Note: Slightly more graphic violence than usual here (it's not terrible but noticibly more than what I've done in the past).
Elissa snarled. Zevran merely smirked, tilting his head.
"Oh my dear, such a scowl does not become you," he said. "I thought you would be happy to see me, now that you rememeber everything?"
"You have a lot of nerve showing your face again!" Elissa seized her dagger hilt. "Have you gone blind, Zevran? Can't you see what's right around you?!" She took Leliana's arm. The bard didn't even react. "Look at what's happened!"
"And none of it is reality," Zevran answered casually. "So you really should calm down."
Elissa released Leliana, drawing her blade. How dare he, how dare he! If all that smug Antivan could do was mock her anguish, then…
"Stop." Leliana's voice cut through, still brutally cold, but enough to make Elissa hesitate. "It would be foolish to turn down such help, given what we are to face."
"Our dear bard speaks sense," Zevran said, "and you mistook my words, Elissa. When I say this is not reality, I mean this entire future is not part of the natural timeline. It is an…accident, if you will, and while we are indeed experiencing these events, it is an unstable construct. One that will eventually collapse, and we must not remain when that happens."
"How do you know all this?" Elissa asked, her fist clenching. "How have you known everything from the start…"
"It is both my boon and curse," Zevran answered. "After your sacrifice ended the Blight, our happy little band went our separate ways. The Crows however were not quite done with me, so I decided to take the fight to them. Better the hunted become the hunter, yes?" He brushed his fingers over the tattoo on his cheek. "Sadly, I made a terrible mistake, one that left me on the brink of death. Yet at the last moment I was offered a gift, in return for an obligation. The gift was my life, and so, here I am."
"And you couldn't have just told me that from the start?" Elissa shook her head. "I trusted you once, Zevran. You could have shown me the same courtesy."
"Perhaps, but would you have cared to listen?" Zevran answered. "A mysterious stranger in the Deep Roads, claiming to be connected to the life you had forgotten? And I had other restrictions that prevented me from speaking freely. It was nothing personal, believe me."
"Of course it wasn't," Elissa muttered. "Who is your master, anyway? And what's he doing with you?"
Zevran chuckled.
"I'm afraid that has to remain confidential." He lowered his hood, and his eyes briefly flashed silver. "Nonetheless, while I would love to continue this discussion, we do have more important things to attend to." He glanced to the rear staircase, where the Breach was just visible through the break in the wall. "While my master granted me extra power before sending me here, I do not think he anticipated the blocking effect of Corruption. My original plan therefore will not work."
"So you're just as powerless as we are," Elissa scoffed, although inside she was trembling. If Corruption could shut off even Zevran's newfound strength, what hope would anything else have?
"You are hardly powerless, my friend," Zevran countered. "In fact, you possess the only means by which we can disrupt Corruption." He glanced to the rune on Elissa's chest. "All I would need is a temporary break, and then returning to the present will be child's play."
Elissa clasped her palm over her Shard.
"And how do I do that, since you seem to know so much about this magic?"
"That I cannot say," Zevran shrugged. "I did not expect the Shards to split, and that does limit you somewhat. Had you all three pieces, things might have been easier."
"Then we need to find Lara," Elissa stated. "We'll have to make do with two Shards."
"Now that is something I can help with," Zevran affirmed. "This way."
He took the lead, sauntering across the hallway. Elissa reluctantly followed, glowering behind the Antivan's back. Leliana walked in perfect step beside her, focused on the path. Elissa sighed, sheathing her dagger. So many questions ran through her mind, and the unsettling knot in her stomach deepened. She was desperate to believe Zevran, that this hell surrounding her was nothing but a distorted illusion, but she still wasn't sure if he was ally or enemy.
And something else was bothering her, too. She hadn't really paid much attention before, but while he looked, spoke and acted like the assassin she'd known so well, a tiny part of Elissa sensed an altogether different presence behind those brown eyes.
Just what 'obligation' had Zevran inherited?
They halted at the end of the passage. Zevran made short work of the lock, and the door swung open, revealing the castle courtyard. Even Leliana had to pause; the smothering heaviness of Corruption was thicker in the open. Elissa glanced around, biting back her nausea at the corpses of soldiers and demons alike. It was so much like the night they had fought the undead, and it was all she could do to stop falling into the memory.
"I sense…familiarity," Leliana suddenly spoke. She raised her hand, brushing a spot across her shoulder. "I was wounded here, once."
