The sky over the Frostbacks was gray with the thin morning sunshine. Adanna leaned on the ramparts, staring down into the valley below. It was still nearly empty, the main body of the Inquisition's forces still on the march back from the Arbor Wilds. "We're vulnerable," she said.

Adaira let out a low breath. They always seemed to be vulnerable. Whether it was running into the heart of an ancient temple without reinforcement and being chased by a self-resurrecting magister, or taken by surprise by a shape-shifting demon with even fewer forces. Arms crossed, she tapped her fingers on her upper arms. "And what are we to do about it? We can't exactly take the Eluvian back and have the whole army tromp through the temple."

"Mages?" Adanna glanced at her.

"Mages?" Adaira repeated, brows raised.

"Sure, why not. Cast a few illusion spells, make it appear as though most of the army is back or..." She trailed off as she straightened. "Fiona is still here, isn't she? We should go speak with her."

"Most of the mages went into the Wilds, too. The only ones left are too inexperienced to be able to hold up a spell like that. They could end up killing the few that we've been able to bring back." Adaira shook her head. She thought for a moment. "The Chargers?" They had remained behind during the march to the Arbor Wilds in order to maintain a military presence at Skyhold and allow their Lieutenant rest.

"They don't have any mages."

"They have- me. And I'm sure they could come up with something to help us."

Adanna looked to her sister, her brows raised this time. "You're going to hold up the illusion spell by yourself? You just want to go see Krem. Don't you get enough of him with him living in your chambers?"

Adaira hesitated, affronted, but unable to deny the accusation and unwilling to explain Krem's need for privacy. She rolled her lips and avoided looking directly at her twin. "He may well have some effective ideas. He's had quite a few in the past, and the Chargers have always proven successful."

Adanna didn't manage to hide the easy roll of her eyes as she straightened. "Go see if he has any ideas, then, I'm going to-"

"Go find Cassandra?"

It was Adanna's turn to hesitate, and she narrowed her eyes, but found herself unable to come up with a retort. With nothing but a short, sharp huff, Adaira dismissed herself.

"What are you doing?" Adaira gasped as she entered her chambers to find Krem standing unsteadily and attempting to dress himself.

"Stitches said my bones should be strong enough for me to stand again." He looked up from his trousers where his fingers were tying weak knots. "And as much as I love spending time with you, I'm tired of just laying around."

"So you're going to overextend yourself when no one's around to help if you collapse? What if you had fallen?" She didn't manage to keep the cross note out of her voice, and he frowned.

"I'm a soldier," he reminded her. "We don't do well doing nothing. I at least want to get out of this room. Give me that? The Chargers aren't comfortable cramming themselves in here."

Adaira let out a defeated huff, not wanting to argue. Stretching would be good for him. "Fine, but sit." She motioned to the bed. She didn't want him losing his balance while lifting a gambeson and injuring himself further. She brought him the heavy fabric, and he took it from her, holding it on his lap for a moment, staring. "No one can tell," she reassured him softly.

Krem glanced up at her and gave a small nod before putting an arm through. Adaira helped move the main body of the garment around his back and helping him to lift his arm into the other sleeve. She waited for him to tie the front before held her hands out, and he took them, using her to balance himself as he stood. "Are you ready?" She asked. He nodded, and she tucked herself under his arm for support.

The walk was slow, laborious, but they eventually made it out into the courtyard. Krem took a dramatic breath in and tilted his head up to look at the sky, but his expression took on a disappointed note. "The sky could have at least been blue today," he grumbled as she turned him towards the tavern.

"Well, if you had just let me know ahead of time, I could have taken care of that for you," Adaira teased.

Krem let out a low, dry laugh and shook his head. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, unlucky for you, my sister sent me with urgent business."

"Urgent business from your sister to me? Now I feel important. A task just for me from the Inquisitor herself!"

Adaira let out a snort. "Who would have thought? With most of our forces still in the Kocari Wilds, she's looking to find a way to convince Corypheus' forces that we're still at full strength. She suggested mages, but most of them are still in the Wilds as well. I suggested asking you for an idea, given the versatile nature of your past jobs."

