DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything, Dragon Age is not mine. The characters, game content and materials in the following story are copyrighted to BioWare. Neither I, nor this story, are endorsed by or affiliated with BioWare, or its licensors or subsidiaries. I do not receive any monetary compensation from the publication of this narrative. All Rights Reserved.
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Chapter 7: Within the Fade
"And there I saw the Black City. Its towers forever stain'd, Its gates forever shut.
Heaven has been filled with silence, I knew then, And cross'd my heart with shame."
Andraste 1:11
..~~~**~~~..
Anders wakes suddenly and finds himself chained to a cold stone alter. He struggles against the chains, but they hold strong. Frantically he looks around hoping to gain some clue to his whereabouts, but the empty room reveals nothing. He's overwhelmed by the need to escape, to escape now. He tries to slip his hands out of the shackles, but he only ends up bruising his wrists. He reaches within but is unable to stir Justice. He remembers entering the Fade to help Madia, and then healing Sebastian. He's never drained himself that much before.
Am I still in the Fade? Where's Madia?
He looks around, straining to see anything in the darkness, softly calling to his dark haired child, hoping she'll make a noise to announce her presence. A door opens and the room is momentarily flooded with light, blinding Anders. He can hear someone walk into the room, but can only make out their silhouette.
"You're awake, good. This is always more satisfying when they're awake." The woman's tone is hard and cruel. Anders can hear the sadistic pleasure in her words. A chill runs down his spine. He knows this voice.
"Meredith," he whispers in dread, struggling harder against his restraints. Once again he tries to reach Justice and again he is unsuccessful.
"That's Knight Commander to you, mage." She backhands Anders to make her point. She walks about the room, casually lighting candles. "You've escaped us for long enough. Now you're back where you belong." She pauses to strike another match. "I have heard of you Anders," she says as she lights the last candle. The room is now bathed in a soft golden glow, but it still reveals nothing about its purpose, nor any sign of Madia.
"You've escaped the Ferelden Circle eight times. It was after your last escape that you caught the eye of the Warden Commander who invoked the Rite of Conscription. Isn't that right…Warden?" She says the last word in a mocking tone.
"Wardens aren't accountable to Templars," Anders clutches at the thin hope that his status as a Warden will spare him.
"But you ran away from the Wardens. I hear you're hiding from them. I don't think they'll miss you, do you?" She looks down at Anders with dark anticipation. She picks up a narrow, deep wooden box from beside the altar and sets it down next to Anders. "And if they do want you back…" she reaches into the box, "this way you'll be more obedient." She pulls out the brand for the Rite of Tranquility.
Anders hears himself scream.
"Oh, yes. Scream louder little mage. No one is coming." Meredith sneers as she prepares the Rite. Anders tries desperately to reach Justice or his magic but fails in both. He fights against manacles, the metal bites into his skin spilling his blood. He can feel the hot crimson trickle down his arm.
Meredith's grin is nasty as she holds the brand over Anders, taking inhuman pleasure in the apostate's terror. The door suddenly bursts open and before the Templar can face the intruder a knife is thrust through her neck. The blonde Templar falls to the ground, gurgling as she slowly dies.
"Hawke!" Never in his life had he ever been so happy to see anyone. And never has a woman been more beautiful.
"Anders! Praise the Maker. I was so afraid I'd get here too late."
"Where is Madia?"
"Safe. I got her out first."
"Get me out of here!" He hates the tinge of panic he hears in his voice. She presses her lips to his with such passion that he moans into her mouth.
"Will you show me your appreciation?' She looks at him with a delicious and devious grin. She works quickly to free his hands from the shackles.
"That could take hours," he teases back; however, the moment his hands are free Justice instantly and without warning takes control. He grabs one of Hawke's blades and runs her through. Inside Anders is screaming and scrabbling for control, but remains helpless to intervene.
"Leave me demon!" Justice watches as Hawke stumbles back and slowly reverts to her true form of a desire demon. This particular demon is weak, and desperate otherwise it would not have gone after Anders. It would have sensed Justice and either killed them while they were unconscious or found another target.
Justice looks at his wounded wrists and simply wills the injuries away. He clenches and unclenches his hands a few times before summoning Ander's staff. Abruptly he leans back against the altar and shakes his head clear. Healing Sebastian was far more taxing than Anders led the others to believe. Justice exhausted himself when giving the mage his strength.
With the fog in his head gone, Justice leaves this room. He casually steps over the demon's corpse; there is a monster here hunting Madia, and he intends to slay it.
