“Captain!” Will greeted me enthusiastically as I walked inside.

Despite only being separated from the main room by a curtain, anytime I visited someone back here, they always reacted as though they had no idea I was even in the shop prior to my entering. I chalked it up to simply being yet another oddity of this immensely strange place of existence. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better,” I said with a smile.

Will was standing next to the bed, a number of clothes and other various possessions spread out in organized piles on said piece of furniture. Next to the bed, at Will’s feet, were a couple of bags, already half-full. She was packing, as Angelia had said– getting ready to leave this place forever.

“Loads. Angel says I should still be taking it easy, but I’m ready to get moving again.” She paused, looking down at the packs, a slightly nervous expression seeping into her eyes. “I’m ah… planning to leave the city. Like I mentioned last time.”

I nodded. “I imagined you would be. Do you know where you’re headed?”

“South, Ild-Lorn. Some of my family moved out there after the Lorni River incident, an aunt and uncle and their kids. Planning to meet up with them, at least for a while. Probably travel eventually, once I feel comfortable doing that.”

“Good plan. It’s a bit of a trip though. This will hopefully make it easier.” I handed her a key and a pouch.

Will stared at them both even as she mutely accepted them. “Is this…?”

“Key to my personal skiff, parked out back of my inn, you know the one. Doesn’t have the combat glove installment, but hopefully you won’t be needing that. It’s a bit torn up, but Whelan had it dragged back from Aldras and fixed. If you don’t want to keep it, you can always sell it, but you’re the most talented pilot I’ve ever known. Even if your military days are behind you, I know how much you love driving.”

Will smiled at me, tears starting to gather in her eyes. “Didn’t know you were so sappy, Captain.”

I breathed a laugh. “Really? I thought that ship had sailed a while ago.”

Will looked in the pouch next, and her face went blank. “This is….”

“Yours.”

She looked at me. “I’ve never owned anywhere near this much money, Leon. You can’t–”

“I didn’t ask for it, and I neither need nor deserve it. I want you to have the best beginning you can possibly have, starting this new life. If you can’t use it, find someone out there who can.”

Will looked at me for a long moment before tenderly putting both the key and pouch down on the bed. “Thank you, Captain.”

I nodded once, running a hand through my hair a bit awkwardly. That was what I had come here to do.

Will took pity on me, smiling and moving on. “I assume, since you’re here, that you won?”

I nodded again, more enthusiastically. “Yeah. Aeron walked away with terms of peace that include a year of sworn neutrality. Tirnaog fled once I took out their secret weapon. They won’t be coming back this time; it’s over.”

“And Rufais won’t be following them, will he?”

“He’s been stripped of power by the Guilds. At least for now, things seem pretty stable.”

“Sounds like everything is coming up good news then. What was their secret weapon?”

“They made some alliances with a Surgebinder group.” I shrugged. “They’re not immune to sniper bolts.”

Will grinned. “No, I’d imagine not.” Her smile slipped. “And Dahl?”

“I’m checking in with Raesh and Jesne once we’re done here. Jesne has some public accusations to bring before a court. I don’t think Dahl will let it get that far, though.”

“You think he’ll move against you?”

“Yeah. And when he does, we’ll kill him.”

Will nodded, slowly clenching her hand into a fist. “I feel like I should be here for that, stay and help to see it through, but… I’m not recovered. And even if I were, fighting one on one in the city doesn’t really fit with my strong suits.”

“You should go, Will. Move on. Live your life. Be free of… all of this.” I looked away.

And then Will walked over and hugged me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “You should live your life too,” she whispered. “Don’t be stuck in that moment. It wasn’t your fault.”

I stared down at the top of her head for a long moment and then slowly hugged her back, holding her. She still seemed so small compared to the vibrant girl I had known, even compared to the snarky and defensive woman in the prison cells, looking at me with those calculating eyes.

“So, what do you say? Sound like a deal?” I’d asked the cells at large. There was silence for a while from everyone involved; in the back, someone started laughing.

“I guess it’s not like you can do much worse than put us where we already are,” one of them said, a girl, her back up against the dividing wall between cells. She slowly stood, moving over to the bars to face me. “Hmph. I thought you’d look richer.”

“It was Dahl’s fault,” I said, quiet. “And he’s going to pay.”

Will pulled back enough to look me in the eyes. “It won’t bring them back.”

Faces flashed through my mind, one after another– sisters, brothers, comrades, my team. “No,” I agreed, softly. “It never does.”