"Yes," Elissa murmured. And I won't make that mistake again.
"Such terror and pain I recall, even now," Leliana went on, her tone indifferent. "It means nothing anymore. Wasteful sentiments of a past best left forgotten."
Her words struck, and Elissa had to turn away. The bard had always been awed at the beauty of the world, marvelling at its thrills and dangers despite the terrible betrayal she had faced. She had still believed in the light, even when the darkness had been so rampant. A faith she had once lent Elissa, carrying them both through their journey against the darkspawn.
But my 'death' stole all that away from her, and now…she believes in nothing.
"I do rather miss your old sense of humour, Leliana," Zevran commented, making his way to the front doors. "Your captors must have faced quite the trauma to have forced the Rite on you."
"One of their many experiements," Leliana answered. "It was to little avail. They gained nothing."
"Indeed," Zevran murmured. "But then again, it must hurt less this way, too."
Elissa bristled. It did not go unnoticed, and Zevran paused at the top of the steps.
"Do not think I have ignored the toll this has taken on you, Elissa," he said quietly. "This reality may be fake, but your past is not. Even so, there comes a point when it is time to let it go, lest the ties of suffering drag you down forever."
Elissa said nothing. She had held onto that belief herself once, and it had almost cost her Bethany. But while she'd repaired her relationship with the mage, she had lost hope the same could be done for Leliana. Fate was pushing her towards the decision she'd been too afraid to acknowledge, and once she returned to the present, she would have to follow through with it.
They pushed open the main doors, stepping into a bleak corridor. Broken shards of red lyrium littered the ground, and they crunched beneath Elissa's boots. Parts of the upper floors had fallen in, leaving very little room to walk through. Zevran however took an unfaltering route, weaving between the rubble and finding almost unseen short-cuts.
After wading through a rotted study, they came to another passage. All the while the red lyrium sparkled in the shadows, renewing the dull ache in Elissa's temples. She held a hand to her head, swallowing. They had to be close now, surely.
Finally they arrived at the steps to the main chamber. Elissa made to ascend, when loud hammering broke through the quiet. Her eyes narrowed, and she bolted up the staircase.
"Why won't the sodding thing open?!" Lahara screeched, battering her fists against the chamber doors. A seal had been branded across them, barring entry, but that did not stop the Herald tearing at the wood. Her Shard flickered, her right hand raw and bleeding. Dorian was also with her, nursing a cut on his shoulder.
"Lara!" Elissa dashed up the remaining steps, grabbing the Herald's wrist. Dried blood stained her fingers. "What in the Maker's name are you doing? You're going to tear your hand apart!"
"Let go of me!" Lahara snarled, fighting Elissa's hold. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him!"
"Herald, get a hold of yourself," Zevran said calmly. "At this rate, you are more likely to break yourself than the seal."
"I don't care what happens to me!" Lahara bawled, angry tears spilling from her mismatched eyes. "He'll pay, he has to pay…" Her voice broke, and she collapsed to her knees. Elissa went with her, her arm around the Herald's shoulders. Lahara was shaking uncontrollably.
"Dorian, what's gotten into her?" Elissa asked.
Dorian sighed. "We…came across some of our companions, Elissa. They were all dead."
Elissa's eyes widened. A lump rose in her throat.
"Then Alistair, Cassandra…" Bethany's name was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. To even think that the mage had had to suffer so…
"This is not helpful," Leliana said. "We do not have time to lament over what we cannot change."
Lahara's head snapped up. She sprang from Elissa's hold, grabbing Leliana.
"How can you be so cold?!" She dug her fingers into the bard's shoulders. "So long as your precious Warden is alright, you don't give a damn about anyone else!"
"Lara, please." Elissa took the Herald's arms, pulling her off the bard. Lahara hissed. "Leliana's…not herself. And I know it's hard, but you have to focus."
"Why doesn't anyone care?!" Lahara rasped. "Even you don't…" She held her face in her hands, her tears dripping through onto the floor. "Beth…she died in my arms, and I couldn't…I never even told her…"
"She's not going to die," Elissa said, her jaw tensing. She wouldn't acknowledge this horror; not anymore. Everything around her was a lie. A lie. "This whole reality is a falsehood, and there's a way to break it." She squeezed Lahara's arm. "But I can't do it without you."
"Yes," Zevran added. "Only your Shards can dispel the Corruption, and we will not get any further with it pressing down on us."
Dorian raised a brow. "Oh really now? And who might you be?"
