Tearing the Veil
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Chapter 1
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It was faint when it first appeared. She was sure she had imagined it.
A strange flicker of light danced at the base of the hill.
At first, the variation was ignored; the otherwise consistent environment gave her little cause to give her sight alone much credence. Her gaze returned to the void. Surely it could be nothing more than a wisp, or some fantasy of her own mind.
But the dim spark grew in strength. It fluttered, winking and glimmering as it became brighter.
Frowning, her concentration broken, Elissa stood. She squinted against the bright first rays of light and watched as the spark grew into a glittering orb of light. A vertical sheet of light stretched out from the orb, light piercing the dull surrounds above and below and to the sides, casting light against an invisible plane until it formed something of a door.
A large crack split the silence, echoing through the Fade. The light died instantly, and in its place stood a young redheaded woman.
Elissa eyelids fluttered as ghostly spots danced behind across her vision.
Surely eternity was already driving her mad.
"Thank the Maker I've found you," the stranger smiled with relief. "Not that I would ever think I'd be thanking Him for any of this, but here you are!"
She was clearly a mage to be stumbling into the Fade so deliberately, and although Elissa could only recall less than a handful of mages she had known, there was something oddly familiar about this woman.
"I don't understand," Elissa looked apprehensively between the woman and the spirit.
"You will, soon. But, as it is, I have little time, and even less lyrium remaining." The mage swayed unsteadily as she climbed the steep embankment of the hill, clearly worn and wearily from too much time spent wandering the extents of the Fade. "We really must be off," stated, coming to stand before Elissa under the gnarled tree.
"I…" Elissa trailed off, confused and overwhelmed. A memory suddenly clamored against her consciousness, begging for recognition. "Wait, I know you, don't I?" If only she could remember who this woman was.
"Yes, you do, and I will explain later once we have time. We really must go. I have spent more of my lifetime searching the Fade for you than I thought possible."
"Searching?" Elissa wondered aloud. "And where are you proposing to take me?"
"Well back, of course. Where else would I take you? Surely not some other corner of the Fade."
She stared blankly at the mage.
"Back past the Veil," the mage spoke as though Elissa should have already known this, but she had never heard of such a thing.
"You can do that?"
"Only one way for you to find out," the mage said, a tight smile failing to mask her growing impatience.
She couldn't begin to imagine what she might be risking, or if this was more than just the addled dream of a lonely girl trapped in death before she was ready. Surely she would be left alone in the Fade once this delusion drama concluded. It would simply be better to wave off the vision and resume her watch over the distance. Better that than to be disappointed once the dream disappeared and she remained.
"You're not real, are you?"
"At the moment, here in the Fade, I suppose I'm not, exactly, physically present," the mage shrugged, unfazed. "But I assure you, my spirit is here and I am quite real, as are you."
Elissa's brow furrowed, her lips pursed together, a quizzical expression scarring her features.
"Can you think of some reason you would concoct such an elaborate vision with me here?" the mage challenged.
"No," she whispered.
Maybe…
The mage nodded, apparently satisfied.
"You do know me," the stranger offered softly, a quiet plea for an ounce of trust.
Elissa wanted to ask where this woman came from. How she arrived. Why she arrived. How the mage knew to be searching for Elissa when she shouldn't have even remained in the Fade to begin with.
Suddenly, Elissa gasped. A scene trapped from the past flooded her memory with all the bright clarify of the sun piercing through the clouds. She remembered the mage.
Then perhaps there was a chance she was not dreaming
Just maybe…
"Are you coming?"
She turned on her heel to the spirit. She had made her choice.
"Oh why should I bother asking," he shook his head. "It's clear you have already decided which path you'll take."
"May I tell--?"
"Yes," the spirit cut her off, "You may tell your Wynne of me, if you wish. Not that she doesn't already know of my existence."
She was suddenly hesitant. What an odd inquiry to make to one with whom she'd shared so much in such a small fragment of forever. "But, what shall I refer to you as?"
The spirit tilted his head, as she had often seen him do. This time, rather than seeking the answer tucked away in a far corner of his mind, Elissa thought he looked as though he was trying to answer a question which he had never considered before.
"You may call me Beathan," he answered at length.
"Thank you," she whispered, as the mage took both her hands in hers and lead her down the hill.
Elissa saw the mage take her hands, but though she could see the contact, she felt nothing. Still, she followed, failing at squelching the hope bubbling inside her.
"Do take care, Warden" the spirit called after her as the mage began chanting melodically under her breath. "Though you now find yourself suddenly willing to part ways and leave me bereft of company, I believe that I do not wish to see you back here too soon."
"I'll try," she returned, a grin playing on her lips that he had never seen before.
The space between the mage and Elissa's clasped hands vibrated, a pulsing ringing began, the ripple originating with them and echoing outward. The air shifted from the foggy, hazed color and took on a vivid light. She thought she felt her heart drumming frantically in her ears with anxious anticipation, but of course that was impossible.
"Particularly," the spirit continued, watching with a false disinterest, "since the Maker may not be particularly inclined to let you join Him now that you've insisted not to be confined to Death. Quite highhanded of you."
The light grew, pulling and pushing against the environs of the Fade. Sparks of light escaped the glow, firing little stars around them.
"It would be a great tragedy, I think, should that happen," he mused, even as the thunder began to crackle and the light seemed to roar. His words died before reaching her ears.
Elissa looked up from the beams of light vibrating wildly from the two sets of joined hands. She tried to find the spirit past the curtain of light surrounding him. She could almost make out the twisted shape of the dead tree. The light became blinding and she shut her eyes. Streams of light streaked skywards beyond her eyelids. Breathing in, she prepared to shout a parting farewell to her strange companion, but the light swallowed her and the mage whole, ripping them from the Fade.
With a loud crack and a hurricane of light, the Veil was torn.
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A/N: Beathan is a name of Gaelic origin meaning 'life,' which seemed appropriate for Wynne's spirit guardian. The identity of the mage will be revealed in the next chapter. She is a character that appears in DA:O. Those helping her will also be revealed in Chapter 2. Main party members will begin to appear in Chapter 3. Currently I've written to four (and a half) chapters ahead of posting schedule, and I will try to post updates on Saturdays, once a week. Thanks for reading.