Krem paused as he thought. "If we have spare Inquisition uniforms available, I could take the Chargers out on a patrol; we could light extra campfires, tie rattles to our boots." He thought for a moment before looking at her, a pensive expression on his face. "Do you know any illusion spells that might help?"

Adaira frowned and gave a slight shake of her head. "No, but I'm sure I could learn something that would help. Noise amplification, at least. I could at least help light the fires."

Krem let out a snort. "Leliana's agents may be able to help as well, search for enemy scouts and encampments for us to eliminate."

Adaira hesitated at this, pausing their stroll and looking at Krem skeptically. "If you're barely able to walk, are you going to be able to fight?"

Krem took in a breath, looking at the ground in front of them for a moment. "I won't be able to use my maul, according to Stitches, but a sword should be easy enough, given the time it will take for us to reach the valley and then the Hinterlands, or wherever Leliana wants us to patrol," he admitted. "And with help from your barriers, I shouldn't come out of it worse for wear, if we find any Venatori."

Adaira frowned, but gave a nod. Her main concern wasn't Venatori. They went down as easily as any other mage, and the Chargers had gone against them often enough. Leilana's agents would also be a great help in keeping them from making too much trouble. Her fear was finding another unexpected demon. Anything suspicious would have to be investigated, and anything suspicious could end with another severe injury. Or worse. "C'mon, the other Chargers will want to see you." She angled them towards the tavern,

She had hoped that the Chargers' excitement of seeing their lieutenant on his feet again would distract her, but as the greeting shouts reached her ears, she only found herself more anxious. The company would be good for him, she told herself, and seeing him would be good for the rest of the Chargers, too.

It wasn't long before she felt Bull come up behind her, a heavy presence over her shoulder. "I told you he would be fine," he said, heavy voice strangely grating.

"You did," Adaira admitted. "And now that he's walking, he's set on marching through Ferelden as soon as Leliana's agents are ready." She made a sharp, jerking wave before promptly tucking her hand back against her body. It was too late, he'd caught her irritation.

"What did you expect?"

Adaira could only shrug, letting out a huff as she did so. They had returned from the Kocari Wilds only days ago, and she didn't want to admit that she had been expecting more time as they waited for the troops to return. "If Corypheus' forces have largely been destroyed or scattered in the Wilds, why are we worrying about them thinking that we're weak?"

"It is possible that Corypheus has another large body of forces hidden away somewhere. Leliana's agents are good, but she isn't as all-knowing as she would have you think."

"What about your agents?"

Bull let out a raucous laugh and clapped her on the back. "Just take it from me- it never hurts to look bigger than you are. Just pack your things. He's been losing his mind in Skyhold. He's been here more than a month, remember." Then, shoving past her, he threw his arms up in greeting, shouting for his Lieutenant's attention.

Adaira shifted in her saddle, turning to search the gathered faces. Chargers, all having traded their standard armor for uniform metal bearing the Inquisition's eye. It was a touch jarring, seeing their familiar faces in different colors, but their enemies wouldn't know the difference. A man approached, catching her eye. His walk was still stiff, but with a few potions from Stitches and Elan, he was moving on his own.

"Well?" He held out his hands, but wasn't able to lift them very high yet. "What do you think?"

Adaira shrugged, frowning as she looked him over. "I'd say it's definitely an improvement from the Kirkwall armor." She paused before quirking a weak half-smile, and he wet his lips, looking away.

"You're still nervous." He looked back to her, hands coming to rest on his hips.

"The last time we were sent out you nearly died, and it's been two months since then. Your bones are hardly healed, and the cold-"

"I can do this. Let me do this." He interrupted her, tone sharp.

"I didn't- am I not sitting here with rattles on my boots?" Adaira pulled her foot from her stirrup and shook for emphasis, the dry clattering only serving to irritate her and cause her horse to shift in anxiety. "Are we ready to go?"

Krem pressed his lips into a thin line, but he nodded, looking back towards the Chargers.

"Where's your horse?"

"I'm walking with the men."

Adaira frowned, her own lips pressing together as his had, but she said nothing as she turned back around in her saddle and squeezed her heels into her horse's flanks.

