The trio made their way to the ground floor where the loyal mages and Templars were said to be gathering. On their way down they had collected a few mages and a number of Tranquil who had been left behind. The mages and Templars were indeed held up in the banquet hall and the group reported to Lieutenant Henley who was put in charge of the rabble. He was a commanding presence with a deep husky voice that Evelyn had always enjoyed as he barked orders at his men. His short black hair and trimmed beard against his tanned skin made him look like an Antivan prince, minus their exotic accent. She and Henley were well acquainted with each other, sharing plenty of adventure on the road, and a bit more. It was nothing serious, but she enjoyed his company for the most part. He was reasonable, most of the time, and was kind to his charges, not seeing them as prisoners, but as people - a sentiment that was foreign to most Templars these days. It was good to see he was in charge, though it was completely possible that it was only because he was the highest-ranking officer alive in the tower.
"Trevelyan! Thank the Maker you're alive! I could use your help keeping order!" He was shouting over a hall full of battered mages who were desperately trying to ask him questions. Evelyn estimated there were maybe just under one hundred people in the hall, which was only a small fraction of the tower's total populace. Ilara had already gone off to offer her healing services to the injured, while Sorin stayed by Evelyn's side. The scene before them was one of chaos; groups of people huddled around each other for comfort, mages tending to the wounded and the dying and Templars guarding them as best they could. The only order that could be found amidst it all was the bodies of the dead laid out in neat rows.
"What exactly are you hoping we can help with, Ser?" She motioned to both her and Sorin.
"No, no, you need to calm down all these people who you riled up. The mages who are still able to function are one bad decision away from making things worse than what they already are." She stupidly professed a confused 'what' in response. What was he talking about? Me? What did I have to do with anything? I just got here. She looked to Sorin who just shook his head.
"Sorin, you know what he's talking about?"
"I do." She raised her eyebrow encouraging him to enlighten her. He sighed heavily before beginning which indicated she was not going to like what he had to say. "Yeah, you know your whole "secret orders" from the First Enchanter, well your latest beating was apparently the last straw for some."
"Soooo, you're saying…"
"You're the reason they're rebelling or rather you gave them the reason they needed." She felt as if someone struck her with a lightning bolt. She started all this. They would use her to justify their rebellion when she was trying to avoid the very thing from happening. Not only was she responsible for the death of the Knight-Commander but now the start of the rebellion in the tower? She turned away from them holding her head in her hands trying to block out the world so she could think. She was the cause of all this death and destruction. She was. Every mage, every Templar, and now to add to her death counter, the First Enchanter. She suddenly found it hard to breathe, and she must have been making some sort of ghastly noise because Sorin was shaking her. I'm dreaming, this has to be a dream. It can't be real! Please wake up, wake up! Maker please… His hands were on her shoulders and she could hear him speaking without comprehending it. It was all too much, and it threatened to crush her.
"Hey!" He was now screaming at her. "Look at me E!" She felt her weight falling, but Sorin held her up. What did she do to deserve a friend like him? He's been through it all with her. Her rock. She decided whatever he was going to tell her was for her own good, so picking up her head she let her hands fall to her sides. He lowered his voice seeing she was now compliant. "Listen, we've been through some shit, but this shit tops all the shit. I know what you're thinking, but there is nothing we can do about them now, right? What we can do, what you can do, is talk some sense into these people. If you're the reason they're up in arms then maybe you can calm them, and save the lives of those who remain." Henley was listening closely and both men now waited for her to make some sign that she heard him.
"If you think it'd help, fine. Whatever you need me to do if this is my fault." Henley guided her over to an unoccupied table. He quickly mounted it and held a hand out to help her up. It took a push from Sorin to get her up with her wounded leg, but she made it, steading herself on one of his strong arms. Some of the mages looked to her the moment they saw her, shushing those around them. Henley began trying to ask for silence. What was she going to say? Where to even start? She by no means even knew the whole situation aside from what she saw and that she was apparently the cause. As the mages began to quiet, she heard one loud voice ring out with her nickname which was enough to help silence the rest. Even though the talking had stopped the groans and cries of the wounded could still be heard. Her mother's lessons in speaking began to instinctively take over. Her posture and composure changed to one befitting of The Phoenix, and clearing her throat she nodded to Henley that she was ready.
