The Insane Tale of Lavellan and Adaar
Revas' eyes were fixed upon the Divine standing at the front of the main hall, smiling and politely greeting nobles and dignitaries. Almost as if an invisible force was keeping them apart, the mages and Templars stayed on opposite sides of the building, wary and closed off to others. He was tall, compared to most other elves, with a slight muscle tone. Beneath a large hood, his dark hair was cut short and pulled over to one side in what he'd like to call 'dashing'. Circling one eye was an intricate tattoo, colored in a dark green.
Lavellan rolled his eyes. The habits of shemlen were still astonishing to him; despite the obvious, painful tension in the Temple, nobles were still smiling and mingling, masked faces gleaming in the warm, candle lights- as if they were attending a soiree.
"Enjoying yourself?"
He blinked at the accented voice extremely close to his ear. He turned his head to the sound but only saw a redheaded woman with a purple hood pulled over her head politely speaking to some odd masked noble or another from wherever.
He stuck his tongue into his cheek and decided to pursue her bait. "Were you speaking to me?"
She smiled and cocked her head at him, turning. "Well, you are a mage, aren't you? But a Dalish apostate should have no reason to be here."
His mouth dropped open and he pulled he resisted the childish urge to pull his hood farther over his face. He moved to speak when she cut him off.
"What do the Dalish have to do with the Conclave? Speak truthfully, or they may be the last words you speak." She trailed off, point made.
He took a long moment to come up with a suitable answer before he decided that the gig was up. He sighed. "I am not here to harm anyone, despite what my savage elven appearance may lead you to believe. What happens here will affect every mage south of Tevinter. So, mind, I'm here halfway across the world."
Her gaze turned icy. "That had better be a truthful answer. I will have my eye on you."
She walked off and began talking to a woman.
He chewed his lip in contemplation for a moment before his gaze turned back towards the crowd. Skilled eyes picked out a handful of nobles standing in a loose circle around him- each one wore the same mask.
"Ah. Piss."
He was starting to grow bored with the peace talks. Hours later, and nothing had changed, no decision had been made. The indecision frustrated him to no end.
And then, as he would recall it, the world ended.
In an odd turn of fate for him, he watched as the shemlen's Most Holy went slightly pale, a Templar gently, but urgently, grabbing her arm and leading her out of the main hall.
No one batted an eye, as if a Templar leading the Most Holy away was a common circumstance. A Qunari, however caught the Divine's eyes; they were wide in fear. The horned man frowned and looked across the hall; another Qunari looked up and the first gestured his head to the side before following after the woman.
Revas' interest was piqued.
"What's going on here?" The Qunari asked, stepping through a large set of doors.
The Qunari entered the room, the Dalishman stealthily following him.
"We have an intruder." A deep voice boomed from the room.
The Divine's voice was now urgent. "Run, child!"
Revas' pace picked up and he entered the room.
A green blast exploded outward, eviscerating the walls into ashes. Everything went black.
Khotal shakily raised himself to his feet, a towering figure with grey skin and red tattoos, a hard jaw framed by four curving horns, one pair smaller than the other, with long, smooth white hair. The qunari looked around, dozens of questions buzzing through his head. He was no longer in the Temple, that was obvious. A quick look around revealed a deserted and odd landscape filled with green mist.
He suddenly felt the warm light of the sun on his face. Khotal looked towards the source of the light quizzically; a tall, thin figure stood still in front of a huge, steep staircase. At the top, a woman shimmering with blinding light was beckoning them to climb.
"Hey!" The qunari yelled.
The man turned back towards him, as if waking up from a trance. He shook his head and looked around, eyes taking in the landscape. He was tall, especially so for an elf, pointed ears poking out from under combed dark hair.
Pale blue eyes peered into the smoke behind the qunari. Obviously something he had seen shocked him immensely. His focus snapped back up to the mountain of a man, face worried. "Run!"
Khotal looked back behind him and strained his eyes. There, in the shadows, a multitude of cloaked men were advancing towards him.
Fear shot through the mercenary and he immediately took off towards the man anxiously waiting for him, feet scrambling into the cold dirt. Reaching the elf, they began climbing the stairs, the glowing woman appearing more and more desperate, hand reached out towards them. The thin man turned back towards the creatures approaching them. The things were much more adept at climbing the hill, nearing the halfway mark right behind them. "Go go go go go go!" He yelled repeatedly.