The journey into the Hinterlands was unassuming. At every campsite the Chargers made, they lit extra fires, put more men on watch than necessary, some stationary while others wandered well into the night. Leliana's agents joined them in the camps, updating Krem and Adaira on what they had found. Usually nothing, but occasionally hints of Venatori agents they had not been able to find just yet.

The Hinterlands had long been cleared of most rogue mages and Templars, but the region was expansive, with plenty of canyons and caves for people to hide in, and those left alive were skilled at evading detection. The assignment had seemed straightforward enough, but as she stood out from the camp, Adiara couldn't help but feel like they were being ineffective. After most of her time consumed with actively hunting down enemies, wandering around the Hinterlands felt like a waste, even if it was keeping Krem out of trouble.

Hearing steps behind her, Adaira spared a glance over her shoulder to find Krem's familiar form approaching. She crossed her arms, telling herself it was for warmth. He came to stand next to her, staring upwards, hands clasped behind his back. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"Sore," he said, giving a small shrug. "Haven't walked this far in ages, feels like."

"You could have taken a horse."

"I have to have help to put my armor on. I don't think I could get out of the saddle without losing my dignity. And all the extra jostling would only make me worse off."

Adaira wasn't sure if the comment was meant to be a joke. "Stitches is keeping you on your feet?"

He gave a low noise of confirmation, and a silence grew between them. "Are you still mad at me?"

It had been weeks since they had left Skyhold, since their disagreement had begun, and things had improved very little between them. Adaira gave a sharp shake of her head. "I'm not mad at you."

"Could have fooled me."

She turned sharply to face him, hands balled into fists against her sides. "I am not. Mad at you. Was not mad at you." She paused as he continued to look upwards. "I simply cannot understand why you insist on being reckless."

Krem looked down and back to her, taking a deep breath. "What if our situations were switched?"

"What?"

"What if you had nearly been crushed to death by that demon, and I had to continue on with my duties? Wouldn't it be hard for you?"

Adaira turned away for a moment, looking at him once again before speaking. "And wouldn't you prefer that I stay in Skyhold, rather than risk further injury?"

"Would you be able to? Especially knowing that I was out being 'reckless'?"

"Yes!" She paused, taking in a low breath. "No," Adaira admitted. "But I'm a Knight Enchanter, and the Chargers don't have any mages outside of myself, remember?"

Krem let out a low, humorless laugh. "And the Chargers only have one Lieutenant."

"That's not funny. What if the situations were reversed and I was refusing to admit limitations and putting myself in needless danger?"

"You already have. Your sister sent you out with the Chargers as soon as she could. You'd never so much as left the tower unless it was to visit the family estate."

Adaira's jaw clenched as she stared at him. "I'm not the fool who was nearly crushed to death by a demon."

"So I should have let him crush you. I should have watched him crush you-"

"So it should be easier for me to watch? Knowing that you're a hero-"

"Adaira." Krem's tone changed, catching her off guard. He looked down to his boots before bringing his hands forward. "I didn't come to fight." He looked back up to her.

"I know. I worry. Too much, maybe."

"A little."

Adaira let out a low sigh, relaxing her arms. "Why did you come over here?"

Krem hesitated. "This... may not make a lot of sense. But you know The Chief and I are close, and Qunari don't marry, but they- they do do this other thing, and I had him- when we killed the dragon, we- we stole some teeth-." He paused, drawing in a deep breath to settle himself. "When Qunari are serious about their commitment to someone, they chop a dragon's tooth in half, you know how they are, and they make it into a necklace, and... Both wear half. Something about always being together even when they're apart." He uncurled a hand, revealing the paired necklaces he had so haltingly described.

"You got Bull and yourself matching friendship necklaces?" She teased, and Krem let out a tension-relieving huff of laughter.

"They're for us," he corrected, looking down at the jewelry again. "If- if-."

"They're lovely," Adaira interrupted. "I take it you grabbed one of the smaller teeth?" She asked, lifting one of the pair from his palm as he turned to face her fully.

"Bull said I should take the biggest one I could find, but something the size of your head didn't seem quite right."

