Author's Note: I seriously don't understand why these chapters are becoming so long, but I don't see it letting up any time soon…so sorry. Well, this is an interesting chapter… And I apologize for the fight scenes in advance. There wasn't nearly enough blood, but I didn't have time to add more gore. And I promise: a new character next chapter! And more Cullen (I really do love that man, but he deserved what Revan gave him)! Anyway, I didn't really review everything, so if there are mistakes, let me know please! And I like reviews! They are awesome! And thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, they really helped! Enjoy!
Act XI: The Circle Tower
"You seriously had no idea that the Tower had been overrun by abominations!?" Revan asked incredulously. She had just finished telling Daylen, the mage that had saved her from a desire demon, about the fate of the Circle of Magi. The entire time, his face had worn a look of shock. Apparently, he hadn't even noticed the destruction and death happening in the Tower.
Daylen shook his head. "I've been in the storage rooms this entire time. I was cataloging items in the back, and those rooms are enchanted, since some of the items are extremely sensitive. I only figured out that something was wrong because of this ," he pulled a small orb from his pocket. "It glows whenever demons are near. That was how I found you."
"Hmm," Revan mumbled. "But…you aren't Tranquil, so why are you working in the storage rooms?"
Daylen winced, and they walked in silence for a bit. After she had told him that she needed to find the First Enchanter, Irving, he had immediately agreed to help her get back to her friends and find him. He had said that he "had a debt to repay." Apparently, Revan had fallen into the lower floors of the Tower, into the storage facilities. Daylen had said there were some back passages that the Tranquil used to move between the less-used storage rooms and the stockrooms, so he had led her towards one of them. They passed through rooms filled with all sorts of magical items and appliances and books and potions. Almost everything glowed with enchantment and magic in her second sight, slowly giving her a headache. She wished that she knew what half of the items did, so she could see if anything would be of use to them. Revan hoped that, if anything would have been of use, Daylen would point it out.
Finally, he spoke up. "Working down here…it's my punishment. I…I did something pretty bad."
"What? Did you make a deal with a demon to learn blood magic?" Revan said, half joking.
Daylen frowned. "No, I…helped a blood mage escape."
Revan chuckled, then laughed loudly as Daylen looked at her in confusion. She explained, "Dear Daylen, I have done much worse. In fact, in the last forty-eight hours, I have helped free two blood mages. I don't think what you did is such a terrible crime. Besides, Jowan, the first blood mage I freed, was actually charged with attempted murder. Trust me, there are worse things than aiding maleficarum."
"Jowan!?" he spun on her. "You know Jowan?"
She tilted her head to the side and responded, "Yes…why? Was he the one you aided?"
The mage's eyes burned with fury. "I didn't know he was a blood mage, at first," Daylen explained. "I had just gone through the Harrowing, the ritual all apprentices go through to see if they have the will to resist demons. I survived, so I was made a full mage of the Circle. However, Jowan hadn't been summoned yet to go through the Harrowing, even though he had been in the Circle about as long as I had. He was worried that, because of the rumors that he was a blood mage, they would make him Tranquil. I just thought that the rumors were just silly rumors, so I dismissed them completely. He was my friend, after all. And then Jowan showed up with this Sister from the Circle Chantry and said they were in love…" Daylen shook his head. "I felt bad for them. I agreed to help Jowan destroy his phylactery, the vial of blood that the Templars can use to track escaped mages. The three of us found it and destroyed it, but when we emerged from the basement, Irving and Greagoir were there, waiting for us. That was when Jowan revealed that he was actually a blood mage. He caused an explosion, and he fled in the aftermath.
"After, Greagoir demanded I be made Tranquil for my crime of assisting a blood mage in his escape, even if I hadn't known of his true nature. 'You must be made an example of,' he said. 'No one can help a mage escape, or else they will face the consequences.' Well, Greagoir left it to Irving to make me Tranquil, but Irving took pity on me, saying how I could have been such a great asset to the Circle because of how powerful I was. Then I told my story, and he believed me and thought that I had been influenced by Jowan's blood magic. So, he sent me down here, allowing me to keep my abilities, but forbidding me from interacting in the normal affairs of the Circle.
"I haven't seen the Sister, or my teachers, since," he finished. "And I still want to throttle Jowan, just a bit, even though I realize why he did what he did. But I owe a debt to Irving for sparing me, so I need to save him."
Revan nodded slowly. "Does Greagoir know you are still a mage?"
Daylen shook his head no. Revan pondered this.
"Well, if he does not accept you back, I will vouch for you personally," Revan told him. "And I can be very persuasive."
The mage gave her a bright smile in thanks, reminding Revan of someone…but she still couldn't place it. And he was so familiar…
"So, what is your story, Grey Warden?" he asked. "It must be pretty interesting, considering you think freeing maleficarum no big deal."
Revan gave him a sad smile. "It's a long, painful story, and far worse than yours."
"Well, the trek through the Tower is quite long, even considering what good time we're making," Daylen pointed out. "And I don't really care what you've done in the past, if you don't care what I've done in mine."
Revan examined the mage to see if he was telling the truth. His dark eyes sparkled with intelligence, but there was compassion in them, too. His strong jaw suggested a stubborn attitude, and his scruffy beginnings of a beard bespoke a sort of indifference or carelessness. He walked with an air of confidence, as if he knew who he was and what he was doing. All in all, he seemed like an honest man, one that would give her a chance. And, nothing in their conversation suggested otherwise.
