Scroll 4. Seeking Justice
Written by Justice Knight Captain of the Order.
Looking back on all that happened after Knight Commander Drea sent me to follow her sister, I wonder if I would have told her no. I was a loyal knight, believing in what I was taught, what I was told was the will of the Maker. I was so wrong, so utterly wrong. Mercy opened my eyes to what the world truly should have been like. I owe her more than I could ever repay, but I owe Drea just as much. Both women gave me a purpose and skills to act upon that purpose. Seeing them fight as they did over their father's life was nothing short of extraordinary. We had been taught mages could not fight as we Templars did. They resorted to magic more often than not, leaving them vulnerable our attacks. Mercy threw that thinking right out the tower window. She could handle a blade well, if not better than her sister. I was intrigued to see how she would fare against me. I prided myself to be the best warrior the order had. I hoped to one day to be a Knight Commander in my own rights, but fate had other plans. Here I will account the happenings of my journey.
OoO
I had followed the two for over a week now, tracking them was not hard. They made little effort to hide their trail. I kept my distance so I could find the rumored stronghold of the blasphemers. That was my first objective from Drea. The second was to bring her sister to her. It was strange to me that a woman so devote could be cursed with a sister who was a surge on the face of Thedas. The fact they shared the same face made it even more of a sin. I had long thought Drea was beautiful. Her skin was the color of honeyed cream, her eyes a deep dark blue like the seas after a storm. Her hair was dark with hints of red in it when the sun light hit it just right. I will have to admit I watched her more than I should have. It was not proper, but I did not care. When I joined the Order I was an orphan and Drea was the only one who gave me the time of day. We both rose in the ranks of the Templars. The Divine called us her most promising. I reveled in my station and my work. Magisters had killed my family just as the war was over. My parents and siblings died because they followed Andraste's teachings. I was out in the field with our hound running down supper. I hated mages for the pain they had caused me and I was determined to make them suffer for their unnaturalness.
It took us another week to come to what I had guessed was the stronghold, but to my great surprise it was a small town. It was nestled on the side of the Frostback Mountians. I took off most of my armor so as not to make a lot of noise as I began to sneak up to the town. It was early in the evening so the shadows hid me nicely. It was times like this I was thankful for the stealth I had learned being a hunter. I heard the women talking over the evening meal and some of the men talking about their next hunting trip. This place was nothing like I would have imagined. I had pictured mages making blood sacrifices and darkness everywhere. It was like any other small town I had ever seen in my life. I kept my distance and watched for most of the day. I saw children playing in the small town square. Some of them used wooden swords, others were using small spells. I watched the town till the sun set below the horizon. Once darkness fell I made my way silently into the heart of the town.
I watched from the shadows as the townspeople made their way up the hill to a large building. They carried food and other things up the hill. I waited till the last of them entered the building and went to investigate. I heard the Chant being sung and dishes being placed out. I rounded the building till I found a window to look through. The entire village was gathered for the evening meal. I saw my prey sitting at the head of the table with her traitorous father next to her. She had cut his hair and put him in plain clothes, but I knew who he was, even if her followers didn't. She was the one singing the Chant. I watched her raise her hands to the sky and gave the crowd permission to begin the meal. I was so engrossed in the scene in front of me I did not notice I had been spotted. As sharp pain through my shoulder let me know that I was caught. I hissed at the sight of an arrow in my flesh. The guards were on me faster than I thought possible. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was one of the men swinging a club at my head.
OoO
I woke in a room that was too small to be a dwelling chamber. It had a bed and a bucket and that was all. Iron bars lined the room, I surmised that this was a jail cell of some kind. My wounded shoulder had been healed and my head did not hurt as it should from the blow I was dealt. I heard the door open and the one I had come here to capture walked through it.
"Good you're awake." I rose from the bed and stood to face her. Her expression was kind, something I was not expecting. I saw a plate of food in her hands as well as a waterskin. My stomach betrayed me and grumbled loudly. She chuckled at me and set the food down on a small table. "How is your head?"
"What do you care malificar?"
"I care because as a healer I need to know if you have been healed completely. The town guards are very protective of their kin."
"They harbor apostates. Once the Chantry finds this place we will lay waste to it." She sighed and shook her head. She sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her for me to sit. I refused and stood, arms crossed over my chest. I put all the hate I had in my gaze hoping it would scare her. Little did I know it had little effect.
"Since you were the only one to follow us I doubt they will find us anytime soon."
"So what you will keep me here, kill me?"
"I have no intentions of killing you, not after I went to all the trouble of healing you." She motioned to the food and my stomach rumbled again. "Please eat. You will need your strength."
