Hello!~ This is my first story that I've chosen to publish on here. I'm still working out the kinks with grammar and spelling, so please be patient with me. I hope you enjoy what I have here, and if so, I hope you leave a review telling me what you thought. ^^ The good, the bad, and the in between, it all helps to improve the quality of my writing and work.

I own nothing, save my personal plot idea's and OC.

My name is Daniel. I'm eighteen years old this last year, and I'm the eldest of three, living in an apartment with my Dad while my Mom deals with some family stuff up in another state. I'm a bit short and a bit skinny, with hair that's a nice chestnut brown, wavy, that brushes the tops of my shoulders. My eyes that are a dark forest green, and I'm a pretty pale guy, with a smattering of freckles across my nose. I love the color red, the taste of chocolate, hugs, and stories. I hate discrimination and the idea of my loved ones being hurt in any way. And spiders. Cause fuck them.

My name is Daniel, and I'm dead.

Or, I was at least. I remember that I'd...Gotten injured. A car accident? Something at school? Or was it something else?

I couldn't remember. That scared me, more than almost anything. Then I realized that I was feeling. I was dead, I was good and gone, yet I was still aware? Was I aware? There was...nothing around me. Just an absence of anything, save what my own mind brought up, thoughts, memories and the like. I felt no body to move, saw nothing to grow closer to, heard anything to note. There was just-nothing. Void. A vast emptiness that made me feel so very alone, and at the same time, like at any moment I could be swept up into it and swallowed whole.

I was the one thing sticking out in this place, just by existing.

Some fear the idea of being simply gone after death, having no soul that goes onto an afterlife forever more. That is nothing...Nothing compared to being the one and only something in a complete and utter void.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to thrash and cry and be! But no matter how hard I tried, or how much I wanted to, I was stuck there. I couldn't even tell if I was moving. Was this even real? I'd tried to envision the Nothingness from the Never Ending Story, but...My mind had never come up with something so encompassing, so disturbing as what I was-wasn't in at the moment.

Part of my panicked mind wondered if being in such a place, or lack of one, would drive me insane? Would it even matter in the end? Was this ever going to end!? Then, I wasn't alone anymore. And suddenly, I wondered if being alone would have been better than having company.

Old. So very very old, and with that age came power. Like...That aura of respect or command that some people have. A natural charisma that draws folk near like a moth to the flame. It was like that, save so, so, so much more powerful. I was afraid I would simple get burned up just by being near the being. It encircled me slowly, carefully, curiosity washing over me and making me feel small and weak. That curiosity turned to alarm, though the feedback that I got from the emotion was less intense than the curiosity, muffled and indistinct, as if being forcefully held back. I felt my own confusion and fear rising up, sadness at my own death hitting me as suddenly reality was more present thanks to another 'somethings' presence, tearing at my being.

The ancient being pulled back as if burned by something, then curled even closer around what I suppose was my conscious. The sensation of being carried came over me, though I knew that the feeling was wrong, as I had no form. God, there was nothing! What was this thing anyway?! Where were we going, what was going to happen, whatwasthisplacehelpohpleasehelpIcan'tstandallthenothing!

And then the curious feeling of being asleep, but awake at the same time overcame me. Of being detached from my panic and fear, of my weariness and the strain on my mind that came from being in a void. I was watching nothing, as there was nothing. I was being carried, but there was nothing to carry, and nothing that was carrying. My eyes were gone, but they knew that they could see nothing. But I could see what carried me through the eyes of something that wasn't...quite nothing. It glowed. Bright and warm and inviting. Like a ball of light that pulsed and flickered with every color imaginable, and some that weren't. It was like watching a dream that had stepped out of someone's head and started moving on it's own. The landscape, the creatures, all of the dream wrapped up in one big orb that brought the feeling of...peace.

And in the midst of that light was something much, much smaller. Not an orb, but not shaped like a human, not like me. It was-I was odd. I was like this flickering goo, constantly shifting and moving, even as the dull glow signifying my state of other told me that I wasn't the one moving myself. What a confusing thing. To see oneself while unconscious, yet also aware that you aren't physical enough to even be in a state of unconsciousness. I...wanted to feel confused, at the very least. I wanted to feel fear at the strange state I had been reduced to, and the increasingly hard to bear void that surrounded myself and the massive being that carried me.

But all those emotions were tied to that little flickering mass that was me. And I couldn't reach it-me. Every time I tried, I was gently pushed back, kept at a specific distance from both it and the being.

