Author's note:
I do not claim ownership of Dragon Age or any of its characters. This is not intended for monetary gain.
The Lady's First Trial – I
~..*..~
Elnora's grey-blue eyes snapped open; her aching head filled with a blank haze that blocked her every thought. Her heart began to race and she sat up quickly, looking around at a world she did not recognize. She saw rocks beneath her and a hill beside her, black and green with hints of yellow dirt.
"W-where am I?" she whispered hoarsely, the air around her cold and heavy.
A screech made her head snap in its direction, chocolate ponytail and loose locks whipping around rounded cheeks. Large spider-like creatures emerged from behind a curtain of darkness, her eyes widened in fear at the sight.
They began to crawl up towards her, hungry mandibles glowing with dripping poison.
She quickly scrambled to her feet and began climbing the slope as her survival instincts kicked in.
She tried to flee as fast as she could; yet the screeching sounds were growing louder with each step. She risked a look back and sucked in a breath at how quickly they were catching up to her.
A warm light touched her back, making her turn around and fearfully look up to the top of the hill. She didn't have time to think before reaching up, taking hold of a glowing hand that stretched out towards her.
~..*..~
Cassandra paced back and forth within the tent like a caged beast, her fists closed so tight her fingers ached under the pressure of her gauntlets. Her anxious steps were causing her chainmail to chime, filling in the silence of the tent. The pain, anger and the constant questions were the only things keeping her grounded.
Her boy-short black hair was still sprinkled with snow and rubble from the search efforts after the explosion. Scarred cheeks still carried bruises from the most resent fights against the demons now roaming the charred ruins.
Cassandra thought of the past battles in her many years as a Seeker, realizing that what would happen in Thedas now would make it all pale in comparison. Leliana, her Spymaster companion, sat only a few steps from her on a wooden crate, wearing a similar expression on her blue eyes.
"We should have gone with her, Cassandra," Leliana uttered, brown-gloved hands closing tightly over her coat, purple leather and chain weave wrinkling in her uncaring hands.
Cassandra saw her look up through red bangs and a violet hood, regret sparkling in her eyes, "Had we been there—"
"We'd be dead. Torturing ourselves in such a way will not bring Most Holy back, Leliana," Cassandra met her gaze, brown eyes hard as steel, "But I promise you this: We will bring justice to those responsible."
Distant footsteps could be heard outside the tent, drawing the attention of the two women.
A young soldier lifted the leather flaps, his breath coming out in puffs of warm mist against the cool air of the frozen mountains. His simple bronze chainmail and navy blue tunic were covered in white powder, a sure sign that he had been running in the snow.
"Lady Cassandra! The prisoner is stirring," he shouted in alarm, "We think she is coming to!"
~..*..~
Sharp pain, like daggers piercing the skin. Elnora's whole body ached and she couldn't tell why. She shivered, eyes still too heavy to open. Her brain felt like it was full grains of sand, grinding painfully at her head.
The image of a glowing woman flashed through her mind, her welcoming embrace compelling her to wake up. As she edged closer to consciousness she realized she didn't feel like herself.
Elnora's eyes slowly opened. She squinted, finding herself in yet another dark place, this time with her wrists bound by iron cuffs and chains. Her brows wrinkled into a frown, wondering for a moment if she was in yet another nightmare.
A sudden jolt pierced through her arm, snatching her away from her thoughts with a startled cry. Her wide eyes fell upon a glowing gash across her palm, watching in horror as green bolts of energy shot around it painfully.
The sound of a gate drew her attention, from the strange scar to two women as they entered what she now knew was a prison cell. She felt a touch of relief at the sight of another living person, but the feeling was soon replaced by confusion when they cast cold stares upon her.
Cassandra stepped towards her, "Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now."
Elnora's eyes widened, watching anxiously as the woman began to pace angrily around her.
"The Conclave was destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead," she continued bitterly, pinning her down with a glare, "Except for you."
"What do you mean everyone's dead?" Elnora uttered in shock.
The brown eyes of the Seeker narrowed dangerously. She dropped on a knee and took hold of the her wrist; roughly forcing her hand open, "Explain this!"
As if on demand, the gash glowed and sparked alive, forcing a pained whimper out her. Cassandra roughly released her wrist, walking around her like an animal stalking her prey.
"I-I can't!" Elnora replied, distressed.
