The group of weary travelers finished the trek up to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The woman that was to become the Herald of Andraste started crying the moment that she saw the burnt corpses of the people attending the Conclave, forever still at the moment of their deaths. Artz may have fought demons here in Thedas and saw a dead body or two at funeral homes back on Earth, but she had never been at the site of an outright massacre.
"Solas." She choked out, covering her mouth as her stomach turned.
The Dread Wolf Fade stepped to her and moved her away so that she could empty the contents of her stomach which was pretty much water, bile, and stomach acid. Once she was done retching, the ancient elf gave her a potion to calm the nausea so she could continue onwards.
"This is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you. They said there was a woman in the rift behind you, but no one knows who she was." The seeker commented, trying to distract the emotionally overloaded woman.
Solas stuck close to her, making certain to always stay in physical contact with her. It was ridiculous that she felt so much comfort and stability from his mere presence. He allowed the agents of the Venatori to acquire his foci, the orb that a darkspawn magister from ancient Tevinter used to destroy dozens if not hundreds of lives…yet she didn't blame him. She should, she should hate him, but she just felt this overwhelming sense of loss and grief for him.
She may not have completely understood what he was going through, but she did just wake up to discover that her entire world was gone and that she had been stripped of her humanity. She lost everything she cared for and woke up in a world with motherfucking magic. She was a fucking mage which about two thirds of the world hated fucking mages and she was considered to be a second class citizen that any noble wouldn't think twice about raping, selling, or just straight out killing.
Yet all she seemed capable of feeling right now was pain, sorrow, loss, grief, and a desperate need to try and fix the damn world. What the fuck was wrong with her? The Dread Wolf wrapped his arm around her waist and she looked over at him. Those storm grey eyes reflected what she felt, but she could also see the guilt and regret in them too. There was just so much of it though, too much for a single lifetime and even too much for someone recently awoken from Uthenera.
Her attention was drawn back to her surroundings when her favorite dwarf let out a low whistle. The sickly green crystalline structure that hovered above the ground was glowing ominously and gave off the same thrumming sensation as both the Breach and the Anchor. Her hand vibrated from the intensity of the three constant versions of thrumming that she actually grunted from the effort of trying to keep herself walking. The bald elf that was her life mate positioned himself behind and grabbed her left wrist, pumping his magic into the mark to give her some stability.
Leliana finally joined them along with an entire contingent of soldiers, the Commander trailing behind her. Honestly, he looked so fucking constipated right now that it was fucking ridiculous and she was half tempted to point it out in an aggravatingly obtuse way, but was cut off by a voice that always sent chills down her spine every time she had heard it in the game.
"Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice." The Elder One ordered.
"What are we hearing?" Cassandra demanded as they continued.
"The one who caused all this, the one I tried to stop." Artz answered entering a brief trance as her magic flared.
"I am here, ma lath." Solas whispered in her ear, making her shake her head slightly in disorientation.
The disorientation became worse as they passed by large, glowing red crystal formations. She staggered as the song from the crystals invaded her senses, making her whimper as she tried to recoil away from it. Solas pumped more magic into her body, disrupting its influence and allowing her to stumble by. She could barely keep track of the conversation while being so close to the red lyrium. She looked to the Dread Wolf for help, trying to understand why she was feeling like this.
"The song of the lyrium is corrupted, my love. Its effects on you are greater because of your acute magical awareness. Your sensitivity to all things magical has served you well in the past, but it also makes it harder to ignore." He explained.
"Will it drive me insane like it did to the blonde lady that was as cold as ice?" She asked, not entirely certain why she didn't name the former Knight Commander of Kirkwall that had been driven bat shit insane by the red lyrium idol.
"Keep the sacrifice still." The Elder One spoke, briefly interrupting the conversation.
"Sensitive you may be, my love, but there is no force in creation more powerful than your will. That same magical awareness makes it impossible for you to be possessed, no spirit can inhabit you even if invited. You are immune to all forms of possession, magic is just a little louder to you is all." Solas elaborated, giving her a reassuring smile.
The tension within ebbed away and she wondered why she trusted this ancient elven mage so implicitly. It honestly didn't make sense given what she knows about him. Then again, this Solas wasn't acting even remotely close to the Solas she knew. He seemed so much older like he had seen the rise and fall of countless ages and watched as time ran out moment by moment. Perhaps that was why she trusted him so much right now because he reminded her of the Doctor that she had built her souk around.
"Someone help me!" The Divine called out for help.
"That was Divine Justinia's voice!" The seeker exclaimed in shock.
When they reached the end of the path, the others jumped down except for the Dread Wolf. He wrapped his arms around her and Fade stepped to the ground below, making her let out a slight giggle at the maneuver. She cleared her throat as she walked forward, the thrumming in hand becoming more prominent as it sparked. The rift shimmered as an image appeared of the Divine being held midair.
"Let her go, asshole!" Her reflection yelled after entering the room.
"The elven prophetess! Destroy her now!" The Elder One demanded.
Arts paled as the image faded. Her breathing accelerated as her emotions sky rocketed. He knew who she was and he was afraid. She looked to the ancient elven mage in panic, trying to comprehend what she just witnessed.
"Whoever this being was, it is clear that he was well informed." Solas commented ominously, "He knew why we were there and sought to stop us."
