Trigger warning: spiders are in this chapter. Feel free to skim those paragraphs if you like.
Ellana made her way around the Grand Cathedral trying to remember where Leliana's office was located, although it was rather difficult to keep her mind from wandering. All she could think about was of that kiss in the Fade, and the thought of it just made her want to cringe, but it also made her feel light and fluttery. That was something she would have never done awake, but her emotions just felt so heightened, so palpable, that Ellana gave in to them last night.
"Oh, how glad I am to have run into you, Ms. Lavellan."
Ellana's head snapped up. It was Divine Justinia. "I–I…It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Justinia – Divine Justinia!" If the cringe she was feeling before could get worse, it most definitely did. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit nervous." Ellana bowed hastily.
The Divine let out a little laugh. "It's nothing uncommon, don't worry. And there's no need for such formalities like bowing." Her personal guard took a step back and allowed her to approach Ellana. "I assume you're searching for Leliana?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'll bring you to her, follow me."
Ellana silently kept in step with her, the guard warily watching them from behind. Distracted in her thoughts, she must have gone farther than she intended in the Cathedral and entered in an entirely different wing. One that she wasn't supposed to be in.
"I have been meaning to meet with you, Ellana. I meant it when I said that I was glad to run into you."
"Oh, did you want to see my hand? It doesn't glow unless I'm near something connected with magic." Ellana lifted her left palm to show the scar, imperceptible in the daylight.
Justinia examined it, the Divine robes shifting as she did so. "It was not the reason, but I cannot say I wasn't interested in it." She resumed walking and explained, "I doubt Leliana or Cassandra have said anything, as they are wary of the thought, but what do you think of making our presence known officially?"
"Of…your various investigations throughout Thedas?"
"Yes."
"I think that it will certainly catch attention, good or bad, I can't say. It depends on the kind of angle you're trying to spin."
"So candid! That is refreshing."
Ellana didn't reply.
"And would you be the face of it to the public, Ellana? A bright and dedicated Dalish woman who has made her way in Val Royeaux?"
Before Ellana had a chance to formulate a response, the Divine said, "Leliana's office is up the stairs and down the hall to the left. And please, think on it." Ellana stared at the elaborate robes as Divine Justinia left to go on her way.
"Come in," Leliana called after Ellana knocked on the door. She stepped in and warily made her way to Leliana's desk, eyeing all of the items displayed on the bookshelves lining the walls.
"Vivienne wants permission to be allowed inside access."
"Ah, yes. Vivienne." Leliana tore her face away from the computer and leaned back in her chair. "She must think the whole situation funny."
"She did seem quite amused, especially with not giving you an invitation." Ellana sat in a chair in front of the desk.
"You don't have to worry about this, I've already sent Vivienne a contract detailing everything she is allowed access to. I expect alterations from her to come soon enough," Leliana replied with a minor eyeroll and a wave of a hand.
"Oh! That's all? Why did you have me attend the gala, then?"
"Appearances. I do not want to know the fuss she would have made if you, Varric, Dorian, Josephine, and Cassandra didn't go."
"Well…this went better and faster than I anticipated." Ellana rose from her seat.
"Not so fast, the reason I asked you here was entirely different."
Ellana sat back down and waited for Leliana to explain.
Leliana began, "We've made significant progress uncovering artifacts across various regions, as you are aware. I've also been having Harding preliminarily scout regions of interest. This is much easier to do now that the public is focused on Tevinter."
"And you've found something."
"Yes. As you probably remember in the initial reports given to you, the Brecilian Forest has become of increased interest. Lt. Harding and her team found a maze of underground Elvhen ruins. They've done light sweeps of the area, but before we begin bringing back anything of interest, I'd like you to go and see if you find anything else we may have missed."
Ellana let out something between a scoff and a laugh. "I feel like I'm a guineanug."
"We want to see how your hand reacts to everything before we disturb the area, but other than that, you are one." Leliana let out a light laugh herself. "I've sent the contents for this trip to your encrypted email. Please view it soon, as I've scheduled for your departure tomorrow. And if I were you, alert those you want to accompany as soon as possible." Leliana smirked and held a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Then I guess I'd better go. Thank you for everything, Left Hand of the Divine."
