Chapter 63: The Castle (Kallian)
- Here it is, I've opened the door. But I won't go any further, - said Valena, opening the hatch in the mill.
- Thanks for your help, - Alistair replied.
The girl left the mill, and Alistair, Morrigan, Shale and Kallian climbed through the hatch and found themselves in a gloomy stone hall.
- It's the dungeon, - Alistair said. - I remember hiding here when I was a child, playing hide-and-seek with Teagan.
- Anyone! Help!
All four approached the cages and saw two undead near one of them. Shale ran, crushed the head of one of the enemies and tore off the head of the other one. Kallian glanced at the prisoner the undead had been trying to get. It was a black-haired young man in a mage's robe. Judging by his appearance, he had spent a lot of time behind bars.
- Thank the Maker! - he exclaimed. - I didn't even think that there was someone alive here... or sane... But wait a minute! You don't look like the castle guards. It is unlikely that there are elves and golems among them. Who are you?
- We're not from here, we want to find out what's going on, - Kallian replied. - And who are you?
- My name is Jowan. I was hired by Lady Isolde to teach her son Connor. But then they locked me up here.
- Lady Isolde said that a mage is to blame for everything. And it looks like that mage is you, - Alistair said.
- No! Not at all! Yes, I poisoned Arl Eamon and Bann Teagan. But all these undead are not my doing! I swear! When they appeared, I was already in this dungeon. Lady Isolde came here first. She wanted me to fix everything. I thought it was about her poisoned husband and brother-in-law. And she thought I summoned a demon to destroy Redcliffe. Her people… tortured me. But I couldn't fix something I had nothing to do with. And they left me here.
- Why did you poison Eamon and Teagan?
- Teyrn Loghain said so. I am an apostate, and Loghain's men saved me from the templars. They said that Arl Eamon was a threat to Ferelden, and that if I poisoned him, Loghain would speak to the Circle. You see, I am a maleficar, a blood mage.
- You don't look much like a blood mage, - Morrigan said.
- I was sentenced to death for my interest in forbidden magic, and Loghain could have cancelled my sentence.
- Why was Teagan poisoned? - Kallian asked.
- I should have poisoned only Eamon. But immediately after the poisoning, Teagan arrived at the castle. He tried to find the poisoner. At first I wanted to make Isolde seem like the one who poisoned her husband. But Teagan was very smart. I had to poison him too before he found out. I've done so many bad things. I have to fix everything. But how?
- Why did the mage teach Connor? What did you teach him?
- A gift of magic has awakened in Connor. Lady Isolde feared that he would be taken into the Circle of Magi.
- Connor is a mage? I can't believe it, - Alistair exclaimed.
She needed an apostate to teach Connor how to hide his powers. His father and uncle didn't even know Connor was a mage. I… really didn't think it would end like this. What's going on outside the castle?
- The undead from the castle attacked the village. We fought off the last attack, and after that Lady Isolde came to us. Said the evil in the castle needed one of us. Our brother in the order, Daylen, volunteered and left with Isolde.
- Wait a minute. Daylen? Daylen Amell? A tall man, with dark hair and glasses?
- Yes, that's him, - Kallian replied. - Do you know him?
- We studied together in the Circle. And things have just got more complicated.
- It looks like we'll need this mage, since Daylen knows him, - Morrigan said. - We should take him with us.
- Let's not forget it's a blood mage, - Alistair objectered. - You can't let him out.
- We need him, - Kallian said, picking the lock and opening the cage. - Jowan, you will come with us. Help us however you can. But don't even try to run away.
Jowan nodded his head and went along with everyone. In the dungeon, they met a few more undead, who were easily taken down. But in the courtyard, at the main gate, a more difficult battle awaited them. The undead were led by a tall armored creature with a large sword and shield. Alistair and Morrigan ran after the dead archers, Jowan opened the gates for Perth and his knights, Shale attacked the undead that surrounded the leader, and Kallian attacked the mysterious warrior. Luckily for her, the big undead was too slow. The elf ran, jumped up and plunged both daggers into the undead's head. It helped, the undead warrior staggered and fell. Meanwhile, Kallian's companions and the knights defeated all the other undead.
- It was a revenant, - said Jowan, approaching Kallian.
- Who? - the elf asked.
- The one you've just killed. The revenants are the corpses of warriors possessed by demons. They are very dangerous.
- Here we are, - Perth said. - I'm surprised you released a mage, but it's your call. How shall we proceed, Lady Callian?
- We'll all go to the main hall of the castle. The evil that the rich shem spoke about must be inside.
The Wardens, their companions and knights entered the castle and reached the main hall. There they saw a strange picture: Daylen was dancing and doing somersaults in front of a clapping boy. Nearby stood six guards and Lady Isolde, who sadly looked at what was happening.
- I didn't know you could do that, - Morrigan said to Daylen. - Will you dance for me when we're alone?
Daylen stopped dancing and stood behind the boy.
- Mother, are these the guests you were talking about? - the boy asked.
- Y-yes, Connor, - Isolde replied.
- And it was they who, together with the mage, defeated my soldiers in the village?
- Yes.
- And she is staring at me, - Connor said, pointing a finger at Kallian. – What is she?
- She's an elf, Connor. The same elf as the servants from the castle.
- Those servants whose ears I cut off and fed to the dogs?
Kallian was very angry when she heard these words.
- What did you do, shem? Say it again!
Suddenly Connor closed his eyes and opened them again a second later.
- Mother? Mom, what's going on? Where am I? - he asked.
