Kara
The door to the throne room opened before her. Montfort had even managed to hire a Majordomo to open the door to the throne room and conduct his business. Like a regular Emperor.
Kara swept in first. Bull and Dorian flanking her, walking behind her. She looked left and right, at the knot of Council of Heralds In one corner. And the two lines of soldiers on both sides of the room. Leading right up to the front of the throne room, where Montfort, Vivienne, and Montbelliard were waiting for them.
"Inquisitor!" Montfort announced clapping his hands. "I see you ignored my suggestion to come here unarmed. Ah well. It matters not. As you can see."
Kara smiled slightly at the man, "Julien de Montfort. It's pleasant to see you again." She bowed low. "And you Madame de Fer."
"Darling, I was half convinced you wouldn't show up. It is so last minute after all." Vivienne said.
"Oh you know, got lost on the way over here." Kara quipped, smirking.
"That is so easy to do in a city this large." Vivienne pointed out.
"Enough," Montfort commanded, looking at the both of them. He let it hang in the air for a minute, before continuing. "I must confess Inquisitor that now that you are here I do not know exactly what to do with you."
Kara smiled. "Well, you could try possessing me again I suppose. Because that worked out real well last time."
Julien's predatory smile matched her own, "Oh I have a far better idea." He snapped his finger.
Kara heard a door slam open and the sounds of grunting.
Her eyes went wide when she saw what the two men were dragging between them. A limp body, yet still alive, and struggling.
Fairabanks!
"Let go of me!" The Orlesian noble screamed trying to yank free.
"You really need to hire better body guards Inquisitor." Montfort opined. "Though I suppose it is fine since Michel de Chevin is dead."
Kara flexed her hands a bit. But this situation had gotten a lot more dangerous then she gave it credit for.
"Inquisitor. I apologize for my state of dress." Fairbanks said.
Kara looked him over. He was obviously fine as in any of his injuries were healed, by some form of magic or really good surgery. She looked at Vivienne wondering if she was capable of it. Back to Fairbanks she noticed the man still had blood stains from his wounds on his tunic.
She gave the guards another look. Too many of them to risk it. Sera where are you?
Sera
The Elven Archer was in the rafters. Giant wooden support beams holding up the vast sloping roof of the Throne Room. Walking along one of the beams. Trying to balance herself on the edge. It had been awhile since she had done anything like this.
She found a spot. A good perch in an intersection of several of the beams. But she had a good view. Both of Montfort, Fairbanks, and his company, the Council, and several of the guards. She could kill many of them.
But yet Fairbanks is alive. Piss. What are you going to do Kara?
As long as Fairbanks was alive then her Inquisitorialness's plan was in jeopardy. Especially since she would likely want to keep him that way to manipulate the Empire to her every whim.
Waste of bloody time if you ask me. I'd just leave them to it. But no. We have to save the humans from themselves. And the Elves. And the City Elves. And probably the Qunari too. Build a better world. All I want to do is play. What am I even doing here?
The truth of the matter though, despite it defying all logic. It made sense. To her. And she liked…belonging to something larger then herself.
Though I do miss the pranks.
Evangeline
The Templar had to grit her teeth, and prevent herself from breathing too hard, letting the rancid stench rolling around her to drown her in it.
I'm a Templar. The heir to the longest and noblest of institutions in Thedas. I am supposed to be fighting on the front lines. Leading the charge. Not rolling around in the muck somewhere.
Yet here they were. She was leading a small force of about twenty men through the sewers of which she knew so well. By only being down in them two or three times in her entire life. That was enough to serve as guide. The lady Briala, despite having ample maps and diagrams for her to peruse, was back on the surface. Likely off to the side somewhere. Contemplating their mission.
What was her mission? To try and open the gates of Val Royeux before her army invaded. Thus ending a protracted siege before it began in the first place. Thus saving the city and the Council before too much had a chance to happen.
Evangeline knew from her approach they weren't watching the walls, not too well. Most of their efforts were concentrated internally. Either still searching for the Inquisitor, or pacifying any resistance.
But they'd see an army coming, and marshal the city to defend them. And the Inquisition did not have time to coordinate that kind of force via the Eluvians.
