Herald of Destruction

Chapter 5

-Percy-

Voices, all around him, Percy heard voices. He could feel the cold chill of the air, hear the sound of voices and footsteps, smell the smoke of fire and the dung of horses. Opening his eyes at the sound of a door opening, Percy saw a small wooden cabin with furs on the wall. Looking toward the door, he saw a girl walking in with pointed ears like Solas, carrying a chest. When she saw him looking her way her eyes widened, the box slipping from her fingers with the sound of breaking glass "Oh! I didn't know you were awake, I swear!"

"Where in the pits of Tartarus am-" Percy began only to see the girl throw herself to her knees, forehead pressed against the ground.

"I beg your forgiveness and your blessing. I am but a humble servant. You are back in Haven, my Lord. They say you saved us. The Breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand. It's all anyone's talked about for the last three days."

"Then what happens now?" he questioned, not all that comfortable with the girl bowing to him but at the same time he still didn't feel too trusting after what had already happened, "The Chancellor mentioned having me shipped away for execution."

"I-I wouldn't know anything about that!" the servant girl looked wide eyed at the mention of an Execution "I'm certain Lady Cassandra will want to know you've wakened. She said, 'At Once'."

"And where is she?" Percy questioned, knowing that at least Cassandra had more human decency than what he'd seen of the Chancellor.

"She's in the Chantry, with the Lord Chancellor. 'At once.' She said." The servant quickly turned and hurried away, leaving him alone in the cabin. Grunting, Percy got out of the bed, taking a moment to assess his own injuries and found that he was in surprisingly good health, the injuries from Zeus and the ones he attained since waking up in a cell all having disappeared. Shaking his head, Percy pushed open the door only to freeze when outside.

He saw men in armor outside his cabin, saluting him with fists to their chests, a crowd of people who looked like civilians looking at him in awe. "That's him." One whispered "That's the Herald of Andraste."

"They said when he came out of the Fade, Andraste herself was watching over him."

"Hush. We shouldn't disturb him."

"That's him. He stopped the Breach from getting any bigger."

"I heard he was supposed to close it entirely. Still a lot of rifts left all over, little cracks in the sky."

Reaching the Chantry, Percy mentally noted every comment he heard on the way over, intending to question Cassandra at the first opportunity. "Chancellor Roderick says that the Chantry wants nothing to do with us." A priestess in robes said nervously as he pushed open the large wooden doors.

"That isn't Chancellor Roderick's decision, Sister." Another retorted, sounding offended at the mention of the irritating man.

"Most of the Grand Clerics died at the Conclave. Who will lead us now?"

"Andraste didn't have Grand Clerics telling her what to do, and she managed nonetheless."

"You expect us to be like Andraste?"

"Someone must." Amused at that statement, Percy fully stepped inside the building, he saw that it was far more ornate and well built than the town he had just passed through.

Approaching a door at the back, Percy paused as he heard shouting, "Have you gone completely mad?!" the familiar voice of Chancellor Roderick yelled "He should be taken to Val Royeaux immediately, to be tried by whomever becomes Divine!"

"I do not believe he is guilty." The firm voice of Cassandra spoke up, surprising Percy who was positive about the 'he' in question.

"The halfling failed Seeker," Roderick retorted "the Breach is still in the sky. For all you know, he intended it this way!"

"I do not believe that!"

"That is not for you to decide." Roderick spat, "Your duty is to serve the Chant-"

"My duty is to serve the principles on which the Chantry was founded Chancellor." Cassandra interrupted, pride filling her tone at as she spoke passionately about her duty "As is yours." Giving it a moment, wanting to overhear as much as he could, Percy stepped forward and pushed open the door, the two guards both turning to look at him as he entered.

"Chain him." Roderick ordered the armored guards, "I want him prepared for travel to the capital for trial."

"Disregard that, and leave us." Cassandra smirked, clearly enjoying undermining the Chancellor's orders.

"You walk a dangerous line Seeker." Roderick scowled, the mottled purple bruise Percy had given him already gone, likely healed the same way Percy's wounds were.

"The breach still hangs in the sky. I will not ignore it." She pauses and glances to him "Nor will I continue to make the same mistakes I did before."

"I fixed your mess, closed the damn hole in the sky, it almost kills me yet you're still bitching and moaning?" Percy growled at Roderick who raised an eyebrow and stared down at him.

