Chapter Text
My name is Aelatha (Knight of the Maker) Trevelyan, I'm twenty nine years old and I'm the oldest Son of Bann Trevelyan. I have pale skin, blue eyes short raven black hair with the lower half of my head buzzed with the top of my hair short and neat on top. I usually have a lightly stubbled jaw, strong especially if I say so myself. I have a scar over and under my left eye. I have a look of nobility about me probably because I am noble. I strive to be Honorable. Pleasant on the eye but misleading the women say. I have plump lips which loves to make teasing smiles as I serve the Maker as a Templar.
I was the Divine's personal body guard, I traveled to the Conclave with the few Templars who still remained loyal to the Chantry. Even though many Templars left to seek their own vengeance against the mages. I, as did a few others remained staid steadfast to the Chantry.
The Divine hoped her call for peace would bring everyone together especially for those seeking answers of the Mage and Templar Rebellion. I had been there for a few days hoping things would finally reach a peaceful end and the Divine would be able to talk some sense to both warring factions.
I was listening to the Divine speak and all I remember is a flash of white and then nothing. When I woke up, I had no idea where I was and my hands were shackled and that is where my interesting adventure began...
It was dark and there were several soldiers around here with their swords out pointing at him. Aelatha was on his knees, his hands shackled apart. Aelatha was still very groggy, he looked at the mark on her left hand. It flared up causing him to turn away in fear. Just then the dungeon door flew open; two figures stood in the door way. The guards put their swords away, the figures were both women. One had dark short hair and eyes. She had leather pants and had a chest plate that had an eye on it. She had leather gloves on her hands. She carried a sword at the hip that was tied at her waist. The other woman had red hair, blue eyes her hair was covered with a hood and a chain link dress. She had leather gloves.
They both circled him like vultures, Aelatha watched them both. The red haired woman approached him first, she had a kinder face then the other one. Unfortunately it was the other one who spoke first she bent down on Aelatha's left side.
"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now? The conclave is destroyed! Everyone who attended is dead, except for you!" The woman pointed her finger at Aelatha.
Aelatha was in shock taken back by that many lives lost. His blood ran cold as he thought of the Divine, did that mean she was...he shook his head to get the thought out of his head.
"What do you mean by everyone is dead?"
The harsh woman grabbed Aelatha's shackles showing his flaring hand! His nerves seemed to be on fire as the light and energy shot out. The woman forcibly dropped Aelatha's hands on his lap.
Aelatha tried to find the words, "I...I can't"
The women circled him again, "What do you mean you can't?" barked the harsh woman demanding answers.
Aelatha looked at them with fearful eyes. What were they going to do if they didn't believe him, torture him? The Templars trained and prepared him in case such a day was to arrive.
"I was the Divine's bodyguard and charged to see to her safety! Now..." Aelatha shook his head in confusion, "I'm telling you I don't remember what happened and I don't know what that is or how that got there!" he told the woman in a determined tone.
The harsh woman grabbed him, Aelatha was confused and had no idea was going on but he remained steadfast. His heart skipping several beats as the harsh woman got in his face.
"YOU'RE LYING!"
The red hair woman grabbed the harsh woman forcing her to back up, "We need him Cassandra!"
The red haired woman looked at Aelatha who looked confused beyond words at this point. Ael recognized the name Cassandra. He looked at the two surprised, "Wait are you" the women looked at him "Cassandra Pentaghast, the right hand of the Divine?" He then looked at the red headed woman "and Leliana the Left hand of her holiness?"
The two looked at each other, "You know of us it seems." Leliana told him, "Why don't we know you? If you were truly her holiness' body guard, why were you not with her when we met with her?"
Ael took a breath, "I'm not just her bodyguard but I commanded the Templars from Val Royeaux. I had many affairs to attend to before the meeting at the Temple. Her Holiness told me that she was meeting with the two of you before the Conclave was to start. She told me to finalize the last of the preparations if there were any, she'd be safe in the Chantry with two of you."
The two looked at each other then looked at Ael's whose face showed despair and remorse. "I can't believe it! All those people, dead." He said in a mournful tone.
Leliana looked at him, "Do you remember what happened? How this began?"
Aelatha looked down for a moment trying to remember something anything to appease his captures. "I remember running..." He looked up at his captures, "Things were chasing me then, a woman."
Leliana looked puzzled, "A woman?"
Aelatha continued seeing they seemed to be interested, "She reached out to me but then..."
Cassandra approached Leliana escorting her out, "Go to the forward camp Leliana! I will take him to the rift" Leliana left leaving Cassandra with Aelatha alone.
Cassandra knelt down unlocking Aelatha's shackles, Aelatha was now curious, "What did happen? And where is the Divine?"
Cassandra looked up at him, "Why do you want to know?"
Aelatha shook his head in frustration, "Look at me! I'm wearing the armor of the Templar order! Do you really think I would have anything to do with harming her Holiness the Divine?" Aelatha continued to look at Cassandra, "Aelatha Trevelyan that is my name! People just call me Ael, I am the Knight Captain of the Templars in Val Royeaux." Ael shook his head, "I don't understand what's going on?" Cassandra bound Ael's hands with rope.
Cassandra then helped Ael to his feet, "It will be easier if I show you."
Ael followed behind her wondering where he was being led.
The dungeon led up to a bigger building, he followed Cassandra to two double doors. A guard opened them leading them to the outside. Ael could hear the cracks and pops coming from the sky. Energy beams of light seemed to pour out of the whole of the sky. Ael had never seen anything like it, a horrifying thought entered his head what if the Divine truly was...