..~~*~~..
Sebastian wakes and finds himself in his darkened room. He lies on his bed and listens to the weather outside. The wind whistles through the shutters, and he swears he can hear the snow piling up just beyond his window. He never thought little snowflakes could be so loud. He moves slowly, gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain in back. Finally he sits up and places his feet on the cold stone floor. Tenderly he touches the bandages wrapping his torso as he wonders when he was injured. His fingers carefully work their way to his back as his mind replays the events of that day.
He clearly recalls going to the Keep and speaking with Aveline. He remembers them speaking with Varric, just as he knows they went to the brothel.
Sebastian winces when he finds the wound Brother Logan had made. He can feel another injury further back, but cannot reach it without causing more pain. He gives up on reaching the other wound and continues to try and focus on how he was hurt. He remembers leaving the Blooming Rose, and making it back to the Chantry but then what? He thinks he remembers Fenris being at the Chantry, and Anders?
Is Anders here, at the Chantry? Maybe I can find someone who will know.
Again he grits his teeth as he staggers to his feet. While looking for his slippers, the glint of metal between his desk and the wall catches his attention. He hobbles to his desk and sees his armor stacked neatly on the floor and his bow leaning against the corner. Cautious not to inflict more pain, Sebastian picks up his bow, sits at his desk and attempts to unstring it with his off hand. After a few failed, and excruciating, attempts he gives up and hangs the weapon on the wall over his desk. He toys with the idea of putting his armor on its stand in the closet, but the throbbing in his back convinces him otherwise.
He stands up and decides to make an effort at putting on his robe. His fingers just touch the fabric when he hears a small muffled voice. Sebastian opens his door and looks out into the empty hallway and sees nothing. He steps out into the dark corridor and listens; again he hears the soft sound. Glancing to his right he sees only a vacant corridor, to his left he only sees rows of closed doors in the darkened passageway. He turns back to his room and yelps when he sees Madia standing in his doorway.
"Blessed Andraste child," Sebastian gasps. She's wearing nothing more than thin, white sleeping gown and a sad expression on her face. "What are you doing here? Where's Anders?"
She takes off running, leaving the Brothers' dorm, heedless of Sebastian's calls for her to stop. Wearing only his pants he does his best to give chase, following her into the children's wing. Pain and lack of breath force him to stop at the entryway almost driving him to his knees. He gratefully gulps down several breaths before he looks up to see Madia standing next to a cot near the middle of the room. Silently he makes his way to the dark haired child.
"Madia," he whispers. "We shouldn't be here."
She stands motionless, looking down at the sleeping figure. Sebastian looks at the slumbering child; it's the same girl who has been helping Edrin the past few days. Suddenly, he notices similarities between Madia and this girl. Both are slight of build with dark shoulder length curls framing their heart shaped faces and the delicate features. He looks at the wooden name plate secured to the foot of the bed.
"Devon," he says softly. "Why do I know that name?"
There's a sudden cold blast of air, Sebastian raises his arm to shield his face from flying sand. The wind dies as suddenly as it appeared and Sebastian gradually opens his eyes. His blood runs cold when he finds himself at the mouth of that cave.
From the darkness he can see the shadow emerge carrying a child. It takes his mind several seconds to realize that he is actually seeing a child's face for the first time and it is a face he recognizes.
"I know you," he breaths unable to keep the fear from his voice. "Maker help me, I know you…"
..~~*~~..
It was a good dream. Anders had turned on Hawke. Fenris was there to save her and then she insisted on showing him her gratitude. And it's the type of gratitude that requires no clothing and a great deal of flexibility. Yes, it was a very good dream…so why is he wide awake staring at the floor in Sebastian's darkened room?
Sebastian's room, like all other rooms in the dorm is small and sparsely furnished with only a bed, desk and chair. It annoys Fenris that there is no lock on the door, forcing him to wedge the chair under the handle. With the chair acting as a lock, he has little choice but to either stand all night or sit on the desk. He chose to sit on the desk and must have dozed off at some point in the night.
He sighs quietly and runs his hands through his white hair as he listens to Sebastian's breathing. He glances across the room and can tell that the Brother's dreams are troubled. He thinks about waking his friend, but remembers Logan saying that the archer needs his rest. The elf looks at the window, the artic wind whistles outside. Fenris can see the pale grey light of the pre-dawn seeping in around the shutters.
His green eyes move to the door as his mind drifted back to the dream of Anders healing Sebastian.
