Determined, I stand before the doors only to hear the slight shuffling from my ears and turn, my eyes widening in horror to notice the bloodied Fen leaning against the concerned Solas with his poker face on.
"Be careful with her, she may bite," Solas warns the shaking troops who obediently nod and carry the shaking mess flinching now and again and hiss until Solas places his hand on hers. My brow raises when I spot a faint jerk of the body almost fearful of the touch but it slowly softens as she almost leans into his palm.
"Solas, what happened to Fen?" I question, my eyes wide in worry at the numerous burn marks scarring her skin along with the multiple bruises and cuts as well as he patches of crimson, stinging her once silver steeliness armour.
"She overdid herself on her limit of lyrium, she just needs rest, she will be fine you have other matters to attend to first," Solas informs me as I nod, my eyes lingering on the bloodied mess that is Fen. All of this is my fault, she has done so much for me and this is how I thank her, I'm…
"Now is not the time for doubt," Solas voice snaps me out of my thoughts as I turn to him.
"Am I that obvious?" I smile weakly at his simple nod.
"I am sure Fennic would not want you like this, be careful inquisitor," Solas warns me as I nod.
"Take care of her," I whisper worriedly.
"I will," Coolly, Solas nods as I leave watching them leave only to flinch from the angered roar of the dragon and approach the door once more, no more hesitation I need to do this, I have to…
Resolute, I take a step back watching the trebuchet fires, distracting the others however as the last one is used. I hear a familiar roar and next thing I know I am tossed aside like a rag doll to the side from the fiery blast of the dragon's breathe, destroying the trebuchet that I once used. I groan at the pain echoing in my mind, no doubt a headache will occur later on. My nose wines from the disgusting stench of ash as I hear the faint crackle, hiss, frizzle of the flames hungrily devouring the remnants of what once was a peaceful place. Shakily, I force myself to stand, ignoring the fear, the paranoia and the dread as my eyes narrow at the faint figure approaching, with composure and precisely causing another tsunami of fear to hit me as I take a few shaky steps back at the…the creature, the demonic blighted looking creature, half man, half lyrium either way this thing was no human being, it was a monster…
I stagger back from the heavy flames behind me to turn to the leaping dragon on all fours acting like a mabari eager to please their master. Horrified, I take more steps back, scared, terrified and fearful of the creature before me. Loudly, the dragon roars begin closer and closer as each step I take back the dragon greedily takes up more space, coming towards me.
"Enough!" The creature raises its claw like fists releasing a burst of red energy taking me aback and extinguishing the raw flames before us. Once acting as a barrier, a wall to protect me from that thing now dismissed with a flick of his wrist, causing another tremor of fear to enter me.
"Pretender, you toy with forces beyond your ken no more," The creature states as I stare in horror at the crystalized morphed face before me.
"Just stop this madness so we can talk. Tell me what are you? Why are you doing this?" I demand from him, answers that have been hindering in my mind since the start…
"Mortals beg for true things they cannot have. It is beyond what you are, what I was. Know me, know what you have pretended to be, the exalt, the elder one, the will that is Corypheus," Corypheus raises its skeletal dagger claws like arm to me, pointing at me through the flames and debris of this chaos.
"You will kneel," He orders coldly as I glare at the monster, the cause for all this madness, all this bloodshed, all this death and no guilt on its face what o ever…
"You're forcing this fight for no reason! I will not yield!" I shout scowling at the monster.
"You will resist, you will always resist, it matters not. I am here to anchor, the process of removing it begins now," Coryphaeus raises a old strange orb like artefact and releases a burst of raw red energy, making me cry out in pain as my marked hand is forced to be lifted up into the air as I cry out at the burning searing pain enveloping my hand, from the raw energy.
"It is your fault Herald. You interrupted a ritual that took years in the planning and instead of dying, you stole its purpose. I did not know how you survived but what marks you is touched, what you fail at rifts I crafted to assault the very heavens! And you used the anchor to undo my work, the gall, "Corypheus declares as I cry out in pain, clinging to my marked hand, hissing from the searing pain of separation as I kneel down, enduring the pain.
"What is this thing meant to do?" I demand from him, wishing to know its true purpose.
"It is meant to bring certainty when there's none. For you the certainty that is that I will come for it," Roughly I cry out as its dagger like claws sink into the flesh of my wrist as he roughly pulls me upwards, causing me to dangle down helpless.
"I once breached the fade in the name of another, to serve the old gods and the empire in person. I found only chaos, and corruption, dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused, no more I have gathered the will to return under no name but my own to champion with a Tevinter to correct this blighted world. Beg that I succeed for I have seen the throne of the gods and it was empty," Corypheus explains grimly as he tosses me aside, finished with me as I cry out in pain, when my back is pushed into one of the remaining trebuchets, hissing as I fall down onto the hard snowy ground…
The anchor is permanent you have spoilt it with your stumbling," He hisses as I scowl turning to my side and desperately grasping hold of the nearest weapon possible, a sword…just great.
Hazily, I stand putting on a brave face as I glare at him, sword in hand, shaking slightly as I glare, armed and ready to take out this creature.
"So be it. I will begin again. Find another way to give this nation a god it requires," Scowling, I glare only for my eyes to soften and widen when I notice a lone flare erupt in the sky, earning a small sigh of relief from me. Good there safe, all of them are safe…
"And you, I will not suffer from a unknowing rival, you must die," He orders darkly as I take in a shaky breathe and glare, glancing at my quivering sword and glance at the trebuchet, a small plan forming in my mind as I face the creature called Corypheus.