So, she began by explaining that she came from a land "across the sea," where magic was weaker, and few entered the Fade. Mages, she said, were also taught to be warriors, and she had been a general in a war. During the war, she had gotten word that there was a land with powerful magic unlike that of her land. So, she had set sail to Thedas. However, she had crashed upon its shores, and her mind had been taken in by the Fade. Unaware of what was happening, Revan had made a deal with a being to free its physical form in return for the power to end the war in her land. She told of how she journeyed into the Deep Roads and, finding the body of the Archdemon, had awoken it. She had gotten the power, but too late she realized how horrible the bargain had been. The Archdemon had tricked her and had begun the Blight. She then told him about returning to her land, using her powers to conquer all, and then, losing her memories, found her way back to Thedas, just to crash again and regain her memories. She spoke of her adoption by the Dalish, and then her attempt at redemption by joining the Grey Wardens. She recapped the recent events, including their trip to Redcliffe, and then told of how they came to the Tower. Then, she stopped talking and waited for Daylen's reaction.
The mage stared ahead blankly, obviously surprised. But, he kept walking, which Revan took as a good sign.
"Ah," he finally managed. "I…wow."
Revan looked at the ground. Seeing her, Daylen quickly began speaking.
"It's not…okay, look. We used to have a philosophy class, where our teacher was supposed to teach us the morals of the Chantry, but instead he let us argue out our own beliefs. One day, he asked us if a child who had been raised in the wild and taught to kill his rivals in order to survive came to society and murdered one of his peers, a rival, should face the same punishment as a murderer. One of my friends, a fellow named Finn, always said yes, while Jowan and another mage we called Anders always argued that the child didn't know better, so shouldn't be punished."
Revan examined him out of the corner of her eye. "And you?"
He shot her a reassuring smile. "I always argued that, because the child didn't know any better, the child should face some sort of punishment—a lesser one—to be taught that such things are wrong. I think you are like that child: you had no knowledge of the Archdemons and the Blights. And I think you're punishing yourself enough by being a Grey Warden. I've read enough to know that the experience is not always pleasant. I mean, it's horrible, but…it's hard to imagine you doing something like that now."
Revan returned a sad smile. "That is a very enlightened view, one few would have after hearing that I was the cause for the destruction of their homes and deaths of their friends and family."
"Well, I am a very enlightened person," Daylen said comically. "But what of this magic in your land? How is it different? Is it stronger, weaker, and where does it come from?"
Thus began a long conversation between the two as they discussed the differences between the magic of Thedas and the Force abilities of those outside Thedas. Revan told him what she knew, including the special abilities, such as an increased mental performance and increased physical abilities, that Force-users experienced. She also spoke of the Force itself, which made Daylen very ponderous. They debated which was stronger, and ended up concurring that the Force was weak in Thedas, so magic must be weak outside Thedas. Then, Daylen suggested that the Force might actually be the Fade, but the Veil outside Thedas might be stronger, causing a different set of abilities. Revan was about to respond when a demon finally found them.
It shrieked at them, and Daylen glared at it in something between distaste and annoyance. With a nod to Revan, he blasted it with a petrifying spell, and Revan dashed toward it to shatter it with her swords. The attack worked, and the demon exploded in a rain of small sand granules. However, the shriek had alerted the other abominations in the area, and soon the two were fighting their way up the flights of stairs that led to the floors above, where hopefully, they would find Rose and Irving. Soon, giving they were fighting up, a very bad tactical situation, Revan was sweating, and she sponsored a variety of longer, deeper scratches than before. Luckily, her enchanted leathers patched themselves as soon as they were hit, but that did not help her bleeding cuts. Daylen was a great asset, blasting abominations with powerful magical attacks that Revan could only envy. Daylen would have no problem setting a lake on fire if he wanted to. He often set the demons on fire, or created an ice storm that surrounded the monsters and froze them while impaling them with ice shards. Revan was left to just keeping the abominations away from him.
At last, they reached the top of the stairs. Tired, Revan opened the door, revealing a room full of alchemical supplies and a long, wooden table covered with experiments and scrolls was pushed to the side. Most of the other furniture was destroyed. However, a lone, thick, black tome lay on the table, sheets of notes scattered about it. The tome seemed out of place to Revan, and she approached it, enraptured. A tree was embossed on its cover. Revan opened the cover, just to quickly snatch the book off the table.
"What?" Daylen noticed her startled reaction.
Revan stuffed the book in her pack. "This belongs to…to someone I know. It was stolen. I should return it."
Revan neglected to mention that the book had been written completely in Galactic Basic. The book was obviously Flemeth's Grimoire, a book where mages write down their spells and experiments and enchantments. Perhaps Revan could use it to glean her motives. Or, she could give it to Morrigan. But, it should not be examined and deciphered by these Circle mages. It was much too dangerous.
Now in the Tower proper, the two made their way through cautiously, but it seemed that Rose and the group had already passed through and destroyed most of the abominations and blood mages. Regardless, Daylen removed the demon-detecting orb from his pocket and held it out, just in case.
On a higher floor, the orb did begin to glow, and violently. Daylen had to stuff it in his pocket to preserve their eyes. Then, he and Revan exchanged worried glances. Obviously, the demon was powerful. Revan hoped that Rose and the others were okay, because this was the only route to the upper floors of the Tower, and they had not encountered any signs of their bodies. They would have to go through this demon, whatever it was.
"There is a stockroom a little ways that way," Daylen gestured to his left. "There might be some supplies there we can use against this…abomination. You go scout ahead."
Revan gave him a curt nod in understanding, and they split up. She continued down the hall, until her second sight perceived the life signs of several forms in a room farther ahead. She rushed towards them before she noticed that there was a stronger force emanating near the life forms, glowing incredibly bright: the demon. But, curiosity and worry got the better of her. She had to see if those bodies were of her friends.
