I didn't sleep that night. I just sat at the fire, noticing Cayne toss and turn as he had a nightmare. Because of the taint, no doubt. I looked over at Leliana's tent, wondering if she was possibly struck with the same fit of insomnia as I was. I stood up and made my way to my tent which was set up right beside Leliana's.
I took off my armor so that a simple cloth shirt and breeches was all that I was wearing. I sat on my bedroll and contemplated what Alistair, Cayne, and I had previously discussed.
"I suggest going Arl Eamon first." Alistair had said.
"The Circle mages could be a benefit to us sooner than we think, Alistair," I had said to him, thinking of maybe finding Ashley there.
Cayne had finally decided that our next move should be to go to the Circle of Magi on Lake Calenhad. Of course, this was after we had save a couple of dwarves from a band of darkspawn. They revealed themselves as Bodahn Feddic and his son Sandal.
I laid back on my bedroll and sighed. Soon I'll know if Ashley is alive. Part of me wanted to be sure she was safe, however, part of me was scared to be disappointed. I took up my journal that I had started since coming here.
The book was brown and leather-bound, filled with untouched parchment that made the book heavier than it looked. I was thankful that Shabon had saved my pack. Tethra gave this to me as well as one for Ashley.
I began writing in it with a quill pen and inkwell that was also provided by the little, dwarven family that had saved my life.
I knew something was amiss as soon as we walked up to the ferryman. He was as stupid as he looked, completely. I wondered if most templars were like that. He was, in fact, so stupid that Cayne easily convinced him to ferry myself, him, Alistair, Shabon, Leliana, and Morrigan across.
I felt the cold of the water through the boat. I wondered if it was the magic from the tower keeping it this cold because as we got closer, it seemed to get colder.
We entered the tower from a door that was at the top of a flight of stairs. This was it; I was about to have my answer. Cayne opened the door and led us inside.
There was chaos in the tower. Templars ran about attempting to bandage wounds and keep everyone else calm to almost no avail. There was one templar in the middle of the room shouting orders at the others.
"Bar the doors!" He shouted. "Make sure no one gets in or out!" He was a sturdy warrior with gray hair and small beard neatly kept, giving him a look of experienced prowess in the field of battle, although something told me that he's never been on a battle field, at least not much. "Who are you lot?" He asked us. "I specifically told Carroll not to let anyone across the lake."
"Our apologies," Cayne said, "we are Grey Wardens seeking the aid of the Circle of Magi against the Blight." The templar sighed.
"If there even is a Circle left." He mumbled to himself, probably thinking no one would hear. "I'm Knight-Commander Greagoir, I command the templar forces here in Ferelden. I'm sorry, Wardens, but the tower has fallen, the Circle is lost."
"What?" I said in disbelief.
"Demons have overtaken the tower." He said.
"Then we have to save it," I said stepping forward, "There have to be survivors! You can't just give up on them!"
"C.J.," Morrigan said in an attempt to ease my fury.
"No!" I shouted. "I will not stand by and let survivors be slaughtered while we could be helping them!" My rage was going quickly from a boil to an outright explosion.
"C.J.," Cayne said, "stand down, please." I sighed and obeyed. "My comrade is right though," he said, "I'm not about to let survivors die when I could be helping them."
"It's hopeless," Greagoir said, "I've already sent for the Rite of Annulment in Denerim."
"What is the Rite of Annulment?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't like the answer.
"It gives the templars the right to kill every mage in the Circle in a state of emergency." I was right.
"You can't do that!" I shouted. There was no stopping my rage now. "You can't just kill these people, they're people! You treat them as if they're slaves and after they die you just get new ones! No one should be able to have the right to play with others' lives! No one should get to play God!" I stopped myself before I could go any further.
"I'll make you a deal," Greagoir said, "I'll let your party through the doors to gather any survivors you can find and possibly save the Circle. However, if the Rite gets here and you're not back, I will invoke the Rite. I will not open those doors unless I have word from the First Enchanter himself say that it is safe again."