Was that really a dream, he thinks. A nagging feeling urges him to check his pouch. Carefully he reaches into the small bag and pulls out six high quality healing potions. He has no memories of buying these, and then he hears Ander's voice.
"Take six healing potions. Have him drink one in the morning and one in the evening for the next three days. Watch him. If the stitches turn black, and he starts having nightmares or hearing things, then I didn't get it all."
He looks over at Sebastian, wondering if he should check the stitches or wait for the physiker.
A barely audible click from the door draws his attention. Quietly he replaces the vials and draws his sword. His bare feet make no sound as he creeps towards the door. Fenris identifies the noise as someone trying to open the door. He pauses against the wall and very carefully removes the chair he'd wedged under the door handle. Now he waits for the would-be intruder. Sebastian cries out suddenly, kicking off his bedding in terror. Fenris quickly opens the door and sees only a deep blue cloak disappear around the corner. There is a slight glint of metal and he thinks it's on the edge of the fabric, but it's impossible for him to see for certain. As much as he wants to give chase, he turns his attention to his is injured friend.
"You're safe, Sebastian. Be still." Fenris places a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. The archer takes in his surroundings and does his best to calm down. He groans and curls up in pain.
"Sit up; it will take the pressure off your wound." Fenris helps Sebastian up, and offers him one of the phials from his pouch. With trembling hands he takes the red potion from the elf and swallows the contents in one gulp. It takes several moments for the pain to ease up enough for him to speak.
"What…what happened?"
"You do not remember?"
"I remember making it home, and then things get fuzzy. Was Anders here? I think he tried to heal me?" Sebastian questions Anders presence given the pain he's in and the mage's contempt of the Chantry and Templars.
"No, Anders is not here." Fenris is reluctant to mention the shared dream, or his theory that they were pulled into the Fade where Anders pulled the poison from Sebastian's body.
"What happened? How did I get hurt?"
"You were attacked by an assassin. Aster and I stopped her."
"Why?"
"We don't know. The Grand Cleric gave Aster permission to question her this morning, if we cannot reach the guards."
"I want to be there."
"I don't think that's a wise decision. We do not know if you were the intended target or Edrin."
"I will not live in fear of such things. I want to face her." The determination in Sebastian's eyes and voice convince the elven warrior that he will not be swayed.
Fenris can respect Sebastian's desire to stand his ground, but worries that he is putting himself in harm's way needlessly. "Very well, but I will be there. Let me help you dress, and then we can head to the kitchen and get you some breakfast."
..~~*~~..
Justice easily navigates the Fade back to Madia's crossroads. He tightens his grip on the staff as he makes his way up the Wounded Coast towards the cave. The closer he gets to his destination the darker and colder the weather becomes. The wind whips around, tugging viciously at Justice's coat and hurling small rocks and dirt at the determined spirit. He thinks about banishing the weather, but quickly discards that idea as he does not want to alert his prey to his presence as he swiftly approaches.
When he finally makes it to his destination he presses his back against the mountain side and listens for movement from within the cave. He hears only children softly weeping, and from the sound of it there are dozens of them. He reaches out with his mind and detects no hostiles, merely terrified children. Deciding the coast in clear he steps into the darkness and uses Anders' magic to summon a softly glowing blue orb of mage-light. The glow hovers just above the staff and pushes back the gloom. The sobbing increases in volume, and the panic in the sound tears at Justice.
"Peace, I will not harm you," he says to the voices. The wailing decreases to a whimper. He follows the sound through the darkness to a small cage bolted to the floor. Suddenly several little hands reach out and grab onto his coat. Scores of little voices are calling to him, pleading with him for help.
"I will help you." Using bladed end of the staff he breaks the locks and opens the door. Dozens upon dozens of little souls rush out; they surround him and beg for help, for protection. He counts nearly fifty souls. He cannot leave them here, the evil that infests this place could return any moment.
"Come with me. Hurry." He leads the horde of souls out of the cave and away from this place. The fear of being caught and returned encourage all the children to keep up with the hurried pace Justice sets. Once he's content the evil cannot find them he stops.
"Where to now Ser," one child asks, her Orlesian accent thick. Justice looks at the children he rescued and wonders the same thing. He's suddenly struck by an epiphany; there is one who knows the fade better than most, one who might be able to help these children cross over. His glowing blue eyes scan the horizon, dancing from one floating island to another until he finds what he's looking for.
He closes his eyes and sends out a mental greeting. To his relief his summons is welcomed and returned. From that island he can see a soft golden light twinkle once, and then fade. The children huddle behind him, their voices fearful.