She pushed open the ajar door. Sure enough, Rose, Alistair, Sten, and Wynne were splayed out on the ground, along with another mage. A tall, gross abomination stood nearby, as if sleeping on its feet. The room was even more disgusting than the ones previous, as fleshy pockets covered the pillars and statues like hideous sacks. The demon took notice of her, and his one eye flicked lazily in her direction, almost uninterested. Revan drew her swords and gritted her teeth.
"What have you done to them?" she demanded.
The demon tilted its head, and Revan realized it was a Sloth demon. "They are resting. And you…you look very tired as well, feeble Jedi. Why don't you join them? Just lie down, close your eyes…"
Revan felt her eyelids getting tired and drooping. Her legs began to sag. She realized that the demon was using magic to influence her mind, like a Jedi. She formed a barrier around her mind, but the demon was far stronger than her alone. It ripped through her mind, and, through the forced exhaustion it caused her to slump to the ground and black out. She tried crying out as she slipped into the Fade, under control of the demon, but it was too late. It was over.
When she awoke, she was in a room, sleeping in a feathery bed, her hand resting on a warm chest; her cheek was nestled against a sculpted shoulder. She felt a pain in her head, but it quickly faded. Dimly, she wondered how she had gotten here. The world around her, and her thoughts, were fuzzy. Hadn't she been somewhere else? Doing something important? No; she had not done anything so rash in years. She let the thought go. The man's chest rose and fell evenly, still asleep. She felt warm, secure…she didn't want to move, or get out of bed. Then, she looked at his face.
Carth.
Revan stopped breathing, as if she had forgotten how. Carth. Here. With her. She couldn't believe it. And yet…the muscles in his chest, the familiar, scruffy chin, his soft breaths…
He stirred under her hand. Turning onto his side, he opened his eyes and looked at her tenderly. With his free hand, he ran his fingers along her jaw, then traced the scars running across her face. She shivered at the contact, but her eye stared into his face, memorizing every detail. A sense of happiness filled her being, so profound that it almost hurt. Then, to make the moment perfect, he leaned over and planted his lips on hers and kissed her deeply. She breathed in his scent deeply, ignoring his morning breath while he also breathed in her scent. Then he pulled away and smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Well, good morning to you, too," he teased.
She smiled back broadly before reaching up, grabbing a fist full of his hair, and dragging him back down.
A while later, now sweaty under the sheets, and impossibly blissful, she rose from the bed and took a shower in the small bathroom in their quarters. The warm water ran through her hair and down her back. Then Carth was there, massaging the shampoo into her scalp, kissing her neck tenderly. Perfect.
His eyes twinkling in amusement after their shower, Carth left her to change and went to make breakfast. Revan sighed profoundly after he left; she had never felt happier in her life. No more would she have to experience pain and exhaustion as she fought to save everyone else's happiness. She had finally found her own. It had taken a lifetime, but she had finally found it.
Now changed into some simple garments, she joined Carth in their kitchen. He was actually cooking, not merely dehydrating some prepackaged food. She kissed him on the cheek as he leaned over the stove before going to make some tea for them both. That was the one good thing she had learned from being on…Revan paused. The memory had eluded her. She shrugged it off as a relapse of her mind replant and continued working, talking to Carth about the repairs on Telos as they worked. There was still so much to be done on the world that Carth, and now she, called home. After Malak had bombed it to rubble, the world had been all but destroyed. Now, however, it had grown back into a flourishing colony world yet again. Of course, some areas needed to still be re-terraformed, which required a huge effort on the part of the community, and thus on Revan and Carth. However, both of them enjoyed working on rebuilding Telos.
They moved to their little table, nestled directly under a window that overlooked the bright blue lake near the city. Golden sunlight streamed through the window as they ate and talked and laughed. Carth. Revan had not realized how much she loved him.
As they cleaned dishes, there was a knock on the door. Revan went and answered, just to be embraced by a girl of about eight, with the same red-shining dark hair as her, but Carth's eyes: their daughter. Revan hugged her back and told her to go help her father with the dishes. Lyna obediently obliged. She had been escorted by Dustil, her stepson, and Mission, the young, blue Twi'lek who hung onto his arm lovingly. They were not far apart in age, and after their many adventures after the destruction of the Star Forge, the two had fallen in love. Now old enough, they planned to marry in the early summer. Revan warmly invited them in.
The three of them took a seat in the living room, and soon Carth joined them with a tray of tea. Lyna was sleeping off the night's adventures with her half-brother and future sister-in-law. Dustil told them of their journey to the sparring rings and to the zoological park, mentioning her fascination with gizkas. Revan and Carth exchanged amused glances. There was no way either of them would allow their daughter to get a gizka.
Then, unexpectedly, there was another knock on the door. Revan rose to see who it was, only to discover a worried, armored red-head with brooding eyes standing at the door. Rose, she remembered. Revan tilted her head and blinked in surprise.
"R…Rose!" Revan exclaimed. "How…but nevermind! You're here! Please, come inside."
"Revan…?" the girl wondered in confusion. "Revan! No, no. We have to leave."
"But I insist!" Revan opened the door further. "We were just having tea."
Rose stared at her in shock. "Tea? Revan, this is the Fade! Don't you remember the Sloth demon?"
"Demon? What are you talking about?" she asked, puzzled. "Such things happened so long ago…"
Rose grabbed her shoulders. "This…life isn't real, Revan. You were trapped here by the Sloth demon. We're in the Circle Tower, remember? You have to realize that this is a dream!"
"This is a pretty perfect dream, then," the Jedi responded.
"Dear, who's at the door?" Carth called from inside.
Revan swiveled her head and called back, "It's Rose! The girl I told you about!"
A few seconds later, Carth stood by her and put his arm around her shoulders. He then extended his hand toward Rose. "A pleasure, Rose. I'm Carth Onasi."
Rose swatted his hand away in annoyance. "This isn't real!" she cried.
