Ariane noticed the pain before anything else. It burned through the veins trailing down her forearm and flared in the palm of her left hand. Then her other senses came flooding in. A sharp green light emanating from her hand cut through the darkness around her. Her lungs felt raw from breathing so hard. Her ears were ringing. But her mind kept going back to the pain in her hand. She forced herself to open her eyes. When she looked past the blinding green light, she could faintly see the pattern of the stone cold floor where she was kneeling. She took a moment to catch her breath. She still didn't know the origin of the pain or the green light, but surely Finn could help her figure this out.
When she lifted her hand to investigate the light, the sound of heavy chains drowned out the constant ringing in her ears. It was then that Ariane realized that her wrists were bound with heavy iron manacles. Perhaps her mission to spy on the Conclave went even worse than she realized.
The Conclave. Creators, she almost forgot about that.
She didn't expect her clan to ever reach out to her again, especially since she had been travelling with a human for almost a decade. They were tracked down years into their travels by a couple of messengers from her clan . Their request to have her monitor the Conclave's progress was supposed to be a simple job, but it was one that would prove to her clan that she hadn't abandoned her people. That was why she wanted Finn to stay behind. The job would have been much more simple with his assistance of course: he was a formal Circle Mage and it would have been easy to get him into the Conclave, but she needed to do this alone. Ariane didn't know if she was trying to prove a point to her clan, or to herself. All she knew was that she felt incredibly stupid. What good is pride if she didn't have anyone to share it with?
The light in her palm flared out and a new wave of sharp pain exploded up her arm, nearly causing her to fall backwards. The sudden flash of light illuminated the glimmering blades of swords - all pointed directly at her face. Ariane was so caught up in her own pain and regrets that she didn't even notice them.
A heavy metal door swung open and Ariane could see the silhouette of a tall human woman marching towards her. The dim light from the torches cast harsh shadows onto her angular features, but it wasn't like she needed any help looking intimidating. The woman had her sword drawn as she stopped in the center of the room. However, Ariane was more concerned with the insignia displayed on her breastplate: an eye with a bunch of tentacles coming out of it. Ariane furrowed her brow as she tried to remember all of the human symbols she knew of. Was this a Templar symbol? Fenharel's teeth, she hoped not. The more time she spent traveling with Finn, the more the Templar Order became more of an active threat in their daily lives. There were a lot of close calls, but they were always able to slip away without being noticed.
That certainly wouldn't be the case now.
"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now."
The woman's voice echoed throughout the dungeon, helped by a rough accent Ariane couldn't identify.
Ariane turned her head to see another woman standing over her, as if she just emerged from she shadows. Her head was covered by a deep purple hood, but the look of anger on her face was impossible to miss.
"The Conclave is destroyed," the woman continued. "Everyone who attended is dead."
She stopped pacing around Ariane, her sharp eyes narrowing.
"Except for you."
Ariane knew she had to say something, but she couldn't find the words. Everyone was dead? That couldn't be right. Surely she wouldn't have forgotten something like that. All she could remember was arriving at the Conclave and then…
And then…
Nothing. Trying to remember what happened was like staring at an unfinished puzzle and expecting the missing pieces to appear.
When Ariane didn't respond, the woman reached down and grabbed her cuffed hands, causing the green light to flare up again.
"Explain this ."
"I…" Ariane stared at the light, trying to remember if it resembled anything she and Finn ever came across during their travels.
"...can't," she finished lamely.
"What do you mean you can't?" the woman released Ariane's hands by roughly pushing her away, knocking her onto the ground.
Ariane cried out as she hit the cold stone floor and for a moment the sudden pain from the impact distracting her from her hand.
"I don't know what that is or how it got there," Ariane's words tumbled out of her mouth. "But my friend - he might - maybe he could-"
"You're lying!"
She raised her hand to strike and Ariane braced herself, but the impact never came. The woman in the purple hood stepped out of the shadows and held her back.
"We need her, Cassandra," her voice barely broke above a whisper, but Ariane could recognize the hints of an Orlesian accent lacing her words.
The Orlesian knelt down and helped Ariane back into a sitting position.
"I didn't do anything, I swear. I'm innocent," Ariane still couldn't stop her words from jumbling together.
"Do you remember what happened?" The Orlesian remained kneeling in front of Ariane, her voice deceptively gentle. Ariane knew that she could be just as deadly as Cassandra if she needed to be - perhaps even moreso.
If she complied, would they be merciful enough to let her go free? She doubted it, but her chances would be better than if she remained quiet. Ariane took a deep breath, stilling her mind and distracting herself from the ever-present pain in her hand, as she forced herself to recall the events of the Conclave.
She could remember running - specifically running from something. She couldn't remember where she was or what was chasing her, but she could remember the fear that gave her the energy to keep going. The only image she saw clearly was that of a woman reaching down to her. The woman herself appeared to be made of a brilliant golden light that masked any identifying features she might have had. Ariane could remember reaching out for her hand and then...nothing.
Ariane tried to explain what she remembered to the two women, but it felt like she was trying to describe a nightmare that she had mostly forgotten. Creators, they must have thought she was mad. At the mention of the woman bathed in light, the Orlesian's eyes widened and even Cassandra's intense expression was disrupted with shock.
"...and that's all I can remember," Ariane hung her head down, staring at her hands as they moved uncomfortably against the manacles. Not much of a defence. She was going to hang for sure. "I'm sorry."
