Hello dear readers!

This chapter is where shit starts going down! Hope you guys enjoy and hopefully it's not too dark and depressing.

Thanks for reading,

RussianBear27

Chapter 6

Getting into the phylactery storeroom was proving much more difficult than Lily had led Kaliana to believe. They made short work of the main door, but the guardians within lot of trouble. Luckily, Lily wasn't completely useless with a dagger, and Kaliana and Jowan's magic proved to be more than the defenses caused them a could handle. Slowly, but surely, they made their way through the dark cold hall beneath the tower.

Upon reaching the door to the phylactery storage, Kaliana knew they were in real trouble. The rod of fire she had obtained at Lily's insistence was useless.

"It's not working," Kaliana exclaimed after her third attempt at opening the door.

"What do we do?" Lily began to panic. This girl was turning out to be much more emotional than Kaliana originally believed.

"Calm down," Jowan soothed, "we'll find another way."

Stepping back from the door, Kaliana looked around. Down the hall there was another door, "where does this lead?"

"I-I don't know," Lily admitted. Why this girl was in charge of planning this escape, Kaliana did not know.

"Well, let's find out," Kaliana urged.

The trio barged through the door into a storage room full of mysterious items. Looking through some of the chests, and talking to a rather creepy tevinter statue possessed by a spirit, Kaliana decided it was better to leave most of the stuff undisturbed.

"Kali," Jowan called, "come help me with this."

Kaliana joined Jowan by an enormous bookshelf, filled to the brim with forbidden tomes that Kali would have loved to peruse had she the time. Instead she assisted Jowan and Lily in moving the massive bookcase. Behind the shelves was a crumbling wall. It was weakened, but upon inspecting it further it was clear they weren't going to be able to get through it by hand.

"Do you think we could use something in the room to break through?" Jowan asked, noting the condition of the wall.

Looking around, Kaliana spotted something that could be of use to them. In a corner was a frightening statue of a dragon headed mabari. Or at least that's what Kaliana thought it looked like. Regardless, Kaliana approached the strange artifact, "I've read about these. It's a defense mechanism of some nature, and I think we can use the rod the fire with it to blast open the wall."

"You're a genius!" Jowan smiled.

"Help me get it into place," Kaliana beckoned.

Sure enough the artifact worked in spectacular fashion, blasting away a large section of wall for them to pass through. Rubble was scattered in all directions, but the trio was able to enter the phylactery storage without further delay.

Jowan rushed over to the opposite wall of phylacteries and began his search. There were hundreds of bottles standing neatly on the selves of an ornate table, one for each mage and apprentice in Kinloch. Kaliana was surprised to see each vial was unique. Some were small simple little orbs, why others were tall swirled bottles of glass. Yet, they all served the same purpose. Housing the blood of every mage confined to these wall, so they may be easily tracked and hunted down in case of escape. Though Kaliana's head told her it was necessary for the Templars to have them, her gut turned over on itself looking at all the vials.

"I've found it!" Jowan called holding up his phylactery. "It's rather strange that something so small and delicate is the only thing standing between me and freedom."

A look of pure joy crossed Lily's face as he tossed it to the ground and it shattered into a million pieces. Kaliana's face did not display the same joy. This meant that her closest friend would be leaving forever, and he would be in constant danger for the rest of his days.

Jowan took noticed of her dismay, "you can come with us, Kali." He held a thin blue vial in his hand. It was Kaliana's phylactery. The glass was twisted and the amber liquid within swirled silently. It was strange to see the chains that bound her were so beautiful.

"I-I can't," Kaliana stuttered, putting the vial back in its place. She couldn't explain why, but she felt she wasn't meant to leave yet. Kinloch was the only home she ever knew. Then there was Cullen... She wasn't ready to go.

Jowan seemed to understand somehow. It was one of the reasons they were so close. He always seemed to get her, even if she couldn't find the words to explain. "It's okay," he whispered and embraced her, "thank you for everything."

"Don't thank me yet," Kaliana reminded him, "we still need to get out of here."

Leaving the phylactery storage was much easier than getting into it. Too easy, in fact. As soon as they emerged from the catacombs they were met with armed Templars, Knight-Commander Greagoir, and First Enchanter Irving. It wasn't until now that Kaliana truly realized what the ramifications of her actions could be. The idea of being caught hadn't even crossed her mind. Now here they were faced with the consequence of their actions. How could she have been so blind, so stupid?

"It seems you were right Irving, an initiate conspiring with a blood mage," Greagoir affirmed looking at Jowan and Lily. "Then, there's this one," he turned his attention towards Kaliana, "newly a mage and already committing such treacherous acts."

"I am truly disappointed in you, Kaliana," Irving mourned.

Tears brimmed in Kaliana's eyes. This wasn't right, she was just helping a friend and doing what she felt was the right thing. Greagoir was wrong, Jowan was no blood mage, he merely wanted to be with the one he loved. What was so wrong about that?

Kaliana searched the Templars, surely Cullen would do something. She found him standing in the back of their formation. They locked eyes for a moment, Kaliana silently pleading for help, but he looked away in an instant. There was nothing he could do, and they both knew it. Cullen couldn't hide the look of betrayal on his face, which sent a few of Kaliana's tears over the edge.