"Qunari," she mused, turning the tooth over in her hand, inspecting its polished surface before reaching up to slip the cord over Krem's head. "I think it's fitting." She smiled. "Mages aren't supposed to marry, anyway."

Krem let out a snort as he carefully lowered her necklace over her head with some assistance and lifted her hair out. "I'm Tevine. Our mages marry all they want."

"Ohh, but then I'd be Adaira Aclassi, and that just sounds silly."

"And you think Cremissius Trevelyan sounds better?"

"I do," she said with a grin, leaning close. "Fiendish rogue. Chasing a noble woman for her titles and lands."

"Don't forget your magic, very important to us Vints." His lips quirked into a grin before he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. "So, you aren't mad at me anymore?"

"I was never mad at you," she said, giving him a sharp poke and leaning away. "But that doesn't mean you've gotten yourself out of trouble, either. Now, get to your tent. You can't tell me Stitches hasn't ordered you to bedrest."

"The cold is bad for my injuries. Come keep me warm?"

Adaira laughed, taking his hand. "People are talking enough with you living in my quarters."

Krem let out a low chuckle and shrugged. "So? What's your sister going to do? Send us away? Tell the Chief? Send Mother Giselle after us? Oh no."

"Well, I suppose there aren't any other Towers to send you to."

The next morning was frigid, with a thin coating of ice having formed over the ground, which crunched beneath Adaira's boots as she emerged from the tent. The sun had yet to fully rise over the mountains, leaving the valley, and their camp, wanting for a heat source. She crossed her arms over her chest against the chill, blinking slowly as she attempted to adjust to the sudden change in both light and temperature. The fire was low, little more than embers that spewed weak sparks as she poked at the remaining wood with a boot.

"Do you need more wood?" Krem's voice came from the tent, and Adaira turned, surprised to find Krem standing outside, tying the front of his gambeson.

"You should still be resting. It's too cold for you out here." Adaira frowned, but Krem only frowned back, waiting for an answer.

"Lieutenant!" Adaira turned to find one of Leliana's agents approaching quickly, a folded note in his hand. He nodded to her as he came closer. "Lady Trevelyan." He seemed uncertain as he stopped, glancing between the two of them. "We've found something you should see."

Krem motioned for the scout to come closer, holding his hand out for whatever he was holding. Adaira approached as well, curious now. "It's a map. We found it on a Venatori mage."

"You found a Venatori mage?" Adaira frowned.

"We were able to surprise an encampment just before the sun started to come up. They were too busy counting our numbers to notice us sneaking up on them." The scout grinned, despite Adaira's continued frown. "With the Chargers that were helping us scout, and all the campfires you had set, they never even knew we were there."

"Do you know what this map is?" Krem looked up to the scout, as he held the map out to Adaira.

"They were searching for something." Adaira's frown deepened as she looked at the map. "Whatever they were searching for, they thought it was nearby. Perhaps we should see about finding it for ourselves."

"Corypheus has been looking for some interesting things, if rumors about what happened at the Temple are to be believed," Krem agreed. "It might be worth it. We should report to your sister first, see what she thinks."

"Corypheus had his forces looking into all sorts of ruins- in the Hissing Wastes, in the Arbor Wilds..." Adaira paused. "Do you still have scouts looking for other Venatori? If they were looking for something, there might be more than one encampment."

The scout nodded.

"Any serious injuries? Should we find another encampment, do we have enough men to eliminate them?"

The scout nodded again. "Yes. We'll keep searching and report back any further information."

Krem nodded before turning back into the tent, Adaira following behind him. "It's a good thing we're so close to skyhold. Our message to your sister won't take long to get to her, and her response shouldn't take much time to get back to us, either."

"We know there are Tevinter ruins, or... at the very least Astrariums in the area. There's always the chance for Elven ruins, as well, I suppose. I wouldn't expect anything of significance in this area, though. I wonder what they were looking for." Adaira stood next to the small table, staring at the map as Krem began to pen his message.

Adanna had sent a small contingent of soldiers South from their post at the dam in Crestwood in response to the map. They had joined the Chargers and Leliana's scouts, though there had been no more sightings of Venatori in the area. Adaira stared at the map as she walked, the marked valley only a few hundred yards further from where they were.