"Agreed, meaning that he most likely had his own network of agents and followers. Once the Breach has been stabilized, I will begin a search immediately. His allies will be brought to justice for the destruction of the Conclave." The spymaster vowed.
"We must hurry." Cassandra piped up.
"Hold up, this rift feels different than the others." The snowy haired elf commented, frowning at the floating crystalline structure.
"Indeed. Unlike the others, this rift is closed but not sealed. In order to stabilize the Breach, we will need to reopen the rift, but in doing so, it will attract attention from the other side." Solas concurred, reaching back to take hold of his staff.
"That means demons! Stand ready!" The seeker shouted, gesturing for the soldiers to take up defensive positions.
Artz walked forward with the Dread Wolf shadowing her. She raised her left hand, feeling the two almost identical thrums synchronizing as they connected. Within moments, a beam of light shot out of the rift and materialized a demon of pride.
"Shit, that's big!" Artz squawked, running off to the side to avoid being stepped on.
Once clear of the initial battle zone, both she and Solas began their dance of fire and ice. That got a few good hits in before the demon let out a bout of dark laughter that was just fucking creepy as hell. She sensed when it armored itself and looked to the rift, but she had no clue how to disrupt it. She got closer to the crystalline structure and raised her left hand, wiggling her fingers and essentially imagining the rift…well, shaking.
She let out a small yelp of success when the structure reacted, causing it to explode and send the pride demon to its knees from the loss of power. Unfortunately, it didn't last long and a shit ton of lesser demons materialized from the rift. They chased her around and she could barely get a few fireballs off before she was almost overrun. Fortunately, her Dread Wolf had a fondness for ice and rained down death upon them like the badass he was.
When the crystalline structure of the rift reappeared, Artz attempted to get back in range, but was blasted clean off her feet by a giant electric ball of magical energy. The source, the fucking pride demon, and it seemed to lock onto her. No matter what she tried, she couldn't reconnect to the rift. Her body was littered with scorch marks and burnt lacerations from its electric whips, but she kept getting back up.
She could feel its power, its song was twisted and warped, and it actually hurt to hear it, to feel it grating against her senses. She focused on the song, the minute vibrations and underlying harmonics. Her body began to glow in a soft, electric blue light, the song of her own magic pulsing out of her. It collided with the demon of pride and she could feel its resistance, but also its pain. It was in agony, its purpose corrupted. She gave herself over to the song, allowing her will to restore the spirit's original harmony.
The pride demon changed before their eyes and became a being of light that simply floated in the air, its sense of self having been returned to it. Artz ceased to glow as she raced to the rift to ease the passage of the spirit back into the Fade. The Anchor reopened the rift and the spirit went through, then she focused on trying to close the Breach. She tried her best, but she could feel the very essence of her life ebbing away, her vision becoming darker and darker.
"Vhenan! You must let go, my love, or you'll die!" Solas warned, appearing next to her via Fade stepping.
"I'm trying, but I can't separate them! The thrumming is the same! I can't tell the difference! Ma fen, help me please! I don't know what to do!" She cried out, screaming in effort to disengage from the rift.
Solas wrapped his arms around her before kissing her deeply, his icy magic flooding her system with a vengeance. The harmony of his ice magic colliding with the melody of her fire magic created the most wonderful song she had ever heard. She focused her entire being on the serenade that was their combined magics, surrendering herself to the comforting embrace of the Dread Wolf. The connection between her and the rift snapped and her body was hit with a wave of fatigue so intense that she was unconscious before her knees even buckled.
Cassandra watched in amazement as the pulse of magical energy soared through the sky and collided with the Breach. She was surprised to see it shrink to half its original size, but she was even more surprised by the sun beam suddenly piercing the clouds and shining directly onto Solas and his mate that he now held bridal style in his arms. He looked up into the light, his eyes sparking with blue electricity.
"I understand. She is your Herald and I am her Champion." He spoke softly, his voice reverberating with power.
The sun light grew stronger then faded away, along with the electric blue light the elf's eyes. He looked over at the stunned warrior, his face one of exhaustion and clarity.
"She is the Herald of Andraste and I am her Champion." He informed her with absolute certainty.
He then turned and walked out of the temple with his mate in his arms, heading in the direction of the village of Haven. The seeker of truth followed in his wake with the dwarf, bard, and former Templar trailing after her. Many of the soldiers were saluting the elven apostate as he passed, some even knelt as a sign of reverence and respect. It was clear to the right hand of the Divine that Solas and Artz had been chosen by the Maker, by Andraste herself to lead them through these dark and turbulent times.
This was most certainly an act of providence if there ever was one. Nothing else could explain what had just occurred, what they had witnessed first hand. Yes, Artz was to be their guide and Solas was to lead them on the path shown to them by his mate. Cassandra felt hope spring to life in her chest once more, her faith being restored with every step she took. A quick glance at the left hand of the Divine and she knew that the Spymaster was beginning to feel the same way as she did.
The commander, however, was another matter. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion and the seeker could feel him reaching out with his Templar abilities to assess the two mages walking in front of them. She swore that if he harmed them in any way, she would not hesitate to end him. They have been chosen by the Maker and his bride and she will not fail them like she had with Divine Justinia.