"And it'd be advisable not to forget my title." By the time Leliana finished her sentence, she already had one earbud in and was clicking away at her keyboard. As Ellana left the room, she most definitely noticed the slight smile that graced Leliana's lips.
Wending her way through the vast halls, the thought to visit Merrill, and Morrigan by proxy, would be a good idea. She could talk to Merrill about the store, and Morrigan would undoubtedly have something to say. The trick would be finding the way to their wing.
Ellana bit her lip and muttered under her breath, "I'll eventually find it..."
A grueling half hour later, she recognized the area. Another ten minutes later, she finally found the lab and knocked on the door.
"Merrill, the door!" Morrigan yelled.
The door soon swung open, and a mildly disheveled Merrill was before her. "Oh, Ellana! Please, come in!"
"Thank you. I hope I'm not intruding in on anything."
"No, no! Not at all."
Ellana stepped in and nearly immediately Morrigan rang out, "Ellana? I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not. Where one is, the other is probably close by."
"Wha–" Ellana began to vocalize when Solas emerged from the closet door on the far side of the room. "Oh."
Solas gave a curt nod before grabbing a tablet and heading back inside the hidden closet. Ellana shook her head to clear her thoughts – more like the recent memories from their visit to the Hissing Wastes – and placed her attention on Merrill. As soon as she did so, the other elf's face perked up.
"Was there anything you needed?" Merrill asked.
Ellana held up an index finger. "First thing was that I wanted to thank you for looking after the store."
"Of course! Your shop is filled with so many curiosities and oddities, it was much fun going through it all. I look forward to doing it again while you're gone." Merrill's cheeks warmed, and she tucked away an errant strand of hair.
"And that leads me to my second thing – was there anything of interest when you examined the items?"
"You didn't get the data sheet?"
"That would be a no."
"Morrigan!" Merrill scolded. Morrigan merely gave a wayward glance to them and lightly shrugged her shoulders.
"Follow me, Ellana. I'll print out the data sheets we compiled for you." Merrill led her to an office adjacent to the main area.
Ellana surveyed the office, noting the two desks placed inside. One was large while the other was a typical size; it wasn't hard to guess who owned which. Merrill sat at hers and began typing away at the computer.
"I knew you were smart, Merrill, but I didn't know you were this smart." Ellana observed all the awards that littered the desk.
"O–Oh. They're nothing, I promise."
"Is it related to why you're no longer First?" The question that had been burning in her mind slipped out.
The whir of the printer filled the sudden silence between them.
After a minute or so, Merrill meekly replied, "Yes."
Ellana turned to her. "I shouldn't have asked that, it's not my place. I'm having my own troubles and I was just wondering. That's all, Merrill."
"No, it's perfectly fine to ask. We can chat about it when you come back from Ferelden, does that sound all right?"
"Only if you want to."
"I do," Merrill replied while stapling the printed sheets together. "Here is the data we accumulated. Nothing particularly stood out, but you might find it interesting to read through."
"Thanks, Merrill!"
Merrill brushed off the thanks and told Ellana that she had some work to do in the office. When Ellana returned to the main room, she found that Morrigan disappeared. Alone in the vast lab with objects littering the tables, Ellana meandered around until she stood near the closet with the eluvian.
She wasn't aware she was staring at the door until she heard rustling behind it. In a rush, Ellana grabbed the stapled packet and began reading the results. Well, more like staring at the page and rereading the same thing over and over to look busy.
Solas came out again, clipboard in hand. He was surprised to see her there. "You're still here."
"I am? Yes, I am." Ellana put down the packet on the edge of a table near her and made eye contact as suavely as she could manage. Eye contact was confidence, right? But her nervousness was dampened as she caught the corner of the eluvian through the crack of door Solas left open. "Can I see it again?"
"Absolutely, let me grab more paper and I'll be right in."
Ellana entered the large closet but made sure not to close the door behind her, a futile effort as the door made a resounding click when it closed on its own.
All alone with the tall, scary eluvian. Right on time, her hand glowed fiercely. The only thing missing to complete the atmosphere was the lightbulb unexpectedly going out.
She took small steps to it like it were an animal that could be easily startled.