"That's probably not advisable." The familiar voice came from her right, and she spared a glance from the map. "We all know where we're going."

"Don't you think it's a little odd that we haven't found anymore Venatori?" Adaira frowned, tucking the map away.

"The Inquisition has had a significant presence in the Hinterlands since this mess began. It would be hard for Corypheus to maintain a significant force without us knowing." Krem shrugged.

"They were searching for something. Corypheus sent all of his forces that he could to the Arbor Wilds. The Wastes were apparently swarming with Venatori investigating dwarven ruins. He has a single group of them out here? Why have they been unable to locate this? Or is it that they've simply been unable to acquire it?"

"It's possible that there were more but earlier patrols removed them. And with the events in the Arbor Wilds..." Krem trailed off, and Adaira sighed. "We'll figure it out when we find what they were looking for."

"I'm still nervous." Krem took in a sharp breath, but Adaira raised a hand to stop him before he spoke. "It's your job, I know. But you can't stop me from worrying."

Krem nodded, apparently accepting her response. "That means I can worry about you, too."

"You weren't already?"

Krem's brows raised at the question, and his mouth opened as if to answer but closed before anything came out. He looked as though he were going to attempt to say something again, but a shout from a forward scout caught his attention. Adaira frowned after him as he picked up his pace, leaving her behind.

She crested the hill moments after he did. The valley that creeped out below them was narrow and low. It hardly looked like a place anyone would want to build anything, but Adaira had her reservations about building in the Hissing Wastes, too, and yet her sister had insisted on taking up residence in an old fort.

A dwarven statue jutted out of the side of the sharply steeped mountainside, hammer raised above its carved head in triumph. If there was anything of interest in the valley, that was likely it, though Adaira had little interest in poking around underground ruins. She took in a breath, hands on her hips as she watched the scout Krem was speaking with motion to the statue. Of course they were going in.

The trip to the mouth of the cave was hard-going. The mountainside was steep, and the path to the cave was littered with loose stones that caused more than one slip as the soldiers made the trek upwards, the looming entrance dark and imposing as it grew closer and closer. When Adaira herself reached the top, she felt almost like turning on her heel and heading home- an uncomfortable warning crawled up the back of her spine. The first room was an antechamber, larger than many she had seen previously, and she had to wonder what kind of place this had been previously.

Adaira held her hand out to slow those behind her as she approached the door, failing to notice the scout that was already working at the lock. There was a push coming from behind the door, a ripple that she could feel- a crease worn into the fade by time and the pressure of what was inside.

"Torches." Adaira heard Krem behind her. The footfalls behind her were heavy, slower than she expected, and it wasn't until there was a hand on her shoulder that she startled, turning back to face him.

"Demons. There's something on the other side." She blinked before she shook her head. "That must be what kept the Venatori from taking whatever's inside. They must have known they didn't have a large enough force. Or they weren't strong enough. Whatever it is, it's old, Krem. Ancient." Adaira shook her head again, this time more urgently. "I don't know if we have enough men."

Krem wet his lips as he thought, looking back to the still-gathering forces. "We have to try." He turned his attention back to her. "Corypheus wanted whatever's in there enough to keep his forces out here despite grievous losses. It could be another mirror."

Adaira took in a low breath, weighing her options. The idea that Krem might be overblowing their need to face demons so he could prove himself useful again crossed her mind, but so did the thought that she might be giving whatever was sealed away within the dwarven vault less standing than it warranted in order to keep from putting him at risk. "Okay." She nodded, turning her attention back to the door.

There was a low, harsh grating noise as the lock gave. The scout stood, and glanced back to where Krem and Adaira stood. "Are you ready, ser?"

Krem glanced from the scout to Adaira before holding his hand up. "We don't know what's on the other side of that door, but the Venatori wanted it. Be prepared for a fight."

The sound of unsheathing weapons filled the tall antechamber, and Adaira unbuckled her hilt from it's place on her belt, flicking a hand to cast a barrier spell on those she could reach. Krem gave a nod to the scout, who pulled back the door, the scraping of the door echoing above the group. Adaira took a quick step forward, putting herself between Krem and the door. "I'm the only one who can dispel anything on the other side," she reasoned, sparing him a glance over her shoulder. If she was going to let him walk into what seemed like an ancient trap, she was at least going to go first.

