Urtok Asala, Partha Kadan (Dragon Soul, Peace Where Heart lies)
Chapter One: What a Beauty Among Rage
The Chantry temple towered atop the mountains from a little once forgotten hovel called Haven.
Swarming with Templars, Mages, the occasional Dalish sneaking around, short strong Dwarves of the Carta clunking about in their armor. Then as if it wasn't a melting pot enough, a band of tall varying grey-ish skinned people with various styles of horns protruding from their heads stood as watchmen, as all watchful eyes gazed upon each other, as if one was expecting a move to be made.
A group of armored dwarves, some with helmets, others with none. Armor clunking as they stepped around to keep their blood flowing. One muttered gruffly, rubbing his burn scars on the right side of his face. His right eye, glass, white as a dinner china plate.
His head shone naked in the flame of the bright braziers that lined the walls, devoid of hair save for black tattoos marked on the curvature of his head as if it was meant to be rows of hair in replacement. A majestic braided beard drooped down from his chin, taken care of and looked to be silky smooth black hair.
The group of dwarves, small compared to the Templars and mages that seemed divided in the very Chantry, they stumbled about avoiding the tall humans but looking for something.
The Scarred one looked across the divided but mass of humans snarling at each other, and his eye scanned the tall horned people. His eye lingered, curious then locked to a lone tall female leaning against the wall among the group. She seemed lost in the blue flickering flame generated in her long slate-ish skinned fingers, her eyes blue as the sky outside.
A sharp clang hit him in his back, as another dwarf wearing black armor with a white skull painted on the chest smacked him. The other dwarf growled, "Pay Attention, Myron! Do you see our contact?"
Myron snarked, "No, salroka. Hard to see when You're at pretty much sack level."
"Ugh, dammit. I know. But She's supposed to be around here. Not exactly comfortable with all these robes and tin cans prancing about."
"Keep looking, salroka. I'm going to look over there." Myron barked as He spies the female move off the wall, and wander away.
Myron follows, through a large door and down a lightly lit stair case. Myron whispered a thanks to the stone that his eye still worked well in the darkness.
For a tall woman, she moved quick and quietly. Myron wondered how they moved well without shattering the earth below their feet. He arrives at a corner, and seems to have lost her.
Myron steps out into the hallway, looking around, trying to find a trace of her. He felt long fingers reach for the collar of his armor, he let out a gasped yelp as he was lifted into a shadowy corner.
He looked up, trying to get a grasp of what happened, and his eye is met by the bluest eyes he ever had saw. For but a fleeting moment, what seemed like eternity, he was lost in her eyes.
She spoke, softly but strong. "Hey, what are you doing following me?"
Her voice, worthy of a paragon, no... a goddess. He smiled a little, then started stammering out a excuse.
"Shhh... its fine anyway. I could use your help. I thought I heard someone yelling for help down here. Shh... do you hear her?"
Myron perked his ears up, sighing another thanks to his time in the deep roads, He could make out a faint sound. A woman's voice, calling help deep into the hallway. Myron nodded to answer her question.
They both snuck off into the hallways, until they reached a room and a shock of a scene hit them. A older woman, a human in white elaborate robes was held up in the air by a very tall... darkspawn? Other people dressed in strange robes were helping...it? Him?
The Thing fumbled a ball and it rolled on the floor toward Myron and the tall lady. She picked it up first with her right hand, and screamed in pain as her hand glowed green as She threw it over to Myron who caught it with his left hand, followed by his own screams of pain as his hand glowed green as well.
The Thing yelled guttural "Kill the Dwarf and Qunari!"
Myron reached out with his right hand, and She grabbed it with her left hand as the entire room glowed in a green flash of light.
Myron groaned, rubbing his head as he got up. The first thing he saw was the woman lying next to him, still clutching his hand.
"Hey, get up. Are you alright?" his damaged voice reaches out to her pointed ears.
She groaned as she stirred. Still holding his hand, She gets up towering above him.
She then spoke groggily, "What happened? I remember us grabbing something then poof."
Myron rubs his forehead, "I don't know. That's all I remember too. Anyway, Where are we?"