Will released me, stepping back from the embrace and wiping her eyes. “I’m probably going to leave pretty soon. This afternoon. Might even be able to ride until dark now that I have the skiff; I figured I was going to have to take lots of breaks before.”

“You still should, if you need to. Don’t push yourself.”

She nodded once, slowly. “What about you? What’s your plan after everything with Dahl is done?”

“Hector and I will probably head off for Morrigan. They’re religiously tolerant there. We also got a job offer a little while back that we might be taking up once everything here is resolved.”

Will smiled. “Hector and you, huh?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

She smiled a little wider. “That’s good. The two of you make a good team.”

I tilted my head at her slightly but decided to simply let it go. “We’ve been friends for a while.”

She nodded in agreement and then looked down momentarily at her packing, then down at the floor. “I hope we see each other again, Captain. Someday. When things are better.”

I smiled slightly, sadly. “As do I, Will. It was truly a pleasure to….” I paused, remembering the last time I had said goodbye, and then I chose different words. “It was truly a pleasure to know you.”

Will blinked at me for a moment and then smiled genuinely, her expression a mixture of anticipation for the future and sorrow for the past. “Indeed it was, Leon. Good luck.”

“You as well. May the Sisters watch over you,” I said softly.

She smiled and inclined her head.

With that, we were done. I turned and departed back through the curtain with a strong feeling that despite her wishes, I would, in fact, likely never see her again.

“You said your goodbyes?” Angelia asked as I let the curtain fall closed behind me.

For the second time, I wondered if such a simplistic divider between the rooms really served to be as soundproof as everyone behaved. I nodded. “We did. Thank you once again for your help. I’ll take my leave and hopefully not have to return for some time.” I inclined my head and walked towards the door.

“Elyon,” Angel called out, sounding indecisive even as she spoke my name.

I turned back with an arched eyebrow, exasperation probably clear in my eyes. Her mysterious mannerisms grew old quite quickly.

“Don’t reach further than you understand. Keep your ambitions within the world you know. Things will go better for you.”

I frowned, narrowing my eyes at her. “Does this have to do with Dahl?”

“There is a trial you have not yet faced. Don’t reach beyond your understanding to fix it.” She paused. “It is a warning. Advice, not a command. Just… keep it in mind. Please.”

I let my hand fall from the handle of the door, fully turning back around to face her. “What is it that you know? Why do you treat me like I will inevitably become your enemy?”

“Because I fear you cannot be convinced to do anything else,” she said softly, sadly. “Though I pray for your guidance.”

“Pray to whom?” I challenged.

She smiled, a simultaneously sorrowful and wistful expression. “The one true Lord,” she said softly. “Keep your ambitions within your grasp, and all will be well.”

“Ambitions can’t be within your grasp,” I rebounded. “If I could already reach it, it wouldn’t be an ambition.” With that, I inclined my head a second time and left the shop, putting her troubling words out of my mind for the moment.

I found my companions back at Berd’s Inn, sitting around the table they seemed to prefer. Raesh had her feet propped up on the table and faced the door; she nodded at me as I entered through the front.

“I like how you’ve all appropriated my inn as the best place to meet,” I noted wryly, going to take the free seat that they had left for me.

“We thought you’d appreciate it,” Hector said. “How long did you stay out on the battlefield?”

I shrugged. “A little while. Will’s leaving today; I gave her my skiff.”

Hector arched an eyebrow and then whistled softly. “You don’t plan on taking it when we head to Morrigan?”

“It wasn’t like I actually owned it,” I said wryly. “It’s still under contract to Ildanach. They’re not going to say anything to her taking it to one of the outer towns, but Morrigan would probably have something to say about us bringing it up to their Highcity Gates.”

It was the same way basically everything powered by the slivers worked– private property was a myth when it came to those, and everyone was very ostentatious with their branding.

“Sure, but we could have ditched it at the border or something.”

“You just don’t want to walk.”

“I walked all the way from the West! I’m good!”

I chuckled faintly and shook my head before turning to the girls, who were watching our exchange with bemusement. “How did things go here?”

Jesne shrugged. “As expected. Dahl didn’t really do much, honestly– at least, not that we could tell. He tried to get down to the dungeons to speak to Keric once, but Ialdi turned him away. He got pretty angry, but he just left.”