Ariane's fears only intensified when the two other woman didn't respond instantly. She looked up to see them both staring down at her, as if still processing what she had just said.
"A woman…" the Orlesian spoke softly, as if she didn't expect anyone else to hear her.
"Go to the forward camp, Leliana," Cassandra grabbed Ariane's manacles, pulling her to her feet with the same amount of ease it would take someone to pick up a sack of laundry. "I will take the prisoner to the rift."
The Orlesian, Leliana, nodded and disappeared back into the shadows.
"Could you tell me what happened at the Conclave?" Ariane wanted to shake the feeling back into her legs, but she figured that it would be better if she remained as still and complacent as possible - at least for now.
A loud clack bounced off the walls of the dungeon as Cassandra removed the manacles from Ariane's wrists, only to shortly replace them with a length of tightly-bound rope.
Cassandra placed a strong hand on Ariane's back and pushed her towards the door.
"It will be easier to show you,"
The heavy wooden doors were forced open and Ariane ducked her head to protect her eyes from the sudden invasion of light. Compared to the musty dungeon she was previously in, the air outside felt cool and open with the occasional gentle breeze speckled with flakes of fresh snow. In that sense, nothing had changed since Ariane first arrived at the Conclave, but she didn't have to look up to know that something was different.
Her hand was pulsating now, as if there was something underneath her skin that was trying to burst out. The moment she stepped outside, she could tell that the Veil was thinner here and her skin tingled from the amount of unstable magic buzzing through the air.
And then she looked up.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but no amount of time could have prepared her for what she saw. It looked like someone had taken a knife and sliced a deep wound into the sky, leaving behind a scar the same intense green as the light on her hand. This was similar to something she had encountered before. Back when she visited the Circle of Magi for the first time, she did come across small tears in the Veil. Apparently such occurrences could happen when enough magic was concentrated in one area.
Ariane couldn't imagine the amount of magic it would take to create that tear in the sky.
"We call it The Breach - a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour," Cassandra walked in front of her as Ariane kept staring up at the sky. "It's not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave."
"An explosion can do that?" Ariane didn't mean to say that outloud, especially with the amount of awe that steeped into her tone.
Cassandra looked back at her with a disgusted expression,
"This one did. And unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world."
Ariane felt shame well up in her chest and she stared back down at her bound wrists. Of course this entire situation was horrifying, but Ariane would be lying if she said she wasn't fascinated. How could she not be? This was bigger than anything she and Finn encountered over the ten years they've been researching together. She wished she could have seen the look on his face when the Breach first formed in the sky. Assuming that he wasn't too engrossed in one of his tomes to pay attention. Or what if he tried to follow her to the Conclave? That would mean...no. He wouldn't do that. He probably thought she was dead. Creators, she needed to find him. At least to let him know that she's okay.
Another sharp pain from the mark on her hand flared up and Ariane fell to her knees. She couldn't breathe. She could barely think. The pain was burning hot and freezing cold at the same time, coursing down her arm and tightening around her chest with each pulse of the Breach. If she still had her swords and if her wrists still weren't bound, it probably would have been less painful for her to just hack her entire arm off.
Ariane held her breath until the pain eventually subsided, and she let out a ragged exhale.
"Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads and it is killing you," Cassandra knelt down in front of her. Her voice was as intense as always, but Ariane could see a hint of sympathy on her face. Or perhaps pity. "It may be the key to stopping this but there isn't much time."
Ariane stared down at the mark, which was slowly branching across the palm of her hand like cracks forming on shattered glass. It seemed like she didn't have much of a choice. She could die as the world got swallowed by the Breach, or she could die trying to stop the world from getting swallowed by the Breach. Either way, at least the pain in her hand would die with her.
"Just tell me what I need to do."
After being away from her clan for so long, Ariane was used to receiving unpleasant stares from humans. That didn't make it any less infuriating. Cassandra kept a strong grip on the back of Ariane's collar as she half-lead-half-dragged her past the crowds. Some of the people who have gathered were yelling things at her. The usual insults - knife ear, rabbit, savage . Nothing she hadn't heard before. But occasionally, she would hear them shout the word murderer . Ariane wanted to believe that the people's prejudice towards the Dalish was to blame for this behavior, but she had a feeling that their reasoning was a lot less simple.
"They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers," Cassandra's voice quaked slightly, but she kept a firm grip on her collar. "It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead."
The shouting died down the closer they got to the outer gate. Instead of shouting, most of the people just silently stared at her with disgust presented plainly on their faces. Ariane tried to keep her head down to avoid their hateful stares, but she couldn't help but look up to see if Finn was somewhere in the crowds. He was a human and he knew her better than anyone - he could vouch for her. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen.
Only when they were far enough away from the crowds did Cassandra stop remove Ariane's bindings.
"There will be a trial," Cassandra retrieved a small dagger from her belt and used it to cut the rope keeping Ariane's wrists together. "I can promise no more."
"Just take me to the Breach," Ariane flexed her wrists and tried to rub some of the numbness out of her hands. "I'm ready."
Ariane swore she saw the hint of a smile forming on Cassandra's face.
"Not yet. First we need to test your mark on something smaller."
Two soldiers pulled open the heavy wooden gate, allowing Ariane to follow Cassandra into the valley. There were only a few people outside of the settlement and fortunately none of them looked at Ariane with the same level of contempt that the other villagers did. Perhaps because most of them were too busy fearing for their lives. A cluster of soldiers were posted behind a flimsy-looking barricade. Their swords were drawn, but as their expressions made it clear that they had little hope left.