She looks around, "I dont know. It sure isn't the Chantry. Wait, do you hear that?"
They both perk their ears up, chittering and pitter patter was swarming toward them.
Myron peered his eyes, and sees the glint of multiple eyes in the dark smog. He recognizes it for what they are.
"Spiders! Run for it!" Myron crackly shouted.
"Up there! I think that's the way out!" She yelled as Myron screamed as She picked him up and ran up a steep slope leading to a light atop it.
"Put me down, woman!" Myron yelled as he looked behind her at the horde of twinkling eyes and hairy appendages. "Actually, don't put me down! Keep going, they're gaining!"
"I know!" She yells as they are seemingly shoved into the tear by a womanly shaped light.
Lights go out again as human shouts are heard. The pair drop to the rocky ground with a thud, and vision blanks out.
Chapter Two: Well, Shit
Myron wakes up in a dark room, surrounded by bars, and blades pointed at him. His arms, neck, was chained to the floor. His left hand burned, and glowed green.
He looked across from him, and he saw the tall lady chained like him, her right hand glowed as well. She starts stirring as well, looks at her hand, then the chains, then her blue eyes meet his yellow eye.
"Well, Glad that we're alright. Given the sodding mess that we've been through."
She giggles lightly, "what little we remember of it."
"Aye, true."
the door slams open, and two women walk through and around Myron and her.
One with a piercing gaze, Purple-ish robes, red hair poking out from her hood. The other with anger in her eyes, Black armor with a white eye painted on her chest. Short black hair with a braid wrapped around her head.
Mad woman spoke first. "People are dead, explain yourselves"
Tall Woman spoke, "Sorry, lady. I don't really remember much."
then Myron grunted, "Neither do I. Memory has been a little spotty lately."
She screams, "You're lying!" then reaches down grabbing her right hand and Myron's left hand and raising them, "Explain this!"
Both spoke at the same time, similar tone. "Can't"
She walks around, with a lit of her accent "What do you mean you can't?"
Myron spoke gruff, his scarred face cracking as he spoke, "I don't know what that is, or how I got it."
"You too?"
the tall woman nodded, copper on her curved horns glinted in the torchlight.
The mad lady shouted, "I dont believe you!" hand on the sword, ready to pull it out only to be stopped by the other lady.
"We need them Cassandra."
Myron spoke, "if you're going to kill me lady, then do it with honor. Whatever I may have done, let me die with a sword in my hand not with these sodding chains like a dog. Its a disgrace to the very stone"
the tall woman spoke as well, "i wish the same, to have a chance to meet my death face on, not kneeling on the floor."
the woman, named Cassandra snorted as she takes her hand off her sword.
The purple woman asked a question, her voice seemly wrapped in a song-like quality.
"what do you remember?"
Myron looked at his "partner" She nodded to him.
"well, we remember running. Darkness, a tear in the air, and a...woman? Pushed us out somehow. And then, we're here, awakened to a strange thing glowing on our hands, chained up like we're beasts to be feared."
Purple lady looked at the tall woman, "the same?"
She nodded, "More or less, yes."
Cassandra sighed then stepped forward, "Go to the forward camp, Leliana, I will take them to the rift."
"very well, travel safe." her soft boots barely made noise as she left.
Cassandra undid the chains, then bound their hands with rope in front, then led them outside.
Their hands raised, the light is bright to their eyes.
"By the Stone..." Myron muttered as he laid eyes on it.
"It is called the Breach. It has spawned many small tears in the fade called rifts. That one continues to grow, it may swallow the world itself. Demons continue to spill from it, and the Chantry up there was destroyed."
A pulse of energy surged from the massive hole in the sky, causing Myron and the tall woman to drop to their knees in searing pain.
Cassandra kneels to the pair, "that mark of yours, as the breach grows, it is killing you."
Tall woman asked, wincing through pain, "how can we stop it?
Cassandra sighs, "it is not a easy task. But I must get you to the breach, somehow close it. At least that is the idea."
Myron sighed as he gets up, grabs the tall woman by the elbow to lift her up, looks her in the eyes, nodding in agreement with the woman.