"For what?"
"For the lyrium withdrawal that will be hitting you in a day or so." My eyes widened at her statement. How did she know about that? "I could feel it in your blood when I healed you. Lyrium should not be taken by anyone who is not a mage. It effects your brain after a while, makes you lose who you are."
"Liar! The Divine would not do that to her faithful." She rose from the bed and made her way to the door. I did not even try to stop her or escape. I knew full well if I tried the villagers would finished the job they started.
"I will check on you in a few hours. Please eat. When you are ready we will talk more."
"I have nothing more to say to you mage." Her eyes turned sad and something pulled at my heart. She looked too much like Drea. I had to shake my head and remind myself she was not her sister, she was an apostate. A cursed one, who was trying to enthrall me. "Leave me be!" She smiled and left me to my thoughts. I refused to eat or drink anything these accursed people had to offer. I felt nothing the first day of my captivity, but within a few days I wanted to slit my wrists. My sight was blurry, I heard things that weren't there. I was cold, then burning up. Thirst burned my throat and hunger tore at my gut. My body ached and shook violently. I wanted to die. I don't remember much about this that time and Mercy never told me all of what I went through, but I do remember her cool hands touching my face and her soft voice in my ears.
"Templar I need you to drink this. It will help." I did what I was told, anything to stop the pain. I didn't even care that she used magic on me. Her touch was like a soothing balm and her voice was my salvation. I felt another spasm rack my body and I knew I must have screamed like a child having a nightmare. "Look at me Templar."
"Ple...please...make it st...stop."
"It has to take it's course. All I can do is try to make you more comfortable."
"Stay...I don't...want...to be...alone."
"I am right here. I will not leave you." Her words made me relax. The potion she had given me put me in a deep sleep. I know nothing af what happened after this till I woke days later.
OoO
When I woke it was dark outside. I had no way of telling how long I had been out. My eyes were still blurry and my body felt like I had been trampled by a stamped. I felt something warm in my hand. I looked down as saw the mage was sleeping. Her body in a knelt position and her head on the bed. Her hand was entwined with mine, she had kept her promise. She had stayed. I slowly rose the upper half of my body so I could sit up, but my hand never left hers. She must have felt the shift in the bed because she woke with a start and stared up at me.
"Thank the Maker, your finally awake." Her voice sounded happy. Did she not know I was sent to take her back to Val Royeaux? That she was to die if I did. Did she not care I was her enemy? The kindness in her eyes shocked me. "Here drink this." She handed me a glass full of water. I drank it down in one breath and felt my stomach clench. Her hands began to glow and passed over me. The pain slowly dissipated and I let out a sigh. "You need to take small sips, you haven't had much in you for over a week."
"A week?" She nodded and pushed me back down to the bed.
"You still are weak. You need to eat and rest. Tomorrow you can start walking around again. I will go get you some broth, just rest." I watched her leave the room, amazement clearly on my face. She was not at all the monster her sister made her out to be. At least if she was she hid it well. I have always prided myself with being able to read people. I saw no deceit in her eyes, no hate or fear. She was kind and gentle. It did not take her long to return with a bowl of broth and a crust of bread. I learned from the water not to rush, no matter how hungry I was. She sat next to me and watched quietly. Her hands sat in her lap. Looking at her arms I saw none of the telltale signs of blood magic. Her arms were perfect and pale. Ever thing about her was soft and beautiful. I finally got up the courage to ask her the question that had been burning in my mind since I woke.
"Why?"
"I do not like to see anyone suffer. You are not my enemy, nor am I yours."
"Drea..."
"My sister is angry and I am the perfect one to blame. She blames all mages for what happened to our mother."
"Your mother?" A small fit of laughter bubbled out of her mouth and she shook her head.
"She never told you did she?" I know the look on my face told her I did not know what she spoke of. She stood up and paced the small cell for a moment before looking back at me. Her eyes rimmed with tears and her face sad. "Drea and I are the daughters of Andraste."
"Impossible, she had no children."
"Why do you think she called Maferath father?"
"I...I don't know. How can this be?"
"I know you are a Templar, but surely you know how children are made."
"Of course I do, but how is it the Divine or even Drea herself hasn't told anyone that our Lady is her mother?"
"The Divine would not want anyone to rival her in anyway and Drea...I do not know what my sister thinks anymore. She and I were inseparable as children, but when we watched our mother die...it was then she found out I was a mage. She thought me a monster, no better than those who put out mother to the flame. You are close to Drea I assume?"
"She handpicked me to be her Knight Captain."