"His name's Zevran," Elissa stated. She hesitated, before casting the last of her doubt aside. "He's an old friend of mine. We can trust him."
Dorian pursed his lips. "Well, if you say so."
Elissa sighed, wondering if she had made the right choice. Yet whatever Zevran was up to, he was still the only one who could undo this nightmare. It was all she had to keep from drowning in despair, and she had to make Lahara see that, as well.
"Come on, Lara," she said, clasping the Herald's shoulder. "You have to believe me. No matter what you just had to go through, I promise you'll see Beth again. We both will, and we can forget this ever happened."
Lahara remained silent for a long while, staring at the ground. Elissa subconsciously held her breath, crossing her fingers. The quiet stretched on, almost unbearable, until at last the Herald brushed aside her tears. Taking a breath, she slowly rose to her feet. She looked to the seal, her mismatched eyes unreadable.
"What do you need me to do?" she asked.
"Unite your Shard with Elissa's for a moment," Zevran answered. "It should disperse the Corruption enough to let me break this ward."
"How is this still working, anyway?" Dorian asked.
"It is part of the same barrier that surrounds the castle," Zevran explained. "A great deal of power was used to create it, hence its resistance for so long, but it will be no match for mine."
Nodding, Elissa stood beside Lahara, their shoulders touching. Lahara raised her right hand, and Elissa locked her fingers over the Herald's. This had to work. The rune on her chest started to glow, and Lahara's Shard echoed with its own brightness. Elissa caught the whispers of the Herald's thoughts, and she bit her lip.
Wasn't it enough…should've told her…never realised what she meant…Maker why couldn't she hold on…she was hurting so much…I…I couldn't…why had I never said I…
I'll bring you back to her, Lara, Elissa thought. Just keep fighting with me.
Lahara closed her eyes, and the pressing air suddenly lifted. The door seal flashed, and Elissa gritted her teeth. Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs, and sweat soaked her forehead. Lahara's thoughts were on top of her, trying to swarm her own. She couldn't hold this.
Zevran acted swiftly, slamming his palm against the ward. It shattered, and both Elissa and Lahara cried out. Elissa had to release the Herald, grasping at her chest. Burning pain lanced through her Shard, as if she had been struck with an arrow, and her breaths were sharp and ragged. Lahara hugged her hand, biting back tears. Fresh blood trickled down her wrist, and she whimpered.
"Maker, are you two alright?" Dorian came to them, his brow furrowed. "That looks very sore."
"'S fine," Lahara panted, rolling her sleeve down and clamping it over her bleeding hand. "Not a lot…you can do…anyway." Her face was pale.
"Then let us end this," Leliana said.
She made for the doors, shoving them open. The stench of blood and burnt metal ripped through, and Elissa gagged. She staggered after the bard, Lahara limping alongside her. Most of the chamber's torches had been extinguished, but a figure was still apparent in the darkness. It was a woman, and she was crouched over a corpse, her dagger bloody. The body belonged to a man, his face a twisted wreck, although still recognisable. His arm was outstretched, clutching the remnants of a silver pendant.
Alexius.
"No!" Dorian charged, his staff in hand. He stopped just short of the woman, his teeth bared. "What have you…"
The woman spun around, and Elissa and Lahara gasped. Blood-red eyes stared back at them, but there was no mistaking the rune adorning her forehead. It flared as they approached, and she snarled.
"Amber?" Elissa could hardly trust her own voice. What was the Champion doing here?
"Shards," Hawke muttered, a terrifying grin spreading across her face. She rose to her feet, licking the blood off her hand. "Unite the Shards, bring back Etro!"
She leapt at Elissa, cackling wildly. Elissa dodged, drawing her sword, yet even then her arm shook. How could she possibly fight Bethany's sister like this…
"Amber, it's us!" she tried, as Hawke circled her, like a wolf about to devour its prey. Her cry fell on deaf ears, and the bloodlust in the Champion's eyes deepened.
"Unite the Shards, unite the Shards!" Hawke repeated; an eerie chant that sent shivers down Elissa's spine. "Etro will save us, Etro must be reborn!"
She bolted, and Elissa caught her knife against her blade. She twisted, striking Hawke with the pommel of her dagger. Hawke stumbled back, her nose bloody. She brushed her hand across her face, laughing. Elissa regrouped with Dorian, Leliana and Lahara. Zevran, however, had disappeared. Elissa tensed.
Where had he gone?
