted a small building with a forge next to it, Ruby could only assume that it was the smith that had supplied her armor and where Crescent Rose was. She sped up her pace until she reached the smith, several people working hard to make blades, shields and armor. There was a man that looked like he'd seen just about everything and then some, so she guessed he was Harrit.
"Um, excuse me? Mr. Harrit?" Ruby questioned as the man finished up his conversation. The man was bald with some grey hair still clinging to the sides while he maintained a grey beard and mustache.
"It's just Harrit. So, you're the Herald? Thought you'd be taller, but that doesn't matter. How's the armor fitting you?" Harrit questioned as he went to the tool bench.
"It fits well, and warm too. It's really nice work."
"Good to hear. My armor may not stand up to demons and dragons, but it will against bandits and soldiers. So, you're probably here about your… weapon."
Harrit turned with Crescent Rose in his arms, Ruby over joyed that her weapon was safe and sound and not just lying on the ground somewhere. Harrit handed it off, Ruby taking her weapon and cradling it in her arms.
"Magnificent weapon, it is. One of my assistants nearly blew his head off trying to figure out how to get it open. What exactly is your weapon?" Harrit questioned as he walked to check on something one person was working on.
"It's a scythe combined with a customizable, high impact sniper rifle."
"A what?"
"It's also a gun."
"Is that like a smaller form of a cannon? It's the only other thing that can do something like that."
"Kinda. Is Crescent Rose really the only gun here? No gunpowder?" Ruby questioned, knowing that she really needed to conserve her ammo if there wasn't.
"Only other thing that could do what that does would be Qunari gaatlok. Stuff explodes when you ignite a primer on it. Too bad the oxmen guard that secret like their lives depend on it, probably does when you think about the Qun."
"Um… I don't really understand what you're talking about." Ruby admitted. She had no idea what the Qun was, but she did remember that Great Horns and Ataashi introduced themselves as Qunari, so they might have an idea.
"Go talk to the horn heads in that mercenary company. They'll be able to give you a better idea of what the Qun is. Anyway, talk with me about adding any upgrades to your armor or any… normal… weapons you come across. Can't just slap a new hilt on in the field."
"Talk with you about upgrades, got it. It was nice meeting you, Harrit. Thanks for the armor and taking care of Crescent Rose for me."
"Any time, Herald."
"Ruby, my name is Ruby Rose."
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Ruby Rose."
Ruby turned to start heading back to find Cassandra or Leliana, but she was unfortunately met with a familiar face; Malachi Black. He was leaning on a small fence that was next to the smith that looked like it was meant to hold a horse or a cow, his smug smile still on his face.
"Hey there Ruby. Figured you'd make your way here." Malachi exclaimed as he stood in her path. To be honest, Malachi was the last person Ruby wanted to see since he was a pervert, and a skillful one at that.
"What do you want?" Ruby practically snapped at him.
"Oh, you know, talk with the famed Herald of Andraste."
"Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
"I'd rather let the bosses tell you about that. They've gathered in the Chantry, no doubt trying to figure out where you've ventured off to."
"Well, thanks for telling me. I'll make my way there now."
"One more thing."
Malachi took another step forward, putting them at an arms distance, Ruby questioning whether she could get in another slap.
"I would like to… apologize… for my actions earlier. I shouldn't have spied on you when you were changing. I'm… sorry."
Ruby was honestly a little surprised that the pervert assassin would even apologize to her for what he did, especially since he didn't seem too sorry about it earlier.
"You're… apologizing?" Ruby questioned, trying to understand the assassin's thinking.
"Yes. I may be an Assassin, but I try not to be a complete asshole." Malachi exclaimed as he crossed his arms. He leaned forward once again, leaving only a few inches between their faces.
"Especially not to such a cute girl like yourself." Malachi whispered before turning and walking away. Ruby felt her face turn pink unsure of how to feel about what just transpired. No one had really called her cute, since they were mostly paying attention to her sister Yang because she was more… developed than her. She shook her head to try and get the thoughts out of her head and started making her way to the Chantry to meet the bosses. She was sure that she would be seeing Cassandra and Leliana, and the Commander she saw earlier, but couldn't remember his name.