“You weren’t gone long enough for a real mental breakdown,” Raesh said, giving me a pointed look as though I should have let the war drag on longer just to make Dahl more uncomfortable.

Stolen story; please report.

“And I’m so terribly sorry for that,” I said, voice dripping with insincerity.

Raesh snorted and leaned back in her chair again.

I turned to Jesne. “Are you prepared to bring your case?”

She nodded, swallowing a bit nervously. “Do you know when the best time to present it would be?”

“Not yet, but I figure we can go crash in on the Guildmasters today. Are they still spending most of their time in the Manor with Rufais locked in his room?”

“From what we can tell, yes,” Raesh confirmed. “Rufais is regaining some sense of himself though.”

“Not his power though.”

“No, not his power,” Raesh agreed, “at least, not over anyone except that pretty new bride of his.”

I scowled and didn’t bother masking it. “Are they married yet?”

“Not yet. I think it’s supposed to happen in a week or so.”

“May I ask your history–” Jesne started.

“No,” I said abruptly and then softened it. “Maybe later. Keric still in the dungeons?”

Raesh arched an eyebrow. “Did you expect him to be elsewhere?”

“Not yet. Not until after Dahl’s trial.”

Jesne frowned heavily. “Do you have such little confidence in the prisons?”

“I just think he’s a slippery one. I would know; I’m slippery too.” I grinned and then stood. “In the meanwhile, unless any of you have anything else to report, let’s head to the Manor.”

Shrugs went around the group. Raesh quickly downed the rest of her drink, and then we were off, heading down the main street towards the central court in the same path that I had walked dozens and dozens of times in my nearly two years calling this city home.

The doors to the Highlord’s Manor were opened for us without my even having to request or knock, and then we strode in to, indeed, find the Guildmasters gathered once again around the same banquet table.

“Captain!” I was greeted enthusiastically by Whelan. “Well done.”

“It seems our faith was not in vain,” Faolain smiled at me.

“I’m pleased you’ve returned safely,” Ennis offered on a more personal note, though still wearing a triumphant smile.

“Have the terms been signed by Killough?” I asked.

Even Berne seemed remarkably happier to see him, and he shook a scroll of paper in his hand. “It arrived by drone just an hour ago! They’ve agreed to neutrality for a year. We’ve sent an ambassador to hammer out the finer details of trade and the like going forward, but the skirmish is done, and we have won.”

“It seems you were worth some of the fuss,” Durnin noted, eyeing me slightly differently now– with more respect, but equally more caution. If I stayed in the city, he was definitely going to try to have me assassinated.

“That’s absolutely lovely,” I said. “Do you have time to listen to the prosecution against High Inquisitor Dahl then?”

The expressions on every face instantly fell; the nobles shuffled on their feet and suddenly found all the furniture very interesting.

“We had a deal,” I said, voice hardening.

“And we will honor it,” Whelan spoke in a soothing tone. “You understand, however, that we have not the capability to truly prosecute anything against him. He is the Chantry’s High Inquisitor, and only the Chantry’s judgment can be passed down upon him.”

“But you can send an armed guard with him to Isaria along with a writ of condemnation from the government of Ildanach and a certification of truth for Crusader Sryes to give her support when she brings the same case before the Bishops.”

I found it somewhat funny how visibly relieved several of them looked.

“Of course! And we will be glad to hear out her evidence with such a stake,” Berne said quickly, and I realized I may have misjudged him in his rage. He appeared to be a bit of a people-pleaser, that one, when he could manage a whole sentence without stuttering.

“Perfect. Tonight?”

Looks were exchanged.

“Give the people some time to rest first, Elyon,” Faolain said softly, in that persuasive and reasonable tone of hers. “Give us time to announce the treaty, allow the celebrations to ring, and then we will announce the trial.”

“And if Dahl tries to leave before then?” Jesne challenged, though she looked abashed as soon as she’d realized she’d spoken aloud.

“We will find reasons to occupy him,” Faolain promised.

I looked at her for a moment. “How long of a celebration period?”

“Three days, not more than five,” Faolain said decisively.

“Fine. Then you announce the trial, or I do.”

“Agreed.” She inclined her head, and the gesture went around the room with the exception of Durnin. It was a majority, though, and Faolain and Whelan specifically still seemed to greatly value my good will, so I nodded.

“The announcement will be made tomorrow?” I verified.

“Actually, within the hour,” Ennis said.

“But we’ll start the counter as of tomorrow,” Faolain gracefully interjected with a smile.

