Into the Stars

Chapter Eleven

Our party and a large number of folk from Stone-Bear Hold are crouched out of sight of the Hakkonites guarding the fortress.

The two who were climbing the wall in the Hold when we arrived address us, "Right, Inquisitors. Hask and I will climb over."

"I'll be there to catch Parve when he slips."

"Good, don't get caught by the guard." Decius holds his forearm out for them to grasp. "We'll cover your climb." He turns to me, "let's not waste our spells on these guys. Spend them all on the dragon."

We turn and start the assault.

~

"I'm happy to see you, too!" Cole says in the midst of fending off the last of the outer guards.

Storvacker.

The door opens quickly, and without much else to say, we head inside.

"Careful, guys. There's wards. They're cold." He notches an arrow and shoots it. Snow bursts and gently floats to the ground.

"Impressive."

He shoots a series of other wards.

Cass exhales sharply, "you'll give Leliana a run for her money."

~

It's even colder on the inside. I know Hakkon is the god of winter and all but this is a little excessive.

"Sing the song of savage Hakkon, born in battle, bloody bladed.

Wintersbreath to wrack the lowlands, cold to cut and kill the hated.

Meet the might of Mountain-Father, crush the creed of Korth the callow.

Leave the Lady lost and lonely, scour the skies of spirits sallow!

Gurd Harofsen, called the Cutter, wyvern-slayer, lowland-bane

Begs of Hakkon, bring his body bloody blessings, cold and pain!"

It echoes all around us. Through every hall, every room. It bounces down the chasm.

Maddening, one could say.

Consuming.

Appropriate, considering Hakkon's domain. The consuming death of winter. The cold, and gray that overtakes life.

Maybe that's why no one likes us. We live in a permanent winter in Skyhold, on that mountain. Everyone has seasonal depression. We're all SAD, and not because we're war veterans.

"Is he insane ?"

I hum my agreement. He must be. I know I don't want to be any gods avatar. I like being the only consciousness here.

We catch sight of the dragon, a huge, beautiful ancient high dragon. "The dragon. She's stuck, still, a statue. Hakkon is angry inside her."

The first part of the fight is easy. And then? Gurd Harofsen turns into a cold hearted revenant. Literally. Ice cold, freezing every fire he can.

We all pant as he falls, and watch, in horror for some, as the stasis on the dragon and Ameridan starts to waver.

I slightly bow my head, "Inquisitor."

He looks between Decius and I, "Inquisitors. Andaran atish'an, sister. I'm glad Drakon's friendship with our people remains strong."

I smile. I'm sure it looks sad. I touch his mind, "You've been here a long time, but the human betrayed the elves. Exalted marches and all. They betrayed themselves, too. "

He looks surprised. "I see. And how long might that be?"

"You disappeared in 1:20 Divine? It's 9:41 Dragon. We are the first Inquisitors in 800 years, since you came here. I'm finding our jobs to be very similar. Drakon died a very long time ago."

"Drakon was my oldest friend, he would have sent someone to look for me."

"Yes, if the second Blight didn't send all the darkspawn in the Anderfels down to Orlais. Telena, we found her remains on an island nearby, near a rift in the veil. It seems appropriate you should know, considering who she was to you. I won't lie, she... she was a somniari? She kept trying to find you in the Fade, hoping you were alive."

"I asked her not to. She was a good hunter and the love of my life, but she never... I never wanted this job. Hunting demons was so much simpler than politics."

Don't I know it.

Cassandra steps forward, her Seeker emblem tarnished with blood, "Inquisitor Ameridan, how could the leader of the Seekers be a mage?"

"Has history forgotten so much? I was not a Seeker myself, as most Inquisitors were. I used my magical gifts in the hunting of demons and maleficarum. Do the Seekers no longer welcome the aid of mages?"

"No. That was forgotten... among many other things."

"I'm sorry, Inquisitor, history took quite a sour turn. Templars turned into jailers of those of us with magical talents, only to leave the circle towers in cases of Blights, essentially. It escalated into a war recently. I'm housing any who live, mage, templar, gray warden, and wish for peace in my castle. Tarasyl'an te'las. As a personal mission for some of us in the Inquisition, after the catalyst that brought back the Inquisition, we discovered and took the book that houses the secrets of the Seekers. The ones pertaining to the rite of tranquility were the most shocking, I think."

"You mean sundering one from the Fade? The Seekers do it briefly when granting an initiate their abilities."

"It has become a way to control mages deemed dangerous. They are left Tranquil. Permanently. With a brand on their forehead to mark them out."

The Inquisitor sighs, "killing a man is ugly work. You learn not to look to it as your first recourse. But sundering them from the Fade is easy. Bloodless. I told them spreading such a 'solution' would lead to abuse. They swore that would never happen. They promised. I am so sorry."

"You couldn't have known. I'm sorry you had to find out like this. But, if Cassandra wants, we'll rebuild the Seekers, and the Templars, into what they were meant to be."

"You have my thanks. Both of you. I never wanted to lead an organization. But, Drakon said he needed me. Much like you were, I suspect."

"Yeah. Not exactly my best choice. I wouldn't change it, but..." I look down at the Anchor, at my glowing veins.

"Take moments of happiness where you find them. The world will take the rest"

"We try. They leave messages for us on our pillows."

Decius frowns, "it was just my pillow."

"I practically sleep at my desk though, said it yourself, nas'falon." I nudge him with my elbow.

Ameridan smiles at us, "I know how busy you can be, I'm sorry to burden you with my unfinished business. The dragon carries the spirit of an Avvar god. I lacked the strength to kill it. My own magic was able to bind us all, locked in time. But when the cultists drew that spirit into another vessel, it disrupted my bindings. It is breaking free."

I scoff, "what's new about that? One is already trying to kill me." I reach out to his mind once more, "my Inquisitor and I are sort of dating Fen'Harel, too. If you'll believe it."

He laughs, eyes looking between Decius, Solas, and I, "well, I suppose the world is in capable hands. The passage of years can be delayed, but not ignored. I will soon join Telana at Andraste's side. Take this. It holds the last few memories of an old hunter who was neither as wise nor as strong as he thought. Fight well, Inquisitor. I am honored to have met you." An old leather journal lands in my palms.

"Direth'shiral, Inquisitor."