Chapter Two - Faultline
AN:
Warning: AU, Possible OOC, Possible Triggers, Lanuage, Spoilers
Disclaimer: I don't own anything save for Ma'Rel.
Ma'rel followed Cassandra quietly up the snow-covered path. He was partially lost in his own musings as they passed fleeing and terrified soldiers. Screams about the end of times and praying to the Maker to save them filled his sensitive ears.
He said nothing in response to the rather pathetic display. He assumed it was reasonable that they would be paralyzed in blinding terror. Survival instincts could cause even the bravest soldier to cower in fear after all, he presumed.
Coming to that mental conclusion, he reluctantly conceded to their actions. He still thought they were cowards by running away, however he could also understand why they did. The sky was torn open, demons pouring out of said hole, with no end to their countless numbers.
While he had yet to see a single demon himself, he could feel the tear in the veil. His skin instinctively crawled at the feeling of the massive energy rippling through the air and it made him want to grit his teeth in discomfort.
No, despite his attitude and general apathy towards helping the female before him, he still believed her. It was hard not to after all with the green tendrils crawling up his left arm and the massive chasm of energy in the sky. It wasn't a matter of belief or disbelief anymore. It was more a matter of long term planning that drove his motivation and thoughts.
He was not meant to get out of that conclave alive. At least his survival wasn't supposed to be this public. He knew that much for sure, and now that his survival was out in the open, it would only bring him problems in the months to come. However, he mused as he glanced at the woman leading them, he couldn't tell anyone the full extent of the situation. He'd rather the world think of him as a selfish prick who thought of no one but himself than have others pry into business not their own.
As he walked one, lost deep in thought, he was caught completely off guard as the pain in his hand flared to life once more. He couldn't help but yelp in surprise and collapse into the cold snow below, clutching his burning hand with his other one.
He could vaguely hear the sound of hurried footsteps approaching him above the deafening sound of the rift above. He thought it was one of the many soldiers who were fleeing to aid him, however much to his surprise he instead saw the steel boots of his captor.
He glanced up, his vision slightly blurred from the pain overloading his senses and could see her looking down at him. He couldn't make out what she was saying as she bent down, but he could make out the worry etched in her face. It was weird for her to be worried, he thought idly, but he guessed that it was only a means to an end for her as well. Without him, she had no way of possibly closing the breach in the sky.
So it was, with great reluctance, that he grabbed her extended hand as the pain subsided and allowed her to hoist him back to his feet. He couldn't hear what she was telling him still, something to do with the mark he assumed, all he could focus on was the now receding pain in his limb. Instead he mutely stared at her as it subsided before opening his mouth.
"That can't be good I assume." He said, his voice cracking slightly from the pain as he found his footing.
"Like I said, the pulses and expansions are becoming more frequent." She said in response, shaking her head.
"Right." Leaving her no room to continue the conversation, he continued up the hill towards what he could see as another large bridge up ahead. He could hear her sigh quietly to herself as her footsteps fell in line with his.
He just wanted to get this over with. Maybe if he could seal the stupid tear in the sky, he could still slip away and fade away from the keen eyes of his pursuers. Maybe even if he was lucky, Cassandra could prove useful and unwittingly provide him a means to escape his life on the run indefinitely. However that was something he wouldn't worry about at the present moment.
As the pair came upon the bridge, Ma'rel allowed Cassandra to once again take lead. There was no advantage in making the guards stationed on the other side thinking he was trying to escape. So in order to maintain their fragile peace he slowed and allowed her to pass before following himself at a respectful distance.
And their footsteps echoed silently on the stone, neither of them could have foreseen what would happen next. The sky pulsated once more followed by a loud explosion. Before either of them could even turn their heads in reaction, a ball of unstable energy rocketed towards them and violently crashed into the bridge.
Below them, the structure gave way and crumbled beneath their feet as the stone ruptured and crumbled towards the frozen earth below. A startled yelp escaped their lips as they were forced down below with the infrastructure.
As they fell, Ma'rel couldn't help but reach out his hand towards the woman in a vain attempt to help lessen the impact. He would deny such an action if asked, but even he didn't want to see his only source of answers become permanently injured or debilitated.