"This is a friend," Justice soothes, as a warm golden glow emerges in front of him. When the light fades he sees a beautiful woman, with long waves of pale blonde hair and flowing robes. She floats mere inches above the ground, her bare feet just barely peeking out from beneath her robes. Everything about her shifts and moves as if she's under water, her smile is soft and friendly, she is a spirit of compassion. Her joyful expression soon fades when she sees Justice.
"Compassion, it is I, Justice," he says as she starts to back away. She pauses and cocks her head and studies him.
"Justice?" Her voice is gentle and ethereal; it always called to him in ways unlike any other. "Oh Justice…what have you done?" Her voice is a mix of sorrow, pity and fear. The sadness in her words and eyes is heartbreaking. He regales her with the tale of his encounter with the Baroness and the Warden Commander. He tells her how he became trapped outside the veil in the corpse of a Grey Warden, and how his friend Anders offered his body as a host.
"And now you have returned home?" She closes the distance between them placing a hand on his cheek. Her tone is optimistic and it kills him to admit he is only visiting. She drops her hand and nods solemnly.
"I need a favor. I rescued these souls," he gestures towards the mob behind him. "I cannot abandon them, but I cannot stay."
"And you want me to take them. You ask a lot my friend."
"If anyone can help them it's you. Please Compassion. There is no one else."
"If these souls are trapped, destroying their captor could free them to cross over. Those who do not cross over, I will care for." She places her hand on his cheek again and smiles tenderly at him. He cups her face and lovingly presses his lips to hers. She makes a surprised sound but doesn't pull away. The children all snicker and make whispered comments among themselves. Justice can feel Anders stir. The mage is not certain he likes the direction the spirit is taking this reunion. When they part, Compassion's graceful fingers touch her lips, there is a questioning look in her eyes.
"It's a kiss. Humans do it to show affection to one another," he explains.
"Affection?" There is a hopeful raise in her voice.
"Yes, affection." His reward is a beautiful smile. Her expression does not falter as she gathers the children up and takes them to the safety of her realm.
Justice tightens his grip on the staff, and heads back towards the cave. His mind now focused on freeing not only Madia but also the children he just rescued.
..~~*~~..
"Brother Sebastian!" The cook runs towards the injured archer with such alarming speed Fenris is unsure if he could stop her. The elf is about to intervene when she suddenly stops a couple of feet from Sebastian. It's obvious she wants to hug him, but is concerned about causing him pain. She brings her hands to her mouth, tears welling up on her lovely grey eyes. Sebastian smiles at her and holds out his left arm.
Carefully she wraps her arms about his shoulders, embracing him as though he were made of glass. Tears of joy running down her cheeks and he returns her hug.
"I was so worried when they told me," she says between sobs.
"It's all right, Birdie," he sooths.
"Oh, look at me," she says in a relieved tone. She pulls a cloth from her pocket and dries her eyes. "Blubbering like a baby when you're probably hungry."
Fenris' shoulders tighten at Sebastian's innocent comment of "I can wait and have breakfast with the others." The thought of another crowd, with too many people having access to Sebastian's food and drink is a stress he would rather not deal with.
"Nonsense." She sets two stools across from the table she does most of her preparations at. "Have a seat and I'll make you something special."
"Birdie, there's really no need."
"Nonsense," she repeats. "Have a seat; I have something special for you." She hurries off into another part of the kitchen.
"I would do as she says, were I you. I doubt either of us could out run her should she decide to charge," Fenris jokes, hoping his friend will take the suggestion. Sebastian begins chuckling, but his laughter is broken by the occasional 'ow' as he wraps his arms about his torso.
"Don't make me laugh," he says as he carefully sits on the stool.
Birdie rushes back, carrying a small wooden box which she proudly offers to Sebastian. "I was going to save it for your birthday, but I figure now is as good a time as any."
Fenris helps his wounded friend open the ornate box. Sebastian's eyes widen with excitement at the sight of tiny white flowers mixed with dried, pale pink and dark green leaves.
"Apple Blossom Tea! I haven't had this since I was a child! Where did you find this? I've not seen it outside Starkhaven."
"A merchant friend of mine was traveling through Starkhaven and picked some up for me. I just put the kettle on so it will be a few moments."
Birdie speaks excitedly about the gossip of Hightown while she prepares breakfast. She starts a large pot of porridge and then begins mixing the ingredients for biscuits when something catches her attention.