Then there was another being. Smaller than the one that carried me, younger, but still ancient and powerful. Damaged and torn, but so very bright that it felt like it should be painful to sense, but all that I felt was a muffled peace emanating from it. Moments passed as the two beings met. Or eternities, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that when they were done, that flickering light that was me, yet wasn't all of me, was handed over and cradled by the bright, peaceful one. It paused, watching the one that had brought me here leave, then turned it's attention to me. Not the flickering light, but the me that was separate from it, from my emotions.

Come. Be whole. Be born again.

And then all was dark once more. I could no longer see the bright being, but I could feel it wrapped around me. So could I feel the panic and peace that was rushing through me, at odds with each other. I didn't have much time to even try to sort through all of that, before I was pushed towards something.

Hugged tight. Over and through something. Pushing past something that streeetched...Then snapped.

My name is Daniel/The First.

I am eighteen years old/old as time itself.

I am dead/finally alive.

And something went wrong after I died/after we combined.

You know that feeling you get when someone's watching you? You know, that prickling sensation on the back of your neck, that uneasiness in your chest, that shiver down your spine? That one. Now, take those feelings, those sensations, and multiply them by ten. Shape that prickling sensation into one of needles stabbing into your skin. The uneasiness shifting into your lungs struggling to breath, as if they've forgotten how. That shiver changing into one of uncontrollable spasms all along your body, as you can no longer control yourself. Nothing is yours to control, and through it all, you know it's because something is watching you. No, something is inside you, and looking out through your own eyes.

And neither of you want what's going on.

That's what I felt like. That's what I lived when I first woke up, struggling to breath and flopping on the ground like a fish out of water, tears streaming down my face because everything hurt so much, everything was too much for me to handle. Lights, colors, sounds, the feeling of cloth against my skin like sandpaper, the cold of the stone beneath me like icicles stabbing into my core.

I don't really remember much of the first few minutes of being awake. I wouldn't for a while. But I do remember seeing something that was...Bright. It didn't hurt my eyes like the torchlight. The screams of someone nearby didn't feel like knives in my ears as my eyes locked onto that strange thing. A spasm sent my arm flopping towards it, and my hand landed on the pleasant looking something. Then there was pain. And fear. And the sense that what had happened was not meant to be. Something had gone wrong, and the presence that had been looking through my eyes was no longer able to see. No longer able to feel or sense. It was just me in control.

But I could still feel it inside me. I could still feel that it was just as confused as I was.

When I think back, that's what sticks out the most to me. That whatever had been planned by everyone had failed, and that I was the reason why, for the most part. Kinda cool, kinda sucky, but there it is.

The rest was mostly sucky for a while after that though.

When I woke up, it was to a mix of some of my least favorite sensations ever.

My mouth was dry, my tongue feeling like sandpaper in my mouth, that weird texture that you get when you've been sleeping with your mouth open all night, and even your throat feels sore and barren of any moisture. My eyes were similarly dry, and the bit of light that I could see as I squinted my eyes open was painful. That, along with the general soreness of my body, as if I'd overdone it in Marching Band, and feeling exhausted, made me feel as if I should be calling in sick with everything and everyone, and rolling over to go back to bed.

The fact that I wasn't in my bed, and there were men in chain mail pointing very sharp looking swords at me was a reason not to. The angry ball of pain that glowed and was stuck to my left hand was another.

Suddenly, it didn't matter that I was in pain, or that my eyes and mouth, and pretty much everything was sore and dry. One, because of the men with swords.

Two, because Cassandra and Leliana stalked into the room, looking very, very pissed.

My brain's gears stuttered to a screeching halt. My mouth was hanging open in pure surprise and disbelief. And there may have been a rather embarrassing squeak that escaped. Cassandra, in all her short cropped hair and armored glory, stomped forward and circled me, Leliana gliding forward like a panther, both looking ready to stab the shit out of me. I swallowed hard as Cassandra's voice sounded right next to my ear,"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now. The conclave is destroyed, everyone who attended is dead," She circled back to the front, coming up with Leliana by her side. They both looked at me, the coldness in their eyes making me shiver,"Except for you,"

A pause, both looking at me expectantly, and I suddenly realized that I was the one that was supposed to respond. Oh shit, I was the one that had to respond! There was no paths to take! My panic must have shown, because Leliana's eyes narrowed contemplatively, and Cassandra's lip curled, her hand falling to the hilt of her sword.