"The Fade, Revan. It twists your mind. The Sloth demon wants to lure you into complacency. Think! We're trying to save the Circle from Uldred! We're in Ferelden, Revan!"
The memories started coming back to her. The gore. The abominations. The blood mages. The dead bodies. The memories were hazy, however, as if she was trying to remember a dream…or was this the dream, as Rose suggested. The world seemed to fight her, so on instinct she fought back and tried to remember.
Carth gripped her arm. "What is she going on about, love?"
Then, suddenly, Lyna was at her waist, gripping her about the middle. "You wouldn't leave me, would you, Mama?"
"You…aren't my daughter," Revan realized. "Grey Wardens cannot have children…right?"
Lyna's eyes filled with tears as she pulled away. "You don't…love me anymore, Mama?"
At seeing the distraught child, Revan lost her concentration. She dropped to her knees and embraced her daughter. "No, no, I love you, sweetie. Mama's just having a relapse, that's all. Mama loves you."
"Revan," Rose called softly. "She's not real. Please."
Lyna clutched Revan tighter, her little nails digging into her neck. "You will never leave me, right, Mama?"
Revan's eye flashed open; there had been a faint second voice behind the sweet voice of her daughter. Demon. Revan pulled away and drew the sword that somehow hung around her waist. Then, she was back in her leathers, facing the shades that had taken on the forms of the people she loved. Tears formed in her eye as she extended her sword in warning.
"Why?" Revan cried, moving her sword between Carth and Lyna. "Have I not suffered enough!?"
The house, the scenery, faded, revealing the dismal background of the Fade. The sky swirled with thick, grey-green clouds that reminded Revan of a sickness. They were on an island, the green and brown land a poor copy of real land. Dark trees curved up from the edges, and floating in the distance was the Black City—the center of the Fade—the center of the disease. The tears blurred her eyesight as much as the distorted atmosphere.
"We can't let you leave," the shade of Mission approached.
"Please…don't make me do this…" Revan pleaded. Rose took a stance beside her, holding her shield in front of her, her sword by her side.
But instead, Lyna shrieked a shrill battle cry, and the four attacked. She cut down the shades of those she loved as she cried. The shades were weak, being servants of the Sloth demon, but they were not as sluggish as she was in the Fade. Lyna was first, with her tiny hands and wild eyes. Revan decapitated her, and the shade dissolved into black mist. Rose took care of Dustil as Revan slashed Mission in half. Then, all that was left was Carth. He tried drawing his blaster, but, seeing as it was an invention of the Fade, it was only a crude imitation of a real blaster, making its bolts easy to dodge. Revan quickly disarmed him and, with a twirl of her blade, held Naga Sadow's poison blade to his chest. His eyes were the feral orbs of a shade, not the eyes of the man she loved. Then, she ran him through, and he dissolved into dust. Revan stood there, staring at the spot where Carth had been, and the tears streaked her face and fell onto the ground. Rose put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
"You really wanted to stay, didn't you?" she asked.
The Jedi nodded numbly.
"Even Alistair wasn't as difficult to convince as you…" Rose trailed off. "Was that…"
"Carth, the man I love," Revan answered. "And the daughter I could have had, if I had not come here, to Thedas."
Rose bit her lip in sympathy. After a minute, she finally said, "Come on, we have to defeat the Sloth demon to escape."
The young Warden began walking in the direction of a Fade pedestal that would take them to another part of the Fade. Revan tried to follow, but after a few steps the world began to get blurrier than before. Everything started to get black, and the last thing Revan saw before she was consumed was Rose as she looked back in sympathy. Apparently, Rose had been expecting that. Had she been a demon, too?
Then, Revan was surrounded by blackness. She was a floating conscious, without form or shape. Her soul was suspended in the void, accompanied by the darker, glowing soul of Urthemiel, firmly attached to her own, joined with it. But then, a light appeared in the darkness, and Revan realized it was another soul. It made contact with her mind: Duncan.
We do not have long, the soul of her mentor told her. I found you because I must warn you.
About what? Revan asked, pushing her trauma aside. Duncan would not have found her if it was not important.
You cannot trust the order any longer, Duncan said urgently. There are only a few Grey Wardens who will help you: the Senior Warden from Jader, the Warden-Commander of Rivain, and the Warden-Commander of Antiva, as well as some of their subordinates. However, it is imperative that you do not trust the First Warden. He has been planning something for years, something horrible. I think he's planning on—
But Duncan never got the chance to finish. Revan was yanked from the blackness of the void, and found herself on an island. Alistair, Wynne, and Sten stood next to her, and Rose stood in front. In front of them was a tall demon, with grey skin and decorated with the strange garb of the Fade, its eyes hidden by a crown-like hat: the Sloth demon. Revan drew her swords immediately and was about to charge in fury when Sten put his arm in front of her, a clear indication to not be reckless. Looking at him pleadingly, Revan tried her hardest not to cry from shock and grief. She would be better when her hilt protruded from the demon's chest.
"Oh, here I am!" Alistair said cheerfully. "And there you are! You just…disappeared. Well, no matter!"
"It is time to finish this," Sten agreed. "I have had enough of cages."
The Sloth demon tilted its head to the side, as if regarding them. "If you go back quietly," the demon said with its charmed voice as it tried to lure them back to complacency, "I'll do better this time. I'll make you much happier."
Rose glared at it and said, "I'll make my own happiness, thank you."
"And what about them?" the Sloth demon gestured to her friends. "Or the others in my realm? Can't you think about someone other than yourself? I'm hurt, so very, very hurt."
"Sorry," Rose said sarcastically, "but I really just want to kill you right now, demon."
"You wish to battle me?" the Sloth demon asked in surprise. "So be it…you will learn to bow to the whims of your betters, mortal!"
