"How dreadful," Morrigan complained as her and Solas surveyed the Forbidden Oasis. It was just past noon, and the sun was bearing down on them with no promise of respite. "Some oasis this is. Why, I think I already see a mirage on horizon," she added flatly. The land was dry and barren, all that the landscape promised was sand and disappointing snags to pass as greenery.
Solas passed a hand across his scalp; he'd forgotten sunscreen. A sigh escaped him. "We shouldn't have to spend too much time out in the sun."
She turned to him, lips already in a tight line. "We both know that this won't be as quick as we'd like." Morrigan adjusted her magenta tank top, which she was thankful to have worn with the weather the way it was. She then fiddled with her hair and redid the bun.
Solas made a few taps on his phone and then placed it to his left ear. "Yes, we made it. It's still early in the day, so we're going to wait a few hours. I'll contact you when we're done." He hung up.
He tucked his phone away and put his backpack on. Morrigan did the same, although not without a disapproving groan. Solas said, "We should talk to a few of the miners and see what we can find out about the region."
By the end of his sentence, Morrigan was already off in the direction that seemed bustling with activity. They walked toward the small mining town at the eastern edge of the Forbidden Oasis. Any buildings or settlements in the area were built to the corners of the land, as dusty, uneven escarpments and crags prevented from them being made elsewhere.
A man clicked his tongue in her direction and said in a Fereldan accent, "I think the Maker's blessed us today."
Morrigan tilted her head and answered unwaveringly, "My plucking out those eyes and tongue of yours would be a sure blessing from the Maker himself."
Solas cut in, "Do you have time to answer a few questions?"
The man replied, "Sure, but there's a few elves working here if you'd rather question them."
Solas bit back a bitter reply, but Morrigan answered for him, "If he wanted to talk to the elves, he would have asked them and not you."
The other man's shoulders slightly folded in. "Not my intention to be rude, promise. Ask me the questions you'd like."
Solas asked, "Have there been any strange bouts of sickness in your community?"
"Strange bouts of sickness?" The man rubbed his chin, smearing a bit of dirt on it. "No, I don't think so. Just all the normal stuff that comes with mining."
Morrigan rephrased Solas' question, "Has anyone's behavior changed?"
"No–uh," he ran a hand through his hair, "Bastien, this Orlesian fellow. He has been acting a bit…odd, if that's the word for it."
Morrigan replied "Then what would be the word for it?"
Solas replied, "Let him talk, Morrigan."
"Then he needs to talk for that to happen." They both expectantly stared at him.
The man stuttered a few times from the unease of having such attention on him but eventually got out, "He goes into…these states. He mutters things none of us can understand. It all sounds like gibberish. Eventually he snaps out of it, but it has been happening more often lately. And…"
"And?" Solas asked.
"He's been missing for about a week."
Solas and Morrigan exchanged looks. The other man continued, "There's has been search parties for him, but nothing. It's like he just vanished, it's not like there's anywhere to get lost either."
"Thank you for your time," said Solas as he gave a tight nod to the man and went off toward the mining town. Morrigan followed without another glance to the miner.
"If anyone asks, remember we're here for academic purposes," Solas stated.
"And what would our official excuse be? A pair of professors making their way across this wasteland?"
"It's believable. Mix that with us being tourists, and it would excuse any weird behavior."
Morrigan rolled her eyes and didn't reply. They soon checked into the only motel in the town and made sure to get rooms close to one another. After they a quick survey of the rooms, they met back up in the motel's small parking lot.
"The less time we spend here, the better," Morrigan said.
"Agreed. Now let's go find a good vantage point, we still have a few hours of sunlight left."
They stopped and talked to a few more of the miners and their family that lived in the area, but none gave any relevant or new information. So, they trudged forward and climbed a few of the rickety, wobbly and hastily made wooden stairs along the rock formations. By this point, they were already a good amount away from the mining town and the central area where the miners did their work.
Where Solas and Morrigan were climbing and surveying was a part of the section what was thoroughly mined of the minerals the Envers Mining Company sought.
To clear her mind from the precarious stairs beneath them, Morrigan shifted the bag she wore and said to him, "So, when are you going to tell little Ellana the real reason we're here–you're here?"
"You say that as if I told you."
