The Moral Kicks In, Chapter 1
Word Count: 2,573
Summary: I just finished Dragon Age: Inquisition and I was really inspired so I decided to write a fic about it. Kyza, thrown into a situation that she never wanted, has now become the Herald of Andraste and a leader of the Inquisition. Will she be able to live up to the title? And will that cute Commander ever notice her?
“As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.”
And there it was. It felt underwhelming; Kyza expected more from this moment, like a bang, a crowd cheering, rallying for their success. But here they were, in a barely lit room in the back of the Chantry, throwing around ideals as if power could fly from their fingertips. Cassandra continued.
“We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order, with or without your approval.” Cassandra stared daggers at the Grand Chancellor, as if daring him to make a move.
Grand Chancellor Roderick smoldered in his own hatred, clearly beaten. He turned around and swiftly left the room, leaving Cassandra, Leliana, and Kyza within.
Leliana continued to speak about the hopelessness of the situation, but Kyza couldn’t pay attention. Within the last day, she had been saved from horror by what many claim to be Andraste herself; accused of the murder of Divine Justinia; stopped the Breach from growing; and been thrown into the chaos of building a new force to defeat the evils of Thedas. Not to mention all of the dead bodies of the many Inquisition soldiers, the demons spewing from the rips in the Fade…..
Cassandra snapped Kyza back to attention. “Will you help us, Herald of Andraste? Will you join the Inquisition’s forces?”
Kyza looked at Cassandra, and immediately knew that Cassandra could feel her fear. She wasn’t hiding it well. Her hands moved behind her back and clasped, and she tried to shake off her nerves. “I…..this is all so strange. I don’t know….I don’t know what you want me to do, exactly.” Kyza was shaking a little, too little for any of the others to notice.
“Neither do we,” Cassandra stated with her usual boldness. As scary as the situation was to Kyza, the Seeker seemed unfazed. “But it is clear that you are our only hope for closing the Breach. We need you, Herald.” Her hand stuck out towards Kyza. “Help us fix this before it is too late.”
As much as Kyza wanted to run away from the situation, pretend that this was a dream in the Fade, she knew the circumstances were real. She knew that the mark on her hand, whatever it was, had closed that Breach, and that Thedas needed her power. Kyza was frightened, but attempted to swallow that fear down as she stuck her hand out.
“I want to help, Cassandra.” She avowed. “I….will do what is in my power to close the Breach.” Cassandra brightened up at these statements, seemingly surprised at the Herald’s cooperation. As much as Cassandra proclaimed that Kyza was innocent, there was still a part of her that saw Kyza as the prisoner from a day ago.
With that swift handshake, Kyza had cemented herself as the symbol of the Inquisition, the Herald of Andraste; and she was afraid.
—
Cassandra led Kyza to the War Room to discuss tactics for the Inquisition. Kyza did not understand why she needed to be there; she was a mere symbol at this point, a figurehead for the Inquisition, as good or bad as that may be. She did not have the diplomatic or political experience to guide decisions, nor did she have the military experience to lead these troops forward. Her presence was most likely a formality, one of many she would have to accept.
Kyza’s thoughts were interrupted with a question from the Seeker. “Does it…trouble you?” Her gaze looked down at Kyza’s hand, her head tilted contemplatively.
“The mark?” Kyza croaked, but then straightened herself; “It, well…..it stings occasionally, but it’s the symbolism of it that bothers me the most.”
Cassandra grunted in response, seemingly understanding Kyza’s troubles. “What’s important is that your mark is now stable, as is the Breach. You’ve given us time, and Solas believes that a second time might succeed, provided the mark has more power. The same level of power used to open the Breach in the first place. That is not easy to come by.”
“Hopefully you have something in mind?” Kyza blurted; although she had told herself not to speak up during the War Room meeting, she was warming up to the Seeker and felt comfortable talking to her.
“We do.”
Cassandra opened the Chantry’s back doors and motioned for Kyza to enter. She walked in tentatively, unsure of what to expect; she was welcomed to Leliana and two unfamiliar faces. Cassandra spoke up, with more authority than before;
“May I present Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisition’s forces.” Kyza eyed him; he was incredibly handsome, with slicked blond hair and light stubble across his defined jawline. His tall stature was made broader by his armor and his coat, lined with red fur at the neckline. He was incredibly intimidating too, which was probably why he chose to dress as he did.