With a soft thud, the two rolled onto a deeply frozen river, the ice biting into his exposed skin as he tried to regain his senses. Cassandra recovered first from their unexpected detour, he noted, their bodies having just rolled down a small mountain of snow and debris. The unsheathing of her weapon and shielding hitting his ears as he himself stood up shakenly and looked around.
Her back was to him, facing a small crater where the pulse had cracked open the previously frozen river and unleashed a slew of demons. She stood firm in and ready for the assault, even despite the overwhelming odds that she now currently faced.
He inhaled the bitterly cold air sharply as he quickly scanned his surroundings and couldn't help but silently thank his luck as his gaze landed on a staff lying discarded nearby. He quickly moved forward and grasped it, a ghost of a smile gracing his features ever so briefly as felt his connection with the channeled magic inside.
Ignoring the corpse nearby in favor of the sounds of fighting from his newly appointed traveling companion, he returned his attention to the fighting woman and small hoard of freshly spawned demons. Such distractions, such as the already deceased, would not serve either of them right now after all and would only result in them joining the nameless dead.
So with a deep breath, he allowed the lyrium in his body to flow, gritting his teeth in discomfort as he did so. His body felt like it was on fire as the energy coursed through his body and into his newly acquired staff. He watched in silent awe, just as he had countless times before, as the crystal atop it glowed for a moment before hurling a fireball towards the aggressors.
Cassandra tensed for a split second as the controlled flame exploded near her body but quickly recovered and resumed her assault. The elf wrote her brief tension off as surprise, having not expected the action without so much as a warning. It's not like he ever implied he was an apostate, an illegal mage, or showed any sign of magic in their brief conversations.
As another fireball erupted from his staff, he let out a sharp exhale. His blood boiled from the heat coursing through his veins, a direct result from his magic. It was a cost he paid for his abilities, a fair trade off in his mind.
Wiping off a stray bead of sweat, he took the small opportunity to survey the battlefield.
The demons number were now much more manageable, only a couple remaining, due to the combined efforts of Cassandra and himself. However, he noted that the ice that surrounded the woman was starting to thin and crack, a direct result from the constant shifts in weight and barrage of fire.
Even with the few that were remaining, he could not guarantee the integrity of the frozen water. He didn't want to risk sending another fireball in their direction and causing the stress of it all to bring not only the dark haired female into the frigid waters below, but also himself.
So with that in mind, he allowed himself a moment to channel the lyrium that was flooding his veins into a different direction. Within a fracture of a second, the burning that overloaded his senses subsided and was replaced with an acute piercing sensation as electricity raced throughout him. He could only grit his teeth slightly as he had no time to focus on the pain, the energy building up in his crystaled staff before shooting out a bolt of chain lightning to the remaining two demons.
He watched as the bolt of electricity made contact with the nearest demon before jumping toward the other. Cassandra moves back, making sure to get out the line of fire and lowered her sword as the electricity coursed through the shades.
After a moment, making sure the two electrocuted demons that were beginning to smoke and smoulder were not an immediate threat, he cautiously walked closer to the woman. The shifting of the ice made him uneasy at best but he forced himself to relax as he stopped a few feet away from her.
By this point, the demons were reduced to nothing but ashes, their dying shrieks echoing in the air before the disintegrated into nothing. However despite the lack of any immediate threat now, Ma'rel could see that Cassandra was still tense. As he opened his mouth to question her alert stature, he was caught unprepared as she quickly spun around and faced him, her sword raised to his neck.
"Drop your weapon." She demanded, taking a cautious step closer to him.
Standing his ground as she approached him slowly, he couldn't help but be amused at the sudden aggression from her. He wasn't surprised at all, he was a prisoner of hers after all, so this turn of events was to be slightly expected. After all, who wants a prisoner running around armed, especially an apostate of all things.
"Alas I don't need the staff to be dangerous but if it will make you feel better nonetheless.." he remarked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he bent forward, intending to place the staff down. While he did so, he kept an eye on her expression, in case he needed to defend himself against her if she were to attack.
