Author's Note: I don't understand how this chapter ended up so long. So, I apologize. It wasn't going to be this long, and I was going to be further…but, alas, the sloth demon scene will have to wait until next chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy, and please, review! Thanks!

Additional note: I made some changes, because of an awesome review and an idea that popped into my head that I realized influenced a tiny little detail which thus needed to be fixed. So, sorry!

Act X: Redcliffe Village

Of course, when Revan awoke, her head felt like it was cleaved in two. She should have known, from all her experience with incredible feats with the Force, that doing something like lighting a lake on fire would almost kill her, especially since she was so weak with magic as it was. Now, she would be stuck with a blinding headache from overexertion for the rest of the day. Luckily, she could feel the soft touch of a pillow and a mattress beneath her. It felt good to be in a real bed, at least for a bit. But she had to wonder how she had gotten there. She opened her eye slowly, squinting to adjust to the bright light of day streaming in. She saw she was in a small cottage, probably Murdock's based on the clothes peeking out of the drawers nearby. The window was to her right, covered by little quaint, paisley curtains that were so out of character for Murdock that Revan almost laughed. She wondered if he had a wife; she hadn't asked.

Through her second sight, Revan noticed Sten sitting in a chair near the window, hunched over with his elbows resting on his thighs. She lifted her head an inch to see him, but a sharp pain shot through her neck and caused her to groan aloud. The Qunari looked up.

"You are awake," he noted dryly.

"Unfortunately," she concurred.

"Better than being dead."

Revan grunted in response. "Did we win? Wait, stupid question. How many casualties?"

There was a pause. "None, surprisingly," Sten said at last. "It appears you were able to keep your word."

Revan smiled and allowed herself to relax a bit. They had won, and she had proved herself without a doubt.

"I do not understand you, Revan," Sten continued. "You are obviously bas saarebas, but you fought like a karasaad, a soldier."

"Remember what I told you, about my people being both warriors and priests? Part of being a priest is also being a mage. We were taught to be all three," Revan explained. "We were called 'Jedi'. Well, I guess we still are called Jedi. It…seems so long ago, now."

Sten stared at her for a moment. "We will have to continue this conversation at another time, Jedi. Rose asked me to take you to her when you awoke; she is speaking with the nobleman now."

She groaned in dread as he rose to help her move. He put his arm under her back and propped her up. A jolt of pain shot through her again, but she merely grimaced at it, not wanting to complain any more than she had.

"So what are you? You said you were of the…what was it?" she tried to make conversation as he let her adjust to sitting.

"The Beresaad, the Qunari vanguard. We are 'those that reach ahead,'" he answered.

"So, you are karasaad?"

"No," he said. "I am sten."

Revan looked at him in bewilderment. "You are sten? I thought that was your name…"

"I am sten, the commander of our unit. Qunari do not have names like you humans. We call ourselves by what we are."

He gathered her legs and helped her stand. Unfortunately, Revan couldn't stand on her own yet, as her legs felt wobbly. She knew, however, that she would feel better after a little while. Then, she noticed that she was in her undergarments. Sten then noticed, and without a word or change in expression, handed her her leathers and helped her pull them on. Revan wasn't sure whether to blush or laugh.

"Thanks," she finally decided on saying, albeit awkwardly.

Sten grunted. "I do not understand why you humans have such an aversion to nudity. Your body is not disfigured; it is a part of you."

Revan smiled, suddenly not awkward. She had always believed the same, to some degree, but the other Jedi had drilled it into her head to be modest: sexuality led to the Dark Side. "I couldn't agree more. However, we humans always associate the body with sex, and that makes it awkward."

His eyes narrowed. "I do not understand. Why is mating awkward?"

"Well…" Revan pulled on her glove gauntlets. "Sex is…it's a private act. Usually, we use it to express desire, or love, or passion. Why, do Qunari not do the same?"

"No," he said. "We have Tamassrans, a type of priest, that select those to be used for breeding. We do not mate as carelessly as you humans."

Revan pursed her lips in thought. Finished dressing, Revan had Sten help her to the door, his arm around her waist in support. Revan thought that this might have been Malak and her, had things not gone as they had. Sten was so similar to Malak, surprisingly. But Malak had always had a darker, more passionate side…Revan shivered despite herself.

As she walked, she felt her strength returning to her. However, the large hill up to the windmill, where Rose was with Bann Teagan, still proved a challenge to mount. Revan gritted her teeth as she forced her legs to work. Sten was silent and uncomplaining, as usual.

When they reached the windmill, they were presented with an unusual scene. Rose, with Alistair, was talking with Bann Teagan, as expected, but a woman dressed in a ridiculous courtly outfit was pacing nearby, a distraught look on her face. A guard, apparently from the castle, stood near her. Bann Teagan's guards, meanwhile, were glancing at each other in worry. Obviously, something was wrong. And from the way Rose's face was set, it involved something not pleasant.

Upon seeing Revan, Rose's face got considerably brighter, and she waved the two over.

"We have an issue," Rose said as soon as they were close enough.

"When do we not?" the Jedi retaliated.

"The lady over there, Isolde, is Arl Eamon's wife. She wants Teagan to go with her to the castle to help her son. But, she wants him to go alone," Rose explained.

"So," Bann Teagan picked up the story, "I proposed that I go in with Isolde and your party enters the castle using the secret passage in the windmill. I will distract whatever evil is inside and increase your chances of getting in unnoticed. Ser Perth and his men can watch for danger at the castle entrance until you can open the gates from within."

Revan nodded. "Do we know what kind of evil is inside?"

"Lady Isolde didn't say," Alistair answered. "But I'm assuming it's bad."

She looked at all of them, trying to read their expressions. "Then that sounds like our best bet. Will Morrigan and Leliana be joining us?"

"Leliana is helping the Sister with the villagers. Morrigan should be—"

"Right here," the apostate appeared, just the slightest bit winded from the climb due to exhaustion from the previous night. "But I propose we leave the mutt."

Fuzzywuggins, who had been at Rose's side the entire time, growled in protest.

"What do you mean, 'mutt'? And why would we leave him?" Rose also protested.

"Not him, that mutt," Morrigan pointed at Alistair.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny, I almost forgot to laugh," the awkward Warden responded sarcastically.

Rose and Revan exchanged annoyed glances. "Right, let's get going, then!"

