"Inquisitor. I've found where the red templars came from. Therinfal Redoubt." Cullen handed him the report the Chargers had brought back. "The knights were fed red lyrium until they turned into monsters. Samson took over after their corruption was complete."
He read over the report. Krem certainly didn't pull any punches in his description of the findings. Cullen had mentioned very little about Samson. "How do you know Samson?"
"He was a templar in Kirkwall, until he was expelled from the Order. I knew he was an addict, but this…" Cullen leaned on his bookcase. "Red lyrium is nothing like the lyrium given by the Chantry. Its power comes with a terrible madness."
"The red templars swarming Haven were proof enough."
"We cannot allow them to gain strength." Cullen gestured sharply. "The red templars still require lyrium. If we can find their source, we can weaken them and their leader."
Maxwell frowned. "Are you angry at Corypheus or Samson?"
Cullen shrugged. "I don't know. Samson, at least, should know better.
"I'm afraid that I have to leave for Emprise du Lion, but Adaar and Ellana are heading down that area to investigate an elven temple that a group of Dalish discovered," said Maxwell.
"Good, we need all the advantage we can get," Cullen nodded.
Adaar and Ellana soon returned and not with good news, the temple they went to investigate was completely overrun by red templars and Dalish would guarded it had all been slain. They did manage to locate scroll detailed records of what started the Exalted March on the Dales.
On a more positive note Adaar was able to locate several notes that held information of Samson smuggling red lyrium and she presented it to Cullen.
"The smugglers we interrogated gave up red templars' main source of red lyrium, Adaar" said Cullen as he went through the notes. "It's located in the Dales, near a town called Sahrnia. Destroying the mine there will cripple Samson's operations."
"Isn't Inquisitor already heading down there?" Adaar frowned.
"He is and he's probably reached the area as we speak, Leliana has sent a message by raven," said Cullen.
Maxwell found Scout Harding at the camp just outside of Sahrnia.
"Well the outskirts of Sahrnia," she said. "This is what's left of the town. The lucky ones got out before the river froze over. The rest?" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Penned in by Fade riffs and red Templars. We're the first friendly face they've seen in a long, long while."
"We should look in on the townsfolk. See what they can tell us," said Maxwell.
"I'm sure they'll appreciated it," Harding smiled. "The red templars have been mounting frequent attacks. They want Emprise du Lion. Bad." Harding punched a fist into the palm of her other hand. "Let's get out there, and take it back from them."
"Our first priority should be closing those risks," said Maxwell. "Former perimeter just in case any demons get past us."
"Inquisitor!" a messenger yelled with a raven on his arm. "A message from Skyhold."
Maxwell took the message and read it. "It seems as if Adaar has come through and she says that Samson's main source of red lyrium is located right here."
"That certainly explains the red templar presents," said Erdic.
"Now we have another reason to retake the village," said Maxwell.
Maxwell wished that Ellana or Solas were with them since the two of them were the Fade experts, but Dorian was able to assist them with his own magic, but he had to be careful with his fire magic or else they could easily fall into the frozen river.
A pride demon almost smashed flat if it weren't for Cassandra skating across the ice and slamming into it with her shield. Erdic then slashed of its legs causing it to topple over and Varric use this as his opportunity to fire a bolt right through its head.
Once they manage to slay the other demons Maxwell had no problem of sealing the rift.
Food in Sahrnia was apparently a scarce resource. Mistress Poulin, who appeared to be the town leader, was sharing what little she had. "That was generous of you," Maxwell said.
She nodded. "I do what I can. I am partly to blame for all this." Mistress Poulin gestured for Maxwell to step in out of the cold. "The red templars are here because, fool that I am, I sold them my family's quarry. They've taken every worker. We haven't seen them in weeks." Despair gripped the woman's face. "And it's not enough. They keep coming, taking more people. And there's nothing I can do to stop them."
Erdic frowned. "What do you mean, the red templars take workers?"
"People just disappear. First those who worked the quarry. Then they took people from their homes." Mistress Poulin shook her head. "I don't know why. I just prayed they'd leave me and my family alone."
As they left the village, they spied three red templars advancing on a lone swordsman. Both Maxwell and Erdic were about to come to his aid, but he pretty much had it handled. Whoever he was, he was skilled. Maxwell headed towards him.