"W-wait! I...I'm sorry, b-but I don't know how I survived, I-I don't even know how I got here in the first place!" I stutter out, wincing at how Cassandra reacts immediately by yanking my bound hands up, the green mark on it flaring painfully, making me gasp.

"Then explain this!" She grinds out, her gaze pinning me in place.

I open my mouth to explain how I got it, knowing all the lore-

There's nothing. I couldn't...I couldn't remember what had given it to me, or what...what was it that had happened at the Conclave?

"I...I knew...I knew something, but I can't...I can't reach the memories," I stammer.

"What do you mean, you 'knew something'?!" She snarls out, circling me once more, they both were.

"I don't know, I'm sorry! It's all jumbled-"

"You're lying!" She snaps, grabbing me by my shoulders and shaking me hard enough to make my teeth clack together painfully.

Leliana is quick to pull her back, murmuring to her reassuringly, then turning to me with a frown. I swallow, the dryness of my throat unbearable,"W-was I...Was I really the only person that?..."I trail off, paling as I start to think about just how many people would have been at such an event. Servants, diplomats, the Divine, those who wished to view the meetings, representatives of all Kingdoms,"Oh my god...They're...they're all gone," I whisper, my vision wavering a little, feeling nauseous and lightheaded all at the same time. What if there had been children in the blast?!

Leliana steps forward, eyeing me with an unreadable expression, hands deceptively close to the daggers at her waist,"Do you remember what happened? How this all began?" She asks, not unkindly, though I have trouble focusing on her as Cassandra begins to circle me once more, making me flinch and shift away from the intimidating woman. My brow furrows, my eyes closing and darting around as I try to...to reach something about what had happened, to push past the light headedness that had hit me as I imagined all the lives that had been lost.

Fear. So much fear. Knowing that I'm not alone, and being afraid of that, then finding something bigger to fear. Hope, desperation, someone else…

"I remember...Something in my head...Being afraid, then running, trying to get away, and then...Someone. A woman…"

"A woman?" Leliana asked, crossing her arms and shifting a little, her interest clear.

I nod slowly, trying to ignore the heavy foot falls of the warrior next to me,"She felt like hope...she was safe, a-and we reached for each other, then…"I trail off, my breath catching as it ends there. The memory feeling cut off, as if someone had taken a pair of scissors to a movie reel.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take the...Prisoner, to the rift," Cassandra murmurs, guiding Leliana towards the door. The cowled woman nods, though her expression looked...disappointed.

Cassandra approaches, and I lean back warily. I...I felt like I shouldn't react that way. I knew things about this woman, good things, but...she also terrified me. She knelt down in front of me, unshackling me,"Something...big, happened, to the Temple, didn't it?" I ask in a murmur.

She looks up to meet my gaze for a moment, indecision in her eyes, before she nods,"It would be better if I showed you what happened, instead of explaining it."

Part of me knew that this was coming. But It was like a part of me was still in disbelief that any of this was real, that any of it was even possible.

There is was though. A massive fucking hole in the sky that was slowly growing, spitting out green balls of death that smashed into the earth below like comets. Comets that then started to get up and kill everything around it. "We call it the Breach," I hear, and my gaze turns from the Big Hole of Doom, to Cassandra, whose looking up at said hole,"It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour," She turns, walking back towards me with a grim expression, the cold mountain air swirling around both of us,"It's not the only such rift, but it is the largest, and all were caused by the explosion that destroyed the Conclave,"

My eyes went from her, back to the hole,"...So much for physics." I mutter, feeling a bit green myself.

Cassandra raises a brow at that, then shakes her head,"Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it consumes the entire world," She intones solemnly.

And then there's pain. White, hot, agonizing pain that sends me to my knees as my hand flares up like a miniature green star, a scream ripping its way from my throat before I can't even do that. It only lasts for a few seconds, but each one feels like an eternity to me. I can barely hear Cassandra as she tells me that the Mark expands with the Breach, something that I already knew, and that it was killing me, another thing I knew. Well...knew, but hadn't let set in yet.

The pain helped to get the point settled in pretty well.

"It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time!"

Well, no fucking duh! I look up, glaring at her through my long bangs, my breath labored and making the snow streaked strands stir,"N-no shit. L-lets go fix this while I can still walk, y-yeah?" I stutter out, the pain and the cold around me making me both more snappy, and causing my teeth to chatter,"F-fucking mark, fucking Breach," I snarl under my breath, stumbling to my feet unsteadily, Cassandra rising with me,"W-when I find out who the hell did this, I'm kicking him in the balls, t-then giving him to you to kill the hell out of."

