Genitivi stood before the locked door, staring at the mechanism in the center of it, "Here we are."
He sighed softly, his whole body relaxing, and it hit me that he'd been looking for the Urn for so long. Decades. Decades of being laughed at and told he was wrong. And here we were, finally about to prove them all wrong.
"Give me the medallion, and let's see if I remember." I dropped it in his hand, and he fiddled with it, turning it this way and that, "Yes... you see, it can be manipulated, just like this... And, there... a key to open the way."
"It looks different, opened up like that." I observed, hearing noises of agreement behind me.
"Now... where does this go?" He felt around the mechanism, finding an indent that wasn't visible by just staring at it. Clever. The door swung open on contact with the key.
He gave us a quick smile, nervous, and we walked in.
"What I would give to have seen this hall in all its splendor, as it was meant to be... Still, sweep away the ice and the snow, and traces of beauty remain."
"We cannot afford to linger here." Morrigan cautioned us.
"I'm sorry... what?" the man blinked slowly, having a hard time focusing on us, "I was a little distracted. I apologize. These carvings were created just after Andraste's death, and they may reveal things about Her life that we do not yet know... I think I need more time to study these statues and carvings."
"We can't wait for you." I frowned slightly. I really didn't want to have to divide our forces, not when there could still be more cultists. Besides, I had a bad feeling about the 'Her' they followed.
"I could not keep up with you with my injuries. I should be safe; I don't think there are any villagers here. Go. I will be all right. Perhaps my destiny was only to lead you to the Urn."
"Thank you. You've been a great help." I bowed my head to him respectfully, already picking who would join me in the temple.
"Bah, it's my job. Just be careful, that's all I ask. The temple is... perilous. I'll be right here, if you need me."
I turned away from him, "Volunteers?"
Sten nodded sharply, the first. Morrigan was a close second, not being a fan of religion in general. Duran, Natia, and Oghren chose to stay, as well. Seraphine barked and planted her big butt firmly on the ground.
"Leliana," I led with her, knowing how hyped she was to see the Ashes, "Alistair, Wynne, Elissa, Aedan, Zevran, let's get started. The Urn isn't going to find itself."
"Mm... now, I need something to write on..." Brother Genitivi mumbled to himself, oblivious to the fact I was ignoring that he'd said he would be safe alone.
"We'll search around this hall, see if we can find anything to salvage or even sell."
"Or little mementos." I added.
We'd barely begun our exploration, when the ruins gave way to tunnels that ran under the mountain. Cultists awaited around every corner. Genitivi had severely miscalculated, when he'd said there weren't any. There were even drakes, which I learned were something akin to a cousin of the larger beasts known as dragons. Full grown drakes were only slightly bigger than a mabari hound, actually. If they hadn't been determined to kill us, I would have liked to take one with us. Not as a pet. No, never.
"Stop! You will go no further." A man in shiny silver armor stood in our way.
We had seen him from way back down the passage, but that meant he'd seen us, as well.
"Who are you?" Aedan asked, stepping forward.
"You do not have the right to demand my name." He was obviously the leader of this cult, with the way the others were looking to him and not us. I mean, we could have killed them all, so long as we left the leader alone, they were that focused. "You have defiled our temple. You have spilled the blood of the faithful, and slaughtered our young. No more. You will tell me now, intruders, why you have done all this. Why have you come here?"
"We've come for the Urn of Sacred Ashes."
"You did all this for an ancient relic? Know this, stranger..." He was right up in Aedan's face, glaring, "The prophet Andraste has overcome death itself and has returned to Her faithful in a form more radiant than you can imagine!"
"They worship a dragon. It's a dragon." I whispered just loud enough for my group to hear, the pieces all sliding in to place.
"Not even the Tevinter Imperium could hope to slay Her now. What hope do you have?"
"What happened to the Ashes?" Cousland was like a dog with a bone, he wasn't letting this man distract him. He needed to take my spot more often.
"They are still within this temple, but why do we need ashes, when we serve the risen Andraste in all Her glory?"
"So, can you give us the Urn, then?"
"So you are after the Ashes. Hmm..." It was like he hadn't heard a word the Warden had said, "perhaps there is a way for you to make up for your desecration of our home and temple."
"Why do you want to suddenly cooperate with us?"
"It may be because I believe in second chances." He rubbed his chin, "All of us stumble through the darkness before being found and shown the light. Perhaps through Andraste's mercy, Her greatest enemy will become her greatest champion."
"Just say what you have to say." Aedan crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Father Kolgrim. I lead the Disciples of Andraste. The Ashes you seek reside atop this mountain, watched by an immortal guardian who refuses to accept the truth of the risen Lady. Now the Ashes prevent holy Andraste from fully realizing Her new form. They are a remnant of her past incarnation, and She cannot move on as long as they exist."