"Maker, she's insane," Dorian mumbled. "Where did she come from? And she has a Shard, too!"
"The Champion of Kirkwall," Leliana said, her face betraying no emotion. "Bearer of the last Shard of Andraste."
"What's happened to her?" Elissa asked. "And who is this 'Etro', anyway?"
"Pity the fallen goddess," Hawke chittered, retreating to Alexius's body. "Left all alone, guardian of souls, her murderer to atone…"
"Get her away from Alexius," Dorian said, clenching his staff tighter. "If I can retrieve the amulet, I can figure out the counter-spell. Once I have it, use your Shards again and I will send us back."
"Right," Elissa said, grateful that all their hopes hadn't vanished with the Antivan elf. She cursed herself. She should have known better than to trust him.
She braced her sword, her eyes fixed on Hawke. Lahara kept a defensive stance, her right hand clenched. Hawke faced them, drawing her second dagger. Her resolve broke first, and she ran at them. Elissa sprang forward, but at the last second Hawke jumped, sailing right over her. The rogue pounced on Lahara, slamming her into the floor. Lahara choked, the breath knocked from her lungs, then screamed, the Champion twisting her right arm behind her back.
"Lara!" Elissa was upon them in an instant. She kicked Hawke's side, but the rogue didn't release the Herald. Snarling, Elissa dropped her weapons and threw a punch. First a right, then a left, and then a savage uppercut to the jaw. It was enough to stun Hawke, and Lahara scrambled free. Yelling, Elissa hooked her arms under the Champion and threw her across the chamber.
Hawke groaned, smacking into a pillar. She collapsed onto her front, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Elissa growled, clenching her fists. Lahara crawled to the wall, clutching her bloodied right hand.
"Almost, almost…" Dorian continued to tinker with the pendant, his brow narrowed.
Hawke pulled herself to her feet, shaking dust from her hair. Howling, she bolted to Elissa. Before Elissa could react, something sharp and heavy cracked against her skull, and the world went spinning. Another blow followed, splitting open her lip, and a final one sent her reeling to the floor. The next thing she knew Hawke was straddling her, clawing at her shirt to expose her Shard.
"Have to…bring Etro back," the Champion panted, blood trailing down her neck. "Save us…save…every…soul…"
"No!" Lahara staggered to Elissa, her right hand alight. She sank her nails into Hawke's arm, when a fierce tremor shook the room. The distraction was just enough, and Elissa kicked out. She snatched Hawke's pauldron, and with all her strength she flung the Champion off her chest. At the same moment, Lahara's legs gave out, and she fell into Elissa. The Herald had lost too much blood. Elissa draped Lahara's arm over her shoulder, forcing her upright.
"Stay with me, Lara," she ordered.
Lahara grunted in answer, and another quake started. Pieces of the ceiling began to crumble, crashing into the floor tiles. Elissa dragged Lahara to the corner, shielding her from the debris. Leliana was now fighting Hawke, their blades screaming in a symphony of steel.
"Fasta vass, I can't figure out the last part of the spell!" Dorian cried. "I need my magic!"
Lahara weakly raised her head. "Elissa…we…have to…"
A bellow tore through the chamber, and Elissa jerked her gaze to the entrance. The air shimmered, and then a dust monster appeared. Seconds later another followed, and another, and another. Then the hallway shuddered, and dark mist began to seep through the bricks. Elissa swore.
"Zevran, where the hell are you?!" she screamed.
Then Leliana shrieked, and Elissa turned back to her. She was on one knee, grasping her shoulder. Hawke roared, kicking her in the chest, and the bard groaned. She caught herself on her hands, shuddering and choking.
"Give me the Shards!" Hawke bellowed.
She charged, running at impossible speed. Elissa pushed Lahara behind her, yelping as the Champion's knife ripped into her side. Adrenaline took over, and she caught Hawke's wrist, forcing it backwards. Warmth trickled over her belly, but she ignored it. Her Shard erupted into brilliance, heat pulsing through her chest. Strength suddenly filled her, and she rammed her knee into Hawke's stomach. Hawke wretched, and Elissa repeated the blow, tearing her daggers from her hands. She elbowed the Champion in the face, and a sickening crunch echoed. Hawke retreated, holding a hand to her broken jaw.
Dorian cried out, and Elissa was like lightning. She lunged for the dust monster about to overwhelm the Tevinter mage, driving her hand deep and destroying its core. It crumbled away, but there were more to replace it.
