Edited June 2024

14

They were greeted with much fanfare when they reached the Crossroads. The place certainly looked much better than when they first arrived months ago. Corporal Vale reported that they were able to get a steady supply of food since hunting was a lot safer without the templars or mages trading blows. Johnson, the mage Talia had assigned as the main healer for the camp, happily told her that their herb stocks were full and that they managed to prevent infection in many wounded soldiers.

As soon as they finished exchanging pleasantries and hearing status reports, Talia commandeered one of the tents and flopped onto the bedroll with a groan. Her head was killing her; it had been an incredibly long day, and it took a lot of effort to project herself as confident and calm, when she was everything but.

Talia was aware that there were too many factors that could go wrong. Apart from their mission, there was the matter of the Dread Wolfthat concerned her greatly. She shared their meeting with Solas, who was the only elf who might know what in Oblivion was going on. He looked concerned when she mentioned the Dread Wolf, and Talia had apprehensively asked just who the Dread Wolf was.

Fen'Harel.

That was what Solas said his true name was. And he was considered as one of the Elven gods.

Or at least, masquerading as one. It was highly possible that someone who had the ability to walk the Fade was integrating himself into her dreams. Talia watched him more carefully after he said this; she hadn't forgotten their talk before, when he had told her of his particular skill. But Solas didn't act suspiciously, he seemed genuinely worried about her dreams, and told her everything he knew about the subject. He was familiar with Skyhold, and reassured Talia that it could be a viable base of operations.

Apart from Solas, the only other person she'd told of the dreams were Leliana. Just before they left, Talia pulled her aside and asked her to look into Skyhold. It would be a while before they would be able to transfer there, likely after the entire business with the templars and the mages, but if it proved to be as good as Solas said, she would prefer if they moved to a more secure location.

Leliana suggested asking Solas for lessons on blocking the mind's connection to the Fade, or at least controlling what went on in her dreams, and Talia had conceded that it wasn't a bad idea. Still, while she liked Solas enough, as he seemed the most level-headed out of all her companions, she didn't trust him that much.

The books she'd brought with her didn't have any in-depth discussions about the Fade, but were more of Chantry propaganda against magic. One book stated in disturbingly great detail a list of all mages that had caused devastation across the countryside. In the end, she settled on reading the Chant of Light again and analyzing what it said about the Fade.

If the religious book would be believed, the Fade was created by the Maker, and is inhabited by spirits, his first children. Demons, it stated, were essentially these spirits that grew "jealous" of human life. As for the Old Gods, they were supposedly demons so powerful that they were able to cross over from the Fade and then proclaimed themselves gods to the men. In his anger, the Maker sent them to sleep in stone.

Talia frowned as she updated her notes. One of the reasons she was so skeptical about the Maker and his existence was that it was obvious the Chant was written by people. If the Maker created the spirits and these Old Gods, shouldn't he have been powerful enough to banish them back to the Fade where they belonged? Unlike the Aedra, there was no indication in the texts that creating the world and the Fade had diminished his power in the slightest. And how did they know that the Black city in the middle of the Fade used to be Golden? What if it were black to begin with, swirling with volatile dark magic that was beyond their comprehension?

As for the Old Gods, why and how did they become dragons? Did they possess dragons, finding them the apex predators during that time, or were they always dragons to begin with? It had surprised her to know that dragons were rampant across Thedas, though from what she'd heard and read, they were just animals—smart animals—but animals nonetheless, in contrast to those in Mundus. She'd read ancient texts on dragons when she was in Skyrim, about their power, their magic, how they conquered towns of men and turned worship to them. Talia scowled at the book and resolved to do more research on the Old Gods when she had the time.

She turned the page and had to roll her eyes at what was stated.

These truths the Maker has revealed to me:

As there is but one world,

One life, one death, there is

But one god, and He is our Maker.

Talia shut the book in front of her in annoyance. Obviously, there wasn't just one world, Mundus, was proof of that. And who were these Andrastians kidding when they say there was only one god? No god, no matter how divine or powerful could have created an entire world by himself. Even as a follower of Sithis, Talia knew there was no basis for the propaganda stating that the Dread Father created everything in the universe, no matter how much Ocheeva had tried hammering it in to her.

