As Maxwell lead his team of Cassandra, Varric and Solas towards Therinfal, Cassandra began to ask Varric about his next book.
"What is it about? Is it based on someone I know?" Cassandra asked.
"Well, I'm thinking about it, but I'm still in the research phase." Varric replied.
"It is!" Cassandra said excitedly.
"Cassandra, I didn't know you were such a fan." Varric said teasingly.
"Alright, well now I'm intrigued, do tell Varric, what's it going to be about?" Max asked, unable to help himself from being curious.
"Well, it's going to be a romance." Varric told them.
"Really?!" Cassandra asked, "Who is it about?!"
"It may or may not be about our brooding commander." Varric said.
"Really? You're writing a romance about Cullen?" Cassandra asked, and Varric nodded, "The most awkward man in Thedas? That Cullen?" Cassandra asked again.
"Hey, the commander has a tragic romantic backstory, I just need the details. When we get back I hope all will be revealed during a drunken game of wicked grace." Varric explained, grinning.
"Commander Cullen has a tragic romantic backstory?" Cassandra asked and paused, "Tell me more."
"Well, all I know is that when Cullen was a Templar at Kirkwall, there was a certain mage there that caught his eye. Then, you know they... well whatever, and when Kirkwall fell, something happened, and he's not seen nor heard from her since." Varric explained, Maxwell and Cassandra both wondered if Evelyn knew about this.
"Might it have something to do with the fact that presumably the commander and the mage were on opposite sides of the conflict?" Solas spoke for the first time.
Varric and Cassandra hummed in union.
Fire, fire and pain and more fire. Illusions, confusions. What is going on? The envy demon had sent Maxwell into some sort of alternate reality, but it wasn't real, it was all in Max's head.
There was a sinister laugh from behind Max, "This is the result of you, Herald." The envy demon spoke sinisterly, the envy demon had taken control of the Lord Seeker, and now it was wanting to take control of him too, he wouldn't let it.
Max was trying to find a way out, he opened a door and saw himself on his knees and surrounded by guards pointing swords at him, in front of him was Cassandra, "Do you not know what you have done?!" She shouted.
The real Max shook his head and kept going, as he opened another door he saw himself with what appeared to be two advisors, one of them spoke, "Your enemies have surrendered unconditionally."
The other then said, "The Inquisitions power now rivals that of any kingdom in Thedas."
Then Max heard this distorted image of himself speak, "Our reach has begun to match my ambition, but we shall stride for more."
"I would never do this!" Maxwell yelled.
"You're hurting, helpless." A strange voice began, "What happens to the hammer when there are no more nails?"
"What are you?" The demon snarled, "Get out!"
Max looked around with confusion, both of the voices going silent. He saw another door and entered it, it seemed to be empty, but when he went to leave it, the same young voice from before spoke, "Wait."
Max turned around and went further into the room, Max saw a figure out of the corner of his eye and whipped around, but there was nothing there.
"Envy is hurting you, mirrors and memories, and face it can feel but can't fake." It paused, "I want to help, you, not envy."
"Who are you?" Max asked.
"I'm Cole, I've been watching." Cole said, "We're inside you, well, I am, you're always inside you. But I'm here, hearing, helping. I hope."
Max turned around to see the source of the voice, Cole, standing on the ceiling. "Can you explain what's going on?" Max asked him.
"I was watching, I watch. The Templars, the envy demon forced their anger, their fury, they are red inside." Cole paused, "Anyway, you're frozen, the envy demon is trying to take your face. I heard it and reached out, and then in, and then I was here."
"What do you mean I'm frozen? How can my body be frozen in the waking world?" Max asked, desperate to understand.
"Thoughts move fast, we're here, there a blade is still falling, hanging in the air like a sunset."
"Alright, if you really want to help me, then help me escape." Max said.
Cole grinned, "This way." He said, leading Max out of the room.
With the help of Cole, Max was finally able to escape Envy's trap and return to the waking world. It was a struggle, but after a hard fought battle they managed to defeat the demon and hold the castle. The Templars became their allies, and all seemed to be well, but he had not heard word from his sister yet. In theory they should have been done today, but there was a sizable ride from Haven to Redcliffe, so he was not expecting to hear from her for another few days. He was expecting to arrive at Haven the same day that Evelyn and Dorian would, but there were no guarentees.