She entered the Chantry and headed for the War Room, the room where Cassandra had restarted the Inquisition. Inside was Cassandra, Leliana, the Commander as well as a woman she hadn't met yet. She was just as tall as everyone else but had bronze skin with black hair that was tied back into a messy bun. She was wearing a pretty and golden frilly dress with puffs on her shoulders while she carried this age's version of a clipboard with an ink well and candle. All of them looked to Ruby, immediately making her uncomfortable.
"Um… hi?" Ruby exclaimed as she waved awkwardly. Cassandra walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to make her feel a little less awkward.
"Ruby, allow me to introduce the backbone of the Inquisition. You've already met Commander Cullen." Cassandra introduced. Cullen did a small bow before he spoke.
"We met briefly on the battlefield. I must say, for one so young, you have very refine combat skills with your… unorthodox weapon." Cullen exclaimed.
"Thanks. My uncle Qrow (Crow) taught me. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." Ruby explained.
"This is out ambassador, Josephine Montilyet." Cassandra continued.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rose. I hope your accommodations have been to your liking." Josephine greeted.
"Everything has been good so far, and it's nice to meet you, Ambassador."
"And you've met Sister Leliana." Cassandra finished up.
"My position requires a touch of-." Leliana began. Unfortunately for her, she was cut off by Cassandra.
"She is our spymaster." Cassandra interrupted.
Leliana looked a little irritated for Cassandra interrupting, but she pushed it aside and let Cassandra continue.
"Right now, we are not in the best position." Cassandra confessed.
"We currently have no army, no supply line, and now, no Chantry support." Josephine explained. That sounded bad for an organization that supposed to be saving the world, and Ruby knew that. Although she wasn't sure what the Chantry had to do with it.
"So, why is the Chantry's support so important?" Ruby questioned, trying to understand everything.
"Well, the Chantry provides a unified voice of religion. They hold a large amount of power in everything. Without their support, or worse, their unification against us, then we are in a more difficult position." Josephine explained, all of it sort of making sense to Ruby.
"I… guess that makes sense? So, what is our first move?" Ruby questioned.
"We need a way to close the Breach. I suggest that we approach the Templars for their help to suppress the Breach." Cullen suggested. Leliana stepped up with her own idea.
"We could also go to the Mages for assistance. According to Solas, enough power poured into the Mark could close the Breach." Leliana added. Ruby noticed that Cullen didn't seem too fond of that suggestion.
"Or it could overload the Mark and cut off our only way to close the Breach." Cullen argued. It seemed like the two were going to argue approaching the groups when Josephine brought up a good point.
"Unfortunately, we aren't prepared to approach either group. Right now, everyone is calling Ruby the Herald of Andraste for what she did at the Breach. The Chantry has denounced her, and deemed us heretics for harboring her." Josephine updated. There was a giant hole in the sky, and the Chantry was more worried about the Inquisition and her being some kind of hero.
"Wait, so they are more concerned about us than the Breach? That makes no sense. We should be working together!" Ruby pointed out. Everyone had a look on their faces like they knew that was what was supposed to happen, but it wasn't actually happening.
"They see you as a threat. People believe that the Maker sent you, and that terrifies the Chantry. But right now, we need to focus on gaining allies." Cassandra updated and reminded. Ruby looked at the map before them and noticed the knife that was stabbed over a place called "Hinterlands"
"Is this someplace important?" Ruby questioned as she pointed at the knife.
"That, is a lead we have on a possible ally. The Crossroads has been a very populated place since the Mage Templar War began. We've sent troops there to help but they're not faring as well as originally hope. Fortunately, we've received help from a woman they call the Golden Dragon."
"Golden Dragon? Yang!"
"Yes, how did you..?"
"That's my sister! If we can get to her, then she'll definitely help us!"
"Excellent! Having the aid of someone who has already made a name will definitely help us gain a reputation. Also Ruby will have some family here." Cullen exclaimed. Ruby was overjoyed to hear that Yang was here too, and maybe the rest of her friends were as well.
"When can we get out there? I want to help the people and Yang." Ruby questioned.
"We'll have some scouts go to the Hinterlands to see what the situation is like, then we can head out." Leliana answered.
"Then we're off to the Hinterlands!" Ruby cheered as she threw a fist into the air.
A/N: Sorry it took so long everyone, but here you go! The next chapter of Young Inquisitor is here and things are just getting started! PM or review for any thoughts, comments, or concerns with the chapter. Until next time!
-Chief