Dragon Age: Inquisition

[Kestrel]

Phoenix hugged Grace back. "I know that, Gracie." They continued through the ruins until they reached a balcony above what used to be the largest room in the middle of the temple. In the center was a giant rift. It seemed to stretch all the way to the sky, where a funnel cloud swirled at the top around the Breach


"The Breach is a long way up," Varric said in awe.


"You're here" Leliana gasped, running up to them. "Thank the Maker."


"Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple," Cassandra ordered. Leliana nodded and jogged over to a group of soldiers. Cassandra turned to Phoenix. "This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?"


Phoenix looked up at the rift. "I'll try, but I'm not sure if I can reach that, much less close it."


Solas shook his head slightly. "No. That rift was the first, and it is the key. Seal it, and perhaps you may seal the Breach."


"Then let's find a way down. And be careful," Cassandra said.

 

[NecroKnight]

Grace was the first one to go, seeing as she was lithe and springy as a monkey on lyrium dust - which for her case and the amount of potions drunk, might hold some truth to it.


"Are we there yet?"

 

[Kestrel]

"No, we are not," Cassandra said sharply.


Solas tilted his head to the side, confused. "Are you unable to see where we are?"


"No," Phoenix said. "She just likes messing with people. And what potion did you drink anyway, Grace?"

 

[NecroKnight]

"Agility," replied Grace at that grinning, it helped to improve one' perception, muscle control, breathing and lessened nausea. It also had the side-affect, of reducing one' self-control and turned them hyperactive.


"I am as lithe as a pixie, gliding through the air," muttered Grace, jumping around like an actual monkey on lyrium dust, jumping from place to place. Doing some movements that should by physically possible, too dangerous for the regular mind to process or too physically exhausting.

 

[Kestrel]

"Careful, Fizzle," Varric warned.


"She always is. Sometimes," Phoenix said.


They hadn't gotten very far when a loud, hollow voice echoed around them. "Now is the hour of our victory."


Phoenix looked around. "Please tell me I'm not the only one hearing that?"


"Bring forth the sacrifice."


Phoenix didn't like the sound of that. They reached the rift, where it warped and twisted. The mark on her hand flashed brightly, but didn't hurt as bad.


A woman's voice called out. Someone help me!"


Phoenix's own voice: "What's going on here?"


Cassandra looked stunned. "That was your voice. The Most Holy called out to you, but-"

 

[NecroKnight]

"Release the sacrifice!" spoke Grace, weapons at the ready.

 

[Kestrel]

"Easy, Grace. It isn't real. It's...a vision of some sort," Phoenix said, confused and concerned.


The rift crackled, and a vision in smoke appeared. A shadowy figure was leaning over the Divine. Phoenix ran in "What's going on here?"


"Run while you can! Warn them!"


The smoky demon looked at Phoenix with red eyes. "We have an intruder. Slay the elf." The rift flashed a bright, white light and the vision vanished.


"You were there!" Cassandra gasped. "Who attacked! And the Divine, is she...? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?"


Phoenix sighed. "What part of 'I don't remember' is so hard to understand! I'm just as confused as you."


Luckily Solas had some answers. "An echo of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place. This rift is not sealed, but it is closed...albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened and sealed properly and safely. However opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side."


Cassandra nodded. "That means demons. Stand ready!" she ordered. Leliana's soldiers marched in, unsheathing swords and knocking arrows. Cassandra nodded to Phoenix and pulled out her own sword.


Phoenix raised up her hand, and the now familiar bolt of green lightning connected her hand to the rift. It exploded, forcing everyone back. A huge pride demon appeared and roared at them.


"Now!" Cassandra shouted. The archers released their arrows, and Cassandra led the warriors closer to the demon. Phoenix stood near Solas and Varric and threw flames at it from afar.

 

[NecroKnight]

Grace jumped into the fight as well - bouncing around cutting the demon in various places. While also throwing her flasks to make it catch on fire or freeze solid.

