There was of course, more hiking that needed to be done in order to get to the front, through stone passes and crumbled paths among half buried corpses that grew progressively more burned, which we did with a solemn silence joined quickly by determined soldiers with glistening unbarred steel, as the hail of green fireballs grew harder as we passed some border to where we became too close for them to hit. That was when the soldiers began to run. The air seemed filled with a thousand puffs of breath as the ablaze houses and carts here, were none but wet ashes. We reached another forward camp with our straggled soldiers under a smoking stone arch that marked the way straight up to the temple. Which itself was hidden, by waves of dozens of jagged green black glass like fangs in the maw of the leviathan that cascaded past the camp down the mountain sides. They were hundreds of feet in height, as tall as the rocket-ships we sent to the moon.

We paused for a quick break, I tried my best to nibble a piece of stale bread I was given by a strangely optimistic soldier who had passed at the same time my stomach made a habit of complaining, while watching the Breach, leaning on the wall under the arch. So much closer it was, I could feel pulses of magic coming off it in suppressing waves. On the path up in front of the arch more spiky logs were getting maneuvered about by some soldiers along with some elevated platforms that were probably for snipers but lacked any cover up top, not that I assumed we had many archers, most men I'd seen had swords. The black glass raised in what seemed like walls along the sides of the camp, like the arms of some armored mother welcoming her children unto the dark of death.

It was an understatement to call the camp small and hardly defensible, completely open to the elements and it was still snowing, the people were even more gaunt than that of Haven busy fiddling with gear or setting up those defenses, otherwise, little to no chatter, loitering was limited to men no older than boys with folded arms against the cold and ignored sheathed swords pushing around snow with the tips of their boots. The archway was flanked at the top of a short staircase with two six foot stone columns with braziers at the tops and red banners down the front with three golden suns going down and golden tassels at the bottom two corners. Further flanking the stairs on the right were the wounded in rows, curled in fetal positions under the slow snow on thin pallets with no blankets and only one chantry priest trying to help, on the left, rows of bodies wrapped in thin canvas, straight and neat under the care of another priest presumably giving them their last rites in case their bodies were destroyed. Cassandra was checking in with the squad leaders of what meager forces we had who were positioned in front of two long tables with a few banged up shields and arms which were in turn in front of two very thin canvas tents who seemed in great danger of collapsing at any moment, Varric was at one of the tables stocking up on bolts for Bianca.

I didn't notice Solas glide up before he spoke. "Do you want to replace your staff? It seems to be a bit worn as of late." I edged sir Waffles out of the crook of arm and gave him a good long look over. The misty light pink orb at the top was cracked almost all the way through but held tight in its small metal cradle, the grain in the wood looked like it was beginning to split in some places and the bloody clumps looked waxy in the pale light of day.

I sighed. "Nah, looks like he could hold out for a few more fights." I gave Solas a shaky smile. He nodded respectfully before leaving, hands clasped lightly behind his back, you know, I wonder if anyone ever offered him a hat?

I gave up on the sad partial loaf of bread that felt like it was beginning to freeze half in spite of my hunger and in retribution against my reluctance to eat, and just pocketed it. I turned to see if Cassandra was ready when the air hissed and spit over the men working on the defenses ahead of the arch. I turned in time to see the emerald spiky star form in a shock wave that knocked down the soldiers and birthed demons as they screamed. A couple men were felled right off the bat as the defenses were destroyed, the towers collapsing on them and I started full sprint towards the fight, I really wasn't cut out to be a mage, I just wanted to hit something with Sir Waffles.