I wasn't sure if the look of amusement mixed with uncertainty was laugh worthy, or enough to make me break down and start crying. From the way that she held onto my arm and dragged me along, a bit of both.

We passed through the camp, the glares and whispers causing Cassandra to talk of how everyone was mourning Justinia, and how the Conclave was a chance for peace between Mages and Templars. We pause on a bridge, the 'shnk' of a dagger being unsheathed making my shuffle a little nervously in place,"There will be a trial, I can promise no more," Cassandra stepped forward, cutting me from my bonds,"Come, it is not far," She finished, turning and beginning to march away.

I rubbed my wrists for a second, trying to get feeling back into them, while at the same time trying to ignore the pain in my left hand,"Thank you. That's more than most would give, given the circumstances," I say softly, jogging a little to catch up with her.

She looked at me from the corner of her eye as I start to jog abreast with her, then gave me a nod,"If nothing else, I will see justice done, and done properly," She turns away, and we travel in silence for a while, stepping past a burning cart and a few bodies, which make me want to wretch at the sight of. Those were people. They had lives, and souls, and emotions and-

"A-aahhhhh!" Once again, I'm sent to my knees, almost face first into the snow as my mark flares again, shorter this time, but still with that white hot intensity that has me panting and shaking afterwards.

Cassandra swoops down, helping me back onto my feet, as unsteady as they are, and patting my shoulder with a grim look,"The pulses are coming faster now, the larger the Breach grows, the more Rifts that appear, and the more Demons we face," She turns away, and we continue on our way. Or, she keeps walking, and I stumble behind while trying to retain consciousness.

"I-I'd ask how I survived, but I have a bad feeling that whatever it was won't help in the long run," I mumble, something in the back of my mind nudging me to mention it.

"They say you...stepped out of a Rift, then fell unconscious. They also say that there was a woman behind you when you stepped out, some think that she was Andraste herself," There's a mix of doubt and hope in her voice that has me smiling, though wryly as I'm not quite walking without feeling like I'm about to fall over.

I stayed silent after that. Not much I could really say to that really.

We made it onto another bridge, a couple of soldiers on the other side, keeping watch for any-

BOOM!

Suddenly we were falling, courtesy of a massive ball of green flame impacting against the bridge, sending me flying like a rag doll onto the ice of the river below. Or, almost onto the ice. I managed to land in a snow drift that had formed thanks to the wind and the snow fall. I'm still left gasping, pain flaring along my right side, the cushion of the snow not being enough to truly keep the pain from hitting. I gulp down air like it's water, and I'm in the middle of a desert, black spots flickering over my vision, before I'm able to calm myself down, stomaching the pain a bit better now. Fuuuck, my ribs…

I roll over slowly, till I'm facing away from the rubble of the bridge, which had fallen scarily close to my head, just in time to see Cassandra start fighting a monster off in the distance, and another one crawling up from the ice to begin coming towards me with malicious intent pouring off it in waves. I could barely even move, let alone try to stand and fight this thing! What was I-

Stand up. Stand strong. Be not afraid, for I am with you.

Warmth blossomed throughout my body, the ache of my rips dulling to just a tingle, the sharp stab of the cold and the burn of the mark on my hand fading to a strange fuzzy sensation. I found myself standing smoothly, back straight and head tilted back defiantly, facing this Shade that was twisted by Fear and pain to dare attack me. I spared a glance at the weapons that littered the ground around me, eyeing the swords and shields, the lone staff that had tumbled down as well.

I didn't need them.

I lifted my hands up, as if to gesture for the Shade to stop in it's tracks, then murmured,"Flame." The dark being's corrupted form burst into white hot flames, eating at it's essence like it was tar, inhuman screams ripping their way through the air. And through it all, I stared impassively, watching as the same flames that burned this creature poured from my hands like water from a geyser, gushing out to reduce those that opposed me to ashes.

"What is this?! This is like no magic I have ever seen before, what are you?!"

And like that, the warmth fades. The pain returns with a vengeance and it feels as if the cold slams into me like a physical force, making me stumble and gasp for air, clutching my bruised side with one arm, while the other flails out for balance. My head whips up, eyes wide as they see Cassandra looking at me with a mix of confusion and fear, sword dripping a ghastly essence, and still drawn.

