The price of a second chance
Half walking and half being carried by Cassandra's strong grip, Trevelyan and his companions trailed after the ancient elf. They moved through doors and chambers of immense beauty that even made Varric whistle at them. Unfortunately for the sentinels, the red templars had cut through the temple, hacking and slashing their way into the inner sanctums. With Corypheus' power and Samson's army the enemy faced little resistance.
The real power which stood against red templars was the Inquisition soldiers on the outside but there were few of them, probably only the forward scouts fighting them off within the temple. Trevelyan tried to shut out the screams, the whispers in his head were bad enough without adding the fearful and agonized shrieks.
"We should be helping them" he bit out but he was aware that he was in no condition to actually do so. Yet, the awareness of his own weakness' grew heavy in his heart.
"The best way to help them is by achieving our goal, Trevelyan. Trust in your men, as we are trusting you." He nodded, as he wasn't able to do much else and they moved quickly across the rooms. Once he saw the open sky, he let out a relieved sigh. It was a short lived one as armoured footsteps closed in on them. Even if they were on higher ground, the sheer number of the templars approaching them scared him. Abelas must have felt similarly because he had already called his own men to protect them.
Trevelyan urged Cassandra to move forward as Abelas' sentinel took their fighting stance against the red templars. Samson appeared with a smug face beyond the two sets of soldiers and Trevelyan's heart got caught in his throat. Before he could fully panic, shouts were heard and a fireball hit Samson square in the back. As he stumbled forward and averted his gaze to the direction of the attack, Trevelyan saw the glints of dual blades slashing through a black smoke. Lavellan's attack connected with Samson's armour and suddenly everyone was moving.
The sentinels didn't show mercy and hit the enemy soldiers with all of their arsenal. Meanwhile Inquisitors party cornered Samson and Trevelyan felt his heart easing as he caught a glimpse of Dorian's high speed attack along with Blackwall's strong slash and Cole's silent cut.
A black smoke gathered around then and while they were too stunned to move, a red templar moved against them but one of Sera's arrow slashed through the air and got the enemy right in the throat.
"This way" yelled Abelas and lead them upwards. The rocks formed beneath his feet and he climbed through the green magical path with ease. Cassandra's feet began moving as she gained her senses and she dragged Trevelyan by the waist. Solas and Varric followed them just from a feet away and warded off any other unwanted enemy attacks.
It took a great deal for him to simply focus on moving forth, one leg after the other but as the battle raged on behind him, Trevelyan recalled all that he had lost before and all that we wasn't prepared to lose now. They had come so far with so little that he wasn't going to let it be ruined neither by Abelas nor by Corypheus.
The Well of Sorrows greeted them atop of the rocky stairs. The giant Eluvian stood behind the well with the silver shine, inactive but as mesmerizing as ever. Trevelyan would have appreciated the scenery more if they actually had more time to dwell on it. Abelas had a different idea, though. With a frowning face, he stood by the well.
"Do you even know what you ask?" the elvhen keeper said and if he could throw a punch at that moment, Trevelyan would have knocked Abelas' teeth out with great pleasure. "As each servant of Mythal reached the end of their years, they would pass their knowledge on.. through this. All that we were. All that we knew. It would be lost forever."
"Stop your blabbering, Abelas" yelled the Herald "We already went through this. My men are dying out there while you second guess yourself. You know that you can't keep the well safe any longer."
"I-" he stuttered but Trevelyan cut him off again.
"The world is changing, Abelas. Holding onto what's left is only harming you and your men. You said it to me before that each time you awaken it slips further from your grasp. Soon, with Corpheus around, nothing will be left for you to protect. I am already bound to Mythal, I already posses the knowledge of the well but it is poisoned. Let me fix this and protect your inheritance from the enemy."
"You have a righteousness in you that I can't deny and even knowing the consequences you persist to proceed. Very well. If faith is kind, you will survive this ordeal."
"We will" Cassandra pressed on. Pleased with her trust in them, Trevelyan grasped his staff for balance as Abelas left them and he walked into the well with wobbly legs. The wetness spread to his knees and he felt the healing touch of the water. The voices in his head slowed down, allowing him to breathe clearly and his arm gained some of its senses back.
A blue glow appeared on the surface of the water, emanating from the centre of the well, spiralling towards him. The water warmed considerably and his elven markings fainted ever so slightly. A soft energy, similar to his arcane magic surrounded him.
"Is this safe?" Varric inquired "You aren't going to drown in it or anything?"
"No, I should be fine" the Herald replied with a confident tone.