"True, but you have said to me a great deal more than to anyone else. Now, I won't pretend it isn't for your own gain, as much as it is mine, but my question still stands."
Solas plucked at his shirt to let some air through it. "She doesn't need to know more than what I've told her."
Morrigan's eyes narrowed at his back and waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, you are the arbiter of your decisions, but don't be surprised when sweet Ellana bites back."
He stopped climbing and turned to her. "For what? For not telling her the reason I was inside the catacombs that night? Because of this?" He dug into his messenger bag and pulled out a worn skull that had a distinctive and gleaming stone in the right eye socket.
"That you are capable of casting actual magic? Yes."
"If I remember correctly, you can as well."
She put a hand on her hip. "Listen, I don't care what you're here for or who bats their eyes at you. What I care is that you don't hinder me. And you souring relations with Ellana is the last thing needed."
He tutted. "And there is the Morrigan I know."
"Are you going to keep standing there until the wood gives out and we fall to our deaths?"
They finished their climb and found a good vantage point. Far enough away to be out of sight from people straggling along and high enough to get a good view of the Oasis. It was also a spot nestled in shade, which would ease their physical exhaustion and make it easier to use the ocularum.
Solas moved the skull around in his hands and asked, "You have the map?"
"Yes." Morrigan took her tablet out from her bag.
He took a deep breath and tried to ease his tightened features – knitted brows and squinting eyes wouldn't be helpful. Raising the skull and placing it before his face, he peered out the side with the crack in the base.
The crystal lodged in the ocularum shined brightly, briefly blinding Solas before returning to normal. He took a few moments to blink and readjust his eyes; that was a silly mistake for him to make.
"Anytime," Morrigan drawled, already sitting and waiting with the tablet and stylus in hand.
Solas looked through it again with a silent sigh. The crystal formed a kaleidoscope of images, and with a flick of his hand it cleared up substantially. As he meticulously eyed the Oasis, his mind contemplated what Morrigan told him earlier.
Was she right in saying that he should tell Ellana more? As it was, he only told Morrigan the bare minimum and the two of them agreed to a temporary alliance, both fueled by their own motives.
Although working for Divine Justinia wasn't something Morrigan had envisioned for herself, Solas knew she was taking advantage of everything to her disposal – the same as he was doing by joining Leliana and her team.
The smallest twinge of guilt hit Solas when he remembered what he told Ellana and Leliana – that he used blood magic, which was the farthest from the truth. He was preying on everyone's ignorance on how little they actually knew about magic. And even if they thought they knew a lot about it, like Dorian or Vivienne, their knowledge would pale when faced with real casting or manipulation.
"There, above that bridge." Solas passed the skull to Morrigan. After she looked through it to confirm, she marked the approximate location on the digital map.
Solas began his search again, and several hours later, they had identified fifteen shards in the region. Night was creeping up on them, and they decided to walk back to the motel and split for the night. Tomorrow they would wake early and search for the shards.
He pulled out various preserved foods from his bag, not keen on buying anything fast to eat. This would serve him well enough until they returned back to Orlais soon. If not…he tried not to think of what his next few dinners would be in that case.
After a quick meal, he showered, changed his clothing, and sat on the bed with the intent of studying the shard imbedded within the skull. The reason he'd been in the catacombs that night.
While his power was severely dampened, it wasn't inhibited. Morrigan, on the other hand, he was surprised to feel that familiar energy that radiated from her when they met. She and him were possibly the only two that could fully manipulate with the Veil as thick as it was. The reason why she could, Morrigan never revealed – not that Solas had told his either.
With each artifact that was activated by Ellana, Solas felt the Veil lighten ever so slightly. Felt the weight he carried on his shoulders lighten ever so slightly.
The guilt.
That familiar pit in his stomach formed, and his grip tightened on the ocularum. Busying himself with paperwork and reading was the appropriate solution in this case; it numbed his straying thoughts and focused his mind to something singular.
In the middle of a rather dry textbook, his phone vibrated. A message was sent to the group chat, which Solas argued he didn't want to be a part of but was added anyway.
Varric Tethras – 9:36PM
(multimedia message)
We've been having a hell of a time.