"Please, if I can… if I can just have a moment…" she was stopped before she could say anything further by shouting in the crowd. There was a wide range of opinions being made; she heard everything from 'save us!' to 'why did you do this to us?' to 'rebel sympathizer!' and everything in between. "Please," she pleaded again, "let me speak!" This time they allowed it. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not fully aware of what is happening any more than you. Some say I am to blame, but I was in my room when this began. As far as I know, both the First Enchanter and Knight-Commander are dead." Henley shot her a look, and she realized he didn't know, how could he. "If you're here, I can only assume you are not the rebels who would use my name to justify their violence." A heavier silence fell and even the wounded seemed to stop their moaning to hear her declaration. "I am no rebel. Violence is not the way to change. All this will bring is more death and a greater fear of mages. I implore you all to stay calm while we," motioning to herself and Ser Henley, "mages and Templars together, work to restore order. See to the wounded, listen to the Templars and stay put, you're safe here." Their faces were full of fear and her heart went out to them. She was used to a certain amount of fear, but they having never been conditioned by the world were all but mere children. " I promise I will do everything in my power to see you through this!"
The two stepped down from the table and the chatter of the room began once more. The three regrouped outside the hall in the tower's foyer where Henley had organized what Templars he had into a defensive position preventing anyone, or thing, from leaving.
"That seemed to calm them for the time being, but we'll need to come up with a plan. It's only a matter of time before they come. And… how do you know the Knight-Commander is dead?"
"We saw him, or his body rather on our way here." Sorin jumped in before Evelyn could answer. She flashed him a look of pain.
"What of the rebels? Have they been trying to escape?" She and Sorin had clashed with a few on their way down. They were young mages. They hadn't a chance taking on the two experienced Knight-Enchanters.
"No." Henley's reply was ominous.
"No? As in not at all?" He nodded and added that they'd only been coming up against the abominations that had made their way down the tower. The rouge Templars had indeed left in the wake of the violence, which is why there was little in the way of defense of the tower. Only the rebel mages remained held up in the tower… somewhere. "What do you plan to do Ser, when they do appear?"
"We don't have the numbers to put up a fight. Assuming that the majority of the other surviving mages are with the rebels then they have us vastly outnumbered. But we can't just let them leave."
"And so you are determined to fight knowing this? Maker's balls Henley! You're throwing your lives away!"
"We took an oath! Our duty is here. We cannot let them leave this tower and wreak havoc all over the Free Marches!" His dark eyes were piercing as he took a step closer to her.
"I don't disagree and you know I understand better than most of your duty, but there has to be another way!" Sorin remained silent, as usual, gazing around them shaking his head.
"We have all agreed to it, we stay and hold the tower and wait for reinforcements or the Right of Annulment." She turned her back to him as frustration gripped her. Their plan was to stay and fight, most likely die or in the small chance they do survive long enough to wait for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment. How do I get through to these bucket heads?
"And what about these mages? Are we all to perish with the blood mages?" Henley gave no answer. "Unacceptable!" Her rage brought forth the flame in her chest. It pulsed up the veins in her neck. Since the emergence of her magic, she had never been able to control the glow when she got angry. It made hiding her emotions difficult at times, but also added to the intensity of her rage all but breathing fire at whomever it was directed at. "I will not allow you to do that, even if I have to stop you myself!"
"Careful, Trevelyan! You're dangerously close to sounding like a damned rebel! The mages have been compromised and some blood mages may yet be hiding among them."
"Then do your fucking job, Templar, and root them out! You can't just kill us all because you suspect there to be blood mages among us! How many innocent mages have to die before you're satisfied?"