Ellana stood in front of the towering, ancient mirror. The glass was semi-reflective, and her silhouette was more a series of blobs than anything. She ran her right hand across the mirror's elaborate edging, feeling the carved grooves and porous stone. With her right hand gripping the edge, she glided her left hand across the glass.
She swore the glass felt soft – almost like liquid underneath her fingers. Tracing her fingertips along the surface, the shadows and blobs the mirror reflected twirled and swirled. As if drinking it, the eluvian absorbed the energy radiating from the anchor.
"Ellana!" A strong pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and jerked her away.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Ellana asked.
Solas' brows knitted, and his expression was filled with concern. "I kept saying your name, and you didn't respond."
"It's nothing," she wriggled from his firm grip, "I was watching how my left hand reacted to the glass. Same as last time, it fizzes."
Judging from his face, she knew he didn't believe her one bit, but he at least let go of her.
He cleared his throat and said, "I regret to inform, but I won't be able to join you on this trip to Ferelden."
"You just assumed that I'd have you come with us?"
"Are you saying my assumption was wrong?"
Ellana took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "Fine. What's the reason?"
"Morrigan and I will be traveling to the Forbidden Oasis tomorrow to investigate the region ourselves."
"The Oasis? Why? It's a mining region. Not to mention, it's reportedly riddled with crime."
He exhaled and took a few steps back to put his weight against the wall. "I assisted Morrigan in deciphering a document from Elvhen that mentioned bouts of madness when those who stay in the area for a prolonged period of time."
"Wait – as in ancient Elvhen?"
"Yes, that would be correct."
"That must have been…difficult to say the least." As languages evolved and changed over the millennia and centuries, Elven changed with along with them, absorbing and borrowing words from other languages. Not to mention the multitude of new words created. Aside from structure, essential parts of grammar, and a portion of vocabulary, Elvhen was nearly entirely different from its modern counterpart. Well, probably not that different, but it certainly seemed that way to Ellana. With wars, the destruction of ruins and literature, and the natural evolution of language, Elvhen was a lost and dead language.
"If what we read was accurate, translating would be the least of our issues." He ran a hand across his forehead.
"With all the resources Leliana has, they choose to keep sending us into such dangerous situations," she laughed.
"And I wonder who is to blame for that."
Ellana let out a huff. "I guess I deserve that, but only half of the blame. If you weren't there messing around and doing whatever you were, none of this would have happened either, you know."
"Valid, I suppose."
Ellana went to the door and opened it to step out, Solas right behind her. When she exited, Solas still stood inside. She said in a quiet voice, "What I did last night was impulsive. I hope it doesn't change anything."
"Of course. I'll see you soon enough again, Miss Lavellan. Sweet dreams," he replied, with an emphasis on the final sentence before returning to the eluvian.
"Ellana, close that mouth of yours. Don't you know that's how you get possessed?" Morrigan remarked mockingly.
She took the packet and swiftly left after saying goodbye to Merrill.
"Nothing like the great outdoors," Varric dryly commented as the group trudged along. Winter's chill was at their heels but not yet overwhelming. They were taking an old hiking trail and following a map to where they were supposed to go.
"It truly is," Blackwall replied, ignoring Varric's sarcasm. "Nature provides more than we deserve."
"Nature is known to boost your mood, and sunlight helps with production of Vitamin D," Cole added. Since this trip took them far from any towns or hospitals, he was there to provide any first aid if needed.
"Ellana, did you learn anything of the Brecilian Forest in Clan Lavellan?" Vivienne asked her, changing the subject.
Ellana answered Vivienne but still kept a sharp eye on their surroundings. "Only that it was land the Dalish favored a long time ago. Something drove them from the region, only after killing handfuls of Dalish and shemlen. They kind of try to avoid talking about it."
"I see. A shame, as I hoping to learn something new. Did they have any guesses as to what killed them?"
"I don't really remember. It was something about a sickness."
"And spiders," Cole commented. "Records show that there were attacks."
Vivienne rebuffed, "The last known sightings and reports on those Megarachne were almost a thousand years ago. And even before then, there were reports that species were severely dwindled due to human and elf habitation."
