Wraiths stood on high ground, throwing their magic made of Fade light at unsuspecting victims. With a few swift arrows, they were silenced, to never walk the world of mortals ever again. Shades fell from her arrows, black blood spewing from their wounds like the fountains of Hell.
She ran to stand where the wraiths once stood, making the wounded sky rain omens of death.
Down below she could see Cassandra fighting alongside a short man with a crossbow, along with other soldiers who bore a uniform that was foreign to Talyn.
There was a growl behind her. She turned to see a shade reaching for her, an unending hunger in its black eyes. She ducked as it swiped it's deadly claws at her, quickly reaching into her quiver. Her body started to pleasantly burn as her pale blue markings started to glow, along with the arrow. She thrusted the arrow up, piercing the shade's oily skin. A high-pitched scream emitted from the shade, and it fell dead to the frosted ground, blue fire licking at the fist-sized puncture wound.
Talyn didn't have time to marvel at what had just happened. She looked down at the battle below her, drawing another arrow.
Then she saw him.
A lone elf standing near the rift, wielding a staff. He moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, his attention solely focused on the foes that were starting to surround him. No one on the battlefield saw that the mage was getting overwhelmed with demons. No one saw, or they didn't care.
Talyn reacted without thought. She dropped the bow in her hand, the bow that just a few moments ago meant the entire world to her, and jumped from her perch above the fight, twisting so she landed on her feet. Her mark throbbed with the nearness of the rift. As she ran to his aid, she bent to the ground and picked up a long forgotten sword, the weight in her hand being just as familiar as the bow. With her markings glowing, she charged right into the line of demons.
They stumbled backwards, breaking their wall that surrounded the mage. And Talyn fought with a viciousness she had no idea she possessed. Like the bow, it was as if the sword was an extension of herself. It was as if it was a sentient being that knew her every thought before she did.
Her body thrummed with energy, it's origin unknown. All she knew was that she had to help the elvhen mage beside her. Nothing else was more important to her.
She cut down a shade before it could strike the elf from behind. That seemed to break his concentration. He turned to look at her. When their eyes met, time stopped.
He was beautiful, even when he was coated in dirt and blood. There was something so familiar about his eyes that were as dark and grey as a stormy sea. She could almost see the violent waves and deadly lightning in them. There was a cut on his forehead that was dripping blood into his eye. Unthinkingly, Talyn reached up and brushed some of the blood off his face, as if she had done it a thousand times before.
He looked like he had seen a ghost. He was so still that not even a boulder could budge him, his eyes trained on Talyn. But at her touch, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.
Then the world came crashing down around them. Talyn tore her hand out of his and shouted a warning. The elf turned around and held out his hand. An ice spike flew from his hand and into the demon.
The elf then turned back to Talyn. He reached down and grabbed her left hand, holding it up to the rift. There was a burst of light, and something pulled at Talyn's hand. Then the rift was no more.
He lingered for a moment before letting go of her hand, but he didn't stop staring at her with that look on his face, like he had seen the sun for the first time. Talyn couldn't help but stare back at him. He was mesmerizing, like a statue come to life.
They only tore their eyes away from each other when the short man and Cassandra came jogging up to them.
"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not we can save the world." The short man commented. He grinned at Talyn. "My name is Varric Tethras, at your service."
Cassandra scoffed.
Talyn looked between the two of them. "Are you with... them?" She gestured towards Cassandra.
The elf and Varric laughed.
"With the Chantry?" Varric asked.
"Is that a serious question?"
Talyn turned to see the elf smiling at her.
"And who are you?" Talyn asked.
That smile, that happiness that made him glow, it all fell away as her question registered in his mind. But it was so fleeting, Talyn wasn't even sure that she saw it.
"My name is Solas."
"What he really means though, is 'I'm the one who kept that mark from killing you.' The green one, that is, not the lyrium." Varric said.
Talyn looked at Varric with a frown. "Lyrium?"
Varric looked confused. "Your glowing tattoo? It's lyrium. Shouldn't you know this already?"
Talyn's gaze dropped to the ground. "I don't remember anything that happened before this morning."
There was a moment of heavy silence.
"Thank you, for saving me." Talyn looked up at Solas.
He just smiled. "Let's keep you alive, shall we?"
"We must hurry to the forward camp." Cassandra broke the silence. "I pray to the Maker that Leiliana made it."