Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.

"Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more."
― Robin Hobb, Fool's Fate

Chapter 19:Welcome Home...Not!

Shutting her eyes tightly, Jade struggled to swallow down the ire boiling within her which threatened to explode from her chest as she narrowed her eyes at the irritating Templar standing with his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest in front of her. She took a deep breath to calm herself and smiled as politely as possible at, what was his name again?Carroll, maybe? Yes, that was it.

Just as Jade opened her mouth to speak, however, Cullen took a tentative step forward, frowning at Caroll."Caroll, please, we need to get into the Tower and speak with Irving and Greagior. Just take us across. I beg you."

"No!" Caroll shook his vehemently and stamped his foot like an immature boy."I've one job, and one job only, and by the Maker's shiny gold cutlery, I will do it!"

"We come here as Grey Wardens seeking help from the Circle of Magi, Ser Carroll." Valerie stated calmly as she retrieved one of their documents from her pack and held it up for him to see.

Caroll scoffed, unimpressed."Oh, a Grey Warden treaty! So you're supposed to be one of those. Well, I've got some papers too! They say I'm the Queen of Antiva! What do you have to say to that?"

"Did we miss the royal coronation or something?" Simone whispered with a smirk to Zevran, who laughed quietly in response.

"It would appear so." He answered back, still laughing quietly to himself.

"That's it!" Natasha growled, the sound of her staff being slammed loudly against the ground bringing everyone's attention to her. With an enraged scowl, the vexed mage marched right over to Caroll, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked towards her with such force that he yelped in surprise as his face was suddenly mere inches away from hers, making it impossible for him not to notice the malice glint in her grey eyes.

"Listen, Chantry dweeb!" She spoke through gritted teeth."I've been having a very bad week so far and you standing here wasting my time with all of your sudden loyalty and devotion for the Chantry is not making it any better!"

Regina moved to try to calm her friend, but Cullen beat her to it. The former Templar hesitated for a moment before gently grasping Natasha's arm, and at his touch she seemed to calm down a little, though she still continued to glare at Carroll even after she finally released her grip on his collar and shoved him roughly away from her. A period of uncomfortable silence settled between them all until Jade cleared her throat and turned with an ominously calm look on her face to a rather shaken Carroll.

"Unless you want to get burned alive by my very livid friend over here," She gestured nonchalantly to Natasha then lifted her chin with an air of superiority at the man,", I suggest you take us across the lake to the tower right now."

Eyes wide, Carroll nodded vigorously."B-But of course!" He stuttered, straightening up quickly."Just figure out who you're taking with you and I'll take you across right away!"

Jade nodded curtly at him then turned to her companions, studying every single one of them thoughtfully for a moment before sighing and making her decision."Nat, Regina, Cullen, Zevran, Simone, Tamlen, and Zoë, all of you are coming with me to the tower. " She looked at Valerie."Val, can you take everyone else back to the inn with you?" At the blonde's small nod, she sighed again and flicked her head at Carroll.

"Take us across." The Templar nodded vigorously at her in reponse and hurried to get ready for their trip across the lake, causing Natasha to roll her eyes in exasperation when he tripped over his own foot in the process and hit the ground like a rock.

Jade stifled a sigh.'This is going to be a long day for us.'

"What the heck is going on here?" Natasha muttered under her breath with a frown as she looked warily around the tower which was literally in a state of utter chaos at the moment. There were Templars running all around the place, bumping into each other like the ignorant buffoons they were while some cried out in panic and other tripped over their own feet. It would have been funny if it weren't so pathetic as well.

Greagior was not hard to find, but because the man was so busy giving orders to one of his men, he did not seem to even notice the group of Grey Wardens slowly coming to a stop right in front of him. Cullen cleared his throat in an attempt to get his former commander's attention, but Greagior didn't hear him. A sigh escaped the former Templar's lips as he lowered his head and Natasha could have sworn she felt his eyes linger on her for a very brief moment before flickering back at Greagior who had finally finished speaking with his men and slowly turned to face the new arrivals, sighing deeply as he did so.

"Now we wait and pray." He muttered under his breath, the worried wrinkles on his face making him look much older than when Natasha had last seen him.

"Hello, Ser." Cullen said quietly, though no one except for Natasha heard him.

Regina nodded politely."Good to see you again, Greagior." She said in such a quiet and slightly sarcastic tone of voice that it was obvious to everyone that she didn't mean a single word of it at all.

With a sarcastic scoff, Natasha moved to stand beside Jade and sneered contemptuously at Greagior."And here I thought you were out of my life forever."

Greagior looked at her like he was trying very hard not to scowl or shout at her."Well, look who's back." His eyes briefly flickered over to Regina and Cullen then locked back onto the woman before him."All three of you are proper Grey Wardens now from what I can see." He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms with a small shrug of his shoulders."Glad to see you're not dead."

Natasha rolled her eyes."You don't meant that."

Greagior's eyes narrowed."Perhaps I do, perhaps I do not. At the moment, however, I am dealing with a plight that does not involve any of you, Grey Wardens."

"Natasha and Regina may be Grey Wardens, but they are still mages as well, Knight-Commander." Cullen chimed in, eyes lowered as he avoided making eye contact with Greagior and thus did not notice the way Natasha's lips seemed to twitch for a very brief second before she went back to staring silently at Greagior with an emotionless look on her face.

