I recently played DA: I without importing a custom character. Needless to say I was traumatized, so to help my damaged psyche I wrote a short one-shot. The story takes place during the mission Hushed Whispers, no sexy scenes or anything. (Leliana/FemWarden) Character death. I figured if I had to suffer in bed with phenomena and write this story you guys could suffer with me. Please excuse my many errors.
"You aren't real." The Orlesian said with more confidence than she felt. She had been here for so long, maybe it was better to break, to beg for a quick death. But this…she didn't want this.
"Leli…" The familiar voice said, it sounded foreign to her ears. The voice she had once spent hours listening to, longed for.
"Your Elder One will not break me like this." The former Bard spat. Flashes of anger overwhelming all her other senses, this act was beyond cruel. Eleven years, she had spent eleven years trying to heal. Her eyes darted over the familiar frame of her Warden. No it wasn't her warden. It was nothing more than a cruel trick. It felt strange to see the familiar curves and hints of muscle she knew all to well. This was an image she had spent far too long thinking of while searching for the bottom of her mug.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there." The creature said, her face contorting the same way her Wardens had. Even it's Vallaslin crinkled around the brow the same ways hers had, but this was not her. Leliana knew It wasn't, it was nothing more than an elaborate trick. The Elder One had finally found what tormented her the most. The one thing in this Maker forsaken world that still caused her to feel something.
"Leave demon, I will not play your games." Leliana sounded less assured than she had wanted. Her voice was catching in her all too dry throat as she gazed at the hauntingly familiar eyes her Warden had owned. She had watched her die all those years ago, the memory still caused a lump to form in her throat. This was an affront to the Wardens memory; to everything that Leliana had been forced to give up on that tower in Denerim.
"Ir abelas, ma vhenan." It said, matching the tones of the Wardens voice perfectly. The acknowledgement that this thing spoke the same Dalish words the Hero of Ferelden had was more than she could bear. She was a defeated woman, there was no way around that. She had watched all she had grown to care for stripped away from her by the Elder One. This world had taken so much from her, too much, but not this. They could not have her Warden, not while she still drew breath. As if sensing her utter distress the creature vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The gnawing feeling of doubt quickly consumed her as she began to wonder is that creature could be something more than a simple demon.
Struggling against her chains she made one last effort to wiggle free. She knew it was hopeless, but so was staying here. A deep chuckle from the far side of the room abruptly stopped her escape attempt. "How did Trevelyan know of the sacrifice at the temple?" He questioned, pausing for a brief moment. "Answer!"
Leliana watched the man tense the longer it took her to move her mouth, in some ways she drew comfort from this small act. This man was no more in control than she was, but if he thought this little trick would accomplish something he was wrong. Their efforts had been in vain, this demon had shaken her to her very core, it was true. But that is where she found her strength, strength she had almost given up on when they introduced her to the Blight.
"Never." She said, all her confusion, hurt and anger being forced into that one word. She had suffered, they had all suffered, but she refused to give in. If this was her end she would go out the way she came in. If this demon wasn't able to break her nothing could. The sound of a slap rang in her ears. The pain only resonating after a few blinks, Elven hand maidens could hit harder than this once proud Venatori agent.
"There is no use for this defiance, Little Bird." Huffing as he spoke, the effects of Red Lyrium were becoming clearer. "There's no one left for you to protect."
"You're wasting your breathe." Another slap answered her defiant response. Her gaunt cheek throbbing as she prepared for another hit, one that never came.
"You will break." He demanded, grabbing the closest blade at his disposal and holding it to her throat. Death was something she no longer feared; death would be a sweet release to this hellish world.
"I will die first." Her words were met with a long forgotten intruder bursting through the door. The recognition took a moment, but there he was. The Inquisitor…one year too late. "Or you will." She added, seeing her opportunity as the man turned to face the intruder. Her bones ached as her legs wrapped around his neck. She silently thanked the maker they man was just as weak as she was. It took longer than she would have liked but that mans neck eventually snapped.