 

[Kestrel]

The pride demon was covered in a blue and purple shimmering cloud. A shield. "We need to strip its defenses!" Cassandra shouted. "Disrupt the rift!" Phoenix ran towards it, but the demon swatted her away. She fell to the ground and a wall of ice appeared between her and the demon. She looked over where Solas was creating more ice. Phoenix leaped up and ran to the rift. She used the mark to partially close it. The demon roared and pain and fell on its knees as the purple part of the shield vanished. It stood back her and continued attacking, using its hands and a purple whip, seemingly made out of lightning. More smaller demons appeared through the rift. After a while, the purple cloud reappeared, and so Phoenix went to work on sealing the rift. They weakened the demon further, and they continued fighting. After several more minutes, it collapsed. "Now! Seal the rift!"


Phoenix didn't have to be told twice. She got closer and began closing it. This one was harder than the others, almost like it had a mind of its own and was determined to remain open.

 

[NecroKnight]

"Come on Phoenix, you can do it!" spoke Grace, grabbing onto her hand - as if trying to give Phoenix her strength.

 

[Kestrel]

With one final effort, Phoenix sealed the rift. Feeling drained and exhausted, Phoenix collapsed. She felt herself being picked up before she lost consciousness.

 

[NecroKnight]

Grace held her, as they soon would leave this place after the rift' en-sealment.

 

[Kestrel]

Phoenix woke up laying in a bed. The door opened and she sat up quickly. A female elf standing by the door dropped the crate she was carrying. "Oh! I-I didn't know y-you were awake," she stuttered nervously.


"Is this another prison?" Phoenix demanded.


"I...no? At least, I don't think so."


"Then where am I? Tell me!" Phoenix usually wasn't this mean, especially to an elf as scared as this one, but Phoenix was frightened, too. She disguised it by acting tough and sarcastic.


The elf dropped to the floor and bowed. "I beg your forgiveness and your blessing. I am but a humble servant."


"Huh?"


"You are back in Haven, my lady."


"Oh. Well, just call me Phoenix and get up off the floor. I'm an elf, same as you."


"They say you saved us. The Breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand."


Phoenix glanced at said mark. It still shone, but at least it didn't hurt anymore.


"It's all anyone has talked about for the past three days."


"I've been out for three days!"


"The immediate danger is over, though. But the Breach is still in the sky. I'm sure Lady Cassandra would want to know you've awakened. She said 'At once'."


"Where is she?"


"In the Chantry, with Lord Chancellor. 'At once' she said." With that, the elf ran out of the room.


Phoenix sighed and got out of the bed. Her staff was leaning against the wall. She grabbed it and left the room, only to discover that it was a one room shack outside.

 

[NecroKnight]

As soon as Phoenix had poked her head out, she was immediately hug-attacked, by none-other than Grace. "Hey sis, seeing you are feeling better finally," exclaimed Grace, glad to see her half-sister feeling better now. After having been out-cold for almost three days.


"And incase you are wondering, no. I have not been waiting for three days straight in the snow, while you wake up," spoke Grace. "It was only two days."


"But you may want to tell the soldier-girl, you are feeling alright now."

 

[Kestrel]

Phoenix gasped as her ribs we're crushed by a surprise hug from Grace. "So I heard. She's in the Chantry, right? Where is that?"

 

[NecroKnight]

Grace gave Phoenix the directions she needed to go, to reach soldier-girl. Albeit, she forgone that - and instead, lead Phoenix there herself.

 

[Kestrel]

As they walked through Haven, everyone stopped what they were doing at stared at Phoenix and Grace. They whispered among themselves, and some pointed.


"That's her. They say she stopped the Breach from getting any bigger."


"- the Herald of Andraste-"


"-say they're sisters. Or at least half sisters."


"Why did Lady Cassandra have her in chains?"


As they walked into the Chantry, Phoenix could hear more voices. "Have you gone completely mad?" They stepped into a room and Chancellor Roderick pointed at her. "Chain her. I want her prepared for travel to the capitol to face trial."


Cassandra looked at the guards. "Disregard that, and leave us." The guards left the room, looking confused.

 

[NecroKnight]

"The way I heard it - you should be bowing to 'Herald of Andraste'," spoke Grace.


"You know. The one whom saved us all from being eaten by demons. I can already hear the Bards singing - Herald of Andraste chained by the Chantry, and the Great War that came," spoke Grace, her tone turning less-chipper then.


"As if we didn't have enough with Templars and Mages. How about you get all the head-sisters together; elect a new Divine - and handle this in a delicate of not starting another war!"

 

[Kestrel]

"You walk a dangerous line, Seeker."