"Enough about the spiders, I'm starting to feel itchy," Varric said while adjusting his jacket.
"Well, if we do come across one, it shouldn't cause too much trouble." Blackwall patted the gun holstered on his hip.
Ellana grazed a hand over the steel knife sheathed on her own hip. It felt odd to keep it on her, but it was safer than keeping it in her backpack for this trip. Elgar'nan forbid that she needed it, but it wouldn't be useful to keep it in her pack.
She did note to herself that she liked having it at her hip. It somehow felt comforting that if she needed to protect herself, she could. It didn't hurt that it was the one weapon she felt comfortable sparring and training with.
During the time that she occasionally flew out to activate artifacts and such, Ellana had to attend more physical and self-defense trainings. It was a gradual process, but she was no longer lagging behind as much, although Cassandra and Iron Bull still provided plenty of bruises.
On that thought, she realized the hiking was starting to take its toll on her. Wiping her palms sticky from sunscreen, sweat, and bug spray on her jeans, she reached for the water bottle in the left mesh pocket of her backpack and took a long drink.
"How long do you think we have left, Blackwall?" Ellana asked him.
"Don't know. I'd say a few more hours at minimum." Blackwall peered around him, eyes squinting in the early afternoon sun. "We can take a short break now, but we'll have to pick up the pace to reach camp before nightfall."
"Sounds good to me." Ellana plopped on a rock nearby shaded by a tall, lush tree. She let her legs relax and bumped the toe of her boots together several times.
"You shouldn't sit there. Ticks," Cole told from behind her.
Ellana jumped up. "You scared the wits out of me, Cole!"
"It's not abnormal to be scared of ticks."
She shook her head and smiled. "Thank you, Cole. I'll stand over here where it's less grassy."
"Y'know for people helping the Divine, you'd think we'd get a little more assistance at a time like this," Varric complained, "like a car…or something."
"We do that, and our location would be known. Less attention this way," Blackwall answered him.
Vivienne smoothed down her jacket. "We'll be out of here soon enough, Tethras. And don't pretend that this isn't useful research for you and your fiction."
"Just like this isn't research for you?"
"Exactly."
Blackwall clapped his hands together. "All right, let's get on with it."
Many mosquito bites later, they finally arrived at the camp. With a bit of hustle in their step, they managed to arrive in the late afternoon while the sun was still up. The camp was in a small clearing, but trees lined the perimeter. The ground was more gravel and random sprouts than the tall, wild grass from earlier. For being so deep in the forest, the air changed from feeling fresh to one that felt heavy and almost oppressive.
"Miss Lavellan, it's great to see you've arrived. We have everything all set up for all of you," Lt. Harding beamed while she toured them around the area. Aside from Harding and her scouts, there was a small group of templars to help assist if needed; Ellana saw that they were amply provided with various weapons. Guns, knives, and other stuff she didn't recognize. Whether that made her feel at ease, she didn't know.
The group followed as Harding led them through the area and pointed to different stations with their tables set up. There were sizeable and sturdy tents already placed for sleeping, and Ellana quickly noticed to be mindful of the wires running across sections of grass that connected to portable generators. At least she'd be able to use her phone and laptop, provided that Harding's team would let her use their hotspot.
After the tour, the group broke up and settled in different areas. Vivienne chatted with some of the people that already visited the ruins, Varric went to the weapons table and surveyed what was available, Cole was rummaging through their medical and food supplies, and Blackwall took it upon himself to march around camp and take watch. Ellana and Harding were the only ones left.
With rosy freckled cheeks and a grin, Lt. Harding said, "Miss Ellana Lavellan, we appreciate you taking the time to come down here."
"Please, just Ellana. And it's not like I had much of a choice," Ellana joked.
"But you're willingly came down here and have an interest in our work, and that's more than enough. It can be tough sometimes doing this, so it helps everyone to see you guys here."
Ellana placed her back against a tree and took a drink of her water. "It is strange that all the times I went out to activate something, I never ran into you or your group."
"There's always stuff to be done, so we're always on the go. Moments like this are few and far between."
The two chatted a bit more, and Harding brought Ellana the preliminary maps they had sketched from their sweeps. The maze wasn't as complicated as Ellana imagined, as many of the corridors and halls were blocked by either fallen rubble or thick, sprawling tree branches.