The photo attached was blurry from the bad lighting, but it showed Blackwall, Cole, Ellana, Vivienne, and Harding. Around the fire, Ellana and Cole were sitting next to each other, both looking distinctly bored, Vivienne was to their left reading a book, and Lt. Harding was standing at the edge of the photo speaking to Blackwall.
More messages came through.
Dorian Pavus – 9:36PM
I hope that's sarcasm.
Cassandra Pentaghast – 9:37PM
I wish I could have gone.
Dorian Pavus – 9:37PM
I don't think you know what you're saying.
Sera – 9:38PM
what i miss
Iron Bull – 9:40PM
Nothing, Sera, nothing.
Solas muted the phone and resumed what he was reading. Such a dull book, but dull was what he needed.
Maybe it was too boring. He'd already read several more chapters but couldn't find the strength in him to read any more about a human's incorrect interpretation of ancient Tevinter's rise.
Placing the book away from himself, he again grabbed his phone. He did the right thing to silence it as he skimmed over the messages in the chat. It wasn't anything of importance, to which Solas wondered what the point of it all was.
His eyes landed on a specific set of messages.
Ellana Lavellan – 10:30PM
Very funny, thanks Varric.
Ellana Lavellan – 10:30PM
I'm taking all of you next time.
Of course on that night it was an elf that wondered through that maze of bone and decay. Of course it was an elf that disrupted his plans.
Disrupted him.
He supposed it was a cruel bit of irony – the Fates teasing him. If ever he believed in such things, that was.
It was all supposed to be so easy. He'd been setting up for that night for months, making sure the process would go smoothly. Solas knew the woman already had an inherent sense for recognizing magic; he felt it that morning when he passed by the store.
The force of mana from the store was so strong that he had to explore and see what was inside. And inside there was a Dalish woman catering to both the elves and humans through her shop.
The same woman that he'd seen trawling underground while he made his own preparations those few months. He'd set up wards that prevented her from seeing him and from taking the path to the room that held the artifact.
What he foolishly didn't account for, however, was that his activating the artifact negated those wards.
He had been able to create an ocularum that night, but as a result, part of his magic also bonded to Ellana. During their next visit underground for the artifact he attempted to remove it but only solidified the magic to her hand.
Solas sighed. It was hard to be rife with mistakes.
In a moment of selfishness, he pressed her name and hit the call button. Several long tones sounded, and he was about to disconnect when–
"Yes? Solas?" He heard a bit of rustling at her end.
The memory of them at them in the Fade flashed through his mind. This was, indeed, a moment of selfishness. He shouldn't be allowing this to go any further than it has.
"Ellana, I was wondering how you were all doing." Solas meant it to come out as a question, but it instead came out as a weird statement.
"You saw the picture? Varric took it after we ate, and none of us even noticed." Solas heard her mumble near the end.
"…And you're doing well?"
"Yes? I'd say so."
"With blood?"
"Oh. Yes, I'm fine…it hasn't been long, you know."
He cleared his throat. "I'm aware, but with the unpredictable nature of the anchor, we don't know how it may siphon, especially with you in the Brecilian Forest."
"And how, exactly, would you be of help to me in the Forbidden Oasis?"
"Well, Cole should have vitamins to help alleviate any discomfort until you–"
"Okay, I get it," she changed the subject, "by the way, what did you do with that wolf jaw?"
"I buried it. Why?"
"You wouldn't wear it around your neck?"
"Why–why would I wear such a thing around my neck?"
He heard a muffled Blackwall yell over the line, "Ellana? Why are you up? We're going to head out early."
She ended the call with, "Well, Blackwall caught me walking around camp. Have fun with Morrigan." The line went silent.
Solas let the hand holding his phone fall on the mattress and felt regret for having called her. He shouldn't allow this, shouldn't encourage this.
Everything that was happening between them was just a natural reaction from the routine blood visits. And the fact that they were both elves. Nothing else.
Solas heard the ping of a new text on his phone while finishing the last of his tidying. He knew it must have been Ellana's text that she had arrived at the apartment complex. Putting away what was in his hands, he went to unlock the front door before doing the last of the light cleaning.
Not that he needed to do any cleaning, but it always felt appropriate for him to do so before she arrived.
Aside from Cassandra's team doing a search, not that they found anything, Ellana was the only person to have visited.
He was trying to stay at a distance from the rest of the team, but they kept inviting him and involving him in different group activities. Iron Bull even invited Solas to a chess match when they both had the free time.