"As self-assured as ever" a familiar voice said from the other side of the well and four heads snapped in its direction. "But that's what I love about you, Amatus"
The blue glow reshaped itself into three figures who stood in the well, side by side. His heart skipped a beat and his shoulders tensed as his old companions, Dorian with his arms crossed, Cassandra with one hand resting on her sword's hilt and Solas with a tilted head, welcomed him with pleased smiles.
He heard Cassandra gasping "Impossible!" and Solas musing "Incredible" on stumbling upon their counterparts from his timeline.
"Even I can't make this shit up or convince anyone to believe it" Varric complained.
His Cassandra shook her head "Not impossible. We stand here visible, do we not?"
"How can that be?"
"That is a most excellent question, Seeker" Dorian answered "One we shall explain but first, we must fix our dear Inquisitor's health. Come forth, Amatus?" Trevelyan didn't need to be told twice. He parted the water and the dim lights playing within. Dorian stopped him with a raised hand when he got too close and if there were tears in his eyes, well... he never claimed to be a strong man.
"Hello, love" he whispered, fearing that any sound above a whisper would break the spell and dispel his companions visions. His urge to throw his arms around Dorian and bury his face in the young man's neck was too overwhelming. He was afraid though, scared to death that this was just a trick of the well or a ploy of his mind. "Are you real or have I finally lost it?"
"How do you define reality, my friend?" his Solas intercepted " We were once corporal enough to walk this earth but now we are stuck within the memories and dreams. We pace the Fade with the magic of ancients and with the power of Mythal but does that make us any less real?"
His counterpart drew his brows together "Have you ascended to be spirits now?"
"No, but that does have a nice ring to it" Dorian mused and both Cassandra's let out disgusted growls.
"Am I tripping balls?" asked Varric still in denial of what he was seeing "Because one Seeker was dangerous enough but being near two of them, synchronized and annoyed won't end well for me."
"Dorian" Trevelyan murmured, ready to reach out but Dorian evaded his fingers, instead flickering his own above the Herald's left arm. Arcane energy gathered within the young mage's palms and then seeped through his skin, first burning and then soothing the aggravated veins. The green glow diminished and his muscles relaxed.
Trevelyan removed his glove and unbounded the cuffs of his undershirt. The green veins were gone, the pain subsided and his mark emitted its natural radiance. "Thank you" he said, eyes glancing between his once companions; unable to form the apologies he had to give or speak of the gratitude he felt.
"How does it feel to be bound to an ancient Goddess, Amatus? Surely it is as exciting as it sounds?"
"Exciting is not the word I would use. So far all it did was to separate me from you and slowly drain my life away." A thousand questions swam in his head but Trevelyan could only stare at his beloved one's eyes and not get lost in the affectionate gaze of the grey orbs.
"Lord Inquisitor," called out his Cassandra, effectively breaking the glum moment between Trevelyan and Dorian. He noted that she was looking slightly abashed to interrupt them but they both understood the reason behind the urgency in her voice. "Time is of the essence, you must drink from the well if Dorian's healing is to hold and the poison to be extracted from your body"
"It's not my healing, really" Dorian explained "Rather it is Mythal's. I am simply conveying her magic along with her sincerest apologies. Now go ahead and drink. We will be waiting for you here"
Trevelyan nodded. After sparing a glance at his other companions and getting their approvals, he dipped his hands into the well. A sudden flash of memories shook him and the fear of failing again, dying or worse, appeared as possibilities in his mind. His legs trembled and his breathing grew heavier.
"Take a deep breath, Amatus. Relax. All you have to do is to bring the water to your lips now. Imagine it's me offering you a glass of the finest Orlaisian whiskey as we wrap ourselves in each other's embrace. Imagine the nights we spent together, with nothing but you, me, a bowl of grapes and warm wine to accompany us. That's it. The taste is better this time around, isn't it?"
The waves of water wobbled as if an earthquake hit them, as soon as Trevelyan had gulped down a handful of silver water. An intense mist surrounded them when all water was gone from the well. Only he and his old companions remained in the midst of the empty pool. Strings of light floated around them and the day went dark but his markings shone in the colour of the sky, brighter than ever before. There was no pain this time and his skin didn't turn crimson nor it hurt.
"See, all better"
"Yes" he agreed and spun around himself, trying to figure out where he stood. Difficult words cut through his throat but he had to know. He had to ask. "Be honest, love. Did you all die?"
It was Solas who answered him while Dorian stood silently with a sad frown on his face "You drank from the well to gain the elven wisdom but the corruption within the anchor along with Abelas' poison rejected you. If Mythal had not interfered when she did, we all would have been dead."
"What do you mean, Solas? Are you still out there, in our timeline? Can I return?"