However it was not needed as she instead scoffed in what he could imagine was annoyance and spoke, "wait."
He paused and cocked an eyebrow quietly, silently allowing her to continue with what she was going to say.
"I should remember you didn't try to escape and..." she paused and shook her head as she trailed off before continuing, "I cannot protect you from the demons completely, keep the staff, while I know you don't need it, you should still have it."
As she finished her statement, she sheathed her weapon, giving him a gesture that she meant no ill will or had any intention for trickery. He hesitated at this but straightened his posture back up after a moment, his gaze never leaving hers while he did so.
"You have just as right as anyone else to defend yourself," she continued after a brief moment of tense silence, "take these, I doubt this will be the last fight we get into during our little...detour."
She unclipped a small satule from her waist and extended it out to him. He sheathed his staff, strapping it to his back, before grasping the bag quietly and pulling it closer to him before opening it up to preview it's contents.
Inside the bag were about eight securely sealed glass vials filled to the brim with a bright red liquid. Taking on out he lifted it up to his face and studied the liquid curiously. He knew not what it was, obviously it was something that was supposed to aid him in their travels but other than that, he had no idea. It didn't remind him of anything he had seen back in the Dalish Clan that he had originated from.
"It is a healing potion, used to heal major wounds whilst in a fight." Cassandra said, noting his confusion.
"I see…" Ma'rel muttered as he placed the small vial back in the satule and clipped it to his frayed pants.
After making sure that the satule was secure and wouldn't fall from his side, he glanced at the woman and silently nodded his head in acknowledgement. She sighed in response and turned to start walking up the nearby snowy slope before pausing and glancing back at him to make sure he was following. He blinked at her and started up after her before following suit.
The two traveled the winding snowy slopes in relative silence as Ma'rel studied the surroundings around him. They followed the frozen river mostly, fires from explosions of the Breach dotting the winding landscapes. As they traveled, they came across more waves of demons and wraiths. These following battles, however, were less climatic than the first one, now that Cassandra was accepting that her prisoner was armed.
Ma'rel used their time to study her fighting tactics while he dealt damage from a safer distance. The albino could admit to himself that the woman was highly skilled and not brashly running into each fire fight. She instead attempted to use some kind of subtle strategy to her attacks.
This, in turn, made his life easier as he wasn't having to worry about if she was going to get in the way of one of his spells. The last thing that he needed was her getting caught by a stray fireball or getting in the crossfire of the electricity coming from his staff.
Another perk of being in the back was he grimace without the female warrior noticing or questioning it. He did not want her to see him in any more pain than she already had, if nothing more than his pride's sake. That and he didn't want the lyrium induced markings on his body activating unintentionally from the constant firefight and have any more unnecessary attention than was already directed to him, placed on him. Being an apostate was bad enough, having some unknown and potentially hazardous little trick could spell disaster.
As they finished another small wave of demons, he sheathed his staff and walked up to the woman. She was coated in blood and snow and was breathing heavily from excursion.
"Here." He muttered as he reached into the satule attached to his hip. Grabbing a vial he extended his hand out in a silent gesture of offering. Cassandra looked at him as he did so, arching one of her eyebrows for a moment in slight confusion and surprise, before taking it.
She quickly popped the top off the vial and downed the contents inside, grimacing at what he presumed to be a bitter taste, before screwing it closed again and handing him the empty vial. He took it without saying a word, placing the now empty glass back into the satule, not knowing what else to do with it.
"Um, thanks." She muttered as she wiped her face of invisible liquid. With each passing second, Ma'rel could see the woman become more and more alert, with superficial wounds slowly healing in turn.
"Don't mention it, seriously don't," he said as he closed his satule and turned away towards the next snowy slope they were to ascend, "besides it wouldn't help my case if you were to die on me here."
Without another word, the albino apostate started up the slope, taking the lead for a change. Behind him, another pair of footsteps crunched into the snow, signaling that the woman started following him.
As they made their way up the steep hill, he couldn't help but mull over his last words. It wasn't that he wanted to come across as an asshole but at the same time, he knew that she was only tolerating him as a means to an end. That being said, there was zero reason to trust her.