Khotal reached a hand out to the woman. Their fingers were nearing contact, his arm draped over the skinnier man's shoulders. There was a flash of light and cool air rushed at them.
The duo collapsed in a heap, the green portal behind them sealing itself shut. Soldiers surrounded the elf and the qunari suspiciously, swords drawn on them.
"Hail the Seeker," One yelled. "She's going to want to see this!"
Khotal clenched his eyes tightly, a horrendous throbbing pain in his head occupying his every thought.
"The prisoner's awake! Someone get the Seeker!"
The qunari shook his head, attempting to clear it of the headache. There were multiple men surrounding him, swords pointed at him. They were wary of his every move, muscles tensed. Khotal narrowed his eyes.
The door burst open. The elf was thrown towards him, landing onto the floor and sliding slightly.
"Bloody warmaiden." He said lowly, scowling.
"Shut up." The heavily accented voice snapped at him. Two women entered the room, one wearing armor with short cut black hair and scars marking her face. The other one had red hair and a Chantry symbol on her chest, a chainmail tunic resting over a purple hood.
The brunette stormed past the elf and in front of the qunari. Her fist sprang out and struck Khotal squarely in the jaw.
"What have you to say for yourself?" She cried out.
The qunari lifted a hand to rub his mouth. He flinched as it sparked a bright green light, pain shooting up his arm.
He stared at it in shock. "What… what is that?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "That is the thing that destroyed the Conclave, killed dozens and murdered the Divine!"
The elf raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, it's been three days, if we had killed your Divine-"
The red head silently raised a hand to stop him.
Khotal looked down at the ground in shock. "Killed…" He looked back up at her. "I don't know what's going on."
She snarled and grabbed his hand, lifting it. "Explain this."
The hand sparked brightly with green magic again, drawing a pained growl from the horned giant as his hand seized in pain. He shook his head, befuddled. "I don't…" He gritted out through his teeth.
She snarled again and lifted her arm to punch him before the redhead stepped in, grabbing her hand away. "Seeker Cassandra, we need him."
The brunette sighed and walked over to the door, pacing anxiously.
"It's killing you," The elf cut in quietly. "I know that you had nothing to do with the explosion, but if I'm right- that thing has everything to do with it."
The Chantry woman gave him a look.
Revas grimaced and adjusted to a sitting position. "We were both at the Conclave. They intend to put us to death, and I do not intend on dying. My name is Revas Lavellan. We need you to help. I need you to help."
The qunari flinched as the mark on his hand sparked again. "I'm… my name is Khotal Adaar," He looked at the women. "I'll do whatever I can to help."
Cassandra walked back over to them. "We need to get him to Solas. The apostate will know what to do."
The redhead nodded. "I'll grab some of my men and meet you at the forward camp. Elf," Revas looked up at her. "You're coming with me."
"Maker be with you, Leliana." Cassandra said quietly.
The elf pushed himself to his feet, following the redhead, Leliana, out of the room.
Khotal looked up at her earnestly. "I promise, on my life, on the lives of my ancestors, in Andraste's name- I had nothing to do with that explosion. But if it's as bad as you say it is, then I will do anything to help. Whatever this is, it's causing me pain. If my promise to help isn't enough, then let my promise to help myself be enough."
Cassandra's face lightened slightly and she sighed. "It... may be worse than you imagine. It will be easier to show you."
She reached down and unlocked his chains, grabbing the qunari and lifting him to his feet and lead them out of the building. Khotal lifted a hand to stave off the immense light momentarily; looking out towards the peaks of the mountains, his hand dropped, mouth agape.
"That is the Breach." Cassandra told him sullenly.
The Breach hung high in the sky, a mass of swirling clouds around it. It was an enormous hole in the sky, a gigantic green beam of light attaching it to the ground. Green lighting flashed around it while glowing green comets soared from the opening, disappearing behind the mountains.
"By the Maker..." Khotal whispered, eyes wide.
Haven was a quaint town, small houses of stone and wood characteristic of Ferelden's architecture. The Chantry building towered above everything else.
The duo walked through the village, the Seeker beside him. The people around stopped to stare at them with undisguised disgust.