She pulled out her other journal, and she traced the cover lightly, where her initials were engraved. It was one of the few things she'd brought over from Nirn. Her topic of research then had been the translation spell, and she allowed herself a small smile when she remembered how skeptical Raminus had been when she'd told him.

Well, Raminus, she thought wryly. Here's definitive proof that it could actually work.

Talia flipped through her notes, hoping that she might have written anything in the past that could aid her now. The journal, sadly, only held notes and studies on the different spells and enchantments she'd been working on for the past few months. As she stuffed it back into her pack, a silhouette appeared against the entrance of her tent, and she suppressed the urge to groan.

"Is there something you need, Dorian?" she said as neutrally as she could.

"Ah, even without seeing my beautiful face, the Herald already senses my magnificence. Truly, you are a woman of great power." The mage parted the tent's covers and strode in with a swagger. He made himself at home and sat on the only chair, making Talia look up at him from where she was seated on her bedroll.

"Doing a bit of research, I see? You won't find anything useful from those books, I'm afraid," He eyed the Chant of Light and the Magical Disasters texts. "What is it you're looking for anyway?"

Clearly, Dorian came to her with bad news, otherwise he wouldn't be stalling.

"Information on the Fade," she answered his question. Making him feel at ease with her would hopefully get him to speak about whatever news he brought with him. Using calm spells were out of the question; being a mage, he would sense it just as soon as she gathered it in her palms.

"What has you so interested in the Fade?" he asked curiously. "I didn't think non-mages bothered themselves with that kind of information. The Chantry might just call you a mage-loving heretic."

Talia almost snorted. "Too late for that, the Chantry already hates me. As for your question, I'm not sure you've noticed it, but I do have this thing on my hand that can close Fade rifts."

Dorian chuckled. "So, you don't even know how it works? Do you just wiggle your fingers at the rift until it goes away?"

His condescending tone irked Talia, and her pride wouldn't allow it. "From what I understand, the mark contains Fade magic that anchors the rifts into place. Connecting it with the rifts siphons said magic into it, and eventually causes them to implode due, sealing it." Talia shrugged nonchalantly. "Since nobody seems to have any idea what is, it would be safe to assume it's Ancient Elven magic." She peered at Dorian. "Or do you have an alternate theory? If so, I'd like to hear it."

She had said this all so coolly, that Dorian stared at her for a moment before narrowing his eyes. The Nine be damned, she must be more tired than she thought. Magic was something she took pride in, and it was a touchy topic for her. She cursed herself for being so careless with her words, she may as well have announced to Dorian that she was the Arch-mage.

"I have been meaning to ask you about something." Dorian crouched down in front of her. Talia eyed him questioningly. She didn't expect him to extend his hand towards her, or for her to react instinctively. She pressed the Blade of Woe to his throat, her heart pounding. Dorian froze, and Talia saw that he didn't have a spell readied in his hand, but was instead poised to touch her enchanted pendant. She breathed out slowly, lowering her blade.

"I apologize, there have been too many attempts on my life for me not to be paranoid," she said, and in a lower tone added, "Don't do that again." Some of the darkness instilled by the Brotherhood must have leaked from her, since he paled and nodded stiffly.

She had to hand it to him, he composed himself quickly, and acted as if the last few seconds didn't just happen. "I was curious about your pendant."

"What about it?"

This time, he kept his hands to himself. "All mages are attuned to magic to a certain extent; we can sense it when it's cast. Some of us, the more handsome and talented ones." Talia could not stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Can sense latent and dormant magic. I want to know…" He narrowed his eyes as he leaned away from her. "What you're doing with a pendant infused with blood magic."

Talia blinked at him. "Blood magic?" she echoed.

"As I've said, I'm more attuned to magic. Years of experimentation, probably," he sounded guilty, but of what, Talia wasn't sure.

Ah, she remembered. Of course, she used her blood as well as Maryden's for the ritual. She didn't know mages could sense it. With the exception of Solas, none of the other mages she'd met had given her strange looks or made any indication they could sense her enchanted items.