"Alright, we'll do what we can to help."
"Truly?" A small smile escapes from her stern face, as She leads them to a bridge.
"Divine Justinia is dead, and those at the conclave dead. The peace, truce is shattered. It is a... mess at the moment." She explains the goings on as she cuts the rope binding the hands.
Myron sighs with relief as he rubs his wrists. The same from the woman.
Suddenly, a screaming green piece of rubble drops from the breach, destroying the bridge they're standing on, as they fall down, Cassandra recovers and has her blade out.
Five demons emerge from green mist, Cassandra shouts "Stay back, I'll take them!"
Myron looks about sees some equipment from some shattered boxes, he picks up a wooded staff with a blade at the end. He looks over at the woman, and shouts "Hey!"
She looks at him, and understands and reaches out her hand. Myron tosses the staff to her, and then picks up a beat up but sharp sword and a dented shield.
Tall woman weaves a spell and aims at Myron.
"Hey, I'm on your side!" he yells, holding up his shield.
"I know, dummy! Its a barrier spell." She shouts back.
Myron feels magic kiss his skin, dance across his armor.
"Oh. Oh, okay then. Thank you!" Myron chuckles sheepishly as he raises his sword and dashes into battle.
Tall woman unleashed a few flame spells, blowing away two demons, as Myron slashes lethally upon two more. Cassandra just finishing her target, she then approaches with her sword drawn, speaking sternly.
"Drop your weapons!"
Myron sheathes his blade, and secures the shield. "I think not, lady. Are you claiming that you'll guard us the entire way?"
"you don't need weapons!"
Tall woman spoke, "You're right. I don't need a staff to be dangerous."
She squints her eyes, enough to shoot death from them, "ARE you threatening me?"
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Remember we want to help!" Tall woman retorted, waving her hands exasperatingly.
Cassandra sighed, sheathed her sword. "You're right. I apologize. I cant protect you, and you've proven that you desire to help."
Myron sighed, shaking his head.
"To be honest, it feels good to have a weapon again. Felt naked for a while there."
Tall woman secures her staff, steps over and extends her left arm.
Myron then grabs her left elbow with his right arm.
"Thank you. My name is Dakka. Dakka Adaar." She smiles with her eyes, genuine.
"You're welcome, Dakka. My name is Myron. Myron of House Cadash."
"By the way, How'd you know I was a mage?" Dakka looks at him quizzingly.
Myron chuckles sheepishly, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Umm, I may have stared at you at the conclave, you had a flame in your hand." Myron stoked his beard nervously.
Dakka giggles at Myron, but then blushes as she looks away from Myron so he wouldn't see her blush.
They move on, fighting demons in the snow laden valley, watching each others backs up and down the frozen rivers and slippery stairs.
"You can hear the fighting" Cassandra shouted as they made their way up the hill.
"Who's fighting?" Dakka grunted as She ended a demon.
"You'll see soon. We must help them!"
Myron sees a group of people fighting a wave of black demons pouring out of a tear in the air. A dwarf using a contraption and a bald elf that looked like he invested in shell wax was slinging some strange magic.
The group jumps into the fray, spraying strange colored blood everywhere, then once there was a lull in the battle, the bald elf runs over grabs both Dakka's right hand and Myron's left hand and lifted them toward the tear in the air.
Green energy blasted out of their hands and in mere moments closed the tear and the demons stopped coming forth.
"so, they can be closed." A blonde dwarf with copious amounts of chest hair steps forward, smiling. "That's good. Thought We'd be ass deep in demons forever."
"And you are?" Myron raises a hand and wipes some excess blood off his face.
"Varric Tethras, rogue, storyteller, and a pleasure." speaking confidently and smugly looking at Cassandra.
"your help is appreciated Varric, but not needed." Cassandra sternly snorted
"Have you seen the valley, Seeker? You need me, as much as you don't want to admit that yourself. I can help keep it together. You know I'm right."
Cassandra elicited a grunt groan as she turns away.
"The mark closed the rift, just as I hoped it would." the bald elf steps over. "I'm glad to see you still live."
