Before leaving for the Hinterlands, Artz insisted on completing several tasks; finding an abandoned logging site, gathering several deposits of iron ore, picking every piece of Elfroot they could find, collecting pieces and residue of the demons they had fought, and running a few errands for both the quartermaster and the alchemist forced into the role of village healer. She filled the requisition for supplies to make new weapons for the Inquisition, delivered Master Taegan's potion recipe notes to the alchemist along with handing over a hefty sum of Elfroot for health potions, delivered the demon remains to the researchers, and insisted that they bring what animal pelts they could spare for the refugees at the Crossroads.
Cassandra did insist that she get some better equipment before heading to the Hinterlands which had annoyed her because she had better equipment in her inventory, but no, the seeker had to go and specially order new gear for her and Solas from the blacksmith without even consulting them first. When she presented it to them, Artz actually did bitch about it, mainly due to the utter waste of resources.
"Please forgive her ill mood, Lady Cassandra. Had you consulted us first then we could have informed you that we already possessed superior quality armaments. Much of our belongings reside within the runic dimension created by my mate, so we understand why you believed that we were not properly outfitted. We do, in fact, appreciate your concern, but request that you ask us prior to requisitioning any new items in the future." Solas intervened, attempting to keep things civil.
"What sort of materials are these armaments made from?" Cassandra inquired.
"High dragon, specifically the skin and denser bones. They've also been heavily warded and enchanted for maximum protection and durability. We haven't worn them because we didn't want every asshat from here to Tevinter to accuse us, knife ears, of stealing and getting flogged for something we actually made ourselves." Artz snapped, hotly.
She wasn't pissed at Cassandra, she was pissed at all the assholes rolling into town and accusing her of taking the shit she was wearing which admittedly was of higher quality than most people would normally have, but her clothing had been specially designed and put together by her beloved Dread Wolf so yeah, she was fucking pissed that every Tom, Dick, and Harry kept calling her a fucking thief.
To make matters worse, many of the nobles coming into Haven have attempted to proposition her, even going so far as to order her to get on her hands and knees like a fucking dog and let them have their way with her. She had not told her life mate yet because they had enough statues already and he couldn't go around petrifying every asshole that tried to feel her up.
Oh for fuck's sake! One of the idiots that was not taking no for an answer was currently sauntering over to her and Solas was busy talking to the Seeker.
"Ah, there you are, little rabbit. Since you have a free moment, I need to discuss something with you in private." The noble said creepily.
"You really have a death wish." She stated, bluntly.
She was half tempted to set his fucking ass on fire, but she had promised Josie to attempt to keep things civil and report any wrong doings to her immediately so that she could utterly destroy their reputations and financial standings. He grabbed her upper arm and began to pull her away. She tried to pull away, but felt the blade pressing against her side. She could call out for help, but that would undoubtedly result in her being stabbed.
She allowed him to drag her from view before making her move. Her eyes flashed as she heated up the dagger. He dropped it with a yelp and she made a break for it. Only for him to catch her and pin her to the ground. He shoved her head into the snow to prevent her from screaming and pulled something from his pouch. She felt a sharp prick to her skin and it felt like her blood was on fire. Her limbs felt heavy and her magic was sluggish, so much so that she couldn't push it out of her body.
What the fuck did he just do to her? She began to panic when he started yanking at her clothing and mumbling about rabbits having magic, that she needed to learn her place and respect her betters. She could feel the snow against her bare skin and the roughness of his fingers as he shoved them inside her. Tears pricked at her eyes as her body responded positively to his ministrations. She felt absolutely disgusted with herself for feeling any kind of pleasure from this and she blamed it on her lack of experience with physical intimacy.
"Such a good little knife ear, so responsive. Let me reward you, my little rabbit." The noble purred as she felt his breath fan across her backside.
No! Solas!
The noble screamed in pain and seemed to scurry away from her. There were footsteps and the crunching of snow near her head, but she was still weighed down by whatever that asshole had drugged her with. Her clothes were put back into their proper places before she was turned over. She soon found herself in the arms of a rather handsome mage, one that seemed very familiar to her. Then he spoke and all she could think was what the fuck.