"And you want to know what it does?" Talia asked. Could she trust Dorian with this information? Well, if not, she could kill him eventually, she thought darkly. She was getting tired of having to walk on eggshells around everybody. While he was important for now, Alexius was someone who had the information they needed. If Dorian decided to go against them, she was fairly certain she could exterminate him.

Mind decided, she took off her necklace and placed it in Dorian's hands. He cast a few spells on it, none that she recognized, and he had a frown on his face as he tried to figure it out.

"Well, do you understand now?"

Dorian turned to her in confusion, and Talia could see him putting two and two together. He handed it back to her, speaking words she couldn't understand. As soon as she slipped it on, Talia caught the tail end of his sentence.

"...extraordinary. As far as I know, no one has been able to create a working translation spell or enchantment. Usually because you have to—,"

"Create a link between two separate minds, and channel it in such a way so that it does not enter and exit in the same way." She finished for him, and once again, Dorian looked at her in wonder.

"You know a lot about magical theory, but you can't speak King's Tongue?" he asked curiously.

"Not knowing how to speak a certain language does not mean I'm stupid, Dorian."

"Indeed," he replied fluidly. "But we've deviated. Was it created using blood magic?"

"What qualifies as 'blood magic'?" she asked, irritation seeping in her tone. "If you mean it needed some blood for it to work, the answer is yes. It needed a drop of my blood, and someone else's for the knowledge of the two languages to mix and translate. And no, the person who enchanted this for me did not consort with demons of the Fade, and was not a blood mage. And that's the end of that discussion, Dorian." she added when the mage opened his mouth to speak.

Dorian hummed in response, but said nothing else. Talia was sure he had suspicions about her, but he was smart enough not to ask.

"Now, was there something you needed me for, apart from asking me about my pendant and bothering me with magical theories?" she prodded.

"Ah, yes." He reclaimed his seat as he coughed uncomfortably. "I—ah, have more information that may be useful to the Inquisition. It concerns the—ah—research Alexius has been working on that caught Corypheus' eye."

Talia waited patiently for him to continue.

"Well, it's my research as well. Purely theoretical of course, that is, until the entire business with the Breach."

Talia straightened in her seat. "What was it you were studying?"

Dorian looked conflicted, and after a few moments the words tumbled from his lips.

"Time magic."

Talia stared at Dorian incredulously. Time magic? The idea was preposterous. As far as she knew the only way to alter time was through Aedric or Daedric magic; mortal magic could never be so powerful. But then again, she was not on Mundus.

Her heart pounded as she realized the implication of this. Time magic was a whole different aspect to Interdimensional magic, but it was a start. She'd been displaced through time and space, and if she could get her hands on even one part of that equation…

She opened her mouth, but another voice cut into their conversation.

"Herald! Your presence is requested near the main gates." One of the Inquisition soldiers spoke from the outside.

Talia scrutinized Dorian for a moment before turning. "What's the situation, Corporal?"

"Templars, Your Worship."

"Keep out of sight," she told Dorian.

She pushed herself off the bedroll and was out of the tent in flash. She followed the quickest path to the gates, hardly noticing when Solas stepped in beside her. Her mind whirled as she thought of what to say. Conall would likely wonder why she wasn't in Haven, and if word reached them that she was going to help the mages, it would be disastrous.

The templars they met at the gates, however, were not any that Talia recognized. One of them, Talia surmised he was their leader—stepped forward when she arrived. He was ruggedly good-looking, with tan skin, messy brown hair and grey eyes.

"Your Worship," he saluted.

Talia nodded at him. "Is there a problem here?" she asked. "I've already instructed Ser Conall to send the Templars to Haven."

"Conall...Selbrech?" The man blanched and Talia's eyebrows shot to her hairline.

"Yes. He's been instructed to negotiate the terms of the alliance," she said cautiously.

"Ah—I see," the man floundered. "In that case, my men and I will simply—,"

"You seem nervous, Ser templar. Any reason for it?" she asked easily, but with an undertone of danger. Why did the man seem so anxious? Was he sent there to spy for them?

The answer came in the form of Cassandra, who'd marched up to them, and started when she saw the templar.

"Knight-Commander Trevelyan?" she asked in surprise.