"huh?" Dakka cocked her head at him.
"He means hes glad to have helped prevent that mark from killing you while you slept." Varric explains as he cleans off his intricately made crossbow.
Myron nods, "well, I suppose we should thank you then."
"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions."
"Myron of House Cadash, Atrast Vala"
"Dakka Adaar"
"Cassandra, despite one of your charges being a mage, I cant imagine anyone even a apostate of having such power. The power to sunder the world as seen."
Cassandra sighs, "Appreciate the input, Solas. Okay, everyone. We need to keep moving. The forward camp is up ahead." She points up the valley, a path meanders up to where she is pointing.
The party gets going, fighting more demons and plodding through the snow.
In a lull, Varric pipes up "well, do you remember what happened?"
Myron and Dakka speak at the same time, "I dont remember much."
Varric chuckles, "that'll get you every time. Should have spun a story."
Cassandra scoffs, "Thats what you would have done."
"Rift!" Myron shouts he plunges his blade into a howling shade.
Dakka weaves her spells in synchronicity of Solas, laying waste to the plethora of green wraiths that attacked from afar.
"Quickly, while there's a lull. Close it!" Cassandra shouts as she finishes off a green skinny demon.
Myron and Dakka raise their hands toward the tear in the sky, green energy shoots out and stitches it closed.
The group are welcomed into the forward camp, Myron and Dakka sit down, refit their armor, tighten everything down, as Cassandra and the others step ahead to speak to Leliana and a strange forceful man in chantry robes, within earshot of the two sitting down.
"What are they doing loose? Lock them up, they murdered our Divine!" the man shouts as he smacks the table and points his hand at the two.
Cassandra snorts, "They are our hope of topping the breach. They are helping. What would you have us do?"
"Wait for a new divine, and hear her voice on the matter. Don't you serve the divine?"
"And wait for the world to end while chantry bicker?" Leliana jabs
Cassandra grunts, "I think not. This is a problem that is to be solved, and only they can do it."
The man chuffs, "it is dangerous, and our forces have pulled back. And im not about to trust the murderers."
Solas grunts as Myron and Dakka push their way to the forefront of the group.
Myron crosses his muscular arms, Dakka slams the table, breaking it in two. Making the man take a step back, "chain them! They're threatening me!"
No one moved a single inch.
"do something, Seeker!" he whimpered, as he felt the flame of a Qunari's eyes.
"I am a Seeker, but I am under no obligation to help you. I serve the wish of Divine Justinia, and she would see the chaos resolved. Not added to the chaos."
Leliana looks at Myron with gentle eyes, "What would you have us do?"
Myron uncrosses, and points to himself, "you're asking me? Thought you wanted to lock us up, and let us rot?"
Cassandra smirks, "just him" pointing at the man
Leliana crosses her arms, "you two are the only ones who can close the rifts and the breach. While we bicker and argue over what to do, only you two can do something about it."
Cassandra nods then calmly speaks on the wind, "theres two paths we could take. One is charge up with the main force, or take the scout path up and around."
Leliana sighs, "although we sent scouts up the path, they havent made it back down. We dont know what happened."
Myron looks at Dakka who pointed up the main path, he then nods.
"up the main path, we charge. We're going to give them what for." Myron gruffs with confidence.
Cassandra smirks then follows as the group goes on.
"on your head be the consequences, Seeker." a snarking retort escapes the lip of the man.
"by the stone... its a right mess up here! Get them to fall back!" Myron shouts as he enters the fray.
Dakka shouts "all soldiers, fall back! Minimize your losses! We've got this!"
a soldier shouts, "hell no! You've got my arm, and I will fight!"
Dakka runs over and grabs him by the chuff and throws him back to the battle camp, where they drag him in.
they all fight wave after wave, Cassandra shouts out, "where are they coming from?"
A blonde soldier wearing a fur collar and strange armor plate, shouts out "they've been constantly opening! We've been holding the line, just barely!"
"Dakka! You close that one! I'll close this one!" Myron shouts as he points to a tear.
