fadewalk | RP: Meredith

The burnt scent filled the air from the rotunda to the rookery; only one more left from their fights against the Envy Demon, as Leliana had read on the journal. But despite the smell, the rookery was just the way it should be, her private altar untouched; in the past, the woman would see it as a sign of a greater force in action. Now, seemed like pure luck.

The appearance of Knight-Commander Meredith was unsettling.
Long before the Chantry explosion, in Kirkwall, doubts about her reasoning were being raised. If she was there in possession of her Red Lyrium sword, then something should be done to avoid further problems and bloodshed.

Leliana kneeled in front of the small altar, head lowered. She joined her hands together in a prayer, lips muttering the familiar verses of the Chant of Light and her mind darted here and there, thinking of a solution.

Blessed are they who stand before
The corrupt and the wicked and do not falter.
Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.
Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow.
In their blood the Maker's will is written.

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Descending from the tower bedroom was no great task. Voices echoed off the empty stone hallways from the distance, but Meredith felt no need to search them out. Indeed, with what she had learned, solitude was preferable by far.

This strange, Fade-touched castle swarming with mages and their sympathisers. Accursed fools. An Envy demon, of all things, and they have only the faulty memory of a mage who brought the thing here in the first place to assure themselves it was dead. And they wanted to imprison her

Madness.

Others had given directions, sketched small maps into the enchanted book, and Meredith passed through the Great Hall without incident. A smile curled her lips at the sight of the throne and hangings. Someone, at least, knew their duty to the Maker and his children.

The smell of char gave her pause, and she advanced into the rotunda carefully. The remains of an overturned table had been shifted out of the doorway, half-burned books tumbled across the floor. It was obvious that a powerful spell had caused the damage, but there was no lingering hint of magic. At least a day had passed since it was cast.

Meredith's lips thinned as she pressed them together.

The stairs were an easy climb, and when she reached the Library level she paused again. The familiar meter of the Chant reached her, and she hummed along as she mounted the final staircase. It opened to a loft filled with birdcages, likely for messenger corvids. All hung empty and lifeless, just as the rest of the fortress.

But there, a figure bent before a simple alter of the Maker's Bride. Meredith approached, boots unselfconsciously loud against the wooden floorboards.

"There was no word for heaven or for earth, for sea or sky." She took a knee beside the hooded figure with the ease of long practice. "All that existed was silence."

"Then the Voice of the Maker rang out, the first Word, and His Word became all that might be."

Leliana glanced at Meredith sideways without leaving her position, a hint a smile in the corner of her mouth.

"Dream and idea, hope and fear, endless possibilities. And from it made his firstborn. And he said to them: in My image I forge you, to you I give dominion over all that exists. By your will may all things be done."

Meredith spoke the words in sync with the Sister, and let her head remain bowed for a few moments after.

"It is beautiful," She motioned toward the alter as she straightened. "To see such a humble devotion of faith in a place touched by demons. This is your work, Sister?"

"Yes." she nodded "Since my... assignment as Left Hand for the Inquisition required all the attention I had to offer, I placed a small piece of my devotion here, so I could perform my duty and praise the Maker as well."

"An admirable expression, Sister." Meredith cleared her throat, letting her gaze settle on Andraste's benevolent visage.

She had never been good at this. Still, with what seemed to be enemies at every turn, her dignity would only be a hindrance.

"I have questions." Meredith cringed internally. "That is to say, I do not understand everything that is happening here, Sister. Obviously how we came to be here is the fault of powerful magic of some kind. And with the Fade's involvement, and that of Time Magic, things are clearly complicated."

Meredith studied the statue, it's smooth marble pitted with scratches, one finger of her hand scored away. Worn, yes, but it's surface was smooth and polished, reflected candlelight making it seem to glow. A beacon of faith and comfort in this place of darkness.

"What can you tell me of the Herald of Andraste? And," Meredith swallowed, feeling Certainty's weight over her shoulder ever so keenly. "Of Red Lyrium? Please."