So there they were in the sewers. With the nearby Imperial Army racing to cover them. Led of course by members of the Inquisition…but that was another story.
The point of the matter was that Evangeline's training and temperament did not go in for this sort of fighting. With her bulky and very loud armor she might be more of a liability, dressed in sharp white.
Yet that is what Cole was for. Even the mere thought of him caused a lump to form angrily in her throat. She missed Rhys terribly. But the mage wanted to serve the Inquisition elsewhere, and helped normalize relations between the Templars, Chantry, and the mages.
Always a builder he was. She thought wistfully. No, the job first.
She looked right and saw what section they were at. 'N-27'. Was painted in a dull red letters on the edge of the grate. She sighed to herself. At least my sense of direction did not fail me. She thought to herself wistfully.
She scrambled up the ladder, gesturing for her men to follow her. They grumbled behind her, but if she could do it strapped in all of her armor then so could they in nothing but leathers, and with bows and swords strapped to them.
Pushing open the cover to the sewer, she stepped out into the world beyond, and blinked rapidly to clear away the blinding light by the mid afternoon sun. She hissed, and ducked behind a stone wall along the side of the road.
They had indeed made it. She looked up and saw a smattering of guards patrolling and on the wall. Most of them really had to be out and about patrolling the streets. And this was essentially the back door to Val Royeux and not the main thoroughfare. Still, they might present a small problem.
Cole and the rest of the archers joined her, crouching low.
Evangeline turned towards the young man, shivering once more, not still being used to him again. So she pointed to the guards, "I count about twenty in all. More or less."
Cole nodded. "Indeed. And I sense no more around."
Evangeline nodded. "I suppose that's that."
One of the archers reached for an arrow and the Templar stayed his hand. "Enough of that. Let me lead the charge. Do not fire until I engage. Nock at will."
The man looked skeptical for a moment, but nodded.
Evangeline gave him a thinned lipped smile before creeping forward. Creep being a relative term for as much armor as she was strapped into. But it would have to do.
Great job, getting into this position over your precious armor.
But she made it in amongst the patrols. Close to the city wall.
She drew her sword, holding the long blade of pure silverite loosely in both of her hands.
"Soldier." She spoke out when she came across the guard facing away from her.
He spun to her, slowly, curiously, as if he was indeed too weary.
She ended his weariness by slamming his sword across his and then impaling him through the gut. And then she slammed him against the wall.
Her sword came up in an expert high parry as another one of the traitors guardsmen bought his hand down in a desperate one handed swipe. She turned the attack to her advantage, riposting it and ripping his throat open.
She heard the tell-tale hiss of passing arrows overhead and looked to see them fly across the city wall. The screams that met her ears intimated that at least some of them had managed to find their targets.
Her feet struck the ground rhythmically as she marched forward, quickly, expertly, her sword tip just barely hovering over the ground.
One of the enemy soldiers leapt out at her. She jerked around his strike, brought the sword up in a cross wise parry, swung her sword pumping and wind milling it out of the way, then head butting the man, knocking him out cold, before plunging her sword deep into his heart for good measure.
That should be most of them.
Except as she continued her march along the city wall, a frightful almost inhuman yell broke her concentration. Someone leapt down at her. Sword drawn. She jerked away from the madman, whom had arrows embedded in his back. Met his thrust with a parry, and then ducked out of the way of a wild swing.
Cole leapt out of the shadows in a puff of smoke, his daggers striking deep into the man's sword hand and shoulder. He screamed. And fell.
Yet he was not dead, and Evangeline's eyes widened as she saw what he grasped in his hand. She lunged at him. Too late. Far too late. He blew the horn and a loud single note rang out.
It was answered by other notes around them. Throughout the city. Evangeline swore under her breath.
They were coming.
Blackwall
The Inquisition's resident non Warden crested a slight rise in the earth overlooking Val Royeux. The city stretched out before him. The center of the Orlesian Empire. He rarely had a chance to watch it now. And his hesitation in the situation made him pause. For he did not know what he would face down there in the city proper. The Inquisition hardly had time to come up with an overarching plan before marching off to war. No way to let them know if the infiltration team on the inside had succeeded.