"Devon? Is that you child?"
"Yes Birdie," a small voice says from the hallway after a hesitant pause.
"Well, don't loiter out there, come in, I can always use the extra hands."
Devon peeks around the corner, wide brown eyes looking as if she were caught doing something naughty. The cook calls to her in again, explaining that Sebastian occasionally joins her in the mornings.
"You're up awfully early little one," Sebastian comments. "Bad dreams?"
She shakes her head. "Just woke up."
"Child, do us a favor and bring Sebastian and his friend a couple of mugs of hot water." The large woman begins mixing the ingredients together for biscuits.
"Your name is Devon, isn't it?" Sebastian asks. The child nods her head as she carefully hands him the mug of hot water.
"Talk and work," Birdie says gesturing to the dough. "I've other things to tend to."
"Devon is an unusual name. Are you named after someone?"
"Auntie says my father named me after his mother." Her eyes are focused on her task as she carefully creates rows of biscuits.
"Did you grow up here in Hightown?" Sebastian watches as Devon portions out the dough onto a large flat cooking stone.
"No, I grew up in the alienage. My parents were killed when I was a baby."
"The alienage," Fenris asks, helping his fried prepare his tea.
She nods explaining, "my mother was an elf."
"Does your aunt come and visit you, here at the Chantry?" Something about this girl is tugging at his memory.
"Auntie got sick last year," she looks up at him with her rich chocolate brown eyes. "She never got any better." She pushes the cooking stone aside and pulls out a second one and repeats the process.
"I'm sorry child, I didn't know," Sebastian says, sipping his tea. "Do you have any other family?"
"I have a sister, but I've never met her. Auntie said she joined the Chantry, do you know her? Did she move to another Chantry?" her eyes are hopeful as she looks to Sebastian.
"It's possible, what's her name?"
"Sonya Rebelyon."
..~~*~~..
Donnic brushes his brown hair away from his eyes as he approaches Aveline's office. He pauses in the doorway at the sight of the red-headed woman asleep at her desk. Even in slumber she looks haunted, but whether it's her past or this case he cannot tell.
"Captain," he calls out softly. She stirs but doesn't wake. He tries again, a little louder. Slowly her green eyes open, she looks around and then up at him, embarrassed at having been caught sleeping. She sits up, wipes the sleep from her eyes and clears her throat.
"Guardsman Donnic," her voice still laced with sleep.
"Sorry to wake you, Ser, but I think we found something in the cellars." Donnic approaches holding a charred book. "It looks as if it's written in the same code as the other book," he explains. Aveline carefully flips through the pages and agrees that it does look similar.
"This books looks as if it survived a fire," she comments to herself.
"I think it's from the old orphanage."
"I thought orphans went to the Chantry."
"Some years ago there used to be an orphanage of sorts. A man and his young daughter opened up their home and took in many parentless children from the streets. He and his daughter taught them skills, like cooking and cleaning so they could get jobs when they got older. Many of the younger ones were used as messengers about the city to help support the orphanage. Then the man's daughter disappeared and the orphanage mysteriously caught fire. Dozens of children died in the blaze and his daughter's corpse was found in the home's basement with his knife in her chest."
"What happened to the father?"
"All of the evidence pointed to him as the murderer. He went to his grave swearing his innocence. But this was one of the things pulled from the ruins. No one knew what to make of it, so it was stored away and forgotten about." Donnic shrugs.
"Were any children reported missing from the orphanage?"
"We thought you might ask, so some of us are already going through the archives and we found four more reports that fits the description you're looking for, but they were reported on the 13th of Verimensis."
"Would you also bring me the file about the fire; I'd like to review that as well."
"By your leave," Donnic says with a bow. Donnic had no sooner left the room before Guardsman Raoh rushes in. The dark circle beneath his eyes, disheveled hair and a half days growth on his face are proof of his sleepless night.
"There are two!" he says excitedly. He hurries to Aveline's desk and sets down the handful of papers bearing his translation and the book. "There are two men that did this." He opens the book and points at the script. "Look at this page, and now look at this page," he flips to another section. "Do you see it?"
She takes the book and flips between the two pages. Her green eyes carefully scanning the text, and then she sees it. "It's not the same," she says in realization.
"Same code, but written by a different hand. We're looking for a pair of predators."
"Have you written the key to deciphering this?"
"Yes, Ser, it's over here…somewhere," he shuffles through the papers and pulls out the page in question.
"A second book was found, I'm going to use your key to decode it." She explains.