"We'll take that deal," Cayne said, probably to prevent me from saying something I would regret.
"Very well," he said. Greagoir turned to the templars stationed at the door. "Let them pass."
Cayne and I stepped forward together, hearing the footsteps of our companions. We walked through the door without looking back. We heard the doors close behind us, and we were completely alone.
"Quite the charmer, you are, C.J." Morrigan said.
"I try." I said flatly, not caring for her sarcasm.
"Quiet," Cayne hissed, "I hear battle. Stay alert."
We walked cautiously into the next room where we saw a demon coming through a blue barrier.
"Shit," I muttered. The demon looked like a heaping pile of lava that had somehow come to life. A mage with silver hair, a woman, combatted the demon and killed it quickly.
"Wynne?" Cayne asked as we walked up to her. Wynne turned and regarded all of us.
"Not a step closer." She said venomously. "Grey Warden or no, I will strike you down where you stand."
"C.J.?" I heard it. I looked over to see her, guarding a group of children.
"Ash?" I said. It was her. I recognized her straw colored hair that was put up in a ponytail. She looked older, frightened almost. As of she had witnessed something truly terrible. But it was her, she was alive.
She rushed to me and threw her arms around me. I returned the embrace gratefully, so relieved that my best friend was alive and safe. It took a moment for her to let go but she did.
"What happened here?" I asked.
"Uldred," she said.
"When we returned to the tower," Wynne said, "from Ostagar, Uldred had gone mad with power. He began changing us, turning some into abominations. Demons are riddled throughout the tower."
"Greagoir sent for the Rite of Annulment." Cayne said. Wynne sighed hopelessly.
"Then all is lost," she said.
"No, Wynne," Ashley said, "All is not lost. We can now take this fight to Uldred and save Irving. We have these Grey Wardens here with us. They want to help, why else would they come here?" Wynne seemed to think on it for a moment.
"Do you wish to help the mages, Warden?" She asked.
"We will do everything in our power to help you," Cayne said.
"You're not seriously going to help this..." Morrigan said, pausing, "preachy school teacher. These mages choose to corral themselves like cattle. I say, let them."
"And you would abandon innocents?" I asked regarding the children. "Children who didn't have their choice? You were fortunate to escape the templars, Morrigan. These people who wish only to live their lives in peace had no choice. You would abandon them?" Morrigan looked at me and then at Cayne.
"She's right, Morrigan." He said. "These people need help, no matter what has happened before, they are people and they deserve to live."
"Alright," she said, "I'll argue no further."
"Then you'll let me come with you." Wynne said.
"Wynne, are you sure?" Ashely said. "You seemed to exasperate yourself."
"I'll be fine, child," she said. "Stay here with Petra and Kinnon to guard the children."
"I'm coming with you, Wynne." Ashley said, looking at me. "I need to help a friend." Wynne sighed.
"Are you sure?" She said. "You haven't gone through your Harrowing yet. You are the most likely to be possessed by a demon."
"I'll watch after her, Wynne." I said, putting a hand on my dagger at my right side.
"Very well," she said, "I'll remove the barrier for you." we walked to the barrier where Wynne removed the force of blue light, I could see that tired look in her eyes.
"Are you okay, Wynne?" I asked.
"I'll be alright," she said, "old bones are catching up to me."
"Bullshit," I said laughing, "I still see some fight in you. And even if that does happen," I drew one of my daggers, "we're all right here to back you up." She smiled at me.
"Thank you, C.J." Before we began walking to proceed further into the tower, she said, "I knew I saw someone special when I saw you at the camp in Ostagar, and I was sure of it when Ashley insisted that you would come for her."
"I've never left a friend out to dry." I said, "I have no plans to start now."
We walked through to the next room in the tower, feeling the barrier go back up behind us. I kept one blade drawn and constantly aware. We walked into a grand library full of books and scrolls shoved into shelves. Ashley would love this place. I'd have to come back when all this was over.