Bann Teagan slipped Rose something that looked peculiarly like a ring, but Revan did not ask. Then, the Bann joined the woman, who walked nervously toward the castle. The party waited until they were out of sight before slipping into the windmill and accessing the secret passage buried in the straw. Rose unlocked it with the ring Teagan had given her, and dropped down into a stone passage about three feet wide and six feet high. Alistair almost had to duck to fit, and Sten was bent double. Once in the passage, Morrigan, the last one in, closed the trapdoor above them, immersing them in darkness. Revan, of course, had no problem, due to her second sight and the thin coating of fungi that was on all the stones in the passage, but she summoned a bit of fire for the rest of them. Morrigan summoned more from the back, obviously stronger than her. The party then set out, down the dank passage to the castle.

After about ten minutes by Revan's calculations, they came upon an old, wooden door. Rose first tried opening it with the ring, but the door was stuck. She braced herself, then kicked the lock, shattering the old wood. They found themselves in what appeared to be the castle's basement. The walls, still stone, were slightly higher and cleaner, but the air was damp and smelled faintly like wine. It was eerily silent. Nothing moved, not even the air. The rotting scent of death tingled Revan's nostrils as they slowly progressed into the strange castle.

They had entered the dungeon containing the holding cells when they first encountered the enemy. Corpses piled against the walls suddenly were animated by demons and rose up, unsheathing their weapons. Revan hung back, still weak from the night before, while the others charged into the fray, cleaving the corpses apart. Revan managed to draw her dragonbone sword and slice a few in two before the others had dispatched them all. They made short work of them, and Rose had them carve up what remained of the corpses so the bodies could no longer be animated. That was when they heard the voice.

"You don't look like the Arlessa's guards," the voice, a high-pitched male voice, observed. "Are you from outside the castle?"

Revan hobbled over to look at the speaker, locked within a cell. He was dressed in mage robes, with tangled dark hair and large eyes that strangely reminded her of a gizka: innocent and vaguely cute, yet totally destructive.

"Depends," Rose put her hands on her hips and tried to blow away the loose piece of hair that had fallen on her face. "I am Rose, and these are my companions Alistair, Dragonheart, Sten, and Morrigan. Who are you supposed to be?"

"My name is Jowan," he said, rising from his seat on the floor. "I'm a mage the Arlessa hired to tutor her son, Connor. Until they…uh…threw me into the dungeon here."

Rose's brows knit together. "You poisoned the Arl."

The mage hung his head. "I'm not proud of it. The Arlessa had no idea what I was hired to do when she took me in to tutor Connor. I…I know it looks suspicious, but I'm not responsible for the creatures and the killings in the castle. I was already imprisoned when all that began. At first, Lady Isolde came here with her men and demanded that I reverse what I had done. I thought she meant the poisoning of the Arl. That's the first I heard about the walking corpses. She thought I'd summoned a demon to torment her family and destroy Redcliffe. She…she had me tortured. There was nothing I could do or say that would appease her. So they left me here to rot."

Revan could see Rose thinking as she pursed her lips. Alistair looked about ready to murder the mage; after all, he had poisoned the closest thing Alistair had had to a father figure. Sten and Morrigan remained impassive.

"Why? Why poison the Arl?" Rose finally asked.

"I was instructed to by Teyrn Loghain," Jowan answered. An uncomfortable silence of dread settled on the party as they all exchanged worried glances. Jowan continued: "I was told that Arl Eamon was a threat to Ferelden, that if I dealt with him Loghain would settle matters with the Circle. You see, I'm a maleficar, a blood mage."

"You? A blood mage?" Morrigan scoffed. "Truly? I would never have guessed!"

"Blood magic is not good," Alistair said uneasily.

"I dabbled in the forbidden arts, and they condemned me to death for it. I thought Loghain was giving me a chance to redeem myself…but he's abandoned me here, hasn't he? Everything's fallen apart, and I'm responsible! I have to make it right somehow, I have to!"

Revan felt a pang of sympathy for the mage. She felt the exact way, and her crime was far worse. "Loghain does not care about anyone besides himself. He was using you to accomplish an end, and he would have discarded you regardless of the outcome," Revan told Jowan sadly.

"You're right," Jowan sighed. "I should have known that."

"How exactly was Arl Eamon a threat?" Rose asked, folding her arms.

"He only said that Arl Eamon was dangerous to the nation. Why wouldn't I believe Teyrn Loghain?" the blood mage explained.

"But why did the Arless need a mage to tutor her son?"

Jowan flinched. "Connor had started to show…signs. Lady Isolde was terrified the Circle of Mages would take him away for training. So, she sought an apostate to teach her son in secret so he could learn to hide his talent. Her husband had no idea."

"Connor? A mage?" Alistair was astounded. "I can't believe it!"

"And how much magic did you teach Connor?" Rose continued.

"Some. But he's still very young. He can barely cast a minor spell, never mind something more powerful. At least, not intentionally. I have thought about it, and it is possible Connor could have inadvertently done something to tear open the Veil. And with the Veil to the Fade torn, spirits and demons could infiltrate the castle. Powerful ones could kill and create those walking corpses.

"I never meant for it to end like this. I swear. Let me help you fix this."

Rose walked a few paces away and gestured for the others to join her. He face bespoke her indecision: on some level, she wanted to believe him, but she had been raised with the belief that blood magic equated evil. Revan did not blame her. She saw Morrigan cast a simple spell to make sure Jowan could not overhear their conversation.

"I say this boy could still be of use to us," Morrigan began, her yellow eyes hard and calculating. "But if not, then let him go. Why keep him prisoner here?"

"Hey, hey! Let's not forget he's a blood mage!" Alistair protested. "You can't just…set a blood mage free!"

"Better to slay him? Better to punish him for his choices? Is this Alistair who speaks, or the Templar?" the witch crossed her arms sternly.

"He poisoned the Arl. Even if he weren't a blood mage, that's attempted murder," Alistair responded coldly.

"This is why we sew up the mouths or our mages and cut out their tongues," Sten added.

Revan pursed her lips as she tried to phrase her response. The rest looked at her expectantly. "What better punishment than to force him to assist us, making him risk his life for the lives he tried to ruin? He wishes to repent, just like you, Sten. I think he deserves the chance. However…I agree that he has committed a crime. Therefore…we should not free him, but let the Arl decide what to do with him if…when he recovers. And, he will be a valuable asset in our case against Loghain; the other Arls will never stand for one of their own to be poisoned, not even by Loghain."

Sten looked down in a sort of shame or concession, having forgotten that he had committed murder and was still spared. Morrigan seemed pleased with her answer, and Alistair was making a face like he was sucking on lemons.

"Well…you have a point," he acknowledged. "And I guess this is an unusual situation."