"Maker, it's the end of the world!" One man shouted as he ran past them to take refuge on the other side of the gate.
Cassandra lead her past the burning wagons, the wounded soldiers, and the corpses with distinct demonic-looking slash marks maiming their bodies. Ariane wondered if Cassandra was taking her down this path because it was the easiest way, or if she wanted her to see the true extent of the damage. Whatever her intent was, Ariane couldn't stop the guilt from clawing its way up her throat. She knew she was innocent, but did that matter? She barely knew where she was an hour ago and her testimony sounded like mindless rambling. So many lives were lost. No one should have been able to survive this, and the fact that she did wasn't making her case look any better.
"Do you know how I survived?" Ariane was hesitant to start a conversation with Cassandra but her need for answers won out in the end.
"They said you… stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious," Cassandra continued walking, focusing more on the path through the snow-covered path than the conversation at hand.
"Stepped out of a rift…" Ariane repeated to herself. She could hardly believe it. If this was true, that would mean that she was physically in the Fade, right? From what she could recall, such a feat hadn't been performed in thousands of years. The ground beneath her feet suddenly felt a lot less solid.
The pulses from the Breach above grew more frequent as Ariane followed Cassandra across a stone bridge. The meteors spewed forth by the Breach and crashing onto the earth below were able to prevent any further conversations Ariane and Cassandra could have had. Ariane was grateful for this, until one of the meteors struck the bridge, sending the two women flying from the impact.
Ariane screamed as she tumbled onto onto the frozen riverbed below, just barely avoiding getting crushed by the bridge. Her shoulders ached from the fall, but fortunately it didn't feel like anything was broken. After taking a moment to catch her breath and check for any serious injuries, she managed to force herself to stand on the slippery icy surface.
Cassandra didn't seem to take much of a hit from the fall, as she was already up and walking by the time Ariane was still struggling to her feet.
"We shouldn't delay," she grabbed Ariane's shoulder again to help her up, or perhaps to ensure that she didn't attempt to run. "The longer we wait-"
The Breach flared up again, sending another meteor slamming into the frozen river. The air around the impact began to distort, twisting into a vaguely humanoid shape made of inky shadows.
"Stay behind me," Cassandra let go of Ariane's shoulder and unsheathed her sword.
Ariane backed up against the ruins of the bridge, watching as Cassandra charged at the creature. It was then when she realized how defenseless she felt without her swords. Apparently these shems expected her to close up the hole in the sky by herself, but they didn't trust her enough to have her weapons. At least they were only intercepted by one demon so far. If they kept moving quickly-
Another meteor crashed just a few feet from where Ariane stood, forming into a similar creature. Ariane froze. Cassandra was too busy focusing on the other demon to notice the second one that had just formed.
Ariane looked around, desperate to find anything she could use to defend herself. Right when she was calculating how far she could throw one of the broken segments of the bridge, she noticed the body of a uniformed soldier lying dead under the rubble. More importantly, she noticed the glimmering longsword that was still in his grasp.
Would this be disrespectful?
Ariane only had a split second to ponder over the morality of the situation before the demon lunged at her. She managed to jump away, but she lost her footing on the way down and slipped on the ice, skidding closer to the body.
This had to be a sign from the Creators, so it must be okay.
While trying to avoid looking at the corpse's face, Ariane managed to pull the sword from his hand.
" Falon'Din enasal enaste ," Ariane whispered, bowing her head. She highly doubted that the soldier was Dalish, but she hoped that somewhere he appreciated the sentiment.
Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Ariane attempted to get a comfortable grip on the sword - which was certainly easier said than done. Blessed Creators, did the humans pride themselves on crafting their weapons to be as unwieldy as possible? It felt like she was fighting her sword as well as her opponent.
Ariane's first slash with the sword cleared past the demon and smashed into the frozen river. The demon lashed out with one of its claws, but Ariane ducked down right before it would have struck her. The second time she swung her sword, she managed to stab at the creature's torso, causing it to release a pained screech.
Gritting her teeth, she continued to push the sword in deeper, her muscles working overtime to cooperate with the unfamiliar weapon. The demon flailed as she twisted her sword further into its shadowy body. It gave one swing at her before crumbling to the ground in a pile of ash.
Ariane watched the remains of the demon continue to disintegrate as she regained control over her heavy breathing. That took way longer than it should have. If only she had her usual weapons and if her wrists weren't weak from having them bound for so long and if she wasn't stressed about being a suspect for the murder of hundreds of people-
Ariane looked up to see Cassandra pointing her blade directly at her face.
"Drop your weapon. Now. "
While she was more than willing to part with the unwieldy sword, Cassandra's suspicion almost made her want to hold onto it out of spite.
"What was I supposed to do?" Despite her words, she held the sword out to the side, fully prepared to drop it if she had to. "That thing could have killed me!"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed, but at long last she sighed and sheathed her weapon.
"You're right. If it is true that you're the only one who can put an end to this madness, then you will need to defend yourself."
Cassandra turned around to continue walking towards the Breach.
"We don't know what else we might face."
Ariane didn't have a place for her newfound sword, so she opted to just carry it in her hand as she followed Cassandra further into the mountains. At least it did get plenty of use as the Breach continued to spew more demons out at them. The blade did become easier to manage when she got more use out of it, but it never felt natural. She had used her two swords for so long that they were like a part of her. Ariane considered asking Cassandra if she could get her weapons back, but she figured that it probably wasn't the best time for that.
