Thank you for the follows, favs, and reviews : Merry Christmas/holidays!

Chapter 10

Flowers Painted Crimson

Pain, the world was a splash of blood on cold iron and all she could do was scream. Her stomach had a grin that matched the colour of her hair. Tears pricked at her eyes as she choked down sobs of fury. She wanted to kill them, she wanted to reach out and kill them with every fibre in her being. Yet she was the one bleeding out her life blood while looking at her captures. Faces so real, voices so rich that it had to be. It had to be them, Lelianna was adamant it was That Woman and her greedy claws that had done this.

"Oh dear Lelianna, look at you, such a mess." The Raven tutted before sweeping her tongue over the bloodied knife. "Who will clean this up? Silly girl, I thought I taught you better." She smiled, it was like back then, at every market they went to shop, all perfume and frills, bright, happy. How could she have been so blind to fall into this trap?

Lelianna, ever defiant sneered and grabbed the wall, she pulled herself up with her nails scratching into the old wood. Blood was spat straight into That Woman's face, a cocky smile on Lelianna's face was as bright as the one on her stomach, "Clean that bitch." She was sure she would be forgiven, that her clever tongue that wove words and songs with beauty had turned crass in her time of pain. She was after all holding her own stomach bag in place with her hand to keep her intestines from spilling.

That woman laughed as clear as the bells on the feet of Antivan dancers. She ran her tongue across her lips catching spit and blood as one, "Mmm, as delicious as ever my sweet Lelianna."

Tears were too sweet to taste on this woman, Lelianna squinted until her watering eyes dried, her breath coming in strained puffs of air. "Yes that's the look! You always looked so much prettier with that look, oh but what have you done with your hair? It was so long and beautiful before." That woman, sighed and traced her blade along Lelianna's cheeks, "To die looking like such a shamble, pity, you had promise." Terror flickered in Lelianna's blue eyes as the metal was quickly drawn back and thrust forward.

"Eggs."

Daylen gave Alistair a strange look, a look that screamed 'The Maker's balls are you talking about?' So he said just that, "What in the Makers Blue balls are you talking about?"

Alistair restrained himself from screaming 'Blasphemy!' Instead he decided to answer, "It smells like Eggs, not nice yummy ones either, the yucky rotten type, why is that?"

Morrigan contemplated beating Alistair with her staff but it would be far to generous to do so. She had started to picture rotten green eggs to go with the smell. She parted her lips to answer his inane question but was beat to the punch.

"A demon of Rage has de-materialised, for whatever reason. The smell comes from it's body, or substance. Usually when a person thinks of anger they will summon the thoughts of fire, murder, and brimstone. Since the demon is in reality with a physical body it will follow some of the natural law and smell of Brimstone. We are between worlds right now so we can smell Brimstone." Daylen explained as they crept along the path.

Alistair frowned, "How do you know we are between-"

AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

Daylen slammed his foot just below the lock of the door, the splinters flew as he burst into the cottage. Lelianna was back on the floor, blood pouring down her cheek. Barkspawn was savagely attacking a womanly shape of ash, Sten was attempting to attend to the pressing matter of Lelianna's innards spilling out. How had this happened? Jolting himself into action Daylen went to Leliana, Zevran and Alistair fought The Woman. "Sten go help them." He ordered as he pressed his hand over Lelianna's stomach, leaning down to whisper soft instructions into her ear. One bloodied hand coming up to stroke her hair before magic oozed down into the wound.

Alistair could feel the stir of magic, a sweet spice that smelt like life and power, but he could not look. A fireball, travelling in the same direction as light, zoomed past his ear into The Woman who was made of bone and blood. He took advantage, blood lunging forward as he threw himself into stance, landing on his right foot with his left stretched back for balance. A perfect strike, steel sunk into bone and bone gave to ash. Dust spread out, ghosting to his side only to shank Alistair between the plates of his armour. He gave a cry of pain. Fury taking him in it's hands and wrapping him in a blanket, his eyes of blue turned into a stormy sky of wrath. He dropped his sword in favour of grabbing The woman's wrist, shield slamming forward.

Caught The woman of Ash and death pulled her crumbling wrist free, the shield meeting her shoulder blade. Had she been a creature of life it would have broken her. The move had thrown her off, the knife had been lost to the ground below in her fright. Unlucky for her another blade, or rather a heavy table leg crashed through her shoulder and chest landing close to where a heart should have settled. She threw herself away, head split unevenly. "It is as I suspected." Alistair heard Morrigan muse, but curse that witch, instead of singeing him and musings she should be helping him!

As if reading his mind, and thankfully she could not, Morrigan threw an ice shard at the creature, skewering it. The frozen magic melted, bleeding out into the being, ice turned soggy and blood froze as the magic spread. "No, no! What have you done!?" The Woman screeched her skin became ashen and her hair dripped like she had crawled from a swamp. Tossing, turning, she grabbed her head and screamed in pain, melting slowly, turning into naught but a pile of wet ash, blood and bone. Sten pushed Alistair into a better fighting position, a snarl on his dark lips, "There is another, stand ready."

Before anyone could ask him how he knew such a thing he was proven true. A long red arm stuck up out of the floor, fire burning the floorboards and spreading out. Lelianna's blood spilling between the cracks from where she lay. A mocking laugh curled into the air as another arm appeared and smashed into the ground to lift the wrym from it's den. Lava was it's body and fire was it's breath. The wretched smell of sulphur became stronger, richening the air with a putrid rot.

"Hush," Daylen soothed, a tight smile appearing on his face as he tried to block out the fight behind him, his hand still stroking at her head, "You're going to be fine."

