When the Inquisition and the Mage Rebellion managed to close the Breach, every single person in the Inquisition broke down laughing and crying in absolute joy of survival. They were dancing and singing, lovers were crying and embracing each other in rejoice of their lives. There was wine and food for everyone, and their shouts of life carried across the valley.
Except for Cantis.
The so-called Herald was sitting alone on a balcony just outside of Haven's Chantry, legs resting up on a table, watching the eerie green scar in the skies above him where the Breach had been.
"I'm surprised you're not celebrating." A soft voice said, and he turned. It was the Inquisition's spymaster, Leliana. She had her hood pulled down for once, and had a wary smile on her face.
"I am." He stretched a little more, and sat further into his chair. "I'm just relaxing."
"Oh, come now." She sat on a chair beside him. "You closed a massive hole in the sky, and saved the world. You should be stuffing your face with an entire cake right about now."
Cantis smiled, and continued to stare onto the horizon. "Is the Breach still sealed?"
Leliana nodded. "Solas says that the sky is still scarred, maybe forever, but the Breach is gone. We are still getting reports of Rifts remaining, but this was a victory." She smiled. "You did it."
He shook his head. "You know just how many people were involved in this. Luck put me at the centre, nothing else."
"This was more than luck." Leliana insisted. "If nothing else, it was your efforts, your alliances that saved us." A moment passed. "But you are right. This was victory of alliances, one of the first in years." A smile. "It reminds me of the Blight a little."
They settled in, enjoying the cool of the night and the joyous shouts of survival beneath them.
"There's a storm coming." He remarked after several minutes.
Leliana snorted. "After all that we've been through, I doubt a little rain will do much."
"Doesn't look like it will be a little rain." He smiled, but it was grim and determined, mirthless.
"Even if it's a hurricane, it can't be worse than what we just survived." She cocked her head at him with an inquisitive look on her face. "We're not talking about the weather, are we?"
He shook his head. "No, we're not."
A minute passed in silence. "You're worried about this Elder One, aren't you?"
Cantis gave a chuckle. "You're remarkable."
"My wife tells me so." She smiled with her perfectly white teeth. "And you didn't answer me."
He nodded. "Yeah, I am. He's already taken over the world once, and I'm not sure that he's someone that I'm eager to tackle." His eyes fluttered close, remembering the grim future he and Dorian had witnessed in which this Elder One had taken over the world.
"Maybe now that the Breach is closed," She offered. "This Elder One won't be able to fight us."
"Maybe." But they both knew that the other didn't believe that for a moment.
Several more minutes passed as they sat in silence, listening to the sounds of celebration below, carrying well into the night.
"So," He said to break the uncomfortable silence. "I didn't know you were married." Not that it was surprising he didn't know much about her. The Breach had barely been open two months before the Inquisition had managed to close it, and there had barely been time to talk in that time. Survival had surpassed socialization.
Leliana giggled. "Surely you've heard the story of the Hero of Ferelden?" Their eyes met, and he quirked an eyebrow. "She would be my wife."
He say for a moment, not understanding. "Oh!" He exclaimed after a moment. "You're the Leliana from the stories!"
She threw her head back and laughed out loud. "Surely you figured that out by now?"
"I, er-" He stammered. "I've had a lot more to worry about." She scoffed. "Hey! I-" He stopped very suddenly.
"What?" Leliana whispered after a moment.
"Listen."
At first, she heard nothing.
And then, a faint drum could be heard in the distance.
"What is that?" He whispered, standing up.
Now Leliana was seriously worried. Ordinarily, she would have said it was a part of the celebrations, but, not an hour earlier, several of her agents had stopped reporting. She had pulled the remainder back to determine what was happening, but none of them had reported back to Haven yet.
Then the screams began.
Both of them bolted out of their chairs, and Cantis vaulted over the railing of the balcony, landing in the snow beneath. Leliana, realizing she didn't have time to go inside and around to the front doors, followed suit.
Sprinting to the walls, they both gasped in shock when they saw what was happening.
"Maker..."
Hundreds, maybe thousands of men were on the horizon riding horses with flaming torches in their hands like fireflies.
Haven's bells were ringing now, and Cullen ran out from the battlements, drawing a blade. "Forces approaching!" He shouted, rallying their soldiers. "To arms!"
They dashed for the gates, meeting Cassandra, Josephine and Varric. "Cullen?!" Cassandra shouted, her own blade drawn.
"One watchguard reporting." He was out of breath as they reached the gates. "It's a massive force. The bulk is still over the mountain.
"Under what banner?" Josephine asked.
"None."
"None?!" She was in disbelief. An army of that size had to be someone attacking. "Is Ferelden attack us?!"
"I don't know!"
A loud banging came on the gates, and they all tensed.
"I can't come in unless you open." It as a voice none of them had ever heard before, and they all exchanged looks. It didn't sound hostile, but still...
Cantis helped a guard open the gates, and just outside was a boy, who looked no older than sixteen, with two blades in his hands.