"Then we force him to help us," Rose nodded in thought. "All right. It seems fair enough."

Morrigan dismissed the spell, and Rose strode up to the cell door. She scrutinized the mage in the cell with her intense eyes. "So how will you make things right?"

"I'd…well, I'd try to save anyone still up there. There must be something I can do," Jowan stammered.

Rose's eyes softened. She believed him. "Okay, I'm letting you out of this cell."

"You're letting me out? And then what?"

"You come with us, that's what," Rose answered.

Jowan flinched. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'd like to help, but…I'm not sure I want to follow you into danger, exactly."

Revan grabbed the bars with frightening speed and put her face close enough to the bars so he could see her scars. The mage immediately backed away in fear. "Do you think you have a choice in this?" the Jedi started to become Sith, and a dark aura surrounded her as her anger grew. "You are convicted of dabbling in magic that poses the greatest threat to civilization and attempted murder. You're a convict. Part of your punishment will be sticking your neck out to help these people, or else we will leave you here for the corpses to feast upon. Is that understood?"

Jowan's eyes widened in terror, and Revan could see in her reflection in his eyes that hers had turned yellow. That was never a good sign. She released her anger and took a deep breath. "Is that understood?" she repeated calmly.

"Y-yes," he stuttered.

"Good," she said. Morrigan, from behind her, flicked her wrist, and the cell door unlocked magically. "Now let's get going."

Jowan stumbled out of his cell, still glancing at Revan in fear. As soon as her anger started to abate, she felt bad for intimidating the mage. Sten and Morrigan, however, looked at her in respect.

In the next room, a horde of corpses rose from the refuse piles and attacked them. Revan, exhausted from calling on the Dark Side, feebly helped slay them. Despite his terror, Jowan proved most useful. He did not use blood magic, but dutifully stuck to traditional magic as another form of repentance. Though there were more corpses in this area than in the dungeon, they slayed the monsters just as quickly, due to the help of another mage. It was difficult to believe how effective just one mage could be.

Rose, sweating now, led them up the stairs and into the castle proper. They explored each room thoroughly, just in case survivors were hiding, waiting to be found. They found no one, until they came upon a locked closet, which Rose kicked open to reveal a scared maid, whose name was Valena, the smith's daughter. Revan shot a triumphant smile at Sten, who merely scowled in return. She had said she always kept her promises. They sent the girl to the secret passage, so she could return home, and pressed onward.

The more they moved, the stronger Revan became. She started helping slay the beasts again, though she still could not move as fast as normal. Sten took it upon himself to stay near her to help, which she acknowledged with silent gratitude. However, she adamantly refused to use magic, knowing how weak it would make her.

They finally emerged into the courtyard, where Rose ran to open the gates for Ser Perth, and a Revenant, a powerful demon embodied in a powerful corpse, rose from the ground and attacked them with its own horde. Revan stayed away from the Revenant, knowing that she could not do much against it, though her blood boiled to attack it. Instead, she slayed corpses and tried to keep the monsters away from the others, who were attacking the Revenant with ferocity. Ser Perth and his knights joined them in the attack, and soon the Revenant was overpowered and slain.

At last, they reached the throne room, where the Arl held court. Taking a deep breath, Rose burst in, expecting another horde of corpses to fight, Ser Perth and Alistair right behind her. Instead, they were greeted by Bann Teagan performing a little dance before the raised platform where the Arl's chair was located. A boy lounged in the chair, clapping in delight, and Isolde stood at his side, her head hanging down in guilt and grief. Revan had to admit the Bann was quite the acrobat.

Bann Teagan finished his dance, and as he moved back to the chair's side, Revan noticed that his eyes were glazed over. He was being controlled. Then she noticed that, in her second sight, the boy glowed with the strange glow she had come to associate with the corpses: he was possessed. The glow in him was stronger, however, stronger than the glow that had emanated from the Revenant. Whatever was possessing him was powerful.

The boy caught sight of them and rose from his chair. His face was contorted into an ugly sneer as he fixed his gaze on Rose, who was leading the large group.

"So these are our visitors? The ones you told me about, Mother?" the boy spoke, a second voice echoing his words, evidence of the demon.

"Y-yes, Connor," Isolde responded gloomily, her accent unmistakably Orlesian, like Leliana's.

His eyes narrowed. "And this is the one who defeated my soldiers? The ones I sent to reclaim my village? And now it's staring at me! What is it, Mother? I can't see it well enough."

"That…that is a woman, Connor. Just as I am," the Arless explained.

Connor swiveled his head violently. It appeared to Revan that the demon did not have very good control over its host. "You lie! This woman is nothing at all like you! Why, just look at her! Half your age and pretty, too. I'm surprised you don't order her executed in a fit of jealousy!"

Rose looked horrified. Isolde looked about ready to burst into tears. "Connor! I beg you, don't hurt anyone!" the Arless pleaded.

The boy bent over double and pressed his hands to his temple, seemingly trying to fight the demon. "M-Mother? What—what's happening? Where am I?"

Isolde grabbed his arms protectively. "Oh, thank the Maker! Connor! Connor, can you hear me?"

Connor yanked his arms away from her and yelled, "Get away from me, fool woman! You are beginning to bore me!"

"Maker's breath! What has happened here?" Ser Perth also wore a horrified expression.

"Grey Warden," Isolde begged with tears falling down her face, "please don't hurt my son! He is not responsible for what he does!"

"So…your son is possessed…" Rose gaped.

"Please! Don't say that!" Isolde screamed.

"So the boy has become an abomination and sundered the Veil?" Morrigan pondered. "How interesting…"

"Connor didn't mean to do this! It was him, that…vile mage!" Isolde shrieked and pointed at Jowan, who cringed. "He summoned the demon! Connor was just trying to help his father!"

"Like I told you, I didn't do it!" Jowan insisted.

Morrigan scoffed. "And made a deal with a demon to do so? Foolish child."

"It was a fair deal!" the possessed Connor objected. "Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now it's my turn to sit on the throne and send out armies to conquer the world! Nobody tells me what to do anymore!"

"Nobody tells him what to do!" Bann Teagan echoed manically. "No-o-o-body! Ha ha!"

"Quiet, Uncle," the boy yelled at him. "I warned you what would happen if you kept shouting, didn't I? Yes, I did.

"But let's keep things civil. This woman will have the audience she seeks. Tell us, woman, what have you come here for?"

Rose gave an uneasy glance to Revan, who nodded in encouragement. Revan could not answer the demon; to have someone besides Rose address it would merely anger it, and it seemed that Rose did not want to hurt the child that it inhabited.