The two argued in circles through gritted teeth so as to not panic the mages who watched but couldn't hear them from in the hall. It was the same argument she had had with Templars her whole life. The Templars go too far trying to do their duty and some innocent mage get killed, punished or worse, made Tranquil. As they went back and forth trying to come up with a better alternative, Sorin broke it up.
"I hope you came up with a plan because we're going to need it." He nodded his head over towards the barricade where a large group of presumably the rebels stood looking at the pathetic defenses and battered Templars manning them. The rebel mages were mostly the younger ones full of fervor and passion for the cause. It sickened her that whoever their leader was poisoned their impressionable minds with their filth that violence and blood magic was the answer to all their problems. Everyone grew quiet as the moment they feared finally arrived.
The three approached the group, though not venturing beyond the barricade. The crackling of magic filled the room, so much so it felt as if the air itself was vibrating. A vacuum also seemed to be forming as the remaining Templars readied themselves against the magic. Ser Henley stepped forth sheathing his sword and holding his hands up in truce. There was some deliberation among the rebels and a slender woman stepped forward. Evelyn recognized her, but couldn't remember her name.
"It has been a long night, so I will get to the point. The Tower is ours. The First Enchanter is dead." She held a hand out as the body of First Enchanter Lydia was brought forth, strung up in a noose. The air left Evelyn's lungs as her heart broke at the sight of her mentor's body mutilated and strung up in victory. Lydia wouldn't have fought them, she would have listened and talked to them. She was one of the wisest and fairest women she had ever met. She supported Evelyn and her crusade to better the reputation of mages among the people of Thedas. She had shown her favoritism as well, but it was justified and never given without reason. She taught Evelyn to tame her fiery rage, which now started to rumble through her very being like a volcano ready to explode. She took an aggressive step forward as Sorin grabbed her, halting her advance. The blood mage smiled pleased by Evelyn's reaction. Gasps and cries were heard from the banquet hall as well as the mages watched in horror. "Our terms are this, give us your Templars and the mages walk free." She wasn't addressing Henley as much as she was addressing Evelyn. She turned to the mages in the hall now, "Those who would see The Order finally get what's coming to them may join us! Together we will join our fellow mages and take our rightful place in the world!" Her words echoed through the hall as the mages considered their options. Do they stay with the Templars or do they join the gloriously doomed cause?
"We refuse your terms! If we are to die then we will die taking as many of you with us as we can!" Henley roared as the Templars cheered in agreement. Both sides readied themselves as Evelyn stepped between them.
"Enough! All of you!" Silence ensued once more as their Phoenix addressed them. Both Henley and the blood mage began to protest to her involvement, but she slung curses at both and they eventually yielded the floor to her. "You, you're familiar but I cannot place your name?"
"Linnea." The maleificar said rolling her eyes. "My Harrowing was a few years behind yours, not that someone so famed as you would remember little me." Truth be told, Evelyn was an introvert socially. She had few friends, but they were enough for her. She never made it her business to get to know everyone in the Circle. Even with her reputation outside the Circle, the mages inside respected her, but never fawned over her like the other Circles.
"Right, Linnea. Listen to me this is not the way. You think that we are superior because of our gifts, but we aren't. 'Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over them," that's what the Canticle of Transfigurations teaches us. We are gifted, but those gifts should be used to help our fellow man. If you see yourself as superior then why stoop to the same fear-control tactics of the Templars? Why not be better?" She turned now to address Henley. "And you, you would sacrifice the last of the true Templars when there are mages here who need and rely upon you. Why not live to fight another day? Your oath be damned, think of your men." A contemplative silence followed. She couldn't help but look up at Lydia swinging every so slightly with unseeing eyes. The rope around her neck creaked and groaned with her weight. Maker, Lydia I'm sorry, so sorry.