In the smallest of ways, the Divine's inner circle was helping him become more open-minded, proving him wrong. Only a bit, after all there was only so much they understood or knew.
"It's Ellana," she announced while opening the door. Solas informed her that she didn't have to do that, but she still did it each time.
He looked around the flat; it looked sufficient. "Hello, Ellana. I trust your trip here was smooth?"
"The same as usual, it's Val Royeaux." She sat on the corner of his grey sectional and faced him.
"And I trust you incurred no demonic possessions, today?" He placed his weight against the back of the kitchen counter.
She shot him a pointed look. "You caught me off guard, that's all. And Morrigan…is Morrigan."
A recollection of a recent event, a dream. The drinks he packed must have had caffeine in them, which disrupted his abilities in the Fade. So, it seemed the spirits of the Fade chose for him.
"And I also trust you are prepared to visit Ferelden tomorrow?"
"As much as a person could be."
It was a quick motion, but Solas saw Ellana's left hand tense before loosening once more.
Ellana spoke again, "I'd ask if you're prepared for the madness that awaits in the Forbidden Oasis, but it would be a redundant question."
"Why would that be?"
Ellana eyes went wide, and she uninhibitedly laughed at him. He frowned.
"What warrants so much laughter?" He knew she'd probably make some snide remake about him sounding like a–
"It's just that you're asking me so many questions," her brows knitted and her face downturned, "and I'm usually the one asking them."
Solas ignored the feeling inside him that wanted to know what crossed her mind – what was haunting her thoughts. This was purely a transaction, that was it. The niceties needed to be put to an end.
He felt her gaze on him as he walked around the counter and grabbed a sharpened paring knife before sitting in a chair at the dining room table. She left her wallet and phone on the couch and rose to go to him.
She pulled out a chair and sat opposite of him, a palm opened for him to hand her the knife. It was all routine.
Ellana asked, "Anywhere in specific?"
"You always ask, and my answer is always the same."
She said nothing in return and grabbed his left forearm, sleeves already tucked up, and made a long vertical cut with the knife. As the blood bloomed, Ellana had her mouth against it.
He despised this part the most. He hated the way he saw her ears and cheeks instinctively warm, hated the way her grip on his arm tightened when she drank, hated how he could feel her tongue rove over every inch of the cut. How her teeth tugged at the edges.
Ellana made the second slice, and fresh blood bubbled. Now having already had a taste of it, her drinking was more frantic, more frenzied. He saw how the blood smeared on her cheeks, making that cursed vallaslin stand out.
As though life once again flowed through her, Ellana finally lifted her face while her chest heaved with slow, heavy breaths. The knife was placed on the table with a loud thud.
He watched as her eyes fluttered close when that ever-familiar rush ran through. She winced a few times at the intensity.
Solas allowed himself this – just this. No one was aware of it but him, not even Ellana herself, but as that unruly mana settled within her after drinking his blood, bright green tendrils of magic replaced the color of her irises that surrounded her dilated pupils.
As her breathing evened, he went to dampen two hand towels and returned. She half-nodded a thanks and began to wipe her face as he wiped his arm and the drips of blood that landed on the floor tiles.
Morrigan groaned. "I thought you said the last shard was in this vicinity, Solas!"
The two of them were already running over schedule, and it didn't help that all the shards still weren't found. And Solas was certainly not being of much help.
"It's…it's gone," he said staring at the location on the tablet.
"What do you mean it's gone?" She snatched the tablet from his hand.
"It's gone, I don't know how else to put it."
"How? It was just here yesterday! We checked through the ocularum multiple times."
He ran a hand across his head. "It doesn't make sense. Let's go back to the motel for now."
They began the trek back, when Solas suddenly said, "Wait."
"I noticed as well. What do you suggest?"
"I don't know."
They were being followed by a blonde, leather-clad woman in the crevices beneath. She was a good amount below Solas and Morrigan, so neither could jump down to her. There was a set of wooden stairs the led down, but that would instantly draw her attention, and then whatever upper hand Morrigan or Solas had would be gone.
Solas walked to the edge and veered over. "Hello. Is there something you need?"
"Solas, is it? All of you have been quite the fuss for Tevinter."