A loud explosion followed by shouting and yelling up ahead pulled him out of his thoughts and he paused midstride. He glanced around and at Cassandra, the woman having stopped next to him. The sounds of fighting continued, metal coming in contact with flesh and the sounds of spells being former and casted towards unseen enemies filling the air.
"We are getting close to the rift, c'mon we must help them." Cassandra said as she started up the snow covered stone stairs once more.
"Wait!" Ma'rel said, not expecting the woman to burst into a slow sprint. As he attempted to match her pace he unsheathed his staff and continued, "who's fighting?"
"You'll see." Was also she responded with as she quickly made her way to the top, the apostate following shortly behind.
She didn't pause to wait for him as she made it to the top and he watched as she jumped off a crumbling stone wall into the midst of the fray.
So instead of complaining he followed, gritting his teeth suddenly as the pain in his arm once again as he jumped down after his companion. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the the concentration of green energy erupting from his marked hand once again. However that was not what had his attention.
While the pain was blinding almost, what had him floored was the rift that stood in the middle of the makeshift battlefield. All around the tear, one that mirrored the much larger one that was expanding in the sky, demons and soldiers foughts relentlessly.
Not wanting to waste anymore time though, he shook his racing thoughts to a halt and focused on the battle at hand. Carefully, as to minimize harming the soldiers that were attacking the shades and wraiths, he channeled his focus back into his staff and let loose a barrage of electricity.
His electrical blasts came out in short bursts, combining with the ice based one from somewhere behind him. While it surprised him at first, as he had not been expecting another mage to be in the vicinity, he didn't question it. Instead he focused on the endless waves of enemies.
As time went on, and the battle raged, many of the soldiers that had been aiding Cassandra and Ma'rel fell to the demons that spewed out of the rift. From what he could tell, other than himself and his companion, there were only two remaining, a dwarf with a weird looking crossbow and the apostate he had acknowledged earlier, a fellow elf from his brief glance at him. He knew this couldn't keep up forever, something had to give. Whether it be the last of his allies falling to the demons or even himself collapsing from exertion.
However, after what felt like eternity, there was a slight break and the demons slowly starting to thin out, fewer and fewer popping up out of the rift with each passing wave. That was why, when the other elf suddenly appeared behind him and forcefully grabbed Ma'rel's marked arm he was caught off guard. Part of him had wanted to deck the fellow mage instinctively but wasn't able to as the one holding his limb pulled it forward, the rift seemingly engulfing it.
What he felt next was nothing short of weird and unearthly. The mark on his hand burned of course, but it wasn't painful like it had been up until this point when exposed to the rift or expanding breach. Instead, it was almost like a tugging and to tingling sensation overtook it. As of his flesh was being peeled off, numbed by some foreign anesthetic, while it did so.
It only lasted for a moment, the whole process, even though to him it felt like eons, and the next he knew, the rift was dissipating before his eyes. As it did so, the other mage released his arm and took a step back, a smile gracing his features as he did so.
Ma'rel jerked his now free arm back and stood in awe at what had just happened. The smaller rift had been closed, effectively sealing off any demons from entering through the weakened veil.
"It seems that theory is correct, your mark holds the key to closing rifts," the elven man said.
"Then it is possible that it can close the Breach itself." Cassandra said as she walked up to the two. While the elven man nodded in response, another voice from behind spoke up as well.
"And just when I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever," a third party chimed in.
Ma'rel kept quiet, catching his breath, and instead used that time to finally study the two other allies that had joined the duo. The bald elven man, the one who had grasped his arm and pulled it into the now dissipated rift, was pale in skin with light tan robing on. From the rough state of them, he could tell that the fellow apostate, made evident by the staff, did a lot of traveling opposed to staying in one place.
The other man was the dwarf he had seen earlier with the large odd looking crossbow. He had light red hair with stubble around his face. He wore a light tan coat with a dark red shirt underneath, however it was unbuttoned, exposing his bare chest that was covered in thick chest hair.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," The dwarf said, giving him a smile, "didn't think I would see you here Fenris."
"I- who?" Ma'rel asked, tension lacing his voice as he blinked his gaze away from the dwarf uncomfortably.