"I...we need to see Arl Eamon," Rose responded.

"So you're a concerned well-wisher. Why didn't you say that in the first place?" the boy gave her an evil smile. "All this sneaking around and killing is so unnecessary! But Father is so very ill. We really shouldn't disturb him. Isn't that right, Mother?"

Isolde cringed, "I…I don't think—"

"Of course you don't think. Ever since you sent my knights away, you do nothing but deprive me of my fun. Frankly, it's getting dull. I crave excitement! And action! This woman—" Connor waved at Rose, "—spoiled my sport by saving that stupid village, and now she'll repay me!"

Connor ran away, but Revan wasn't able to see where, because a new horde of corpses, these in better shape than the others, had emerged from behind the curtains at the back of the room and from the side passages. She whipped out her blades and began fighting. Bann Teagan had joined the fray as well, his eyes glazed over as he recklessly attacked Rose, who tried her hardest not to hurt him. After a few minutes, Revan ended up back-to-back with Sten, and the two quickly cleared their area. Ser Perth and the mages made quick work of the other corpses, and Rose knocked Teagan over the head with the pommel of her family sword. He crumpled to the ground, and the fighting stopped.

Isolde rushed over and cradled Teagan's head. "Teagan! Teagan, are you all right?"

The Bann managed a moan, and his eyes flickered open.

The Arlessa looked up at the heavens, her face streaked with tear stains. "Blessed Andraste! I would never have forgiven myself had you died, not after I brought you here. What a fool I am!" She then looked up at Rose. "Please! Connor's not responsible for this! There must be some way we can save him!"

Alistair helped Bann Teagan to his feet as Rose stared compassionately at the distraught Arlessa. "I don't want to kill a child…"

"Connor is no longer a child," Jowan moved to stand by her. "He is an abomination."

"You!" Isolde hissed. "You did this to Connor!"

"I already told you! I didn't summon any demon! Please, I'm trying to help you!" Jowan pleaded.

"Help!?" Isolde yelled indignantly. "You betrayed me! I brought you here to help my son, and in return you poisoned my husband!"

Teagan blinked blearily, trying to reorient himself. "This is the mage you spoke of? Didn't you say he was in the dungeon?"

"He was," Isolde responded in confusion. "I assumed the creatures had killed him by now. He must have been set free."

Revan spoke up, "I thought that, considering how he helped start this mess, he could help fix it."

"After everything he did, he should be executed!" Isolde protested.

"Your secrecy made his actions possible, Isolde," Teagan came to Revan's defense.

"But, I…"

Jowan hung his head. "I know what you must think of me, my lady. I took advantage of your fear. I am sorry. I…I never knew it would come to this."

"Well, I shan't turn away his help. Not yet. And if Connor is truly an abomination…" the Bann thought gloomily.

"I no longer think that is a question," Sten interjected.

"He's not always the demon you saw," Isolde spoke. "Connor is still inside him, and sometimes he breaks through. Please, I just want to protect him!"

Teagan, still leaning on Alistair, tried his best to give Isolde a scolding glare. "Isn't that what started this? You hired the mage to teach Connor in secret, to protect him."

"If they discovered Connor had magic, then they'd take him away!" Isolde broke down into tears again. A look of disgust crossed Sten's face. "I thought if he learned just enough to hide it, then…"

"Look, we need a plan. Jowan, what do think we should do?" Rose turned to the blood mage.

He looked at her, and a guilty expression crossed his face. "The demon in Connor needs to be destroyed. Killing Connor is…the easiest way to do that, certainly… But there is another way. A mage could confront the demon in the Fade, without hurting Connor himself."

"What do you mean?" Teagan interrupted. "Is the demon not within Connor?"

"Not physically," Jowan explained. "The demon…approached Connor in the Fade while he dreamt, and controls him from there. We can use the connection between them to find the demon."

Isolde's face lit up. "You can enter the Fade, then? And kill the demon without hurting my son?"

"No, but I can enable another mage to do so. It normally requires lyrium and several mages, but I have…blood magic."

Revan immediately understood what he was proposing. "No," she said firmly.

"I don't understand, what difference does that make?" Rose asked, puzzled.

"Lyrium provides the power for the ritual," Jowan described. "But I can take that power from someone's life energy. This ritual requires a lot of it, however. All of it, in fact."

"So…someone must die?" the Bann asked in horror. "Someone must be sacrificed?"

"No one will be sacrificed," Revan said coldly. "There is another option: we ask the Circle of Magi for help. They have plenty of lyrium and mages. And, besides, we have to go there anyway because of the treaties."

They all looked at Revan like she had spoken in Shyriiwook, the language of the Wookies. Then, suddenly, Rose's face lit as she realized the feasibility of her plan.

"The tower is about a day's journey across the lake, about two or three days on foot," Teagan stroked his goatee in thought. "You could attempt to get the mages' help…"

"But what will happen here?" Isolde wondered fearfully. "Connor will not remain passive forever!"

"You said yourself that the demon does not have complete control," Revan pointed out. "It will not be able to influence and control all the knights and militiamen if it is still fighting to control Connor. You should be able to keep him under control for a few days, especially if we leave Jowan here. Right?"

"Yes, that's a good plan," Teagan agreed. "If he wants to help, he can keep an eye on Connor with us. Go to the Tower quickly, then. The longer you are away, the greater the chances of disaster."

Rose gave him a curt nod, and, taking their leave of the Bann, Arlessa, and knights, the party departed the castle, fetched Leliana from the village Chantry, and set a brisk pace for the Circle of Magi. After Rose explained what had happened in the castle to Leliana, the party became hushed. A sense of foreboding settled over them, causing them to move at a faster pace than they normally moved. The countryside sped past as they traveled on the road north.

After a few hours of nonstop travelling, Rose commanded that they take a short break to get their breath back. Revan assumed that Rose was worried about the recovering Jedi, but she assured the young Warden that her weariness had passed a while before. Leliana distributed some cold lunch to them all, and Morrigan purified some water for them to drink. Revan accepted both gladly, though she was getting sick of cold rations.

Then, Revan noticed Sten staring out toward the lake, deep in thought. Revan took a seat next to him.

"Sten?" she asked in concern.

"It was around here that my platoon was ambushed," Sten stated, almost wistful. "I lost my sword here."

"Your sword?"

Sten nodded. "Without it, I am considered soulless. I will not be allowed to return to Par Vollen."