"Well that was impressive." The inquisitor said, she had forgotten the man had a tendency to make light of any situation. It was in fact an impressive act; the fact that she had survived this long was an impressive fact. But the Inquisitor standing in front of her that was a miracle the world had needed a year ago.
"Anger is stronger than any pain." She said matter-a-factly. It concerned her that this man knew nothing of that simple truth. "Do you have weapons?"
"You aren't curious how we got here?" The well dressed mage asked, strutting around in those silly robes wasn't going to help them get out of this mess.
"No."
"Alexius sent us into the future…" Did this man not understand simple words? The reason they were here mattered little to her now. They were here too late to save anything, to change anything. This world had crumbled during the time Trevelyan had been away. There was nothing left to save. The world no longer needed a hero. "It was never meant to be." The Tevinter mages last phrase repeated its' self over and over again in her head.
Their meaning was just as hollow as everything else in this world. "If we get back to the present and stop Alexius you will never have to go through this." Trevelyan said, his deep voice echoing off the stone walls.
Not have to go through this? She desperately wanted to put an arrow through both of their eyes. The Maker had sent her fools and in return asked for her hope. She had no hope to give, not for them and not for the Maker. "This is all pretend to you; some future you hope will never exist. I suffered, the whole world suffered. It was real." The two mages remained silent long after she was done speaking, and mages wondered why people fear them. This power, no one should have it.
She thought back to the days when she had helped the Hero of Ferelden save the circle. Had she the ability to go back, she would change that. Andraste take them all, magic has destroyed more than anyone could ever hope to fix. "What happened when we were away?" The Tevinter asked as they continued to walk.
"Stop talking." She snapped, growing tired of the mans company.
"Im just asking for information."
"No, you are talking to feel silence. Nothing happened that you want to hear." There was no use in telling them of all the meaningless deaths, all the destruction, and the end of everything she held dear. If half of what they said was true none of this would happen anyway. They year she spent suffering, the lives lost…none of it would matter. Thoughts of the demon masquerading as her Warden quickly took president in her mind. She began to question, with the veil so thin it could just as easily be a spirit.
The remainder of their journey was quiet; the battles grew tiresome on Leliana's frail frame. It pained her more than she cared to admit whenever she drew back her bow. Every corrupted Venatori agent she took down brought her little joy. She expected to at least feel the sweet sensation of revenge. The feelings she had experienced when killing Marjolaine all those years ago. Now, as she let arrows fly, she felt nothing. Not even pity for these poor fools. She was soon to be dead, her body would not hold on much longer…but now she was finally dead inside.
It had been a long time coming, looking back on her actions at Haven. What lead her to the Inquisition, to becoming the Left Hand. She was destined to become this, feel nothing, this was her bright future the Warden had ensured they all got to see. Her sacrifice had been in vain, the world had ended ten years after her passing, but Leliana had ended that day. Standing on top of that Ferelden tower she had lost everything. To love that deeply after everything Marjolaine had put her through and then have it taken from her. No one could have survived that, save for the witch Morrigan. If anyone could survive a blow like that it would be that foul woman.
Her thoughts on the group she had helped end the Blight with encompassed her until they stood in the main hall of the Red Cliff castle. Her thoughts on her old friends quickly vanished when she saw Alexius. It had been his doing, this future; it was thanks to him and his foul magic. Anger blinded her as she wrapped an arm around his precious son's neck, her dagger digging painfully into his corrupted flesh.
Words automatically left her mouth, they felt foreign, she was focused on nothing but the heaving breaths of the young man in her clutches. He drooled slightly as her grip tightened. This would soon be what she would become, if the Blight didn't take her first. His existence was a fate worse than death, it would be a mercy to end him. But she cared little for mercy, his death would be a blow upon her enemy. She slowly drew her dagger across the young mans throat feeling him grow slack in her grip. Unable to support his weight he crumpled to the floor.
Her chapped lips drew into a smile as she watched the face of Alexius, the blinding pain from his spell caught her off guard as she slammed into a near by wall. Pain wracked her body, a skeleton of her former self, she attempted to stand. She weakly balanced her self as she prepaid to notch an arrow. Cassandra and Blackwall look thrilled to be back in the thick of the fight. For their sake, for everyone's sake she prayed that Dorian could make this plan work.