I enjoyed her style too much not to smile back. “The counter will start tomorrow,” I agreed, bemused.

“And to think,” she grinned, “the Highlord used to claim you were unreasonable.”

I breathed a laugh and then inclined my head to the lot of them. “I’ll leave you to your ruminations then. Good day.”

“Good day, Captain,” was echoed around the room, once again, by the three who liked me, and then we departed.

“Another week?” Raesh complained as soon as the doors closed behind us.

I shrugged and patted her on the head, which earned me a scowl and probably would have gotten my hand removed if she’d been a little faster on the draw. “It won’t feel like so long. Besides, it’ll give you and Jesne time to refine your arguments.”

“Me?” Raesh echoed.

“You were arrested for his crimes.”

Raesh scowled but didn’t argue.

I shrugged. “Either way, the lot of you should enjoy your day– especially with the celebrations that are about to break out as soon as the announcement is made. It’s been too long since Ildanach has seen an extended peace. They’re going to enjoy it now that it’s here.”

“What about you?” Hector asked me.

I shrugged. “I’m going to wander.”

With that, we went our separate ways.

I didn’t do anything terribly interesting; I roamed the streets of the city, remembering fond moments and times that I had spent under the shade of its lush trees. I was saying goodbye, I supposed, and I wandered long into the night.

I didn’t expect to find a letter on my bed when I entered my room at Berd’s Inn, through the window, per the norm so late. I didn’t expect to find it written in flowing and artistic handwriting, handwriting I found somewhat familiar, nor did I expect it to be signed with the familiar name of Avaline Norel.

It requested to meet me outside of the Highlord’s Manor, in the Central Courtyard, under the darkness of the Midnight Sun.

When had it arrived? How late was I? I looked outside my window. Khane’s Moon was still prominent in the sky, but it had passed its zenith.

I leapt from my window, letter in hand, and ran through the city. The gates to the courtyard were closed at this time, for obvious security measures, but the trees somewhat defeated their purpose to anyone more determined than a casual passerby. I climbed one of the trees near to the inner wall and then dropped from a limb onto the wall itself, falling from the wall to the courtyard in a rough roll. It hurt, of course, but I was hardly injured.

I approached the fountain in the center of the courtyard, gleaming from the dim lights of the crackling Rift sky, partially blocked by the prominent shape of the black moon, as well as from the west with the setting small reddish moon of Maeji, and more brightly from the east from the large blue moon of Cyren. There was a shadow cast by the statute, and that was where I looked, searching for the one who had written the letter in the dark.

“You are truly a lovesick fool, aren’t you?”

I turned slowly to face the author– High Inquisitor Armond Dahl, who was sauntering out of the shadow of the Cathedral towards me. “Just for a good fight.” I threw the letter at his feet. “Did you think if you prettied your handwriting up, I wouldn’t recognize it? Also, Ava wouldn’t beg.”

Dahl scowled at the paper at his feet for a moment before stepping more firmly into the light.

I recoiled slightly on instinct; the man in front of me bore little resemblance now to the man I had seen ride into this city nearly a month previously.

His blue eyes were sunken back into his skull; his pale Northern skin had grown whiter than paper and was stretched thin over his bones, his cheekbones prominent now, so much so that they looked as though they would split the skin any second. His hair, once neatly trimmed and kept, was in dire need of a cut and hung raggedly over his face, shrouding those mad eyes in shadows. He was wearing silver plate armor emblazoned with the symbol of the Chantry and infused with rift slivers that sparked and whirred in an unusual design. Generally, the bulkier armor utilized lavaslivers. There was something animalistic and predatory about the way he moved, and for just a moment, as he tugged his gloves up under the armor of his bracers, I thought I saw… fur?

“Are you afraid?” Dahl hissed. “Afraid of the next step of the Church?”

“I’m sort of wary on principle of anything the Church thinks is a good idea,” I responded, any and all doubts dismissed about whether or not Dahl had experimented on himself with Keric’s discoveries.

“You could have had everything. I offered you everything. And you turned it down– for what? Death and a mask?”

“Well, Death and I are on pretty good terms, and I really like the mask, so–”

Dahl snarled and lunged towards me– except he didn’t quite lunge. Or rather, he did, but he seemed to vanish mid movement and reappear several feet closer to finish the gesture. A lunge should have only carried him a few inches; it wasn’t a step, just making use of the reach his limbs already provided him, yet when he finished the motion this time, he had moved two to three feet closer to me.