"I can do it, Ser," he volunteers, still riding the excitement from his discovery.
"You need sleep, Guardsman. Don't force me to make that an order," she adds seeing the protest forming on his lips.
..~~*~~..
As Justice approaches the cave he can tell that the evil has returned. Its fury fills the area, and gives Justice a sense of accomplishment. The shrieks of anger and roars of rage are as deafening as the thunder.
"Time to submit yourself for evils you have committed," the spirit says, stepping into the cave. The demon spins, locking her dark eyes on the intruder. Justice can tell that this Desire Demon is extremely powerful.
"You are a bothersome little spirit." Her voice is both seductive and terrifying at the same time. Two voices from one source, one soft and enticing, but beneath it the low and guttural growl. She chuckles at the thought, her clawed hand running up her body to cup her breast. "You come to my domain, where I am most powerful to engage me. I'm flattered, oh so flattered," she moans softly.
"Your tricks will not work on me demon."
"Then come little spirit, dance with me. Let's see if your power matches your boldness." She begins her seductive dance, summoning her dark energy. Justice releases a burst of mana which staggers the demon, but her dance had managed to summon a weaker Rage Demon.
Justice spins the staff around, aiming the crystal top at the fiery demon. A cone of ice shoots forward, freezing his opponent. Justice runs towards his frozen foe, dragging the bladed end of the staff along the rocky floor. With a thunderous battle cry he leaps into the air, bringing the blade down with as much force as he could muster. The frozen demon shatters under the assault and vanishes with a low growling sound.
Sharp claws tear into his back. He cries out in pain and stumbles away from his attacker. He spins quickly, staff in hand. It's bladed end easily slicing into her left side. With a cry of pain she doubles over and throws a Hex spell at the spirit. Justice barely managed to sidestep the spell, but the wall close to him explodes, knocking him to the ground. The demon slaps a hand over her wound. Thick, dark blood seeps between her fingers. Snarling angrily she summons a small ball of mana in her other hand and viciously hurls it at Justice. He staggers to his feet but not in time to dodge the spell. The force of it hits him in the chest and sends him careening back into the shattered wall. His staff clatters to the floor. He slides to the ground leaving behind a smear of blood. This demon is far more formidable than he originally anticipated.
She dances once more, summoning two Rage Demons who close in on the wounded spirit. He flings a freezing spell at the fiery demons. One is frozen in place while the other manages to evade. Justice grits his teeth and launches at the immobile foe while narrowly avoiding the second. With the full force of his weight he successfully shatters his enemy. The remaining demon snatches Justice by the arm, charring both flesh and fabric. Justice cries out in pain as the demon throws him across the cave. Another bolt of magic tears into his left shoulder and reminds the spirit that Desire is more than a spectator.
A wall of fire begins to close in on Justice. He rolls out of the way, but the flames run up the wall and along the ceiling. A wave of intense heat washes over him making it difficult to breath. He sees his magical staff just beyond the Rage Demon. He tries another ice spell, but this demon dodges and continues to approach. Justice holds a hand towards his burning attacker and this time it moves directly into the cone of ice. In the back of the cave Desire prepares another spell. Justice moves quickly and in her effort to annihilate him she destroys her ally.
Justice's victory is short lived as she screams with anger and lobs another spell at him. He cries in agony as he feels the bones in his left arm shatter. She casts another which breaks his right leg. He collapses, too far away to reach his weapon.
"Your power, little spirit, does not match your boldness." She mocks as she nonchalantly runs her hand down the right side of her body. "It took a lot of energy to harvest all those souls. You will pay for their loss, unless you wish to make a bargain." She eyes Justice's body, her eyes making it clear that she wants the mage as her host and a way out of the Fade.
"A demon's promise is worthless." He says through the pain.
"A bargain made is a bargain kept. Such is our way." She says casually inspecting one of the claws on her right hand. Justice looks up at his rival with such hate that she laughs. "You still wish to battle me? Oh, this is delicious. I will end you, little spirit, and your mage will be mine for the taking."
She screeches suddenly in pain and arches her back. She spins to confront her new assailant, the staff still sticking from her back. Justice quickly heals his wounds and launches himself at Desire. While she deals with this new foe, Justice grabs the staff and channels his spell through it and into her. The fire spell cooks her from the inside and her scream dies before it can escape. The rancid stench of burnt flesh fills the air as she slumps to the ground. Justice gags as he collapses to his knees, his stomach threatening to evict it contents. It is sheer luck that he defeated one as powerful as she, and he knows it. He looks up at his timely savior and sees a dark haired girl crumpled face down on the ground. Desire, it would seem, managed to get in an attack before her demise. He rushes towards her, and rolls her over to check for wounds. He is surprised to see a familiar face.
