Taken captive, Fenris finds himself trapped in the past. His captors use his traumas to torment and punish him.
The cold iron collar dug into his flesh. The sound of leather brushing the floor sent a wash of cold fear over him. He fought it, as hot fury coursed through his veins. He fought the urge to turn and take the chain, to pull it from Danarius' grasp. The snap of the whip and the crack against flesh rang in his ears before the biting sting broke across his back.
He bit back the hiss threatening to escape his lips. Any sound would only spur his tormentor to strike again. He would not flinch, he would not fail. He would stand firm. He would rise victorious. He would see his family free, even if he would never be. He repeated this mantra in his head with each snap and sting of the whip, ignoring the warm blood seeping from the lashes on his back.
"I'm impressed, Leto. Very little impresses me." Danarius stepped into his view, a sardonic smile on his face.
He repressed a shudder as his master caressed his cheek, then gently wiped the sweat from his brow. At Danarius' nod, he felt the gentle wash of magic over his back, sealing and mending the lashes created only moments ago.
Danarius leaned in closer. Wine-soaked breath bathed his face, nearly choking him from the stench. "There is one more test to pass. A personal bodyguard of mine must be willing to answer any request made of him, without hesitation." Danarius snapped his finger. "Clean him up and take him to my quarters."
Leto bowed his head, his shoulders fell. With heavy steps he allowed himself to be led away. Even in this, he knew he would submit. Tears stung his eyes. He was a slave. He would always be a slave. But, if his submission meant his mother and sister never bowed to a master again, he would suffer this humiliation in silence.
"Who are you?" A gravelly voice behind Leto snarled as his chain was pulled taut, nearly pulling him off balance.
Leto stared, wide-eyed at the image before him. His heart leaped in his chest. The fear and despair he felt before left him. Her white blond hair flowed around her, as did the translucent gown. A crown of silver and amethyst held her long waves back from her face. Purple mist surrounded her, casting an ethereal glow on her form. Her violet eyes were dark as the night sky. He knew the storm raging just below the surface. Power rolled off her; power artfully hidden, until now.
"Release him." Her voice echoed off the walls, causing the stones to tremble.
Laughter rang out behind him. His chain clinked and tightened, tugging him back. He clawed at the iron biting into his throat, but his fingers fell away, bloodied and useless.
"He belongs to us. If not tonight, then tomorrow, or the next. You only interrupt us, you cannot protect him."
Her gaze fell on him, a mix of admiration and sadness. "You must overcome them. You must break the chains that bind your thoughts, just as you broke free in the physical world."
"He is powerless here." The voices taunted him.
"Not powerless." Cara's eyes narrowed. "I believe in you, Fenris."
Leto was no longer his name, now he was Fenris. Leto was powerless, Fenris was not. He stood taller. He was no slave. He was a warrior. One of great ability, even before the marks were burned into his flesh. This wasn't real, this was but another nightmare.
With a growl that shook the walls, he turned on his captors. The chain was ripped from their grasp. A scream of pain as their fingers ripped from their hand. He grabbed the chain and pulled it from his neck. He blinked at the sword he now held in his hand.
"I am no slave." He snarled as he slashed toward the three.
No longer images of Danarius' apprentices, demons stood in their place.
His lips curled back, exposing his teeth. He would destroy them. In a blur, he moved through the motions ingrained in him after more than a decade of fighting. The last one fell, dissolving into a puddle of ooze. He expected the walls to dissolve with them. He turned to her expectantly.
"You must face him again. Only then will this be over." Her voice echoed in his mind. "The only power he has is that which you give him." She turned to look over her shoulder.
Danarius walked forward. With each step, his enemy grew taller, and the fear within him grew in comparison.
"Do not give into the fear." Cara's voice sounded in his mind again.
Fenris took a deep breath and drew on the anger and hate he had for the man who enslaved him. Channeling it, he pushed the fear aside, and Danarius shrunk with each step.
With a final breath, he let it out with a war cry and launched himself forward. With all his might, he slashed and whirled. With each strike, the man before him staggered back.