I swallow hard. What had that been? It was like someone else had just-just taken control of my body and...I grew even more pale and let out a groan, toppling over onto my arm heavily, barely staying up,"F-fuuuck…"I grind out, then shake my head,"Wasn't me. After this, just...send me to the Templars or something. I don't...I don't know what that was, but it wasn't me doing it," I look up with a grimace,"I really don't want to turn into an abomination. I don't want to hurt anyone, so if I look like I'm about to…" I licked my chapped lips, the cold making them sting,"Just make sure I can't."

She hesitated, eyeing me warily. My obvious pain and my words must have gotten through to her a bit though, because she lowered her weapon a little and nudged her head for me to get up,"Your...your journey into the Fade must have…" She trailed off, then gave me a pitying look, one that made me feel even more weak,"I am sorry. Fate is not kind to you, it seems. Do not worry, I will watch you to ensure you do not become a danger."

I nod my head wordlessly, clambering to my feet. I eye the weapons on the ground, then shake my head. I didn't even know how to use any of them. I was more likely to put myself or Cassandra in danger if I took one, than if I just tried to keep back.

We kept moving, Cassandra shouldering the brunt of the combat, tearing apart another Shade, then charging up the steps on the next hillside to dispel a Wisp. I stayed back, occasionally throwing rocks at said Wisp whenever it looked ready to blast Cassandra whilst she dealt with the melee fighter. Or, trying to at least. As it was, I only managed to distract it and throw off it's aim by making noise, rather than actually managing to hit it. It was all I could do. I didn't want...No, I couldn't risk waking up whatever was in me again, and if nothing else, I could be the most annoying pest ever. High school taught me that much at least, if nothing else. It went on like that, making our way down the steep slope as quickly as we dared, even as more Demons fell from the Breach like fucking rain from a storm.

Cassandra charged in valiantly. I scrambled for more rocks.

Cassandra managed to take down a bunch of the Shades. I got all the Wisps to focus on me.

I managed to find some cover behind a snowdrift, trying to keep my breathing even and deep instead of spiralling into panicked pants the way it wanted to, listening to the way the snow sizzled as bolts of pure negative emotion and magic blasted into the weak barrier I'd put between myself and the Wisps. I could hear Cassandra let out a grunt of pain, then let loose a roar of challenge, hear the 'shhing' of her blade cutting through the air.

It was to bad that she was only dealing with two of them, and not all three.

I hear a rattling, airy noise above me, like the mix between a breath, and the sound of leaves being rustled, and looked up. Riiight into the blank face of the third Wisp. I yelped, curling up and thrusting my hands out, panic surging through my system like lightning, hoping beyond hope that if whatever was in my head with me woke up, it wouldn't attack Cassandra-

Z-zzzzsst!

I stared in blank awe as the Wisp was thrown back by a bolt of purple energy that had surged from my hands, the creature twitching and spasming, it's form wavering as arcs of the strangely colored electricity raced along it's body. It managed to right itself, the arcs growing smaller, then raised its arms to throw a ball of bad joojoo at me.

Right before Cassandra barreled into it like a pissed off bull.

Just the act of her shield ramming into it was enough to make it disperse, and I could only stare owlishly at where it'd been,"...Welp. I guess I can help a bit more," I say airily, an edge of hysterical disbelief coating my tone,"No, being possessed wasn't enough, I just had to get turned into a Mage as well. Sure. Why not?" I start to ramble, getting up and dusting the snow from my backside, ignoring the cold damp that had seeped into my underwear with the experience of a true Band Kid. I don't even look at Cassandra, and instead start to limp as fast as I can up the stairs towards where the sounds of fighting are still going on,"Come on. I really really just wanna get this over with," I call over my shoulder, and I feel relieved when the sound of metal armor echoes behind me.

The awkward silence between us was something that I'd laugh about later. Maybe. You know, if I lived past this.

We crested the summit of the steps, looking down at the battle below us. A dwarf, Varric dancing around while letting loose bolts that sunk deep into the Demons around him. A bald elf, Solas, twirling his staff like a pro, sending shards of ice and bolts of lightning flying in a dangerous dance of magic. I stood there for a second while Cassandra jumped down to wade into the fray.

That was Varric. That was one of my favorite characters in the whole game.

And that was fucking Solas. A God. I...I knew he was tied to what happened at the Conclave, but not everything was there. I knew he was dangerous, to say the least.