Revan jumped to her feet. A Jedi's lightsaber was similar, in a way. "Then we should try to find it, shouldn't we?" she grabbed the startled Sten and pulled him to his feet.

She told Rose that they were going to investigate something, and that they would catch up later. Then, Revan forced Sten to lead them to the site of the ambush. Sten looked uncomfortable, even a bit embarrassed, but he did not protest. They jogged through the aspen and pine trees for a few clicks until the big Qunari halted at a clearing. An old, abandoned stone cottage sat there, facing Lake Calenhad. Bones, picked clean by scavengers, littered the ground, along with broken bits of armor and clothing. One scavenger, however, remained: a dirty, grubby human male. He was picking through the refuse with a stick, muttering to himself in a slimy voice that made Revan want to throttle him. She had met scavengers like him before, and though she did not have a problem with recycling items from the fallen, these scavengers were little better than animals.

The scavenger saw them approach and hissed, "Back off! I was here first!"

Revan strode forward in blatant protest, Sten following behind. "Look, we'll leave, but I need to know: you haven't seen a sword lying around here, have you?"

He examined her carefully through beady, rat-like eyes. He asked eagerly, "Why? You looking to buy one?"

"No, but my very large, angry friend here is," Revan gestured to Sten, who, right on cue, crossed his arms and scowled at the man.

"Ah…is he?" the scavenger shrunk back. "Well…that's…see, I'd like to sell you one, but I don't…er…have any myself. I got part of a glove the wolves didn't chew too badly, though! At least, I think it was a glove, anyway…

"Don't say it: I got cheated. I knew the guy who was here before me. He sold me this spot. Said he'd found giants and all kinds of crazy valuables. He didn't mention that he'd taken everything but the bones and the dirt already. His name's Faryn. Squirrely little bastard, if you ask me. Which you didn't. But I said it anyway."

Revan raised an eyebrow. At least she was getting information out of him. "Where is he now?"

"He said he was going to Orzammar," the scavenger replied. "I imagine he's gotten there by now. If you find him, tell him I sent you! It'll scare the piss right out of him! Heh heh!"

Revan tossed him a coin and led Sten back toward the road. "Well, at least we've got a lead, now," she smiled at him.

"This merchant will not have it," Sten commented.

"He might, you never know," Revan said positively.

"You are an eternal optimist."

"I've had to be, to survive all the shit I've been through. Things have to work out, eventually."

Sten grunted, and they kept moving toward the road. Once they found the packed surface that passed for the highway, they broke into a fast jog in order to catch up with Rose and the others. It was sunset by the time they reached them, moving at a good, steady pace. Rose asked if they had found anything, and Revan shook her head. If Sten wanted to tell Rose what they had been looking for, he could, but it was not her duty to tell the Warden.

They then started talking about their progress. Sten estimated, from his memory of the place, that they were only an hour or two from the Circle Tower, if they kept up their fast pace. Rose sat and pondered this before Sten mentioned that there was a small town by the docks with an inn.

"Well, then we press on! Real beds, here we come!" Rose declared.

Though the rest of the group protested, they quickly quieted at the mention of beds. They set out again at a fast pace, eager to make the village before the light completely faded. And, as the last light faded, they all burst into through the door at the Spoiled Princess, as the inn was called. Rose sleepily pushed a pile of coins across the bar toward the innkeeper and asked for as many beds as he had. Puzzled, he slid back six keys, which Rose snatched and led the rest of them upstairs. She distributed the keys, and then she walked like a corpse into her own room and shut the door after Fuzzywuggins padded in after her. The rest of them followed suit and entered their respective rooms.

Revan didn't even bother to remove her leathers, instead collapsing into the bed face-first. Unfortunately, the bed was swarming with bedbugs, so first Revan used what little magic she had left to purify the bed. A white flame rose, consuming the bed, and the little specks of life in her second sight faded quickly. Then, the flame died and, truly exhausted now, Revan fell back into the bed and was asleep in seconds.

Revan woke feeling sore but refreshed. Luckily, she had not had any dreams of Urthemiel, but she had dreamt of the Deep Roads and the darkspawn. They did not scare her, but the massive size of the army that awaited them was enough to terrify even the most hardened warrior. She wondered how many broodmothers the Archdemon had made in preparation for this Blight. After all, he had had years to prepare for it.

Sighing, she rose and stretched her stiff muscles. Then, taking off her sweaty leather armor, she poured some water from the pitcher by her bed into the wash basin and attempted to freshen up. She was tempted to just run outside and jump in Lake Calenhad, but she did not think that nasty lake water would help any more. Then, feeling slightly cleaner, she headed down to the bar. It was still early, so the tavern proper was still relatively empty. The barkeep was tiredly wiping a mug with a stained rag, and Sten sat at a table in the corner in an attempt to be inconspicuous. Revan smiled to herself and took the seat opposite. About ten minutes later, Morrigan descended the stairs, stretching like a cat after a pleasant nap. The bartender stared at the strange, alluring girl as she pulled a chair up to the table and ordered breakfast for the three of them. The bartender immediately set to work, both in fear and in awe of the strange travelers.

As they ate, the other members of their party came down and joined them for breakfast. Alistair was itching all over; apparently, his bed had also been infected with bedbugs. Morrigan laughed hysterically as Revan cleansed him and tried to heal his skin as much as she could. The bartender was surprised to see that she was a mage, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. After everyone had eaten their hot, delicious meal of tavern food, Rose handed a bag of coins to the bartender, and they departed.

The sun shone behind them, making Lake Calenhad look like it was made of gold. The leaves of the trees, already turning color, rustled in the slight breeze. The air was quiet, interrupted on occasion by the chirping of swallows. However, despite the perfect morning, something felt wrong to Revan. Her suspicions grew after Rose returned from talking with a local villager, who said he used to man the ferry out to the Tower, but that his ship had been commandeered by the Templars. An uneasy feeling grew in Revan.

Indeed, the Templars had commandeered the little ferry out to the Tower. A single Templar stood on the docks, like a type of sentry. Rose took one glance at the small ferry and turned back to the group.

"It looks like only four of us can go," she announced. "Leliana, Morrigan, I want you two to take Fuzzywuggins and stay here and find out what you can about Loghain, the Dalish, and the dwarves so we won't be completely clueless when we go for those treaties. Alistair, Sten, Revan—let's go."

Morrigan and Leliana looked at each other in distaste, but they decided to not argue Rose's orders. Then, the four of them approached the Templar.

"You!" the Templar cried in a nasally voice. "You aren't looking to get across to the Tower, are you? Because I have strict orders not to let anyone pass!"