"I'm Cole." He said. "I came to warn you. To help." He gestured towards the mountains with a blade. "People are coming to hurt you." He paused for a moment. "You probably already know."
"Who are they?" Cantis hissed, blood rushing through his ears.. "What's going on?"
A pause. "The Templars come to kill you."
"Templars?!" Cullen shouted in disbelief, and the boy shrank back at the sudden noise. "Is this the Order's response to our talks with the Mages? To attack blindly?!"
The boy shook his head. "The Red Templars went to the Elder One." He turned to Cantis. "You know him? He knows you." A pause. "You took his mages." He turned, and pointed. "There."
Up on the rocks was a man in Red Armour, and what looked like some sort of malformed demon, and Cantis froze.
"I know that man." Cullen said in a confused voice. "But who is this Elder One?"
Cantis felt petrified to the spot. He didn't recognize either of these men, but somehow he did. Something tugged at him from his memories from before the Breach, the haze of which he couldn't remember. Something distantly called from his mind, but he couldn't recognize it.
These two were somehow related to his wayward memories.
"He's very angry you took him mages." The boy summed up.
"Cullen!" Cantis said in an urgent whisper, unrooting his feet. Whatever these men had to do with him and his past, it didn't matter, not now. Not so long as Haven was in danger of being overrun. "Give me a plan, a tactic! Anything!"
Cullen shook his head. "Haven is no fortress. If we are to withstand this, we must control the battle." Cantis nodded. "Get out there and hit that force with everything you have!" He turned to the mages behind them. "Mages! You-you have sanction to engage them!" He drew his blade. "That is Samson. He will not make this easy."
Samson...The name felt somehow familiar...
Cantis drew his blade, and faced the army.
Later...
Cantis brought the trebuchet to a full tension, and released it into the mountain. The overburdened snow building up on the mountain came crashing down onto the oncoming army of Templars.
He gave a half-laugh, half-sigh of relief. Varric smiled widely and clapped him on the back, ecstatic over the victory. He looked up and saw Cantis' expression, which had melted into utter horror. He met where the Herald was gazing, and realized what he was looking at.
An Archdemon was flying towards them.
They dove for the ground, just in time to avoid it's breath of fire, which incinerated the siege machine completely just moments after they got out of the way.
"What in the hell is that thing?!" Varric screamed.
Cantis shook his head in disbelief. "Everyone, get back to the gates!"
They sprinted for the walls of Haven, doing their best to stay out of the sight of the Dragon above them, who was raining death upon the innocent town, burning all in it's way.
At the Chantry, Cullen and Roderick were ushering everyone inside, watching the Dragon nervously. "Everyone in the Chantry!" He shouted. "It's the only building that might stand against... that... thing!"
That odd boy from earlier helped Roderick in, who was leaning heavily on him, and they closed the great doors.
"Herald!" Cullen's voice was hoarse and desperate. "Our position is not good. That Dragon stole whatever time you bought us.
"The Elder One doesn't care for Haven." The boy said, setting Roderick down on a chair. "He only wants the Herald."
"If it will save these people, he can have me." Cantis' tone was urgent, but adamant. He could give anything to stop this war, or to save these people. Too many innocents had been caught in the way of these people.
The boy shook his head. "It won't. He wants to kill you. No one else matter, but he'll crush them, kill them anyways." He didn't speak for a moment. "I don't like him."
"You don't like...?" Cullen shrugged and shook his head, turning to Cantis. "Herald, there are no tactics to make this survivable. The only thing that slowed them was the avalanche." He sighed, and hung his head in desperation. "We can still turn the remaining siege equipment, cause one last slide."
Cantis shook his head. "We're overrun. To hit any of them, we would have to bury Haven."
The general nodded. "We're dying, but we can choose how. Most don't get that chance."
Roderick looked over to the War Room of the Inquisition, and the boy followed his gaze. "Yes," He spoke after a moment of silence. "That." He stood, and interjected himself into their conversation. "He can help, and he wants to say it before he dies."
"The people," Roderick rasped, clutching where he had been wounded earlier. "Can escape. She mus... Andraste must have shown me so I could... tell you..." He coughed, standing up. "You wouldn't know the way out of here unless you've made the Summer Pilgrimage, as I have."
Cantis turned to Cullen. "Do you think you can get them out of... wherever he's showing us?
Cullen nodded his head after a moment. "Maybe. If he shows us a way out."
"Go then. It's their only chance. I'll get to the trebuchet and bury Haven once you're out of here."
He shook his head. "But, what about yo-" He met Cantis' gaze, and realized what he was intending. "Maybe... maybe you can surprise it, or-"
The Herald clapped his General on the shoulder. "I'll see you in hell, Cullen." And at that, he turned and left into the cold frozen night of the Winter's Still. Facing the Templars, utterly alone, he drew his greatsword, and charged.
At The Inquisition's Siege Equipment
Against all odds, Cantis made it to the trebuchet, carving a pathway through the Red Templars and destroying some ungodly behemoth that was more red lyrium than man, uncovering unpleasant memories of the future Fiona they had seen in their vision of the future.