As they reached the forward camp, they were stopped by the glorified clerk that had the audacity to order them around like they were mere pawns in a game of chess.
"I see that the prisoners failed to close the Breach, Seeker. Guards, take them into custody at once and prepare a pyre. They will burn as the holy bride of the Maker once did to pay for their crimes against creation itself." Roderick commanded, gesturing to Solas and the unconscious woman in his arms.
The elven mage simply walked around him and not a single soldier impeded his progress. The Chancellor demanded to be obeyed, but the dwarf author and former bard simply bypassed him as well. The commander stopped in front of the weasel, deliberately placing himself in between her and the damn clerk. No doubt he wished to prevent her from striking him down with the sword that she had already partially drawn on instinct.
"The prisoners are no longer bound. They are blameless. In fact, they came to the Conclave to save the Divine and saved a great many lives as a result. Those two have been chosen by the Maker, the Herald of Andraste and her Champion. Do keep that in mind when ordering our soldiers to burn them at the stake." Commander Cullen stated, the threat clear in his tone.
Chancellor Roderick paled as he quickly glanced around. The soldiers were all looking at him with a pretty obvious murderous intent and should he force the issue, they would undoubtedly burn him at the stake instead. The seeker of truth smirked slightly, but mentally was quite relieved that the Commander had seemingly come to a decision in favor of their elven comrades. She and the former Templar ordered the soldiers to return to Haven and assist the refugees.
They quickly caught up with their companions, each cataloging the reactions of the people as they entered the village. The reception was a bit mixed, many still believed that the mark bearer was responsible for the deaths at the Conclave. Others had only recently heard of what occurred at the Temple and were extremely doubtful, while others had firmly landed in the awe category. Controlling this situation was going to be just shy of impossible and she did not envy Leliana's position.
The elven apostate traipsed through Haven and directly to the cabin he had been using for the last few days. Upon entering, he immediately tended to his mate's needs which caused some embarrassment for the former Templar and the seeker of truth because the elf did not hesitate to strip his mate of her filthy clothes with the assistance of the spymaster and both clean her and change her into a fresh set of clothes.
The sneaky dwarf had already made an exit for himself and was sitting on a bench outside, doing some maintenance on his beloved crossbow. Cullen finally excused himself and left to direct the efforts of the returning soldiers. Cassandra only remained to play the part of sentinel while the former bard was preoccupied. Leliana did not hesitate to assist Solas with his own needs to which he only mildly grumbled about, mainly due to the fact that he was practically dead on his feet.
Solas had not paid much attention to the people that had followed him back to the village. He was currently caught between worry for his heart and thinking about the events that had occurred at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. For Artz to be unable to disconnect from the Breach had utterly terrified him, but then again this was the first time that she had actually the demon of pride, reverting it back into a spirit of wisdom. He honestly wondered how she had been able to accomplish such an incredible feat.
So many lifetimes lived with her and she was still surprising him. Then there was the mysterious beam of sunlight that had shone down upon him and the strange sensations caused by it. There was no voice, just feelings and he simply knew what to say, but this mysterious happenstance actually worked out in his favor, making him the champion of the Herald of Andraste. His own title which could allow him to journey to Therinfal Redoubt while his beloved snow fox could travel to Redcliffe.
It would be a gamble for sure, and possibly unleash the combined forces of the Venatori and the Red Templars. He'll have to discuss with his vhenan and see what she wanted to do about this, though he knew that if given the chance to save more lives, she would not hesitate to leap. When leaving the temple, he recalled the soldiers' reactions to him and his mate and he was uncertain how to truly feel about it. He never did like the idea of being worshipped like his brethren, the Evanuris.
He simply needed to remind himself that it was necessary, a means to an end. The more influential he was, the more he was able to help his heart in the events to come. Even as he laid beside her sleeping form, he was overcome with just how incredible she actually was before emotionally veering into rage at how she did not believe herself to be special in the slightest. His emotions shifted again into self loathing at how he had so royally fucked up the first time.
He had utterly trounced her heart into oblivion and proceeded with his plans to tear down the Veil. He succeeded in doing so and the world was thrown into chaos, magic scorching through everything and causing many natural disasters while trying to stabilize. He gathered more power and taught his elven followers how to wield their freshly restored magic. He had sent them to their death against the Evanuris to weaken them just enough so that he could finish them off.
Those that survived went on to teach others how to wield magic, but his struggle with his kin had forced him to once again enter Uthenera, the long sleep. The future he had woken up to was so much worse than the first. The first time was like walking through a world of Tranquil, but the second was like waking up inside his worst nightmare. He had found good and kind people while the Veil existed and he had found her, the human that constantly took him by surprise.
Artz had always sought him out from the beginning, begging him to tell her stories about the Fade, the spirits he had met, the memories he had found, and so many questions about pretty much everything. She had been so curious and he remembered how her forest green eyes had sparkled with every story he told, every truth he had imparted she had taken it to heart. She always sought out his advice, wanting to know what he would do in her place, but he was not always forthcoming.
He had held himself back to maintain the humble apostate persona, though there were many times where she had inadvertently drawn his true self to the surface without even realizing that she had and he had always reacted a bit harshly when his well crafted mask would slip. Then he did something so incredibly stupid, he had actually slept with her. She had so completely bypassed his defenses that he simply had to take her and she let him.