Ael shook his head as Cassandra spoke, "We call it the Breach!" Ael looked at Cassandra as she spoke, "A massive rift into the demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It is not the only such rift, just the largest." Cassandra walked back to Ael, "All we know is that this was caused by the explosion by the conclave."
Ael looked at Cassandra surprised, "An explosion can do that?"
Cassandra gave a nod, "This one did, unless we act the Breach may grow till it swallows the world."
The Breach flared and roared, quakes shook the earth. Ael's mark forcing him to cry out in pain falling to his knees.
Ael doubled over protecting his hand drawing it in close to his body. Cassandra fell to one knee in front of him, "Each time the Breach expands your mark spreads and it is killing you! It may be the key to stopping this but there isn't much time."
Ael questioned Cassandra, "You say it may be the key? To doing what?"
Cassandra looked at Ael, "Closing the Breach! Whether that's something that is possible is something we'll discover shortly. It is our only choice however and yours."
Ael got angry, "YOU STILL THINK I DID THIS? TO MYSELF? WHY WOULD I DO THIS? I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE DIVINE IS!"
Cassandra admired his sense of duty to protect the Divine that she was his only true concern. However Cassandra had to remain skeptical, "Not intentionally, something clearly went wrong."
Ael gave her a grumpy look, "And if I'm not responsible?"
Cassandra didn't look impressed or moved, "Someone is and you are our only suspect! You wish to prove your innocence, this is the only way."
Ael look a deep breath as he nodded, "I understand."
Ael knew what they wanted of him, he wanted to get back to Val Royeaux. He knew that if he helped these people he could go home; this could end.
Cassandra was surprised by his answer, "Then?"
Ael nodded, "I will do what I can, for as long as I can, for as long as it takes."
Cassandra grabbed Ael by the shoulder and helped him rise to his feet. She escorted him through the camp, Ael looked around seeing the people leering at him. "They have decided your guilt. They need it! The people of the Haven mourn our most holy Divine Justinia! The conclave was hers, it was a chance between Mages and Templars!"
Ael stopped and looked at Cassandra irritated, "I know! I was there!"
Cassandra escorted Ael through a small rocky channel that led to some outer gates. "She brought their leaders together, now they are dead." A guard pushed open the gates as he listened as he was escorted, "We lash out, like the sky! We must think beyond ourselves, as she did. Until the breach is sealed."
Cassandra stopped Ael and pulled out a small knife. Ael had a small moment of panic as Cassandra turned around, "There will be a trial..." She grabbed Ael's bound hands, "I can promise no more" cutting his hands free.
"Come, it is not far."
Ael rubbed his wrists, "Where are you taking me?"
Ael looked across a long bricked bridge. He was taking a moment to let everything to sink in. Was all this truly happening? A hole in the sky, a mark on his hand. He watched the people that were on the bridge and there was another gate across it. How many gates were there?
Cassandra grew impatient, "Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the breach." Ael started crossing the bridge with Cassandra behind him. Cassandra yelled at the guards, "OPEN THE GATE! WE'RE GOING INTO THE VALLEY!"
The gates opened and they passed through They climbed up an incline, soldiers running past them. They ran in fear of the demons landing from the breach. Ael couldn't believe they were running towards it.
Was this punishment from the Maker? Were they punishing this world or him for their incredible sins? The soldiers screamed for the Maker as they got closer. Green energy bombs landed by almost hitting them a few times. A quake rumbled the earth but also Ael's mark flared causing him to fall to the ground. He cried out in severe pain as he held his hand with the other keeping it close to his body. Cassandra walked over to check on him, she helped Ael to his feet.
Cassandra looked at Ael patting his shoulder, "The pulses are coming faster now." She then walked off, "The larger the breach grows the more rifts appear, the more demons we face."
They ran to another bridge and Ael's mind started to get curious, "How did I survive the blast?"
Cassandra trailed behind him, "They said you stepped out of a rift, the fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was."
Ael was relieved that he wasn't crazy. Cassandra had heard reports of what had happened at the temple but did not share them to see if Ael's story matched with what she had heard. They started to cross to the next stone bridge, Ael look a moment to look as more energy bombs streamed down.
Cassandra walked up from behind, "Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you'll see soon enough."
Ael and Cassandra started to run across the bridge when an energy ball from the breach hit the bridge smashing it apart. They both fell upon the frozen river below. One energy ball hit onto the lake so hard it broke a hole into the lake. Green energy came up and a demon emerged from it. Cassandra drew her sword and attacked it. Another green light was emerging from under the lake a few feet from Ael's feet. He knew what was coming, he looked around desperately looking for something to use as a weapon as he backed up. He saw a sword and a shield laying on a wooden crate of the left of him. He ran for them before the demon fully emerged from the lake. When it did he stood fully ready.
When it was over Ael was over he walked over to Cassandra who finished killing her demon. Ael looked around making sure there weren't going to be any more surprises.
"It's over" Ael sighed in relief.
Cassandra looked over seeing he was armed.
Cassandra walked over with her sword pointed at Ael, "Drop your weapons! NOW!"
Ael stood guarded while holding his sword tight, "If you're going to lead me through a demon infested valley, you'll have to trust me."
Cassandra wasn't going to have it, "Give me one good reason to trust you!"
Ael looked right back at her, "Because my life is on the line!"
Cassandra took a sigh, she knew Ael was right. "You're right." She pulled back her sword sheathing it.
"You don't need sword but you should have one. I cannot protect you." Cassandra walked towards the ice embankment that led upwards towards the valley. "I should remember you agreed to come willingly." Ael gave a small smile, he noticed how beautiful Cassandra was calm and he wanted to see more of it.