I tensed reflexively, ready to react, but he was still at least slightly out of range. I started walking, slowly circling, making sure I was clear of obstacles and mobile in case he did that again. “Everything alright, Armond?” I asked casually. “You seem a bit more wound up than normal.”

He suddenly smiled, an unnerving expression in a face so haunted, and I saw a hint of violet in his eyes. “You have no idea, Kazere– no idea! The energy that runs through me, the power. There is nothing I cannot do right now. You were a fool to choose your old life over this. There is nothing beyond this! This is… the epitome of life!”

“Funny, the epitome of life looks an awful lot like you’re on the brink of death and madness.”

And then Dahl laughed, a loud and chilling sound. “Death?” He snapped his eyes opened and met mine. “Death is nothing to me now. Death is an obstacle, and it has been conquered! What can you possibly hope to do to one who has put an end to Death itself?”

“Well, first of all, I think Death herself would take some issue with that,” I said mildly. “Second–”

“You think this is a joke?” Dahl hissed, and he took a step closer to me. “Do you think you can laugh this all away as fun and games? You will have to face the truth eventually, Elyon. You have finally met a foe you cannot defeat. Your goddess cannot help you now.”

No, I thought to myself, but my demon probably can.

As though on call, I saw Teris out of the corner of my eye. He fluttered into the courtyard and perched on one of the balconies of the Grand Cathedral, behind Dahl.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said, shrugging. “I try not to rely on her aid too much; our relationship works better if we maintain some independence.”

“I thought as you did, once,” Dahl said, voice quieter now. “I thought I could content myself with the life I lived– service to the Fates, respect from the lords who ruled in my life. I did my duty, my calling, what I was good at. I was even kind when circumstances would call for it. I offered heretics mercy, escape, treated the Surgebinders under my care as worthy of humanity.”

“Oh, the generosity,” I muttered under my breath; Dahl ignored me, continuing to pontificate.

“Just like you,” he said, and his eyes gained that purple glint again, his voice rising in volume and becoming more earnest, terribly earnest. “You service your Goddesses, you desired and gained respect from the rulers here, you do your duty and what you are good at, and you played the hero! You rescued those on death row to be your companions, showed mercy and compassion in your desire for peace and swift ends to the war, you even denied a promotion in pursuit of that piety. But it’s not enough. You know, too, that it’s not enough– because we have both seen into the Rifts.”

I narrowed my eyes at him slightly. Did he know? Could he possibly know? I wanted to look at Teris, but I didn’t dare tip him off– what if he did know?

“I looked into their depths, Leon, and the things I saw there….” He trailed off, shuddering– whether in fear or some kind of twisted ecstacy, I was not certain. “There are things beyond the gods, things beyond this world, and, suddenly, nothing here was enough– nothing would ever be enough! There are greater ideals for which to reach. I know you understand. The boredom in your eyes when you fight; the way you treat life and death as a joke even now. You must understand. I have seen the light of the Rift reflected in your eyes.”

He looked at me for a long moment after his pleading and then, suddenly, the violet gleam I had seen creep into his gaze burst into a full flame of purple fire. “And you let it slip away!”

Dahl lunged forward yet again– a sword was in his hand now. When it had had the time to get there, I had no idea, but I knew I couldn’t draw mine fast enough. He vanished mid-step, disappearing altogether from sight, and I had less than a second– I threw myself to my right in a roll.

As he rematerialized to finish his lunging attack, his blade caught the edge of my coat.

I came back to my feet, breathing heavily, and quickly drew my own blade. “We don’t have to do this,” I said, my heart pounding in my ears, knowing as I looked at him that this wasn’t a man anymore.

“Of course we do,” Dahl said, slowly turning to face me, seeming bigger now, broader, even taller– his coat stretching so noticeably at the seams that I realized my impression wasn’t just a trick of light, he was truly growing right in front of me. “How else could this story end? You refused to embrace the darkness of the new world, clinging to your old beliefs and your old impressions of hero, pretending that these lives matter when we know we’re so far above them. And if you insist on playing the role of misguided hero, then I suppose there’s only one role left for me. We could have been brothers.”

“You murdered my brothers,” I told him, quiet.

“They could have been your life,” Dahl insisted.

I met his eyes and watched his gaze widen, knew my own were burning as violet as his now– no, not as violet as his, more so. And then I smirked. “I didn’t need their life.”