Rose put her hand on her hips. "I am a Grey Warden, and I seek the assistance of the mages."

"Oh, you're a Grey Warden, are you? Prove it," the Templar said snidely.

Rose reached back in her pack and extended the treaties. The Templar took one look at them, making Revan think that he might have been illiterate. Which would have been impossible, because from what Alistair had said, all Templars were required to be able to read.

"Oh, a Grey Warden seal. Ah ha. So you're claiming to be one of those. You know, I have some documents, too. They say I'm the queen of Antiva. What do you think of that?"

Rose frowned in confusion. Revan interjected in annoyance, "Aren't queens female, or did I miss some cultural point unique to Antiva?"

"Don't question royalty!" the Templar mocked. "Anyway, it was nice chatting with you. Now on your way. Right now. Go."

"Can't we work something out?" Alistair asked before Revan could use her Jedi mind tricks to sway him.

"Hmm…I don't know…" the Templar stroked his chin, "though, I am feeling a little peckish…"

"Farsharaa!" Sten swore and took something out of his pack and all but threw them at the Templar. "Here! Munch on these if you like."

His face lit up: "Ooh, cookies!"

"I am content to part with them if it saves us from this fool," Sten said, his face showing only annoyance.

Revan guffawed in shock and Rose stared at him, even more puzzled.

"Where…where did you get those?" Revan said as she tried to get back her breath.

"There was a child—a fat, slovenly thing—in the village. I relieved him of these confections. He didn't need them anymore."

In horror, Rose asked, "You stole cookies from a child!?"

"For his own good," Sten assured her.

Revan snorted. "Where was I?"

"Sleeping."

The Templar finished off the cookies. "Mmm, yummy. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, yes? We can go across now, if you really want."

The four climbed in, Sten rocking the ferry violently as he did so. Then, the Templar pulled them across, toward the large tower that protruded from the lake like a giant pillar holding up the heavens. Revan looked at it, wondering if she would have ended up in that Tower, had she been born on this planet. They pulled in to a sort of cave, and, after they gingerly stepped off the craft and Sten threw the annoying Templar into the lake as repayment for the loss of his beloved cookies, ascended a flight of stairs worn into the rock that led into the Tower proper. They entered into a room, decorated with columns on multiple sides. To the right was a giant set of thick, enchanted doors barred with a heavy crossbar. An older Templar stood in the center of the room, handing out orders to his men, who were bustling about with vigor. The fear in the room was palpable to Revan; something was very wrong.

Upon seeing them, the Templar—the Knight-Commander, Revan presumed from her studies of Thedas' culture—looked alarmed at their presence.

"Who are you? I explicitly told Carroll not to bring anyone across the lake! We are dealing with a very delicate situation. You must leave, for your own safety."

Rose put on her most charming, reassuring smile. "You must be Knight-Commander Greagoir, yes? I am Rose, and these are my companions. I am a Grey Warden, and I am here to get the mages to fulfill their obligation to their Grey Wardens. But, what is the situation?"

Greagoir sighed wearily. "I shall speak plainly: the Tower is no longer under our control. Abominations and demons stalk the Tower's halls."

"This is why we cut the tongues from mages, in Par Vollen," Sten observed.

"I will admit to agreeing with your companion," Greagoir ran his hand through his gray hair. "Maker knows the Qunari would not have gotten themselves into this position."

Revan shot Sten a dirty look while Rose asked, "How did this happen?"

"We don't know. We saw only the demons, hunting Templars and mages alike. I realized we could not defeat them and told my men to flee."

"A wise move," Revan observed. "I would have done the same."

"They took us by surprise," Greagoir continued. "We were prepared for one or two abominations…not the horde that fell upon us."

"Do you have a plan?" Rose wondered.

Greagoir turned stormy. "I would destroy the Tower, raze it to the ground, but I cannot risk more of my men. The doors remain shut and they will protect us for now."

"You shut everyone in there? Including innocent mages?"

"Not just mages," Greagoir looked away uncomfortably, "but my Templars also. I had no choice. The abominations must be contained at all costs. We do not mean for the doors to stay closed forever. Everything in the Tower must be eliminated. I have sent word to Denerim, calling for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment."

Alistair's face fell into horror. Rose looked between the Knight-Commander and the former Templar in confusion.

Upon seeing her face, Greagoir explained, "The Right of Annulment gives Templars…the authority to neutralize the Mage Circle. Completely. This situation is dire. There is no alternative—everything in the Tower must be destroyed so it can be made safe again."

Revan's emotions grew dark. "There is always an alternative."

"If there was, do you not think that I would have chosen it?" Greagoir argued. "There are only abominations left in this Tower. No one could have survived those monstrous creatures. It is too painful to hope for survivors and find…nothing."

"Then you don't have to hope: I will for you," Revan spoke, clenching her fists. "If I have to, I will go in there and search myself. You underestimate the power of mages."

Surprisingly, Sten spoke up with her. "It seems pointless to have come all this way for nothing. I suppose we must try, now that we are here."

"I agree," Rose also said. "It is the right thing to do."

"What about me? Do I get no say in this?" Alistair protested and was promptly ignored.

Greagoir examined their faces, his eyes lingering on Revan's scars. "A word of caution: once you cross that threshold, there is no turning back. The great doors must remain barred. I will open them for no one until I have proof that it is safe. I will only believe it is over if the First Enchanter himself stands before me and tells me it is so. If Irving falls…then the Circle is lost…and must be destroyed. May Andraste lend you her courage."

Rose gave him a curt nod, warrior to warrior, before leading them to the great doors. The Templars seemed rather sorry to open the doors for them, as if they were sealing their fate by opening the doors. Revan wondered if she was leading her friends to their deaths, but she could not imagine just leaving the mages to their fate. Inside the doors, however, a gruesome scene met them. The walls were smeared with blood and gore. Magical fires burned in corners, and the bodies of Templars and mages dotted the corridors. The stench was similar to the rotting smell of corpses in Redcliffe, but with a tad more of an iron smell to it. Revan had to wonder what kind of demons these were. The gore and multitude of bodies made Revan wonder if the Knight-Commander had been right, that there really were no survivors.

Then, they came to a clean room. Young apprentices huddled together, observed by two, teenage apprentices. Revan almost cried out in relief that there were survivors, but settled instead for a sigh. An older, female mage was standing in front of a large magical barrier. She spun around, the folds of her robes sweeping the floor, and glared at the group.