"They have already casted their blame," Cassandra said, voice noticeably softer. "They need to. Like Thedas, they mourn the death of the Divine."
Khotal looked at the ground and sighed to himself.
They walked along the snow path out of Haven, avoiding the harried soldiers scurrying around makeshift blockades. Each time they rounded a corner, the Breach seemed to have grown larger- whether that was a product of their progress towards it, or the hole growing, Khotal couldn't decide.
The Breach flashed brightly, clouds dispersing around it as the rift grew. The mercenary fell to his knees in shock and pain, letting out a strained yell.
Cassandra was to his side instantly, stopping him from falling into the snow. "Every time it grows, your mark grows as well. The pulses are coming quicker every hour... you are dying."
He shakily brought himself to his feet, nodding slightly at her. "It... it doesn't matter. If that thing grows enough, everyone dies."
She returned the nod grimly. "We should keep moving, as quickly as you can."
The duo marched onwards, along the snowy path through the mountains, for a few more minutes until coming across a bridge, Ferelden soldiers scattered across it.
"The forward camp's not that much farther-" Cassandra began, only to be cut off as the Breach made a groaning sound and a green meteorite came crashing down towards them. It shattered the bridge, sending the duo falling to the frozen river beneath them.
Khotal rolled back towards the mountain, groggily pulling himself to his feet and dashing over to the Seeker, helping her to her own feet. She waved him off before her gaze turned forwards; creature hissed at them and began… sliding towards them like a slug would. The demon was a amorphous mass of black goo and smoke, black spindly arms sticking out of its hunched torso, tattered black clothes littering its form.
She drew her sword and shield and sent him a quick look. "Get back!"
He nodded, distracted by the demon. Then another, smaller, meteor smashed into the ground behind him, coaxing him to turn from the fight. Another demon crawled off of the ground, giving him an odd hissing-growling sound.
As it crept towards him, his mind raced. There, on the ground- a crate had fallen from the bridge formerly standing above them and smashed into the ground, breaking. A large sword stuck out of it.
He ran towards the crate, and subsequently the demon, and snatched the greatsword up. He twirled the long blade, squaring up against the creature. It roared and rushed at him; Khotal dodged its hit, hacking at it quickly until it collapsed and decayed into green smoke, flying off into the air.
He turned back around only to find Cassandra's sword mere centimeters from his face.
"Drop the sword," She growled out. "Now."
He lifted his hands in obeisance. "It's alright. I'm putting it back."
The qunari moved to put the sword back onto the ground as she stared at him with a conflicted expression. After a moment, she sighed. "No. Don't,"
Adaar looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.
Cassandra sheathed her sword. "I can't protect you- you may as well protect yourself."
He gave her a look of appreciation. "Thank you."
After retrieving the shoulder-scabbard for the blade and adjusting it to fit him, they marched onwards towards the Breach. There were thankfully only a handful of demons they needed to fight on the way, generally only the slug-creatures and odd green wisp things that liked to annoy them by shooting at them from a distance than teleporting as soon as they got close.
Khotal's feeling of fear and shame was quickly melting into irritation.
Reaching a ruined building, the sound of fighting caught his attention.
"That must be Solas!" Cassandra said, picking up her pace.
The qunari followed behind her as they entered the rubble just as the fighting ended. A bald elf quickly jogged over and grabbed Khotal's marked hand, thrusting it into the rift. Magic poured from the mark and into the portal; after a moment, it shattered into green liquid and crystals, disappearing.
Wincing slightly at the pain, Khotal looked at the apostate elf. "How did you do that?"
"I did nothing. That was your doing." Solas said with a nod, stepping slightly away.
The qunari flexed his hand. "So the mark could truly work on the Breach?"
The elf nodded. "Perhaps. I am Solas. I'm glad to see you yet live."
"That means 'I kept you from dying in your sleep'. Didn't think that'd be a very worthy death."
Khotal looked towards the new voice.
A dwarf with a surprising lack of facial hair and a surprisingly hairy chest gave him a charming smirk. "And, if introductions are in order, I am Varric Tethras; youngest son of House Tethras, rogue, storyteller," He gave Cassandra a look. "And occasionally unwelcome tagalong." He winked at her.
She made a disgusted sound.