I took a deep breath...then jumped down, splaying my hands in front of me towards two Shades, eyes narrowing in concentration. Think about what you want, then will it to happen, right? Cold, biting and everywhere, sinking into every crevice and crack, slicing into your skin the moment you step outside into the snow. And I wanted it to slice into these to sorry bastards. I was a bit disappointed when nothing happened at first, then surprised when the Shades both began to slow down, their movements jerky and increasingly frustrated as frost began to lick and spread across their forms, until they were coated in thin layers that didn't look like they'd last for long.

Well, it was long enough for Varric and Cassandra to shatter them both, and for the fight to come to an end at least.

I let out a breath of relief, happy to see that there weren't anymore Demons, and-

"Quickly, before more come through!"

I yelp as I'm dragged towards the glowing Rift in the air, eyes wide as my hand is thrust towards it, a tingle of something other coming from Solas making the Mark flare to life and lurch out towards the tear. I gasp, then bite my lip to keep from crying out as pain flares down my arm, making my vision go fuzzy for a moment as the Mark pulls at the edges of the Rift, till it snaps shut suddenly, and I'm able to pull myself away, stumbling.

"Ow, fuck that hurts! Mmph, shit, the big one is gonna hurt like a bitch!" Comes out of my mouth before I'm able to stop it, cradling my hand to my chest with a grimace.

I hear a snort from behind me, along with a following noise of disgust. At my language, or the snorter, I couldn't tell.

Solas raises an eyebrow at me, his...damn it, he was slightly taller than me. His grey eyes partly amused, partly annoyed,"It seems that whatever magic opened the Breach, and placed that Mark on your hand, can also close it. It seems my hypothoses was correct," He muses, his lips pulling into a small smile that made him look rather...Charming.

Cassandra came up from behind me, a layer of eagerness to her voice,"So it could also the Breach itself!" She murmured.

"Possibly. It seems you hold the key to our salvation," Solas replies, folding his hands around his staff and nodding to me.

"Good to know, and here I thought we'd be ass deep in Demons forever!" A more rustic voice chimed in, and my gaze was pulled towards Varric who approached the rest of the group with a charming smile,"Varric Tethras: Rogue, Storyteller, and occasionally," He gave a little wink to Cassandra," Unwelcome tag along."

I blinked owlishly at him for a second, marveling at how, despite the fact that he was shorter than me, he seemed to have a large presence,"Uhm...Hi...I'm Daniel. Regular person turned into a Mage, slash everyone's salvation, it seems."

His eyebrows raising at my introduction had me wanting to sink into the ground,"In that case, better make sure that you don't end up dead in the valley, me and Bianca can help with that," He says wryly. Cassandra's immediate refusal, and Varric's strategic counter to her argument told me that they would probably not get along at all for a while.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you still live," Said elf intones, placing a hand over his heart in greeting with a slight nod.

Varrics translation of,"He means,'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept,'" was enough to make me have to suppress a wry grin.

I turn to Solas, offering a small bow,"Thank you. I...I don't know how much longer I'll be alive, but thanks for giving me the chance to try and help fix things," I reply, swallowing back the urge to spill everything out into the open. I was pretty sure I'd survive. It was the idea that I might be possessed that really scared the shit out of me. That, and the prospect of intense pain in my future.

Solas looked...almost flustered at my response, but nodded to me,"You are welcome, though…"He trails off, eyeing me with a furrowed brow. He shakes his head, then turns to Cassandra,"Cassandra, you should know, the magics at work are unlike any I've ever seen," He spares me another glance, frowning,"Daniel may be a Mage, but I doubt that any Mage has the power to do what has been done at the Conclave."

"Understood. We should make our way to the forward camp, Leliana is expecting us," Cassandra says grimly, and I have to wonder. Was that the moment that she really started to doubt I was involved?

We all trade looks, share that moment in which we prepare ourselves to travel together. Well, for them it was probably like that. For me, I was wondering how the hell I was supposed to keep up the same pace I'd been making for this whole thing, with probably cracked ribs. While the rest of the group hopped over the short little fence that blocked our path, I grimaced and started to gingerly climb over. The adrenaline from earlier had abated, and now I was reaaally feeling every movement. Every breath hurt a little, and I swear that I saw stars for a second when I had to twist my lower body a bit to get over the side.

Solas frowned, then glided over, his hand already glowing with a tell tale soft blue light, before he pressed it to my side,"You should have mentioned that you were injured," He murmured, his eyes flicking up to expresses his disapproval, before he focused on what was wrong with my insides,"Three cracked ribs...More bruised. Did you fall off a cliff to sustain such injuries?"