But maybe they had no time to hesitate at all.
For in the city below he heard the tell-tale warning horns of dozens of men. And he swore he could see, like ants, specs running too and fore.
He kicked his horse in the sides and some of the officers around him did the same thing. Along with the Orlesian Infantry and mercenaries of the Imperial Army behind him doing much the same.
Has the infiltration team been blown? He wondered.
He spurned his horse to greater action, racing for the Night Gate.
If they were expecting an attack then they had to move quickly, we cannot get in a siege here. Not now.
Blackwall cocked his head to the side though, eyes narrowing at the view before him. Apparently that won't be necessary. The Night Gate swung open before him. Slowly at first, but with greater rapidity. Someone was opening the city beyond to their tender loving care.
Pulling on the reins of his horse the former Orlesian soldier managed to pull his horse up short. From a full gallop to an easy cantor by the time he swung into the city proper. Men. Their men, Inquisition men was waiting all around them as they passed.
First he, then his officers, and then more of his soldiers. Slowly they piled in.
He saw who he was looking for, and smartly dismounted. While the horse was still at least slightly in motion, and landed hard on the cobblestones.
"Evangeline! What news! We heard the signal horns!" He yelled at her. Drawing her attention.
The Templar was unfazed, "We managed to secure the Night Gate. But the last guard managed to sound the alarm before we could kill him. It was close…but soldiers are on their way."
"I think they are already here." Thom murmured.
Evangeline arched an eyebrow at him, and he nodded in the direction of his eyesight.
She turned around to see the same thing he did. Rows of Orlesians, swords and shields drawn, marching down the center aisle.
Arrows flew out of the back ranks.
Blackwall sighed, unhitched his shield from his back, and moved to join the fray with a yell.
Kara
The Inquisitor's eyes were locked with that of her opponent, and temporary host, Julien Montfort. Time was slowly ticking. Which suited her just fine. Even though she had lost control of the situation the best remedy to that was time. Time to give her forces a chance to come to her rescue and tip the scales in her favor.
A door slammed open, the two of them blinked, and turned in unison. A man appeared behind Montfort, simply dressed in a flowing robe bunched around him.
Shit.
The man leaned over to talk to Julien in his ear. The Chevalier listened to his words, his eyes narrowing, widening, and he blinked over to her general direction. His look considering.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Montfort stepped forward when the messenger finished his story. Looking down at Kara, sweeping his hands out towards her. And then clapping them dramatically.
Kara couldn't help but notice the dangerous glint which came to Vivienne's eyes.
"So Inquisitor, it seems that…well first I must commend your Inquisition for moving so quickly. But it seems that in so doing they have attacked this fair city of Val Royeux. This cannot be allowed. And you have forfeited the life of your agent."
Kara's breath whistled through her mouth with a whistle. "But you can't, if you kill your hostages you leave us no choice. You lose your leverage. And he is a potential member of the Council of Heralds. Orlesian Nobility."
Montfort walked towards the kneeling Fairbanks, drawing a knife. Placing it to his throat. And pulling his head back.
"Potential member." Montfort said before quickly, expertly, before the sound truly finished rolling off his last syllable, he pulled back on the knife and slit the throat of the wayward Orlesian Noble.
Kara jolted forward, taking two steps even before she realized what she was doing, hand reaching out for the falling body of her best agent. The last best hope for Orlais.
Now dead on the floor.
"Sera!" She screamed. Her eyes flashing to Montfort. "Fen'haral enansal."
Montfort's men looked around momentarily confused. As if wondering where she was beseeching. What manner of super natural force had she called down upon them?
They soon found out when two of their members found arrows sticking out of their chests.
The men now cast their gazes about panicked, eyes darting back and forth.
"Kill Her! Kill the Inquisitor!" Julien pointed in Kara's general direction rather dramatically, spittle flying from his mouth.
Which of course was her cue. Her hand flew out and she screamed. The magic of the anchor flared to life along the arm and the magical shield sprung up around them.