A sigh emitted from the Commander. “Such as they are.” His face softened. “We lost many soldiers in the valley, and I fear many more before this is through.” Kyza nodded his way, in an attempt to empathize with the Commander.
Cassandra continued. “This is Lady Josephine Montilyet, our ambassador and chief diplomat.” To Kyza, she was dressed exactly as one would expect; frilly gold shirt, perfectly styled hair, wrapped in a bun. Josephine stood there with her reports in one hand and a quill in another. “It is nice to meet you, Herald,” Josephine said with a quick bow, then continued to write her reports under her candle. A lady constantly at work, Kyza thought, before Cassandra moved on.
“And of course, you know Sister Leliana,” Cassandra added, before Leliana chimed in. “My position here involves a degree of-“
“She is our spymaster,” Cassandra barked, as if knowing that Leliana would try and dramatize her title. Leliana sighed, slightly annoyed. “Yes, tactfully put, Cassandra.”
“It is nice to meet you all,” Kyza muttered, in the most polite way she could. All of the people in this room had impressive, titles, save for herself. All I am is a figurehead to these people, Kyza repeated in her head. A figurehead, a figurehead. Do not think your opinion holds leverage in this room; you are a figurehead, nothing more. She straightened her posture and stood curtly while the others talked.
“I mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach for good,” Cassandra reminded Kyza.
Leliana picked up on the thought. “Which means that we must approach the rebel mages for help-“
“And I still disagree,” Cullen objected. “The Templars could serve just as well.” Does that make him a mage hater? Kyza wondered nervously. Oh Maker, he is not going to like me.
A strong sigh emitted from Cassandra. “We need power, Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark-“
“Might destroy us all”, Cullen emphasized. He really likes interrupting people, Kyza thought. I suppose a Commander must be used to such authority. “Templars could suppress the Breach, weaken it, so-“
“Pure speculation,” Leliana interrupted. For an Inquisition, the leaders here are quite disagreeable, Kyza couldn’t help but think.
“I was a Templar,” Cullen added, a look of frustration appearing on his face. “I know what they’re capable of.” Ooooooh, that’s it.
“Unfortunately, neither group will speak to us yet.” Josephine chimed, ending the dispute. “The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, and you specifically.”
Kyza was a little shocked. “They still think I’m guilty?” She gawked to the ambassador. Kyza was never good at dealing with people who hated her, and the thought of an entire institution openly hating her-
“That is not the entirety of it any longer,” Josephine reassured. Her quill hand swayed in the candlelight, itching to continue writing. “Some are calling you, a mage” – she said that with bite in her voice - “the Herald of Andraste. That frightens the Chantry. The remaining clerics have declared it blasphemy, and we heretics for harboring you.” Kyza gulped. The heaviness of the situation was beginning to burden her shoulders.
“Chancellor Roderick’s doing, no doubt,” Cassandra pointed out.
“It limits our options,” Josephine maintained. “Approaching the Mages or the Templars is currently out of the question. But for now, you remain the Herald of Andraste.”
The weight continued to push on Kyza’s shoulders, before she blurted out; “How am I the Herald of Andraste? I’m just a mage from Ostwick! Or I was!” The fear, as much as she tried to hold it back, seeped through her voice. She was shaking again, this time more noticeably from before. She had been called the Herald plenty of times throughout the day, but the implications of that phrase had not hit her until now.
Cullen eyed the young Herald standing before him. She had black, cropped hair, with a slight point at the front. Her eyes were doe-like and full of fear. Her lips, small but pout, quivered whenever she said her title. The freckles that dotted her skin hid behind the tense crinkles that formed. There she was, shaking, scared of her own title. Cullen couldn’t blame her; it’s not every day that the second coming of Andraste appears, especially in this poor young mage. She didn’t ask for this. He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair, settling it on the back of his neck. As much as I sympathize for her, we need a strong symbol, he thought to himself. I wonder if she has the strength to do it.
“People saw what you did at the Temple…how you stopped the Breach from growing.” Cassandra explained. “They have also heard about the woman seen in the rift when we first found you. They believe that was Andraste.”
Leliana continued. “Even if we tried to stop that view from spreading-“
“Which we have not,“ Cassandra blunted, clearly unaware of Kyza’s fear.
Leliana glared at Cassandra, before picking up where she left off. “The point is, everyone is talking about you.”