Morrigan jutted her chin toward the woman. "Who are you?"
"Calpernia."
"Well, Calpernia, out with it," Morrigan retorted.
Calpernia stared at the two of them for a few seconds and said, "Your Justinia has the wrong impression of the Black Divine. Of Tevinter."
Solas' face scrunched in disgust. "Tevinter prides in its sordid history and reputation."
Calpernia shook her head. "You're wrong. And as a gesture of goodwill, I'll give you this." She shined the final shard in the sun.
As soon Calpernia took out the shard, Morrigan was already heading down the stairs and motioned for Solas to stay where he was.
"So," Morrigan leisurely walked down, "a gesture, was it?"
"And a reminder that we are following your efforts in Orlais and Ferelden. You wanted our attention, and now you have it."
"Ah, that certainly changes the meaning of goodwill now, doesn't it?" Morrigan reached the bottom and stood a few feet away from Calpernia.
Calpernia held out the hand with the shard and dropped it into Morrigan's own outstretched one. "The Venatori are trying to accomplish what not only benefits Tevinter but what will help the whole of Thedas. Something we desperately need."
Calpernia turned to leave and said with her back turned, "The both of you know better than most that the Veil is so thick we're suffocating." She said nothing more and they watched her leave.
Morrigan climbed the stairs back to Solas and tossed the shard to him when close enough.
Catching it with ease, he then pulled out the velvet sack from his bag that held the others.
As he did so, Morrigan commented, "They know more than we expected. Who knows what else they already have knowledge on," she rolled her eyes, "Cassandra and Leliana definitely won't be happy about this."
"I thought you would have delighted in the idea of irritating Leliana?"
"Normally."
"We're ready to go." He skimmed over the shards, counting them and put the new one with the others.
Through the gorges of the cliffs, the early afternoon sun beat down on them as they trekked north in the arid climate. Morrigan stared at the scan they took of the translation on her tablet.
While they were able to translate the entire document, there was a riddle they weren't able to solve, a riddle that supposedly told them what these shards were for. She side-eyed his back. Morrigan wasn't unfamiliar to the idea of withholding information, but she wasn't keen to have it done to her. She knew Solas didn't come across the ocularum by accident like how he had said but however he acquired it, she wouldn't pass the chance to use it. Turning her attention back to the riddle, she let her mind go through the various meanings it could have.
We are light of heart
Rid of what it is taught
And we are to start
To be rid of what pride had wrought
"Solas, what do you think of the riddle?"
"You haven't solved it, yet? I thought you already would have."
"Emma solas him var din'an," she said with a sneer, "your name is fitting."
Solas suddenly stopped and told her, "Say that again." He was holding one of the shards in his hand.
"Emma solas him var din'an."
Solas then said as if remembering something specific, "Emma solas him var din'an. Tel garas solasan. Melana en athim las enaste."
At that moment, the ground trembled across the Forbidden Oasis and raised voices from concerned miners were heard in the distance.
"Well. That was certainly something," Morrigan off-handedly muttered.
As their nerves began to ease, the trembling began again and was followed by a roar that the Oasis hadn't heard in many years – the roar of water.
"Morrigan, that boulder to the right! Go!" Solas ran and Morrigan was right at his heels. He jumped and managed to push himself on it successfully, and then held his hand out or her. She took it and was easily raised to where he was.
Their heads snapped to the right as water began to pour down from the tallest cliff above them and created cascading waterfalls.
The water filled the playa in front of them, filling the basin with clear, clean water. It not only transformed the scenery but scented the air sweetly.
That sweet water breathed life into the Oasis once more, and the snags that surrounded the lake shook with life and grew anew – roots slithered and dug through sand, and branches sprouted from thick trunks rippling with leaves.
"What did you say?" Morrigan accused him.
"The riddle…it wasn't meant to be solved but meant to have the reader recall a phrase. Arrogance became our end. Come not to a prideful place. Now let humility grant favor."
"Hm. Well, whatever you did, it caught everyone's attention."
"Yes. The magic seems to have calmed now and the miners will not doubt be here soon to inspect. Let's go." He slid off the rock and landed in shallow, cold water. "We'll have to walk through the lake and underneath the main waterfall. Beneath it they had a set of stone stairs leading to the upper level." He made a quick text on his phone saying they needed help with a distraction.