Simultaneously she drew her bow off her back and expertly matched an arrow to it. Already losing it when it was ready to come up. Straight into one of Montfort's right hand guards.
Everywhere arrows and projectiles slammed into the magical shield, and were redirected along their flight paths…right into the ones who fired them in the first place. Screams of pain and shock punctuated the air, echoing and bouncing off one end of the giant chamber and down the other.
Kara twisted around, already reaching into her quiver, drawing her arrows. And firing. The two men fell dead around the Council of Heralds. Two who already weren't engaged, waiting for orders, probably to kill the Council themselves.
She was already drawing her string back, the arrow caught fire when it hit the edge of the rune, like striking a match, and she sent it downrange. Right into the chest of the third man around the Council. The fourth panicked and fled.
Spinning right, quiver, arrow, string, throat. This one was charging her position, killed in mid sword draw. A second drew his sword and charged with a yell.
Bull moved to head him off, grabbing him by the neck, disemboweling him with his Great Axe, and dropping him.
Dorian conjured a fire mine which burst two men into flames, then the staff came around and bursts of fire exploded out of its tip, moving back and forth along the ranks of soldiers.
Her shield failed and it devolved into a general melee.
The door to the chamber swung open and Kara looked around. A line of men ran in, cross bows at the ready. Kara took one in the throat, Sera got two of them, and then Dorian summoned a flame wall to block their path, most of them ran straight through it. Burning to death.
The Inquisitor looked up to check up on her Elf sniper. She dodged two bolts by jumping from one plank to another. Surprisingly nimble on her feet.
Kara hunted for the aggressors, found what looked like one of them, and put an arrow through his head.
Iron Bull surged forward, battling two of the men, killing them both with one giant midriff tearing swing of his ax.
Kara dove and tucked herself into a roll. Avoiding a sword strike. He quickly died from one of Sera's arrows.
She then ripped out a blue tipped Lyrium arrow, and fired it. It took out a group of soldiers tucked into a corner. One of the last. Most of Montfort's forces were dead. Or dying.
She swung around again, arrow coming out of her quiver and she nocked it. Looking at the front dais. Montebelliard was dueling Iron Bull. His form was poor yet he was managing to keep the Qunari at bay.
The best swordsman in Orlais doesn't fear the worse…
Montfort stumbled after her. It seemed he had taken a hit in the leg from an arrow. One of Sera's. She was about to lose one of her own. Right through his chest armor. But a slow, building laugh interrupted her.
Her eye swiveled left, arrow still on string, halfway drawn, ready to fire. To see Vivienne's whole body shaking with mirth. She was trying to contain herself.
Badly.
"I am sorry," She said shaking her head, "you are all so stupid. It was so easy to bring you to this action. To so much death. To so much…blood."
Everyone looked towards her in rapt, almost hypnotic attention. All remaining fighting in the hall stopped.
Vivienne's hands began glowing. A sickly purple blue glow. Traveling up her arms in cones enfolding her. Blood began rising up out of the dead, their bodies arching into the sky, Kara watched with rapt fascination as it slowly started floating towards the mage, with gathering speed. Power gathered. The room crackled with its magical assault.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Count de Montbelliard broke the spell first, advancing on the woman. Chest pumping out.
She laughed at him.
He bought his sword up and aimed to impale the mage. She formed her hand into a demonic claw of some sort, and struck. It tore through his chest plate and his flesh like a hot knife through even hotter butter. Just ripped him open from sternum to throat.
Kara answered by loosing her arrow, it flew quick and true, and broke apart about a foot before it reached the mage. Her magical barrier was indeed strong.
Montfort saw the death of his most trusted adviser. His friend. And reacted, with a yell of fury he raised his sword and struck out. Yet the mage batted him aside like a rag doll that Orlesian children played with.
He rolled around, facing his former ally turned traitor, cut lipped, and wide eyed. "Why?" He managed.
She laughed, "You think this was all about Orlais? And your petty Empire? You think I would really lower myself to helping you in your silly ambitions? Nay, this was all about me from the beginning. And my plan."
"And what is your plan?" Kara asked.
"You'll see." Vivienne said. Diving into her robes with her hand.
