The siege of Adamant fortress was going better than Cullen expected. True there had been heavy resistance, and more demons than they were expecting, the borrowed siege equipment they were using had put the battle in their favor. That and the inquisitor and her small team were decimating everything in their path and thankfully several of the Grey Wardens had laid down their weapons and agreed to fight on their side. The battle was just about over when things went downhill quick. Cullen felt his heart drop into his stomach when Corypheus' archdemon showed up and the next thing he knew he watched with horror as his love, Hawke, Surana, and her friends fell, the ledge they were on collapsing from the weight of the demon.
Cullen could hear himself shouting "NOOOO!" as he broke into a run trying to get to her, but there was no way he'd get to her in time. He was going to watch her fall to her death but then at the last minute he watched a rift open and they all fall threw it. "Maker's breath!" Cullen breathed in shock, staring dumbly at the spot where he had watched them vanish. She could come back right? She had come out of the fade before hadn't she? "Sweet Andraste...please ...bring her back." He whispered. Those around him just stared in horror at where the herald had fallen and then back at the look on their commander's face. Haven was the last time they had seen that look on the man's face. It took a moment before Cullen snapped out of it enough to take back command of the battle, quickly putting an end to it and capturing the venitori mage who had put the idea into Warden Commander Carel's head to begin with. Then he went to his tent to pray for her safe return. She had to return to him. He couldn't lose her, not now, not ever.
They were falling, they were going to die. There was no way they weren't going to die, there was no way they would survive falling from this height. Riona acted on instinct, her mark bursting to life opening a rift in front of them as they fell. She had saved them but at what cost ... they were physically in the fade and she had no idea how they were going to get out of it.
"You opened a rift to get us here ... can you get us back?" Hawke asked looking around at the harsh landscape.
"I...no... it's not working. But the rift that the warden commander opened, for that thing to come through should be close by. Maybe we can get back through it?" Riona stated looking towards where she felt the pull of her mark leading her.
"We have to try. We can't stay here." Cassandra stated.
"Shite! Freakin' bloody stupid fade shite!" Sera cried from next to Hawke, her eyes wide with panic.
"Calm down Sera, I'll get you out of this. I promise." Riona said trying to calm the highstrung elf.
"You bleedin' well better!" Sera shouted.
"Come we need to hurry." Hawke stated leading the way.
It wasn't long before the nightmare demon began speaking to them. Taunting them.
"Sera, Sera. Poor little pathetic Sera. So busy punching up at the big man, doesn't realize her so called friends don't give a care about her. She's just a silly little knife-ear. Not really making any difference. Poor Sera, just a little nobody."
"Shut it you shitface prig!" Sera shouted and made a rude gesture towards where she thought the voice was coming from.
"Solas ...or should I say Fen'Harel..." The nightmare started before Solas told it to be quiet. Riona cast questioning eyes to Solas but he refused to look at her.
"It's your fault she's dead Cassandra. You believed the dwarf. You could have made him tell the truth. Hawke could have saved her." Nightmare taunted Cassandra.
"You don't know that." Cassandra hissed trying to block out the nighmare.
"Merril is going to die Hawke. Just like all the others. You couldn't save your brother, your sister, or even your mother. You couldn't even save Anders, the love of your life and you killed him because you couldn't save him from himself. You're a failure Hawke. If you couldn't save those you loved what good are you. Some Champion you are."
"Shut up Demon!" Hawke screamed at the voice.
"Ignore it Hawke, it's just trying to rattle you." Riona stated steadily fighting and moving towards their escape.
"Mara ... the Hero of Ferelden... Hero that's a laugh. You're a fraud, a fake. You aren't a hero. You didn't save anyone, that was Alistair. You let the man you claimed to love die for you...tell me did you even wait until his ashes were cold before you bedded the spy?"
Mara face looked stricken, tears running down her cheeks. "You'll have to try better than that fiend. That's nothing I haven't said to myself a hundred times."
"Ah the Herald or should I say the pretender. You're pathetic. How are you supposed to be the Mighty Herald of Andraste. You a pathetic weak little Dalish Elf who doesn't even recognize her own gods. You couldn't even save your own clan. How are you going to save the world? How are you going to save Cullen? He's going to die...they all are going to die. You're nothing, nothing more than a mistake. Oh what will your precious Commander think when he learns you're a phony. Do you think he will still love a little nobody like you once he learns the truth?"