With a burst of magic, the Sloth demon transformed into a large ogre, with its bluish skin and large horns. It roared, and charged Rose. However, to Revan's surprise, Rose transformed into a large, stone man that she recognized from the Deep Roads as a golem. Rose braced herself, and caught the ogre's horns with her stone fists, throwing it to the left. Revan jumped on the opportunity and slashed and the demon as much as she could while it was recovering, her blades whipping in a frenzy so fast even Revan couldn't follow them with her sight. The demon roared in anguish as she sliced open its calf, its stomach, its rib cage. Wynne fired bolts of magic at the beast, while Alistair and Sten also attacked the demon from the other side. Apparently, they realized it was a bad idea to be near Revan when she was in this state. Rose lumbered up as a golem, and slammed on the ogre's head, crushing it completely. Nothing could have survived that.
Unfortunately, this was the Fade, and the rules were different here. The demon released another burst of magic, blinding them all for a second, and turned into a powerful, fiery rage demon. It roared at them again in fury before summoning an inferno to consume them. Rose transformed back into a human, but then into a flaming corpse. The young Warden then began slashing at the demon, heedless of the flames surrounding her. Revan joined her, erecting a Force barrier much like the one she had made when facing the dragon that had earned her her name. Wynne began concentrating on shielding Sten and Alistair, and when she was strong enough, she would shot bolts of cold and frost to deter the demon. Finally, Revan got lucky and was able to drive her dragonbone sword through its head. Screaming, the demon transformed yet again, this time into an abomination, the same one it had appeared as in the Circle. Rose changed back into her normal form and, alongside the furious Revan, began assaulting the demon. It tried unsuccessfully to avoid them, but Revan was now angry. She could feel the dark side rising in her mind, and, in a brief glance at Rose's shield, realized that her eye was glowing yellow, the same primal eye that had characterized her descent to the Dark Side all those years ago. But, Revan found she did not care, not after this demon had used her as its plaything and tortured her mind and heart.
Quickly, the abomination was defeated, and it changed into a shade. Revan could tell it was weakening, and thus getting more desperate. It focused on her as it finally realized that her anger made her the most dangerous target, followed by a vicious, shape-shifting Rose. The shade was quicker than Revan, and thus was able to land several hits on her. However, the anger made her able to ignore the pain, and she continued stabbing and slashing furiously. Rose positioned herself behind the demon so it had to divide its attention between the both of them. Sten and Alistair attacked from its side, and a strong hit from Sten's two-handed strike sent the demon sprawling. It rose slightly and shifted into its first form, that of a demon, an arcane horror. It let out a screech of rage, and Revan could tell that this was its last form. It could not stand against them for much longer, not with their combined efforts. Rose shifted into the same form, and erected a barrier around herself to deflect its magical attacks. Revan did the same. At a distance, Rose fired spell after arcane spell at the demon, while Revan continued assaulting it. Soon, both Rose's granted powers and Wynne's talents overwhelmed the demon and pinned him to the edge of the little arena, feebly trying to attack as it was forced to focus its energies on deflecting the combined spell power. Revan strode up to it, warding off its attacks, her own adrenaline fading fast now that it was almost over. She glared at the demon with hate before plunging her blade into is hatted head as revenge for giving her something she could never have. Then, the demon was absorbed back into the Fade as raw magic; it was over.
A moment later, as the party caught their breath, Revan heard the tell-tale magical whoosh as someone else was transported to the island, but Revan did not have the energy, or the desire, to turn to see who it was. Instead, she stared at the spot where the demon had been. Her adrenaline was gone, but her anger remained, fueling her body and, unfortunately, her mind. Revan realized she would have stayed, blissfully happy, in the fake reality the Sloth demon had created for her. In fact, she almost regretted killing the demon now. She had felt so…at peace. A peace she would never know. She tried her best to hold back her tears.
"Dragonheart," Wynne said softly by her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Revan spun around violently, causing the woman to take a step back in surprise.
"No."
Then, Rose finished talking, apparently with a mage who had also been trapped by the Sloth demon. Revan felt her essence being transported by the Fade, and her surroundings went black again. Then, she found herself back in her body, the floor cold against her face. It took her a moment to reorient herself to the physical world and her body. Through her second sight, she could tell a person was rapidly approaching her, and, upon reaching her, he flipped her onto her back. He then gentle slapped her face to get feeling back and wake her up.
"Come on, Revan," he said. Daylen.
Revan opened her eye a fraction, and from Daylen's curious gaze, she could tell it was still yellow with rage. She wasn't surprised; she was still recovering. He helped her sit up, then handed her a chunk of some brown substance that felt slightly gooey in her fingers.
"Eat this," he said. "It will make you feel better, anchor you more in the physical world."
Daylen rushed over to her other companions and helped them sit up, before giving them a chunk of the substance to eat. Revan, realizing that she should probably follow the mage's advice, took a bit out of the brown chunk. It was hard, but melted in her mouth, but it was also sweet and very delicious. She saw Sten out of the corner of her eye, enjoying the substance immensely. After everyone was awake, with the exception of the mage Revan had seen in the Fade, Daylen returned to her to check how she was doing.
"Feeling better?" he asked in concern.
She looked up at him, refusing to raise her head. "No."
His face scrunched into a sad frown of distress. "What is it?"
The tears began to gather in her eye again. "I…the demon…it…"
Sten rose and shuffled over to her. "It was a dream. And now, the demon is dead. So why do you grieve?"
"It gave me the life I wish I could have!" Revan cried in anguish. "And now, it's gone! It gave me hope, Sten—and that's the most horrible torture anyone can conceive!"