I dove forwards with a yell and scatterings of lightning exploded from Sir Waffles killing at least two demons, the soldiers who were fighting them immediately turned to help their brothers in arms and I heard the clang of metal on metal and cry from Cassandra as she barreled through, as mad as I was. A couple bolts found a home in the chest of another demon felling it as it screamed. I ran into the fray with Cassandra expelling burst of lightning in waves ritually knocking the demons down to be dealt with easier trying mostly to reach the wounded men. I slapped the arms of the ones fighting as I went by to retreat. We had this under control. They were grateful though reluctant to leave us on our own, loyal and brave to a fault, even if they didn't know us well. Cassandra slew demon after demon of which there was also a new kind, spindly and reminding me of a praying mantis it looked like it could stab a bitch with a finger and screeched even louder and creepier than I thought it could with such a tiny torso, but magic I guess. Varric and Solas sniped away at the green wispy ones that acted as range attackers for the demons. I made it to one of the rubbles of debris, of which there were three, and in my rage I think I tried to stab the demon trying to attack the soldier stuck under a beam with Sir Waffles, the soldier's comrade was busy fending off another demon. I zapped the one I tried inefficiently to stab and then spun around and whacked the other one in the head giving the soldier time to kill it. He returned immediately to trying to get his friend out. I pushed up my sleeves, laid down Sir Waffles, and pooled my magic into my nonexistent arm muscles and proceeded to lift the beam with ease. The soldier pulled his friend who must have had a broken leg by the way he screamed, to safety. I threw the beam away shouldering up my shawl that skewed to one side and picked up Sir Waffles.

"Get back to camp," I panted lessening my use of magic for a minute, fatigue filled my chest as Cassandra finished off the last demon and the Rift vomited its insides up again. The soldiers gave me a look of pure thanks, and I flashed them a crooked grin as I put my hand up to close the Rift.

"How many Rifts are there?" I heard Varric's annoyance as his came closer.

"Too goddarn many," I rubbed my wrist once I was finished.

"Sealed, as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this." Solas strode forward observing the rain of green ashes.

I grunted, "Better hope so."

Varric snorted, "Let's hope it works on the big one."

"Ditto." I looked up the trail, that winded this way and that all the way to the temple at the top. The wounded soldiers were getting help from the non-wounded ones and there were more that a handful of corpses laying around some crushed and other felled by the demons, who I assumed would get picked up later. Cassandra came over evidently unaware she was followed by a tall blond man with broad shoulders and eyes that cemented my hunch that he was a veteran.

"Lady Cassandra," he came close enough to finally warrant her attention, "you managed to close the Rift? Well done." He looked tired, in dark clothes all around, under small strategic pieces of metal plate and a dark red cloak that criss-crossed his body lined at the top with blackish red fur.

"Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoner's doing." Cassandra waved towards me with a hand. Ooh Commander, that's an impressive title. Damn straight it's my doing, but I really don't need people to keep looking at me like I'm some sort of other-wordly being. On second thought, that's pretty accurate.

"Is it?" He nailed me with pale eyes and I just pursed my lips, cleared my throat, and swung my arms in awkwardness, watching the other soldiers as they muscled their way through the rubble to retrieve still alive friends. "I hope they're right about you. We've lost a lot of people getting you here."

I coughed, more than aware of how many people we had and probably will lose before the day was over. "You're not the only one hoping that, trust me."

He sighed, "we'll see soon enough, won't we?" He turned to Cassandra. "The way to the Temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there." I assume she'd be bringing reinforcements with her when she does, and I hope for her sake that she doesn't run into any more Rifts along the way.

Cassandra nodded her thanks. "Then we'd best move quickly. Give us time, Commander." I wasn't sure it was fair to ask that of him, especially since that time would cost more lives. Though I guess, greater good and all that jazz is probably why.

"Maker watch over you." He started back towards the camp with all the soldiers, most helping the wounded as well. "For all our sakes." He turned fully and after catching sight of one wounded man who was staggering by himself he went quickly to aid him. Good to see him helping out his soldiers, that was a Commanding officer I could get behind. . . . I know what you're thinking, and no not like that.

The rest of the way was spent in a somber silence and a light jog, met at the end with a small two or three foot drop off in what used to be the road, that was half melted and half blown to pieces. We smelled the Temple long before we actually saw it, ash was carried in the winter air whose gentility seemed to belie some macabre unfathomable purpose, in its chill it carried as well, the smell of charred hair and burning flesh. The stone walls of the temple were blasted and some of looked like it had been melted away mortar that had begun dripping were frozen in drops clinging to the stone slabs. The floor was covered in frozen lava and ash mixing with the dirt. People were everywhere. They reminded me of the corpses that were dug up from Pompeii, frozen in various stages of terror, in the process of running, helping others, or simply screaming as they were caught in fire, skin liquefied having come off them in clumps, their blackened skeletons with flesh pulled taut the texture of Jerky covering them. Clothing had burned off, as well as hair, and really any discernible feature besides mouths open in screams and eye sockets that leaked blood clumps staring up at the sky that only answered their horror with green lightning and menacing rolls of thunder.