May the Dread Wolf take you.
So many times he took her in that very first lifetime, he had been positively drunk with her presence. She possessed such a remarkable and beautiful spirit that could not and would not be ignored. He had gotten in too deep, he should have never had allowed it and because of that, his departure and betrayal had destroyed her. After the Qunari had attempted to invade the south and he had revealed the truth to her, she vowed that she would save him from himself and that she would never give him up.
Her eyes had been full of tears, heartbreak written all across her face, and yet she still loved him. He had been so stupid. He held the heart of the most amazing creature in the whole of creation and he had simply taken her arm and walked away. He had been so impressed when she not only survived the Veil being torn down, but also mastering the magic that she had suddenly gained, using everything he had taught her of magical theory and using that incredible imagination of hers to create her runic bracers.
She accomplished so much in the years before his final battle with the Evanuris. She had single handedly worked out how to integrate magic back into the world and sped up the transition time to fully merge the two halves of the world back together. She helped hundreds if not thousands of people learn how to exist in this new magically infused world and brought forth the magical versions of devices from her time. She had revolutionized the world of Thedas and he had been so completely and utterly proud of her.
Unfortunately, he was a very weak man and he began to visit her in her dreams. His heart ached at how happy she had been to see him, crying tears of relief and joy. Despite his betrayal and everything he had done, she still loved him. If anything, her love for him had grown and it had made no sense to him whatsoever. In a few short weeks, he had begun to make love to her in her dreams, but it simply had not been enough. Every time he woke, he had yearned to be in her arms, to feel her flesh against his.
He went against all logic and rationality and sought her out, finding her at Crestwood of all places and in the wyvern cave. She had initially started and lashed out with magic to defend herself, only to stop mid spell upon realizing it was him. The smile on her face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and it felt like he could breathe again. She did not hesitate to run into his arms and kiss him passionately.
He had groaned, the feelings so deep and unlike anything he had ever felt before. Feeling her in his arms, her hands and lips roaming all over him had sent him over the edge and he took her. He made love to her so fiercely and so much that she couldn't walk for days, not that she minded of course. She was too busy laughing at the absurdity of being taken by the Dread Wolf. Her laughter was something that he did not know that he had missed and so much more.
They had stayed there for close to a month, most of the time he spent worshipping her like a mortal goddess. She had been so happy, so full of life and love. After a while his rational mind kicked back in with a vengeance and he did something so incredibly moronic that even now it still tore him apart. He had kissed her so passionately, relishing the taste of her when a thought had broken him out of his revelry. He walked the path of death. By returning to her as he had done, he had placed her in terrible danger.
The Evanuris would discover his connection to her, they would hunt her, they would find her, and they would hurt her and all because of him. He kissed her one last time before breaking off the kiss suddenly and backing away. The look of resignation on her face like she had known that he was going to do this all along was nearly his undoing. She simply nodded with tears in her eyes and said she understood.
He did leave behind his jawbone necklace and imagine his surprise when she gave him her Tardis pendant, the one thing she cherished most and the last thing she had of her world. She said it was to remind him to never give up, to keep going even when all seemed lost and so he left. He did not return to her dreams for he knew that it would lead him right back into her arms and straight to her death.
By the time the final battle came and his kin were unleashed from their prisons in order to destroy them, he had received word from his agents that Artz had given birth to a set of twins. At first he had believed her to have finally moved on, but was then informed that the children were Elven and she had not taken any other into her bed. The children she had birthed were his own and their names were Revas, a boy, and Fen'asha, a girl.
He had to protect them, but because he knew of their existence, so too did the Evanuris. He sent his agents to retrieve them, knowing that if he went himself that he was pretty much sentencing them to death or eternal torment. Little did he know that amongst the agents sent to protect his family, there were those that still served his brethren and they attacked the others, killing them before they ever reached his love and his children.
To her credit, Artz fought like the ultimate fucking badass to defend her children, the children of Fen'harel, but even with the magic of the Fade, she could not win forever. She was eventually captured and marked with the vallaslin of all his kin except Mythal. She was then forced to watch as her children were savagely tortured and raped before having their bodies put on display for the Dread Wolf to find.
Artz, herself, suffered a fate worse than death. Her body was used and abused, but worse still, she was subjected to experiments with the vallaslin because of her intense resistance to being controlled. In the end, her body was no longer hers to control. She was trapped within her own mind as she paraded around the Evanuris, seemingly serving them freely and granting all their perverse desires.
He had been so enraged by her so-called willing obedience that he had actually killed her himself, only to discover the expertly hidden vallaslin concealed from his detection. The truth of his actions had crashed down upon like a massive tidal wave. He had knowingly murdered the woman that was his heart and the mother of his children when she had been a prisoner all along.
He went after the Evanuris with all that he had. He held nothing back, destroying everything they touched, everything they had influenced was wiped off the face of the world. He had no intention of surviving, using up all of his strength to completely obliterate all traces of his brethren. With his vengeance complete, he went to the wyvern cave at Crestwood where he had built a shrine to preserve what was left of his family's remains and allowed himself to simply fade away from existence, not knowing that he had doomed the world a second time.