A pair of contorted figures turned to look at us. Their upper bodies were bloated and gnarled as if the skin was melted and expanded to the point where they seemed to have hunchbacks. Magic glowed in their hands.
I didn't think, I just charged drawing the second blade while slicing at the hip of the first figure. It howled in pain as it seemed to conjure several skeletons and others like itself. An arrow shot the monster in the eye and it fell dead.
I turned to fight a skeleton, parrying it's blade with my own and slicing at its neck, chopping the head off and letting the body fall to the floor. I turned to see another one of the monsters about to cast a spell right at me when the creature was frozen solid, I looked over at Ashley to see her move on from that enemy to a new one. I took my chance and cut the head off the frozen creature.
"C.J.!" I heard Leliana shout as I turned around to let my shoulder meet the blade of a skeleton. Luckily for me, I dodged at the very last moment, resulting in a deep cut, but it was better than having an arm taken off.
I kicked the skeleton in the back after dodging it and let my blade come down, smashing the skull. I looked over to Wynne and saw another demon, similar to the one from before wielding fire.
Alistair and I rushed the demon, trying but to no avail to wound it, Leliana's arrows had no effect either. However, I looked behind me to see Morrigan and Ashley conjuring some energy.
"Get out of the way!" I shouted. Alistair, Cayne, and I retreated and let to two mages cast their spell upon the demon, smiting it and letting it seep back into the floor as if it were crawling back into a hole.
I breathed heavily and sheathed my daggers. My wound started to burn and I clutched it.
"C.J.!" Ashely shouted, coming over to me. "Let me see," she said. I lifted my hand from the wound to allow her to see it. It looked pretty bad. Ashley put her hand over it as the hand glowed softly with magical energy. I watched as my wound seemed to stitch itself back together and before long, not even a scar was left.
"Wow!" I exclaimed, shocked that she had learned so much in such a short amount of time. "Can you grow wings and fly too?" She laughed.
"Maybe someday." She said.
"We have to keep alert," Wynne said, "demons could be anywhere."
"Don't have to tell me twice." I joked. Shabon came up to me and licked my hand comfortingly.
We kept moving, finally making our way to the second floor of the tower. After battling through a wave of demons, we found ourselves in a room with a single mage standing as he was guarding a specific area that was blocked off.
"Owain?" Wynne said as we walked up to him. Owain had close cropped hair and eyes that looked as if they help no emotion whatsoever. He didn't even look like he was alive or even knew where or what he was. He seemed to just exist.
"Welcome to the stockroom," he said in a complete monotone.
"What are you doing here?" Cayne asked him.
"I am in charge of the stockroom here in the Circle." He said.
"Why is he talking like that?" I asked Wynne quietly.
"Owain is one of the Tranquil," she said, "they are mages cut off from the Fade."
"And their emotions," Ashley added as if remembering something someone said to her.
"Why haven't you escaped yet?" I asked Owain.
"I tried," he said evenly, "there was a barrier blocking the way however, so I returned to the stockroom."
"Owain, you should've said something," Wynne said, "I would've opened the door for you."
"I do not mind," he said, "the stockroom is where I feel safest."
"Guys," I said getting impatient, "not to interrupt, but we have a mission to complete."
"Do not fear," Owain said, "Niall will save the Circle."
"Who?" Cayne asked the Tranquil mage.
"Niall is one of the Enchanters here." Ashley said. "Wasn't he at the meeting when Uldred rebelled?"
"Niall took the Litany of Adralla not that long ago," Owain said.
"So we need to find Niall." I said.
"The Litany combats against mind control." Wynne informed. "Maker knows what Uldred is up to."
"Then let's not waste a moment more than we have to," said Alistair.
We bid Owain goodbye and continued up the tower, reaching the stairs to the third floor. There was truly no way that any of us would've ever know what we were up against.