Greagoir and Irving interrogated Lily and Jowan further about blood magic, but it was all just static for Kaliana. It seemed the world around her was collapsing.

"Take them away," Greagoir ordered, "we will decide their fates when the Templars return from Ostagar."

"No!" Jowan exploded and before anyone could move he sliced open his hand. The crude blood magic pushed everyone back knocking them out for a moment.

"Come on Lily, we can leave together now," Jowan announced.

Lily's eyes were wide with horror, "no! You're a blood mage. You lied to me. I won't be going anywhere with you!"

Jowan looked to Kaliana, who just silently shook her head. She couldn't believe he would resort to such magic. Seeing that neither of the women would be joining him, he turned and fled without them. Leaving Kaliana and Lily at the mercy of the Templars.

After the Templars came to Kaliana and Lily were taken away without any resistance. They were confined to holding cells in the cellar to await their separate interrogations.

Lily went first and returned hours later. Her chantry robes were gone, she now wore a tattered blue robe. Similar to the garb the Templars had Kaliana put on after placing her in her own cell. Lily's hair was a mess, and her eyes were dark. Kaliana watched as the Templars led her into her cell. After locking Lily in her cell, they opened Kaliana's. As Kaliana was led away for her interrogation, she could hear Lily's sobs from all the way down the hall.

Kaliana was lead toward an interrogation room. It was empty, except for a single sturdy chair. The oak armrests had restrains for arms, and similarly the legs. She was roughly placed in the chair and strapped down. Her heart was pounding fast than she ever thought possible. She felt her mana drain as the Templars fastened the straps. She was completely defenseless.

The two Templar escorts left the room. She sat there for what felt like hours, just waiting. Finally the Knight-Captain, a harsh man by the name of Ser Fernald, entered the room.

"It seems your chantry accomplice was completely useless," he growled. "I hope for your sake that you are more forthcoming with information." His dark eyes crawled over her and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Fernald was a large man, frighteningly large. Kaliana was sure he could crush her skull with one of his massive palms, as easily as once might crust an ant.

"I have run out of patience," he rumbled, "tell me where your maleficar friend has run off to, and maybe I'll let you keep your mind while you rot in Aeonar."

"I don't know where he is," Kaliana pleaded desperately. "He lied to me! I didn't know he was a blood mage!"

"Bullshit!" Fernald roared suddenly inches from her face. He gripped her arms painfully. Kaliana was assaulted by the foul stench of his breath, his black bottomless eyes staring her down. The Knight-Captain shoved her harshly as he backed away, running a hand through greasy black hair.

"Look here, girl," Fernald snared. "I will give you the brand myself to get the truth out of you. Now tell me where he is!"

Kaliana couldn't hold in the tears anymore. "I don't know," she sobbed. "You have to believe—"

Before she could finish Fernald struck her hard across her cheek. Black spots filled her vision and her heard whirled from the force of the blow.

"I will not tolerate any more of your lies. If you do not tell me where he is you will answer my other questions," his gravely voice rang in her ears.

He questioned her for hours. Asking about everything she knew about Jowan from his shoe size to his favorite color. Then he asked about her, and continually accused her of blood magic as well. When her answers where not satisfactory, he'd strike her. Finally, she just stopped answering all together. She had no words left for him. Her throat was dry and her tongue had gone numb. A thin trickle of blood ran down her chin from a split lip, and she could feel her left eye beginning to swell.

"Useless," Fernald spat realizing he wouldn't be getting any more information from her. The heavy door slammed behind him as he left. A few moments later it reopened as a Templar guard was sent in to retrieve her. Kaliana didn't even look at him as he crossed the room to unstrap her from the chair.

"Maker's breath," the guard's voice was familiar.

Through blurred vision Kaliana looked at the guard, finding Cullen's unforgettable face. Kaliana couldn't stop the tears now, even though she was already exhausted from crying.

"Cullen," she muttered through tears, "I-I didn't mean… I'm sorry... H-he lied to me."

"Don't speak," Cullen soothed as he removed the last of the straps. "It's going to be okay." They both knew he was lying, but neither dared to acknowledge it. "Can you walk?"

Kaliana tried to stand, but her legs gave way beneath her weight and exhaustion. Before she collapsed, Cullen scooped her into his strong arms. Walking back to her cell, Cullen could hardly contain his anger. Cullen could understand the need to find the blood mage, but this was monstrous.

Looking down at Kaliana's maimed face, Cullen knew he had failed her. She was already unconscious, her head bobbing ever so slightly against his shoulder. He should have said something, anything. Deep down Cullen knew Kaliana would not have willing helped a maleficarum to escape. Though, Cullen also knew there was nothing he could have said or done to prevent this. Not without the possibility of exposing them both, and ending up in the same situation.

Upon reaching her cell he laid her down gently on the straw mat. He wished there was something else beyond the tattered blanket he could give to her for comfort.

Cullen took solace in the fact that the Rite of Tranquility would have to put off till the mages and the Templar reinforcements returned from Ostagar. There was precious little he could do, but he would speak to Knight-Commander Greagoir about Fernald's interrogation. For now, he had to leave the woman he loved in cold lonely cell.