Val Chevin in Orlais. It was late evening and there was a thick fog that made everything look like something from a ghost story. Two cloaked figures went through the street and down and alley. One was a woman and the other a man.
"It should be here somewhere."
"Let us just find it... All this sneaking about is making my blood run cold."
"Keep it together magey. I am here with you after all." He smiled wickedly.
"Oh, yes. My great templar protector. No wonder we rebelled if all templar's where as insufferable as you." She remarked sarcastically.
"If I am so terrible why are you here with me?"
"Well, there is that charming Orlisian accent of yours and you do have... other uses."
He pulled her close and kissed her. She pushed him away smiling.
"Not now... let's find the sanctuary."
"You started it... Here it is. Now it is your turn."
She casted a spell on one of the bricks in the wall and a hidden doorway opened. They went down the stairs and closed the door behind them. The stairs let down to a basement and further down into the sewer. They finally came to a ladder the climbed up it and knocked on the hatch. A voice then said.
"Without an end.."
"There can be no peace." The templar answered.
The hatch was opened and they went inside. This was a mage hideout for the resistance that were trying to liberate Orlais. There were several rooms in what was obviously an old basement. Here they slept, ate and planned. They went into the common room and the female mage went to warm herself by the fire. Next to the fire sat what appeared to be a skinny man. He was dressed all in black, none of his skin was exposed and was wearing a black hood. His face was covered with an iron mask, that looked like the once used by the Tevinter Emporium. On the forehead of the mask was a sun, like the brand used on tranquil mages. She froze. Could this really be him? The tranquil? He was a renowned freedom fighter for the mages, but little was known about him. He did everything from recon, prison breaks and assaults. He was suppose to be a great strategist and fearless. Over the past three years he had dealt several devastating blows to the templar faction. There were many theories about his identity. The one that was widely believe was that he was a mage that was made tranquil in the circle in Nevarra. When the circle rebelled he should have escaped. Having no purpose he did what he found to be logical and decided to help his kind. He had then trained rogue skills and was a fierce dualist. Some claimed that he still had magic and that was why the templars couldn't control him. No matter what his background was he had become a rallying cry for the mages, even those the templars believed they could control had turned on them.
She shook her head and tried not to stare. The templar came up behind her and took of the damp coat.
"Let me take that for you, mon cherrie."
"Thank you."
An elderly mage came into the room smiling. He was a former enchanter from Nevarra. He was balled, but had a gray beard.
"Susanna! Phillip! You are back. Your mission was successful I hope."
"Enchanter Bryce. Yes..." Phillip hesitated and looked at the cloaked man.
"Oh, where are my manors. This is Kristoff, you might know him as The Tranquil. He is the reason I send you on this mission."
Kristoff got up from the chair and faced them, still wearing his hood.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, serah. We have heard so much about you." Susanna said to who Kristoff merely nodded.
"Please tell us what you found out. Did you find him?" Enchanter Bryce smiled.
"Yes. He was indeed at the templar base in Val Royeaux. He is the personal assistant of Jack Leroux." Susanna replied.
"Then I must leave immediately. You have my gratitude." Kristoff turned and was on his way out the door. His voice was coarse and sounded far older than Susanna expected.
"Wait my friend. Surely you cannot hope to do this alone. Take Susanna, Phillip and Oran with you." The enchanter interrupted.
Kristoff hesitated and then just nodded.
"Good, I'll go get Oran and some supplies for you and you can leave in half an hour."
As the enchanter promised half an hour later they left. Phillip was a tall, very muscular man and had long brown hair. He was one of the first templars to support the mages rebellion. He was stationed in a chantry and not in a circle, but his twin brother was mage that had been made tranquil while in the circle in Kirkwall. Phillip had been thirteen when he was taken away, so Phillip had a good memory of him. It had outraged him that his brother had been made tranquil and had left the order after that. Then three months later he heard about what happened in Kirkwall. Though he felt for the deaths of the people in the chantry he rejoiced at the fact that those who had mutilated his brother were punished. He had then sort out the rebellion and joined them. Last year he had met Susanna who was from Nevarra and he had fallen for her almost instantly. She had long curly white hair, tanned skin and her eyes where almost black. He had never seen anyone like her. Oran was an eleven mage from Cumberland. He was small, skinny had ginger hair and was awfully pale. He seemed so frail and he used it to his advantage by letting his opponents believe they were his superior. His destruction magic was fierce and Phillip had once seen him take down ten templars on his own. Oran was still young though and was often impatient. Not to mention curious and inappropriate.
They had only walked for half an hour when Oran couldn't keep silent any longer. He looked at Phillip and started to whisper.
"Is that really him?" Gesturing in Kristoff's direction.
"Yes, that's him."
"Wow! I heard he once snuck into a phylactery chamber all on his own and destroyed them."
"You are too willing to believe anything you hear. It takes both a templar and a mage to enter the phylactery chamber. There is no way he could have done it on his own."
"You are always so logical. Don't you have any faith?"
"I have faith that he knows how to use those daggers of his."
"So mind telling me what we are doing?"
"We are going to rescue a tranquil from the templar order in Val Royeaux."
"Finally a challenge. Who are we rescuing?"
"A man named Anders."
"The Anders? Why?"
"Because when they captured him, the templars made him tranquil to show mages that no one could oppose them. They made him tranquil to spite us. Hoping that it would strike fear into our hearts to see the man who started the rebellion become their puppet. If we free him and reverse the rite, we show the templars that we can undo everything they have ever done to us." Susanna explained.
"Ha! Learn it templars! So do we know how to undo the rite?"
"I do. Enchanter Rhys taught how to do it a year ago. There is nothing quite like helping a tranquil regaining their humanity... It is terribly sad and gratifying at the same time."
"Tranquil always gave me the chills. I am glad I was never assigned to a circle." Phillip stated.
Kristoff went in front of them leading the way. He heard them whispering, but didn't pay any attention. He was deep in thought.
"You are afraid."
"We are about to enter a city full of templars. I am... apprehensive."
"Yes, but it is not the templars you are afraid of."
"I... I know... can we please just focus on the mission?"
"It is going to be alright. We will not fail."
"It must be bad if you are the optimist."
"I am here for you, whatever you need."
Kristoff tried to rethink his strategy for the attack over and over to make sure everything was accounted for. He then started to listen to his companion's conversation, slightly amused by the fact that they didn't believe he could hear them.
"You know what? I know what I am going to ask Anders as soon as you reverse the rite, Susanna." Oran mused.
"I am afraid to ask, but what?"
"Well how the champion was in bed of course."
"Oran!" Phillip grumbled.
"What? She was suppose to be beautiful and from what I have heard quite spirited."
"You can be an insensitive ass you know." Susanna spat.
"Why? She was beautiful and deadly. I am just asking what everyone is wondering about. Not to mention all the pickup line's he could teach me. Honestly how does an apostate who lives in a sewer talk the knickers of a rich noble woman?"
"Asking a man, who has just regained his emotions about his dead lover, is beyond cruel."
"Chances of us meeting him, if you keep chatting that loudly, are minimal." Kristoff remarked in a calm and unfeeling voice. They walked for three days and arrived in Val Royeux just before dawn. The made it to one of the safe houses and waited for nightfall.