"You think you're better?" Linnea spoke up, "You are certainly better at being the Templars' pet that for sure! We all heard about the beatings you took from them to bring you to heel. You of all people should be championing our cause, leading us, but instead we find you here every bit of the pet you always were! When we spread the word about how we came to the rescue of the famed Phoenix of Ostwick no one will question our motive to rebel. And we don't need you alive to be our martyr!"
"Would you undo all that I've done to make people see mages are not to be feared? That we aren't monsters? I don't want to be locked up any more than you, but this is not the way! It stands against reason to force change when this rebellion will only see that we return to Circles in more chains! I would rather stand with the Templars than help you do this!" Everything she gave her life to was in danger of being all for nothing. The threat of her work being undone was enough to ignite her rage. She whirled her staff out in front of her as fiery wings shot forth from touching her mana. Sorin was quick to jump to her side with Henley following. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one."
Evelyn would not let them sully her reputation and ruin years of hard work advocating for reform within the Circles. She worked tirelessly showing Thedas that Templars and mages could work together to do good. She had made sacrifices, so many personal sacrifices along the way that no one would understand; no one but Ilara, Sorin and the First Enchanter. Lydia had also made sacrifices to help Evelyn along, and they tortured and killed her. It was her fiery rage that won out over her devastating grief and fear from the events of the night. She wanted a fight now, as fire pumped through her veins yarning to lash out.
A scream of terror tore their attention away from the blood mages and to the ones in the banquet hall. It was only then they realized all the Templars had moved to the foyer with them leaving none in the hall. Linnea laughed amidst the screams and panic of the loyal mages.
"How will your precious reputation fare now with so much blood on your hands? We don't want reform, we want freedom! Death to all who stand in our way!" Evelyn yelled to Sorin to follow as they ran into the hall, leaving Henley to fend for himself against the bulk of the rebels. She heard him rally the Templars, ready to repel everything they were able to with the few men he had. Evelyn pushed through the mages to the far side of the hall where the blood mages had begun summoning their thralls. The wails of the sacrificed panicked the rest and they ran for the main doors of the tower. Sorin cracked off a string of chain lightning immediately as Evelyn hurled fireballs their way. The advantage Knight-Enchanters had over all other mages was their ability to combine their offensive magic with melee moves. Both mages threw themselves at the blood mages cutting down the first wave easily enough with their staff and spirit blades, but more were coming and in force.
"We need to protect their retreat and we need Henley to open the doors!"
"I'm on it!" Sorin took off in the direction where they'd last seen Henley leaving Evelyn on her own for the time being. She threw up a wall of flame funneling them into her kill zone where she had placed runes on the floor. The smell of burnt flesh and demon blood overwhelmed her senses, making her gag periodically. She was struggling to keep up as they broke through her line of defense without too much trouble. She was keenly aware that the ward Ilara cast on her leg wound earlier was wearing off. She was the last and only line of defense for the retreating mages, she couldn't give the rebels any ground. The hall behind her began to slowly empty of the mages and she knew Sorin had made it to Henley. Please hurry back Sorin, please! She could hold them, she had to and braced herself for the oncoming melee.
There were at least six blood mages coming to engage her along with their summoned demons. She took a weary sigh just hoping her leg would hold out a while longer. She held her ground, not moving until they did. The two lesser demons came at her first along with their handlers. Lunging hard she impaled the first demon with her spirit blade. The second, clawed at her before she hit it with a fireball. Sharp pain cut at her sides as the mages began extracting her blood for their spells. Deep cuts opened near her ribs, soaking her shirt and leathers in blood. A mind blast spell from another mage all but took her down, but she was able to recover quickly enough to fade step behind the mage stabbing with her staff blade. Blood splattered through the air and for every blood mage that was slain, a demon appeared in its place. Kicking the dead mage from her staff, she spotted a rage demon that had gotten past her. Springing to her feet, she charged at it though she was too late.