"Lift the Corruption, it's our only chance!" Dorian pleaded.
"I can't!" Elissa shot back; Lahara was still on the other side of the chamber, slumped against the wall. "Not without…"
"Watch out, behind you!"
Elissa spun around, only to find Hawke on top of her. She dived, skidding across the room, but the Champion was faster. She leapt after Elissa, shoving her into the wall and clamping her hands around Elissa's throat. The icy stone dug into the wound at Elissa's side, but she hadn't the breath to cry out. Fingers tore her shirt, and nails scraped her skin, drawing blood over the rune.
"Elissa!"
Leliana's voice, no longer toneless and flat, but brimming with panic. Steps rushed, and Elissa was released. She fell to the ground, cracking her chin on the tiles. Pain sang through her back and arms, and every breath hurt. Her vision clouded, she tried to focus. Leliana swiped her knife at Hawke, a storm of fury in her grey-blue eyes.
"Leliana…" Elissa groaned, forcing herself to her feet. The bard had returned to her senses!
She had no time to think on it, though, as a dust monster bellowed. Its jaw flapped open, when it froze in mid-pounce. A crackle sounded, and it fell apart, revealing Lahara's outstretched hand. The blinding light disappeared from her Shard, and she finally collapsed.
"Herald!" Dorian ran to her, when Hawke let out an inhuman screech.
Elissa turned, coming face to face with the rogue once more. She held Leliana's stolen knife, and there was no escape. Elissa's eyes snapped shut, awaiting the blow that would end it all.
Yet it never came. Instead a cry echoed, and a heavy weight fell into Elissa, almost crushing her against the floor. Something shivered in her arms, coughing and choking. Elissa's eyes widened, as liquid warmth soaked through onto her stomach. But it wasn't her own blood.
No…Maker, no!
Hawke struck again, trying to tear Leliana aside, but the bard held firm. The knife sank into her belly once more, but this time she didn't cry out. Instead she snatched Hawke's wrist, snapping it sideways, and managed a kick to the rogue's chest. Hawke fell backwards, a bloodied mess on the floor. She didn't get up again, but she was still breathing.
Leliana sagged in Elissa's arms, her breaths shallow. Elissa rushed to press her hand against the bard's wound, but she knew it was futile.
"I'm…sorry…" Leliana whispered. She raised a trembling hand, clasping it over Elissa's. "I…" She tried to say more, but blood welled in her mouth, and she fell limp.
"NO, LELIANA!"
For a single moment time seemed to stand still. Elissa couldn't move, her tears frozen on her cheeks.
She's…she's...
Something snapped inside, and an ear-piercing shriek escaped Elissa's lungs. White-hot rage ignited her Shard, and the rune exploded into an inferno, a core of brilliance that could not be contained. Fire poured through her, consuming her entire being, before spreading to every corner. It engulfed Hawke and Lahara, wrenching their Shards together, yet it wasn't enough. Elissa reached further and further, stealing into the Corruption surrounding her, desperate to feed the undying hunger in her chest. The castle trembled in its foundations, the stone unable to bear the gathering energy.
Elissa howled again, seeking more, drawing deeper. More, more…more! She'd destroy everything, tear the entire world asunder, bring the heavens themselves to…
Then it was as if a gate slammed down. A shower of ice descended, extinguishing the frenzied wildfire within, and her vision faded.
"I think that's enough showing off for now," an Antivan voice mused. "Time to return to the present, my dear."
Elissa yelped, suddenly thrown to a carpeted floor. She landed on her knees, the rug rough beneath her hands, only for Lahara to bowl into her. They both smacked face-first into the ground, groaning. Elissa's Shard pulsed, no longer a burning blaze, but a gentle warmth. It drained the remains of her anger, and she pushed herself to a sitting position, shivering.
What was…Maker, I almost…
That was when everything came rushing back. Elissa gasped, checking herself over. Her wounds had disappeared, but the deeper tears within remained. Lahara, however, still seemed worse for wear. Her gaze wasn't quite there, stunned with shock. Elissa tucked her arm around the Herald, helping her to her feet.
"Elissa, Lara!" Bethany rushed to them, resting her hand on Elissa's shoulder. Elissa's heart swelled with relief, and she almost wanted to burst into tears.
They'd made it back!
A startled gasp caught her, and she looked up. Alexius was staring at them, his eyes wide.