Harding's face became serious. "It's important to always watch your step. We'll be there with you guys, but you still have to mind yourself. There are traps laid out along some of stonework. Spikes in the ground, arrows flying from the walls, the usual stuff."
"I cannot wait to be skewered, how exciting."
They went over the plan for tomorrow, which was fairly simple – do a thorough walk through and head out. Easy.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Harding asked the group the next morning. Sunlight hadn't yet fully settled, and it shined through the treetops in golden waves; birds were fully immersed in their morning chirping to compliment it. The air was cool and crisp, feeling refreshing with each breath.
Ellana's group and those Harding chose to accompany chugged the rest of their coffee or juice and scarfed remaining food. Soon enough, they began back into the forest with Harding leading them.
Feeling apprehensive, Ellana loosely kept her hand near the knife. She wouldn't need it but just in case.
As they continued on, the foliage grew wilder and more erratic. Tree roots weaved through the ground and knotted around boulders, tree branches curled and unfurled in unsettling ways, and the grass slowly gave way to unruly weeds that wrapped around ankles and calves.
The worst was that everything seemed alive; Ellana and the others were intruders simply allowed passage.
"See the fallen tree trunk over there? That's where the entrance is," Harding said and pointed.
When they arrived, they were led through a crack in the trunk wide enough for passage. Harding explained it was the reason the ruins were discovered, and that it must have occurred due to age or bad weather.
Into the ruins they went with flashlights ready. The Elvhen ruins were damp and musty, which only grew in intensity the deeper they got. The stone was strewn with moss and dry chunks of wood. The team thankfully installed battery-operated lights along the walls, but they reduced the darkness only marginally.
"Human architecture in Elvhen ruins. Hm," Vivienne said.
"Can't believe I actually volunteered to bring myself here," Varric said, but he himself was also studying everything they passed.
"You didn't have a choice, Tethras," Blackwall replied and a few of the other scouts snickered.
As they walked the corridor, a rattling sound came from above them, causing caked dirt and grime to be disturbed and sprinkle down. Everyone took a few moments to shake their clothes from it.
Ellana sidled up to Cole while they took that small break. "Hey, you okay?"
"I am fine," he plainly responded despite the fact his hands were clenching the shoulder straps of his backpack.
The boy was frightened, and Ellana knew better than to prod. As they resumed their trip, she made sure to stay near him. It wasn't much, but she hoped it made him feel less anxious.
They went through different rooms and passages, Harding ensuring that Ellana visited every area. Nothing of interest was found in them and they kept moving. Eventually they arrived at a wide, open gathering area that was held with tall, corroded columns.
"This is the main room. Watch where you walk, areas marked with brightly covered spray paint are the traps we've identified. Keep to the tape trail we marked on the floor and be mindful of the wooden planks we put over a hole," Lt. Harding ordered. The group somewhat dispersed and ambled about the area. Vivienne was snapping photos with her phone, and the others were disinterested in doing anything themselves.
"Ellana, do you know what this statue represents?" Vivienne asked her, as at the front of the room there was a statue of a woman with her arms spread wide and gold metal stretching between her hands.
"No idea, I'd take a guess and say it's something devoted to the pantheon. If it is, it's Mythal…most likely."
"It reminds me of something that you'd probably have for sale," Varric inputted while moving his head side to side to analyze it. Ellana glared at Varric.
"Lt. Harding, ma'am, this wasn't here yesterday," a female scout called out from her spot, and Harding went to investigate.
"You are right, it wasn't." Harding signaled her team to do another sweep. Scouts and templars combed through the room they were in and through the others they hadn't yet been.
"Lt. Harding, what's the issue?" Blackwall quickly made his way to her, Ellana right behind him.
"This." She pointed her flashlight at her feet, and next to them lay a broken set of ribs and scattered teeth. "And this." The flashlight moved and brought clarity to angular white shards which were most likely bone as well.
"This means there is somewhere you haven't been that we may have access to," Vivienne said, while inspecting the ground. "If we find where it came from, then we may find historical articles, which is what we're after."
"What you're after, Iron Lady," Varric replied.