Lelianna laughed, "Fine? My insides are now my outsides." She pointed out amused despite the situation and the flickering of shapes fighting behind the Warden.

"That's why I'm here, I'm going to put them back inside. I guess we will be getting very intimate." He joked winking. "I am going to need to cut your leathers so I can see clearly, I'm sorry, it will hurt." He said honestly and scrambled for a flask on his hip. He put the bottle to Leliana's lips and hoped he hadn't heard Zevran because the elf had ran off rather than died at some point. He pushed the worry aside and helped Lelianna drink the Warden's whisky. He put it in her hand and squeezed it tight before grabbing his pocket knife and dipping it into the hole, his wrist flicked up, Lelianna screamed and choked on a sob, strength tensing his arms as he ripped into the hide and split it wide, opening it into a cross and pulling it back until he saw pale skin wet with blood, slowed thanks to his earlier minor healing done only from mind and without full sight, though he knew what the organs looked like it was still better for everyone if he could actually feel through head hide. A single breath for strength was drawn into his lungs before he pressed both hands over her stomach, his magic pressing into her, flowing like a waterfall off a seep cliff, cold and powerful. Leliana gasped out, eyes closing as the soothing sensation spread into her. It was more powerful than Sketch's magic in healing had been. The Maker was truly blessing her it seemed.

Barkspawn whined as the fire licked at his nose, the elf at his side was still watching the battle but now he looked tenser, like a wolf, or jungle cat flexing to strike. Barkspawn snarled in anger at not being able to sink his teeth into some flesh, the woman of Ash had only had fragments of bone he had managed to crush- this being had none of that. It was pure fire. "What are you waiting for, Morrigan!? Freeze it!" Alistair snapped as the creature grabbed Sten's makeshift weapon and burnt it to cinders. Sten stepped back snarling like the Mabari as he tried to get away from the vicious fire now circling him. His eyes burnt red in the light, The fire picking up the pigments of bronze in his grey skin.

A rumbling laugh bleched from the demon, "Little fools, I will kill you!" It roared out it's fury, sharp, burning claws reared and cut downward, Sten had nothing to defend himself with but his arm. He quickly covered his vitals and sneered at the pain that awaited him. He would need to be beat with a damn stick after this crap. The waited blow never came, Alistair stood shield up, teeth clenched as the fire heated the metal of his shield. The Templar's eyes were narrowing, sharp fangs clicking together in stubbornness. "What are you doing Morrigan!?"

Taking the opportunity Sten went for the sword. "Silence! I don't have enough spiritual energy, I used it up while protecting your sorry excuse for an ass earlier!"

"Take that back, it's a nice ass!" Alistair demanded, finding the insult to his rear the top most concern.

It was as the demon spun it's head to Sten when Alistair received his answer. A sharp clatter of glass then something small flying through the air and into the creature's mouth, "It is a rather fine posterior. Oh you may want to step back." Zevran advised pulling Barkspawn back with him as he shielded his and the dog's eyes. The creature's taunted as he advanced, it seemed the movement of slithering across the burning floor was what was needed for Zevran's plan to fall into place. He had not the angle before but as soon as Sten had moved, the demon too had moved. The glass inside the creature cracked, ice burst from the container, a scream of agony bellowed from the demon as it's maw vomited black balls and sludge. The creature could not even speak as it's body began to harden, the body hardening until it was black rock with a frost covering it's face. The eyes that burnt like candle light dimmed, Morrigan stepped over to the creature, and blew the candles from it's eyes. "That could have been handy before we almost died."

"You mean me and Sten almost died." Alistair snapped.

Daylen glowered, "I think Lelianna has you and Sten beat, Alistair." He countered, "Now, shut up!" He had managed to stop the blood and repair the intestinal sack that had been cut into but he needed a little more energy for the outer layer, and to clean the infection. They would need herbs later just to make sure. He clenched his numb hands and dared to create a stronger connection with the fade. His hands glowed a brilliant blue this time with the demon gone. It melted over Leliana's wounds and knitted them slowly and tightly until there was 'only' a tear in the skin and fat. He only had minor healing, casting the spell on repeat until all was well had drained him of his energy. With the demon dead the fade collapsed, a rush ran over them as they dizzily found themselves meting back into all that was reality. A camp lay at their feet surrounded in bodies, a cold fire and morning light glinting through the icy trees. Daylen rose from sore knees. "Sten help Leliana." He ordered tiredly, he took in the area, "See if you can find anything of use." He said while looking to the rest of them, Barkspawn bounding up to him. He sadly ran his hand over the blood coated fur, "I'm sorry, boy, I don't have the energy left to heal you." He didn't even have a mabari crunch.

Barkspawn barked and pressed himself to Daylen's leg, his docked tail wagging endlessly before he snorted and snuffled at the ground. Smiling Daylen strode over to rest against a tree and try to stop his headache, cursed quietly to himself when his foot hit a chest.

"There was a few gems, but nothing of use healing wise. Hopefully the Dalish will allow trade rather than killing us." Zevran called swatting the air as small rain drops hit his face.

"Hey look it's snowing!" Alistair chirped looking up at the sky, his eyes catching the small white glints and movements of tiny snow dust.

Sten looked up curiously, it was a bad move, they all knew it, even Morrigan had been distracted. Zevran was the first to back away and be alerted, the twang of an arrow being notched. " Mana! (Wait!)" he called urgently, "We are wardens!" He half lied.

"You lie!" One of the male Arches sneered.

"Who is foolish enough to pose as warden's during a blight!?" Daylen called in challenge, eyes narrowing as he stole the item from the chest into the folds of his bag. "Take us to your Keeper, let them decide."

Whispers were heard muttering to one another before weapons were put away. "Very well, follow us..."