"Michel de Chevin at your service, Your Worship. I saw the Inquisition's banners from afar." He bowed. "Never expected to see the Herald of Andraste himself and a member of his guard."
Next to her, Cassandra's jaw dropped. "Ser Michel de Chevin? Empress Celene's champion?"
"No longer a champion." His voice was quiet. "No longer 'ser'."
Maxwell frowned. "I know your story. You were disgraced and banished from court for treachery."
He nodded. "There's much more than that, but it ends the same way. What does it matter?" He gestured. "Despite all, I have a strong arm, a stout heart, and I still serve Orlais."
Erdic raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to guard the people?"
"As much as I can, although this was not my original intention." He gestured at the mountain. "I'm hunting a demon. This one calls itself 'Imshael,' and has settled in Suledin Keep, up in the hills." He sighed. "Imshael is free because I made a mistake. I will see him destroyed. Now that the Inquisition is here, perhaps the red templars who guard the keep can be routed." He set his hand on the hilt of his sword. "All I need is one chance."
Maxwell asked him a few questions about Imshael, and learned it was apparently some kind of desire demon. He didn't know why it had come to Emprise du Lion, but noted it appeared to be working either for or with the red templars.
"You could serve the Inquisition," Maxwell offered. "We have use for strong arms and stout hearts."
His face was apologetic when he replied. "No. Not until Imshael is defeated."
"Mountains. Cold. 'Let's bring Dorian.'" He punctuated his words by flinging a fireball into the midst of a group of red templars. Next to him, the Inquisitor dashed forwards plunging his daggers into the side of a templar and use the other to block the sword from another, who then got slain by the sword of Erdic. It took them only a few minutes to clear the area, and the Inquisition's soldiers moved up and began organising defences between the red templar stronghold and the citizens of Sahrnia.
His eyes then fell onto Cassandra, who we noticed was smiling at the direction of the Inquisitor.
"Why Cassandra, I've never seen you smile so much," he teased.
Cassandra smile quickly faded and she turned on him. "I am not smiling," she said.
"Now you're not, but only because I pointed out."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes, her face completely pink. "I'm not a giddy schoolgirl, Dorian."
Dorian simply smiled foolishly. "That would be easier to believe if you hadn't just blushed."
They fought through several more groups of red templars, and slowly moved their defences further up the mountain. One of the Inquisition's soldiers got a behemoth with a ballista, and then nearly choked on his tongue when Maxwell patted him on the shoulder in congratulations.
According to Scout Harding, one of the trails led to the mines, and the other led to the templar stronghold. He called his people over to the first trail. Rescue first, and then they could finish clearing the area.
Maxwell got the lock open on the cage. An older man held back long enough to give them a rundown on the red templar's numbers and fortifications.
They continued in carefully. The red templars knew the area better than they did, but apparently it hadn't occurred to them that the mines would come under attack. Several times though, Dorian had to hold back on his spells to avoid hitting civilians. Maxwell soon fought back to back with Cassandra. Cassandra was able to block several arrows with her shield, and a moment later the archer had an arrow in his eye courtesy of Varric. A few more locks were picked, and more miners made their way back to safety though the cleared passages.
They made their way back to the camp. Some of the miners had stopped there to recover before making their way back down the mountain, and one of the soldiers was ladling a hot soup into bowls. Maxwell told everyone to take a few minutes to rest and get a hot meal in them before heading into Suledin Keep.
Michel joined them for the push into the Keep. He sighed apologetically, and then pointed down the mountain. "Bad news, Herald. Your efforts to drive off the red templars have not gone unnoticed. Ishmael knows we're here. He's sent red templars after me, and a pack of shades descends now upon Sahrnia. The people are defenceless—I must return without delay. It's up to you to destroy Imshael."
"Take care of the people. We'll handle this. Good luck."
"And you, Herald."
His stomach twisted when he saw the bodies in the lyrium. Some of them may have been templars. Maxwell said a prayer for the fallen as they continued to push in. The infected giant put up a fight. Erdic tackled Dorian out of the way of a thrown boulder. Maxwell moved in with Cassandra, aiming her blade at the thing's hamstrings. It was less mobile on its knees, but still formidable.
Imshael was possessing a perfectly ordinary looking man. He smiled when he saw them. "Ah, the hero arrives. But is it hero? Or murderer? It's so hard to tell."
Maxwell narrowed his eyes at the thing before them. Several red templars stood around the courtyard, on edge but not yet attacking. "You're the demon called Imshael."