"Please, Leto. I have always cared for you. Return to me and all will be forgiven." Danarius fell to his knees, pleading before him.
"Lies!" Fenris stuck out with fierce determination, and gripped his heart. With a growl, he ripped it from his chest. Instantly, the walls around them dissolved into mist.
His chest heaved with each breath. Angry tears rolled down his cheeks. A soft hand touched his shoulder, then caressed his cheeks wiping away the tears.
"It is over now. They can no longer torment you with the past. Ar lasa mala revas. You are free." Tears stained her own cheeks and he raised his hand to brush them away.
His hand cupped her jaw, and his thumb caressed the contours of her cheekbone. The storm behind her eyes changed to desire, and he leaned in to kiss her lips. She returned the kiss as she had before. For a moment he let himself be lost to the sensation of her surrender.
He pulled away. Cara drew herself back, her eyes downcast, her fist at her throat. "Are you also a spirit? Desire perhaps? Another trick of the Fade?"
"No. ir abelas. The kiss was ill-considered." Color bloomed in her cheeks. "I - I don't mean to confuse you. I - am sorry." She turned to leave.
He caught her elbow. "And what of Solas?"
Her eyes shone with new tears. "I love him too." She bit her lower lip. "We found Shem'nan. He's safe and uninjured. Agitated, but that's to be expected. Do you know what happened?"
"I'm not sure where I am, the last thing I remember was the press of magic around me. I was leading Shem'nan. I think I walked through a ward." He looked around the Fade. "How is this possible? Why is this dream so vivid?"
"Most dreams are, even for those who don't recall them once they awake. You likely won't remember details." She tilted her head. She hugged her arms around her waist and turned away. "I'm sorry, now is not the time, I entered the fade to seek information on who took you."
He reached for her again, but she stepped away.
"No, it isn't right. I won't take advantage of you here. Not when you won't remember."
"I kissed you, I hardly think that is being taken advantage of."
She shook her head. "When you wake you won't remember. Part of you will, but your conscious mind will only think it a pleasant dream."
"I heard your thoughts. I know what you feel. You said the spell you cast allowed that connection, but that was only part of it."
She looked away, the muscles in her cheeks tensed. "It must be a trick of the Fade."
He drew himself up straighter. "Humor me. If I will forget all when I awaken, then tell me. Who are you? Where, no when was your home?"
A sad smile twisted her mouth. "Have you not put it together yet?"
"You know things no one should know. You cast spells few mages twice your age can cast. You carry yourself with an air of nobility. You have no fear of humans, and meet them in a verbal battle, leaving them sputtering and confused. You speak to spirits as if they were your sister or brother." He waved an arm around them. "You manipulate the Fade effortlessly. Something few dreamers can do without lyrium."
Cara shrugged. "Why tell you if you won't remember?"
He reached for her again. "Then you have nothing to lose."
She let out a defeated breath. "I once walked the world before dwarves and humans. Spirits and magic were a part of everything. A time when elves lived in palaces and crystal towers. As beautiful as it all was, it was just as corrupt and evil as Tevinter."
His mouth fell open and he dropped his hand.
With a small wave of her fingers, the Fade shifted. A grand marble hall filled with columns the size of trees held up a crystal ceiling. Gilded mosaics covered the walls, luxurious fabrics draped open arches. Elves in flowing fabrics and bright metal walked the halls.
"The Evunaris ruled over Thedas, each carved out their own territory. Some began to call themselves gods, claimed divine right over others, while others called themselves gods through their own deeds and power. They warred amongst themselves. They began to enslave their own people to increase their power base, drawing strength from those they bound."
The Fade changed from a bloody battle to a peaceful valley. Elves entered in droves, met at the gate of a great city. The feeling of peace settled over the Fade, they had found freedom. Three elves stood and welcomed those entering. A tall bald elf wore the mask of a black wolf, the woman's white-blond hair flowed to her feet, a silver circlet with amethyst stones adorned her head. The other man was cloaked, but Fenris recognized the stance of a bodyguard when he saw it.