"So... what? You want to throw them out a window?"
"I speak not of destruction. The Beloved needs to reclaim the Ashes, to make them Her own again. All it would take is a drop of Her blood. Blood carries power, strength, knowledge. Through it, all the power that is held in the Ashes will be returned to our Lady."
"Why have you not done this, then?"
"The Guardian has foiled all our attempts to reach the Urn. He keeps what power remains from the true Andraste. He knows the Disciples, and we cannot touch him, for he draws his strength from the Ashes themselves. But you could deliver our Lady what is rightfully Hers."
Alistair whistled, "I could just imagine the grand cleric, if she were here. Her head would explode; I kid you not."
"There is nothing but madness in his words. He is a fanatic, and a dangerous one. Be warned-he means to lead you astray." The elderly mage gave her two cents.
Leliana, surprisingly, remained silent. As did the others, including myself.
"The rewards for preforming such a service would be great, indeed."
"And the Guardian won't recognize us?"
"No. He waits for pilgrims to come venerate the Urn. He will assume that you are they. The task is simple: I give you a vial of the holy Andraste's blood, and you empty the vial in to the Ashes. Whatever magic was held in the Ashes will be undone... and our great Lady will be freed from the shackles of Her past life."
"I don't know if I like the idea of us helping this Kolgrim." Alistair whispered, conflicted.
"I have considered." Aedan straightened to his full height and held out a hand.
"Take this-the blood of the dragon. You know what you must do. Now, I shall beseech the holy Andraste to let you pass safely in to the Inner Sanctum."
He led us outside and blew on a horn. The return roar echoed against the mountain peaks all around us. If we hadn't been so high up, I would have feared an avalanche.
The dragon swept out of the sky and landed on a ridge, looking over her domain.
"That's a high dragon." Elissa was pale.
She curled up like a cat, taking a nap in the sun. Dragon cat. Cat with scales. Giant cat with horns.
"They say music soothes the savage beast, but I'm not going to test that theory." Leliana murmured, staring up at the dragon just like the rest of us.
The Lady allowed us to pass without interference, or so we thought. Halfway across the expanse of land to the other building, she swooped in and cut us off with fire.
Kolgrim threw himself on his knees before her, "Great Andraste! I pray You stay Your wrath! I bring before You Your champions, who will fall upon Your enemies as a cleansing flame, paving the way for Your glory!"
She put her snout close to his face and tilted her head from side to side, regarding him. Rearing up, she spouted fire in to the sky.
"O, beloved Andraste! O, holy Andraste! We praise Your name!"
I swear, she rolled her eyes at his platitudes, then jumped in to the air and flew back to her napping spot.
Kolgrim had a slimy smile as he faced us, "I have spoken to the beloved Andraste. She will let you pass."
"Thank you. We will not fail."
"We await your triumphant return. Go. Show yourselves to be Andraste's true champions." With those parting words, he walked away, going back in to the first temple.
We proceeded toward the second without incident, the high dragon watching us the whole while.
"We... we must be close. This is holy ground. I can feel it." Leliana murmured in a hushed tone, her eyes wide as we entered the hall.
"I bid you welcome, pilgrims." the man standing by the next door greeted in a monotone voice.
"You must be the Guardian."
"Yes, I am the Guardian of the Ashes." he looked at the imposing Warden who'd spoken briefly before settling his gaze on me, "I have waited years for this."
Aedan's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Why have you been here so long?" I asked curiously.
"It has been my duty, my life, to protect the Urn and prepare the way for the faithful who come to revere Andraste. For years beyond counting have I been here, and shall I remain until my task is done and the Imperium has crumbled in to the sea."
"The Imperium is no longer as powerful as it once was." From what I'd heard about Tevinter, they were more like the cousin no one invited to family reunions, not the ones who organized it and made everyone go.
"Ah... is it not? Then perhaps this is the beginning of the end..."
"Who are the men who have taken over the rest of the temple?" I motioned behind me.
"When my brethren and I carried Andraste from Tevinter to this sanctuary, we vowed to forever revere Her memory, and guard Her." Leliana's sharp inhalation echoed around the room. This man, among others, had actually known Andraste. He must have been alive for... Maker knows how long... "I have watched generations of my brethren take up the mantle of their fathers. For centuries they did this, unwavering, joyful, in their appointed task. But now they have lost their way. They have forgotten Andraste, and their promise."
"And what about you? Who are you?" My mind was whirling, something starting to form in my head.