Khotal looked down at the, much, shorter man. "It's... nice meeting you," He frowned at the enormous crossbow on the dwarf's back, two crossbars replacing the standard one. "Nice bow."
Varric smiled and looked over his shoulder. "Isn't she? Her name's Bianca."
Cassandra cleared her throat. "If we're done here, we desperately need to get to the forward camp." She shot Varric a glare. "And you are not coming with us."
The dwarf snorted. "Have you looked at the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers are ass deep in demons right now. You need me."
Solas tapped his staff onto the ground. "I would suggest we move soon, whether Varric is coming or not."
The Seeker growled. "Fine."
Varric laughed, walking towards a stone path leading deeper into the mountains. "That almost sounded like snark, Chuckles."
The group moved on. The dwarf had history with Cassandra, that was sure, but however far back they went and what their problem was, Khotal couldn't discern. Solas, on the other hand was a mystery. The elf was soft spoken, speaking only on rifts and the demons they fought.
After a short trek, the party came across an enormous bridge, soldiers rushing to and fro across it and into the valley. They heard the argument before stepping onto the stone.
"It does not matter, Nightingale!"
Cassandra sent the man arguing with Leliana a dirty look, stepping towards the duo standing around a makeshift desk. "Chancellor Roderick," She spat. "I see you've already managed to stop Leliana."
The older, grizzled man noticed the group coming towards him and narrowed his eyes. He was tall and thin, clad in the red and white robes of the Chantry. "The world deserves justice, Seeker. And here is the perpetrator who deserves to be served it!"
Khotal narrowed his eyes, but refrained from speaking.
"I demand the qunari be taken for judgement immediately!" Roderick continued.
Cassandra laughed bitterly. "You have no real authority, Chancellor."
"And you have more, Seeker? You are nothing but a thug!"
"And you are a coward who hides behind his superiors and does nothing! You were not even important enough to be at the Conclave!"
"Seeker," Leliana chided. "Nevertheless, we need to get him to the Breach immediately."
The Chancellor's look turned to her. "Nightingale! Have you not been listening to me? He needs to be brought to justice, not to the scene of his crimes!"
The Nightingale's eyes went deathly cold. "He needs to be brought to the place where he can fix this."
Cassandra turned towards Khotal. "It is imperative that we get you to the Breach as soon as possible. We can meet up with the main force quickly. They should- will serve as good enough protection to get you there. It's the safest route."
"But not the quickest," Leliana cut in. "I know a mountain path. It's a harder journey, but we're less likely to run into trouble up there."
The Seeker gave her a look. "We already lost a scouting party on that path. It would be safer to meet up with the main force."
"And leave the scouts behind?" Varric said lowly, stepping forwards.
Cassandra sighed and turned to Adaar. "What do you think, Khotal?"
Khotal blinked and pointed to himself. "Me? Am I not under trial still?"
"Circumstances change. If Solas is correct, than you are our only way of stopping the Breach."
The qunari closed his eyes in thought.
The sooner they stopped the Breach the better. Aside from the burning pain in his hand, the rift in the sky growing ever faster had begun weighing ever harder on his mind. The scouting party was also still potentially savable. The mercenary in him however, told him that the best bet was to charge with the main force. If he died, lost his hand, or was even knocked unconscious, then who knew what would happen. The world itself could end. It also didn't escape his mind that if he and the party didn't assist the soldiers, there would be casualties. Potentially far more than the scouting party.
Khotal sighed, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Charge with the main force. If... if there's any chance we can go back for the scouts, than we could potentially avoid any casualties."
"Understood. Leliana... Nightingale, where is the elf?" Cassandra said, narrowing her eyes.
Leliana looked away. "He slipped away sometime on the way."
The Seeker scowled. "Damn. I'd been hoping that we could attempt to piece this together with him... very well."
Leliana turned away. "Perhaps there is still hope yet."
The Seeker looked to comment but cut herself off. She looked towards Khotal. "Adaar; we'd best hurry to the front. Cullen may need our assistance pushing towards the Temple again."
"Hold!"
Khotal lifted his greatsword from a disintegrating demon, turning to the voice. A quite tall, for a human, and stocky man strode towards him and his party, sword drawn. He was dressed in heavy armor, a bear cloak wrapped around his shoulders, blonde hair swept backwards. He wiped dust, the remains of a demon, off of his sword onto his coat and sheathed it.