"It was a short-lived peace. The Evunaris couldn't let this slight go unpunished, and began to torture their slaves for information. Though they could refuse, none ignored the call to fight. And so the slaves warred against their gods."
"There were fewer of us fighting for freedom than those bent on power. When Mythal was lost, so was all hope."
A group of elves gathered before a shimmering mirror, not unlike the one Merrill hid in her home.
"We fled in small colonies, hoping to save something of our world."
He watched as Cara turned a tear-stained face away from her home and passed through the mirror, and the Fade went dark.
"That is all I remember until a few years ago. I began to dream of the past, and somehow, when the Breach was created, the connection between worlds that was once lost to us, was opened again."
The scene around them changed once more. The town of Redcliffe came into focus. The Inquisitor and Solas knelt beside a battered and bloodied body.
"It wasn't until the assault on Haven that I understood who I was and that I had always belonged here."
Fenris' knees grew weak. "It is impossible." He stared at her with wonder and a small amount of fear. "Tevinter destroyed the elves, enslaved them, it can't be as you said."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, there was never going to be an easy way to break it to you. But your reaction gives me hope that you would be receptive to the truth." With a wave of her hand the image change to Skyhold.
Fenris sunk into the chair behind him.
He took in his surroundings. If he didn't know he was dreaming, there was little to give away the illusion. The chair felt real beneath him, the air crisp with the faint hints of herb and flowers from the garden. Even the thrum of voices below them in the great hall was familiar. Cara sat nearby, her arms drawn in, posture stiff. She perched on the edge of the chaise, ready to flee. Fenris closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand over his face. She had been right to fear anyone learning her truth. He himself was unsure what to think. He only knew she was not his enemy. Not at the moment, at any rate. Could she be trusted beyond the now? Part of him screamed no. She was a mage, and possibly more powerful than any he encountered.
She tilted her head at him and he realized she could read his thoughts if she wished.
"I am uncertain how to feel about your confession. I only know that today we are allies."
Her expression fell, and she gave a slight nod. "It is a lot to learn in such a short time." She stood and walked to the balcony, arms crossed over her stomach. "So much has changed since I arrived. There are days I scarce believe it myself and I've had months to unravel the mystery." She turned and gave him another slight smile. "I knew you would be my downfall."
He stood and moved to her. Whoever she was, he was drawn to her. "Whatever secret you share will be safe with me. I do know enough to know you aren't the Inquisitor's enemy. Beyond that?" He shrugged. Fenris had reserved judgment on Hawke and the mages he relied upon could wait to know if she could be trusted.
"It is more than I anticipated but less than I hoped for." She shook her head and let out a shaky breath. Her fist covered her heart. Her lips parted, her eyes widened, and her pulse beat rapidly.
He wanted to pull her into his arms once more. Wished to caress her silken strand between his fingers, and to feel the supple fullness of her lips under his. He reached out his hand and dropped it just as quickly. She was not his.
"Do you know who holds you captive?" she asked.
His lips twitched in a smile. She held his heart captive. The thought should repulse him, yet he wanted her still. Did she know his thoughts? The flush of color rising in her cheeks indicated she did. "I recall nothing beyond the press of magic around me. Only the nightmare." He suppressed a shudder at the vividness of the dream.
"We don't have much time, night is falling and we are nearly ready to make our move."
"What do you mean?"
"We have come to save you. We are just west of your camp."
"We?" he asked.
"Varric, Solas, and Remus have joined me. Unless you wish us to leave you to break out on your own." She gave him a smug smile.
Fenris chuckled. "I would welcome the assistance."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "For luck."
He resisted the urge to grab her hips and pull her flush against him. He wanted to claim her mouth and swallowed the soft moans she would make. Would she kiss him in return, open to the press of his tongue along the corner of her mouth? He knew the soft warmth of her mouth, felt the fullness of her lips against his. Her eyes darkened, her pulse sped, her lips parted. He felt it all, yet hadn't moved to touch her. His breath caught in his throat.
"It's the Fade, some thoughts are as real as the physical act." She let out a long breath. "It is time for you to, wake up."