CH.37 The past never stays buried.
Cassandra groaned as she sat up and looked up, or what she thought was up but it looked like down instead. Looking around her, Cassandra found the twin wardens above or was it below her on the ground. Loghain was also on the ground, but he looked to be unaffected by floating mountains.
{Seeker-mommy, why is this mountain Simra is on, upside down and flying?} Simra's musical voice called from a nearby boulder.
Simra was sitting cross-legged on the peak, she looked like a very confused puppy as she floated by. Cassandra despite the danger they were in nearly laughed at the sight, a crash of thunder drew everyone's attention. Asaaranda appeared from the small carter she had made, Cassandra sighed in relief at the sight of her soulmate alive and well.
"Sparks any idea on how those of us without magic are suppose to get down?!" Spinner yelled, as she walked down the boulder Simra was on.
{Jump?} was the only response she got, Sighing Spinner leapt.
"Ow!" Silva yelped, as Spinner landed on her.
"I am not a landing pad." A droll remark from Taeris Followed, Simra leaping into his arms.
Cassandra shrugged and leapt for her soulmate. {I believe this is the part where you swoon and say 'my hero'?} Asaaranda teased with an raised eyebrow.
"Ugh, my hero, now will you let me down?" Cassandra said, smiling as she was set down.
They had barely begun making their way through the twisting landscape, when the smell of a burning battlefield reached them. Asaaranda went bone stiff and Simra's face contorted into a snarling mask, before Cassandra could ask what was wrong it appeared.
A skeleton that looked elven by its height and build, only this thing was very strange even for a demon. It was on fire to the point of its bones being more like, bone shaped embers and the sound of it walking was like the sound of metal swords grinding against each other.
{Greetings my Asaaranda, I see that you have grown more skilled since last we met.} the voice sounded like brimstone grinding together, Cassandra reached for her sword when she heard something else.
Simra hissed like an angered cat, with her ears flat against her skull. {Begone Demon! I am not letting you anywhere near my Asaara-mother!} Simra hissed while glowing from head to toe in power.
Everyone but Asaaranda looked at Simra in confusion and a little fear, as the elf had never shown this level of hate. Even when threating others about her loved ones, she never glowed with this much hate. Cassandra drew her sword and shield, moving to flank her daughter and protect her soulmate from this demon.
{Hate me all you want, it only feds my power child. Beside I am simply here to deliever a message and a gift, surely you would not deny help when it is offered?} the demon rasped, Simra only growled in response.
{Do what you came here to do Resentment then leave, it is clear you are not want here.} Asaaranda rumbled, the calm dealings her soulmate was showing this demon floored Cassandra.
{I came to deliver this message, soon my end of the deal will come. The other part is this, I come baring a gift from your parents.} Resentment rasped, and with a gesture summoned a set of weapons.
Cassandra saw that the weapons were of qunari make, a sword and buckler floated next to a dagger and sword pair with a strange longbow floating next to them. The 'gifts' floated across the space and stopped in front of Cassandra, Asaaranda and Simra respectively. Cassandra carefully sheathed her weapons and grabbed the next set, and at once felt the powerful enchantments in them.
{There, my task is done. We will see each other soon my Asaaranda, do not die as I would hate to have to find a new vassal.} with that the demon vanished.
"Well sparks, that was something else, care to explain?" Spinner asked, Cassandra nodded even as she slipped the new weapons into place.
{Over twenty years ago when my magic first awoke fully, Resentment was there and told me that one day I would make a deal with it. the damn demon was right, when the monster that became my master got a hold of me I made the deal. In exchange for letting it reshape my magic and using me to get revenge on some targets, it would protect me from death and insure my freedom.} Asaaranda explained.
{So that is why you possess the power to raise the dead as you do?} Cassandra asked, Asaaranda nodded looking ashamed.
{My love I do not blame you for dealing with that demon, if it kept you safe and brought you to me then I am glad you did.} Cassandra soothed resting a hand on the shoulder of her soulmate, sad that the Vitaar prevented a kiss.
{Thank you, though why the AriQun sent us weapons, I can not guess.} Asaaranda sighed.
{Simra thinks that maybe she wants to protect Asaara-mommy, Simra knows that is what Simra would do.} Simra chirped, hugging her mothers.
"While I would love to stand around and play 'guess the thinking of people' how about we work on getting out of here, you know before something tries to eat us." Taeris called, from a boulder he standing on looking around. The group nodded and headed out.
_
Simra walked new bow in hand, beside Spinning bow as they walked Simra thought. She had hoped that Resentment was gone for good, she never trusted the demon that played both sides. It only ever seemed to care about pleasing its 'treasures', how one could please the dead memories of weapons was beyond Simra. She was so lost in thought she barely heard the talk with the false divine, she did notice her Seeker-mommy needed a hug.
{There, there Simra gives you hug.} She cooed as she hugged her Seeker-mommy tightly, Seeker-mommy hugged her back hard.
[Ma serannas ma' ashalan] she whispered, Simra felt a few tears hit her cheek before the hug ended.
When they encounter the small fears, Simra shivered at the sight. The things looked to her like the slavers and corpses of her clan, she flinched every time she saw one of the slavers smile. Soon they gather the memories of the past for Asaara-mother, revealing what Simra had though about the mark was right. It was an elven magic given by old magic, the divine was dead and the first fear was controlling the wardens.
With all the memories gathered and the spirits that had been lost in this place found and put to rest, the group looked to the rift and began making their way there. Simra could not shake the strange feeling that something was going to happen, and when it did it would change many things.
Notes:
Ma serannas ma' ashalan = my thanks my daughter.
weapons are on the wiki, sorry would post images here but do not know how.