If possible, the man paled further, and his eyes darted apprehensively to Talia, as if he feared what she would do when she learned his name. And if she actually were allied with Conall Selbrech, he was right to fear it. As it was, she remembered Leliana telling her that Trevelyan had defected from the Templar Order, and was on the hunt, likely carrying information about them.

Talia relaxed when she heard it, more to show Trevelyan that they were on the same side, and the templar seemed wary at her change in attitude.

"I apologize if I came off as aggressive, Knight-Commander. But I had thought you were one of Conall's men." Talia explained.

"Why would you be if you're in an alliance with them?" He narrowed his eyes, and his hand hovered over the pommel of his sword. Well, at least he actually had a spine. Given how frightened he was a while ago, Talia had assumed he was rather easily subdued.

"It's a sham," Cassandra said bluntly, and Talia resisted the urge to drag a hand down her face. Classic Cassandra Pentaghast tact.

The man blinked. "Truly? It would be devastating if you agreed to the alliance, only to have them betray you in the end."

"Yes, we're aware of their allegiance to the Elder One," Cassandra scowled.

Trevelyan looked so relieved that Talia wanted to give him a reassuring pat on the back. "When you mentioned Selbrech, I was certain everything was lost. My men and I left when we found out what they planned to do."

Talia exchanged a look with Cassandra. "A traitor from our ranks was questioned yesterday, and he revealed that the Templars have been looking for you."

"Yes, we were on our way to Haven when we received information that you were seen heading for the Hinterlands. Thankfully, we were already in the area, and it was only a matter of actually looking for you." He straightened. "We wish to join the Inquisition."

Talia crossed her arms as she scrutinized the group in front of her. A handful of templars, who looked tired, but capable. They looked like they had just gotten out of a battle; their armor was scuffed and there were splatters of blood in them. Some looked injured, nursing either a broken arm or a side wound. Their hands were shaking, and she made a mental note to ask Cassandra about it later.

"Perhaps we can use them to balance out the team to lead the siege," Cassandra suggested.

"Indeed," Solas agreed, speaking for the first time. "We have many mages, but only a few templars. Perhaps this way we can assess their skills in battle?"

Talia did not like it, but she agreed to some extent. Having more templars to subdue the Venatori's magic would be helpful. "Very well. Let me gather the rest of the team, and we can go over the plan one final time with the Knight Commander."

When they had dispersed, Talia snagged Cassandra by the elbow and Solas by the arm, just as they were leaving.

"If they make a move to harm any of our people, I expect you to kill them," she said firmly. Cassandra looked like she wanted to argue, but eventually nodded, seeing the value in her words.

Talia gathered her team, sans the foot soldiers, to one of the larger tents to go over their plan. It was almost time for them to enact the first phase of the plan, and everybody was jittery; Dorian kept drumming his fingers on the table, Trevelyan was sweating nervously, Sera was visibly bouncing, and Cassandra paced around the tent agitatedly. It seemed she and Solas were the ones maintaining at least a facade of calmness.

"Now that we're all here—,"

"I thought we were working against the Templars?" Dorian looked irked at the presence of Trevelyan, and the templar likewise grunted at him.

"I defected from them, Tevinter," he bit back.

"Quiet," Talia slashed her hand through the air, and everyone fell silent. "We have much bigger things to worry about than petty grievances." When nobody else spoke, she continued. "Knight-Commander Trevelyan has left the Templar Order and has willingly joined the Inquisition—,"

"Er—please call me Maxwell. Since I left the Order, I no longer hold that rank."

"Maxwell then," Talia said smoothly. "He and his men will be joining our siege on Redcliffe. Let's go over the plan one last time."

Talia prayed to Nocturnal that for once in her life, she'd grant her the luck she needed to pull this off without problems.

As usual, Nocturnal simply laughed at her.

Talia had perched upon a tree near the north entrance and watched with hawk eyes as Sera approached the gate. She wasn't close enough to hear what was going on, but it seemed the guards by the gate were belittling the woman for being an elf. To Sera's credit, she simply cast her head down; the elf could really behave when she wanted to. There were a few more moments when the guards didn't look convinced, but either Sera said something or they knew Sera's meat was good, so they opened the gate and let her in.