The mark on Ariane's hand seemed to grow more agitated. It didn't hurt as much as before, but it stung enough for her to wince. Cassandra seemed to notice her reaction as well.
"We're getting closer to the rift," she stopped for a moment to glance back at her.
Ariane tried to see if blowing on the mark would get it to calm down. It didn't. After that failed experiment, she returned to following Cassandra up the hill.
As they got closer to the crest of the hill, the distinct sounds of combat clanged through the air. Amidst the usual clashing of swords, Ariane could hear the sounds of spellcasting echo down the hill. She felt hope swell in her chest as she picked up the pace after Cassandra, jumping over a stone wall and running towards the crumbling remains of an old ruins - the center of which was overrun with demons.
The main offensive force against the demon seemed to be swordsman, but there were archers posted on the upper levels of the ruins as well. In addition to the soldiers, it appeared that two civilians were also making an effort against the threat. One was a man with a crossbow who was either an incredibly short human or an incredibly clean-shaven dwarf, The other, who appeared to behe source of the magic was apparently a tall elven man, his lack of vallaslin clued her in that he was probably one of those city elves. She did feel disappointed for a moment, but she should have expected as such. The lack of terrified screaming should have clued her in that Finn wasn't there.
Ariane didn't have a lot of time to focus on the people around her because something else caught her attention.
Just a few feet above the battle was another tear in the sky - like a smaller Breach. The glowing green form twisted, as if the waking world and the Fade were tangling together. It looked exactly like the Veil tears she saw back in the Circle.
Her hand tightened around her sword and she took a deep breath.
"Stay here," she instructed Cassandra. "I know what to do."
Ariane only heard Cassandra let out a confused "what?!" before she was halfway to the Veil tear. The moment she passed over the rubble, the city elf stopped and moved in front of her. He held his hand out, but Ariane pushed him to the side and ran past him.
"Out of the way!" she hollered, brandishing her sword. In a clean strike, she brought down the blade through the Veil tear.
The green light rippled, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
So that's how it's going to be.
Ariane slashed at the tear again. And again. And again. Each time, her blade passed through like she was cutting through water - and all of her attempts were equally as effective.
"What are you doing?!" the city elf yelled, stepping closer to her despite her frantic sword-swinging.
"Stay back!" she slashed again. "I know what I'm doing!"
The mark flared up, causing the sword to fly out of her hands. Before she could kneel down in pain, the city elf grabbed her wrist and held her marked hand to the Veil tear. The burning in her hand grew even more intense as the tear grew brighter. She struggled to move her arm away, but it was held firmly in place. The tear flared up one more time, the brightness so intense that Ariane had to close her eyes. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the sudden bursting of light shine through her eyelids. Then, there was nothing.
Then the city elf let go of her wrist. When she opened her eyes, the veil was gone. Only the disintegrated remains of demons provided any clue that anything was wrong.
Ariane kept glancing back and forth between the mark on her hand and the place where the tear once was, trying to make sense of what had happened.
"What did you do?"
" I did nothing," the city elf responded with a bemused tone. "The credit is yours."
The mark on her hand wasn't acting up as much as it was before, the pulsing green light was much more dull.
"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand," the city elf explained, no doubt sensing her confusion. "I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake - and it seems I was correct."
"But would it be powerful enough to close the Breach itself?" Cassandra stepped over the piles of rubble to join them.
"Possibly," his lips tugged into a small smirk as he glanced back at Ariane. "Although, perhaps the Breach might be susceptible being flailed at wildly with a sword."
Ariane felt the tips of her ears burn hot from embarrassment and she ducked her head.
"It worked before…" she muttered under her breath.
"Come now, Chuckles. Go easy on her," the man with the crossbow, who certainly was a dwarf, playfully chided. "At least the Seeker didn't completely crush her spirits yet."
The dwarf winked as Cassandra, who simply scowled in response.
"Varric Tethras," the dwarf holstered his crossbow on his back while giving a small bow. "Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, prisoner - like you."
"I brought you here to tell your story to the Divine," Cassandra crossed her arms. "There is no longer anything keeping you here, Varric."
"I don't think there's any running from this one, Seeker," Varric looked around at the crumbling ruin. "Might as well do the responsible thing and stick around, see how this plays out."
"Absolutely not," Cassandra bit back a much more biting remark and sighed, shaking her head. "Your help is appreciated, Varric, but-"
"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore," he smirked at her, apparently immune to Cassandra's intimidating presence. "You need me."
Cassandra stormed off in a huff, not bothering to gratify him with a response.
"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions," the city elf stepped closer to her. "I'm pleased to see you still live."
Varric laughed under his breath,
"He means, 'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'"
The dwarf's comment was clearly meant as a light-hearted joke, but Ariane was caught completely off guard. In all of her years of exploring Thedas, wandering through ruins, and trying to understand Finn's ramblings, she had never encountered anything like the mark. From what she figured, nobody had encountered anything like it. Maybe Solas was a scholar? Although, he wasn't dressed like any scholar she had ever seen. Really the only thing about his appearance that stood out was the wolf jaw necklace he wore just under his green outer jacket. Ariane only noticed the necklace because she decided that she wanted one as well.