I held my breath as the feeling of his magic seeped into me, part of me shivering and wanting to recoil at the foreign sensation, like a cool hand pressing gently inside of me without pain. Another part of me coiled and practically purred as the pain in my chest abated, and breathing suddenly got easier,"E-eh. Got blown off of a bridge and landed badly," I muttered, face flushing in embarrassment. From the fact that I had fallen like that, or the feeling of someone else's representation of Will inside of me, or how close Solas was...I wasn't sure.

He rose an eyebrow,"Perhaps we should avoid any further bridges then. It would not do for you to fall down again, after all," He drawled dryly. He pulled back his hand, the cool sensation fading, leaving only a small ache where it had once burned,"I am no proper Healer, but that should do for now, I believe,"

"Good to know. Though, shouldn't we be rushing towards certain death right about now?" Varric interjected, jolting me out of my daze. Solas nods his head, turning and thumping along with his staff down the path.

I take a deep breath, marveling at how it didn't feel strained. There was a small bit of pain, a pinch, but not something that would make me keel over in a fight. I hoped.

We moved on, encountering the group of Demons on the river banks. Varric and Solas kept back, shooting bolts and spells off towards the incoming enemies while Cassandra charged in to occupy their attention. I floundered for a moment, standing there awkwardly, until I uncertainly raised my hands towards one of the Wisps on the far side. "Please let this work," I muttered to myself, before I began to bring up memories of storms. The whipping winds, the smell of ozone in the air, the way my hair would raise on the back of my neck before the rain would hit. The flash of Lightning and the boom of Thunder-

ZZZZ-BOOM!

I watched bug eyed as the few Wisps that had gathered on the opposite side of the frozen river were tossed about like ethereal rag dolls, as a bolt of Lightning struck down from the sky, impacting in the center of them all. I let out a whoop of joy, which quickly turned into a groan when the Wisps quickly got back up and as one turned towards me menacingly. The next few minutes were that of me playing a much more deadly version of Dodge ball with three assholes from the other side, while the Shades were taken care of by the rest of the group. Eventually, they took over while I took a breather behind a rock, trying to calm my heart and lower the allegro tempo into that of something less intense.

"Well, that was probably the most flashy, yet ineffective lightning spell I've seen. Unless you wanted all of their attention on you?"

I let out a girlish scream, jumping and scrambling away from the voice that had sounded right next to my ear, not a sound indicating that anyone was approaching. I looked wide eyed at the clearly amused Dwarf that was casually leaning against the boulder that I had claimed as mine, then narrowed my eyes. I considered throwing a snowball at him...But it wouldn't hit, knowing my luck. "I found out I could make stuff freeze under my own will about half an hour ago, give me a break," I grumble, flushing brightly and getting up quickly, brushing the snow off me once more,"I'm sorta just winging it at this point, so I consider the fact that I got even just that much to be a miracle." Varric raises an eyebrow at that, then pushes off of the boulder, beginning to walk towards the large staircase that led up towards what I assumed was the...Wait, wasn't there a Rift at the end?…

A few battles later, where I was barely able to do more than irritate the Wisps into attacking only me, drawing the ire of Solas and Cassandra and the amusement of Varric, I was proven right.

In front of the gate that lead to the camp that we were supposed to be at, was another glowing rip in time and space, contentedly spewing out more Demons for us to deal with.

I narrowed my eyes as the rest of the group once again formed up, Cassandra diving in with a righteous fury in her eyes that made me a bit wary, while Varric and Solas provided long range backup. A few archers up on the battlements of the Gate lent their aid as well, firing at what they could, and shouting warnings to the fighters below. I ignored all of that, and focused on the rip in the air. When something rips or tears, there were a few ways to mend it. Sowing was common for cloth. Welding for metal. Gluing for pottery. In this cause...I was going to go with a bit of a mixture.

I held up my hand that flared painfully at the proximity of the Rift, concentrating on forming whatever energy or magic was in it, into a substance that would cling to the edges of the Rift. I bit my lip, bracing my arm with my other hand, closing my eyes and focusing on the image inside my mind. Tendrils of green spreading out from my Mark, latching onto the edges, pulling it towards a central mass that would shrink as I pulled the energy out of it, sealing the Rift.

When I heard a loud snap, and the pulling feeling I hadn't realized was there vanished, making me topple over ass over tea kettle, I was pretty sure it had worked.