"I am so sorry, Amatus but that past has already been erased. There is no our timeline for you to return to." Dorian apologised as his arms crossed across his stomach. He seems so afraid, Trevelyan thought. So afraid and alone... A grim doom consumed his heart.
"It is lost then... All of you are gone, I failed you"
"You haven't failed us, Inquisitor. If anything you gave us a second chance. It was foolish of you to accept a deal from this Mythal but it did save our skin in the long run." Cassandra said with a straight face and no remorse for the way her mission ended so abruptly.
"What deal?" he asked first.
"You do not remember? That explains a lot actually"
"Cassandra, Solas, Dorian! Please explain this to me." he pleaded then.
"Perhaps the ancients can refresh your memories, my friend" Solas said and twirled his staff, sending an energy burst in the form of white dusts. Trevelyan coughed a little but soon the voices of the ancients echoed in the vast emptiness of the pool. They spoke gently and slowly, wishing for him to fully grasp and appreciate his situation.
Long before you made it to the Well, our guardian, Abelas had already poisoned the well of knowledge and doomed the ancient wisdom that laid within. We could not allow us to die.
This he already knew.
You were presented with a dilemma; you could either have your companions die but let the world commence as it always did or retract your existence in this world and give them a second chance with a past yet to come to pass. We gave you a choice in return for your allegiance, you picked them.
"Why do I still exist then? Why did I not perish alongside my friends?"
What good is a lesson if the one who needs it the most is no longer around to learn it? You were never meant to disappear, not truly. As long as your bonds remain attached to us, you shall command the power of Mythal and protect the wisdom of the ancients. Your companions lived on without you up until now and when you awakened in this world, you were armed with the knowledge of your past to correct the future that laid before you all. With the timelines aligned once again, you are to finish what you started in your own timeline. No matter the cost.
"Does that mean, you will-" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"We should have died, Trevelyan" Cassandra sighed.
"Yet instead we merged with the Well when Mythal's final magic remedied this world for a second chance. We have been guiding and protecting you ever since, my friend."
"Even from yourself which happened often enough"
"With making a bit of influence on the rest of the Inquisition, as well but let's not mention that too loud" Dorian snickered.
Trevelyan recalled what Cole said to him in his chambers "The vigour and the magic of your friends delve into our world and reach you from beyond the time itself. You do not need to fear. You are being protected."
"What will happen to you now that the Well of Sorrows is gone?"
"It's not gone but resides within you. We are but illusions of a past long gone, so we will perish." Solas grimaced and Trevelyan flinched away in fear and anger.
"No, no, there has to be a way"
"To do what, Inquisitor?" Cassandra questioned "Get us back to this world? Look around you. We are already there"
"But-"
"You have to let our memory go, Tsion." Dorian whispered with a sad tone and reached out as if to touch his cheek but all Trevelyan felt was an unnatural coldness swiping across his face. A faint blue glow startled him and his markings reacted to Dorian's existence as if to prove that they once had been real.
"I'm taking this back. You'll have to earn it once again but since it is you, I am sure it will be fine" he added much to Trevelyan's confusion. The glow fainted but didn't completely vanish. The amulet of birthright was the one that was glowing now. Trevelyan felt panic building up inside as the golden chain's weight disappeared and the amulet floated with the force of magic around it until it was consumed by light completely. It reappeared over Dorian's neck and Trevelyan felt the full weight of the inevitable ending to their story. "Yes, I will. Dorian, I-"
"Hush, now. No need to shed any tears for we are not lost."
A flicker of the shadows and the light residing within the pool fainted ever so slowly. Trevelyan gritted his teeth but didn't hide or run away. He stood his ground as his companions spoke one by one.
"Time is running short, my friend. I bode you farewell and good luck in your journey."
"Thank you" he replied strongly and observed as blue light formed around Solas and covering every inch of body and dissipating into nothingness as the spirit faded.
"May Andraste watch over you, Trevelyan. Believe in yourself that you will succeed as we believe in you." Trevelyan beamed at the familiar words and saluted Cassandra as she too, disappeared in a flash of light. Knowing what came next, Trevelyan faced Dorian and tried to put on a content face but it failed miserably. His vision blurred and unable to hold it back any longer his tears flowed freely down his cheeks.
"This is not goodbye, Amatus. Do not fear for us nor for yourself. When this apparition disappears I will still be behind you, waiting for you to awaken."
"I know, love. I understand it now"
"Good, I expect nothing less than your full heart then. Now you have a promise to keep, don't you, Amatus?" Trevelyan smiled sincerely, unable to do anything but watch as Dorian's skin started glowing a deep blue and shone like the beacon of hope, he always associated him to be. A final tear slid down his face, his eyes began to sting but he didn't blink, not until Dorian closed his own and vanished with a flash of light.