That's why Maxwell wasn't concerned until Evelyn was three days late. Today was the day that he was supposed to close the rift, something that had to go on without delay, luckily it was okay for him to be distracted, as they didn't face too much of a challenge.
As the celebrations raged on into the night around Haven, Max couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Then, warning bells began to ring, and Max looked to the hills to see a massive army moving quickly down the side of the mountain.
Max ran to the main gate, where he heard a commotion outside, and when he opened, he saw Dorian on the ground, and knelling beside him was Evelyn. When she turned, Max saw that on the right side of her neck and up on her cheek there were cuts that looked like lightening, and there was a stream of blood trickling down her arm, Max had no doubt the strange markings were present on her shoulder as well.
"What happened?" Cullen asked.
"We were wrong, we were so wrong." Evelyn spoke while helping Dorian up.
"Alexius was never in charge, it was Calpernia and someone they call the Ancient One." Dorian explained, pointing at the cliff where the 'Ancient One' was visible, with Calpernia by his side.
"If we can get to the trebuchets and fire them, we could trigger an avalanche that could take out much of their army." Cullen suggested, trying his best not to focus on Evelyn's bloody face.
Max turned to Evelyn who was nodding in agreement with Cullen, "Alright, Cassandra, Varric and Solas, you're with me." Max said.
As they began to walk off, Evelyn ran after them and fell into stride beside her brother.
Max looked at her strangely, "What're you doing?" He asked.
"I'm coming with you." Evelyn said. They locked eyes before Max gave a small nod.
The party quickly came upon the first trebuchet, and effectively cleared it out, allowing the soldiers to fire it.
On their way to the next one Solas asked Evelyn, "Have you ever tried using a staff?"
"I did a few times, but I'm just as good if not better with my hands." Evelyn told her.
"Interesting..." Solas said.
"Evelyn, I have a few questions for you of my own." Varric said.
"Ask away." Evelyn said.
"Well, you knew Cullen when he was a Templar right?" Varric asked, Max, who knew where this was going, was intreiged about the woman to seemed to have stolen Cullen's heart.
"Yeah, a little." Evelyn replied vaguely.
"Well, my sources tell me that he was in love with a mage there, did you know her?"
Evelyn chuckled a little bit and replied, "Yeah, I knew her quite well." She said, and Max was trying not to appear like he was too interested, but what could he say, Cullen was his best friend, he wanted to know.
"Really? What was she like?" Varric asked.
"She was... stupid, never knew when to shut her mouth, was always getting in trouble. The other mages hated her, the Templars hated her, but when Cullen came, he helped her. She hid in his room a lot..." Evelyn trailed off, some sour memories flooding back. Maxwell was intrigued, and he almost wanted to ask more, if he hadn't noticed how uncomfortable it was making Evelyn then he might have.
Luckily for Evelyn, they approached the next trebuchet before Varric had the time to comment any further.
Again, it was fairly easy to clear out, but as they approached the last one, there were no soldiers remaining. Max and Cassandra turned the wheels while Evelyn, Solas and Varric picked off anyone that got too close. Max and Cassandra aimed and fired, triggering an avalanche that covered much of the Venatori army.
"We need to regroup at the Chantry." Max said, and so off they went.
On their way they managed to save some townspeople, and then when they were about to go up the steps to the Chantry building, they heard an unnatural screech from the sky. Everyone looked upwards to see some sort of demonic dragon fly above their heads.
As they entered the building Cullen came from around the corner, "Herald! Our position is not good, that dragon stole back any time you might have given us. It's cut a path for that army, they'll kill everyone in Haven."
Then, Dorian, who was helping Chancellor Roderick, spoke "From what I've gathered, the 'Elder One' marched all this way for you, Herald."
"I'd give myself to save Haven." Max said without hesitation, Solas frowned and Evelyn looked at Max incredulously.
"Herald, there is no other strategy, we would have to turn the trebuchets, create one last slide." Cullen said.