"Don't listen to it Lethallen." Solas said from her side.
Riona glared at him, "Don't tell me what to do... or did you think I don't know? Fen'Harel... the dread wolf...that's you isn't it! Look right now I don't care who or what you are as long as you help me get us out of here. Then we will discuss this."
Solas nodded his head. "Come we must hurry. The rift is close."
It wasn't long before they found the way out along with the nightmare demon... "Well ... shit." Riona said as she took in the enormous spider, multi eyed, looking creature blocking their path.
"Oh gross." Hawke said her face scrunching up in disgust.
"Let's do this!" Riona yelled as they fought it's smaller aspect blocking them.
When it laid dead, her companions immediately rushed for the rift diving thru. "Come on Hurry!" Riona shouting waving Hawke and Mara forward only to have to dive out of the way as the Nightmare rose up behind her.
"Go ... I'll distract it for you two to get out." Hawke stated suddenly.
"No. This is the Warden's mess. A warden should take care of it." Mara answered determined.
"Corypheus wouldn't be loose if it wasn't for me." Hawke argued.
"That's why you need to go. To fight him...And I need to stay, it's my duty. I let someone I loved do my duty for me once. I'm not letting anyone take my place again. Now Go!" Mara shouted as she ran towards the demon, her staff glowing red with fire.
"Hawke! Move now!" Riona shouted pulling on Hawke's arm and running towards the rift. She looked back just before she dove through to see Mara get knocked a hundred feet into the air flying backwards.
Riona shut the rift behind her. Her face set in stone as she addressed the wardens present. "The Hero of Ferelden is dead because of all of you! She stayed behind so that the rest of us could escape. She sacrificed herself because she believed that the Wardens had to make this right. I will not let her sacrifice be in vain. I am giving you one chance. Fight with us to destroy Corpyheus but at the first sign of corruption I will have you all expelled from southern Thedas."
"Inquisitor, we have the ringleader in custody. Cullen thought you would want to deal with him." A scout said after the warden's had sworn their loyalty.
"Take him to Skyhold. I will deal with him there. Where is the Commander?" Riona asked looking around for her love.
"He's been in his tent since you fell...I believe he is praying." The scout, Jim, said quietly just for her ears.
"Thank you." Riona replied before headed away to find Cullen.
She slipped silently into Cullen's tent to find him kneeling, reciting the chant of light, his back towards her. "A prayer for yourself?" She asked quietly.
Cullen spun at the sound of her voice. "Oh thank the Maker. I... thought I lost you." He cried rushing to her and engulfing her in a huge hug.
Riona felt the tears stream down her face, "you very nearly did...Cullen ... Mara ...she ...she stayed behind. She saved me."
"Sweet Andraste...", Cullen whispered holding Riona tighter to him. "I'll ... I'll send word to Leliana."
"No ... I ... I need to do it." Riona replied before breaking the hug. Her hand stroked Cullen's cheek before she went and sat down in front of his make shift desk to write to the spymaster, the hardest thing she ever had to write.
Mara saw Hawke and the Inquisitor make it to the opening just before she was sent flying through the air. She landed with a sickening thud and crack. She cough, blood coming out of her mouth. "That the worst you got?" She taunted as he tried to get to her feet and failed.
She collapsed with a groan as the rift sealed, sealing her to her fate. The Nightmare Demon loomed over her, its laughter filling the air. But then another presence appeared in a blinding light. The nightmare vanishing in the whiteness. "I've been waiting for you my love." A voice she so dearly missed said from above her.
Mara lifted her eyes to see the shinning smile on Alistair's handsome face. "Alistair..." She breathed her hand reaching for him. He took her hand, helping her to her feet and into his arms. The light faded leaving behind the broken body of the Hero of Ferelden, a smile on her face, as the nightmare stood over her.
Back at Skyhold, Leliana stood with shaking hands reading the missive from the Inquisitor. A single tear stained her cheeks. "So you and Alistair have found each other at last, my love. I shall miss you." She said quietly looking up at the night sky before reaching up and brushing away the loan tear, her mask of indifference firmly back in place. But inside screamed the broken heart of the young woman she used to be when she had first fallen in love with the brave warden.