As the mages fled, they bumped and pushed at each other like a herd of Druffalo. The weak and wounded were the first to be left behind, as they weren't strong enough against the others. It was one of the wounded mages that the rage demon took to tearing apart before Evelyn cut it in two using her spirit blade as she slid on her knees across the blood-slicked floor. Black blood sprayed into her face blinding her for a moment. The smell of the thick bile made her retch, but she fought the urge to empty her stomach looking up instead to see Sorin running towards her. He was a sight for sore eyes, especially when she tried to get off her knees and her leg finally failed her.
"You look disgusting." He helped her up trying to steady her on her bad leg.
"It hasn't exactly been all sunshine and roses over here if you hadn't noticed." Neither of them noticed the ground under them had opened as a fear demon knocked them both to the ground. More interested in Sorin than her, it raised one of its long arms up high in the air before landing a hard strike against his staff. Over and over it struck him until a large bolt of lightning splintered through the lanky demon.
Evelyn in the meantime had been jumped by another blood mage who knew how to use their staff blade. She fought from the ground dodging, blocking and casting to no avail. Furthermore, she couldn't get herself back up because of her leg. When the rebel mage started to struggle to keep up with her fast-paced melee, even from the ground, he flung himself on top of her aiming for her head with a dagger he pulled from his robes. Throwing her staff away she caught his hands with hers to fend him off. Getting a much better view of his face, she realized she knew the boy. He was a student in one of her classes. He was a particularly talented mage who she was glad at the time was looking to become a Knight-Enchanter.
"Kian?" The boy looked her in the eyes all but petrified that she had recognized him. "Stop, I don't want to kill you!" She said through gritted teeth still trying to stop his blade from getting any closer. "I will kill you!" Final warning, she thought as she fought internally whether to kill the boy or just wound him. The later won out, hoping he'd see reason. Bring forth her mana flame began to envelop the two. Her hair blew about making her blonde tips blend with the flame. His face contorted with pain as she increased the heat. To his credit, he held on until his clothes caught fire, finally dropping the dagger and staggering back. Oh Kian, she thought as she rolled up onto one knee slashing the back of his leg with the dagger so he couldn't run, I thought I taught you never to turn your back. He went down with a cry, then rolled onto his back to find her staff blade pointed at his throat.
"Tell me they forced you to join them and I'll let you live." The boy stayed silent. "Tell me!" She had seen so much death, was covered in it, she couldn't bear the thought of killing the boy. He had to only be just 20, nine years her junior. He shook his head at her as tears welled in his eyes knowing this was it. "You don't know what you're doing, say it and come with me!"
"No, we both know you must kill me for what I've done." She shook her head, So young, so young and stupid. He brought his hand up, but before he could cast she thrust her blade into his throat. Kian choked on blood as his hand continued to make its arch landing on his satchel. Gasping for breath he rummaged around in it until pulling out a small dark vial. Evelyn knew it to be lyrium, but she sensed something different about it. He pushed it into her hands, his eyes pleading with her to take it. Accepting it seemed to have given him some peace as he quickly slipped away. Not giving it another thought, she shoved the vial in her pocket.
"There's too many!" She heard Sorin shout as he was about to be overwhelmed by the enemy. Trying a simple healing spell on her leg as she limped towards him, she knew it was time to abandon the tower. It seems all the mages who could make it out did, and now it was their turn.
"Let's get Henley and get out of here!" He gave her his shoulder to lean on as they made their way out to the foyer where the Templars were still holding against the main horde. Henley was slumped up behind some of his men. They were barely holding on against the onslaught. She felt a pain in her bones each time they silenced the mages. "Ser, it's time to go!" He looked to his men who were losing ground fast. He was a bit dazed as he looked up at her. "The mages out there need Templars. They are your charges as well! We need you, please Henley!" After a short internal debate, he nodded and ordered his men out of the tower. Evelyn and Sorin covered their retreat as best they could until they were all out and locking the door behind them.