"What do you mean you can't?" Cassandra bit out, anger distorting her dimly lit features.
"I don't know what it is or how it got there!" she swallowed.
Just as those words left her lips, the Seeker reached out and grabbed the front of her green tunic, "You are lying!"
"No! I really don't know!" Elnora glared at the Seeker in both frustration and indignation.
This further irritated the woman, and with a click of her tongue she reached for her knife.
"We need her Cassandra!" Leliana stepped in, pulling Cassandra's arm and driving her back, possibly preventing a premature execution. She then narrowed blue eyes at the prisoner, "Who are you? Why were you at the Conclave?"
"I'm Elnora Trevelyan of Ostwick. I-I was sent in my family's stead to oversee the proceedings at the Conclave," Elnora swallowed with an anguished frown, "Maker, I-I can't believe all those people are dead."
She felt their gaze upon her, seemingly searching for signs of deception.
"A noble," Cassandra said with vague surprise.
"Do you remember anything of what happened?" Leliana seemed reluctant to believe her words, but continued to stare intently in search for answers.
Elnora looked down to the cold, rock-tiled floor, searching for the memories she couldn't yet see.
"I remember running…things were chasing me and then…a woman…glowing…she reached out to me,"sShe furrowed her brow, clearly struggling, "I-I can't remember anything else."
Cassandra paused for a moment and released a soft breath; walking around to stand between Leliana and the prisoner, "Go to the Forward Camp Leliana. I will take her to the rift."
The redhead nodded in agreement and walked out of the cell, leaving the two women alone.
Cassandra turned to her and knelt, looking at the young girl's troubled expression before reaching down to undo her bindings, "Perhaps it will help if I show you."
Elnora eyed her with silent concern.
The Seeker released the cuffs, tying rope around her prisoner's wrists. She then helped her up.
Elnora followed her. Upon exiting the fortified tower, the sudden glare of the sun forced her to bring her hands up to block the offensive light. When her vision cleared, the sight that greeted her was one that shook her from the inside out.
Just above the snowy peaks of the mountains, a churning whirlpool of glowing green clouds shone menacingly, casting its light upon them.
"We call it the Breach," She heard Cassandra talk, but she couldn't tear her frightened eyes away from the vortex, "It is a massive rift into the world of demons—the Fade. It grows larger as we speak, and it is not the only one. This one is just the largest and it formed after the explosion at the Conclave."
"An explosion caused this?" Elnora voiced incredulously.
In that moment the Breach pulsed, at the same time the mark on her hand flared up. It sent up an electrifying pain that felt as if her arm were to split apart. Elnora fell on her knees with a cry, holding on to her wrist in agony.
"This one did," Cassandra knelt down beside her, her expression softening for a moment as she spoke, "And unless we find a way to close it, it will spread and swallow our world."
The Seeker then reached out and opened the noble's hand, narrowing her eyes at her, "Each time the rift expands this spreads, and it is killing you."
Elnora tensed up, shock mixed in with her strained expression.
"We think your mark is the key to stopping all this. We do not have much time, so we must act quickly before it is too late," the Seeker then let go of her hand, a small frown marrying her features.
Elnora pressed her lips together as the pain ebbed away, the burning sensation still lingering upon her hand. She could hear the blame behind the woman's words and her clear blue eyes narrowed in response, "You still think I did this? To myself?"
"Not intentionally," Cassandra eyes did not waver, "Clearly something went wrong. But regardless of what really happened, you are already involved. You cannot run from it."
Elnora nodded slowly. The odds were indeed against her, but complaining would gain her nothing but more trouble.
She had to prove her innocence somehow.
"I understand," with a small sigh, she cast her eyes down to the snow beneath her knees, "I will do everything I can to help you."
Cassandra then stood with a firm hand upon the young woman's shoulder, helping her up to her feet. Elnora was now being pushed lightly as they walked across the small camp upon a long stone bridge.
People within tents, and soldiers standing guard, sent her incriminating stares and angry whispers. It was as if they had just been in a battlefield; torn clothes stained with dried blood, soot and dirt. She could easily see the desperation, the sorrow behind those soiled faces.
Rather than feeling anger at their accusations, the sight made her heart sink in shame.