Greagior studied Cullen thoughtfully before sighing and bringing up his hands to rub his temples wearily."I shall speak plainly then." He slowly raised his head and turned to look at Jade with a grim look on his face."The tower is no longer under our control. There are abominations and demons currently stalking it's halls." He sighed, shaking his head."We were too complacent. First Jowan, now this." His icy eyes flickered toward both Natasha and Regina, though most of his attention seemed to be solely on Natasha."Do not think I have forgotten either of your roles in Jowan's escape."

Regina scoffed in disbelief, eyebrow raised."You cannot possibly still be annoyed about that." She shook her head."Who am I kidding, of course you're still annoyed about that!"

Natasha lifted her chin defiantly as she locked eyes with Greagior. She was still angry at Jowan for betraying her, but she did not regret helping him and would have gladly done so again."I'm glad my friend was able to escape from you."

Greagior scowled at her."I can only hope that someday, Jowan will get exactly what he deserves. But right now, I have other, much more pressing concerns to deal with."

Natasha smiled sweetly in response, and spoke with both venom and sarcasm rolled into one."Sounds like the Templars haven't been doing their jobs." She gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders and snorted derisively."Can't say that I'm too surprised by this, though."

Greagior shot her a glare."My men did what they could, but we were all taken by surprise. We were prepared for one or two abominations, but certainly not the horde that fell upon us."

"If it's that dangerous," Jade said, eyebrow raised suspiciously,"then why in Mythal's name are you all still here?"

The Knight-Commander seemed more than content to ignore Natasha and turn his attention over to Jade instead."It is our duty, as Templars, to watch over the tower. We shall stand guard and see it to that nothing gets out." His eyes narrowed and glinted with stern determination."And I mean nothing."

"I see." Jade murmured, arms crossed and eyes narrowed as she seemed to be studying the human man before her like a quarry she chased during one of her hunts.

Greagior sighed."If it were up to me, I would destroy the tower, raze it to the ground, but I cannot risk anymore of my men. For now, the doors remain shut and they shall stay that way in order to protect myself and my men."

Natasha dug her nails into the wood of her staff while clenching her other hand into such a tight fist that she resisted the urge to wince in pain when she felt her nails dig so painfully and deeply into her palm that they actually drew blood."So you just shut everyone in there?!" She blurted out angrily."Including innocent mages?!"

Greagior shook his head, his eyes weary and almost sad."Not just mages, but my own Templars as well." A shudder ran through his body as he recalled the ordeal and his eyes shut tightly as if he was struggling to remain composed."I had no choice. Those horrid abominations must be contained at all costs. We do not intend to keep the doors shut forever, however. Everything in the tower must be eliminated." He looked away and shifted uncomfortably."I have already sent word to Denerim calling for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment."

Cullen's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped in shock and horror."What?!" He and Regina both cried in unison.

Jade frowned in confusion."What is the Right of Annulment?" She asked curiously. The question was directed at Greagior, but Natasha responded instead and her voice was filled with nothing but scorn as she spoke.

"It's a fancy name that the Chantry uses for when they decide to slaughter the entire Circle." The mage stated with such acidity that even Zevran and Simone looked aghast by her words, while Zoë put a hand over her mouth to muffle her soft gasp of shock and horror, and Tamlen's eyes glinted with contempt as he glared coldly at Greagior.

"Knight-Commander, is this true?" Jade asked, eyebrow raised questioningly and light blue eyes looking as if they were staring straight into the man's soul.

Tamlen sneered."Can we really expect anything less from a shemlen, lethallan?"

"This situation is dire." Greagior argued through gritted teeth."There is absolutely no possible alternative. Everything, and I mean everything in the tower must be destroyed so it can be made safe again."

"Oh come on!" Simone huffed in irritation."Mages are certainly not at all defenseless. There has to be at least a few of them in there that are still alive."

"If any are still somehow alive, then the Maker Himself has no doubt shielded them." Greagior replied darky then shook his head vehemently."But no one could have possibly survived those monstrous creatures. It is just far too painful to hope for survivors only to find...nothing."

"You're the one who is blame for all of this chaos, you bastard!" Natasha shouted, slamming her staff loudly against the floor and pointing an accusing finger at Greagior."It was you who locked them all in, after all!" She spat at him, getting all up in his face.

"And what else would you have me do?!" He demanded, throwing his hands up in frustration and locking eyes with Natasha."Leave the doors open and allow the abominations to simply poor out?!"

"Enough!" Jade yelled, getting in between her friend and the Knight-Commander to swiftly force them apart before sighing deeply and turning her attention over to the latter."I give you my deepest sympathies for your current plight, Knight-Commander, but as you already know, we are in the middle of another, much more serious situation that your people refer to as a blight at the moment and we need the help of the mages in order to end it. If you let us through those doors right now, then I give my word that we will kill all of the abominations inside and make sure that any survivors who we happen to find while doing so are brought back safely and unharmed. That includes both your men and the mages."

It took some more persuasion, but Greagior eventually agreed to let them in, though it was only under the condition that the First Enchanter himself be brought before him and swear to him that the tower was once again safe. If anything else occurred, however, then he and his men would kill everyone in the tower without any hesitation whatsoever. Jade agreed to this, and exchanged solemn nods with Natasha as the doors were slowly opened for them and they stepped inside before the doors were once again shut behind them.

"Maker watch over us all." Cullen muttered under his breath as he clutched his sword tightly and prepared himself for the dangers they were about to face.

Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!

Next up: Chapter 20:Just A Dream