He had never wanted to wake up, but he had and he had to bear witness to the folly he had committed. He wondered for many lifetimes why he had awakened when he had, only to realize later that his spirit had responded to the birth of Artz, her own spirit shining like a star and calling out to him, begging him to find her and be with her once more. He had not intended to become romantically involved with this new version of her, but she was impossible to resist.
Adding in her truest believer, Anna, and she seemed to shine even brighter. The two of them together were a force without equal, reshaping the world by the power of their will and the kindness in their hearts. Honestly, he really wasn't surprised that he had allowed Anna into his heart as well. She had been almost as infectious as his sister and had an insatiable curiosity as well, so he was not at all surprised when both women ended up in his bed.
He was such a weak, weak man, but after what had occurred with the Evanuris, he was a broken man that simply wanted to have a peaceful and happy existence. It was not meant to be, it never was and after so many lifetimes of losing his heart over and over and being unable to find her truest believer, he was little more than a shell at this point. All he could do was to attempt to find happiness in the moment and pray that this time would be different.
The snowy haired elf awoke a few days later and she had been initially confused, but soon realized that she really was in Thedas and that Solas was definitely not acting like the Solas she knew. He had been there when she woke, immediately tending to her needs. She had been a bit embarrassed by needing help on how to actually use the chamber pot, though he had reassured her that there was more modern plumbing at Skyhold.
She was still pretty weak and her legs refused to let her stay up for long. That had annoyed her and she would scowl both at her legs and the chuckling Dread Wolf. She had been pleased at the discovery that he knew what she liked to eat and thanks to some rather snazzy runic arrays, she was able to have some of her favorite foods from home which begged the question of how he knew to start with. He refused to answer any questions until she had all her immediate needs tended to; relieving herself, eating, bathing and getting freshly clothed.
She wasn't entirely certain why she was so comfortable being naked around the enigmatic Fen'harel and by all rights she should have been shy as all get out and most definitely self conscious, but she didn't feel any of that. Sure there was some embarrassment, but that was mainly caused by her own damn ignorance of how the more practical things in Thedas worked. Man, she had been so spoiled by the advancements of her world; food on demand, clothing that fit, modern plumbing, electricity and appliances, and she was sorely missing the internet right now.
"Solas…" She began, the need for answers overriding everything else.
"Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and forty seven times, including the current timeline." He revealed, initially confusing her, "That is how many times I have lived through the events that occur during the game you call Dragon Age: Inquisition."
"What?! Why? Why would you do that to yourself?!" She screeched as his words finally registered in her brain.
Why the fuck would he torture himself like this? It didn't make any sense!
"Arrogance, ma lath. I was a fool and believed that I could save this world myself. It took far too long for me to realize that I was simply meant to guide the one meant to save this world." He answered calmly, even though his eyes told another story.
"And who is meant to…" She began but trailed off.
Fuck her life, fuck her sideways, and just fuck everything to hell and back!
"Me." She stated, earning a small nod from the Dread Wolf, "But what's up with the whole mate thing?"
"Because I am a weak and selfish man. I am a secondary mate and I have yet to locate your primary mate though I have a few ideas as to their identity. What is the first name to come to your mind, my love?" He asked suddenly.
"Fenris." She answered immediately, making her blink at how quickly she had responded like it was a fact of the universe.
Fen'harel chuckled softly, a fond look in his eyes as he brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears. She blushed slightly, her insides warming at this brief show of innocent affection.
"In one of the previous time lines, you latched onto him and only relinquished him in order to remain with me. Ever since, I have believed that he was the one I had been looking for to properly stabilize you." Solas explained.
"Stabilize?" She echoed, not understanding.
"Yes, you work best when you have a stabilizing influence, something to ground you in reality and prevent you from thinking yourself into a downward spiral. The force came in a few forms, one of them being your truest believer but I have been unable to find her thus far. Another is Fenris, the two handed elven warrior that has as much sass and sarcasm as you do. Another such force is, in fact, our spymaster. Still haven't worked that one out yet.
As for the change in your race, it was to accommodate the Anchor and allow you to keep your arm this time. Each time I began again, I used the power to alter the fabric of creation. Some things could not be changed and believe me, I've tried. I've taken so many paths; mages and templars, kind and ruthless, diplomatic and warring, benign and cruel. The only time I came close to creating a better future was when I decided to listen to you.
I used my power to make you an elf but from ancient times with the potential of an Evanuris which allows you to use the Anchor without causing you pain. It was also to avoid the taboo of multiple lovers…I have a few books which better explain it that you are welcome to read later. As for being life mates, I created a mating bond between us which allows me to help you a great deal while also stabilizing myself.
I have lived so many lifetimes that I was beginning to break apart and I selfishly created the bond so that I could rely on your strength, your light to keep me sane. Please forgive me, ma vhenan, but I could not stand on my own this time." He revealed, the pain in his voice breaking her heart.
She touched his face with her fingertips and gently guided his face to hers. She kissed him softly, wanting to convey that she was not angry with him. In fact, she was relieved that she could help him, that simply by existing she was saving him from the pain that threatened to consume him.