"Madia," he exclaims as she lay limp in his arms.
..~~*~~..
The floor falls from beneath Sebastian. He has a vague sensation of falling and somewhere an earthen mug shatters. He falls for an eternity before unseen hands grab him and slow his decent. His world smells of Apple Blossom Tea and voices are calling his name.
"…run child," a woman's voice says urgently.
Mother?
"Now!"
Without another question he runs blindly into the dark. He doesn't know where he is going, and he cannot see where he has been. He runs until his lungs burn, and a sharp pinch in his side urges him to stop. He collapses to hands and knees gasping for breath. He cannot stop the flood of images that crash into his brain. His mind's eyes bears witness to his family's slaughter. And his mind's ears cannot shut out the sounds of their screams of pain and death cries. He can see the blood spray across the pristine wall. Sebastian's mother is on the floor, blocking the door to the nursery, pleading for the children to be spared. Drops of blood drip from mercenary's blade as he continues to close in on the defenseless woman.
No! Yet he is powerless to change the past.
His mother whimpers and presses herself back against the door as the sword is slowly raised high.
"Please," she begs "…not the children. Not the children."
He can neither close his eyes nor turn away as the blade is brought down, ending her life.
Mother! No!
He drops his head, tears spilling down his face. A thick red stream trickles towards him between the aged paving stones. A pair of small, bare feet step into his view, banishing the liquid crimson pooling beneath him. A small hand gently cups his chin, lifting his face to look at familiar midnight blue eyes.
Enkindler. The word pops into his mind, though he does not know its meaning. It echoes in his mind, refusing to be forgotten. Gazing into her eyes he realizes this word is a description of her. She becomes blurry and when his vision clears he's looking at a very concerned Brother Logan.
"Easy, lad, easy. You took quite a spill."
"Brother…Logan?"
"Yes, lad. Now quite squirming before you rip your stitches." Brother Logan, with Fenris' help, manages to get Sebastian back onto the stool. Birdie offers support for Sebastian while Fenris helps the physiker lift up the shirt so the healing wounds can be inspected.
"That's odd, I thought I used black sutures on both wounds, not just the small one." Logan gently prods the injuries while Fenris looks on. Content everything is healing well, he carefully pulls down Sebastian's shirt with instructions that the wound should be allowed to breath at night.
"Brother Sebastian, you have to stop scaring me like that," Birdie says. "Here, eat up." She places two plates on the counter, one for Sebastian and one for Fenris.
"Birdie, this is too much." Sebastian protests upon seeing the scrambled eggs and fried stew meat.
"You've lost a lot of blood," Birdie says. "You need the protein and iron."
"She's right lad," the elderly man agrees. He reaches for the second plate and is wrapped on the knuckles with a wooden spoon.
"That's for Fenris. The elf will can't bodyguard Sebastian on portage and biscuits."
"Bodyguard?" Sebastian asks. Fenris sighs and sets down his fork. He resigns himself to the idea that his breakfast will be cold by the time he not only explains why Sebastian needed a bodyguard, but also convince him that it is a good idea.
..~~*~~..
"Madia!" To the relief of both Justice and Anders, Madia groans softly and moves. Slowly her dark eyes flutter open and she smiles weakly at him.
"Child, why are you here?"
Her hands move about explaining that had to come back. When questioned she confesses she doesn't know why she had to return to the cave, only that she was needed here. Her eyes dart about and she asks about the trapped souls.
"I took them to Compassion. Those that have not crossed over will be under her protection and care."
He dainty hands flint about, asking if she can sleep without nightmares.
"Yes, child, you may sleep without fear."
She smiles and then asks about Anders.
"I cannot fight his demons, they are of his own doing. Rest now, child. You're safe." She snuggles against Justice and closes her, fading from his arms as she drifts to sleep. Once she's gone his leans against a wall and slips back into Ander's subconscious.
Meanwhile, in the real world both Anders and Madia breath a heavy sigh as they slip out of the spell and fall into a deep, natural sleep.
..~~*~~..
It is midmorning and Sebastian is in the Library, pouring over countless tomes and scrolls. He is determined to learn what an Enkindler is and how it relates to Madia. He's a man on a mission and is pushing himself hard to meet that goal. Little by little Sebastian is coming to the discovery that research, along with code breaking, is not is forte.