Leliana approached the small altar, blank expression and eyes locked on the statue's. She smoothed the white tablecloth underneath the image. Then, the Sister turned back to Meredith, her blue eyes settling over the Knight-Commander's.

"The Herald of Andraste is a very honorable person." then she added "In 9:40, when Templars and Mages were waging war all over Thedas, both groups cutting ties with the Chantry. Divine Justinia stepped foward and came up with the Conclave, to promote peace talks between them, her wish to end the war and think of a solution for the mages better than the Circles and having Templars as jailors."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"But something went terribly wrong. A powerful creature, one of the Magisters who dared to step on the Golden City and, therefore, responsible for the Maker unleashing the Taint over us as a punishment, abducted Divine Justinia and killed her. The Temple of Sacred Ashes was completely destroyed in the attack and the only survivor is the Herald of Andraste. She was delivered back from the Fade by the Maker's Bride herself and is the only person capable of closing the rifts, tears in the Veil used by demons to enter our world and another consequence of the explosion in the temple. As for the Red Lyrium, Corypheus uses it to corrupt the remnants of the Templar Order, to manipulate them and use them against the Inquisition, to achieve his vile goals."

The Sister paused, waiting for Meredith to absorb all the informations so far.

"Red Lyrium is Blighted Lyrium, hence Corypheus' ability to use it to control the infected Templars, as an ancient darkspawn himself. Being close to Red Lyrium is enough for someone to be infected, to hear it sing and lose completely their minds, with time."

Her hands were trembling. Meredith scowled in irritation and clasped them together.

"Why would- Templars are protectors, meant to guard against temptation and weakness. Not jailors."

She stood, crossing her arms because her Blighted hands would not stop shaking like a raw recruit's. She strode away from the altar, circling the rookery with quick, loud steps. As she came back around to Leliana again, she growled and turned back, retracing her path.

Amelia's face, bubbling, the demon taking over, the bodies, the bodies, all because they were trying to protect her...

She slowed as she approached the altar again, jaw squared and hands steadied. "You have my sympathies for Divine Justinia's loss. While I did not always agree with her policies, she was a credit to her position, and a good woman."

"I do not believe that mages can be trusted without the Circle. I have seen first hand, as I would guess you have also, the atrocities they are capable of committing without strict oversight." Meredith's lips pressed together, nearly white with tension.

"I was not... aware, of what Red Lyrium was capable of." She unsheathed Certainty without hesitation. It's strength curled under her heart, warm and comforting. Meredith's eyes tracked over it, the keenness of it's edge, the hollow circle near it's hilt. The skull leafed with dawnstone on it's pommel, and despite herself she smiled a little.

"Grand Cleric Elthina gave me this sword. I thought it to be a reflection of her faith in me. My abilities. Worthiness." Meredith's voice softened in thought. "A poisoned gift."

Edited Date: 2015-08-25 11:21 pm (UTC)

"It is far known that many templars diverted from their honorable duty and used their credibility to commit atrocious acts. For example, the incident that granted lady Pentaghast her position as Right Hand of Divine Beatrix III, in 9:22." she paced "The Chantry's compliance affected them both, not only the Mages."

Then, she shook her head.

"But there is no point on arguing about this. What is done, is done." her eyes darted the blade and them Meredith; her voice was soft, soothing "I am sure Grand Cleric Elthina really had faith and trust on you, Knight-Commander. We only became aware of the effects of Red Lyrium recently, so her intentions were the purest. But now you know the risks, now you can make the right choice about it."

Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Cassandra Pentaghast's history is not unknown to me, Sister. I am not an idealistic Knight-Corporal blind to the possibilities of corruption in the Maker's house, however distasteful the thought may be." She paused, reigned herself in. "You are right, however. In your time it is done, and in mine it still remains for me to stop it."

She considered Certainty, laid her hand on the flat of the blade just to hear the click of her gauntlet against the Stormheart that surrounded it's red core.

