The next day, a guard led the four of us to the Council’s armory. Sam already had a list of things we’d need for our trip into the old empire.

The storehouse had dusty shelves holding gauntlets, boots, axes, rope, and a myriad other tools useful for adventuring. I didn’t really have much of an idea of what to bring, other than some rations and a new weapon; I must have dropped mine in my hurry to leave the city.

I picked out a shield and spear, hoping that combination would serve me well against Gwyn’s aggressive fighting style. While I was slotting on leather arm guards, Gavin approached me.

“Hey. I wanted to apologize in person. For everything, you know? Not just this mess we’re in, but all the years before that. For letting Gwyn go unchallenged, and for trying to get you to stand up to her when none of us had the guts.” He looked sheepish about it, but genuine.

I didn’t really know how to respond to him. I didn’t blame him, certainly, or anyone from the Chantry, except perhaps Morgan. I mostly just blamed myself. I managed a, “Thanks,” and looked away from him.

He lingered. He scratched at his hair and winced and looked around and did lots of little things to procrastinate saying whatever he was trying to say, so I sighed and met his gaze.

“What? You’ve got something you want to get out, so do it.”

He winced again and held up his hands defensively, but this time he managed to fight back his impulse to run away. He took a deep breath and said, “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

I looked at him with a guarded expression. “Shouldn’t I? I was there, with her, in the city, and I did nothing.”

“You came and warned us. That’s not nothing. You might be dead right now if you hadn’t done that, and then we’d all be dead. Don’t downplay the strength it takes to leave a bad situation.” His tone was conciliatory and cautious like I was a wild animal, and it irritated me.

“She wasn’t forcing me to be there, okay? I came of my own volition.”

“Duncan-”

“Just leave it, okay? I don’t need your pity or your sympathy, I need you to help me kill her. Can you do that?” I stared him down until he looked away.

“Yes. I’ll finish packing.”

He left me alone after that. Sam handed me a pack and I strapped it on, adding what meager supplies I’d picked out from the armory’s shelves.

Before we were done, Capra and Vesta entered the room. Capra was holding a lantern made of blue-tinged glass and some strange metal. He set it down on the armory’s central table.

“We have brought you something that may help in your quest. The capital is full of ghosts, which I’m sure Duncan noticed are immune to physical attacks. The magic that Duncan and Mal have access to is only enough to stun those specters, not destroy them. So the Council has decided to part with an old relic. Vesta can explain more.”

She nodded and gestured at the lantern. “This was made in the old days by great alchemists who understood how to weave kindred magic with Ancient material. Light the lantern and it will glow with imbued power. All ghosts that fall within the lantern’s light will become mortal, corporeal, able to be harmed as any creature of flesh and blood.”

Mal picked up the lantern and examined it. “Dinky little thing. How sturdy is it?”

“I would advise not putting it in situations where that becomes a concern.”

“So not very, then.” Mal smirked, but handed the lantern over to Sam delicately. She glanced back at Vesta. “That it, then? No more secrets about the empire, no more warnings about the crazy ghosts with old magic?”

Vesta did not seem to enjoy Mal’s barbs, and Capra cleared his throat to answer for her. “The Council wishes you all the best in this task. It will not be an easy one, but hopefully it will be simple. Get to Gwyn before she can complete Caligula’s scheme, kill her, and return.” He hesitated, as if he was going to say more.

Vesta sighed and gave Mal a dirty look. “There is… one more thing.”

Mal elbowed Sam and her grin widened. “Told you.”

“It is very likely that your adversary has acquired artifacts of her own. They were rare in the days of the empire, but now that everyone is dead, there will be few obstacles between Gwyneth and her prizes. That may make your task a bit more difficult, but there is little to be done about it. By now she likely has most of the items she needs.”

I sighed darkly and clenched my fists. “Then we’d better hurry. I should have left yesterday. Anything else?”

Vesta shook her head. “Try not to die, champion.”

Then they left.

Gavin and Merill finished packing first and went off to prepare the site. Sam looked at Mal, lingered, and then left. Then it was just the two of us.

Mal also had something she was nervous to say, judging by her fidgeting.

I rolled my eyes. “If you’re here to tell me I shouldn’t blame myself, don’t bother. Gavin already covered that in his awkward apology earlier.”

“I saw. But, ah, that’s not quite what I want to say.”

I gestured for her to go on. “Out with it.”

“I’m sorry. Not for what happened to you, or for the city, or anything else that everyone’s already talked about. I’m sorry for lying to you.”

I frowned. “Lying to me?”

“Yeah. Like I said, I’ve known about Gwyn for a long time. But I was a coward who would rather run away from a problem than face it head on, so I didn’t tell you what I’d seen. I was afraid that if I attacked your worldview, attacked the Chantry and Gwyn, you’d hate me for it.” She winced. “In hindsight, not the smartest of plans.”

I stared at her, confused. “Why would I hate you? You and Sam have been there for me when no one else was. I might not have believed you at first, but I wouldn’t have hated you.” I sighed. “Besides that, you weren’t alone in running from the signs. I wanted things to be a way that they weren’t, and it cost me. Like the Council said: all of us let this happen. We have to fix it together.”

Mal raised an eyebrow. “Is that why they get to hide here while we go into the ghost hellscape?”

I laughed. “Yeah, does seem a bit skewed. That’s what we get for being warriors, I guess.”

“Bah, you lot are warriors. I’m a charmer, not a fighter.” She gave me a mischievous smirk and I had to laugh again.

“That you are. It’ll be nice to be around you and Sam again. I missed you both while I was gone.”

“We missed you too. Tea time was lonely without my favorite dork.”

“Aw.” I grinned.

“Hey, Duncan…”

“Yeah?”

“After this is all over, and Gwyn is dead, and things go back to normal… what do you wanna do?” Mal tilted her head at me and gave me a probing look that suggested the question was more than just casual.

“I don’t know.” I thought about it. “I don’t really know who I am, in all this. I don’t think I can go back to the Chantry. I don’t know if I want to keep being a warrior. But I’m not sure where else I can go. My whole life has been dedicated to something I don’t believe in anymore. Hard to imagine going anywhere from here.”

“You could come visit. Stay the night, even. We have room.” She gave me a welcoming smile. “Leaving the Chantry was hard for me, but I moved on. Found other things to channel my skills into. Sam helped. There’s… well, don’t ever tell her I said this, but there’s something beautiful in life’s simplest pleasures. Tending a rose garden or cooking a lemon pastry.”

I matched her smile. “That sounds nice, actually.”

“There’s lots of fun things to do on the island that I bet you’ve never seen. Taking moonlit walks on the beaches, watching a play, or even just sitting together and reading. I think you’d make an excellent date.” She winked.

“Are you… flirting with me?” I actually blushed a little, caught off guard.

“Do you want me to?” She said the line so smoothly I giggled and covered my mouth with my hands.

“Maybe. How about your girlfriend?”

“Triple date? I’ll bring you, you’ll bring Sam, and Sam’ll bring me. She thinks your face is pretty cute, and she’s got good taste in faces.” Mal gestured to her own face as an example.

“Then it’s a date. But after we save the world.”

“Of course.” Then she gave me a courteous bow and left for the portal, leaving me to sort out my thoughts and finish packing.

I was… happy. Apprehensive, terrified even, but also happy. I had a date.