"You're gonna be alright. He injected you with a low dosage of mage bane. He's currently experiencing a very high voltage of electricity so he can't touch you right now. Now I'm gonna use spirit healing magic to expunge the mage bane from your body. I won't lie to you, this is going to hurt. I ask that you try not to scream, alright?" He informed her.
Anders, motherfucking Anders! What the fuck was he doing here?! It wasn't safe for…her thoughts scattered as her entire body suddenly felt like a live wire. His base magic was obviously electrical and its song was doing a crazy jig with her fire base magic, yet the feel of it was just so damn familiar. She locked her jaw to keep herself from screaming, the burning sensation in her veins beginning to subside and she was regaining feeling in her extremities.
After a few more moments, she almost felt normal again, exhausted but normal. His magic retracted back into himself and he was breathing rather heavily. She always knew that spirit healing had to be physically intensive since so few mages ever attempted to learn it. That and most mages were afraid of spirits, fucking morons. Unfortunately, luck was being a total bitch today.
The noble had been released from the lightning spell Anders had cast to keep him immobilized and the asshole ran towards the exhausted spirit healer with a dagger in his hand. She didn't hesitate, every fiber of her being demanding that she protect Anders, and a stream of blue fire erupted from her palm. She set the fucker on fire and burnt him completely through. It was only after his burnt husk fell to the ground that she realized that she had straight up murdered a sentient being and did so intentionally.
What the fuck did she just do?
"Vhenan!" She heard her mate call out.
He was by her side in an instant. She looked up at him in shock, still trying to grasp that she had knowingly taken a life. Yeah, it was self defense, but that was a life that she had chosen to snuff out of existence.
"I had to…he was gonna kill Anders…I couldn't…he was gonna die…he saved me, I just couldn't let him die. Oh God, I just killed someone! Fuck!" She rambled, cracking under the strain.
"I'm sorry. I should have made certain that he was unconscious before healing you. I am so sorry." Anders apologized.
Was the guy that just saved her life really fucking apologizing for her killing someone?! What the fuck, dude?!
"No, don't you dare apologize after you saved me from being fucking raped in the middle of the God damn day! What the fuck are you even doing here, Anders?" She squawked, her tone high pitched from her heightened emotions.
"I heard about the Inquisition and wanted to help. You guys don't even have a proper healer. Just a grumpy alchemist." The spirit healer answered, trying to lighten the mood.
"But didn't you blow up a chantry?" Artz asked, trying desperately to keep herself grounded.
"Actually no, I was blamed simply because I was there and a convenient scapegoat, but the real culprit was a Tevinter blood magic ritual that was never completed…" The human mage began.
"The Enigma of Kirkwall, the chantry was right on top of the nexus point, fucking assholes." Artz mumbled, exhaustion finally settling in, "Stay with me…please."
She succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness, the shock and trauma being too much for her to currently process.
This was not what he was expecting when he decided to join the Inquisition. Seriously, it's his first day in the damn village and he's already saved the fucking Herald of Andraste from being raped by an Orlesian noble. Then he gets guilt tripped by her Champion since technically it was his fault that she took a life. She was suffering from amnesia so she didn't actually remember her first kill so this time was like a massive shock to her system.
And yes, he did feel pretty damn shitty about not making certain the asshole was out cold before healing her. Such a rookie mistake and he was really grateful that a certain broody elf and the sarcastic she devil that was his best friend was not even in the same fucking country right now. Those two would have scolded him and pinned him with those disappointed looks that just made him want to curl into a ball and disappear.
Damn it, he should have been more careful! Now she was suffering for his idiotic mistake. Her sleep was fitful at best and she woke up a few times crying. He had held her while she cried and just let her get it out of her system. He felt so fucking useless. Her mate, Solas, and apparently the leader of the fucking organization he had just joined, had just walked in, carrying what appeared to be a tray of food. He set it on the table before addressing him.
"I did not say it before, but thank you, thank you for saving my heart." The bald elf expressed, making the spirit healer feel even more guilty.
"But I didn't save her." Anders replied, softly.