"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, my love. I can wait until I win your heart once more. I will not push you for more than you are willing to give, but right now, you do not know me. I am not the Solas you know, I am not the idiot that would leave you at Crestwood, that would walk away from you after the Qunari invasion." He stated, pressing his forehead to hers and holding back tears.
She smiled at him, her heart having already decided.
"You are mine, Solas. That has not changed, but I will wait until we have reached Skyhold before taking this all the way. Rest assured that it will happen and you will not deny me. If I want to hug you, I will. If I want to kiss you, I will. I'll admit to being nervous about having sex but that's only because I haven't done it before which is why I'm going to wait until Skyhold. But it will happen because even though I don't know this version of you, it doesn't change the fact that I love you, that I have always loved you and I always will." She told him, honesty and sincerity ringing in every word.
She was not at all surprised when his lips crashed down on hers in a bruising and demanding kiss, holding so much unspoken emotion that it felt like she was drowning, but she didn't regret opening that flood gate. He obviously needed her and she couldn't deny him. He was hurting so bad that every instinct she had was screaming to help him. Even without the mating bond, she would have jumped to help him in an instant, refusing to leave him alone to suffer on his own.
This was a man that had been shattered by time itself, proving that a longer life was not always a better one. This proved that there were indeed fates worse than death and he had suffered close to a million of them. It still boggled the mind that out of all the people for the Dread Wolf to fall for her, that it would be her. She could feel the depth and magnitude of his love for her and it was unlike anything she had felt before. It reminded her of the love she had imagined that her Captain had for her.
To feel the power and intensity of those emotions first-hand, it made her want to cry. She wanted to bask in its persistent warmth and glory and stay there forever, because she had started to believe that such love was impossible to find or achieve, and she was never happier to have been proven wrong. Here was a man that lived hundreds of thousands of lifetimes and all for her. May the Dread Wolf take her now because she was already in love.
Cassandra was having the mother of all headaches, the cause being the pesky bureaucrat that was Chancellor Roderick. He was going on and on about how the Herald and her Champion had failed to seal the Breach and that they had to be responsible for the death of the Divine and the countless lives lost during the explosion at the Conclave. She could see Leliana beginning to lose the battle with the desire to gut the man with one of her daggers.
The door opened, halting the idiot's tirade for a moment and in walked the Herald of Andraste and her Champion, Solas.
"Sorry I was delayed, traffic was a bitch." Artz snarked, earning a snort of amusement from the spymaster.
"Chain them. I want them prepared for travel to the capital." The clerk commanded.
"Oh piss off, you nug humping turd." The snowy haired woman commented, making her mate chuckle in response.
"Leave us." Cassandra ordered the guards to leave.
They were templars and she did not want to make the elven mages uncomfortable with their presence. Chancellor Roderick glared first at the Herald then at the seeker.
"You walk a dangerous line, Seeker." He commented.
"The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat and I will not ignore it." The warrior admonished, trying very hard to not punch the man.
"If it's any consolation, I did at least make it smaller." Artz pointed out in a sassy manner which set off the clergyman.
"You've done enough and your actions will be taken into account by the new Divine before your execution." The clerk snapped hotly.
Artz looked over at Leliana with a knowing look in her eyes.
"Well it's a good thing that I know who the next Divine will be, isn't that right, Divine Victoria?" The Herald addressed the former Orlesian bard.
To her credit, the only hint of surprise on the spymaster's face was the slight widening of her eyes, but the smirk that slipped onto her face only spelled trouble for everyone that dared to impede her path to the sunburst throne.
"You cannot be serious!" The Chancellor exclaimed in outrage.
"Have a care, Chancellor. The Breach is not the only threat we face." Cassandra commented, getting back to the matter at hand.
"Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave. Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with others or who have allies who yet live." Leliana concurred, allowing the threat to hang in the air.
" I am a suspect?" The Chancellor questioned in disbelief.
"You and many others." The spymaster snapped coldly.
"He's not a suspect. A toothless weasel he may be, but he is not a traitor to his faith. In fact, he may be able to help. I'm not entirely sure what a path in summer has to do with escaping the village, but he knows the way and it would save a lot of lives in the future." Artz commented, making the clerk frown in thought.
"The summer pilgrimage, there is a path that connects to the chantry, but how did you know? Only the most faithful should know of it." He mused, not quite certain what to make of her at that moment.
"My mate can sense things in regards to the flow of time. It's a rare ability that many have been shunned for and oftentimes made Tranquil out of fear of what they might reveal. The fact that she does not feel threatened by someone that wants her to be burned at the stake speaks volumes to your character. Despite my better judgment, she trusts you to help the people regardless of your personal feelings towards us." Solas explained, shocking the clergyman into silence.
Cassandra slammed down a written tome on the table, startling the bureaucrat and pointed to it.
"You know what this is, Chancellor? A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn. We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval." The seeker of truth declared.
Her declaration overwhelmed the man and he left with as much haste as he could muster without actually running away like a scared sheep.
"This is the Divine's directive, rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those to stand against the chaos. We aren't ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now no chantry support." Leliana stated, feeling a little overwhelmed herself.
"We have a leader and we have a guide. Solas, as the Herald's champion will you agree to become the Inquisitor but allow your actions to be guided by the Herald?" Cassandra asked, looking directly into the mage's eyes.