Cullen wanted to hear from the Herald. She was a part of this conversation, after all, and it seemed like everyone was forgetting that. “That’s quite the title, isn’t it?” He asked, looking at the Inquisitor. “How do you feel about that?” He attempted to smile reassuringly at her, but it ended up coming off as a smirk, making Kyza feel uneasy.
“I-“ Kyza stammered as she took a step back. She wasn’t expecting them to ask her anything – she was just the figurehead, after all. Clearly. “I…I don’t want it, and I don’t believe it, but….I’ll take it if it makes people feel better.” She nodded as if to reaffirm what she just said.
The four others in the room seemed pleased by her response. “It is quite the title, but I have faith that you will carry it with honor,” Cassandra assured and clapped her hand on Kyza’s shoulder. Hopefully Cassandra couldn’t feel her shaking, but it was probable that she did.
“People are desperate for a sign of hope. For some, you’re that sign.” Leliana stated with a wave of her hand.
“And to others, a symbol of everything that’s gone wrong.” Josephine reminded, also unaware of the Herald’s nerves. To Kyza, it seemed that Leliana was the only one aware of her feelings, and potentially Cullen. But Cullen looked at her as if she was another solider to be commanded, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Kyza elected to remain silent at the comment.
“There is something you can do,” Leliana chimed with hope. Kyza reverted her attention to the spymaster. “A Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has asked to speak to you. She is not far, and she knows those involved far better than I do. Her assistance would be invaluable.”
Kyza moved her hands to behind her back and clasped them; a nervous tick she had picked up to hide the anxiety her hands showed. When she noticed that all of the advisors were looking to her, as if expecting an answer, she quickly piped up; “I will do whatever it is you think it best I do.” While Kyza was pleased with the smoothness of her answers, the other four seemed underwhelmed.
“You know you have an opinion on this matter,” Leliana reminded. “You are just as much a part of this Inquisition as the rest of us. We are not here to dictate your actions, simply advise them. You are still our Herald of Andraste, after all.”
This caught Kyza off guard. “W-Why? I do not have the experience that you four do. I….I may be the ‘herald’, but I am no expert. I…I will do what you need me to do for the Inquisition, but…I feel ill fit for any other positions.” At this point, Kyza had started rocking back and forth on her heels – another nervous habit she had picked up.
Cassandra pinched the area between her eyebrows in frustration. “Clearly you need an adjustment phase,” she said condescendingly, and Kyza’s heart fell into her stomach. “You will go speak to Mother Giselle, Herald. She is located in the Hinterlands near Redcliffe, tending to those who have been hurt by the battle between Mages and Templars.”
“Look for other opportunities to expand the Inquisition while you are there,” Cullen asserted, leaning forward to catch Kyza’s attention. “You may choose to hold back your voice, but you are not voiceless.” His gaze intensified. “Nor are you powerless.”
Kyza felt like she had disappointed the Inquisition already, and it had only been one day. She was just trying to help, to be the figurehead she knew they wanted her to be, and yet they pushed her even farther. It unnerved her, especially Cassandra’s disappointment.
“I will go to the Hinterlands tomorrow then,” Kyza nodded towards Leliana, her hands fidgeting behind her back. “I hope….I hope I will not disappoint you all further. Forgive me.” With that, Kyza turned around and left the room in a hurry.
The moment the door left, a tension diffused from the room. Cullen rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. “Maker’s breath, are we sure she can lead this Inquisition?” His hand found its way to the table and gripped it.
“She was shaking when I felt her,” Cassandra sighed. “I cannot help but agree with you, Cullen.”
“Now now,” Josephine reassured the group, “She is simply nervous. I am sure anybody would be in her situation. Give her time to show her colors.”
“But how much time do we have?” Cullen argued, and scrutinized the ambassador. He had tried to sympathize with the Inquisitor earlier, but his patience was stunted. “We cannot sit around and wait for her colors to show! She is the symbol of the Inquisition!”
A silence washed over the group. Everyone knew Cullen was right, but none wanted to say it aloud.
Leliana coughed, and then began; “The Hinterlands will give her the time she needs. As much as you might loathe it, Commander, she is our symbol and we must try and accommodate her.” With that, she also left the room, noting that she had other business to attend to.
Cassandra and Josephine followed suit, until Cullen was left alone in the War Room. His hands gripped the table and his body leaned on them. He wasn’t sure if this mage would have the strength in her to lead the Inquisition. In fact, at this point, he almost certainly knew it. But did he have a choice?