It actually looked insulted. "Ahem. Choice. Spirit."
"Maker give us strength!" Cassandra roared as she pulled out her blade.
"Wait. Wait. Wait." Imshael shook it's head. "These are your friends? They're very violent. It's worrying." It focused its eyes on Maxwell. "True to my name, I will show you that you have a choice. It doesn't always have to end in blood."
"No." He drew his daggers. "You die, demon."
"Oh, for…" It's voice was petulant. "Choice. Spirit."
It shifted into various forms as they fought it, and tried to call on other spirits. Dorian put up a wall of fire between them and the red templars. It didn't slow them down as much as Maxwell had hoped. Erdic was knocked aside by the claws from one of the faster of the red templar monstrosities. Erdic was lying down the ground and would have taken an axe from another of the red templars had Cassandra not reached him in time, but it was clear blocking the blow had injured the Seeker's shield arm. Maxwell then noticed that Varric was on the ground and Bianca was a good fair distance away from him.
Maxwell blocked the blade of a templar and then pulled him in the path of another blade. Maxwell then tossed one of his knives that an archer and quickly duck to avoid the axe of a brute. Dorian meanwhile was doing his best to heal the others and Maxwell did his best to draw the attentions of the templars away from him.
Erdic then got onto his feet and shield bash a templar that was making his way over towards Maxwell. One by one the others gone to their feet and the battle began to turn in their favour. Erdic then plunged his sword right through Imshael.
Maxwell was completely exhausted after the battle so much so that Dorian had to lay him down on a bench.
Cassandra then found a red templar on the ground and he looked terrible.
"Is he gone?" The templar asked weakly. Maxwell could see the red veins glowing beneath his skin. "The demon is finally gone…?"
Maxwell leaned over the templar. "Why was the demon here, working with the red templars?"
"A garden needs a gardener. Nurturing, gentle hands, directing the change. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just right. Has to be just right." The man's voice was growing weaker.
"So you… tend to red lyrium like a horticulturist?" said Dorian, looking slightly disgusted. "Interesting, if repulsive."
"There's nothing I can do," said Maxwell softly. "I'm sorry."
"Imshael…" The templar blinked red-rimmed eyes up at him. "He said he could take the red out. If I said yes…"
"Imshael could've saved you?"
"He liked to watch the agony. He liked to play. We were his garden. Consent, and live. Deny, and be consumed. Oh, but what he wanted…" the templar shook his head weakly. "No…" He shuddered. "Anything but that. I chose the red. I chose—" He went limp.
"Inquisitor…" said Cassandra putting a hand on her lover's shoulder.
Maxwell closed his eyes and stood. "There's nothing we can do for him now except give him a proper funeral." He then looked at Erdic. "Raise the flag. Let them know the demon is dead."
Maxwell then made his way back down to the village to confront Mistress Poulin, who knew very well what the red templars were doing.
"You lied," he glared. "You knew that the red templars were doing, but you took the gold and stayed silent."
"Yes, I took their gold," she admitted. "Gold, and any supplies they would give. Also we could live! There are many orphans in Sahrnia. Who protected them when their parents were lost? We couldn't run, not with the river frozen and the demons. If I had said anything, they would have killed me too. So I let them take the people and pray that one day, someone like you would come destroy them. All we could do was survive 'til that day. Now it's come, hasn't it? I was right."
"People were taken, infected with red lyrium, because of your actions," Maxwell pointed out.
"What else could I do?" she said crossing her arms. "Take the old pitchfork to fight? Those who died would've died regardless. This way, at least some survived."
Michel returned with them to Skyhold. Maxwell had have to talk with his advisers about the best place to assign him.
Josephine noted the positions of the fort and immediately began dispatching people to repair and hold the keep. The man in charge was a man by the name of Baron Edouard Dejardins, who knew Josephine very well as he was old friends with her father. It was apparently perfectly located for the purposes of trade and diplomacy.
Josephine then arranged for yet another judging and this time it was Mistress Poulin.
"Mistress Poulin of Sahrnia is accused of aiding and abetting with red templars in the Dales," said Josephine as the guards brought Mistress Poulin towards the throne. "She sold an entire quarry to them for a handsome sum. They use the quarry to grow red lyrium by and saving townspeople. The only extenuating circumstances: Mistress Poulin was producing supplies to keep the remaining townsfolk fed."