Now, all Talia had to do was wait.

The dunmer watched the waxing moon rise as she waited for Sera's signal. It still bothered her that she wasn't seeing Secunda and Masser in the sky. How many nights back in Cyrodiil had she needed to simply lay out a bedroll and sleep under the stars? She tried looking for her sign, The Apprentice, in the stars, but even that couldn't be found. The Ayleids and many others had theorized that magicka had come from the stars—as they were holes to Aetherius. Why then, was Talia able to use her magic when she was in a different world?

A glint of light caught Talia's attention, and she turned her gaze back onto the ramparts. She watched it carefully until the gesture was repeated, and Talia pulled out a small mirror and signaled back to Sera.

She slipped on the Ring of Khajiiti and she stuck to the shadows as she made her way to the wall. She cursed when she noticed the stones were smoothed out. Just as Talia was about to stick her dagger into the wall, a long rope was thrown over the edge of the parapet. Eyeing it curiously, Talia grabbed a hold of it and started climbing.

When she reached the top, Sera looked confused, and Talia had to clamp a hand over the elf's mouth when she accidentally startled her.

"Quiet," she hissed.

"You daft tit! Where are you?"

Talia took off her ring, and Sera slapped her arm in annoyance.

The dunmer scowled at her as she rubbed her sore arm. "When I find Felix, I'll let him send a fireball in the sky. Once that happens—,"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll open the gates."

"And Alexius?"

Sera sniggered quietly. "Yeah, I found him in one of the inns. Bastard looked at me like I was an insect, till I gave him the note, and suddenly acted as if I was a friggin' hero." She rolled her eyes. "But yeah, he got the note. Said he'll distract the other creepy mage and meet you by the North Gate."

Excellent. So far, so good.

"Just friggin' go already. All these mages are giving me the creeps." Sera shuddered.

Talia passed the guards Sera had had to incapacitate as she made her way to the windmill. Whether they were simply knocked out cold or dead, Talia didn't know, or care. She found the secret trapdoor, and with a simple unlocking spell, she pushed it open and dropped down.

She didn't expect to be accosted as soon as she did, and so was caught unawares when a mage's staff swung her direction. Talia ducked just in time, and took a step back before drawing her daggers to block yet another attack. She twisted to the side to avoid a spell. Grabbing the staff, she pulled the mage closer and managed to kick him in the stomach. As he slid on the ground, Talia squinted in the dark to see who her assailant was.

Looking at her with frightened, wide eyes was a boy, barely out of his adolescence.

"Savith?"

Who apparently also knew who the Dragonborn was.

"My name is Talia Indoril," she said, and the boy paled further.

"Y-you're the Herald of Andraste!"

"So they say, and you are?"

The boy shakily got to his feet. "I'm Connor. Connor Guerrin. I'm Arl Teagan's nephew. I—ah—Is the Inquisition here to help?"

Talia nodded curtly, still not feeling all that friendly to a boy who'd just attacked her.

"I—I apologize for attacking you. I assumed you were one of the Tevinters. They've already given us so much trouble these past few weeks."

Talia scrutinized the boy. He looked tired, and he winced as he touched his stomach. "I need to speak with the Arl," she said, and Connor nodded.

"I'll get you to him. I just really hope you're telling the truth." And with that ominous bit of dialogue, he led her deeper into the underground pathway.

"So, how do you know Savith?" she asked conversationally.

"Oh," Connor didn't meet Talia's eyes as he spoke. "She saved me when I was a child; she's the only reason I'm alive today."

There was more to the story, if Connor's clenched fists were any indication, but Talia dropped the topic.

Connor unlocked the door that led into the castle, and both of them stepped in. Almost immediately, a group of mages pointed their staves at her. Talia watched them blandly as Connor stepped in between them and tried to get them to calm down.

"She's here to help," he pleaded with them.

"Oh yeah?" a girl with fiery hair challenged. "Don't you know they're working with the templars? She's here to exterminate us all!"

Connor looked at her uncertainly, and Talia decided it was time to speak.