Sten's purple eyes softened, and he sunk down beside her. Daylen squatted across from her and handed Sten another chunk of the brown substance, then offered some to the sulking Revan. Then, Daylen introduced himself to the Qunari, who accepted the mage with little complaint. Upon Sten's question about the substance, Daylen responded that it was an Orlesian concoction called "chocolate", and that it helped immensely with the transition between the Fade and the physical world, especially if the transition was a forced one. Out of the corner of her eye, Revan saw Rose huddling near Alistair, and Wynne examining the corpse of the poor mage who did not make it out. She saw her pull out a scroll: the Litany of Adralla. So the poor mage had been Niall. Revan turned away and tried to recover from the grief that threatened to overwhelm her. All of them seemed to have a difficult time getting over their own visions.
Finally, the party was physically, and mentally, ready enough to continue their quest. Rose lead the way, having been the least affected by the Fade. The next few floors of the tower got steadily more and more horrendous. Unnatural flesh coated pillars and walls, sculpted into grotesque shrines and statues. The smell of rotting flesh and blood filled the rooms and seeped into their noses, worse than even Redcliffe. She saw Alistair trying his hardest not to retch.
Then, they came to a room with one staircase leading up. Next to the staircase was a purple, shimmering, magical barrier. Despite her emotions, Revan was impressed by the barrier—it reminded her of a force field, except this one seemed more stable. Inside was a Templar, kneeling in fervent prayer, surrounded by corpses of his fellow knights. At the sound of their approach, the Templar looked up and cringed.
"This trick again?" the Templar reeled. "I know what you are. It won't work. I will stay strong…"
Rose looked at him with pity. "We're here to help you. Who are you?"
"This boy is exhausted," Wynne observed. "And this cage…I've never seen anything like it." She turned back to the Templar, "Rest easy; help is here."
The Templar glared at them angrily. "No more visions. If anything in you is human…kill me now and stop this game. You broke the others, but I will stay strong, for my sake…for theirs… Filthy blood mages…getting into my head…I will not break…I'd rather die."
"Calm down," Rose said soothingly. "We aren't blood mages. You're safe now."
"Silence!" the Templar demanded. "I'll not listen to anything you say! Now, begone!"
The Templar closed his eyes and clutched his head. Rose looked back at Wynne and Alistair before shifting uncomfortably. Upon hearing the sound of her armor, the Templar squinted at them in surprise. "Still here? But…that's always worked before. I close my eyes, but you are still here when I open them."
"I'm real, and I'm really here to help you," Rose managed to say with patience.
The Templar straightened, an expression of relief on his face. "Don't blame me for being cautious. The voices…the images…so real… Did Greagoir send you? How…how did you get here?"
"I'm a Grey Warden, and these are my companions. We're trying to save the Tower," Rose explained.
"Good…" the Templar nodded as he thought. "Kill Uldred. Kill them all for what they've done. They caged us like animals…looked for ways to break us. I'm the only one left…"
"Be proud," Sten spoke up. "You mastered yourself."
"Be proud? What is there to be proud of? That I lived and they died?" the Templar wailed. "They turned some into…monsters. And there was nothing I could do."
Rose looked uncomfortably at the Templar before asking, "Where are the other mages?"
"What others? What are you talking about?" the Templar asked in confusion.
Wynne took a step toward the cage in earnest. "Irving and the other mages who fought Uldred. Where are they?"
"They're in the Harrowing Chamber. The sounds coming out of there…oh, Maker…" the Templar cried.
Wynne turned to Rose and said, aside, "We must hurry. They are in grave danger, I am sure of it."
"You can't save them," the Templar said pitifully. "You don't know what they've become."
"And what would that be?" Revan asked coldly, her anger building slightly.
"They've been surrounded by…by blood mages, whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts…" the Templar shuddered.
Alistair looked at him in pity. "His hatred of mages is so intense…the memory of his friends' deaths is still fresh in his mind."
"You have to end it now, before it's too late," the Templar pleaded.
"And what do you propose we do?" Rose crossed her arms.
The Templar cleared his throat. "To ensure this horror is ended…to guarantee that no abominations or blood mages live, you must kill everyone up there."
"No!" Revan screamed, startling everyone in the party. Her anger, not having dissipated from her capture in the Fade, built to a crescendo. "If there is a single person alive up there, we will save them. I do not care if they are maleficar or no! I have had enough death for one day!"
"But then you risk infecting the Tower once again," the Templar argued.
Revan lunged at the cage, sending the Templar scrambling away, and hissed, "I can tell a blood mage from a clean one. I can sense a demon from a mile away. I am not risking anything, you stupid, mewling quim. And I am certainly not killing everyone up there on the possibility that they 'might' be dangerous!"
"The Templar does—" Sten began.
Revan turned on him, the Dark Side once again surfacing and cloaking her in a dark cloud that swirled around her violently. "'Have a point'!? Perhaps he does! Perhaps we should kill every single person in this Tower because we risk them escaping! Perhaps all mages are evil spawn intent on ruling the world! Perhaps the Blight will take over Ferelden because we do not have the Circle aiding us! We do not have time for perhapses, Sten! We have to take risks, or we will lose!"
Sten looked at her with a strange expression, almost fear, but he stayed silent. The Templar, meanwhile, had moved to the back of his magical cage in fear. Everyone else was staring at her in shock. Revan took a deep breath and, closing her eye, released it slowly as she calmed her anger. She could not let her grief cause her to lose control. When she opened her eye, she was calm again. She gave a sad apologetic smile to the trapped Templar before ascending the stairs to the Harrowing Chamber. Everyone else followed suit.