Vivienne tsked. "Dear, you always see right through me."
Ignoring their banter, Ellana went back to Cole's side. "You can always head back up, you know that, right? You don't need to stay down here."
"I'm here to render any immediate help if needed. I can't do that if I'm not here." She saw the slight smile he gave her underneath the hood of his jacket.
"All right–" Ellana's reply was cut off by the same sound again, except louder. This time, the ceiling entirely shook, and the columns trembled slightly, worrying the team.
Harding ordered, "Let's wrap this up. Ellana, there's two more rooms up ahead, go now and check them out–"
Everything went still as Lt. Harding pointed her flashlight at the wall to her left and the light landed on a tarantula her size.
"What the fuck," Varric whispered in the dead silence while he prepped his gun.
Harding slowly made a hand signal to inform everyone to stay still, and not a soul moved or said a thing. The spider didn't move as well, and they were all at an impasse.
At that inopportune time, Ellana's left hand crackled and made the spider skitter frantically. Within seconds, everything erupted. Guns were being fired and people are running around erratically, scared and also disoriented from the ricochet of the shots.
The noise and chaos disrupted more spiders from their territory, and they began to crawl steadily from a crack in the stone ceiling, most of equal or larger size than the first.
"Everyone needs to take cover – now!" Vivienne yelled. Ellana and Cole stood together behind a pillar.
The rest of the team scrounged to find something to hide behind as most of the spiders hissed and they expelled hairs, except that these were meant to pierce instead of irritate eyes or noses.
A templar cried out as one of the hairs caught them in the arm. Ellana peered from behind the pillar to survey the scene – bullets were starting to be fired again and many were also using their knives to hack and slash. It was hard to make out anything, as many flashlights were rolling on the floor, and many of the wall lights were damaged. But it seemed the spiders were never ending, constantly materializing and corralling everyone, blocking the exit.
She felt Cole stiffen next to her and as she turned her head, she came to face the largest spider yet perched in the corner before them.
In the lowest voice she could manage, she told him, "Cole, go to Blackwall."
"No." Cole held tightly onto his knife.
Ellana's left arm flared, gaining the attention of the spider; its legs and fangs twitched in response.
She immediately knew it was her hand they were drawn to – everything always was. A flurry of curses flew through her mind. It was why in Harding's previous visits everything was normal and there were no spiders rummaging around.
As if it were oblivious to Cole's presence, the spider was solely focused on her; Ellana knew she only had seconds to react before the spider did.
Ellana turned and ran from the tarantula, and it quickly responded by scuttling after her. Cole managed to rip a leg off, but it did nothing to dissuade the persistent arachnid.
It gained on Ellana and tried to jump on her and succeeded in knocking her over. She whipped around and held her knife steady, but saw that Cole got its attention and was grappling with it.
Before she could regain herself, a different spider jumped on her and thrashed with its fangs in an attempt to gnaw her hand.
Ellana choked back a cry and attempted to stab the spider in its thorax but failed due to its thick exoskeleton. Now that she had the chance to encounter a giant spider, she could without a doubt say she'd rather fight a decaying dragon and a man with claws for hands.
Finally, she was able to stab the spider and it did a few desperate thrashes before she pushed the knife upward as far as she could. Its legs instantly curled, and its mass landed on top of her. Before she had a chance to do anything, the flooring beneath her snapped.
"Ow…" Ellana mumbled as she struggled to stand, she had fallen pretty hard but fortunately landed on a mound of dirt and a mangled tree trunk.
She dug her phone out of the backpack, but it was useless, the impact from the fall damaged it. A long sigh escaped her. Here she was again – in some kind of hallway or tunnel alone, in pain, and with nothing to defend herself with. And the stale air made it difficult to breathe.
Ellana stared at the anchor, it was still glowing but not to the fervor it was before. Maybe…?
She held her left hand out in front of her, closed her eyes, and focused. When she opened them, it was exactly what she had wanted – green light flooded around her. It was a flashlight, indeed.
The situation was less than ideal, but at least the dead spider, or a live one, didn't fall with her. If anything was a win, it was that.