"And yet you live. A convenient result in so far as you're concerned." The Chancellor sneered.

"Have a care, Chancellor." Cassandra growled out before Percy could reapply the Chancellor's bruise "The Breach is not the only threat we face."

"Someone was behind the explosion at the conclave." Liliana stepped forward, "Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others."

"Or still have allies that don't know how to shut up." Percy pointed out, enjoying making the asshole in front of him bristle indignantly.

"Quite so Perseus." Lilianna nodded, Roderick turning her with shocked indignation.

"I am a suspect?!" the robbed man looked genuinely shocked.

"You." Lilliana agreed "And many others."

"But not the halfling?" Roderick sneered as Percy again kept himself from punching the man, idly wondering what halfling meant.

"I heard the voices at the temple, I saw the echoes of the past." Cassandra turned to him, seeming truly apologetic "The Divine called out to him for help, Justinia knew him. Unless you mean to imply someone could impersonate Justinia's mannerisms and inflections so perfectly for an illusion."

"So, what, his survival, that thing on his hand, all a coincidence?" Roderick scoffed disbelievingly.

"Providence, the Maker sent him to us in our darkest hour." Cassandra insisted.

"Fate." He snarled, "I've had enough of being that gods and prophecy and fate have chosen how I'm supposed to live my life. Three days ago you wanted to kill me, now I'm your savior?"

"I was wrong." Cassandra sighed, perhaps recognizing his frustrations and where they came from given what she had learned of him while fighting to the Breach, "But I'm not about to pretend that you weren't exactly what we needed, exactly when we needed it. We had lost everything the…out of nowhere, you came. I…was wrong before." He could tell it took a lot for her to swallow her pride and admit that.

"The breach remains," Lilianna picked up as Cassandra stepped back from the table, "and your mark is still our only hope of closing it."

"This is not for you to decide." Roderick growled, trying and failing to appear intimidating. Cassandra slammed a heavy book down onto the table between Roderick and Lilliana, 'accidentally' doing so on the Chancellor's fingers.

"Chancellor Roderick, this is a writ from the Divine giving us the authority to act." Cassandra straightened, staring the beurrocrat in the eye till he backed down "As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn. We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With, or without your approval." Roderick couldn't hold the gaze and quickly broke contact, backing up before leaving the room.

"This is the Divine's Directive." Liliana ghosted her fingers across the surface of the ancient looking book "Rebuild the Inquisition of old, find those who will stand against the chaos…But we aren't ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now? No chantry support."

"But we have no choice, we must act now." Cassandra looked to him and he could see her eyes desperately hoping to sway him "With you at our side."

"The Inquisition of old?" Percy wasn't agreeing to anything without knowing more about the situation.

"It predated the chantry, people banning together to restore order in a world gone mad." Liliana spoke with reverence in her tone.

"Afterwards, they laid down their banner, forming what became the Templar order but that same order has lost its way. We needed people, united under a single banner once more." Cassandra finished, Percy noting her fist clenching at the mention of the Templar order.

"You're trying to start a holy war."

"We are already at war, you are already involved, and the mark is already upon your hand." Cassandra shook her head gently, "As for if it is Holy? That will depend on what we discover."

"…And if I refuse?"

"Then you may go." Lillianna assured, "In our eyes, you have proven your innocence. However while we do not think you guilty, many others will not see things the same way. The Inquisition cannot help you unless you are with us."

"It will not be easy if you stay, I won't deny that." Cassandra looked to him, "But you cannot pretend that this has not changed you, that you don't seek answers."

"When I woke up, I certainly didn't expect this outcome." He sighed, running a hand back through his hair.

"Neither did we." Cassandra gave a rueful smile and offered her hand, "Help us fix this, please…before it's too late." The room was silent for a moment before Percy nodded, grasping Cassandra's hand firmly and shaking it.

-Val Royeaux-

"The 'Herald of Andraste'," a voice spat from the shadows "his every breath is an insult to our lady and the Maker."

"Well, the Antivan Crows do happen to fancy ourselves experts on insults your worship." A second voice spoke up, clearly used to being able to say what they wanted and to get away with it, "And for such a discerning customer I'm sure I could work out a special reduction in our usually exorbitant fees."

"What do you want assassin?" the first voice demanded, having no desire to bat words around on a matter such as this.