She knew that asking the Herald to be the Inquisitor would be too much for her to handle, given that she was already contending with her foresight and Maker knew how much information was being poured into her head. Add in amnesia from a head injury and her sudden holy status, she could not in good conscience ask this of her, but Solas was a man built for battle. She had seen it as they fought their way to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.
He took charge of every situation, commanded men with an ease and grace of a veteran general, and had a damn good head on his shoulders. His compassion for others made him relatable, his commanding presence made others want to follow, and his respect for life in all its forms made him the least likely to become a bloodthirsty tyrant with an ever growing lust for power.
His only weakness was his mate and that wasn't much of a weakness. His first priority was her and as it should be. She was their Herald, the one meant to guide them, and by making him the Inquisitor, it gave him the greatest amount of room to protect the woman he loved more than his own life. Having him defer to her judgment, however, kept him restrained in the eyes of others, a safeguard more for his protection than everyone else's.
"What do you think, ma vhenan?" He asked, looking to her for guidance.
The Herald of Andraste frowned slightly as her eyes took on a far away look. A few moments later, the frown faded into a smile and she nodded in acceptance.
"You being the Inquisitor will help a lot. You'll approach the templars while I approach the rebel mages and together we should be able to get both to support us, but we need to increase our influence first. I'm just not sure of where to start though." Artz spoke, first excited but then thoughtful.
"Very well, Lady Cassandra. I will accept the role of Inquisitor and allow my mate to guide our path. Though a map of Ferelden and Orlais might help her figure out where we need to go." Solas acquiesced, smiling slightly with a look that said that she might regret this action.
"We will need to inform both the Commander and the Ambassador when she arrives. She should be here by midday tomorrow. Until then, I suggest that both of you take this time to rest while we get the Inquisition underway. You will be very busy quite soon." Leliana recommended, smirking.
Cullen Stanton Rutherford, leader of the military forces of the newly formed Inquisition, was utterly livid. After the declaration of the Inquisition's rebirth, he had been informed that the Seeker of truth had appointed the apostate mage, Solas, to be the Inquisitor without bothering to consult him on the matter.
"Maker's breath, Cassandra! How could you make such a unilateral decision about this?! We know next to nothing about him and his mate and yet you've handed over the Inquisition's entire future over to two unknown elven apostates!" He yelled in outrage.
"It was not unilateral, Commander. Cassandra and I discussed this at length while the Herald was recovering. Solas is former slave turned soldier from Tevinter, having won his freedom in battle against the Qun. Artz is a former Dalish elf exiled from her clan for simply questioning tradition. Both of them are known throughout the Free Marches as kind people that offer aid and healing to all that need it.
They spend most of their time exploring ancient ruins, writing books, and discussing things like their shared distaste for most forms of tea. The few times when they had to fight was when templars for the Kirkwall Gallows attempted to smite and rape Artz. One Templar by the name of Kerris actually tried to make her Tranquil when she refused to service him like a good little knife ear.
Both Solas and Artz were content to live and let live, to have a peaceful life pursuing knowledge and scholarly pursuits. It was the attack at the Conclave that forced Artz to become involved, her kind nature demanding that she save as many as she could and her mate agreed with her decision to help." Leliana informed, reaffirming just how terrifying she could be.
It had been only a few days and she already had stacks of reports about the elven mages that were not their leaders. It didn't help matters that he actually remembered Kerris from his time in the City of Chains. He wasn't sure how the asshole had managed to retain his commission as a Templar. He had heard the rumors of how he supported the Tranquil Solution that Ser Alrik had put forth.
Then there was the reports of him, sexually assaulting the mages that had already been made Tranquil and the reports about his rather viscious exploits in regards to hunting supposed maleficar. He was beginning to wonder just how true those reports actually were and everyone knew that he had a sickening fascination with elves, the females particularly.
"What happened to Ser Kerris? I haven't been able to ascertain his current whereabouts after he abandoned his duties as a templar." He questioned, but he had a feeling that Solas was involved.
"Ser Kerris did not abandon his duties, Commander. I turned him to stone after he forced himself on my mate." The newly appointed Inquisitor stated as he strode into the war room.
He had heard from Lady Cassandra that Solas possessed a power called Stone Eyes, capable of petrifying someone into solid rock then with a snap of his fingers, the statue dissolves into dust.
"Where is the Herald?" Cassandra asked, confused by the lack of her presence.
Was it really so odd for those two to not be together? Solas smiled softly, a fondness settling onto his face.
"She is currently greeting a rather quaint woman with an Antivan accent. They will both be along shortly, I presume. That is if she does not talk the poor woman's ears off first." The Inquisitor answered with a chuckle.
Leliana let out a bell-like laugh.
"I had a feeling those two would get along shamelessly well. The woman is Lady Josephine Montilyet and she is to be the ambassador of the Inquisition. I requested her specifically on the grounds of her being able to destroy someone with words alone. Though there is an added side benefit. Artz is quite the social butterfly with a rather infectious disposition, that is something that will greatly aid our cause.
Artz's kindness will endear many to her on merit alone, but if given a little nudge in certain directions, she will easily take care of the rest. There are many in need of the warmth and light she is so willing to provide. So many hearts can be touched and so many more can be saved and all by her simply being herself. I'm actually a little jealous of you, Inquisitor. I would give anything to be loved by someone like her." The spymaster commented, a bit wistful.