Dakka nods and holds her hand high and starts stitching a hole closed. Myron does the same as demons howl and screech in the fight against Cassandra, Solas, and Varric.
Like a zipper, the rifts shut hard.
Solas casually walks up, "another one closes. You are getting proficient at this"
Varric then walks up, pointing at the breach, "lets hope it works on the big one."
the blonde man comes up, "Lady Cassandra, you managed to get it closed?"
Cassandra looks down, "Twas not me commander. They did it."
"So you managed to get the prisoners to help?"
"No, they wanted to help."
"is that so?"
Myron speaks up with his damaged voice, "I just want to help. Try to put things right. Make things not so... chaotic."
Dakka wipes some blood off her face, "I wish the same. Despite our race... differences, nothing says I cant help. I'm one of the only ones who can."
Myron picks up Dakka's staff which dropped in the fight, She smiles "Thank you."
The blonde man smiles, "well, I thank you. Cooperation is important, even in these trying times."
Cassandra steps up, "Cullen, the way back is clear. Thank you for holding up. Leliana is on her way with her forces."
the man, now named Cullen, nods "Alright. I thank you. I wish you the best." he then helps a limping soldier back to camp.
The group then makes its way to a dilapidated hallway, the group cautious.
"That is what is left of the Temple of the Ashes." Cassandra called out.
Varric sighs, "what caused this? Can Magic even do this? There's got to be a better way to make something blow up than that."
Solas then spoke in a smooth voice, with some intelligence behind it. "Its likely there's better ways of blowing it up, and magic did this. But what? We don't know. Its better focused on Closing the breach"
Varric snorts, "I'm leaving that to our dwarven and qunari friend."
Cassandra then pointed out, "that is where you... came out of the fade."
They keep walking, and finally met by the sight by the massive breach, connected by a large right right below the great maw in the sky.
They hop down to the floor, and Varric points out to Cassandra, "Thats red lyrium, Seeker."
"your powers of observation never fail to amaze, Varric."
"i know Seeker, but whats it doing HERE?"
"We dont know Varric. Fuel perhaps? Maybe a vein under the Temple?"
Varric sighs, "okay, people. Be careful with that shit. If you start hearing singing, get away from it. That stuff isn't good. Stay away from it."
Everyone nods.
Then a see through vision plays as they get close. A tall black shade, a woman with chantry robes, screams help. Then a Qunari and Dwarf run in. cuts over to the tall black thing shouting, "Kill the Dwarf and Qunari!" then it cuts out.
Cassandra shocked, "You were there! The divine was calling to you for help! What5 did you see?"
Myron and Dakka exasperatingly flail their hands up, "I don't remember!"
Cassandra pouts. Solas comes over, "the rift is only partially closed. You need to open it, then close it again. But be warned. There may be warranted attention from the other side."
Cassandra the pulls out her blade, and Leliana lines up around the pit with archers and warriors ready. "That means demons, Arms at the ready!"
Myron and Dakka then proceed to open it, it explodes open like a button popping off.
Then three massive purple-ish demons with huge spines and claws materialize with a roar from each one.
Cassandra then shouts out, "Demons of pride! Be careful! They are strong!"
One energizes whips made of storms, another breathes lightning, and the third picks up soldiers and crunches down on them with its toothy jaws.
Myron climbs up on one, then plunges his beat up sword into a space between its great horns. It screams, but stops and drops to its knees with a great shake. Myron jumps off as purple blood sprays everywhere as he yanks the sword out.
Dakka then charges up a massive ice spike, and fires it off at the Pride of Whips. Fog rolls, and then massive ice spires surge out of the ground, each biting into flesh. It howls in pain, then a final one surges through its head, killing it.
Varric and Cassandra work together to bring low the final one, the hungry one with the toothy grin. Riddled with arrows, it weakens as Myron lifts his shield up and Dakka fires off a flame spell that reflects off of the shield and directly upwards into the face of the demon.
It screams as it claws at its face as it drops to its knees, and its arms go limp. Dakka dashes in to save Myron from being crushed.
They then attempted to stitch the hole closed. It surges up, then lets loose a blast that knocks everyone down.