Loudly, the sound of rattling echoes in the empty cell. The ice cold chill of the prison wafts in the air as well as the heavy stench of iron and other liquids as the lone figure limply sits, legs open. The young girl, long snow white hair dangling down her drooped head as her numb, dead, despair filled blue hues gaze down at the smears of crimson all over the stone floor, her dull hues gaze at the numerous cuts, bruises and scars marred all over her form. Bored, she watches as her only entertainment as a stream of ruby red weeps down from her tiny slits marred on her skin, creating a tiny waterfall, generating a pool of crimson below but the girl doesn't care, her nerves numb to the stinging sore sensation of her bruises and cuts, as the ice wind of the cell causes a shudder of pain from the crisp nibbling's of the wind on her open wounds…
The girl flinches at the sound of footsteps echoing approaching her as she hears the creak of the iron door and flinches at the tapping of a staff.
Shivering, the frightened young elf looks up wide eyed at the smug older male hungrily gazing up her frightened form, his eyes eagerly devouring the sight of her bleeding with his lustful gaze.
"Tell me my little Fennic fox, who gave you the right idea of trying to escape hm? Was it that knife eared boy, hmph I was a fool to give that boy a job, pitying you like that, eyeing you like that, you're mine, mine and mine alone. I mean who would love a body so defiled, heh, like mother like daughter," Denarius smiles a crooked smile as his old, wrinkled, pale fingertips as cold as ice explore the young girls hips teasingly, his nails dig deep into the numbs girls leg, earning a quick hiss of shock as some cuts from his work prior are either re opened, causing another brook of red to appear and drip down from the tanned leg or sometimes he makes the thin cuts he caused prior to get bigger, causing a more heavier stream of copper to ride down her thigh, every now and again, the little girl cries as he creates new ones, like a cat exploring his new scratch post, his new object, his new toy…
"You're such a beautiful creature, it's a shame the world wouldn't be ready for someone as beautiful as you. They would taint you but that's why I have to protect you from the world," Happily, Denarius peers over, greedily, his tongue darts out experimentally licking the young girls neck, earning a look of horror, disdain and fear as he greedily nips at her neck, creating heavy hickeys now and again some even causing a heavier blood flow to cast down her frame as he roughly pushes her back earning a hiss from said girl…
"Such a pretty girl, such a pretty fox, my little fox, my little Fennic fox, you couldn't hurt a fly," He whispers huskily as the girl winces from the heavy stench of alcohol in his breathe as he teasingly touches her thigh, which goes higher and higher making the girl recoil back, only to squeak back in shock at the sudden hand snatching her throat, tossing her into the dark stone wall behind hear, hearing the faint crunch as another splatter of crimson teardrops drip down, staining her snow white hair.
"Now look at you, such a messy girl not obeying your superior, you got your hair all messy, your beautiful long hair, cutting it would be a shame to do so…" Denarius whispers darkly, his sadistic smile widening as his pressure on said girls neck increase, chocking her as his other hand continues its voyage, exploring and once again exploring her body.
"Such a pretty girl, my little fox…this body has only few services and you know that very well…" Slowly, the male stand smirking as the shaken girl limply bows her head, heaving desperate to regain her breathe.
"I refuse to do such activities in such a barbaric jail cell, besides I have other matters to attend to and I refuse to allow you to leave my side. I was a fool to give you such a freedom. You useless, whorre, worthless failure, Rattus, Denarius smirks teasingly caressing the disgusted girls expression as he unlocks her chains, smirking at the raw red skin on her wrists she shakily stands, crimson already dried from prior 'fun' coils around her tanned legs, earning a huff of irritation from the limping girl as he raises his staff and with a flick of his wrist, all signs of their 'fun' prior disappears, leaving the limping girl to bow her head and follow the smug male however as the tow are about to leave the chambers, she cries out in shock as he roughly grabs her by the throat constricting the shaking mess in his palms.