"She always did have an eye for talent." I laughed in spite of myself.
"Not so talented am I? Your men caught me and now here I sit talking to an apostate. Some Templar I turned out to be." Her cool hand brushed mine and I felt a shiver run through me.
"The town guard got lucky and as for talking to me...I prefer talk to threats and battle. The people here just want to live in peace. They harm no one."
"That might be true for here, but I have seen first hand what mages can do. They killed my family, left me an orphan."
"I...I am sorry."
"Magic should not be in the hands of man. We are not gods. It should be only in the hands of the Maker."
"I agree with you, but he gave us this power as a test. He gave us free will to do what we would with it. It is our failing not his. We chose to use our magic for good or ill. I prefer to use mine for good."
"You have never been tempted to use it to harm."
"Only once. When they had my mother...I used my magic against the Archon and his wife. It wasn't right for me to do. I was trained better than that."
"You regret it then?"
"Not the outcome, but yes. Magic should be used in defense not aggression."
"The outcome?" The mage sighed and told me all of what had happened to our beloved Andraste. The pain in her eyes was intense, even after all these years. It was a look I had seen on Drea many times when she thought no one was looking and now I know why it was there. I had heard the stories, but to hear it from someone who witnessed it first hand, it was much more than what the mothers spoke of. They said that the Archon gave her mercy of his own accord, now to hear it was do to threat from this woman...it made it all seem so much more real. "So what we have been told was a lie."
"No, but some things were withheld. He did grant my mother mercy and he did convert to the ways she had fought so hard to bring about. My role in it all was left out. I think mostly because of Drea. All the faithful that witnessed my mother's passing are here in Haven. The Divine, she was in Orlais as far as I know at the time. She had been dismissed by my mother for some reason or another. I was never told why, but I do know they had a very heated argument." We conversed for a while longer and I noticed the sun rising. The light streaming through the window bathed the woman in an ethereal light.
"We have conversed all night and yet I still do not know your name." She smiled brightly before answering.
"My name is Mercy." I had to laugh.
"Lady Mercy, daughter of the great Andraste."
"And what of your name Ser?"
"Justice, my parents...they thought it proper to name me after a virtue."
"They chose right as far as I am concerned." She rose from the bed and held out her hands to me. "Come, there is much you need to see. If after you still want to take me to Val Royeaux then I will go peacefully." I stiffened and stared at her. "I know why she sent you, I am not blind. I only ask if I do go with you that you will not tell them about this place. The people here deserve to live in peace."
"You would sacrifice yourself for them?"
"Yes." We walked in silence up the mountain. At the top was a temple, the likes I had never seen before. Mercy still held my hand as we entered the building. A man in full armor stood in front of a grand set of doors. His face stoic and his weapon drawn. "It is alright, he may pass."
"But my Lady, he is a Templar."
"I am well aware."
"My Lady?"
"Leave us please." The man bowed and left. She turned back to me and motioned for me to follow. The room we entered was lines with ghostly figures on both sides. I baulked at the door, but she kept walking. "These are just echos, nothing to fear. The priests who built this temple call it the Gaunlet. It tests your faith and character. Everyone of us that is of age has passed through it. If you are found unworthy you will go no farther and have to go back the way you came."
"What is at the end of it?"
"If you are worthy, you will find out. I will be waiting for you at the end, but first I pose a question to you. When your family died, did you place all the blame on the mage who killed them, or did you blame yourself?"
"My self for not being there to protect them." Her eyes showed compassion and a depth of understanding.
"I will see you at the end. The rest is up to you."
OoO
I stumbled through what I hoped was the last door in this place. After answering riddles and coming face to face with a apparition of my father, all I wanted to do was get out of this temple. The room made my hopes sink. It had a door at the far end, but no clear way around. Defeated I sat down. A soft hand on my shoulder startled me. Jumping to my feet I readied myself for another fight.
"Peace Justice. I am here to help you cross." Mercy stood before me. She had changed her clothes, now she was wearing a simple white gown.
"How there is no bridge?"
"Faith and trust take many forms. You must have both to cross this room." She walked over to a stone plate on the floor and stood on it. Before my eyes a piece of the bridge appeared. Magic. I placed a hesitant foot on the bridge and found it held.
"How do I know you won't..."
"You don't, but ponder this. If I wanted you dead, I could have done it at anytime."
"So I have to trust you to cross?"
"You have to trust yourself. I can make the bridge become solid, but you are the one who has to believe it is there." I looked over the end of the bridge piece and gasped. The floor of the pit was covered in jagged rocks. One false step and I would not survive.
"Maker."