"That should hold them for now, but we don't want to be here when they get those doors open." Only Templar officers had keys to the tower doors. It wouldn't be long until the rebels either broke down the door or found a set of keys. Wounded and needing to find shelter for the surviving mages, Henley decided that the mages should make camp outside of the city in the woods where the populace wouldn't come at them with torches and pitchforks. Some of the Templars would go the Ostwick Chantry for supplies until they could come up with a better solution.
Dawn was starting to break as they made it to their campsite. Those who could manage were tasked with getting fires started, water boiled and tents set up for the wounded. Of the mages they started with only about half made it out of the tower - some succumbed to demons and some joined the rebels. Evelyn sat by one of the fires to warm herself. It wasn't a particularly chilly morning, but as she sat there with her thoughts alone, she couldn't shake the feeling of being back on that cold stone floor with Aeron staring down at her. No, not just Aeron, all their faces - Aeron, the two other Templars, the Knight-Commander, Kian and the First Enchanter. They didn't say anything they just stared at her with knowing eyes of what she had done. She had killed them all, brought ruin upon the Circle and shame upon herself. She should've tried harder, did something different to prevent this. She tried to talk to them, explain why she had done the things she did, but they offered her no comfort nor forgiveness as their eyes glassed over, no longer looking at her. Tears welled up in her eyes spilling forth creating streaks on her bloody face.
"You alright E?" Sorin sat close beside her. He knew she hated crying, hated it.
"I don't - I don't know. I did this. How do I even begin to try and make this right?"
"Not sure you can. But I also don't think it's your fault. I think the rebels were looking for a reason, any reason to rise up. It just happened to be you."
"I have some luck then. Fuck." The two stared for some time into the flames. Both were still covered in visceral death, something she was reminded of as the other mages stared wide-eyed at them. They were looks of horror, astonishment and compassion all at once. What they knew of the world came from gossip and books. Never had they seen the violence that consumed their home in their sheltered lives, or the tired and brooding looks of the warriors who had put their lives on the line for them. She thought for them, this was only the beginning of the harsh realities of the world they were to experience in the days to come. If she was to redeem herself, perhaps the best place to start was here protecting them from harm, hunger and strife.
A shuffling of feet had made their way to stand just behind the two of them. Upon turning, they saw Ilara with tears in her big blue eyes and a long frown down her soft round face. Her blond curly hair was disheveled uncharacteristically and her clothes we covered in dried blood. Evelyn held out an arm to her and she tucked herself between herself and Sorin. The two hugged her like a small upset child as she sniffled and wiped her nose.
"Are you hurt?" Evelyn's voice was soft and sincere. Ilara shook her head. "Good."
"Is… is this how it always is for you two?" Evelyn and Sorin glanced at each other in shared understanding.
"Sometimes, but usually we don't look like we crawled out of a Druffalo's ass." Ilara gave a short giggle at her joke.
"How can you joke about that, death and violence? You two almost died."
"Sometimes humor, even if it's dark, is all you have at the end of a really shitty day. It gives us a path out of the dark. It's not something you like admitting to, but we'd rather joke than cry about it." Sorin was right, he and Evelyn would sometimes find themselves sitting around at the end of a long day laughing about how they almost got sent to the Void. "And cursing, we do a lot of cursing." Ilara looked at him funny.
"Maker's balls that sucked." Evelyn muttered throwing a mischievous side glance at the Sorin.
"Andraste's tits," he answered.
"Cum-guzzling maleificar gutter-sluts."
"Fucking shit-eating demons." They looked at Ilara with encouraging looks. She drew a deep breath and…
"Nug-faced fucking arseholes, Maker's flaccid cock-sucking whoresons on a fucking pony!" Evelyn and Sorin just stared at each other in awe for a moment.
"What did nugs ever do to you?" Evelyn's serious expression broke into a small smile as the three shared a laugh. Of course none of them felt too much better, but knowing they had each other meant the world to Evelyn. She would do anything for them, anything. There were few people in her life that she loved as much as the two of them, and she made a silent vow that while she drew breath, the sky could be falling down and she'd be there for them, whatever the cost.