CHAPTER 32
Solas reluctantly made the long drive to Halamshiral that afternoon. Leliana had begged him, her voice uncharacteristically emotional, saying she needed his advice on an issue of national importance. He suspected the Empress Celine and her cousin Gaspard were attempting to assassinate one another again He never confirmed his suspicions, as when he was waiting for Leliana in one of the basement security rooms, Solas was urgently paged to attend a medical emergency in one of the museum wings by Briala, chief of staff (and rumored mistress) of Empress Celine.
Well acquainted with how devious Briala was, Solas half-expected to walk into a trap. Or at the very least, some sort of power play.
Grabbing the medical bag he always carried with him, Solas ran through the secret hallways that wound through the palace walls, stepping out of a cupboard right next to the Shrine of Andraste. He was greeted by the impatient Chief, her arms crossed over her chest. Inquisition agents had taped off the corridor with yellow police tape, and in the distance, he saw a few scouts-dressed in beige uniforms-talking to who looked like his colleagues Rodderick and Wynne wrapped in metallic disposable blankets. The type used to help those suffering from shock. Rodderick was crying, while Wynne attempted to console him.
What are they doing here? He wondered to himself, distracted by an eerie green light emanating from the shrine entrance, Solas felt his head throb, a familiar sensation indicating he was in the presence of powerful magic.
Solas wasn't sure if he should be relieved that he was called to an actual emergency, rather than one of Briala's petty stunts.
"What is going on?" he asked the auburn headed elf. She was dressed in a tight forest green dress with a square neckline. A sash tied around her shoulders embroidered with the empress' crest designated her high office amongst the palace administration.
"A faculty member, from your University," Briala responded in a posh accent typical of those born in the village of Halamshiral "Just so happened to accidentally unlock the veil fire in the shrine."
"Why would there be-" He recalled a conversation he had with Vivienne a few days ago mentioning the annual Department of Art History trip to the museum. What were the odds?
"Seriously, did you not know this was an Elvhen shrine? Did you not read the press? This is usually your thing."
"I-I hadn't given it much thought. Veil fire-no one's been able to summon-"
Solas felt his stomach flip. Peeking through the doorway he saw a tuft of blonde hair on the ground poking out from behind the stone altar. It couldn't be!
Ignoring Briala's aggressive hassling, Solas ran as fast as he could through the chamber. His focus was so intense he missed the silhouettes percolating over the golden tiles, along with the twinkling glyphs appearing on the walls like fireflies. Kneeling on the ground, a delicate face looked up at him, tattooed symmetrical branches on each high cheekbone. Solas realized with great dread; yes, it was Ellana.
Years of diligent practice had forced Solas to put aside his emotions when treating patients. Finding Dr. Lavellan unconscious on the dusty floor threatened to break all of his cultivated discipline in a matter of seconds. With a deep breath, he set about evaluating her injuries, doing his best to suppress any emotional knee jerk reaction that might put Ellana into jeopardy. Nothing he had faced before had ever been such a struggle. Not even jumping off a cliff hundreds of feet in the air.
He didn't want to admit it to himself, considering such things lost forever, but he cared for her.
The scholar's face appeared unbruised. Nor did Solas find any worrying indicators that she had hit her head on the altar. Taking out a stethoscope, Solas determined her heartbeat was normal and steady. If he hadn't found Ellana in such unusual circumstances he would have thought she was simply asleep. Her expression untroubled. Her breathing was slow and easy. Solas ran a wave of mana over Ellana's temple, pulling delicately at her aura.
It was always difficult to verbalize what the experience of magic was like. Sometimes, when Solas cast a spell he felt as if he were walking through a field of mist. Other times, it was as if there was a churning gyre in his chest. Nothing quite felt like veil magic. It wasn't dense, nor was it true delirium-it was as if consciousness was lodged between everything, material or otherwise. Ellana pulsated with the Fade. For lack of a better explanation, it was as if she had been pickled in the Veil.
In all of his prior experiences treating mages, Solas had never encountered such a situation before.
For the first time, Solas turned to search the room for clues. The walls were undulating with shadowy images. He couldn't make out the figures clearly, but Solas felt as if he were being watched. By who or what he couldn't fathom. Turning to look at the wall behind him, he spotted the esoteric glyphs of the Elvhen alphabet flashing before his eyes. Some of the characters were recognizable, but none of it was legible.
Judging from the way that Ellana's body was configured, she had slumped gradually to the floor, rather than fallen-to the ground, one hand extended towards the wall, she had touched the glyphs and entered whatever mystical state she was in. The force that had overtaken her was not physical, nor was it neurological. Magic was the sole remaining option.
Rubbing his anxious hands over his head, Solas mulled his choices. It was possible that given time, Ellana would regain consciousness. More likely, however, the strength of the magic would overtake her, breaking down her body over time. If Ellana wasn't fully capable of managing her dreams in the Fade, the extended time could expose her to possession, or worse.
Adrenaline and instinct gave Solas an idea, rummaging around in his bag he took out a vial of anesthesia and a needle. Carefully tapping the glass for air bubbles, he untucked his shirt from his belt, jabbing and injecting the medicine in his stomach muscle, he quickly lay down on the floor, sleep instantly washing over him.
If Ellana was caught in the Fade, Solas would find her.
He hoped he wasn't too late.