"My apologies kid, I thought you were someone else, you look just like him, though I should've known better, he wasn't a mage - hated them frankly. Anyways, I am Varric Tethras, rouge, story teller, and occasional unwelcome tag-along." He said with a cheeky smile, giving Cassandra a wink. The woman scoffed in disgust.
"Ma'rel." He muttered in response with a curt nod. He didn't want to come across as rude but at the same time he didn't want to give away any information that he may end up regretting at a later date.
The dwarf looked and studied him with a gaze that told him that he wanted to add something to his previous comment. Though as they stood in momentary silence, however, and before he could do so, Ma'rel turned his gaze to the other elf, the apostate that had forcefully grabbed his arm. Whatever it was Varric wanted, the albino just knew that it was something that he didn't want third parties hearing.
"How did you do that? Close the rift that is." Ma'rel asked. He got a chuckle in response from the elven man as he looked at the albino in amusement.
"I did nothing, it was all you, I merely had a theory after studying that mark on your hand, one that was proven correct it seems. I am glad to see you still live though." He said with a small smile.
"What he means is he's the one who kept you alive while you slept." Varric chimed in from behind.
"Right, anyways I am Solas, since we are all giving introductions," the apostate said, "and like I said I merely theorized that the mark could close the rifts and maybe even the Breach itself based off my studies in the Fade."
"You studied in the Fade?" Ma'rel asked, curiosity getting the better of him. While he was a mage himself, and thus no stranger to the Fade and its residents, he couldn't see himself willingly entering the Fade on his own accord.
"Like you, Solas is an apostate," Cassandra remarked from behind. Ma'rel glanced back at the woman and arched an eyebrow.
"Really? Here I was thinking the staff was just some fancy bow and arrow." The albino said with a roll of the eyes. Cassandra scoffed in response and muttered something under her breath but said nothing else.
"I believe we are all apostates now," Solas said, grabbing Ma'rel's attention once more, "but I digress, we can speak of this another time, when the Breach has been sealed and the demons dealt with."
"Exactly, but first we need to make it to the forward camp and meet up with Leliana." Cassandra said as she started walking towards a nearby staircase, one that was obscured by fallen planks. As she vaulted over, she paused and glanced back at the remaining three. Solas followed first, not wasting any time as he climbed over the ledge and stood next to Cassandra, gazing out into the distance.
"C'mon kid," Varric gave the albino a pat on the arm as he walked by before following the woman and apostate in getting over the planks. The dwarf said something to the woman, she scoffed in response, not humoring the shorter man with further words
As the three waited for him, Ma'rel took the brief moment to glance around and exhale sharply through his nose. He couldn't help but frown slightly at the sight of the dead soldiers that littered the ground, their blood soaking the cobblestone around him. How many people were throwing their lives away for some futile war? How many were still clinging to life with some vain sense of hope that he would be able to help? He didn't want to be their saviour, he didn't even think that he would be able to save them.
These thoughts swirled in his head and he couldn't help but let out a deep breath. As he glanced at his marked arm, he could make out the lyrium infused scars beneath the small green tendrils. He wasn't a hero, but he also didn't have a choice in the matter. None of them did.
But, he realized, it didn't matter what he thought. These people would force him to be some hero or damn him if - when he failed. He was screwed either way it seemed.
Deciding he didn't have a choice either way in the matter, he let out another soft sigh. Lowering his marked arm back to his side, he stepped forward, his bare foot crunching in the snow as he did so. They would realize their foolishness eventually, whether it was sooner or later was yet to be determined. So it was, with one more glance towards the Breach that swirled menacingly in the sky, he continued forward and jumped over the fallen planks.
So it didn't take as long as I originally thought, who'd thought. Anyways I figure it will probably be once a month that I update this thing cause I am juggling my lack of personal life and work on top of this. Thanks again for reading the chapter and continuing to give it a chance, I'm sure this isn't the next big hit but its fun and it kills the time.
That and I appreciate each and every one of you guys who takes the time to read it. Anyways at risk of rambling for far too long, I will go.
Thanks once again.
-Xana