"You know about the mark?" Ariane tried to keep the shock out of her voice when addressing Solas, but she couldn't help it. "But I thought nothing like this had been seen before."
"And you would be correct. However my travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade."
Ariane had so many questions: what else did he know about the mark? Where did he travel to that contained such knowledge? Would she be allowed to craft a similar wolf jaw necklace like his, or would that be weird?
She decided that there would be plenty of time for that after the immediate threat was taken care of.
" Ma serannas, " she nodded her head. "Thank you for saving my life."
Solas flinched like a dog that heard a whistle and he quickly turned away from her.
"Thank me if you manage to close the Breach without killing yourself in the process."
The sudden darker tone of Solas' voice was subtle, but noticeable enough for Ariane to pick up on it. Did she do something to offend him? Whatever, she could brush up on her city elf etiquette if she survived the Breach.
"We need to get to the forward camp," Cassandra was already making her way towards the outer perimeter of the ruin.
Solas followed Cassandra, stepping over the rubble that lead to the downhill path.
"Oh, uh, my name is Ariane!" she called out. "I look forward to fighting alongside all of you!"
No response from either Cassandra nor Solas, but that didn't surprise her. Next to her, she heard Varric chuckle as he unholstered his crossbow.
"I think we're all going to get along nicely."
The snowy winds whistled past their faces as the group navigated down the hillside path. Ariane was mostly focused on keeping her footing and trying to ignore the rapidly-increasing pain coming from the mark, but she couldn't help but notice that Solas was staring at her through the corner of his eye.
"Is there a problem?" Admittedly, she was a little quick to be confrontational, but how was she supposed to react to someone staring at her?
"I see that you are Dalish," Solas eyed her curiously. "Is there a reason why you are not travelling with your people?"
Ariane's chest tightened, her body physically reacting to the guilt that coursed through her when she realized she barely thought about her clan since being released from the dungeon. Creators, she thought about Finn more times than she thought about her clan.
She doesn't want Solas to know any of this, so instead she muttered under her breath,
"What would you know about the Dalish?"
"A great deal," his voice trailed off into a slight sigh. "I offered to share knowledge, only to be attacked for no greater reason than their superstition."
Ariane stopped in her tracks.
" Excuse me?"
"Really now?" Varric chided. "I was just talking about how well we were all getting along. Can't you elves play nice until after we close the hole in the sky?"
"I cannot believe I am saying this, but Varric is right," Cassandra's voice came from much further down the hill. "The Breach should remain our top priority."
Varric chuckled, "It was bound to happen eventually."
"That means you too, dwarf."
The pulses from the Breach only grew less spaced apart the closer they got to the camp. The pain was excruciating, but Ariane was getting better at concealing her reactions.
"Shit, are you alright?" Varric asked when she cringed after a particularly painful pulse.
"I'm fine," she gritted through her teeth. "It's just the mark acting up."
"My magic cannot stop the mark from growing further," Solas spoke from further up the hill. "For your sake, I suggest we hurry."
Ariane's fast walking increased into an all out sprint when she heard more fighting from the top of the path. The sounds of demonic attacks were becoming far too familiar to her. With her sword in hand, she ran up the snow-covered steps. Another rift in the Veil was glowing and twisting in the air, spewing out more demons that continued to overwhelm the only remaining soldier.
"They keep coming!" The soldier shouted, barely dodging a swipe from one of the demon's deadly arms.
There was no time to waste. Ariane charged towards the battle and brought down her heavy sword onto one of the demons as hard as she could. The ground shattered beneath her blade and the demon dissolved into nothing.
Before she could stop to catch her breath, the rift flared up, sending forth another demon.
"Seal the rift!" Solas yelled, flinging another demon away with a push of his staff. "Before more come through!"
Ariane dropped her sword so she could get away from the cluster of demons. When she was a safe distance away from the combat, she crawled on top of a boulder and locked her eyes onto the Fade rift. How did she even do this the first time? Was she supposed to stick her hand out and just wave at it? It felt so silly, surely-
The moment Ariane stuck her marked hand out, the rift flashed, sending all of the demons flying backwards. Ariane didn't get a chance to see the entire process when she closed the first rift, but this time she was able to watch in fascinated horror as the rift shuddered, then sucked into her hand like water flowing through a pipe. The sight was so unsettling that Ariane barely noticed the burning pain that came with it.
Closing the rift left her exhausted, but fortunately she was able to catch her breath before stepping back onto the ground.
"The demons are gone," Cassandra called towards the camp entrance. "Open the gate!"
"Right away, Lady Cassandra!"
"Another rift closed," Solas nodded in her direction. "Well done."
"Let's hope it works on the big one," Varric looked back at the Breach as he put away his crossbow.
"Oh, right," Creators, she almost forgot about the Breach. Just closing two small rifts was enough to leave her winded. But she didn't want the others to see that she was doubting her abilities. They could find out she wasn't ready when the Breach consumed her body and everything else with it.
The large wooden gate creaked open and the four rushed inside. On the other side of the gate was a massive stone bridge that stretched over the width of the frozen river. She did get a few nervous glances from some of the soldiers and civilians who occupied the camp, but fortunately she didn't receive the same unfriendly welcome she got from the village.
The pain from the mark was only getting worse, seeping up her hand and branching across her entire forearm. The feeling started out sharp, then burning, before fizzling out into numbness. Ariane grit her teeth and rubbed her arm in a desperate attempt to manage the pain.