Inside the chamber was a grisly scene. A bald mage, presumably Uldred, was splattered with blood, gazing down at a suspended mage bound in magical manacles of electricity. The blood mage was flanked by two abominations, masses of unholy flesh with eyes that glittered with demonic malice. Uldred himself did not seem human, despite his human form. The manacled mage, meanwhile, looked like he was being tortured quite thoroughly. Uldred grasped his face and whispered, "Do you accept the gift I offer?" The mage nodded eagerly, broken. The blood mage and his abominations released him from his bonds, and he fell to the ground, too weak to even stand. The three raised their arms, then released a powerful blast of magic at the prone mage. The flesh on his body began to bubble, then transform into the abscesses and blisters and putrid pockets of flesh that marked an abomination. The demon inside raised its new puppet off the ground with clumsy movements and took its place beside its master. Revan watched in fascinated horror. Then, she noticed three other mages, bound with their hands behind their backs, their eyes darting back and forth as they resisted the maleficarum's mind control. One was an older gentleman. Upon seeing the mages, Daylen tried to lunge forward, but Wynne held him back. Rose stepped forward cautiously as she surveyed the scene before her. That was when Uldred noticed the party's presence.
"Ah, look what we have here. Intruders. I bid you welcome," Uldred spoke in a sick greeting. "Care to join in our…revels?"
"I take it you're Uldred," Rose crossed her arms.
"Oh, very observant," Uldred said sarcastically. "I'm quite impressed that you're still alive. Unfortunately, that must mean you killed my servants. Ah, well, they are probably better off dying in the service of their betters than living with the terrible responsibility of independence."
"And so you turn these people into abominations instead?" Rose countered.
"Freeing them in the process!" Uldred declared. "A mage is but the larval form of something much greater. Your Chantry…vilifies us, calls us abominations, when we have truly reached our full potential! Look at them," he gestured to the captive mages. "The Chantry has them convinced. They deny themselves the pleasure of becoming something glorious."
"You're mad!" Wynne cried. "There's nothing glorious about what you've become, Uldred!"
The maleficar laughed. "Uldred? He is gone. I am Uldred and yet…not Uldred. I am more than he was. I could give you this gift, Wynne. You and all mages. It would be so much easier if you just accepted it. But some people can be so…stubborn."
"Of course they are," Alistair said. "You're trying to destroy their lives!"
"Resistance!" Uldred threw up his arms. "Everywhere I go, resistance! How very inconsiderate. I even have the First Enchanter on my side, don't I…Irving?"
The older man was forced on his feet by the abominations. Uldred looked at him expectantly, and Revan could see the battle of wills ensuing between the two.
Daylen struggled against Wynne. "What have you done to him!?"
Through the battle, Irving managed to say, "Stop…him…he…is building an army. He will…destroy the Templars…and…"
Uldred smiled cruelly. "You're a sly little fox, Irving, telling on me like that. And here I thought you were starting to turn."
"N-never."
Uldred waved his hand, and Irving jerked in anguish. "That's enough out of you, Irving. He'll serve me eventually. As you all will…"
"No, we won't. I'd rather die first," Rose declared boldly.
"Killing you would be such a waste," Uldred examined her. "Your raw potential, with the strength of a demon behind it, would be unstoppable! I can do that—I can give you power, a new life."
"I don't think so," she responded.
"I don't think your opinion matters. That is what I've decided, and that is what will be done!" Uldred licked his lips. "Fight, if you must. It will just make my victory all the sweeter."
Uldred spread his arms wide and, laughing manically, and he was engulfed in magical light. The light grew bigger and bigger, until it was massive, bigger than an ogre. The demon loomed above them, coated in burgundy scales and horns that glinted like drying blood in the dim light of the Harrowing Chamber. Revan recognized the form from a book: a Pride demon, the most vicious, horrible, and powerful demon there was. It opened its gaping maw and let out an unnatural laugh, then proceeded to attack them. The abominations followed their master's lead, and violently assaulted them. One ran into Revan, trying to knock her over, but Revan dodged to the side with milliseconds to spare. She brought out her swords and spun them around her and into the abomination's back. Its eyes widened in surprise as Revan pulled out the blades, and it fell to the floor with a sickening thump. Then, it exploded. Revan turned her attention to the Pride demon.
It was massive and covered in scales and armored plates, much like a dragon. It used its long arms that were covered in serrated blades to slice all those near it. It also seemed to like to trample people. Unfortunately, it also had magical capabilities. As it rampaged around, causing her friends to leap and dodge to avoid it, it shot powerful bolts of magic at them. She rushed into the fray and looked for any opening to slash, any weakness in its armor, anything. Meanwhile, she extended a barrier over those nearest to her. At one point, Sten was distracted by an abomination that had snuck up behind him, and the Pride demon had taken the opportunity to shoot a lightning bolt at the distracted Qunari. Revan had fortunately seen it, and was able to deflect the bolt. Sten gave her a nod of appreciation, which Revan tried to return but was unable to because of the demon's assault on her. It swiped at her and tried to magically incapacitate her simultaneously. Revan was able to dodge the physical attack, but the magical attack was stopped by Daylen, who redirected the magic toward another abomination. He exchanged a worried glance with Revan before resuming the attack. The party ringed the demon, surrounding it on all sides so that it was constantly distracted and could not focus all its attacks on one place. As they attacked it, it tried to use blood magic to overwhelm the captive mages' minds and kill them, but luckily, Wynne still had the Litany of Adralla and was able to cast the spell to protect them.
The third time she did it, however, the demon noticed her casting the spell from the scroll. It swung its arms around, trying to clear its attackers so it could maneuver to Wynne, but they were able to dodge and keep it busy and away from the mage. The demon hissed in annoyance. Then, it crossed its arms, concentrating, and released a burst of magic that sent them all sprawling. Revan saw Wynne slam against a column before slumping to the floor. She, meanwhile, was just thrown backward a few feet. However, the demon, sensing that now it was free for a moment, turned its concentration back to the captive mages, intent on breaking and killing them, perhaps to break the party's spirits. Whatever was the case, the Pride demon faced the mages and bowed its head in concentration. Revan could feel the magic emanating from its mind, a blast powerful enough to kill them, weak as it was.