"But we've been overrun, to bury the enemy, we'd bury Haven." Max said, slightly shocked at what Cullen was suggesting.
"We'd die, but we'd do it on our terms." Cullen said.
There was a moment of silence before Roderick spoke, "There's a path, you wouldn't know it unless you've made the summer pilgrimage, as I have. The people can escape. Andraste must have shown me, shown me so I could tell you."
"Cullen, can you get the people out?" Max asked.
"Using the passage, yes. But when the mountain falls, what about you?" Cullen asked, Max turned away. "Maybe you'll surprise it, be able to get out..." Cullen said., he then turned and walked away, and began to organize everyone.
Max turned to Evelyn who looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I love you Evie." He said, pulling her in for a big hug. After a few moments he kissed her cheek and left the Chantry building, Evelyn looked after him sadly for a few moments before turning to Dorian.
Evelyn reached around her neck and undid a necklace that had previously been hidden under her robes and armor, "When you're safe, I want you to give this to Cullen." she told him.
Dorian simply looked at her for a moment before taking the necklace and saying, "I don't know what I'm going to do without my best friend." He was trying to hide his sadness behind a smile, but it was faltering.
"Thank you Dorian, for everything." Evelyn said. She put a hand on his shoulder and nodded shortly at him before she went to follow her brother.
The journey to their makeshift camp hand been eerily silent, but when they made camp, and people were finally able to process what had happened, there was a lot of crying.
Dorian solemnly made his way to the tent where he knew he'd find Cullen, when he opened the flap he saw that there were three other women in there that he didn't personally know (Cassandra, Leliana and Josephine).
"Uh, ladies, I was wondering if I could have a moment with our commander?" Dorian asked.
Josephine nodded silently, and Leliana ushered Cassandra out before she could say anything.
Dorian walked up to Cullen and gave him the necklace, Cullen looked at it closely, then Cullen's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow at Dorian, "Where d-did you get this?" Cullen asked, his eyes already stinging.
"Evelyn told me to give it to you." Dorian said, he then turned to leave but before he went he said, "I'm sorry commander."
Cullen stood there holding the necklace in his hand, just staring at it, and he didn't even notice that Leliana had re-entered.
"Commander, are you alright?" She asked.
"I, no, I'm-I'm sorry, I just..." Cullen stammered weakly, "I have to go." He said, leaving the tent, still holding the necklace tight in his grasp. It was a white crystal on a silver chain, he had given it to her years ago. He didn't know she still wore it.
Max was fighting Venatori on the way to the trebuchet, but found himself surrounded, he bent his knees and prepared for a tough fight. Just as he was about to charge at the first one, chain lightening ran across the Venatori and knocked them all unconscious.
Max turned around in surprise as he saw Evelyn standing behind him, "Evie! What are you doing?"
"You can't fire that trebuchet if you're dead." Evelyn said, taking a few steps forwards she grabbed his hand and said, "Together."
Max looked into his sisters eyes and saw a determination that he hadn't seen her wear before, "Together."
And so together they fought their way to the final trebuchet, where they were only faced with more enemies wave after wave they crashed, but when the Venatori's second in command, Fiona, appeared, Evelyn knew they didn't have much time left.
"Max, I got this, finish aiming. Quickly." Evelyn said, turning to face Fiona.
"Calpernia has spoken of you, she thinks quite highly of you, says you're the most powerful mage of this age." Fiona said, they were circling each other, "We'll see about that."
Fiona threw a ball of fire at Evelyn, she quickly rolled out of the way and threw a lightening bolt at Fiona, which hit it's mark. Fiona then sent a stream of fire at Evelyn, who threw her own stream of ice. The fire was advancing, but Evelyn thought about everything, and everyone, riding on their success, and she gave all she had. Her ice reached Fiona and froze her, Evelyn quickly shot a lightening bolt at her which shattered her.
Evelyn smiled at Max, who had just finished aiming the trebuchet, that was until she saw the dragon flying right towards them.
"Evie, get back!" Max yelled, pulling both of them clear of the fire, but the dragon managed to hit something explosive, and the following explosion knocked them off their feet.
