The Templar's Mage

Chapter 4: Freed Tower

After saving Irving and remaining mages, we made our way back to Greagoir to announce that Uldred has been killed.

I knocked on the locked door. "Greagoir! It is I, the tower is safe once more. Uldred is dead. Irving is with me." I announced.

The Templars unlocked the door and we walked inside. Greagoir walked up to us next to Cullen in shock. "Irving? Maker's breath, I did not expect to see you alive."

"It is over, Greagoir, Uldred... is dead." Irving informed him.

Cullen cut in. "Uldred tortured these mages, hoping to break their wills and turn them into abominations. We don't know how many of them have turned."

Irving narrowed his eyebrows at Cullen. "What? Don't be ridiculous!"

"Of course he'll say that! He might be a blood mage! Don't you know what they did? I won't let this happen again!" Cullen exclaimed.

"I am the knight-commander here, not you." Greagoir stated.

"I believe order has been restored to the Circle." I said, glancing at Cullen with a crossed look.

"We will rebuild. The Circle will go on, and we will learn from this tragedy, and be strengthened by it." Irving said. He sounded really exhausted.

"We have won back the tower. I will accept Irving's assurance that all is well." Greagoir smiled.

"But they may have demons within them, lying dormant... lying in wait!" Cullen exclaimed.

"Enough!" Greagoir bellowed. "I have already made my decision." He looked at him once more before turning to me. "Thank you, you have proven yourself a friend of the Circle, and the Templars."

"And what about the darkspawn? I require aid." I reminded him.

He nodded. "I promised you aid, but with the Circle restored, my duty is to watch the mages. They are free to help you, however. Speak to them."

"And what will the Templars do?"

He sighed. "For now, I will have to oversee a sweep of the tower.  There may be some survivors and we should do our best to tend to them. Please excuse me. And Irving... it is good to have you back."

Irving chuckled. "Ah, I'm sure we'll be at each other's throats again in no time."

Once the conversation ended, I turned my focus to Cullen. We need to talk. "Cullen?"

He looked up at me with narrow brows. "What do you want?"

I felt a pang in my chest. "I need to speak to you."

His hardened look broke for a second before nodding and leading me away from the room for privacy.

"What do you need to speak to me about?" He asked coldly, once we were in a room alone.

"Why are you treating me so coldly? What have I done to you?" I needed answers.

"Why? Because you're a mage. I should've known better than to be in love with one. You mages are not human. Deep inside, you are monsters that can easily become abominations and destroy everything around you." He stated coldly.

"How can you even say that?" My heart has completely shattered. "You can't doom us all for the choices that Uldred and those few mages made. I am NOT Uldred!"

"I wish I had died along with my friends, with Julius." He whispered. "But I didn't. Those monsters decided to torture me instead. They refused to kill me."

"That doesn't sound right. Demons want to kill everyone, just like how they did with everyone." That's when I remembered something. "Do you still have my amulet?"