The air inside was clammy- damp, bone-chilling, and entirely wrong like something was dead or dying nearby. The valley outside might have been cold as well, but there was at least sunshine. The light from torches held by soldiers behind her threw uncomfortable, shifting shadows on the walls of the chamber. Adaira's grip on her hilt grew tighter, but nothing had jumped out of her yet. Still, she couldn't help but feel as though a demon might materialize at any moment. There were no eyes glinting back at her from the shadows as far as she could tell, but that convinced her of little.

The back of the chamber had been walled off, perhaps due to darkspawn. What area was left appeared to have been used as a storage room, as far as Adaira could tell, though the rotting crates and crumbling chests pressed against the far wall were clearly not of dwarven origin. There was a raised section of the floor in the center, surrounded by four pillars, which had been left clear. Perhaps whomever had stored their goods there had rested in the center. She waved behind her, and the shuffling steps announced the influx of soldiers into the room, their torches throwing more light into the room, but that hardly helped. "I don't- trust it. The room." She motioned as furtive soldiers moved in. "Something's wrong."

Krem cast a look around the room, skeptical. "If the Venatori were looking for what's in here, then it may have been an old cache used when-."

Adaira tuned out the rest of what Krem said, watching as a soldier tilted his torch towards an ancient brazier fastened to one of the pillars. "Wait!"

It was too late- the fire had already caught, releasing a harsh, green energy that pulsed out as a screech filled the chamber, forcing several of the soldiers that had made their way inside to drop their torches and cover their ears. Flames sprung up in the other three unlit braziers as the pulse of magic reached them, each of them lighting with sick green frames. Veilfire. As the screech continued, echoing in the chamber, the air in the center of the room glowed, green at first but quickly progressing into a blinding white. A single spidery leg appeared first, jutting out of the narrow crack as if testing the water before it was followed by a second, and then shortly the rest of the creature's body. It hovered, six sharply-jointed legs flaring, lower body dangling as though it were dead weight.

The demon hovered for a moment, blotting out the blazing light from the crack in the middle of the room before it screamed again. The sound was shrill and grating, and Adaira threw out her hand, a blast of magic shoving the creature back and interrupting the horrendous sound long enough for Krem to shout, "Everyone out!" The room was filled with the sound of the soldiers fleeing, Adaira herself following the last of them into the larger antechamber.

A frustrated screeching noise could be heard in the smaller room, and the sound of the demon's legs scrambling against the walls before everything fell silent save the heaving breaths of the anxious soldiers. A creeping, black smoke filtered along the floor from the room, towards the boots of the gathered soldiers, causing them to step back in anxiety as it curled and billowed. There was another screech, low at first, as if it were far off, but it increased in volume until it was nearly deafening. The air in front of the door wavered, as if heated, before rippling, the smoke being drawn back to the ripple, which solidified into the demon.

"Shit." Adaira heard a low voice utter. There was a thrum as Adaira made a motion with her hand, casting a barrier up around those closest to her. Just as Adaira finished her motion, the demon screeched again, its legs flaring out as it jerked forward towards her. Her spirit sword came up in a flashing arc, slicing at the monstrosity's legs, but it dodged to her side, attention immediately focused on another soldier. It swiped one ungainly, clawed hand out, knocking the man from his feet and into several of the others gathered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Adaira caught sight of something else crawling out of the crack in the storage room. "There's more!" The floor began to glow the same sickly green as the flames had been, the air around them rippling and twisting as well. "Get away from-" Adaira's warning was too late. Demons burst up from the floor, gangly and twisted in appearance, knocking several groups of soldiers off their feet.

With the soldier's armor in such close proximity to the demons, lightning was out of the question, but her barrier spell had caught the attention of the demons before. She cast it once more, and the fear demon turned its eyeless face back to her, too-sharp teeth gnashing before it flew at her once more. She rebuffed it once more with another blast of force, knocking its claws aside.