"You expect me to fight but that's not why I kept you talking, enjoy your victory here's your prize hope you enjoy the afterlife, don't expect the Makers or Andraste's mercy on you demon!" I declare kicking the trebuchet using the last one to launch and fire. Quickly, I flee dropping the sword that would only strike me down and flee as the avalanche begins to descend down upon Haven…
Don't worry guys I'm coming…
Next thing I know everything goes dark…
Quietly, the little girl sniffles, her bare feet shivering from the icy cold stone steps of the quiet tower. Her forest green hues sparkling in fascination as she uses her tiny frame to sneak past the tired Templars, smirking as she sneaks inside a certain room, her eyes turning wide eyed at the beauty that is the room, proudly, the bookcases tower over the young girl who stares in awe of the numerous books, each one with their own secret to hide…
Eagerly, the girl sneaks pass through the icy cold floor on her bare feet but she ignores the urge to shudder, her excitement easily numbing the nipping chill of the tower's coolness as she darts inside the library, eagerly reading book after book only for one in particular, cause a small teardrop to escape her lips at the familiar trademark of the horse…Trevelyan.
Sniffling, the girl bites her lip trying to force back the droplets of teardrops from staining the book below her but fails, earning a horrified gasp from the girl as next thing she knows, a tall dark shadow looms over her. Terror fills the young girls figure as her body becomes as cold as ice from the fear, devouring her whole, Templar no…please, please, please don't kill me, don't hit me like the rest, pleading the young girls watery hues look up only to widen in surprise when she meets a kind warm pair of brown…
"E-enchanter Lydia pleas-p-please don't report me to the guards…I…" Shocked, the young girls eyes widen at the soft loving fingertips wiping away her stray tears.
"My dear wasting such diamonds what troubles you?" Softly, Lydia questions the wide eyed girl, who looks out the window, recalling her mother and father, her departure….
"Papa? Why are my things packed?" Innocently, the young Evelyn questions the silent man no longer a smile gracing his lips as a look of guilt eats away at him as tears cascade down her trembling form. His eyes narrow at the calm composed woman. Her golden locks shining dazzling in the candle light as her green hues meet a pair of sorrowful onyx as his dark brown curls are tousled, stressed from the grease, evident in his shiny strands.
"How could you not tell me about this? You told me our blood was clean, pure she would be safe!"
"I thought she would be!"
"How could you hide this from me? Now she's going to have to go to the tower!"
"There must be…"
"Mama?" Weakly. the young Eve turns to the composed woman, Eve's eyes widen when seeing the glaze in her mother's normal dry eyes.
"Sweetie, listen…it's, it's not safe for you here not with your gift," The male kneels down smiling weakly at the confused Evelyn.
"But why? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry! I-I will be good, I will behave, I'll be just like the other-"
"No! Never say that, never be like those fakers!" The young father orders sharply to the scared crying girl.
"But what did I do wrong?" The young girl questions only to receive nothing but silence as she is grabbed by her arms, by Templars making her whimper.
"Daddy! Mommy I'm sorry please don't go! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Desperate the girl calls out but its futile as the couple merely hug one another, heads down refusing to look their daughter in the eye as she is dragged away from her home and into the tower, beginning her life in the circle…
"I miss home," The young girl whimpers sadly recalling the sorrowful memory…
"My dear, we all do but we were sent here for a reason, to improve our gifts, to become better than those for us and return to society, once under control, "Lydia informs the young girl. "Even you?" Evelyn asks, her eyes gleaming in curiosity, bringing a proud smile to Lydia's features.
"Even I, I grew up in Orlais, daughter of a noble and a…let's just call her lady of the night," Lydia smiles forcefully, relieved to see the girl innocence only to frown at the title, but not give a second thought to it…
"But why? I didn't do anything wrong, this boy wouldn't let me go, I felt scared and…" The young girl looks away guilt evident in her features.
"I hurt him, I hurt him, I- I didn't mean to he just wouldn't let go I was scared I-" Quietly, the girl begins crying as Lydia calmly hugs the crying mess, consoling the home sick girl.
"It's okay, we all get home sick sometimes just let it out," Lydia whispers as the young girl begins crying once more, hugging the older mother figure as she continues her whimpering, she slowly descends into a deep sleep as the older woman stands, with the young child in her arms, she takes her back into her bed, tucking her in and softly kissing her on the temple.
"Good night my dear Evelyn," She whispers softly as the small girl falls deep into her dreams and such of the fade…
"What would you have me tell them!? This isn't what we asked them to do," Cullen voice echoes snapping me out of my dreams…
Urgh…my head, hissing, I groan at the ache in my head as I force myself to rise frowning when I find myself in a cot? What happened? Is everyone okay!? Worried, I scan the horizon, my eyes turned to the group of adults arguing.
"We simply cannot ignore this. We must find a way," Cassandra argues.
"And who put you in charge? We need a consensus or we have nothing!" Cullen snaps.
"Please we must use reason, without the structure of the inquisition we-" Josephine intervenes as the middle ground.
"That can't come from nowhere!" Cullen states.
"She didn't say it could," Leliana defends Josephine.
"Enough! This is getting us nowhere!" Cass snaps silencing the feuding group.
Tired, I watch exhausted from the battle and now this, just great…
"Shh you need rest," I turn to the familiar voice of mother Giselle.
"I would but they've been at it for hours," I sigh tiredly.
"They have that luxury thanks to you," Gisele smiles down at me as I frown scanning the area only for my eyes to widen and my body to move as I turn to the tent across from me seeing a familiar pair of elves.
"He never left her side, no matter the thrashing or the biting," Giselle whispers smiling softly at the pair of elves as a small smile crosses my lips, happy to see the two safe and sound…for now.
Now to handle these dummies…