"But you did. I seriously could not afford to have this breakdown while traveling the Hinterlands. At least here in Haven, I could take the time to come to terms with this, become stronger for it, and use it to push forward. You saved me from having to contend with this while in the midst of a war zone, so yeah, you saved me. Deal with it." Artz interjected, hugging his middle and snuggling into him.
The Inquisitor chuckled softly before joining them on the bed, curling around his mate and not minding in the slightest that the woman he loved was latched onto another man. These people were just plain bizarre.
Solas decided that the spirit healer should accompany them to the Hinterlands, along with Varric and the seeker. The child of the stone was overjoyed to have his friend traveling with him again and Artz was over the moon in the happiness department. He smirked slightly as he studied their auras. She and Anders were already forming a mating bond, but neither of them were aware of it. He was not surprised in the slightest because the spirit healer had been near the top of the list for potential mates.
It would take them approximately eight days to get to the Crossroads since they didn't have enough mounts to make the journey. The two they had brought with them were carrying supplies for the refugees, mainly blankets and food. Artz had griped about just stuffing it into her inventory, but the seeker did not wish to cause any undue stress on the Herald. The runic formulas were too complex to replicate nor did they have the proper materials to build adequate mediums and if they started relying on her for everything, it would eventually overwhelm her.
The last thing they needed was to make her sick from stress and the human mage had wholeheartedly agreed which did make Artz shut up about it. She trusted Anders with her health, both mental and physical, which he was grateful for because she had been focusing more on his well being rather than her own. The addition of the spirit mage had greatly eased the ancient elf's worries, but not erased them entirely. He would feel much better if he could wrangle Fenris away from Tevinter and shove him at his mate.
The former slave was an exceptional warrior and he was in possession of a certain great sword that his beloved snow fox desperately wanted, the Blade of the Archon. In fact, out of all the disciplines available for her to study, she wished to learn to wield a greatsword. Upon further questioning, she admitted to having the desire to learn the specialization of knight enchanter. The ways of the Arcane Warrior would benefit greatly from having prior training with a sword, considering the spectral sword used by the Knight Enchanter was similar in nature to a greatsword.
It actually helped that the Blade of the Archon was originally designed to be augmented by runes and forged to be wielded by a mage. He highly doubted that the elven warrior was even aware of the sword's true capabilities. Sadly most of this train of thought was moot unless he could find some way of getting into contact with Fenris and convince him to leave Tevinter, cross the Waking Sea and come to the Frostback Mountains.
"So…have you heard from Fenris lately?" Anders asked Varric, gaining the Inquisitor's attention in an instant.
"Fenris specifically, no, but Angel keeps in touch and you know that she wouldn't ever leave his side willingly. I wish those two would just shag already." The dwarf answered with a shrug.
"Those two bumping bits, never in the Void would that ever happen. I actually asked if they ever would and she straight up said that Fenris belongs to her sister." The spirit healer replied with a laugh.
"Oh yes, the mysterious sister that Angel practically idolizes and Fenris so desperately wants to meet. How in the Void do you fall in love with someone after hearing stories about them?" Varric responded, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Quite easily, actually. Now who is this Angel person? And no, just because I know a lot of shit does not mean that I know everything." Artz butted in.
"Angel is what Varric calls her, but we don't actually know her real name, and refuses to speak it until she finds her sister. Anyways, we usually call her Amy, short for Amethyst because her eyes are purple. She's been with Fenris for years and is a gifted mage though she usually sticks to more roguish means of combat. She is fucking deadly with her blades." Anders described, making Solas frown in thought.
The ancient elf was actually a bit confused, because in all the lifetimes he had lived, Fenris was always a lone wolf with a great hatred of magic. Only after he met Garrett Hawke did his views on magic ever change, yet according to their companions, Fenris traveled and was friends with a mage prior to his appearance in the City of Chains.
"I was under the impression that Lord Fenris held a particular distaste for magic." Solas commented, hoping to garner more details of the mystery mage.
"Oh he does, Broody absolutely hates magic, especially blood magic, but Angel is a force to be reckoned with. She used magic to save his life after his lyrium brands finally caused enough pain to actually stop his heart. Since then the two have been inseparable, even going so far as to convince him to trust Hawke and his sister despite them being mages." The dwarf explained.
