Getting to the top of the battlements had been easy. There hadn't been that many demons or Wardens for Anders and Siara to fight off, and the few that they had encountered were pretty easily dispatched. Once they were on the wall, they split up. Speed was important here - they didn't want Jacquleyn and the others to get too far ahead of them, and the Inquisition's army needed to get a foothold on the walls. So Anders had gone one way, Siara had gone another.
It had proven to be a bit of a mistake. Anders was fine - he could blast anyone and anything that got too close to him. Siara, though, was less fine. She didn't know how to use her magic, and even if she did she wouldn't be using it. There were too many people around who knew who she was, and she wasn't ready for anyone to know about her situation yet.
She managed to kill a few Wardens and even a couple of demons, but then a small group of demons had advanced on her position. At first it was only a couple of demons, which Siara didn't feel too bad about. She could manage two. But then a third joined, then a fourth and a fifth. Siara knew that she didn't stand a chance against that many demons, and she started looking for a route to retreat. Unfortunately, the only clear path that she could see was behind the demons or behind her. Behind her led to a brick wall, and in front of her and her best route of escape was five demons slowly forcing her back.
Every now and again she could unleash a flurry of attacks upon the advancing demons, enough to push them back and give them reason to pause, but it was never enough to open a way through. Siara knew it would only be a matter of time before she was in real shit, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. All she could do for the moment was slow down the demons' progress in the hopes that Anders would notice in time to help.
And then there was a flash of light. Siara recognised the attack, knew that the beam of light had to be from a holy smite. She frowned. She hadn't realised that the templars had been sent to the walls, she'd thought they were in the main forces. The demons fell to the ground, giving the opening that Siara needed to fight back, to escape. But she froze.
There, vanquishing the demons, was Cullen. Just Cullen, no one else. He'd been the one to smite the demons. Try as she might, she couldn't move, her mind reeling. It took until Cullen had finished the demons off for her brain and body to reconnect.
"Are you all right?" Cullen asked.
"I'm fine," Siara moved to push past Cullen, accidentally brushing against him. She flinched away, but did her best to hide it. She couldn't help it. She hated herself for it, hated that she was afraid of him. But at that moment, she was straight up scared of him.
"I need to catch up with Jacquleyn," she continued, trying her best to cover up her reaction, hoping like mad that Cullen hadn't noticed. She was pretty sure that he had, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Best thing she could do was get back to the mission at hand. The battlements were cleared enough that the men on the ladders could get a foothold, so it was time for Siara and Anders to catch up with the rest of the group.
Anders could tell something was up with Siara when she caught up with him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she almost snapped. "We need to keep going."
"Siara - "
"I'm fine. I can deal with it later. Let's go."
Siara knew that Anders was just concerned about her, but she couldn't deal with it right now. She couldn't find the words to explain it to him. Things were already bad with Cullen, but this just made everything so much worse. There had been a small chance she could move past what had happened before. But now? Now Siara wasn't sure, and there were more pressing matters at hand. For now she could ignore the problem.
Warden Commander Clarel was already giving a speech when Jacquelyn reached her, which was not a good sign. Evidently the ritual, whatever the details of it were, was about to begin.
"Wardens, we are betrayed by the very world we have sworn to protect," Clarel was saying, walking back and forth on higher ground overlooking a sort of courtyard area. Beside her, possibly slightly behind, was Erimond. He seemed impatient, snapping something to Clarel that Jacquelyn couldn't hear above the sound of battle raging around them.
Another Warden stepped forward, an older man. He looked tired, as though he was likely nearing the end of his life anyway. He knelt down before Clarel, bowing his head. Clarel moved to stand behind him as he arose, a knife put to his throat. Jacquelyn didn't want to think about what was about to happen next, but knew that there was no way for her to reach them in time to stop anything.
The man fell to his knees as blood spurted from a gaping wound in his neck, marking the beginning of the ritual. The group arrived just as the man fell forward to the ground, now lifeless.
"Stop them!" Erimond commanded the Wardens that stood in the courtyard. "We must complete the ritual!"
Jacquelyn held up her hand to stop Stroud as he drew his sword, stepping forward. She tried to get the Warden Commander's attention, holding her sword loosely in her hand, letting it hang by her side. She wasn't going to put it away, not when she was in such danger, but she didn't want to seem like a threat, either.
"Clarel," she said, "if you complete the ritual, you will be doing exactly what Erimond wants."
"What, fighting the Blight?" Erimond yelled back. "Keeping the world safe from Darkspawn? Who wouldn't want that?"