"I'm not working with the templars, and I'm certainly not here to exterminate you. The Inquisition got wind of what happened here, and we've come to help."

The girl scoffed. But when she was about to retort, another voice entered the conversation.

"Beltran, Connor, what is going on here?" The group of mages parted, and Talia saw an elf clad in mage robes. With her calm demeanor and sharp eyes, she scrutinized the dunmer, and Talia already knew whom she was speaking with.

"Grand Enchanter Fiona, I presume." Talia inclined her head in greeting.

"Herald of Andraste." There was a touch of frostiness in the mage's response. "I don't believe we were expecting you."

"I apologize for dropping by unannounced. But we received word of what was happening here—,"

"And decided to help?" Fiona pursed her lips. "Come now, let's not play games. You need the mages' help."

Talia raised her eyebrow. Let no one say that Fiona was naive. "I'm here on behalf of the Inquisition seeking an alliance with the mages."

Fiona let out a bitter laugh. "Really? And we must trust the word of a woman who, only a few weeks ago, had agreed to an alliance with the templars?"

"The templars forced our hand. Had we not agreed to at least discuss the terms of the alliance, we believe they would have sent a force to strike down Haven." Talia tilted her head to the side. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"The Inquisition did some digging when we were in Val Royeaux. We've discovered that the Templars are part of the group responsible for the death of the Divine."

Many in the crowd gasped at this news, and Talia knew it was the right decision to let it slip. Fiona seemed conflicted for a moment before she ordered her men to stand down.

Fiona marched up to her and looked her dead in the eye and Talia stared back at her calmly. Whatever the Grand Enchanter found, it seemed to have passed inspection, because she nodded. "If what you say is true, then we must work together to eliminate the Templar Order." She stepped back and walked away, beckoning for Talia to follow.

They strode through the castle corridors with haste, and when they reached a set of double doors, Fiona flung them open, and inside the room was a man looking over a map.

"Teagan," Fiona called, and when the man looked up, he did a double take when he saw Talia.

"Savith?" Must she really resign herself to being mistaken for someone the entire time she was here? "No—I assume you're the Herald of Andraste?"

"Talia Indoril." She gave a small bow.

"Fiona?" There was a hint of hardness in Teagan's voice when he turned to her.

"The templars are working for the group that killed the Divine," Fiona said without preamble, and Talia was treated to the sight of the Arl gaping in shock. "We must work together; I have decided to trust the Herald." The for the moment went unsaid, but Talia heard it anyway.

Fiona must have had the Arl's full confidence, since he didn't question her, but simply nodded. "Very well, I trust your judgment. What did you have in mind?"

Talia nodded to the map, which happened to be a drawing of Redcliffe castle and the surrounding grounds. "May I?" Teagan gestured for her to go on, and she approached the table. "My men are stationed here." She pointed to the north gate. "As soon as I give the signal, one of my infiltrators will open that gate and allow them to attack. We have a good mix of templars, mages and plain soldiers, and I'm confident they can do much damage. Once they're suitably distracted you and the mages can charge from the castle. I doubt they'd expect it."

Teagan looked rather pleased that she'd brought in her men. "That's the best news we've had in ages," he confessed. "How did you even hear about what happened?"

She debated telling them about Alexius, but decided if they were going to trust her, she needed to be truthful.

"This may seem strange to you, but one of the Tevinters actually contacted me." Once the words were spoken, Talia could feel the room grow frosty, and she hastened to explain. "Alexius apparently, cares only for his son, Felix, and was desperate enough to contact me for help in saving him. In return, he will be providing valuable information about the Enemy. He will do anything for his son, including lying to the other Tevinters."

"There is no guarantee that Alexius will help you. Once he has his son, he'll turn his back on you again." Teagan said in disgust.

"Which is why I won't be handing his son over to him," Talia said, and the two blinked at her.

"You're ransoming him?"

Talia almost laughed. "Ransom is such a harsh term. I prefer bargaining chip." She shrugged. "But as long as he does not give us the information we need, Felix will be staying with us. You can be assured however, that he will not be harmed. One of his friends is a member of the Inquisition, and he will have my hide if anything happens to him."