"The temple of Sacred Ashes." Solas was the first to break silence and he gazed out at the scene before us with little more than mute resignation in his dark eyes.

"What's left of it." Varric pulled a strained face and his voice was barely more than a hoarse murmur, passing a couple who'd been holding each other with one arm outstretched to some unseen attacker when they were killed. I tightened my grip on Sir Waffles and gulped. I don't even know what the fuck I'm going to do to close the damn thing. What if I can't do it?

"That is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you." Cassandra pulled up behind me, her lips in a hard line and her eyes tired, probably seeing this sight not for the first time and expecting it to not be her last either.

"Didn't feel like I walked out," I cleared my throat attempting to retrieve my humor even though all I could think of was that the snow wasn't white anymore, it was gray. "Felt more like I fell."

"You did reportedly fall over as soon as you came out," Cassandra shrugged. I'll admit it was a little funny that while I swear I fell more than a meager five feet it must have been quite amusing for the soldiers to see someone walk out calmly before promptly falling flat on their face.

I coughed a small laugh and shook my head before taking a deep breath, forgetting that all I was going to get was a lungful of burned skin and ashes of hair, and thus trying not to end up in a coughing fit I straightened up clearing my throat in an effort to lessen the urge and started down into the main part of the temple.

Crumbling half melted colonnades marked the way before us down into the part of the building that was still somewhat intact, squat and sunken into the earth, as if it too was trying to escape the Breach that bore down from above. It was surrounded by the black green glass that erupted from the ground like flames, it looked almost as if the temple was a meteor that had crashed into the earth and everything had simply froze into the strange glass around it as the earth pulled back to swallow it whole. We entered through a sunken doorway that must have once been huge, inside I brushed my fingertips along the walls that I could see had once been beautiful, carved dark veined marble and faded frescos between columns. Every wall, every floor tile, was splattered with burned blood and still burning corpses screaming soundlessly to the air, their gaping mouths filled with flame that licked the insides of their hollowed out skulls, flickering through their eye sockets above collapsed chests and gaunt hands with crumbling fingers. They all marred the Temple that must have been to them, a place of sanctuary.

As we rounded one of the many twists from which the fire glowed no longer gold, but green staining the columns, we came quite suddenly to the inner atrium. It must have once been a garden area by the looks of it. Square and massive in size framed by walkways and staircases both with ornate hand sculpted railings at the corners of which were columns used as pedestals for equally ornate marble statues. Each about nine feet tall unpainted of the same dark veined marble as the rest of the temple. Except for the eyes. There were glass inserted into the marble sockets with shards of gemstones for the irises. Everything was threaded violently with black green glass, that broke the marble like bone through skin, along with other weird red glass peppered about that I hadn't seen before. Not that I'd seen much before but you get the idea. Is it bad to say it reminded me a little of Christmas? The red and green and all, not the destruction, though maybe I'd feel differently about that if I were a Walmart employee during the holidays. All that marble though, carvings and paintings, must've taken more than a lifetime to complete, and all gone, in a matter of seconds. At the heart of the scorched garden sat the biggest spiky star I had seen as of yet, borne more than twelve feet high with the root of the Breach's lightning cutting through its heart. It sat fat and torpid reminding me of a large cat curled in a corrupted regality in the lap of a supervillian. If only the Breach had a ghostly hand to stroke it with and call it Lucifer or something.

"The Breach is a long way up." Varric commented turning a slow circle to take in all there was to be taken in.

I coughed a laugh, most I could do, feeling like most of my nose hairs along with half my alveoli were burned right out with that smell of charcoaled hair, the rest still suffocating in edema at the smell of burnt flesh. "I know right? That elitist ass douche canoe."