Clarel didn't look happy about it, but she said nothing to disagree. She just looked from Erimond to Jacquelyn, a sad, resigned look in her aged eyes. She just seemed tired. And scared.
"And yes," Erimond continued, "the ritual requires a blood sacrifice. Hate me for that if you must, but do not hate the Wardens for doing their duty."
"We make the sacrifices no one else will," Clarel cut in. "Our warriors die proudly for a world that will never thank them."
"You'll be thanked, all right," Siara called back, stepping forward, "by having Erimond bind your Warden mages to Corypheus."
Jacquelyn glanced at Siara, taking in the grim look on her face before returning her attention to Clarel. That had gotten the Warden Commander's attention, and Jacquelyn couldn't help but feel some relief at the shocked look on her face.
"Corypheus? But he's dead."
"These people will say anything to shake your confidence, Clarel," Erimond leaned in close to Clarel, then turned to glare at the small Inquisition group. Clarel just rubbed her forehead, trying to make a decision. Jacquelyn only hoped that it would be the right one.
Unfortunately, Clarel looked at the Wardens below her and gave the order to continue as they had planned. Her voice was calm, steady, and Jacquelyn felt her stomach drop through the ground.
"Bring it through," Clarel ordered.
A group of Warden mages turned to where a rift was just starting to form. Jacquelyn couldn't understand the magic that they were using, but it didn't take long for them to begin summoning what Clarel had ordered them to.
The other Wardens began to advance on their position. The Inquisition team stepped forward, all readying their various weapons.
Hawke half stepped forward.
"Please," he said, "I have seen more than my fair share of blood magic. It's never worth the cost!"
"I trained half of you myself!" Stroud added. "Do not make me kill you to stop this madness!"
"They're not going to listen," Siara muttered. Jacquelyn hated to admit it, but she knew that the Blade was right. The Wardens weren't going to stop, not unless they had solid proof of what was going on. But there was one more thing that she could try.
"Blackwall," she asked, "could you try to talk some sense into them?"
He stepped forward, a determined look on his face as he looked at his fellow Wardens.
"You do not know me," he started, "but you may have heard my name. Like you, I've given my life to the Grey Wardens. The first time I put on this armour, I felt like I belonged, like I was part of something honorable, something with a purpose. I know how good that feels. How safe. But fighting and dying here today won't stop the Blight. If you want to stop the Blight, kill that bastard up there. His master is the living embodiment of its corruption."
Many of the Wardens stopped what they were doing, turning to look up at Erimond. Even Clarel was looking like Blackwall might have somewhat persuaded her, slowly turning to look at the man standing beside her.
"Clarel, we have come so far. You're the only one who can do this," Erimond was imploring.
"Perhaps we should test the truth of these charges, to avoid more bloodshed," Clarel said to him, a small frown on her face. A wave of relief flooded through Jacquelyn. They were managing to reach the Wardens, to reason with them. Perhaps they could get through this with minimal bloodshed after all.
"Or perhaps I should bring in a more reliable ally," Erimond scowled, his voice dark. His mask was falling, rage and impatience beginning to overwhelm him. He turned to face Jacquelyn, raising his staff and slamming it on the ground a couple of times, red sparks flying from around its base.
"My master thought you might come here, Inquisitor!" he shouted to Jacquelyn. "He sent me this to welcome you!"
The now somewhat familiar screech of Corypheus' dragon echoed out through the sky, and Jacquelyn looked up as it swooped towards them destroying a statue during its descent. It landed on a nearby tower, surveying the scene below it for a moment. Jacquelyn glanced around at her companions, trying to get an idea of their confidence levels. Blackwall, Stroud, and Hawke all had serious expressions on their faces, but determined. Solas was quietly apprehensive, but not afraid. Bull had a mixture of excitement and caution on his face, and Siara and Anders were sharing looks.
There was a crackle of lightning, and Erimond stumbled forward. Jacquelyn looked to where Clarel was standing, now with her staff raised, prepared to continue her attack on Erimond. The dragon's head also snapped around to watch the Warden Commander, growling its displeasure. Clarel looked up at it, lightning dancing at her fingertips. Jacquelyn couldn't hear what was being said, but it looked as though Erimond was almost begging Clarel. His pleas landed on deaf ears, and the ball of lightning shot from Clarel's hand to the dragon.
The dragon retaliated by firing back its red, lightning-like breath, Clarel throwing herself out of its path. Erimond got to his feet, fleeing the scene as Clarel pulled herself up and the dragon flew overhead.
"This is getting a bit out of control," Jacquelyn heard Siara mutter beside her. She couldn't help but agree, but she didn't say anything, just watched the scene unfolding in front of her, ready to get out of the way or to fight as needed.