"Take a deep breath Justice and have faith in yourself." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Mercy moved to the other side of the room and pushed another plate down. The next section of the bridge appeared. This time I stepped on without hesitation. It went the same with the last two sections until I was across. Mercy crossed the room with ease before waving her hands making the bridge fade away.
"Is it an illusion?" Taking a rock she threw it where the bridge had just stood and I watched it fall to the floor of the pit. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"Come there is one more test before the end." I nodded and followed her to the next room. A wall of fire no more than four foot high cut through the room. A small stone alter stood just in front of the flames. "This is the final test. Read the inscription on the alter over there. The choice of what you want to do is yours." I did as I was told and read the craved words in the stone alter.
"I have to strip all of my clothes off?" Mercy shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Have you done this test, have you done any of them?"
"I have been through them all, even this one. If you choose not to I will think no less of you. It takes courage and innocence to walk through flames."
"Innocence?"
"Without your clothes you greet the Maker the same way you greeted the world when you were born. Children are innocent, a clean slate. They see the world like it truly is. No war, no hate, they see everyone equally."
"But we aren't."
"Class, race, and color mean nothing. We all feel pain, we bleed the same color blood. We know hunger, joy, love and most of all we all know fear. Children should not know the fear of being hated for being born different. I do not hate you for being normal. I would give almost anything to not be a mage, to have my sister by my side. I miss her, I miss my mother. I could hate the Tevinters, but I would be no better than them. We have to stop the fear, the hate."
"You make it sound so easy."
"It isn't, but nothing worthy in life is. I will leave you to choose. Either way once this is done you can leave here. I will not beg you to stay or not to bring the Templars here. I will honor my words." She turned and walked right through the flames clothing and all. I saw her stop for a moment and stare at the statue of Andraste and say a quick prayer. I did not hear her words, but the sound of her voice was sad. Once she left I stared at the flames and tried to make sense of all of this. She was not the monster I thought she was. She was a woman trying to protect her people just as her mother had. With a shaky breath I started to take off my clothing. Once I was naked I took a few steps toward the flames. I did not feel heat as I thought I would have.
"Maker if this is your plan for me then I will embrace it, but please give me a sign so I know this is right." A warm hand took mine and I snapped my head to the side. A woman in a silver dress stood next to me. Her features like Mercy's, but older, harsher in some respects. She smiled at me and motioned for me to walk forward. Crimson flushed my face and my neck standing next to this woman without a stitch of clothing on, but she did not seem to notice. She held my hand as we walked through the flames. I felt like I was walking though tall grass not fire. The woman stopped walking once we reached the other side of the flames and spoke.
"Your faith is strong Justice, as in your spirit. We have watched you for years now. I have seen you stand by Drea and help her through some of the darkest days. Now I ask you to stand by Mercy the same way."
"Why?"
"She is losing her way. As strong as she is, she can't do this alone. None of the people here are her equal. They are faithful, devoted to her, but not on par with her. You have proven yourself worthy of both my daughters." I felt her squeeze my hand and the dull aches I had been feeling from the lyrium withdrawal faded away. "They made you a slave to lyrium, to them. This is not what I wanted, I did not want more people to be kept as slaves." A strange realization came over me. I was standing in front of the great Andraste.
"How is it I can feel your hand in mine? You died over a decade ago."
"I am here, but I am not. All who believe carry a piece of me in their hearts. I have become like the Maker. I am his bride, his love. His last gift to me for my faith."
"Last gift?"
"My first gifts from him were my daughters. First was Mercy whose compassion knows no bounds. Second was Drea who has more courage than anyone I have ever met. She will remember it before the end who she really is."
"They really are the Maker's children!"
"Yes, as are we all. They are mortal born so they can learn things that he will never know. They know pain, fear. He wanted to learn through them how his mortal children fair in life."
"Then why has he not stopped all this? Why does he leave us here to suffer as we do? He lets his own children be hunted down and does not lift a finger! Does he not care about us that much!"
"He gave mortals free will to step in now..."
"Would make us like the first of his children."
"He gave the world two who could lead all into peace and prosperity if all follow them."
"How do you get all to follow when there are people who don't believe or hate the others?"
"That is the question he has put to us. Is our hatred and pride worth all of the misery we will suffer without his love?"
"Some people thrive on pain and misery."
"Those people will not be let in his kingdom when the time comes. All who believe and live a good life helping others will find peace by his side. Those who bring misery to others who let greed and pride dictate their lives will find themselves banished to the void."
"Is this his plan for me? To be protector to Mercy?" Andraste smiled at me and shook her head. Her other hand found mine and she rose on her toes to whisper in my ear.