"It's you!" she said, assuming a defensive stance. "No, come no further. Grey Wardens or no, I will strike you down where you stand!"

"Wynne?" Revan gasped as she recognized the woman from Ostagar. "What…you're alive!"

Wynne's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here? The Templars would not let just anyone by."

"We're helping Greagoir resolve the Circle's difficulties," Alistair answered bitterly.

"Then you do serve the Templars, as I feared," Wynne shook her head as Revan shot another dirty look, this time to Alistair. "Do they have the Right of Annulment?"

"No, but Greagoir expects it to arrive soon," Rose admitted.

Wynne's eyes filled with sadness. "So, Greagoir thinks the Circle is beyond hope. He probably assumes we are all dead. They abandoned us to our fate, but even trapped as we are, we have survived. If they invoke the Right, however, we will not be able to stand against them."

"What happened here? The Templars do not know," Rose asked.

"Let it suffice to say that we had something of a revolt on our hands, led by a mage named Uldred," Wynne said bitterly. "When he returned from the battle at Ostagar, he tried to take over the Circle. As you can see, it didn't work out as he had planned. I don't know what became of Uldred, but I am certain all this is his doing. I will not lose the Circle to one man's pride and stupidity."

"Agreed," Revan spoke up. "We want to help you save as many mages as we can. I want them to invoke this Right as much as you want them to."

The elder mage gave her a small smile. "I erected a barrier over the door leading to the rest of the Tower, so nothing from inside could attack the children. You will not be able to enter the Tower as long as the barrier holds, but I will dispel it if you join with me to save this Circle, Grey Wardens."

Rose nodded her agreement, and, with a roll of his eyes, Alistair consented, "Yes, yes, fine, we'll help you."

"Once Greagoir sees that we have made the Tower safe," Wynne continued, "I trust he will tell his men to back down. He is not unreasonable."

"I believe the Knight-Commander said he will only accept it if the First Enchanter says so," Sten added.

"Then our path is laid out before us. We must save Irving." Wynne turned to the older apprentices. "Petra, Kinnon…look after the others. I will be back soon."

"Wynne…" the girl apprentice, Petra, asked in concern, "are you sure you're all right? You were so badly hurt earlier. Maybe I should come along…"

"The others need your protection more. I will be all right. Stay here with them, keep them safe and calm," Wynne instructed. Turning back to the Wardens, she added, "Let us go end this. I am somewhat amazed at myself for having kept it in place so long. It made me very weary at times, but I had to stay strong, to keep us safe."

She turned back to the barrier and, closing her eyes in concentration, she absorbed the magic back into herself in a stream of bright blue mana. It was an impressive display, and the entire air seemed alight with magic. Then, there barrier was gone, and they plunged into the depths of the Tower.

Inside was just as horrid as before. Bodies lay in pools of their own blood, eyes glazed open in the agony of death. Luckily, Revan was acclimated to this type of horrifying violence; Rose, however, was studiously avoiding the twisted bodies. The library was where they encountered their first abominations. The things attacked by rising from the floor and trying to terrify them so they could overwhelm the group. Seeing as that didn't work, the abominations, mutilated corpses of mages and Templars with grotesque lumps of flesh and demolished faces, attacked them with the weapons of their bodies' former owners and with magic. Revan drew her dual blades, not thinking close quarters packed with flammable paper was a good place for a lightsaber, and began carving up the abominations with vigor. These abominations, however, were in fresher bodies than the corpses at Redcliffe, and thus were a lot more difficult to kill. Revan had to erect a shield with the both the Force and her magic in order to avoid all the magical attacks the abominations were throwing her way. Apparently, the abominations were singling out her and Wynne, probably due to their magic. Rose and Alistair had taken positions defending Wynne, while Sten chopped up abominations near her. Upon their deaths, the monsters exploded in flame, giving them all small burns and temporarily blinding them. Revan mentally decided never to make any kind of deal with a demon if this would be her fate.

After the last corpse had exploded, Revan wiped the sweat off her brow and looked around. The library, though demolished, vaguely reminded her of the Jedi archives: massive book shelves lined and protruded from the walls, going all the way up to the ceiling. Piles of books and scrolls covered the floor and tables. She could have spent years reading all the material in the room. But, they moved on to the next floor, where they approached a storage room just to find another survivor as he exited the room and closed the door.

The man looked at them with dead eyes, and the sign of the Chantry was tattooed onto his forehead: a Tranquil. A pang of pity went through Revan; she would not wish that fate on anyone, not even the most atrocious Sith or maleficar. The Tranquil were shells inhabited by one rational conscious, and lived only to serve, like slaves.

"Please, refrain from going into the stockroom. It is a mess and I have not been able to get it into a state fit to be seen," the Tranquil said with detached concern.

"Who are you?" Rose asked in relief at finding another survivor.

"I am called Owain, and I manage the Circle's magical stockroom. I was trying to tidy up, but there was little I could do."

"Don't you want to get out of here?" Alistair questioned.

The Tranquil turned his unnerving gaze towards the former Templar. "I tried to leave, when things got quiet. That was when I encountered the barrier. Finding no other way out, I returned to work."

"Owain, you should have said something," Wynne insisted. "I would have opened the barrier for you."

"The stockroom is familiar; I prefer to be here," he told her.

"Haven't you come across abominations?" Rose wondered.

Owain blinked in thought before saying, "No. I suppose I should count myself lucky. I would prefer not to die. I would prefer it if the Tower returned to the way it was. Perhaps Niall will succeed and save us all."

"And what is this Niall trying to do?" Revan encouraged the Tranquil.

"I do not know, but he came here with several others and took the Litany of Adralla."

Wynne frowned. "But that protects from mind domination. Is blood magic at work here?"

"I do not know," Owain repeated.

Wynne bit her lip in thought as she pondered, "Niall was in the meeting. He would know. Blood magic…I was afraid of this."

"I'm sure we can handle blood magic," Rose reassured her.

"We should find Niall," Wynne suggested. "The Litany will give us a fighting chance against any blood mages we encounter."

Owain met Rose's eyes. "I wish you luck. Perhaps this will be over soon and things will return to the way they were. Goodbye."