Morrigan walked in the shallow side of the water. "And that's our only choice?"
"It's either that or risk going through the old, abandoned mining tunnels."
"Fine," she groaned.
They were wading through when Morrigan crouched and began plucking a few of the fruits and leaves from a newly sprouted bush. Kneeling in the water, she also noticed freshly blooming blood lotus and pulled some up.
"Don't look at me like that, Solas. If I'm suffering this much, then Merrill will have to do something."
"No, it's a good idea. If possible, grab a sample of the water as well, but be quick about it. The distraction I asked for will only last so long."
Morrigan collected the plant samples and put the leaves in between book pages and the fruits in a pocket of her sack. She used her empty water bottle to take a sample – a contaminated sample but one nonetheless.
They resumed walking until they came upon the heaviest waterfall in the section. Morrigan scanned the area and like Solas said, passing underneath it was the quickest route. Going around it would easily cost another quarter hour, and they didn't have the luxury of time.
"Ladies first," she said while taking the brave steps forward to cross underneath. She prepared to spare a little of her magic to keep the bag dry.
That sweet-smelling water pelted down on her, cloying to her senses. Expecting it to be intense and beat down on her head and body, she was surprised that it was not painful at all. It felt like a soft pattering on her shoulders, and it rolled down her back in smooth rivulets.
The most surprising, but welcome realization, was that the water fueled her energy reserves – fueled her. Morrigan felt the prickles of her magic growing, something she had never known. That small reserve of energy she had that allowed her to cast was always sparingly used and carefully managed, as taught by her harsh mother. It was freeing to allow it to simmer at the surface instead of keeping it hidden and unused.
She then crossed the threshold and was at the foot of the steps. While waiting for Solas, she combed through her hair with her fingers to loosen any large knots.
After he joined her, they went up the steps to face a very tall and formidable looking door.
"What you said not only brought upon this slice of paradise, but also revealed the entrance. Interesting," Morrigan said.
Solas wordlessly took out the shards and presented them to the door. Energy from the door pulsed as if it had its own heartbeat. Six of the shards disappeared into the ether, and the fortified door opened to allow passage.
As soon as they entered, every fiber in Morrigan's body screamed for her to leave, to forget this horrid place. She fought her instinct to run and willed herself to help Solas tour the temple.
Before they had the opportunity to light all the veilfire braziers lining the damp stone walls, a haunting groan came from below them on the lower level.
It sounded again, but this time it was a strangled cry. Scraping echoed in the temple as whatever it was attempted to crawl up the stairs.
The sound transformed to a wailing, a plea for release. As they waited for the thing to emerge from the shadows, Solas placed himself in front of Morrigan, and she scoffed. She was more than capable of protecting herself, but Morrigan knew Solas did have stronger magic than herself.
Rounding the corner, the source of the whining appeared. It was a man, or what was left of a man that was poisoned by tainted magic.
His eyes were sunken in, and his skin was a dull ash.
"Please…please…I…help. Need." The man reached a dirty hand toward them.
"That must be Bastien," Morrigan said while stepping from behind Solas. She rummaged in her pack for the knife that was tucked at the bottom, but Solas stopped her.
"A knife won't do anything for him."
"I'm not going to let this man, if that's what he even still is, suffer longer than he has to." Morrigan would also want to bring his body for examination, but she omitted that.
"What he's poisoned with, it affects more than his body. If we simply kill him, his body will be open for whatever resides in this temple."
Solas held out a hand for her. "I'll need your help."
Taking his hand, Morrigan allowed him access to her energy reserves, albeit begrudgingly.
She felt it as Solas directed his magic to Bastien, allowing it to replace the maleficence and rid it from the man.
But that poison, that corruption tried to fight and keep its hold. Pure, bright anger echoed before Bastien fell lifeless to the floor.
Morrigan released his hand and knew by the look on Solas' face that everything must be much, much worse than anticipated.
A/N: Solas...is hard to write, haha ^^;;
In the game, I think Morrigan and Solas' dynamic is very interesting and thought it would be fun to expand on it in fanfiction :) I hope the chapter was enjoyable!
Also if you're wondering - the riddle was something I entirely made up, but the elven phrase used here was from the game (actually from the Forbidden Oasis!). :D