"Sebastian," Fenris begins with a sigh "…you need rest." It's his fourth request. And for the fourth time, Sebastian insists he will rest in just a few moments.
"You've been saying that for over an hour. You're pale, I can tell you're in pain, and you're having a hard time breathing. You need rest."
"You're right Fenris, I know, but…" He doesn't get to finish his sentence as he is interrupted by Brother Edrin and Ser Aster.
"Here you are Sebastian." Brother Edrin is jovial when he greets the wounded archer. "When I didn't see you in the hall for at breakfast, I got worried."
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."
"You had breakfast, in the dining hall?" Fenris asks.
"Why wouldn't I?" The genuine curiosity strikes Fenris as odd. The elf's green eyes move to the Templar.
"I kept careful watch over who handled his food," Ser Aster volunteers.
"Of course," Fenris says his tone neutral.
"The Grand Cleric would like to meet us at the prisoner's…'cell'." Aster says. "Do you still wish to join us?" Aster's question is directed at Sebastian.
"Yes, I have to face this woman." Sebastian says. He closes the book before him and accepts Fenris' help to stand. Aster nods, and suggests that he and Edrin lead the way.
The foursome makes their way towards the room Trina is locked in. Sebastian stops several times to catch his breath or to wait for a wave of pain to pass. They are halfway to the room when the blue eyed archer confides in the elf that perhaps he will rest after this. Fenris manages to resists the urge to sigh or roll his eyes, saying only "I think that would be wise," in a calm tone. By the time the group reaches the store room there is a lot activity swarming about.
Elthina is standing off to the side while a small group of six Templars bustle about. Their voices are low but from the tone they are using it is obvious that something is wrong.
Edrin stands beside Elthina and asks, "what has happened?"
"She's dead."
"What? How?" Sebatian asks, gratefully accepting the chair Fenris brings over for him.
"We don't know yet," the elderly woman confesses, watching Aster gently push his way into the room. Fenris is close behind. "The Templars are trying to discover what happened."
"She was alive when Levin came down to relieve me." Nico says, almost defensively.
"Did you see her?" Elthina questions casually.
"No, Your Grace, but I could hear her moving about."
While in the room Fenris watches Aster examine the woman's neck and wrists. He then holds open one of her eyelids and studies the discoloration. Aster then moves her lips and notes the dark spots along her gums.
"Poison." Aster concludes. "She must've killed herself."
Fenris crouches next to Aster and gently pries open one of her hands. Upon seeing the empty palm he repeats the process with her other hand.
"What are you doing, Elf," Aster asks.
"She has no pouches, no pockets, and nothing in her hands. Where did she get the poison from?"
"She must've hidden it. Let's search the room," The templar suggests. He turns his attention to the blankets Trina was given.
"Hidden it where? The only thing in this room is a chair and some blankets."
The Templar shakes the top blanket vigorously. Satisfied there is nothing hidden he tosses the cloth aside and begins examining the second blanket. With a sleight of hand Aster produces the empty vial and acts as if he just found it.
"It's here." He stands up and turns to face the rest of the room, holding the empty container as proof.
"She must've hidden it in the bedding."
"Why? She's killing herself. Why hide the vial," Fenris questions as he takes the vial and carefully sniffs it. The unnatural scent burns the elf's nostrils.
"Demonic Poison?" The white haired warrior is unable to keep the sour look on his face as he passes the phial back. "And she chose the slowest acting poison she could find?"
"How do you know poisons?"
"My former master insisted I learn so I could better protect him." Fenris is unable to keep the bitter look from his face as he speaks of Danarius. "Why would she choose the slowest, most painful poison on the market?"
"Perhaps it's cheap, maybe she grabbed the wrong poison. How should I know?" The defensive tone in Aster's voice sets off warning bells for Fenris. The two men make their way back to the Grand Cleric. Aster passes off the empty container to Nico as they leave the room.
"It looks like she might have poisoned herself," Aster reports.
"So we have no way of learning if Sebastian was the intended target or not," Elthina comments.
"Nor do we have any way of knowing if she was acting alone," Aster adds.
That statement bugs Fenris. He looks at Aster, and Aster looks back. Something passes between the two. Sebastian is aware of it, but cannot say what happened.
"Fenris, will you help me find Sister Justine?" Sebastian pauses to catch his breath. "I have a couple of questions for her."
"You need rest," Elthina scowls. "Your questions can wait."
"Yes, Your Grace," Sebastian concedes.