"You are more than welcome to pursue, Sister Nightingale. After all, elves such as ourselves are meant to have several mates, but this knowledge has been rejected by many of the Dalish clans despite it being true. I have some tomes on the subject should you wish to peruse them." Solas replied, smirking at the stunned look on her face.
"Wait, multiple mates? How does that even work?" Cullen questioned.
He was of the belief that a person should only have one spouse and be faithful to the spouse above all else. The concept of multiple spouses was a notion that did not sit well with him.
"For the elven people, mates are more than just lovers. They hold connections to each other that can transcend the very laws of time and space. The more practical point of multiple mates is due to the lower birth rates amongst the elves. This is a genetic defect that occurred when the elves lost their immortality thousands of years ago. To correct this deficiency, the mating bonds of old were used to promote fertility.
Many mating bonds were not romantic in nature nor did they ever result in physical intimacy. Now though, most mating bonds require such intimate acts in order to fully establish. Elven females were considered as treasures in ancient times, meant to be cared for and protected. A happy female mate means a happy family unit. Even if that mate were another race, they were still cherished and it was common practice in ancient times to take on a female as a secondary mate.
It provided emotional stability for the family as a whole. In fact, Sister Nightingale is exactly the kind of person I would wish Artz to take as a female mate. Her prowess in bladed combat and her expertise in the Great Game would insure that the primary female of the family would always be protected, so I certainly do hope that you will at least consider it, Sister Nightingale." Solas explained, earning a nod from the spymaster.
Cullen was floored by this revelation and he could honestly see the merit in what Solas was suggesting. Seeing how he had treated the Inquisitor's mate thus far, the Commander was surprised that he wasn't dead yet or turned to stone. His thoughts were interrupted when a pair of giggling women entered the room. The first was the Herald of Andraste, smiling happily and he felt the heat in his cheeks. He quickly glanced at the well dressed woman with dark hair and light brown skin.
"Sorry for the hold-up, ma fen. Got talking to Weaver about the next chapter of Swords and Shields." Artz commented before going up to her mate.
She grabbed the front of his tunic and dragged him down to her. She kissed him deeply, earning a pleased growl from her mate along with a playful smirk. Solas whispered something into her ear and she grinned in delight.
"Really?! That would be so fucking awesome! But don't push it, okay? That's for Leli to decide though I would absolutely love it if she was my mate." The Herald said with delight and a dreamy look on her face.
The Inquisitor leaned in close and whispered into her ear, making her blush bright red. The commander wondered what he said to make her react like that. She looked his way, her eyes scanning him up and down and she glanced away quickly, her ears turning pink. It took him a moment to realize why and then it was his turn to blush scarlet. He gave Solas a dry look that said he wasn't amused and the smug bastard just smirked at him, perfectly content with his life choices right now.
"I have a large scale map for you to peruse, Artz." Leliana mercifully cut in, laying out a large map showing both the countries of Ferelden and Orlais.
They tacked down the edges so it wouldn't roll back up and the snowy haired elf ran her fingers across it, her eyes taking on a far away look. She touched certain areas of the map for each country, her face scrunching up as if in deep thought.
"The Iron Bull, the Blade of Mercy, Dragon Island." She said softly as her fingers touched the area labeled the Storm Coast.
Her fingers moved to the Fallow Mire.
"Skywatcher, Warden battlemage armor, Veil fire." She continued.
She went to the Hinterlands and she hissed.
"Vhenan?" Solas whispered, wrapping his arms around her.
"Blackwall, Valor, Vallamar, Mother Giselle, Venatori, Witchwood, dragon, caches, promise ring, Ritts, horsemaster, Token of the Packmaster, flowers for a grave, around the pillar three times, return the treasure, whispering shards, constellations…too much, Felix, Dorian, time magic…too much, the Elder One, Alexis, can't breathe, Ellandra, the Tranquil…Solas!" She rambled as tears filled her eyes.
The Inquisitor pulled her away from the map and the moment she was no longer touching the parchment, she collapsed into his arms. He brought her gently to the floor as the commander knelt next to her, uncertain of what he could do to help but wanting to nonetheless. She was taking short, quick breaths and clumsily sought his hand. Cullen took it in both of his, offering what little support he could.
He honestly had no idea how he was to help her and that frustrated him. This was something that was entirely beyond him and his ability to understand. How did she manage to handle this gift before she met Solas? It must have been so lonely for her, having an ability that was entirely unique to her.
"The Hinterlands, we need to go to the Hinterlands first. There's so much that needs to be done there, so many people in danger and needing help." She decided before looking over at him, "Thank you, Cullen."
"For what? I did nothing." The former Templar replied in confusion.
"You grounded her, provided a stabilizing force to help her come back to herself. Otherwise, it would have taken her hours to sort through it all and it would have been more emotionally damaging. You have my thanks, Commander. You saved my mate from a great deal of pain." The Inquisitor explained, gratitude in his voice.
He did that? He smiled softly at her and she blushed in response.
"I'm very glad that I could help." Cullen replied, making her blush even more.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad with Solas and Artz leading the Inquisition.