She procured the object and held it grandly aloft, staring at it. Kara ogled it.
"She has an orb!" Dorian said unnecessarily.
The same orb which opened the Veil to the Fade. With unimaginable Elven power. Or at least, one very much like it.
Kara fired another arrow at the target, it struck true again but exploded on contact. The former First Enchanter to the Imperial Court launched a wave back at her which knocked the Inquisitor on her back. And indeed all of her companions.
When she was able to right herself she saw the last of Vivienne's cloak whisking out and around a corner of a secret door. She cackled all the way. Montfort was crawling behind another door.
Snarling she ripped an arrow out of her quiver and fired it after the fleeing Orlesian Noble. It struck him on his backside as he was just able to crawl across the threshold, he let out a yelp.
As much as Kara wanted to pursue him Vivienne was the more immediate target. She tore off after her.
That is when the dead rose.
Many of the dead men and officers were now rising. The remaining members of the Montfort's guard quickly joined with the team from the Inquisition and turned on their former comrades. Now possessed of rigorous intent. Bull came up slashing, parrying, and his ax a veritable whirlwhind as he proceeded to knock several of the enemy down.
Kara cursed.
"Hold them here! Vivienne is mine!"
She tore off after the mage.
Blackwall
He backpedaled and took a glancing it from a lance off his shield and then swiped at it, slamming it away from him. His opponent continued to press forward. Lance jabbing out, swinging into position. He batted at it with a reverse flick of his wrist, driving the lance up to the sky.
Taking the opportunity to pounce on the man and his sword sliced deep through his guts. Killing him instantly.
Beside him he heard Evangeline battling with multiple opponents. He looked and saw her also backing off against two men. Both of them armed with swords. Her sword twirling in a windmill to intercept them high and low.
The Inquisition soldier grunted in frustration, and charged again, piercing the side of the man's ribcage. He grunted, rolled to the side, and collapsed onto one knee.
Evangeline too the other one by riposting around his sword and then slashing diagonally out and then piercing through his chest. He gasped, gurgled, and fell on his butt. Dead.
"Thank you," The former Templar nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow and giving him a slight nod.
"You are welcome." He graveled back.
Before they could take any other moment for self-congratulations more of their soldiers ran and charged past them. Meeting Orlesian soldiers head on head. In the utter ambivalence and mayhem of Civil War.
With a yell Blackwall joined the fray. Bashing his shield into the sword arm of an Orlesian rebel, ducking under a return swipe of his hand, and then slicing him apart at the wrist, leaving him bleeding in the dirt.
His legs were pumping as he advanced through the melee.
The shield in his hand was held with the flat end of the base, as he took a swipe at the legs of a passing rebel. Upending him and then slashing through his chest with his own sword. Taking him out in the process. He killed another man in a flash.
On almost instinct his sword met the opposite number across from him. Surprise flashed across both their faces as they realized someone had actually blocked their attack. His opponent was an Orlesian Chevalier, fine plumed with feathers and metal helmet.
His mustachios quivered, and he recovered first, his face twisted in a rictus of rage. He pushed Blackwall's sword off of his, and thrust out.
Blackwall dodged to the side, bringing up his shield to protect his side and let the sword role off it.
The man hissed and advanced, his sword flashing out in three quick slicing strikes. Each aimed at a different portion of Blackwall's body. He brought his sword up around to block the last one and the next two was taken on the base of his shield. Sparks flying in the light.
The Chevalier pushed on him with a forth strike, trying to use his own large strength to physically overwhelm Blackwall. He gritted his teeth, locked his knees, and absorbed the impact. Metal screeched on metal as the shield stayed up. Yet the man resumed his push, and Blackwall knew the larger man would eventually win.
So Blackwall changed the game, stepping on the armored foot of the Cheveliar, yet achieving the result none the same. He side stepped around the Orlesian who briefly lost his balance and was soon facing back to back with him. Ready to finish him off once and for all.
Yet as his sword swung forward, and the Chevalier contemplated his fate, both men were drawn to an explosion of light in the air. They turned to see something, someone floating, light pouring off them.
