Herald of Shadow

Memories of the Breach

We treked through the steep mountain paths, moved past burning wagons and bodies until we finally reached the forward camp. All eyes we're on me as we walked through the crowd of scrambling people. They were watching intently, waiting for me to give them another reason to kill me. I found myself remaining by Solas' side, something about having another elf - another mage - present seemed to lessen my fear.

I spotted the woman from before, Leliana, standing beside an older man hunched over papers on a rickety table. Her eyes went wide flashing with relief as she saw Cassandra and the rest if us. Stepping from behind the table she smiled widely. "You made it!"

The old man looked up from his papers and scowled. "Ah yes, here they are."

Could he sound more upset? I questioned glancing up at Solas who simply rolled his eyes. Leliana returned her attention to the old man. "Chancellor Roderick, this is-"

"I know who she is and as Grand Chancellor of the Chantry I hereby order you to take this prisoner into custody and have her delivered to Val Royeaux to await her execution."

Cassandras brows rose as she stifled a laugh. "You order me? You're a glorified clerk, a bureaucrat!"

"And you are a thug, a thug that supposedly serves the Chantry."

"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor."

"Justinia is dead!" Roderick shouted. Heads turned to look at him, before they lingered on me hate and anger burning into my skull. "We must elect a replacement and obey her orders on the matter."

"Wait a minute, you want to hold an election in the middle of a catastrophic event that could end the world as we know it?" I questioned. "Isn't closing the breach supposed to be our focus?"

"Someone gag her! I don't need to hear anything this murderer has to say."

"This murderer?" I chuckled. "Im innocent and if any of you actually had any authority all of this would be over by now and I'd be on my way."

His face twisted into a harsh scowl as he pointed his finger at me. "You killed everyone that was in charge!"

Clenching my jaw I began to move forward, hellbent on shoving that finger down the Chancellors throat, when Solas gently but firmly grabbed my arm. I glanced up and him to see him shake his head and gesture discreetly at the crowd of soldiers that had slowly drifted closer. I growled lowly and crossed my arms across my chest.

Cassandra sighed. "Chancellor we can still stop this before its too late."

"How? You can't even reach the temple with the soldiers you have."

"We must. It is the quickest route."

"But not the safest," Leliana said. "There is a path in the mountains we could go through while our forces charge as a distraction."

Cassandra shook her head. "No. We lost contact with the entire squad we sent that way. It's too risky."

Chancellor Roderick sighed and out a hand on Cassandras shoulder, a hand that she glared at. "Listen to me and abandoned this fools errand before more lives are lost."

The breach surged once again. I grabbed my hand and held it tightly against my side as it too surged. Cassandra shook off the Chancellors hand and looked at me. "How do you think we should proceed?"

"You're asking me?" I questioned through clenched teeth.

"You bear the mark and it's fate should we fail. It should be you who decides," Solas said calmly beside me.