"We mourn our Devine Justinia, the leader of the Chantry," Cassandra spoke, just loud enough for her to hear, "We lash out like the sky, but we seek answers, as she would have wanted,"
The Seeker's hand grabbed onto the back of the Elnora's tunic, keeping her from tripping over the rubble that littered the icy bridge, "Without Most Holy and the Conclave, we fear the war between Mages and Templars will begin anew. However, we must see to our immediate danger before we can address the battles to come."
Cassandra then walked around her, pulling a knife from the back of her belt and placing the sharp edge under the rope that bound her wrists. She cut her loose and gave her firm nod, "There will be a trial, but I cannot promise anything more."
Elnora bit her lip, rubbing her sore wrists, "All right."
"We have to try your mark on something smaller before we attempt to close the Breach," Cassandra tilted her head towards the heavy wooden doors at the other side of the bridge, "Go on ahead, I will watch your back. Just follow the road."
Soldiers opened the doors for them, allowing them to step out into the mess outside.
~..*..~
Chaos was rampant in Haven, a place protected by the Chantry and where faithful pilgrims once came to pay their respects to Andraste. It was difficult for her to see the dead scattered on grounds she was once told were holy.
Elnora could sense her companion silently observing her from behind. She was no fool; while Cassandra had claimed she would watch her back, she knew the real reason was that she didn't yet trust her with hers.
She sighed and looked over her shoulder, a quizzical frown wrinkling her brow, "So how did I survive the explosion?"
"They say you stepped out of the Fade when our soldiers found you. They also say there was a woman behind you," Cassandra responded with mild interest, "No one knows who she was."
"So that woman…she was real?" Elnora rubbed her forehead with her marked hand as she walked, as if the action would compel her lost memories to return to her.
"We do not know."
As she and Cassandra crossed another bridge on their way up the mountain, a green burst of energy hit the ground, destroying the overpass.
Both women let out startled cries as everything crumbled beneath their feet, falling to the ravine bellow. Elnora rolled upon the chilled gravel, the freezing snow burning her pale cheeks. Demons emerged from the blast; their ear piercing wails making her cringe.
Cassandra recovered quickly, pushing herself off the thick snow and drawing her sword.
"Stay back!" She commanded as she charged, rushing forth to put distance between her prisoner and the enemy.
Elnora slowly picked herself up, watching anxiously as the evil spirits blocked their path while Cassandra slashed at them with her blade. They were the color of burnt clay, moved with inhuman speed and attacked with long limbs and jagged teeth. She had seen them in picture books at the Chantry before. They were Shades—lesser demons, but as hungry for the living as any other.
One strayed from the three Cassandra was fighting, heading towards her with fierce determination. She took a few steps back and gulped, but the demon closed the gap between them with a swift lunge.
Elnora's grey-blue eyes widened as it drew back its claws, yet rather than freezing on the spot, she set her jaw and ducked, avoiding the sharp claws aimed at her head.
It was a being she had only heard horrific tales about, but she knew she would die if she let her fear overwhelm her.
She jumped back as the demon slashed at her middle and saw the familiar glimmer of metal from the corner of her eye. She gave it a quick sideways look, spotting a shield and a sword by a dead soldier a short distance from her.
She fixed her eyes back to her opponent, and waited for it to attack again.
As the monster swung, she rolled to the side and ran towards the weapons. She hurriedly picked them up just as the demon flung itself at her. Elnora blocked the hit, shield up and to the side, making the demon's claws slide to expose its flank. She then quickly brought her blade around, stabbing it through the ribs.
It screeched loudly, staggering before she swiftly pulled the blade back and slashed at the same spot. The motion of the sword forced the demon to face away from her. She swung at its head then, cutting it off.
Blood oozed and splashed upon the white ground, and the body began to glow green and disintegrate.
She stood there, hands gripping the weapons tightly as her shaky breaths left her parted lips in flowing patterns.
Elnora then heard footsteps behind her, "Drop your weapons. Now!"
She turned to see Cassandra pointing her sword at her with eyes hard as steel. Frustration crawled up in her chest—she didn't want to be left unarmed in the middle of all this.
She hesitated, and then sighed, "Alright. Have it your way."
"Wait," the Seeker withdrew her blade with a frustrated breath, sheathing it at her hip, "I cannot protect you on my own, and I forget you agreed to help willingly. Keep your weapons, you will need them."
Elnora nodded, a firm look upon her youthful face.
She sheathed her arms and the two proceeded to climb out of the ditch to the other side of the road.