"You have the right to choose your own path Justice. Either way you will be standing beside one of his daughters. You just had to see both sides of the story to make the choice right for you. Once you have dressed go to the urn holding my ashes up there and take one small pinch and bring it back to me." I did as I was instructed and dressed before ascending the stairs to the urn. Before I even thought of touching the urn I said a prayer. An image of Mercy flashed in my head and it was as if the Maker had answered my question. It was Mercy I was to follow, to protect. I opened the urn and took a pinch of the ashes and walked back to the place I had left Lady Andraste. Her hand was held out for me to place the ashes in her palm. "This will rid you of your dependency on lyrium. Your Templar talents will still work the same, but you will not have the negative aftereffects."
"I thought Mercy had cured me of this already?"
"She had great power, but she could only take the symptoms away not the cause." She took the ashes and drew an image on my forehead before sending a wave of energy through me. It was like I was seeing clearly for the first time in a long time. "I leave you to make your choice. Know either way you are one of our chosen and have place beside the Maker. Farewell Justice."
"Farewell My Lady." She shimmered and disappeared in a whirl of mist leaving me in the Temple alone. I saw a door to my right and walked out of it. The sun hurt my eyes, but my spirit felt lighter. Mercy stood in the middle of the mountain top. She had her back to me as I approached her. My foot falls must have been lost to the wind because she jumped when I place myself next to her. Her eyes fell on the my forehead and she gasped.
"Who put that mark on you?"
"Our Lady." Her eyes went wider and tears started to flow. "She helped me through the last trial."
"She must see something in you to have come back." I saw the sadness in her face. She looked like a lost child waiting for their parent to come and find them. I had seen the look many times. In mages we have taken from their families and also in children given to the Chantry because they had nowhere else to go.
"Has she never come to you since...?"
"No, I have prayed and waited, but she has never shown. The people here look to me for leadership, but I am not her! She left me to take her place and I can't!"
"Yes you can." Her face changed from the anger and sadness to confusion. "I saw you fight your sister. You are a strong woman Mercy. You showed compassion to Drea and the rest of us. You could have killed us, but you didn't. You are a leader, but no leader can shoulder all of this alone. Even Andraste had help. I...I want to help you. Those trials opened my eyes, you have opened my eyes. I will not return to the Chantry. My place is here with you...that is if you will have me."
"I can't ask you to do that. This life...it will be hard and bloody. If the Divine keeps pushing I will have to push back. You would have to fight your fellows. I would not have you go through what I have to with Drea. The price is too high." I took her hands then and met her gaze. In her eyes I saw hope and fear. I also saw in those beautiful eyes a capacity to forgive and love. It was humbling to me after all the years of anger and loathing I had placed on mages. This woman was not a monster, neither were the children I saw in the village. They were innocent of what the Chantry accused them of. It that moment I let go of the hate I had held and let my faith guide me.
"You said I would have to make a choice and I choose to stay. I do not want to let what happened to my family poison my soul. The person who killed them was evil, but it was not the fact he was a mage that made him such."
"Evil can consume any heart if we let it in. It is up to us to choose to act on wicked thoughts or choose not to."
"Then my dear lady please let me make this oath. I pledge my sword to protecting your life. I pledge my strength to you when you can no longer bare to shoulder this alone. I will help you bring justice to all who have been wrongly taken from their families."
"I except your pledge ser knight. Let us go back to the village and find you a place to sleep. I will have the smithy make you new armor. The Chantry uses the burning sword of mercy as their symbol but they have it pointing up ready to strike their foes. We use it pointing down at rest, at peace. To be used only when all else fails."
"I will be honored to wear it."
"My sister will think you are dead."
"I will find a way to get word to her in time. I owe her that much."
"I understand." I followed her back down the mountain toward my new life. In the years that followed Mercy became my wife and the mother of my children. We tried to free all of the people the Chantry held under their boot, but it seems we have failed. I send this account as well as my children into the care of the faithful. May they never know the fear that we have. May they live a full and peaceful life. Neither have the gift of magic, a blessing in someways and a pity in others. They are just babes and will not remember us and that pains me more than anything, but they will be safe. I go now with Mercy to face the Divine. The time is now and I pray the Maker shows us favor. If not then I know I will find peace in his kingdom with Mercy by my side for eternity.
One more chapter from the past to go and then I will get back to our heroes. To all my readers than you for your patience and your support. There are days I just can't seem to get my muse to work with me, but I will try to post more often. Again I thank you all your reviews and follows make writing this all worth while.
Raven