"That doesn't look like it's getting any better," Varric commented. "Are you sure you're fine?"
"Closing the Breach is all that matters," Ariane's response was more to help coach herself through the pain, but her stomach twisted when she realized how rude she sounded. "But thank you for your concern."
"Aw, don't mention it. Happy to help."
Leliana, the Orlesian from the dungeon, and an older human man dressed in crisp white Chantry robes were posted near the far edge of the camp behind a table. The two appeared to be in a vicious argument that only became louder the closer they got. Ariane wanted to stop walking in order to avoid getting involved, but the others were walking in that direction so she had no choice but to follow.
"You are not in charge here, Chancellor,"
"Everyone who was in charge is dead now! Thanks to that prisoner of yours!"
"But we must get the prisoner to the temple. It could be the only way!"
"I think you have done quite enough!"
The two stopped the moment Ariane and Cassandra approached their station. The man looked at Ariane with a disgusted expression she was used to seeing from humans, while Leliana looked more relieved than anything.
"It's good that you made it," Leliana turned back to the man. "Chancellor Roderick, this is-"
"I know who she is," he cut her off. "And I hope that you, Seeker, are taking this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution."
"I will do no such thing," Cassandra crossed her arms. "What matters is that we get the prisoner to the Temple of Sacred Ashes."
"That is the last place where we should send the prisoner!" The Chancellor rubbed his temples. "For all we know, this could be part of her plan! The fact that you're allowing her to wander around freely with a weapon is truly outstanding, Seeker."
"The Breach will affect me just as much as anyone!" Ariane found herself saying, despite her previous wish to not get involved. "And I am the only one who can seal it."
"We wouldn't even be in this mess if it weren't for you!"
Cassandra huffed under her breath and she stepped in front of Ariane, slamming her hands on the desk.
"I was not asking for permission. This chaos must end before it is too late, and the prisoner must be alive for that to happen."
"So," The Chancellor furrowed his brow. " You believe she is innocent."
"What I believe is irrelevant. Whatever justice must be carried out can be dealt with when the immediate threat is taken care of."
The Chancellor narrowed his eyes at Ariane, who shuffled further behind Cassandra.
"Our position is hopeless, Seeker," his stern voice softened with desperation. "Enough lives have been lost today. Call the retreat before it is too late."
"Absolutely not," Cassandra's composure never wavered. "I have faith in the prisoner's ability to end this."
The Chancellor looked as if he wanted to argue back again, but Leliana stepped in before he could speak.
"If you wish to find a safer route to the Temple, my forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountain path."
"We can't afford to take any unnecessary risks," Cassandra's eyes briefly darted up towards the mountains. "If the Breach isn't taken care of soon-"
The mark flared up, even worse than before. Ariane didn't have time to bite back her cries as she collapsed to her knees. Through her blurred vision, she could see the vague forms of people crowding around her.
"Give her some space!" Solas sounded like he was speaking through thick glass. The gentle glow of healing magic danced around his fingers until the intense agony faded into a dull discomfort.
Ariane took a moment to catch her breath, briefly pressing her sweaty forehead against the cold snow-dusted floor, before forcing herself to sit up. Everyone was looking down at her with worried faces. Even the Chancellor looked slightly concerned for her well-being.
"I think we should go with the quicker route," Ariane rasped.
The Temple of Sacred Ashes was one of those human ruins Finn always wanted to visit. Even after the Chantry renovated it up and it became a "holy tourist trap" (Finn's words), he always planned on travelling there one day. Not for any religious purpose, but out of hope that some of the temple's original features were preserved. Personally, Ariane never had any interest in such subjects. But Finn helped her uncover so much Elvhen history that she figured it would only be fair if she helped him research parts of his culture. Besides, he always looked so overjoyed when he was studying ancient artifacts and writing systems. That alone would have made it worth her while.
This was not how Ariane expected to visit the temple. The temple, or what remained of it, was just a smouldering shell of its former self. Ariane tried to divert her eyes from the charred corpses, their arms shielding their faces from the blast. Preserved in their fear forever. Nothing identifiable about them other than the poses they died in.
Ariane's feet scraped through the rubble, covering her boots in a thin layer of soot. Her mark wasn't acting up at the moment, but she was still very much aware of its presence. The mark caused this destruction, which means that she also caused it. She knew in her heart that she would never do something like this, she also knew what this must look like to everyone else. She couldn't deny the tragedy now. She knew she was innocent, but that wouldn't matter to the bodies plastered to the wall by the blast. This story was over - and she knew her place in it.
A Dalish elf destroying a sacred Andretian location with some form of unknown magic. She knew how the Chantry was going to frame this.
"Lady Cassandra," a voice called out to them before they could head deeper into the temple. A human man with tousled blond hair made his way towards them with the gait of an experienced warrior. Though he was covered in blood, the amount of embellishments on his armor made it clear that he was a man of remarkable status. "I had my men stationed around the Breach. As of now, we have yet to see any new signs of demons."
"Excellent work, Knight Commander," Cassandra gave a curt nod.
Ariane's entire body tensed up. She knew what "Knight Commander" meant - that was a Templar rank. While she wasn't a mage, she travelled with one long enough that the Templar Order became just as much of a threat to her. She wasn't with Finn at the moment, but out of instinct she found herself scanning her surroundings for the best escape route the moment the man's rank was specified.
She was never the best at concealing her facial expressions and the Templar gave her an odd look.