- Thank the Maker! Connor! You hear us! - Isolde exclaimed and was about to hug him, but the boy immediately hit her on the arm.
- Get your hands off me, you idiot! - he shouted. - I'm fed up with you!
Isolde looked at Kallian and the others.
- I beg you, do not harm my son! He is not to blame for anything!
- This little bastard killed my people! - Kallian shouted.
- What have you done to our friend? - Alistair asked.
Connor chuckled as he replied.
- Just made him more obedient.
- Help… please… - Daylen said softly. Connor had not completely captured his mind.
- Lady Isolde, I'm afraid that your son is possessed by a demon, - said Jowan.
- You! It's all your fault! You've summoned a demon! - Arlessa yelled. - Knights, kill him!
- Milady, you hid your mage son from the Chantry, - Perth intervened. - And you know it's a crime. We won't help you!
- Connor only wanted to save his father and uncle!
- And to do this, he made a deal with the demon? Ah, foolish child, - Morrigan said.
- It's a fair deal! - Connor said. - Father and uncle are alive, as I wanted. Now I will rule instead of them! Now I rule myself! But okay, let's talk. What do you want?
- Justice, - Kallian replied. - You will pay for every elf you've killed!
The elf ran furiously at Connor and immediately pounced on him. Daylen and the guards tried to stop her, but they were distracted by Alistair and the others.
- Don't strike to kill! - Alistair shouted. - These are our people! Shale, don't interfere!
- Mind Blast will remove the spell from them! - Jowan said.
Morrigan nodded her head at him, approached Daylen and immediately stunned him with a Mind Blast. Then she and Jowan stunned everyone else in turn.
Enraged, Kallian punched Connor in the face. She no longer saw him as a child. She saw him as Vaughan, Jonaley, Braden, the captain of the guard at Denerim Estate, the bastards who had killed her mother. She was beating another sadistic shem and could not stop. Kallian heard footsteps behind her and interrupted the beating to turn around and snatch the dagger from Isolde's hand.
- Don't interfere or I'll kill you too! - she said.
- Please! This is my son! - Isolde said with tears in her eyes.
- Those elves he had killed were also someone's sons and daughters!
Kallian turned back and saw that Connor was no longer there - the possessed boy took advantage of a good moment and fled the hall to the second floor.
Fortunately, neither Daylen nor the six guards were killed during the battle. All seven slowly got to their feet. Daylen, noticing Jowan, approached him.
- I'm glad you're alive, Daylen. How is Neria? - Jowan asked.
But instead of answering, the apostate received a strong punch in the face.
- Now we're even, - Daylen said. – What happened? Where is Connor?
- He ran off to his bedroom, - Isolde answered. - He always does that when he's scared. And there are Eamon and Teagan now. I beg you! Connor is not evil! Maybe he can be saved?
- Forgive me, lady, - Jowan said. - I took advantage of your fears. I did not think that it could lead to such consequences. But Connor is posessed. And we need to do something about it.
- While I was under the control of the demon, I could read his thoughts, - Daylen added. - It's a desire demon named Mazikeen. Eamon and Teagan were near death, and the demon promised Connor that he would save them. The boy, of course, fell for this promise.
- So if we destroy the demon, the Arl and the Bann might die? - Alistair asked.
- Yes, they might.
- I would never suggest killing a child, but it looks like it's the only way.
- He deserves it anyway, - Kallian added, flexing her fingers.
- There is another way. A mage can enter the Fade, fight the demon there, and sever the bond between it and Connor, - Jowan said. - And then Connor will live. There are three mages among us, including myself. We can try.
- There is one catch, however, - Morrigan said. - None of the three of us are somniari. To enter the Fade, we need lyrium. Or someone else's life.
- Are you talking about blood magic? I think I can perform such a ritual. But we need a volunteer. The one who would give their life force for Connor.
- Then let it be me, - Isolde said. - It's me or Connor. Better me than him. I deserve it.
- There is a third option, - Daylen said. - Lyrium. With it, no one has to be sacrificed. And do you know where there is a lot of it? In the Circle of Magi. It's not far from here. Neria has already gone there by boat, but she doesn't know about the current situation yet. But I need a guide. I'm not good with maps.
- I can go with you, - Jowan said. - I know the area.
- Bad idea. Greagoir will execute you as soon as he sees you. Alistair, will you come with me?
- Yes, of course, - the former templar replied. - Besides, we need to go there one way or another.
- Thank you for choosing this option, Ser Daylen, - Isolde said.
- Keep your thanks. I don't like you as a person, but I'm only doing this so that Connor could have a living mother. I didn't have her when I was a child.
- Are you sure you don't need my help? - Morrigan asked.
- I'm sorry that I'm leaving without you, but I'm doing this for your own safety. There are too many templars in the tower. You'd better help the others here.
Daylen kissed Morrigan goodbye and left the castle with Alistair.
- We'll have to keep an eye on the second floor to make sure Connor doesn't kill anyone, - Perth said. – We will watch in shifts, in groups of two.
Two of the guards nodded their heads and went to the stairs to the second floor.
- Lady Kallian, I saw what you were trying to do to Lord Connor, - the knight continued. - You will not be allowed to guard, and I ask you to hand over your daggers.
- I won't give you anything, knight, I'll leave the castle myself.
Kallian left the castle and sat on the stairs. For now, she will have to play along with the shems, but Connor will definitely be punished. And as long as Kallian lives, no one can torture the elves and get away with it.