Soon they were further interrupted as one fallen soldier, one dead soldier began twitching. As if something was crawling around inside him.
He awoke with a scream, but he still wasn't alive. His eyes looked lifeless, yet the he charged at the two of them. Both men, who were opponents and were now allied in common purpose attacked. They pushed out with their swords and fell upon the guy. Slicing him up.
The two of them went back to back. More moans and groans were all around them. The air was punctuated by the screams of men. The dead had woken up all around them. The dead of their enemies and their friends.
A creature rushed out of the fog. One wearing the regalia of the Inquisition. Its hands went around his throat in an eye blink and Blackwall grunted.
The warrior from the Free Marches reversed his grip on his sword and swiped. Severing the thing's hand at the wrist. It yelped in pain, looked at his wrist dumbly and keeled over. Blackwall drove his sword through the creature's throat and it went limp.
He checked on the Chevalier behind him who was dueling with another one of the undead. He slashed its throat and then put two stabs deep into its guts.
Blackwall slammed his sword into the back of another one of the undead, and twisted the sword, the creature howled before collapsing dead.
Or at least inanimate.
His eyes flew wide and he ducked under a blow from the Cheveliar. Fearing for his life. Yet the blow took the head off of the undead behind him.
"Thank you."
"Stand and fight. Talk later."
Thom growled.
Yet his ally was proven right when Evangeline took the head off another one of the undead who was trying to sneak up behind them.
Kara
The chase had taken her deep into the Imperial palace. Through rooms and ornate halls. Following the mage. Close on her heels, but not close enough to do anything. Past panicked guards and kitchen staff. Who were clearly wondering what they were to do about her.
Yet no one stopped her.
Finally she entered one of the places towers. Heading up in a spiral staircase. Up and up and up. And Vivienne was running up those steps, already far ahead of the Inquisitor.
Quickly Kara nocked her arrow, drew a bead, and fired. The arrow flew true, but shattered with a wave of the woman's hand, just inches in front of her. Vivienne cackled down towards her. A bolt of lightning split the air, forcing Kara to dive out of the way but she still caught the edge of the blast making her entire skin tingle and crackle, leaving her dazed and confused for a split second.
"Give up Inquisitor, you're only embarrassing yourself." Vivienne purred, before taking off again.
"Never, I defeated Coryphaeus, I can defeat you too." She said drawing an explosive arrow out of her quiver and loosing it. It exploded taking out the stairwell in front of her but the elder mage leapt over the gap to safety. To the top.
Kara growled. Steeling herself for the pursuit. Getting her feet up under her before taking off. Yet something leapt at her, tackling her around her waist, tossing her to the ground hard.
She grunted, and turned to face her attacker.
Only to get the snapping jaws of an undead maw in her face. Snap. Snap. Snap. Audibly clicking its jaw at her. She drew her foot back. Slammed it forward. Weakly. Then again.
Still it held onto her. Snarling and hissing and spitting at her.
She grunted. Gritting her teeth. Leaning back into the kick she took him full in the law and it jerked off her. Arms thrown out.
The Inquisitor leapt up into a combat pose. Arrow, quiver, she loosed it. Right into the former man's wrist, pinning him to the wall. He tried to rip it free, only to tear at the loose flesh.
Ripping out another arrow, an explosive one, she took it point bank, and rolled away from the explosion that tore her enemy apart from the inside out.
The Inquisitor hunched her shoulders, before tearing up after the Mage. For some reason she could feel it in the core of her being. Time was running out. For someone? Anyone? Maybe the entire city.
An arrow was to her bow, yet it was difficult to run across the narrow staircase. Picking her feet in such narrow confines were almost impossible.
She hitched her bow to the back and found it much easier. She broke out into a full tilted run. Legs pumping, as she took the steps two at a time. So fast in fact that she almost missed the gap.
Yet she managed to leap in mid run, take the leap, and then topple on the other side. She cried out in pain, and felt something ache on her side. She grunted before picking herself up, and positively threw herself at the door.
Drawing her bow and then arrow to the string she took three deep breaths. Steadying herself. Her breathing, her temperament, to allow her the perfect show, since Vivienne would almost have to be on the other side.