"I take it you're the prisoner," It was unclear if the Templar was assessing the situation or if this was an attempt at small-talk.
"Ariane."
"Right," he cleared his throat and addressed Cassandra again. "We will make sure that the Temple path is clear. Maker watch over you."
"And to you, Commander."
The Templar moved to turn away, but he looked over his shoulder at Ariane.
"I hope they're right about you."
"Uh," Ariane didn't know what he meant by this, but she naturally assumed that it was an insult. "I don't."
As they headed deeper into the Temple, the glow from the Breach seeped through the rubble, flooding the ruin in an eerie green light. The mark felt like it was going to burst from her hand. Ariane clenched her fist, causing needle-sharp vibrations to shoot up her arm.
You're almost there, she reassured herself. You just have to get to the Breach and then-
Oh.
Ariane knew that the Breach was big, but being directly in front of it was an entirely different feeling. Or, being directly below it. Miles above the temple was a column of green light, twisting and distorting around itself. Never before had the Veil felt so thin to her. It was as if there was only a thin sheet of glass shielding her from the Fade, and at any point it could shatter beneath her.
"So all I have to do it close it, like the other rifts?"
"Theoretically," Solas clarified.
"And that's assuming we can get you up there," Varric shielded his eyes with his hand as he stared up at the Breach.
Just when Ariane was thinking about the logistics of having Cassandra throw her towards the Breach, Leliana hurried into the Temple with a squad of soldiers behind her.
"You made it, thank the Maker," Leliana addressed Cassandra, but it was clear that her eyes were focused on the Breach behind her.
"Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple," Cassandra stood up straight with her hands clasped firmly behind her back. "We're ready to end this."
Leliana nodded, signaling to her soldiers with a series of intricate hand gestures before disappearing deeper into the ruin.
Ariane took a deep breath and turned to face the Breach again. Staring up at it was like looking directly into the sun. There was so much raw power emanating throughout the ruined temple. It was impossible to believe that she alone had the power to destroy it.
"Are you ready?" Cassandra spoke like a commander, but there was a hint of unease in her voice.
Ariane exhaled sharply through her teeth and closed her eyes.
"I'm ready."
The four stepped carefully down the winding path that lead to the Breach. The mark on Ariane's hand continued to pulsate as the energy from the Breach crackled around them. As she got closer to the Breach, a deep male voice echoed in her mind.
"Now is the hour of our victory," The voice was distorted which made it sound like it was speaking to her from far away, but she felt the voice rattle in her mind as if he was right behind her. "Bring forth the sacrifice."
"You're hearing this too, right?" Varric spoke hesitantly.
"The Veil is thin here," Solas responded. "It is most likely that what we are hearing is whoever created the Breach."
"Oh, good," Varric didn't sound terribly encouraged. "Glad to hear that I'm not going completely crazy."
The green from the Breach was disorienting, but the deep red glow of something growing out of the walls cut through the intensity. Ariane furrowed her brows and leaned down to get a closer look. The red glow was coming from a cluster of crystals that were spreading from the ruined temple wall and onto the floor below. Ariane had never seen anything like them before, but they seemed to burn with the same energy that her mark did.
"Whoa, what are you going?" Varric grabbed her arm before she could reach out to touch one of the crystals. "That's red lyrium !"
"What does it do?" The crystals did give off the same power she sensed from normal lyrium before, but this felt different. Hungrier. "Is this some kind of corrupted lyrium?"
"How about we focus on one otherworldly evil thing before we try to tackle another otherworldly evil thing?"
The glow was captivating, but Ariane managed to tear her attention from the lyrium and continued making her way down to the Breach.
When standing on the lower level of the temple, the Breach blocked out the entire sky. Ariane's mark was flashing at random intervals now, causing her entire arm to jolt.
"Keep the sacrifice still," The voice from before echoed within her mind. Through the glowing tendrils of the Breach, Ariane could see the vague forms of shadows flickering around them. Spirits? No, Ariane had seen spirits before. These felt less...real.
"Someone, help me!" Another voice, this time belonging to a woman. Ariane didn't recognize the voice, but Cassandra's face went white.
"Most Holy..." Cassandra trailed off, her voice much softer than Ariane ever heard from her.
The Breach flashed, the air swelled around them, the mark burned hotter.
And then, Ariane remembered.
At least, that's the only way she could describe it. The images she saw weren't literally in front of her, but rather they played out in the back of her mind. She saw herself running. There was a ghostly figure cloaked in shadows standing before an old woman in white Chantry robes. The woman was caged by tendrils of glowing red energy and most of the life was drained from her face, but she looked towards Ariane with a level of sincerity that was clear even in this hazy vision.
"Run while you can!" her voice cried out. "Warn them!"
"We have an intruder," The shadowy figure turned towards Ariane, his glowing red eyes cutting through the darkness. "Slay the elf."
After that, Ariane couldn't remember anything else. Like a long-forgotten childhood memory, certain bits and pieces could be found, but the larger context was lost forever.
Even though she was disoriented from the vision, she could still feel Cassandra's intense stare.
"You were there - in that vision!" Cassandra marched closer to Ariane. "Who was that attacking the Divine? What else do you know? You must remember something!"
"I don't know!" Ariane snapped, both from the constant questions and the stress crashing down. "I don't even know what those visions were!"
"Echoes of what happened here," Solas stepped forward with an explanation that Ariane would have liked to hear earlier. "The Fade bleeds into this place."