"Help the Inquisitor!" Clarel commanded her Wardens, then ran off after Erimond. At least she was now seeing sense, though it would have been nicer if she'd come to the conclusion that Erimond was not the person he claimed to be sooner.
Jacquelyn wasn't entirely sure when exactly during all this the pride demon had emerged from the rift, but now she turned her attention to it and the other, smaller demons that were continuing to emerge. The dragon still flew overhead, occasionally firing at them with its tainted lightning. The situation wasn't great, but with the help of the Wardens, they might just make it out of this situation alive.
With the help of the Wardens, the demons were quickly finished off. Siara started running off in the direction that Erimond and Clarel had gone, but Jacquelyn took a moment to turn to the Wardens.
"Go and help the Inquisition to get the demons under control," she told them. One of the Wardens nodded to her, immediately taking charge and barking orders to the rest of the Wardens. With that sorted, Jacquelyn rushed to catch up with Siara and the others. It didn't take her too long, as the rest of the team were taking shelter behind some pillars as the dragon fired more of the tainted lightning at them before once again flying off.
"Any sign of Clarel?" she asked the group.
"None yet," Hawke replied.
They got attacked by a few more groups of demons as they made their advance, but they were quickly enough finished off. It didn't take them too long to catch up with Clarel and Erimond.
Clarel was advancing on Erimond, pushing him back towards a fallen down patch of wall. Erimond was trying to blast Clarel with fireballs, but the Warden Commander was brushing them off as if they were nothing, advancing determinedly towards her foe.
"You! You've destroyed the Grey Wardens!" she accused. Jacquelyn could hear the hatred and hurt in her voice, but she felt no sympathy for the woman.
Clarel called up what looked like fade rock with her staff and shot Erimond in the chest with it, sending him sprawling backwards. She moved to get between Erimond and the gap in the wall as he pushed himself up. Jacquelyn could hear him laughing, something she wasn't happy about at all.
"You did that to yourself, you stupid bitch," he said. Though Jacquelyn didn't want to admit it, she agreed with Erimond. The mistakes made were Clarel's. That did not mean, however, that she sided with Erimond on anything else. Only that Clarel was just as at fault for the fall of the Wardens.
"All I did was dangle a little power before your eyes," Erimond continued, pushing himself into a sitting position and clutching his ribs. "And you couldn't wait to get your hands bloody!"
Rage overcame Clarel. Jacquelyn could see it on the woman's face just before she struck out at Erimond, swinging her staff at him, a large ball of lightning smashing into him and sending him flying backwards. Erimond curled up in a ball, moaning in pain as Clarel once more advanced upon him.
"You could have served a new god," Erimond said as he rocked himself back and forth.
"I will never serve the Blight," Clarel was vehement, the rage still etched on her face.
By now Jacquelyn and her small group were walking towards them both, no longer feeling the need to hurry. It was almost over, Jacquelyn was sure of it.
And then the dragon landed, snatching Clarel up, once more flying to high ground where it proceeded to shake her around as though she were nothing more than a chew toy before casting her aside. Jacquelyn immediately started backing away, holding her shield up before her and searching for somewhere safe to retreat to. But the dragon was advancing on them, stalking them with its head low, pushing them back towards the fallen wall.
Clarel was trying to pull herself along, having lost the use of her legs. There was no way she could survive this, Jacquelyn knew this. There was nothing she could do for the woman now, and even if there was a chance Clarel could have been saved, the dragon walking over her was in the way.
"In war, victory," Clarel was weakly getting out as she weakly pulled herself along. "In peace, vigilance."
The dragon took half a step back, clearly preparing to launch itself at the group. Jacquelyn glanced around once more, desperately searching for somewhere, anywhere that she could go to get out of the dragon's way. Then a blast of lightning shot out from Clarel's hand, straight up into the dragon's neck.
The dragon fell forward, hitting the ground, rolling over them and slipping down the gap in the wall. It scrabbled to try and maintain a hold on the wall, only succeeding in bringing more of it down. Jacquelyn hurried to get out of the way, running to escape the falling wall. But Stroud didn't move fast enough, the wall collapsing beneath him. Jacquelyn turned back, hurrying to grab him and pull him up before once again trying to outrun the collapse.
They had no chance of that, however, and the stone beneath them fell away. There was nothing beneath them but darkness and the hard, hard ground to meet them. With stone falling all around them, Jacquelyn stretched out her hand before her in desperation.
She hadn't noticed the dormant rift below her. She didn't have time to register the mark on her hand connecting with it, and she certainly didn't have time to panic about the rift below her opening in time for her to fall through it.