Ice, fire and electricity charged the air with magic as the fight carried on. Managing to right herself Leliana let loose shot after shot. A few well placed shots took down the lesser demons before they could take down either mage. The battle carried on long after she was winded, she couldn't imagine the Seeker or Warden were fairing any better. Judging by Blackwalls erratic swings she was right. They couldn't keep this up for much longer, the Red Lyrium and Blight had taken too much of a toll on the three.
Still they fought on, bringing down any enemy within their reach. A well placed spell ended the miserable life of Alexius in a flash of fire. Charring the Magisters flesh as his screams died out, succumbing to his mortality. Leliana watched as Dorian kneeled next to the corpse of the Magisters son. "Oh Felix." He muttered softly to himself, Leliana did not regret what she had done. The boy had lived long past his own time, the magic sustaining him was unholy. Understanding this was not the time to mourn over his lost friend he righted himself. "Give me an hour to reopen the rift Alexius created."
"An hour?" Leliana questioned, her disapproval carrying over in her voice. "That's impossible." Did these two not comprehend what they were about to face? They had to leave before the Elder One found them. Their future had to be rewritten, she had sacrificed too much, they all had, to let a world like this stand. A scream shattered her train of thought as the great hall began to shake…the Elder one had found them.
"You cannot stay here," Blackwall stated, Cassandra agreeing. "we will hold the outer doors." A solemn look between the two was all that was needed, Trevelyan understood. They were already dead nothing could save them. Dying to ensure the others changed this future was all they could do.
"Cast your spell." The former Bard said, reading her bow. She was grateful for one final battle before the Maker took her. "You have as much time as I have arrows." Readying herself she waited for the demons to force their way into the hall. The familiar sound of magic filled the room as the mage started to cast his spell. What alerted her to the presence beside her she did not know. There stood the same demon from before, still masquerading as her Warden. It smiled, the same way her Warden had when they were alone in camp. Notching an arrow she steadied herself for the battle that was sure to spill into the hall. The door broke open as a horde of the Elder ones minions barged through. A quick verse left her lips as she let loose arrow after arrow. Her arms growing tired as their numbers effortlessly multiplied. The demon who wore the face of her Warden charged into the fray, taking down as many as she could.
They had fought countless battles the same way as this, her Warden had always charged into problems head first. A simple fight being no different, but this was no simple fight and that was not her Warden. The similarities aside, it was impossible. Her arrows became useless as the horde moved closer, opting to bash whatever she could reach with her bow. The close quarters were only made worse by her weak arms. Any strength she still possessed was drained on the countless arrows that had hit their mark.
A sharp pain radiated from her shoulder as the stray arrow pierced her flesh before burying itself deep in her bone. "No!" The Warden cried as she charged across the battle field. Leliana cared of very little at this moment, but she was still grateful the last thing she would see was the face of the one person she still loved. Pain encircled her as the claws of a Terror demon cut through her flesh. The spell had worked, for when she looked up Trevelyan and Dorian were no where to be seen. The Warden cut down the few remaining demons before reaching her.
Sinking a sword deep within the Terror demon, unable to hold herself up Leliana slumped to the floor. "Leli…" The Warden said cupping her gaunt face gently. The Spymaster felt her tunic grow sticky with her own blood. It clung to her in an uncomfortable way. Responding to her new found discomfort she shifted, a whimper escaping her lips. The lines of the Wardens face sloped, sorrow feeling her green eyes. Her Dalish armor splattered with the thick slime of the demons she had cut down. Her Warden would have hated that. Leliana absent mindedly rubbed a spot clean. In that moment thoughts of whether this was her Warden or not left her mind.
Leliana knew she would draw her last breath on that stone floor. She knew, if all went as planned, she would wake in the morning and know nothing of these moments. Those months spent in the clutches of the Elder One…These moments spent held by this woman she fell in love with all those years ago. She would never know the true anguish of having her broken heart beat again, even if it was just for a moment. As darkness closed in around her she managed a small smile, slipping away in the arms of a woman she was destined to never see again.