Ariane huffed her breath and tried to rub the last remaining echoes from the Fade out of her eyes.
"I only hope that doesn't happen again while I'm trying to close the Breach."
"Hmm," Solas stared back up at the sky. "It appears that the rift is closed, but it is still unstable. I believe that if you use the mark to open the rift, it can be sealed properly."
"Wait, so you…" Ariane began slowly. " Want me to open the rift?"
"So it may be sealed, yes."
"But wouldn't that attract demons?"
"Most likely, but this is the only way."
"We're already ass-deep in demons as it is," Varric pulled his crossbow from his back. "I'm sure this isn't anything we can't handle."
"We've come this far, we musn't back down now," Cassandra unsheathed her sword and turned her attention to the rows of archers and soldiers positioned around the perimeter of the Breach. "The prisoner is opening the rift! Stand ready!"
Ariane inhaled slowly and extended her marked hand up towards the Breach. She thought that she wasn't close enough, but the effect was immediate. The mark burned and pulsated, the twisting sensation matching the movements of the Breach.
The rift grew brighter and brighter until it burst. Ariane was thrown backwards, barely avoiding smashing her head against the hard temple floor. She coughed, spitting the dust and ash out of her mouth as she forced herself to her feet.
There was hardly any time for her to catch her breath. The creature that stepped out of the rift was nothing like the demons she fought before. The demon towered over everyone in both height and presence. Its form looking like it was carved from of the scorched ruins of the temple. From where she stood, Ariane could not see the creature's face. But she could make out the shape of twisted horns on the top of its head, silhouetted by the Breach.
"Oh," Varric muttered. "Shit."
"Now!" Cassandra raised her sword.
The soldiers positioned at the banisters began firing their bows at the demon. Each arrow that pelted the creature barely made a dent in its armored skin. It let out a furious roar and swiped one of its mighty clawed arms at the soldiers, causing a couple to fall to the temple grounds below.
"Seal the rift!" Cassandra ordered as she charged towards the demon.
Ariane ducked behind a pile of rubble so she could best plan her next act. The slashing of swords, the pelting of arrows and bolts, the blasts of spells - they all seemed to just be angering the demon more. At least the demon only seemed to rely on close-ranged combat and brute force. If she could just find a way to get it away from the rift-
The rubble on the ground rattled as another roar echoed through the temple. The demon lifted its hand and a massive column of purple energy blasted at the soldiers. The attack sent Ariane flying back as well. Her back hit the floor. The wind was knocked out of her chest. There was no time to strategize.
Ariane picked up her sword and ran. Arrows and bolts buzzed past her ears. The creature was big and powerful, but also slow. Her main priority was to get behind it.
The demon was too busy with the other attackers to notice Ariane. She skidded to a stop when she got behind its left leg. Her fists tightened around the hilt of her sword and she plunged the blade in as hard as she could. Despite using all of her strength, the tip of the blade barely dipped into the creature's tough flesh. But the demon noticed.
The creature thrashed, sending more soldiers flying from its violent movements. Ariane's blood went cold when she saw the demon raise its hand towards Cassandra.
"No!" Ariane dropped her sword and raced over to her.
Ariane tackled Cassandra to the ground. Another blast of purple energy shot over her head not even a second later.
"Are you okay?" Ariane quickly got off of her, taking a brief moment to catch her breath.
"I'm fine," Cassandra sat up, brushing some of the debris off of her armor. "But we are all expendable. Focus on the Breach."
Ariane wanted to argue, but Cassandra ran back into the battle before she could get a word out. She stood up, raised her marked hand towards the sky, and...
Nothing. The mark flared up a little bit, but it was as if the rift was just out of her grasp.
The demon was still directly below the Breach, as was her only weapon.
Dread Wolf take me, I'm going to have to get closer.
Ariane took a deep breath and steeled herself. If the Breach or the demon didn't kill her, the Chantry certainly would. If she had to go, she might as well go doing something legendary. Stupid, but legendary.
One of the archers fired a particularly well-aimed shot at one of the demon's beady eyes. Another angry roar sounded through the temple, but this time it lowered its massive head.
Ariane took the opportunity to charge.
The demon didn't have time to lift its head before Ariane planted her foot on the front of its face, which she used as leverage to fling herself into the air. She managed to land on the creature's back and held on to its horns before it could throw her off.
Apparently the demon didn't care for having Ariane on its back. It slammed itself against the walls of the temple in an attempt to shake her off. Ariane couldn't allow herself to focus on the pain of being crushed between a stone wall and a demon. She used her grip on the horns to pull herself further up onto its back.
"O Falon'Din, Lethanavir ; guide my feet, calm my soul," she whispered as she let go of the creature's horns. "Lead me to my rest."
Ariane stood up and raised her marked hand. The Breach flared. The demon stopped its violent thrashing. The mark burned but she kept her arm raised. Blinding green light exploded around her. The demon let out a pained roar and flung Ariane off of its back.
"O Falon'Din, Falon'Din, Falon'Din," Ariane repeated as she flew through the air, less of a prayer and more like panicked rambling. She could no longer see anything past the ocean of green light.
She didn't remember landing. She didn't remember seeing the temple again. But she did remember seeing the ghostly form of the old woman she saw in her vision - only for a moment.
She also remembered the last words that echoed through her mind.
"Guide my feet, calm my soul. Lead me to my rest."