"Lady Cassandra." He greeted.
Cassandra nodded to him. "Commander Cullen."
Cullen, turned towards the huge qunari. "And you're the prisoner who's supposed to close the Breach."
Khotal inclined his head. "If the Maker is willing."
"It's all we can hope for," Cullen turned back to Cassandra. "There have been non-stop demons for the past hour, and we can't hold against it for much longer. I can spare enough men to get you safely to the temple, but nothing substantial... Maker keep you safe… for all of our sakes."
He strode off, leaving the party to meet with their guards.
After another trek through the snow, a handful of demons they reached the temple, dropping down from a small outcropping, Adaar's boots kicked up ash, and his stomach churned in disgust. Khotal looked around in shock at the burnt, withered bodies, little more than husks, hands held up to defend themselves from an unseen force and faces twisted into horrified screams, forever frozen in time. There were dozens of them littering the courtyard.
He picked up his pace, bile rising in his throat.
Climbing down the hill, they finally entered the actual temple itself. A large courtyard was marred by the ash covering the ground and the large rift floating in the center, sitting blow the balcony they stood on. A large spiral of green light shot from the rift into the sky, entering into the middle of the Breach and sending the green magic and smoke into the sky. Khotal looked up at the hole in the sky. "I assume you have a way for me to get up there."
Solas stepped to his side and shook his head. "The rift is the first. Closing it may be the key to stopping the Breach."
The sound of people approaching caught his ear and he turned back to the way they came. Leliana and a group of soldiers rounded the corner towards them.
"You made it." She said, sighing slightly in relief.
Cassandra nodded. "Yes. Now we just need to get down there."
Khotal led the way around the stone path, noting the staircase leading down to the rift across the courtyard. A huge spire of glowing red crystal caught his eye as they walked past. "Is that…" He muttered, tales of the Kirkwall Rebellion playing through his mind.
Varric stared at it. "Red lyrium… my question is where did it come from?"
"There's a large lyrium deposit in the mountain. Perhaps the explosion corrupted it and brought it to the surface?" Solas asked, leaning against his staff; away from the lyrium.
Varric shrugged, face drawn in worry. "I don't know… let's just ignore it, and maybe it'll go away."
The qunari looked at it for a moment longer, the red glow reflecting in his eye before he led the group on.
'Help!' An echoing voice called out over the courtyard.
Khotal stopped where he stood.
"That was the voice of Most Holy!" Cassandra realized with a start, amber eyes wide.
'What' s going on here?' A deeper voice asked.
The Seeker turned to him. "So you were there! What happened?!" Her voice was tinged with desperation, eyes pleading.
The qunari sighed. "I don't know, I can't remember."
She shook her head sadly.
'We have an intruder.' A new voice growled deeply.
There was an image inside of the rift; Divine Justinia was floating in the air, arms spread out and a panicked look on her face. In front of her was a tall shadowy figure with glowing red eyes, a spindly arm reached out towards her.
The door to the chamber opened and Khotal's image stepped inside.
'What's going on?' His image repeated, white eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
'We have an intruder,' the shadowy man said in a booming voice. 'Deal with it.'
The image exploded in a flash of green, leaving the rift sitting idly in the center of the courtyard, motionless.
"I... have many questions." Cassandra said quietly.
Khotal averted his eyes. "...So do I."
Solas stepped forwards, looking to the mercenary. "The rift is closed, if only partly so. If we can open it up, we can then properly close it."
The qunari nodded and walked down the staircase towards the courtyard, the party stalling near the rift. Adaar sent a look around at the soldiers lining the ash-covered ground- archers standing ready at the balcony above. Khotal stepped closer to the rift, hesitantly raising his hand to it. He snarled and extended his hand further, focusing as a ray of green magic poured from the Mark towards the rift. It made a small blast around itself- and something spilled out of it.
"PRIDE DEMON!"
The soldiers scrambled away from the rift as a huge creature rose to its full height, clad from head to toe in armored hide. It chuckled deeply and raised its hands, lightning arcing between them.
Varric winced. "And it has lightning magic? Seriously?"