"Remember my little fox, you are nothing, you are worth nothing, you are nothing but a toy to play with, a scape goat and nothing else. Your parents never loved you and your mother gave you away because she never loved you, no one does, you don't matter to anyone, you are mine and mine alone, you have no value in this world and are my fox. If I find you attempting to escape or even speak to those knife eared Rattus. I will not treat you as lightly as I had prior," He gestures to the lone cell as the young elven girl obediently nods, numb to everything bringing a smug smirk of victory to the older male lips, ravenously licking his lips basking in the pain, the defenceless elf is under.
"Bring her to my quarters, prepare the bed for some fun," Denarius smirks at the shaking girl, who is roughly grabbed by her long snow white hair tainted in shades of pink and away from the man before her…
Startled, I rise from my thoughts wide eyed and terrified as my blood boils at our alien territory.
"About time you woke up," Fearful, I grab the nearest blade to me and strike, no, no, no, I won't, I won't, I won't…I won't bleed for him, I won't stand for this, I am something I am…horrified, my eyes widen as I meet the question look of a frowning Solas, calm and composed as I place a rusty knife to his neck. Dismayed, I take a step back, shakily holding the knife still clutching it as I jump out of the cot, eyeing the area…
Where are we? Where am I? What's going on!?
"Fennic, its okay, Solas voice snaps me out of my thoughts as I release a heavy breath of fear, wincing as he gently removes my knife from me and I take a seat, keeping a distance from him.
"Fenn-"
"Go," I hiss glaring at him making the abomination raise a brow. He's a abomination, he's just like him, they are all the same, I hate him, I hate them, I hate them all…
"Fenn-"
"GO!" I snap releasing a tense breathe as Solas calmly stands, hands raised.
"Its okay now, we are not in danger," He tries to assure me as I glare sharply at him. My eyes never leaving as he finally leaves me alone as I curl up into a ball, releasing a chocked sob…
I hate them all; I hate everything…I…I…
"I don't want to be cut again," I whimper as I toss the knife left on the counter aside, seething at the rustic blade reminding me too much, too much too much. I don't want to hurt anyone; I don't want to get hurt, why am I getting hurt? What did I do? Why am I so worthless!?
Eve pov:
Huh? Concerned, I glance at Solas leaving, looking conflicted while I glance at Fen looking as though she wants to kill everyone in sight, oh boy.
"That girl…she bottles a lot in eventually it will explode and cause such consequences," Giselle whispers as I turn to her.
"I don't know what to do about her, every time I try to ask about her, get her to open up she only partly does it only then to slam it in my face again," I sigh.
"It takes time," Giselle sighs as I glance worried at my friend, I hope she's okay she looks so scared…so, she reminds me of me apart from trying to be tough aspect…I feel a heavy pain in my chest for the poor elven girl only then to turn back to the feuding adults who exhausted, disperse from each one having enough of one another.
"The enemy could not follow and with time to doubt, we turn to blame. In fighting may threaten to us and Corypheus," Giselle whispers as I sigh missing this sense of blissful peace, a ceasefire often given to me when visiting my aunt…I sigh at the mention of her, I hope she is safe.
"Where is Corypheus now?" I ask worry evident in my tone.
"We are not sure where we are, which may be why despite the numbers and still commands there are still no sign of him, that or you are believed dead, without Haven we are thought helpless or he girds for another attack. I cannot claim to know the mind of that creature only his effect on us," Giselle explains as I nod in slight relief, I don't think I could stand another trek for a while; I sigh looking down at my numb and exhausted legs…
"But still yelling won't help, we need a plan, we need to calm down and think this through together, not argue like children," I reason.
"Another heated voice won't help even yours, perhaps especially yours. Our leaders struggle because of what we survivors witnessed. We saw our defenders stand and fall and now we have seen her return. The more the enemy is beyond us, the more miraculous your actions appear and the more our trials seen ordain, that is hard to accept no? What we have been called to endure, what we perhaps must come to believe," Giselle explains calmly as I bow my head in deep thought over her words.
"I barely survived, but still why would the maker choose me? Why would Andraste want a abomination to help?" I question as Giselle releases a exhalation. "The people know what they saw or perhaps what they needed to see the maker works both in the moment and how it is remembered. Can we truly know if the heavens are not truly with us?" Giselle questions silencing me.