"I am all that remains of the first disciples. I would protect the Urn as long as I lived, and I have lived a very long time."
"The first disciples? Did you know Andraste?" I could tell Leliana was holding her breath.
"Did anyone really know Her, save the Maker? She would sometimes spend weeks alone in meditation, often without food or water."
"Please," I begged, "tell me more about Andraste."
"I... cannot express in words my love for Andraste. You must seek Her out for yourself. Everyone must."
"How is it possible you have lived so long?" Wynne asked before I could press the topic.
"I made a vow, to Andraste and to the Maker. My life is tied to the Ashes. As long as they remain, so will I."
"What more can you tell us about the Urn of Sacred Ashes?" Elissa added her voice to the pot.
"You already know that the Urn contains the remains of the prophet Andraste. What else is there to tell?"
"The dragon isn't really Andraste, is she?" I could hear the doubt in Alistair's voice.
"No. Our Andraste has gone to the Maker's side. She will not return." the Guardian shook his head, "The dragon is a fearsome creature, and they must have seen her as an alternative to the absent Maker and His silent Andraste. A true believer would not require audacious displays of power."
"How did the belief spread to the rest of the disciples?" Leliana murmured, dread coming from her in waves.
"It began with an ancestor of the one known as Kolgrim. He saw himself as a new prophet, preaching the rebirth. Some disagreed with him. I heard their cries of pain and loss, which were quickly silenced."
"Would you like us to get rid of these disciples?" Elissa again.
"The Maker will sit in judgment of them, when the time comes."
"We would like to see the Urn." I asserted as gently as I could. I was beginning to grow impatient with the non-answers.
"You have come to honor Andraste, and you shall, if you prove yourselves worthy."
"We need the Ashes to cure a noble man." Alistair ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it a little.
"Still, you must prove yourselves worthy. It is not my place to decide your worthiness. The Gauntlet does that. If you are found worthy, you will see the Urn and be allowed to take a small pinch of the Ashes for yourself. If not..."
"That sounds unpleasant. Can it be avoided?" I gave him a sharp look, and he avoided my eyes.
"No."
He sighed, "Alright. Let's get this over with, then."
"Before you go, there is something I must ask. I see that the path that led you here was not easy." He directed the statement toward the Couslands', "There is suffering in your past-your suffering, and the suffering of others. You abandoned your father and mother, leaving them in the hands of Rendon Howe, knowing he would show no mercy." Elissa's chin wobbled, and her brother placed a hand on her arm. "Do you think you failed your parents?"
"Yes. I should have defended them to the death." Was her answer.
"Yes. I should have insisted that our mother come with us." Was his response.
"Thank you. That's all I wished to know." He bowed his head to them, turning to Alistair next, "Alistair, knight and Warden... you wonder if things would have been different if you were with Duncan on the battlefield. You could have shielded him from the killing blow. You wonder, don't you, if you should have died, and not him?"
"I... yes. If Duncan had been saved, and not me, everything would be better. If I'd just had the chance, maybe..."
"And you... why do you say the Maker speaks to you, when all know that the Maker has left? He spoke only to Andraste. Do you believe yourself Her equal?"
"I never said that! I-" Leliana vehemently protested.
"In Orlais, you were someone. In Lothering, you feared you would lose yourself, become a drab sister, and disappear. When your brothers and sisters of the cloister criticized you for what you professed, you were hurt, but you also reveled in it. It made you special. You enjoyed the attention, even if it was negative."
"You're saying I made it up, for... for the attention? I did not! I know what I believe!"
He moved on as if nothing had happened, "And the Antivan elf..."
"Is it my turn now? Hurrah. I'm so excited." The dry tone said a lot.
"Many have died at your hand. But is there any you regret more than a woman by the name of-"
"How do you know about that?" He snarled.
"I know much; it is allowed to me. The question stands, however. Do you regret-"
"Yes. The answer is yes, if that's what you wish to know. I do. Now move on." Zevran crossed his arms, effectively ending his turn.
Wynne stepped in, trying to take the heat off the elf, "Ask your question, Guardian. I am ready."
"You are ever the advisor, ready with a word of wisdom. Do you wonder if you spout only platitudes, burned in to your mind in the distant past? Perhaps you are only a tool used to spread the word of the Circle and the Chantry. Does doubt ever chip away at your truths?"
"You frame the statement in the form of a question, yet you already know our answers. There is no sense in hiding, is there? Yes. I do doubt at times. Only the fool is completely certain of himself."
"And you, Anastasia. Lady of another land, come against your will. Prophetic as Andraste, alike Her in many ways, and yet atheist in your beliefs." I wasn't looking forward to what he would ask of me, not in front of everyone like this.