They continued moving through the layers of the Circle, weary for abominations and now maleficarum. Soon enough, they encountered a group of blood mages recuperating in a study alcove. The blood mages glared at them in anger and sliced open their arms, their own blood serving as the link between them and the Fade. Thus, they were as strong as some higher demons, and much more difficult to kill. They also tried to use their blood to break their opponent's will, much like a Sith. Revan had fought enough Sith to know how to shield her mind completely. However, she worried about the others. Wynne was right: if this Litany of Adralla would help shield their minds, they needed to get their hands on it. As Sten countered a blow from one of the blood mages, Revan chopped the mage's staff in two before thrusting her other blade through the side of his chest. One down, two to go. Alistair and Wynne killed the other man with a combination of magic and metal. Rose took on the last, who was not putting up much of a fight. Rose caught her with a blow to the stomach, and the maleficar fell to the ground. The last, a woman, clutched her bloody body and groaned. Revan looked at the woman in pity; what had caused this poor mage to turn to something so dangerous?

"Please!" the blood mage begged. "Please, don't kill me."

Rose crossed her arms. "Oh? Tell me why I should spare your life, considering how many you've killed."

The woman looked up at the Warden. "I know I have no right to ask for mercy, but I didn't mean for this death and destruction. We were just trying to free ourselves. Uldred told us that the Circle would support Loghain and Loghain would help us be free of the Chantry. You don't know what it was like. The Templars were watching, always watching…"

So she was a pawn. Revan shook her head in pity.

"But why turn to forbidden magic?" Rose wondered.

"The magic was a means to an end. It gave us…it gave me the power to fight for what I believed."

"Fighting for what you believe is commendable, but the ends do not always justify the means," Wynne preached, reminding Revan of Bastila.

The mage looked at Wynne. "You don't really believe that, do you, Wynne? Change rarely comes peacefully. Andraste waged war on the Imperium; she didn't write them a strongly worded letter. She reshaped civilization, freed the slaves, and gave us the Chantry. But people died for it. We thought…someone always has to take the first step, force a change, no matter the cost."

Wynne looked at the woman in distaste and said, "Nothing is worth what you've done to this place."

"And now Uldred's gone mad, and we are scattered, doomed to die at the hands of those who seek to right our wrongs…" the maleficar sighed.

"And all you do is wallow in self-pity. Pathetic," Sten added.

"What else can I do? I'm trapped here," she refuted.

Rose glanced at Revan, knowing that she had accepted the Jedi, though she had done much more than just use blood magic. Finally, she sighed. "I will not help you escape, but I will spare you, so you can repent. On one condition: you give up blood magic."

The blood mage staggered to her feet, and then nodded her agreement. "Thank you. The Maker will surely turn His eyes on you for your mercy!" Then, she staggered away, clutching her side as the blood ran down her robes.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Alistair asked, before receiving dirty looks from both Revan and Rose. He shrunk back. "Just wondering."

They continued their way. Abominations would randomly rise from the ground or fall from the ceilings, sometimes even emerge from the walls, and attack them. It seemed to Revan that they were stuck in between the physical world and the Fade. They also began encountering more blood mages, and Revan was forced to concentrate more on shielding everyone's minds instead of fighting. The blood mages were all Circle mages, their eyes filled with hate and their arms mutilated with cuts. Some were almost as disfigured as the abominations they fought alongside.

The party encountered the largest group of abominations and maleficarum in a large, open room supported by columns and lined with benches and bookshelves packed with a variety of items. Revan assumed that this must be a lecture hall of some kind. The abominations crawled out of the columns and floor. Fire exploded around them from the oil soaked carpets as the blood mages shot balls of fire at them. And then, much to her dismay, she spotted a demon, a powerful one, since it did not wear a corpse in order to remain in the physical world. From the looks of it, it was a desire demon, scantily clad with purple eyes that glowed vilely, with an impressive rack of horns and a scaly tail that flicked back and forth restlessly. The demon, sensing her power, stared at her before evilly smiling. Then, in a fit of cruelty, the demon changed form in a flash of light, and there stood Carth, with the demon's purple eyes still glowing as he stared at her. Revan's blood boiled in rage, even as some part of her brain warned her that the demon was just goading her. As her friends attacked the other abominations and blood mages, she charged the demon, the blood lust in her building intolerably. The demon nimbly moved out of the way. Revan swung again, trying to tear the demon into bits. The demon just smiled with Carth's precious face, as if it was a game to it.

The demon kept dodging her attacks, moving back until Revan had cornered it against a wall. Then, the demon laughed, grabbed Revan's wrist faster than she thought possible, and dragged her forward, into the wall. Revan felt herself falling through the floors. Before she hit the ground, Revan caught herself, using the Force to counteract gravity. As she scrambled to her feet, the demon, back in its regular form, slowly descended from the ceiling. It glared at her disagreeably, as if it had hoped she would have died upon impact. Then, it snapped its fingers, and a dozen of its subordinate abominations fell from the ceiling and landed in a circle around Revan.

"Die," the demon hissed, and the abominations attacked.

Revan cursed herself for being goaded so easily. Even with her powers, she had little chance of defeating both the abominations and the demon by herself. She twirled and twisted her blades as fast as she could, but the abominations were closing in around her. That, and the demon was laughing cruelly and shooting bolts of magic at her, causing her to dodge both its ranged attacks and the abominations' swords.

All of a sudden, the demon was knocked down by a bolt of magic. Some of the abominations surrounding her froze, and she shattered them with a hit from her sword. The unknown mage burst into view, a male, probably in his early twenties, with a slight five o'clock shadow and piercing ice-blue eyes. He bore a strong resemblance to someone Revan knew, but it escaped her as she returned to fending off the monsters. He continued blasting the demon with magic channeled from his staff to keep it down and neutral as Revan dispatched the rest of the abominations. She slashed one in half, then decapitated it. She plunged her blade into the stomach of one while cleaving the head from another, then kicked the impaled one off her sword. The last she chopped down at the legs, and as it fell to the ground, she stabbed it in the heart. Then, with only the demon left, she offered the mage the hilt of her dragonbone sword.

"I think you deserve the honors," she told the mage.

He looked at her, then the blade, and, taking the sword awkwardly, thrust it into the demon's chest with all his strength. The demon exploded, and the two were left in the room, breathless but otherwise practically unharmed, except for a few cuts, bruises, and burns. He handed the sword back to her and, running his fingers through his hair, glanced around the demolished room. Potions lay broken on the floor, books were scattered about haphazardly, and page fragments floated down to the ground along with powdery dust. The mage sighed loudly.

"Thank you," Revan said as she stared at him, trying to place who he looked like.

"Yeah…" the mage looked back at her and extended his hand. "Daylen Amell, at your service."

"Revan…Onasi," she responded, "a pleasure."

They shook hands. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, and then they both ended up giggling from nerves.

"Well, Revan, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. But, I have to ask…why the hell was a desire demon chasing you!?"