Evelyn was just getting up, and Max was still laying on the ground when, through the fire, walked the 'Ancient One'. As they both stood, the dragon walked up behind them, it's steps shaking the very ground. They turned to face it, and Evelyn silently prayed that their deaths would not be by dragon-fire. As it roared, she felt her chest clench tightly, she was terrified.
"Enough." the Ancient One commanded, "Pretender, you toy with forces beyond your kind."
"Who are you? And why are you doing this?" Maxwell asked him.
"I am Corypheus, and you will kneel."
"Why are you here?! What do you want?!" Max cried.
"I am here for the Anchor, and the process of removing it begins now." Corypheus reached out towards them, red energy covering his hand began to pull at the green energy from the mark on Max's. "It is your fault Herald. You interrupted a ritual years in the planning, and instead of dying you stole it's purpose." The red energy began tugging harder on Max, and Evelyn could tell that he was in pain, but she wasn't sure what to do. "I do not know how you survived, but what marks you as 'touched', what you flail at rifts, I crafted to assault the very Heavens." The red pulled harder and Max cried out in pain and fell to his knees, Evelyn knelled beside him with concern on her face. "And you used the Anchor to undo my work. The gall."
Evelyn looked towards the trebuchet, it was aimed, all that was needed was to pull the lever to fire. She wondered how much time they had left, and if she could let this so called 'Anchor' fall into Corypheus' hands.
Max was gasping but managed to ask, "What is this thing meant to do?"
"It is meant to bring certainty where there is none. For you, the certainty that I would always come for it." Corypheus spoke, he stalked towards Evelyn and Max, he grabbed Max's arm and wrenched him away from Evelyn, "I once breached the Fade in the name of another, to serve the old gods and the empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption, dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused, no more. I have gathered the will to return under no name but my own, to champion with a Tevinter and correct this blighted world. Beg that I succeed, for I have seen the throne of the gods, and it was empty." Corypheus then threw Max into the side of the trebuchet.
"Max!" Evelyn cried.
Corypheus glanced her way before turning back to the Herald, "The Anchor is permanent, you have spoilt it with your stumbling."
Max stood and raised his sword, Evelyn stood off to the side, out of direct sight of Corypheus and his dragon.
"So be it, I will start again, find another way to give this world the nation and god it requires." Corypheus said, "And you, I will not suffer even an unknowing rival, you must die."
The dragon's throat began to glow red, and Evelyn knew what was going to happen next, she cast one of her strongest barrier spells around Max, keeping him safe from the flames.
Corypheus whipped around to look at her, "I see we meet again young one." He stalked closer to her, "Calpernia was right, you are truly one of a kind, it would be a shame to kill one with such magical blood, maybe I won't, maybe I'll corrupt you with lyrium, but only if you retract that shield."
"I will never join you." Evelyn spoke with conviction.
"I believe you." Corypheus said, he raised his hand to her, and the red energy began to manifest.
Then Evelyn began to scream, she fell to her knees, "Evie!" Max shouted, helplessly.
The strange markings on her neck began to grow again, blood was rolling down her face, mixing with her tears, but yet she did not remove the shield, the signal had not yet been given, they weren't safe, Dorian wasn't safe, Cullen wasn't safe.
Suddenly the pain stopped, and Evelyn clutched her chest, finally being able to breathe again. Corypheus walked towards her, he grabbed her forearm and lifted her so that they were at the same level, "I have respect for you girl, it is a shame that you give me no choice." He then took out a dagger from his cloak and pushed it into Evelyn's side.
Evelyn gasped, and for a moment her vision blurred, she could see the barrier flicker, she could hear Max scream her name, and she focused all her remaining energy on him, on the barrier. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on for, but when she finally saw the flaming arrow in the distance, she let the barrier fade, and as she saw max pull the leaver she felt the ground shake.
The next thing she knew, she felt sharp pains running up the left side of her body, and she was flying through the air, hit something hard, then something harder. Felt cold stone beneath her, looked up and saw a roof with an Evelyn sized hole in it, looked to the stone wall beside her, she laid down flush to the wall and pumped as much magic as she could into her wounds, they wouldn't heal, not like this, but if this stone wall held up, she may yet survive.