She slammed her body into the door and opened. Blinking with sunlight pouring in. They were on the roof.
Her bow still came up and she rapidly acquired her target, all in the space of a second, and she loosed the arrow, and another arrow right after the first one.
The demon possessed mage swung her staff around, twirling it in front of her, and both the shafts broke apart in midair. She cackled, and threw her arm out.
A force slammed Kara back, into the floor of the roof with a positive bounce.
She growled, and loosed another arrow, Vivienne slashed at it with a clawed hand and it too shattered into a million pieces. The mage cackled again.
Kara looked around, blood was racing up towards the orb that was suspended in midair. Over the city itself. It was clearly building towards something.
Her eyes tore upwards as the sky crackled, green energy began to arc and race across it. Growing brighter and more insistent with each blast. As if the very fade itself was leaking into the real world.
She cursed.
Pulling another arrow from her quiver, still facing away from the former Imperial Mage, she spun round, landing on her knees, bow held out horizontally, and loosed her arrow.
It stayed true to its target, but she whipped around, hand outstretched, the arrow cracked in half. And Kara landed once more on her butt, bouncing, and panting.
"My dear Kara Trevelyan," Vivienne said using her sweetest tone, and her most pitying look, "you must know by now that you cannot defeat me. Your world will end as you know it. For too long me and my kin have been trapped on the other side, marveling at the wonders of this world, no more. The time of Men is over. The time of Demons is beginning."
She turned her attention back to the orb, power racing between the two sources. She was channeling massive amounts of magic.
Probably where she gets the shield from, Kara thought begrudgingly. But she could tell that the whole world was busy ripping itself apart. She could feel it on her very skin. The air itself was being wrent asunder.
Not like this, not now.
She thought reaching for her quiver, her eyes widening when it came up empty, only brushing against a single arrow.
A quick mental check confirmed what she had already grasped. She had just one arrow in her quiver, and it had to be a blue tipped lyrium explosive.
Panic set in quickly. Her heart thundered in her chest. Her whole body ached with the effort she had put herself through in the last several days.
If all my arrows before now couldn't do anything what makes me think that one arrow will suffice for the task at hand? She asked.
Then everything stopped, in a moment of clarity, as if he were there with her, Iron Bull's remarks thundered back at her. "Remember, a single arrow can change the course of history."
She breathed. Once. Twice. By the third time she realized.
In one fluid motion the arrow, her last arrow, was nocked to the string, she came up firing, diving back for the roof. The arrow once more flew straight and true. Once more Vivienne turned to meet it, but over balanced.
The arrow she thought was meant for her sailed over her left shoulder.
Straight into the orb.
The explosion was blinding. Kara threw her hands up to protect her face as the green energy rushed outwards. First engulfing Vivienne, then in a single eye blink she was thrown. Thrown skyward, off the roof, into the air, plummeting for the earth. Landing hard on her back and her head she blacked out.
Coming to was difficult. Her senses commanded her to get up. To obey. To move. Her job still wasn't finished.
She staggered to her feet. Gathering her feet under her, and she almost toppled back over. She was bleeding, that much was certain. It felt as though her scar had somehow reopened. The entire world was a blur before her.
Yet one figure was clear at the center of her vision.
The lady Vivienne. Madame de Fer. About a dozen feet in front of her.
Kara limped, her right foot dragging in the dirt behind her. She could tell that there was a battle raging around her, yet she did not dare flinch from her duty. Practically crawling up to the downed mage.
As she approached it became clearer that the mage should have been dead, yet clearly wasn't. Her head was twisted at an unnatural angle, looking at her, her right arm was bent back upon itself. And more importantly her right foot was collapsed and folded underneath her.
"No," She moaned, "the world could have been…ours…all I had to do was…stretch out my hand…and the world would have bowed at my feet. It's…all your fault."
The mage held out a clawed hand, magic racing to the finger tips.
"Not today," Kara breathed, unsheathing her knife and jamming it right into her eye socket. Then slit her throat for good measure.
Everywhere around her, as she collapsed, the dead joined her. Back in death. The spell broken. The breech sealed.