"My brothers and I can do much your Worship. Our skills are not limited to mere knives in the dark." The second voice was practically giddy as it spoke "A few well placed words here, a 'lost' letter there, and you could be well on your way to being addressed as 'The Divine'. And I'm sure a woman of honor and integrity such as yourself would remember those who helped her get to where she could best spread the Maker's word."

"Get me results, then we'll talk." Was the only response form the first voice before its source turned and left.

Chuckling, the Antivan Crow, rested a hand on the pommel of the blade he had claimed long ago, "Oh, this will indeed be fun." The flames of his sword dance and flickered, if the assassin had believed in such things he would almost believe the fire was attempting to burn him.

-Percy-

Stepping back into the Chantry, Percy walked beside Cassandra as they went to meet with the inner circle of the Inquisition. "Does it trouble you?" Cassandra asked, glancing down at his still glowing palm.

"It itches." He grumbled, rubbing furiously at the skin, "It feels like ants crawling under my skin."

Wincing, Cassandra nodded "What's important is that your mark is stable, as is the breech."

"Yes, having my hand no longer attempting to make my heart burst from my chest is a very important thing." He agreed, his tone only slightly snarky as Cassandra had been attempting to improve.

"Well you've at the very least bought us time. Solas believes a second attempt might succeed. Provided that the mark has more power that is." She winced "The same level of power used to open the breech in the first place. That is not easy to come by."

"Oh, wonderful." Percy rolled his eyes, "What harm could there possibly be in powering up something we barely understand? Who knows, maybe if we put in enough power my hand will fall of and become a nice desk light."

Cassandra snorted dryly at the morbid joke and smirked, "Hold onto that sense of humor, we may need it in the days to come." With that she led him into the room he had been in before when agreeing to help. Inside, he saw Lilianna and Cullen waiting with a woman he didn't recognize. "You already met Commander Cullen."

"It was only for a moment on the field." The blond soldier laughed it off, giving Percy a grin, "I'm pleased to see you survived."

"I'm pleased I survived as well. Being dead sounds rather boring honestly." With the lack of immediate danger and the joyous situation of dealing with people, Percy's snark had returned in full.

"As well as Sister Liliana." Cassandra nodded to the redhead.

"My position here involves a degree of-" Lilliana began before another voice cut in.

"She is our spymaster." Cassandra interrupted.

"Yes, tactfully put Cassandra." Lilliana sighed.

And finally, Lady Josephine Montilyet, our ambassador and chief diplomat." Cassandra finished the introductions, gesturing to the woman in the golden dress.

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last." Josephine nodded with a smile, holding something reminiscent of a clipboard in her hand.

"Well that's an impressive bunch of titles." Percy forced himself to relax, listening as the four people in front him argued back and forth on the merits of using mages or templars to empower his mark to close the breech. His attention was grabbed when he heard a term he had first heard after waking up.

"Wait, 'The Herald of Andraste'?" Percy questioned, "I heard that mentioned before, what is that about?"

"People saw what you did at the temple, how you stopped the breach from growing." Cassandra explained "They also heard about the woman that was seen beside you when you exited the first, many believe that to be Andraste herself. People believe that she shielded you from harm, that she chose you to save us."

"And even if we chose to deny this rumor," Liliana sighed "everyone around the world is still talking about you."

"It's quite the title." Cullen chuckled, "How do you feel about it?"

"I've had far worse, trust me." Percy snorted, "But if you're in a divulgatory mood, mind explaining another term for me? Roderick referred to me as a 'halfling' and something tells me it wasn't just a comment on my height."

"It is actually, or at least in part." Cullen frowned at the mention of the term, "It's a slur some people use for people like you who come from mixed lines."

"Mixed lines?" his eyes narrow, he knew he hadn't mentioned his divine lineage, so he wanted to know what they were on about.

"You're half dwarf, are you not?" Cassandra frowned bewildered, "Given your height and smoother features we assumed you were half dwarf half human, or half dwarf half elf."

"Of course I'm short you fuckwits, I'm thirteen!" he snapped, still a little sensitive about his height even if he was growing taller.

"Y-you're human?" Cassandra paled, Josephine's clipboard falling from her fingers and even Cullen's hands left the pommel of his sword for the first time. "I threatened a child?"

"I'm not a child." Percy's tone was cold, "After the shit I've seen? The things I've had to do? I haven't been a child for a few years now."