The two looked conflicted, but their response went unspoken as the castle gave a mighty shudder.

Talia spread out her arms to balance herself. "What in Oblivion—?"

A strong force of magic pulsed through the air and blasted the windows back. Fiona threw her hand out and shielded the three of them from the shattered glass.

"It's the Tevinters! They've finally decided to lay siege on the castle." Teagan gritted his teeth and he turned to Talia. "Felix is three rooms away." He tossed the key towards her. "Grab him and go, I hope our trust in you isn't misplaced, Herald."

"Fiona, send a fireball in the sky. It's the signal I gave my infiltrator." She waited until Fiona hurled out a huge fireball, and Talia heard the telltale sound of the gates creaking open. At least, Sera had managed to stay in the ramparts without compromising her position.

Talia ran towards Felix's room and unlocked it. The man inside whirled around and looked at her in confusion as she stepped in.

"Dorian sent me," she said simply. "No time to explain, I have to get you out of here." Both of them ducked as a fireball sailed over their heads from the broken window.

Talia grabbed Felix by the arm and dragged him out of the room. They descended numerous flights of stairs and when they reached the main hall, it was pandemonium.

The Venatori had managed to break through the gates of the castle, and the room flashed in different colors as both sides threw spells at each other. Felix drew a barrier around them and cast back some spells on his own, while Talia gathered her throwing knives and sent it straight through the enemies' throats.

But they couldn't keep it up for long, Felix tiring out, and Talia running out of knives. "We have to keep moving!" she shouted over the noise in the hall. The mage nodded at her, but as soon as they started moving, a wall of sizzling green energy sprung up at either side of them. With no other choice but to look ahead, Talia was met with the sight of an enraged Venatori.

"You!" she sputtered at Felix. "You've cost us more than you can imagine." She rushed forward, but had to move aside as an insidious spell flicked towards her direction. She blocked it with a twirl of her staff, and looked around to find her assailant. "You dare—?" she stopped and narrowed her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Father!" Felix cried.

Gereon Alexius slowly walked from where he was and stood between them and the woman spitting fire.

"Gereon," the woman hissed. "Step aside and let me dispense justice. The Elder One may be more forgiving if you allow us to right this wrong."

"Go," he told the two of them, before taking on an offensive stance and firing spells at the woman rapidly. As the two descended onto the foyer, more Venatori engaged them in battle and Talia allowed her Mundane Ring to do its job protecting her, as she closed the distance and slashed at their throats.

"Herald!" Talia whipped her head towards the voice and saw Cassandra and Dorian near the castle doors with Trevelyan and the rest of the team behind them. She felt a hint of relief as she saw them. Things would turn out okay.

A strangled cry ripped from Felix, and Talia whirled around to see one of the Venatori plunge his knife into the man's shoulder. The shout distracted Alexius for a moment, and it was enough for the woman to hit him with a spell that had him crashing towards one of the pillars. Talia skidded on the floor and with one swift move, severed the man's hand and with another, tore his throat open.

There was a cackle of triumph from the woman, and Talia turned just in time to see her lift her staff and send a fiery blast towards them.

Alexius was faster, however.

He threw a spell at them, and the two jets of light met just before reaching the two of them. On instinct, Talia raised her hand to shield them, and her mark flared.

Talia felt her ears pop, and there was the strange sensation of being sucked through a hole. There was a bright flash of light, and a loud bang, and when the dust cleared, nothing remained; Talia Indoril and Felix Alexius disappeared from the battlefield.

A/N: Sigh. This was a difficult chapter to write. But I think I managed to get through it okay. I might revise it eventually when I feel it's too jumbled.

Thanks to everyone who's reading this story! I can't believe we've reached 185 follows and 128 favs. Like WOW. I don't deserve you guys. Thanks so much!

Response to reviews:

Mister Cuddlesworth: Glad you think so! Thanks so much!

Cyclone 160: Wow! That means so much to me! Thank you! Skyhold was revealed early, but it'll be some time before they'd be able to transfer. But I already have a plan for that part of the story :) As for Solas/Fen'Harel, he'll be playing an important role in Talia's dreams. :-) Thank you for reading!

Guest: Thanks so much!