The archers and mages blasted at it while the warriors whirled around its legs, swords, hammers and axes slashing, steel glinting in the pale green light of the rift.
They just seemed to make it angrier.
Khotal rolled away from a particularly close lightning whip. The rift caught his eye, and his soldier instincts went into overdrive; there was a line of green mist floating towards the demon, connecting them together. He looked at the monster and the rift a plan forming in his min, before he extended his marked hand towards the tear. While it didn't close, it exploded inwards, leaving a glowing hole where it had stood.
The demon fell to one knee, stunned. Before their eyes, its skin seemed to soften, more like flesh than scale or armor.
Cassandra growled at the shocked warriors. "Don't just stand there! Attack!"
The soldiers attacked it with renewed vigor which only grew when they saw it bleeding. The warriors' fervor increased as they buffeted the large demon around, arrows plunging into its hide as it stood, shellshocked.
Khotal rushed forwards, plunging his sword into its shoulder. It suddenly stood up and roared, whipping its body around and throwing him and his sword into a stone wall. He winced at the pain in his right arm, concern flashing quickly through his mind before he shook it off.
The demon seemed livid. It roared and as it began hardening again. Its skin started changing at its feet, making its way up the demon's body.
As the armor reached his midsection there was a blur off of the balcony that landed onto its head.
Revas Lavellan grunted as he swung from side to side at the demon's back, riding it, staff driven into the back of its head. He grit his teeth together and tensed his muscles, staff catching fire.
The pride demon gave up trying to get him off and lifted its hands to his face as its hide started blackening, on fire from the inside. Its arms went limp and it collapsed forwards, Revas' feet braced against its enormous back.
Revas ripped his staff out and grimaced at it. Khotal went through a flurry of emotions; shock at the sudden reappearance, anger at the elf disappearing in the first place, relief that he showed up when he did; and slight concern over the Dalishman's appearance.
Lavellan's fair skin was covered in blood, dirt, and scratches, formerly combed hair wild around his head. His armor, a simple motley of hide and small pieces of plate mail, was torn and scratched. The elf's pale blue eyes were filled with adrenaline and exhaustion, and he huffed hard as he stood on the demon's back, as if he'd sprinted all the way there.
"Well," Varric interjected as the soldiers cheered at the victory. "That felt a little unnecessary."
Revas huffed and stood there for a moment on its back. "...The... the scouting party... some were dead... Creators... but some were still alive. Got them out, but there's still a rift up there... Elgar'nan's hairy nuts, I'm tired."
Khotal sighed. "Thank you-"
He was interrupted by the demon dissipating into green mist, sending the mage crashing to the floor. He fell onto his behind, groaning through his teeth as the soldiers took a moment to alleviate the tenseness of the situation, laughing at their timely savior.
Revas shook his head and gave an amused smirk as Khotal held in a chuckle. "I believe I've lost all face for the evening. Close the damn rift already."
Khotal sighed and turned back to the rift, hand burning in fierce pain. He winced and raised his arm to the rift, a new shot of pain shooting through him as he concentrated on the Breach. The fade tear held for a moment before violently exploding, sending the qunari flying backwards, slamming his head into the ground.
A/N: Yay elves and qunari… vashoth, whatever. So… yay… here's an extra comedy scene. I'll probably do a lot of these… try not to look too sad.
Extra (failed) Comedy Scene -1-
"Pride demon!"
Khotal looked at the huge thing towering in front of him and smiled. He looked over his shoulder at the other people. "I got this."
He charged forwards and swung his sword with all of the strength that he had.
And it bounced right off of the amused demon's leg. It gave him a look. "What are you doing?" It rumbled out in an extremely deep voice.
The qunari looked at the sword then back at the demon. "Uh… oh…"
He scrambled backwards as it laughed. In a deep gargling voice it roared out to the heavens. "I am thunder; I am death."
Suddenly, a figure cartwheeled in mid-air and landed in the courtyard. Revas raised his staff and fired an amazingly huge and powerful fireball at it before it had time to raise its shields completely. "Fireballs!"
It looked down at the gaping, flaming whole in its chest. "Oh, right in the- oh dear."
It fell forwards, dead.
Khotal looked in shock at the demon then back at the elf. "What… how… when… what?!"
Revas shrugged. "I don't know- I wasn't even supposed to be in this chapter !"