The room they entered matched and exceeded any Orlesian decorations she'd ever seen, although the age was showing in some places.
AS they walked forward, Mara perceived the slightest change in the air behind them.
"Someone is watching us." Mara murmured to her companions. They tensed, but did not have to wait long before they were surrounded by bowman. An elf, hooded, stood above them. Mara was tense. All that argument Morrigan had given to go through this damned door and they would be slain by arrows.
The hooded elf spoke. He seemed confused, which seemed to be the only reason they hadn't been shot yet. The elf said that Mara's team had shown up the same time as all the other attackers, but unlike them, we had walked the Petitioner's path and also had an elf with us. Mara was quietly really glad she'd brought Solas along.
"Solas, maybe you should speak. Maybe he'll listen to you." Mara said quietly to him.
Solas scoffed at her. "What shall I say Inquisitor?"
Mara was chagrined. Right. No awesome speech to win the crowd from Solas then. Questions? She asked if they were ancient elves from before the time that Arlathan fell to the Tevinter Imperium. But the elf declined that description, saying that the Tevinter Magisters had been pecking as crows over the long dead corpse of their culture.
The elf said their had been no war but the war they'd waged among themselves. Dorian was quite shocked. Still, this was not getting them anywhere; the bows were still pointed at them. She'd try blunt honesty then.
"The others here are our enemies, and yours too."
The hooded elf weighed her words carefully, then declared that he believed her. Whew. The bows were lowered. Abelas said that they could not have the well. He would help them through the battles being waged within only if she agreed not to try to take the well for herself. Morrigan murmured tersely that they should make no such bargain. Solas insisted they take it. What everyone seemed to forget is that they were still surrounded... So Mara agreed to the Alliance. Then Abelas said he would go on more directly to destroy the well. Which seemed odd after they'd just made an agreement about the thing. Morrigan, however, was quite alarmed, shouting No! Purple black smoke and the crackle of energy led Mara to believe Morrigan was attacking. Instead...
Huh. Should she be shocked to find out that Morrigan could transform into a crow? it's not like it would come up over tea, would it?
An old elf with staff and book in heand indicated they should follow. Dorian still seemed to be reeling from the news that Tevinter hadn't overcome the ancient elves at all.
The sounds of battle came through the walls as Mara hurried through. She felt a bit cowardly, not facing the fight head on; allowing others to fight on her behalf. But they must reach Samson soon, so much time had been lost to prayers and discussion...
Finally, they came through a final set of doors to find Samson and his minions doing battle. And they were obviously winning.
Samson seemed to laugh at their appearance, remarking that of course the Inquisitor would have followed them down into this temple, they'd already been chasing him half across Thedas. Mara thought he seemed resolved to fight, but considering he once used to be a good man...she tried to reach through to him by bringing up Maddox, his friendm having killed himself. This information did seem to give Samson pause, but then he shook it off. Went into a rant about how powerful he was with his armor and how he was chosen by Corypheus. Blah blah blah. Mara tried to hide her smile as she removed the rune from her pocket. His monologue being interupted would just make this move all the sweeter. The rune seemed to activate itself as soon as it picked up on Samson's armor.
Samson was wuite upset that we'd broken his toy and ordered the attack. Unlike the Lord Seeker, Samson was formidable even with his armor removed. When Mara tried to pull the same move of ice potion and stab on him on him, he laughed in her face and knocked her flat on her back. Okay. Pick off the weaker ones first then. That plan seemed to work, and soon Samson was panting, slowly losing consiousness, at their feet.
Mara couldn't kill the man while he was unconscious. She told the Team they'd just have to take him in for Judgement later, and they headed on as soon as they saw a familiar crow chasing a hooded elf up a magical flight of stairs. Wonders never ceased.
Morrigan transformed back
immediately declared they must save the well. That it would aid them against Cory. Mara wasn't so sure. The Well could be anything, really. Either way, Mara wasn't too keen on going back on a promise of alliance and Samson was no longer a threat as a Vessel of the Well... and told Morrigan to stand down. Morrigan insisted, however, that if they didn't take it, it would be taken regardless of anyone's Vessel status. This exchange seemed to sway the hooded elf, Abelas.
Abelas turned to gaze into the Well he'd been protecting for hundreds of years. Weariness and sadness lined his words.
Mara heard his words, absorbed them. Knew what they meant.
He finally accepted that they would drink, but warned them that the drinker would be bound to Mythall, although he was ambiguous about what that meant. After Dorian pleaded that he reach out and share the truth about the ancient elves and Solas wished him luck, Abelas soon departed, his duty soon to be fulfilled regardless of his presence.
Morrigan immediately volunteered to drink. This made Mara a bit tired. Of course she would. But what were everyone's thoughts on that particular decsion?
Awww. Mara almost blushed.
Solas said someone should drink but seemed disturbed at the idea that it should be him and declined vehemently.
Dorian declared that he could not and would not be the man that would scoop up the last bit of Elven knowledge.
Could Mara be that person? Scoop up the last true pieces of elven knowledge?
But perhaps another, more important, question should go first; Did she trust Morrigan? The woman had put her at ease since she'd met her. Had put trust in her in the midst of intrigue within the Palace. She was a mother who loved her son...but Alexius had loved his son as well. Speaking of son, Morrigan drinking from the well may have severe consequences that could leave Kieran an orphan. On the other hand, the woman had seemed oddly dodgy and unpredictable since they'd entered the Temple. Half truths and random attacks on elves.
But did Mara want yet one more magical thing connected to her very being? The Anchor had become... almost a part of her. In such a short time, and with much reliance.... it had put her as top choice for Quiz. Did she want yet more? Yet more magic that she did not comprehend? Had no training to weild? ..... A very definitive NO. That was a simple answer.
She would just have trust Morrigan and hope that such trust did not lead to lasting consequences.
Morrigan went in, slowly, as if the water would do something. Well, it likely would. Mara didn't envy her that uncertainty. Spiraling blue energy went around Morrigan as the witch smiled. Then there was a small explosion that spashed all the water out onto them. Whoa! Mara ran to Morrigan's side. She seemed very confused, speaking in another language.
Eventually she assured them all she was intact, but relief was short lived. Cory had arrived. He knew what they'd done. And he was not happy. The Eluvian seemed to activate behind them, wehther due to their need or Morrigan's intent.
And they all landed on the other side in Skyhold. Morrigan quickly shut her mirror off, as if to stave off Cory following them through soon after.
Amazing. A trip to the Arbor Wilds had taken half a day of hard riding, but in seconds, they had returned.
That was enough excitement. Time to get cleaned up and call the War Council, if they had returned from the Wilds yet.
-----------
The Council actually didn't arrive until the next day, with a bound Samson in tow. But he would have to wait.
Mara called the Council. Morrigan had been communing with the voices in her head (Mara was now doubly glad she hadn't drank. Voices in her head and a glowing Veil key in her hand wouldn't have been way too much. Anywho, Morrigan knew the secret to Cory's longevity. He'd broken off a piece of himself and placed it in his dragon. Which, fortunately, they now know was not an Archdemon. So, all they had to do was kill his dragon. The simplicity was pretty astounding.
She wasn't frightened by this prospect. They'd already killed several dragons. If this one wasn't an archdemon, it would be no different.
Retour en haut
Oh well, back at it tomorrow. Dorian gained a level so I gave him Energy Barrage to use in place of Chain Lightning. Although, against Sha'Brytol CL might actually be helpful since they have electricity vulnerability. Hey, at least it wasn't Lightning Bolt! 