I popped my head up from the snow drift I'd landed in, looking around eagerly. No Demons? Check. Everyone alive? Double check. I beamed, then clambered onto my feet,"That wasn't as bad. Thinking about it before...hand...helped reduce the pain."I made a face at the unintentional pun I'd made.

"Well, if that is what helps you close the Rifts, and potentially the Breach, then I suppose that is what you must do," Solas comments, sounding slightly...Exasperated? Huh oh well, I supposed.

We made our way past the Gate, and I spied Leliana speaking with a rather surly man dressed in robes that looked highly uncomfortable and unlikely to actually warm in this kind of weather. As we dear near, he cut her off, turning to us, and pointing the biggest stink eye I have ever had the displeasure of seeing at me.

"Chancellor Rodrick, this is-" Leliana began again, only be cut off another time. The look on her face told of her desire to cut something off…

"I know who he is. What I don't know, is why he isn't in chains headed towards Orlais to be tried and hanged for his crimes," He sneered, his grizzled face making it look even more unpleasant.

I scowled, his entire demeanor reminding me of a mixture of a singularly unpleasant teacher I'd once had, and the above it all Elders of the church my grandparents had gone to,"Because there's a massive hole in the sky that threatens life itself for every living being on this planet, and I might be of more use alive than dead to you and the Chantry by potentially dying, cause it sucks to use this Mark thing, to save the world and maybe, just maybe, help figure out the hows and whys as to what happened to the Conclave?" I sniped right back, my hands falling to my hips as I rose my chin a little,"Or maybe because you have yet to actually conduct an investigation of any kind about this matter, and so are obviously only wishing to find something to blame, so that you can let out your own frustrations while ignoring the world ending event literally right above your head?"

"Oh snap…" Was heard behind me, but I didn't look back at Varric, or acknowledge that I'd heard it.

The Chancellor gaped at me for a moment, and Cassandra coughed into her gauntleted fist carefully, Leliana's face remaining blank, but her eyes twinkled a tad,"Y-you dare to presume that you-"

I cut him off at that point, leaning in a tad,"Do you put the lives of millions over you and the Chantries wish for justice on the matter of the Divine? Do you wish to be the one that must live with the thought that your inaction was what caused the deaths of all that the Chantry preach the mercies of the Maker to? Because that Breach will spread, and we, including you, are the only ones that can choose whether to run and hide, or try to do what we can to save those in danger." I say softly, my expression hard, accusing even.

He had puffed himself up a bit, preparing to argue for arguments sake, unwilling to be the one in the wrong here. But...My words had struck true. He slowly deflated, his shoulders slumping, though he still glares at me with heat in his eyes,"Even if I were to sanction such an attempt, the effort is fruitless. You'll never make it to the Temple,"He says wearily.

At this point Cassandra steps forward, and I step back,"We don't know that for a fact, and everything depends on us finding that truth out," She states firmly, pressing a fist against the small table that they'd had set up,"Whether we fail and fall before we reach the Temple, what matters is that we try!"

Leliana chimes in at this point, eyeing everyone,"And, charging head long is not our only option. There is a path through the mountains that, while longer, is more likely to be safe,"

"We lost contact with an entire squad on that pass, it's to risky."

The Chancellor tossed his hands in the air in disgust, shaking his head as the two continued to debate over which path to take to the Temple itself. When they then turned to me, asking for my opinion, my choice really...I just stared at them for a moment, then looked over my shoulder at Varric and Solas who looked...Uneasy. I took a deep breath, looking from them to the mountain top, then to the battlefield that separated us from the Temple,"...I think that we should charge with the soldiers. I haven't felt a pulse for a while, and...I don't think that's a good thing. If I die on the way, see if...if my hand can still be used after I've passed," I request, rubbing my wrist a little and feeling a tad nauseous.

The silence that hung heavily above the group of people around me seemed to last an eternity, until,"You truly wish for this to be fixed."

Starting a little, I look over to the Chancellor, frowning in confusion,"Of course I do. I wish to survive all of this to, but that's not likely. I'm a realist, Chancellor, I will hope for the best, and prepare for the worst," I say seriously, nodding my head slightly.

His contemplative frown was the last I saw of him after that. We left the forward camp not to long after, heading towards the front lines to provide back up and to push the movement forward.

They'd also given me a staff. Which I didn't know how to use. Like, to me, it was a piece of wood that felt tingly, but that was about it.

Whatever. I could just beat the demons with my stick of tingles then.

...Never mind, bad word choice.