"We spoke of how the black city was corrupted and the…the gods throne empty," I remark turning to Giselle for answers.
"Scripters say how magisters and servants of falsehood gods entered the fade, to reach the Golden City, seat of the maker. For their crime they were cast out as Darkspawn and their hubris is why we suffer blight and why the maker turned from us, if such of the claim of Corypheus. He is a monster beyond imagining, all of mankind continues to suffer thanks to him, even if a shred of it is true, all the more reason Andraste chooses to rise against him," Giselle explains.
"But he spoke of the throne being empty, what if I'm not…" I trail off fearful of the thought.
"If he entered that place, it has changed him out and within the living are not meant to make that journey perhaps these are lies he must tell himself rather than accept that he received the scorn of the maker, I know I could not bear as such," Giselle confesses as I release a tired sigh, exhausted from everything.
"Mother Gisele, I just don't see what I believe in matters, lies or not Corypheus is a real physical threat, we can't match that with hope alone," I confess sadly standing up, my eyes glancing at the quiet Fennic looking defeated, tired and overall fed up off everything as though she is in another world of hell, far worse than the one we are in.
Defeated, my shoulders slump and I make my way out of the tent in order to gather my pieces and think things clearly after everything. My heart aches when seeing the others so lost, so tired, so hopeless… frowning, my ears perk up at the soft footsteps as I turn to Giselle mouth opening as she begins to sing, a familiar and oddly calming song, a song my aunt would sing to me with my mother every night before bed…
Shadows fall
And hope has fled.
Steel your heart
The dawn will come.
The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come.
I raise a brow as I watch Leliana join in as well as others and a small smile crosses my lips as I begin to join in on the song, only for my eyes to widen mid song as many other survivors join in, bowing to me, much to my shock…
The shepard's lost
And his home is far
Keep to the stars
The dawn will come
The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come.
My eyes soften when I spot Cole kneeling down to Roderick…who I presume passed away. Rest in peace Roderick may the maker take you by his side even with the obstacles you have given us all, I hope Andraste gives you a warm welcome…
Bare your blade
And raise it high
Stand your ground…
I stand around, spotting Solas watching from afar, outside the camp, looing into it like an outsider…
The dawn will come
The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come.
"An army needs more than an enemy. It needs a cause," Giselle advises me returning to help those suffering as I release a tense sigh, feeling relaxed and more focused than ever…
Sadly, the chant ends as a sense of hope is given to us all, a small smile crosses my lips in awe of the power of the chantry, thanks to this, morale is boosted however I notice Solas join my side.
"A word," He turns to me and leaves as I follow Solas far from the camp, watching him expertly light one of the torches with a bright blue flame as he calmly looks down at the snowy grounds below us…
"A wise woman, worth heeding, her kind understands the most points that unify a cause or fracture it. The orb Corypheus carried, the power he used against you, it is elven. Corypheus used the orb to open the breach, unlocking it must have caused the explosion and destroyed the conclave. I do not yet know how Corypheus survived nor am I certain on how people will react to learn of the orbs origin," Solas reveals.
"How do you know this?" I questions surprised by his report.
"They were fokai used to channel ancient magic I have seen such things in the fade, old memories of older magic. Corypheus may think it Tevinter, his empires magic was built on the bones, my people knowing or not, he risks our alliance and I cannot allow it," Solas explains, my brow furrowed as I hear the clear determination evident in his tone, he really cares for his people, huh...
"This whole mess is confusing I can see how elves can be an easy target, someone or some minority are always blamed, it's sad how our mind can be," I sigh tiredly, guilty for our past discrimination and prejudice towards the elven people, taking away their magic for our own, it's horrible.
"History would agree, but there are steps for us to take to prevent such a distraction," Solas offers as I nod.
"I'll do it, whatever it takes," I sigh as Solas nods grateful and we separate from one another, both of us exhausted from these turns of events. I head back to my tent to rest…