"How about when she convinced him not to kill me because of Justice and even managed to help Justice return to the Fade? Amy is a force of nature and he can't seem to say no to her either." Anders chimed in, a smile on his face.
Varric let out a bark of laughter.
"I remember when Rivaini had the balls to call him a puppy because he was always following Angel around like a happy puppy." The dwarf commented, sending Artz into a fit of giggles.
The conversation lapsed into telling funny stories about the elven warrior acting like a puppy and other such embarrassing moments. Solas still wanted more information about the still unknown mage named Amethyst, but hearing his mate roar with laughter at the wild tales the spirit healer and the child of the stone were telling her, he was simply content to listen.
"Don't suppose you could sweet talk Amy into dragging Fenris to Haven by any chance? She sounds like someone I desperately need in my life right now." The snowy haired elf asked, smirking with a devilish glint in her sapphire eyes.
The Dwarven author chuckled, but said nothing. Anders narrowed his eyes, watching his friend carefully.
"You're up to something, I can feel it. What are you scheming this time, Varric?" The spirit healer asked with suspicion.
"Blondie, you wound me." The dwarf answered dramatically.
"I'm about to." Anders replied with a hard edge to his tone.
"Well clearly someone has spent too much time with Aveline." Varric muttered.
"Marigold, Aveline's nickname is Marigold." Artz interjected with a knowing look.
The child of the stone blinked before erupting into laughter, making the spirit healer shake his head in remembrance. His vhenan began to laugh as well which drew the attention of the clueless seeker. When she questioned why they were laughing, it actually made him laugh as well. The look on her face was so comically perplexed that it was ridiculous, but also successfully made the Herald forget that Varric had not answered her question about inviting the mysterious Amethyst and the elven warrior, Fenris to Haven.
The first night they camped had been a bit embarrassing for her because she had no clue how to put up a tent, set up her bedroll, or how to use a hole to relieve herself without falling over. Fortunately, her Dread Wolf was a fucking saint and patiently assisted her with everything. He even spent several hours demonstrating how to set up wards around the camp for safety and even on the tents for comfort like temperature modulation and repelling insects and other critters like snakes.
She felt so stupid like she should already know how to do these things, even the wards, and it frustrated her to no end. Solas must have sensed her distress and drew her into the trees for a private moment alone.
"Vhenan, I can tell from your body language that something is wrong. Talk to me, perhaps I can help." He offered, his voice gentle and kind.
"That's just it, you have been helping, Solas. What I'm feeling is stupid…" She began but was halted when he kissed her briefly.
"Nothing you feel is stupid, my love. You are in a foreign environment and if I am correct, you are feeling frustrated that you cannot perform tasks that are considered commonplace here, yes?" He deduced, making her head hang in shame.
"I'm feeling like an idiot, like I should know how to do all this stuff, but I don't. For fuck sake's, Solas, using magic is easier than doing any of this shit!" She snapped before recoiling from her outburst.
"Then use it. Use magic to help you complete the tasks that are causing you such difficulty." He stated simply.
"I don't want to become overly dependent on magic, it does run out at some point and I don't know any spells to do what I need to do." She mumbled, becoming more dejected by the second.
She honestly felt like a whiny, useless crybaby at this point. People were always coming to her rescue when she should be able to take care of herself. People were always helping her do the easy and mundane tasks that even a child could do without assistance. Why did she feel like this? Why did she feel like a failure? Was she truly so insecure about herself that she needed someone else to validate her existence?
Tears began to prick at her eyes and she got pissed off at herself. Now wasn't the time to be crying, she was better than this, damn it! What the fuck was wrong with her?! Solas pulled her into his arms and wrapped his arms tightly around her, laying his head gently on hers.
"Ir abelas, ma vhenan. I should have realized sooner. The mating bond between us is affecting your emotional state. You feel this way because I do. I have lived such a long time and experienced so much that most of the time I feel like a failure. I have failed so many times and in so many ways. Forgive me, my love, for putting you through this. I never meant to hurt you." He apologized, making her go shock still.
The feelings of failure, of frustration and futility, of inadequacy and ignorance…they were coming from him. He was hurting so bad that he couldn't contain it and it broke her heart. She hugged him back, allowing her strength and love to pour into his being. She felt him shudder in her arms as he sucked in a quick breath.