"Well, you're going to have to do better than that," Dorian said, managing a smirk, although his eyes betrayed his true feelings. He stepped forward, snapping his fingers, and the amulet in Alexius's hand broke. "You've been outmatched, Alexius. I would accept defeat if I were you."
"Yes, Father," Felix added. "This madness with the Venatori ends, now."
The magister surveyed the room like a cornered vole, quivering all over. Finally, he met eyes with his son, and his shoulders sagged.
"Alright." He bowed his head, and offered up his arms. "I surrender, Inquisition."
His voice broke through Lahara's daze, and she snapped her head up. Her mismatched eyes returned to focus, swiftly darkening.
"You." Her lip curled, and she pulled away from Elissa. "You backstabbing, scheming, lowlife bastard!" The rune on her right hand began to glow. Bethany gasped.
"Lara, what are you…"
"You give me one reason!" Lahara shrieked. She thrust her right hand up, her Shard blazing, and an air bubble formed around Alexius's mouth and nose. He gagged, falling to his knees and grabbing at his throat. White wisps seeped from his mouth, his face turning more and more purple. Lahara's gaze was venemous, and she clenched her fingers tighter. "One reason I shouldn't rip every sodding breath out of you like the piece of filth you are!"
"Lara, no!" Elissa grabbed the Herald's arm, but Lahara shook her off.
"Herald, please!" Felix ran to his father's side, as Alexius choked and wheezed. "You said you wouldn't kill him!"
"He doesn't deserve mercy!" Lahara's voice was like ice. "Not after what he did!"
"Lara, stop it!" Elissa tightened her grip around the Herald. Her own shirt was still damp with Leliana's blood, but she refused to acknowledge it. "He's surrendered already, there's no need for this!" She squeezed Lahara's arm, her own fingers quaking. "Whatever we experienced, it didn't happen. It will never happen!" She gritted her teeth. "Don't let it control you!"
Lahara snarled. Alexius was rasping, his lips blue, barely clinging to consciousness. Felix's eyes were pleading, begging.
"Herald," he murmured, his voice cracking, "please, don't do this!"
For a moment Lahara's gaze faltered. Still she let the magister suffer as long as she dared, before she dropped her hand. The air bubble burst, and Alexius heaved, as if he'd been submerged underwater. He collapsed onto all fours, coughing and spluttering, his entire body convulsing. Felix knelt beside him, surveying him sadly.
"Take him into custody," Cassandra ordered. The scouts came forward, giving the magister a moment to recover, before snapping chains around his wrists. Alexius didn't resist. His eyes were filled with terror, and he didn't dare look at Lahara again.
As he was led away, Lahara sank to her knees, trembling. Bethany crouched beside her, a healing spell at her fingertips, but Elissa shook her head. This was not something that could be healed with magic. Alistair too approached, his brows furrowed.
"Maker, you two look like you've seen a ghost," he commented. "Are you alright?"
Elissa let out a breath. "I'll…I'll be fine, I think."
"It didn't happen," Lahara whispered, holding her arms around herself. "It didn't happen, it wasn't real…"
"What didn't happen?" Bethany raised a brow. "Lara, you're shaking so much."
Lahara's eyes glistened. Without warning she threw herself at the mage, clutching her as if she'd evaporate.
"I'm so sorry, Beth," the Herald sobbed, burying her face in Bethany's shoulder. "I'm so sorry!"
"Lara?" Bethany returned the embrace, more puzzled than anything else. "Elissa, what's going on?"
Elissa swallowed, barely able to keep her own tremors at bay. Even though she knew it had all been a lie, the raw images wouldn't leave her. Hawke tearing through Leliana, her scream as she'd collapsed into Elissa's arms, being forced to watch the light disappear from her grey-blue eyes…
"A horrible, horrible future that will never come to pass," Dorian supplied. He glanced to the broken amulet in his hand. "I will ensure this magic never sees the light of day again."
"Thank you, Dorian," Elissa said. "If not for you…"
"Then perhaps Alexius's research would not have got this far," Dorian sighed. "I am truly sorry you had to endure that. But you have certainly put a dent in this 'Elder One's' plan, and you've got the mages in your debt, too. Not too bad, considering."
"Speaking of which, what are we to do with the mages now?" Cassandra asked.
Slowly, Lahara withdrew from Bethany. She took a moment to gather herself, wiping her eyes, before rising to her feet. She took several deep breaths, but even then her tremors wouldn't cease.
"Let's…Let's just take them back to Haven," she said. "We'll sort the rest from there."