As he brought the engine of war to full tension, ready to fire, the Archdemon turned it's attention to him, roaring and diving at him. Realizing he didn't have time to fire the trebuchet before it incinerated him, Cantis ran and dove for cover, and rolled out of the way of it's fiery blast.
When the smoke cleared, Cantis saw two men walking out of it that hadn't been there before. The demon and the armoured man from earlier. The dragon landed behind him, cutting off any sort of exit.
"I never should have sent you after the Divine." The armoured man shook his head, a greatsword in his hand. "I thought that you were loyal enough to our cause to not give you the lyrium." He shook his head. "This ends here."
"Who in the hell are you?!" Cantis asked, slowly edging towards the trebuchet. "What do you mean, you didn't give me lyrium? Why would you have?"
The armoured man, apparently Samson, scoffed. "He doesn't even know who he is any more, doesn't even know what he ruins."
"Enough!" The demon-thing spoke in a booming voice that sounded like it came from three different beings, and Samson took a step back, although he still clutched his weapon. "Pretender." He pointed at Cantis. "You toy with forces beyond the understanding of your simple mind. No longer."
Cantis held his blade tightly in both hands, and steadied his nerves. Whatever these two people were, he would face them down. The innocent people of Haven were depending on him. "Whatever you are," His voice was adamant, and he pointed his blade towards the pair. "I don't fear you."
If demons could chuckle, this beast did. "Words mortals often hurl at the darkness. Once they were mine. Always, always lies." He shook his head. "Know me, know what you pretend to be." He lowered his head, and his red eyes met Cantis'. "Exalt the Elder One! The will that is Corypheus!" He extended a finger out at Cantis. "You will kneel."
"You'll..." Cantis had an exhausted and confused voice. "You'll get nothing out of me."
"You should listen to him now, whelp." Samson sneered with a mad smile painted on his lips. "Better now than when he rules your world."
"They will resist." Corypheus didn't sound at all surprised, although his voice had very few tones to it in any case. "You will always resist. It matters not." As he spoke, he held out an engraved orb in his hand. "I am here for the anchor you stole from me. The process of removing it begins now." He held out a hand, and it flashed red in magical power.
The mark on Cantis' hand that had closed the Breach glowed green like it did when he used it to close rifts, and he screamed in pain, the very nerves in his hand ripping apart at Corypheus' magic.
"It is your fault, herald." He scoffed as Cantis fell to the ground. "You came along with me for a ritual years in the making, and you ruined it. Instead of having the grace to die, you took it's power from me, and used it to undo my work." He scoffed. "What marks your as touched and what you flail at riftslike a petulant child, was crafted to assault the very heavens."
The red magic in Corypheus' hand flared, and Cantis screamed, falling to the ground. "And you used it to undo my work. The gall." He gave a tilt of his head, and Samson approached the fallen Herald, and picked him up by the neck. Cantis raised his left arm, pressing his palm into his forehead.
"I once breached the fade in the name of another," Corypheus growled as the Red Templar brought Cantis up to see. "To serve the Old Gods of the empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption. Whispers of dead men. For a thousand years I was confused. No longer." Samson held Cantis up for Corypheus to see. "Beg that I succeed. For I have seen the throne of the gods, and it was empty!"
Corypheus dispelled the spell, and lowered his hand. "It seems the anchor is permanent. You have spoiled it with your stumbling." He motioned decisively with his hand. "Kill him. Now!"
Samson brought a blade up to Cantis' throat, but there was something he hadn't realized. While the magister had been talking, a signal arrow had been shot up from the treeline above Haven, signaling that everyone was safely out of reach.
Something else no one else had realized was that in a hidden sleeve of the cloth just under his bicep, he always kept a concealed tantÅ knife. Cantis grabbed the hilt of the blade, pulled it out, and jammed the sharpened steel of the blade into Samson's eye.
The Templar screamed in agony and dropped the Herald. Cantis jumped to his feet and ran for the trebuchet, grabbing his blade as he stood. An explosion of red power flew over his head, and he knew that he didn't have long before one of the men behind him killed him. Between the Templar, and magister, and a fucking dragon, he didn't have long at all.
The firing mechanism had been broken off by the dragon's fire, but it didn't matter. It wasn't as if it was ever going to fire again. He swung his blade, and cleaved through the chain that brought up the tension. The trebuchet was released, and the boulder inside slammed into the snow of Haven's mountains, and an avalanche began to bury the village.
Samson, the blade that had gouged his eye still lodged firmly inside of his head, brought his blade to bear against the Herald. Cantis tried to block with his own sword, but a single crushing blow of the Templar's greatsword tore the blade in two, the metal giving way under the sheer might of the blow. Then he brought the broadsword up, stabbing Cantis in the chest.
"Enough!" Corypheus shouted, and Samson looked over his shoulder at the Magister. "We must go. Let him die in the cold."
The dragon whisked both Corypheus and Samson away, and Cantis was left in the snow as the avalanche fell.