"Focus on the terrors- Adaira and I will handle whatever this thing is," Krem called out, taking a swipe at the demon's spider-legs. His sword cracked against one of the demon's legs even as it was turned aside and the monster's maw gaped open in a screech, but the sound was lost amongst the screams of the other demons and the sound of battle. "Opposite sides- it can't watch us both at once." Krem made a short motion with his free hand and Adaira shifted, moving around to pin the demon between them. It's eyeless head swiveled back and forth, teeth clattering. Adaira brought its attention to herself first with a thrust, causing it to snarl at her before letting out another screech when Krem's blade sliced through several of its spidery legs.

It swept itself aside and out of their range, clenching bony fists. Her stomach clenched as she took in the familiar sight. "Krem, it's summoning-" Adaira's warning died as she turned to look at Krem, who was already staring at something, wide-eyed, as if she hadn't even spoken. Adaira turned her attention to the demon, only to find it surrounded by a handful of shambling forms, charred and twisted, features twisted into silent screams. She had no idea what form they would have taken for Krem, but he had to assume it was something just as horrifying. Still, the hum of the blade in her hand kept Adaira grounded. They weren't real, and she had fought them before.

She moved forward, cutting through the first of the fearlings with a quick slash. Her mother's shape fell. The second was her twin, thrown off balance and then ended with a quick jab of the blade. She stepped forward again, but was jerked back by her ankle, knocked to the floor and dragged, her armor scraping and catching against the stone floor. She rolled, finding a half-translocated terror dragging her towards the pit it was crawling out of. Adaira kicked, catching the monster in the side of its head, but it snarled at her and jerked her closer as it fully materialized. Its free hand drew back to bear down on her, but her spirit blade was quicker, humming back into existence before she slashed, severing the thin limb. A thrust into its skull caused it jerk, form only lasting a moment longer before it broke up, essence filtering away.

Adaira pushed back up from the ground to find Krem storming towards the fear demon again, no sign of the fearlings left. She moved toward the demon too, pinning it between them once more. She slashed with her spirit blade once she was close enough, but as if it could feel the ripple in the fade caused by her blade, the demon swept back and away, closer to Krem.

It whirled on him, remaining legs flaring outward before it's too-long arms reached out. Adaira slashed this time, spirit blade cutting deep into the demon's back. It spun again, faster than she would have thought possible, throwing out an arm that was longer than she expected. The blow caught her in the chest, knocking her back and off her feet. Her barrier was gone, she could tell by the jab of stone against her side. The demon turned back to Krem, throwing out a burst of force that flicked green against Krem as he stumbled as well, his sword clattering to the ground. Even without seeing its mouth, Adaira could hear the hiss that came from the demon as it loomed over him, arm whipping back to strike. She scrambled back to her knees, but knew she wouldn't reach the demon in time.

"Krem!"

She didn't know if it would work- she'd never tried to stop time in the field. Still, she threw her hand out, willing the world around the demon to slow, for the demon itself to slow. Krem had thrown up an arm to protect against the blow, but when no blow came he looked back, and then to Adaira. "Kill it!" She could feel the demon struggling against her magic, to put its reality back, to be able to deal the final blow. "You have to kill it."

Krem gave a sharp nod before lunging for his sword. The blow had taken out his barrier, she was certain, and she was sure the fall had caused a significant amount of pain. Still, he snatched up his sword as he scrambled back to his feet and swung, up and deep into the demon's side. There was one last thrash against her magic and Adaira let go, dropping the hand she had held up to keep her focus. The sound the monster released rattled her bones, but Krem held steady as it reached for him, viciously clawed fingers grasping at his armor even as its legs spasmed and twitched. Adaira was up again, closing the distance between them.

"Don't move," she warned, her spirit blade lighting up the dim area before sinking deep into the demon's narrow body, jutting out the other side. The demon spasmed again, head lolling before it dematerialized back into black smoke that seemed to seep through the stone floor of the chamber. Adaira stepped back, watching the smoke disappear before looking up to Krem again. His breathing was labored, and he looked pale, even in the blue light of her sword.

"Come on," he huffed, tilting his head, "we've got more work to do."