Cassandra stepped closer to the chancellor. "The Breach is stable, but still a threat. I will not ignore it." She said through gritted teeth."


"So, I'm still a suspect? Even after everything we just did?" Phoenix piped up.


Chancellor Roderick gave her a dirty look. "You absolutely are."


"No." Cassandra said. "She is not."


"Would you quit talking about me like I'm not here?"


"Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave." Leliana stepped out of the shadows, were she had been standing. "Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others-or have allies who yet live."


"I am a suspect?" the chancellor said, clearly affronted.


"You, and many others," Leliana continued.


"But not the prisoner?"


"I heard the voices in the temple. The Divine called to her for help." Cassandra answered.


"So that thing on her hand, her survival. All a coincidence?"


"Providence," Cassandra said, sounding sure. "The Maker sent her in our darkest hour."


Phoenix was confused by Cassandra's changing opinion. "Five minutes ago, you wanted me dead, and now I'm your savior?!"


"I was wrong about you. Perhaps I still am. I will not pretend however, that you were not exactly what we needed, when we needed it."

 

[NecroKnight]

"How about we stop stabbing eachother in the back and get sniffing around," spoke Grace.


"Chancellor, despite what you might think - think beyond your current bias of her being Dalish. Its even bad to them to have unmonitored mages or rogue Templars running around the countryside," she added. "The simplest question you have to ask, is who profits the most from this continued war? Who?"

 

[Kestrel]

He didn't answer Grace's question, or her accusations. Phoenix did have to love her attitude and courage.


"The Breach is remains, and your mark is our only chance of closing it," Leliana said.


"This is not for you to decide," Roderick spat.


Cassandra slammed a book on the table. "You know what this is, Chancellor. A writ from the Divine. Giving us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn" She stepped close to Roderick, up in his face until he began backing off. "We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval." Chancellor Roderick glanced around before turning and leaving. Coward.

 

[NecroKnight]

"Do we get cool uniforms and badges?" asked Grace, looking the book over. "OR? What?"


"Plus, aren't we a little small to form the Inquisition?" she added. "There is only us, the others and your Seekers. Will that be enough, or we going to start recruiting? I got signs, if you want any to use."

 

[Kestrel]

Leliana ran her hand over the book. "This is the Divine's directive. Rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those who will stand against the chaos. Grace is right. We aren't ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and no Chantry support."


"But we have no choice. We must act now." She turned to Phoenix and continued. "With you at our side."


Phoenix shook her head slightly. "Seeing as I'm was the only non-human here, I'm gonna assume that the Inquisition is something that all humans know about."

 

[NecroKnight]

"To but it mildly - imagine the most crapped-up Thedas imaginable. Demons, heretics, blood mages, murderers and all other fucked-up creatures of the nightmare, that you can think-of - roaming free, after the First Blight. After when the Darkspawn started to appear."


"The Tevinter Imperium was broken, but the lands were full of corruption. The Inquisition, were a group of warriors in any retrospect - who decided, to but an end to this, take up their swords and start rooting out this corruption of the land, one after another," spoke Grace. "Later, joining up with the bare-Chantry as the Seekers and Templars."


"They symbolize order in a time of pure chaos and destruction. Which is what, we would require now - a new Inquisition. Making some sense," muttered. "Mages are loose, Templars are loose, Seekers are strained thin chasing them down and now the Chantry' entire leadership has been blown-up. Tevinter is brawling with the Qunari, Ferelden is recovering from a blight, the Free Marches are trying to restore Kirkwall and Orlais is still embroiled in civil war."


"I hate situations, when you appear to only sane person in the world."

 

[Kestrel]

Phoenix was still slightly confused. "But aren't you with the Chantry?" She asked Cassandra and Leliana.


Cassandra scoffed. "Is that what you see?"


"It will take time for the Chantry to find a new Divine, and then it will wait for her direction," Leliana answered.


"But we cannot wait," Cassandra interrupted. "So many Grand Clerics died at the Conclave... No, we are on our own. Perhaps forever."


"Well, isn't that cheery," Phoenix muttered. "Fine. I will try my best," she decided.


"That is all we ask."


"Help us before it is too late," Cassandra said, extending a hand.


Phoenix took it with her marked hand and shook it. "This is my world, too. I will do whatever it takes to defend it."