"If you'd like to explain your intentions, speak," said Maxwell.
"My crime was misjudgement!" said Poulin. "The land sale was meant to bring prosperity in hard times."
"Yet you kept taking coin from the red templars, even after you realised what they done to the people!" Josephine pointed out.
"Why not? It brought food for the ones remaining! Isn't that enough? You questioned whether greed or necessity let me. Tell me which you weight me for."
Maxwell had already decided what to do with a, even before the judging. "Mistress Poulin, you'll spend all your ill-earned money rebuilding the town of Sahrnia. If the townspeople forgive you, your debt to them is paid."
"Your Worship," said Poulin looking up at him with relief. "I will do my best to repair what I have done."
Adaar was in her quarters, lying on her bed naked, but she wasn't alone. Towering over her was none other than Iron Bull, who was also naked, had a leg in each hand and was thrusting in and out of her like a man possessed.
Adaar moaned with mixed pain and pleasure as she felt Iron Bull's rod telling her in half. Iron Bull then released her legs and began fumbling his large hands over her large breasts, pinching her tits causing her to arc her back. Iron Bull then clasped her butt cheeks and lifted her off the bed and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. He then pinned her against the wall and began to nibble at her breasts causing her to gasp with excitement as she ran her hands across his bareback.
In this position it caused Iron Bull's length to going deeper into her womb, a feat she thought would be impossible. She supported herself by clasping his horns and actually use them the bounds up and down to get more feeling. He then placed her face down on her desk, clutching her butt cheeks with both hands and began to ram into her from behind. Adaar felt her breasts being pushed down into the wooden surface of the desk and a hands crossed around the edge.
To people outside it sounded like a herd of rampaging bulls and this time she made sure the door was locked. The last thing she wanted was for someone to see her in this position being fucked by one of her subordinates. It became clear to her that Iron Bull was trying to get her use that watchword, but she wasn't going to make it easy for him. Somehow that made it even more enjoyable as he placed her back onto the bed in one last desperate attempt to make her submit.
However, as he unleashed his liquids into her he was the one that submitted and laid down onto the bed completely exhausted.
"Damn, that was…" he panted. He then turned to look at her as she posed herself, indicating that she wanted more. "That was good, kadan."
Truth was she felt a bit tired as well and sighed. "Oh, I needed that."
"My pleasure. Well, maybe some of it was yours," he shrugged. He then looked at her curiously. "All this time, and you've never said 'Katoh'. If I'd known you'd lasted this long, I'd have let you pick your own watchword."
"People choose their own watchwords?"
"Normally, yes. It can be anything, so long as it's not something you'd ever shall by accident. Josephine might pick 'madrigal', while Cullen would go with 'phylactery'. As for Cassandra, it'd probably be something soft, like 'silk' or 'satin'."
Adaar frowned. "You're about that."
"Hey, Ben-Hassrath, remember? I've got everyone pegged."
Adaar didn't look convinced. "What about Vivienne?"
Iron Bull frowned slightly. "Tough one. I'm going with 'periwinkle'. She looks like a periwinkle kind of lady."
"What about Sera?"
"Well it wouldn't be 'shite', or you'd never even get started." He shrugged. "Honestly, though, Sera's not the kind who lets you tie her down."
"What about Varric? Wait, don't tell me… Bianca."
Iron Bull shook his head. "No, it have to be something he wouldn't shout during sex. Maybe 'paragon'. Or 'thaig'."
"Here's a tough one: Cole."
"You know, he stumped me. I actually had to ask him. He though really hard about it, then finally said his watchword was 'stop'. I don't think he got it. Probably for the best, honestly."
Adaar couldn't help but nodded in agreement. "How about Blackwall?"
Iron Bull frowned and pondered. "Hmm… 'petit-arms'. Get deep enough under that armour, there's a man who lived the good life once."
Adaar then smiled at him seductively and placed a finger on his chest. "If you want to make me use that watchword, you'll need to try harder."
Iron Bull smiled. "Good to know. I'm a better man for having met you, kadan. I just hope this makes things a little easier on your end."
Adaar shook her head. "Not 'this'. You made things easy on my end. I love you."
Iron Bull smiled. "You going soft on me, kadan?"
Iron Bull then place a hand on her cheek and then pressed her down onto the bed.
"I love you, too," he said right before he kissed her.