"No!" she screamed. Innocents would not die!
Focusing all her mental energy on the demon, Revan tried to stop the magic building in the demon's mind, but it was like trying to stop a hurricane from gaining speed over an ocean. Revan gritted her teeth and tried to figure out, in the precious few seconds she had left, how to stop the demon from killing the mages. However, the time quickly passed, and the demon released the magic. So, the Jedi diverted the magic and absorbed it into herself, rather than it being absorbed by its intended victims. The blood magic tore through her mind like a terentatek. All of her energy was immediately used to try and keep her alive, but Revan quickly realized that she was going to die: there was simply too much energy coursing through her, and it was ripping her apart. She cursed herself for her heedlessness. That was when her survival instincts kicked in. Part of her—the draconian part—absorbed the energy, concentrated it, and released it, forcing it out of her body as if it were a ricocheting bolt, even though Revan had vowed never to use her abilities. The energy hit the demon, not killing it, but staggering it enough that it was forced into a sitting position and stayed sitting for minutes as it recovered.
Revan opened her eye, surprised she was alive. Noticing that there was an opportunity to strike the demon, she tried to rise…and found her limbs unresponsive. All of her energy had been used preserving herself from the blood magic that should have killed her. Her body was, in essence, lacking all energy. She was defenseless and prone, lying on her back on the floor in the middle of a battle. And, unfortunately, she was still conscious. The pain of the energy still surged through every nerve in her body, preventing her from blacking out. It was as bad as all the rituals she had been through, perhaps worse since her mind refused to let her slip away into the comforting blackness of unconsciousness. So, Revan was forced to watch the rest of the battle from the point of view of a corpse.
Rose recovered enough to take advantage of the stunned Pride demon. She charged up and plunged her blade between two of its chest plates and into its vulnerable flesh. Blood squirted forth from the wound as she removed the blade and plunged in through its head. Alistair lumbered up and also jabbed his blade in between its chest plates, but did this repeatedly, surely puncturing some vital organ. The demon was too stunned to react. Finally, after Rose cut its spinal cord, the demon gave a huge shudder and fell back with a crash, the flesh dissolving until only the broken, bleeding corpse of Uldred remained. Rose looked at it distastefully, but courteously closed his glazed, dead eyes.
Then she noticed that Revan was not beside her. Rose scanned the area before seeing the Jedi's limp form on the ground. Revan wanted to yell, to tell Rose that she was alive, but she could not even summon that much strength. Rose rushed over to her side, her eyes frantic with worry. Alistair saw her dashing before noticing Revan, and his face soon turned to a horrified look of grief. He rushed over, behind Rose. They both knelt next to her, and Rose quickly ripped off her gauntlet and put two fingers on Revan's neck to check for a pulse. However, considering that Revan's body was in a state of excruciating pain and exhaustion, Revan's pulse was faint, and Rose, panicking, did not detect the faint heartbeat. She looked up at Alistair, her eyes mad with premature grief, as he looked down at Revan with the same sad puppy expression that he had worn when Duncan had died.
"General…" he whispered before choking off a sob.
Revan forced her mind to get angry, to get angry at anything and everything. She dimly felt her eye changing color from her normal dark iris to the yellow that characterized her anger. Alistair noticed, and began laughing in relief. Rose looked at him like he was crazy, but then she, too, noticed Revan's faint eye movements, and she sighed profoundly in relief. Sten, who was standing behind Rose, also seemed to relax at seeing the Jedi alive. Then, Daylen and Wynne joined the group, supporting First Enchanter Irving and the other two mages that had been bound with him. Everyone seemed relieved that the situation had been resolved.
"The Circle owes you all a great debt that we will never be able to repay," the First Enchanter said in a hoarse, gravelly voice. "Thank you. Now, we should go, the Templars await. We shall let them know that the Tower is once again ours. And, your friend requires urgent medical attention."
"Agreed," Rose told him, the hair falling in her face. "Let's go."
Wordlessly, Sten scooped Revan up and followed Rose and Irving to the stairs.
"I'll need you to guide me down the stairs," Irving said quietly to Rose. "Curse whoever insisted the Circle be housed in a tower…"
Thus, they descended the stairs. Each step sent a fresh jolt of agony through Revan, so she forced herself to concentrate on her surroundings to try and dull it. The Templar was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, and though he was suspicious of Irving and the other surviving mages, he seemed more relieved that it was over, and that Uldred had been defeated. He joined their party as they continued their descent through the Tower, every once and awhile glancing fearfully back at Revan, still limp like a puppet in Sten's arms. And, every once and awhile, Revan would move her eye just enough to cause the Templar to jerk his head back in alarm. The amusement helped distract her from the pain.
By the time they reached the great doors, they had amassed quite a full party, with many mages having been released from their prisons as soon as Uldred had been defeated. They approached the great doors, and Irving commanded the Templars on the other side to open the doors. After a moment, the doors creaked open, and on the other side was an expecting Knight-Commander Greagoir. An expression of profound relief spread across his face as he saw that it was truly Irving.
They began talking, but the pain was so great that Revan could no longer concentrate on their words. She just wanted the pain to go away. Sten could somehow sense her pain, and held perfectly still as everyone talked. Soon, with everyone smiling in contentment with how the situation had resolved, Wynne took Sten and the limp Revan into a less-destroyed room nearby and placed Revan on the bed. Wynne, a healer, used her arts to begin healing Revan's body. Then, she allowed Revan to finally slip into oblivion.