"No, the Grand Cleric could not have known what her gift would create. A Red Lyrium Abomination." Meredith spat the words like foul things. Certainty's power curled, soothing, reassuring. Powerful. As powerful as whatever magic caused the firestorm down below? As powerful as what had forced her here?

Her gaze lifted up to meet Leliana's. "Where in this castle is secure enough to hold Red Lyrium safely?"

"There is a vault in this building, used by the Ambassador Montilyet to secure the Inquisition's finances. We can put the sword there, though I believe the most safe course of action is to get rid of it completely."

She stared Meredith, trying to read her expression.
If what Varric had said about Bartrand, there was a chance her words caused a backlash over the Knight-Commander, a sort of backlash that would probably force her to fight for her life. She remained calm, though. Dealing with a mind poisoned by Red Lyrium was a dangerous game, but a thrilling one, regardless.

Meredith twitched.

"I appreciate your candor, Sister, and I will take your recommendation under advisement."

Her arm yearned to strike.

"Show me to this vault of yours."

Certainty crooned, and Meredith grit her teeth.

Leliana evoked her most sweet smile, nodding accordingly.

"Please, follow me."

She turned on her heels and headed back to the stairs, arms crossed in front of her chest. There was sometime since she last gave her back to a blade willingly; her armor was in place and she was certain that, soon enough, she would test how quick she could be after years since her last good fight.

Meredith followed Leliana a respectful distance behind. It wasn't until they reached the rotunda that she realized that she had yet to sheath Certainty. She hadn't noticed.

She cursed internally and slung the sword over her shoulder. Nothing would make her release the hilt, though.

Maleficar, Abominations, criminals and cutthroats. Surrounded by enemies, and who's to say that the Sister isn't part of-

She mercilessly cut off that line of thought. It was unworthy of her to doubt the only ally she had found in this accursed place.

Though.

She is the one who brought up corruption in the Chantry. She is the one who claimed that the Order was unnecessary. She is the one who wishes to disarm you so completely, leave you at their mercy-

Her stride, smooth and even and assured, faltered. Meredith stared blankly forward.

The Sister didn't turn to look at Meredith, the characteristic sound of a blade being sheathed not escaping from her perception. She went through the Great Hall and stopped by the outside doors, staring the dark sky.

"What kind of sin did we do to deserve such punishment?" she sighed, turning her gaze to Meredith before starting to walk again "Being brought here, I mean. And what possibly caused this to the Fade?" she shook her head, another sigh, heading to the Ambassador's office but them turning left, downstairs.

"Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him." Meredith intoned, then put her hand in the center of Leliana's back and shoved her down the stairs.

Leliana could've resisted?

Yes.

Could've fought?

Probably.

But she recalled something Marjolaine had told her many, many years before, about falling, and how resisting the fall could hurt more than simply allowing the gravity to act over your limp limbs. Not a theory she was fond of, but the easiest to test, before everything went dark.

Meredith descended the steps, each foot placed deliberately. The Sister's body lay sprawled at the bottom, and Meredith stopped two steps above, out of reach.

"You thought I'd forgotten." She leaned forward to draw Certainty. "You thought you could crook your finger and have me fall in line."

She let the tip of the blade rest just against the Sister's neck. "Bosom companion of the Warden-Commander, a mage. Likely an ally to Hawke, and her pet Anders. Advisor to the Herald of Andraste, an elf-mage and an irreverent brat. They wait somewhere ahead, don't they?"

Her arm was heavy. Certainty pulled downwards, yearning.

"I should kill you for betraying my trust." Her sneer grew. "Still. In the absence of light, shadows thrive."

She pulled back with more effort than it should have taken. Heavy. So heavy.

"Mercy, Sister. What I know you would not have shown me."

Meredith took the last steps and set out, ignoring any limbs underfoot. She would spring their little trap, and woe to any who asked mercy of her then.

Edited Date: 2015-08-26 03:36 am (UTC)