She angled the anchor above her head, the hole was filled with debris and dirt. So, that was a non-viable route to take again. Not that she would try to climb up it, but it would have helped the others reach her.
If they were still alive, that was.
Nope, she shook her head to push the negativity away. Lt. Harding's group were trained in fighting, and Ellana's group handled themselves well. And now that Ellana was gone, the spiders probably stopped appearing.
And were probably trying to get to her somehow.
Nope. She was not going to go there. Not at all.
Despite her avoidance at those thoughts, many more intruded. The worst one being a realization that she may not have air to breathe for much longer.
"Oh, Creators." Rubbed her temples with her hands. Maybe the anchor could make some air was well.
Stupid decision or not, she decided to walk through the halls in an attempt to find a way out. The architecture of the ruins extended this far down, so logically, there had to be a way up. Question was if it were blocked or not.
She noted the stone architecture here was more well preserved than on the higher levels. Ellana felt that she could truly see the intricate designs in the architecture, and the polishing of the stone. Shame her phone was dead because pictures would have been useful.
In her exploration, she came across a few ancient coffers filled with jewelry and clothing. Much of the clothing was made of a light, durable material and was meant to be flowy. Ellana emptied her bag of anything that could be left behind and filled it with as much as she could from the chests. In one, though, she found a leather-bound book completely written in Ancient Elvhen. Despite the aching in her shoulders and the bulging pack, she somehow shoved the book in there. Ellana could already imagine the cat fight between Vivienne, Solas, and Morrigan over it. Maybe Dorian would be involved as well.
If she were to die down here, it was nice to have found such hidden treasures, like some sort of elven pirate.
The main corridor brought her to a pair of tall wooden doors. The doors were carved with intricate spiral designs, almost uncanny in similarity to vallaslin.
Before she could think on her actions, a strong impulse made her push the doors wide open and stride on in. Standing in the middle of an otherwise empty chamber was a towering eluvian sitting on a raised dais. At the left and right of the eluvian there were simple, nondescript statues of humans holding swords at their sides. It was beautiful, the stonework was clean, and the glass of the mirror was immaculate.
The impulse grew stronger, and her feet moved one in front of the other. Ellana climbed the steps of the dais and stood in front of the mirror. Unlike the one she saw in Morrigan's lab, this one was different. It revealed scenes and images to her. It whispered to her.
It wanted her to touch it, to step beyond the threshold of the looking glass. The anchor longed to be reunited with it.
She stretched her left hand to it, and the color of the anchor became poisoned, turning from its normal hue to a shade of sickening blood red. Ellana didn't notice this, all she knew was that the mirror yearned for the anchor – for her.
"Sathan, tel'dera eluvian, da'len."
The voice of something calling to her, advising her, felt so far away, but she held onto that call. Ellana repeated it in her mind – please, do not touch the eluvian, child…please, do not touch the eluvian, child. But her hand was so close to being reunited with the mirror. Just a bit further. Do not touch the eluvian.
She was stronger than this. Ellana forced her left hand down and ripped herself from the connection to the mirror.
Taking a deep breath and hastily removing herself from the dais, she almost slipped on her own feet.
The eluvian had hairline cracks forming along the edges, and the glass was distorted with blotches of red and black. The statues at the sides were crumbling. This was not the mirror she initially saw.
Instead of the sweet nothings the eluvian murmured to her, all Ellana now heard were distorted voices chattering over one another, clawing for her attention.
"Da'len, please, let us leave this room."
Ellana forgot that someone – something spoke to her. Bringing her attention to it, she saw the grey colored wraith in the shape of a person. "A spirit?"
"I am a Spirit of Wisdom. Please, follow me."
And with that, she followed the spirit away from the tainted eluvian wishing that this wasn't another trap.
A/N: The 'Megarachne' is real! Well, it isn't a giant spider but it was originally considered to be one, thus the name. :) When writing Vivienne's line in that scene I knew she would prefer to use the scientific name for the animal, but I honestly don't know any Latin or Greek. And I don't fully remember from school how animals were named (sorry bio teachers, haha!). But I ended up finding 'Megarachne' and thought it was the perfect compromise! I also have arachnophobia, and now I know more about tarantulas than I'd like...and I don't recommended writing about them in a dark room :')