"Ar lath ma, vhenan." He whispered, sounding close to tears.
"I love you too, my Wolf, and don't worry, I can handle anything and everything you throw at me, intentional or not and I will always be there for you." She promised, meaning every single word.
No sooner had the words left her mouth, she suddenly had an ancient elven mage pressing her against the closest tree and snogging her quite passionately. She giggled as he groaned, pulling away to actually smack his head against the tree bark in frustration.
"You have no idea how badly I wish we were already at Skyhold." He breathed, revealing the true effect she had on him.
Her being flooded with pride and a sense of accomplishment. The Dread Wolf wanted to take her so badly, but was restraining himself due to the stipulation she set forth. It was his own fault really. He insisted that she get to know this version of him before they did the deed, otherwise she would have jumped his bones already. Just listening to his voice was such a fucking turn on especially when he got to talking about the Fade or anything remotely scholarly in nature.
"Good things come to those who wait, my Wolf. The thrill is in the chase after all." She teased, rubbing up against him.
His form tensed as his eyes darkened to almost pitch black. She felt a certain thrill pass through her body at the sight of those eyes, eyes so similar to the Scourge of the Sea. She was playing a dangerous game with the Dread Wolf, knowing that if she pushed him too far that the part of him that was her Captain would manifest and he would claim her as his no matter what their circumstances or whereabouts were. She gasped when he pressed back and she could feel his arousal throbbing against her.
"And what a chase it will be, my little fox." He replied huskily.
Her cheeks flushed at the sound of his voice and she could feel herself getting ready in between her legs. Okay, time to put the brakes on this now, but she honestly didn't want to. Fortunately, her favorite spirit healer decided to be on cock blocking duty today.
"Is everything alright?" Anders asked as he approached them.
Solas let out an almost inaudible growl of frustration before releasing her from his grasp. He moved into view so Anders could see him.
"I'm afraid that my mate is being rather obstinate and refuses to confide in me. Perhaps you would have better luck in persuading her." He commented and she threw him a dirty look.
He smirked as he walked away, leaving a confused spirit healer in his wake and a sexually frustrated woman wanting to punch him in the face. Anders approached her finally, a worried look on his face. She smiled at him and shook her head in exasperation.
"I was feeling a bit stupid about not knowing how to do stuff like setting up a tent and such. Just frustrated is all. I would use magic if I could figure out the kind of spells I needed to accomplish everything, but I know next to nothing about pretty much everything. I'm sorry, I shouldn't complain. It's not right to dump my emotional baggage on you. I'd hate to lose your friendship simply because…" She rambled before she suddenly found herself being hugged by Anders.
"You won't lose my friendship, Artz and I'm glad that you would open up to me like this." He replied pulling back to look her in the eyes, "And who says you need spells to use magic? From what Varric tells me, your magic is instinctive. You just do it and all without a staff too, meaning that you have the mental focus to cast without a medium to aid you. So a challenge for you. When we camp tomorrow night, try to picture what you want to do and let your magic express it for you."
Artz smiled at her new friend before agreeing to take his challenge. He guided her back to camp and they sat by the fire. He began telling her stories of the times he had escaped from the Circle of Magi at Kinloch Hold. Then he got in to telling her about how he was conscripted into the Grey Wardens and that's when she realized that he must be hearing the false Calling or would be soon. She supposedly had instinctive magic, maybe she could do what she and her sister always joked about her being able to do… the impossible.
She focused on sensing the spirit healer next to her. She could feel the electrical hum of his magic as it courses throughout his body, but there was something else there. It was dark and felt almost oily in nature, it didn't seem to mix well with Anders. She focused on the foreign entity and allowed herself to immerse in its corrupted song. There was such discord within it that it was difficult to find its natural rhythm, but she found it and pushed that natural rhythm outwards to encompass the rest of the energy.
The spirit mage gasped in relief, the tension fading from his body. In the next moment, he slouched over, his eyes closing as he passed out from whatever the hell she just did. Unfortunately, whatever she just did had completely wiped her out and she collapsed out cold while falling into Anders's lap.
Cassandra initially panicked when she felt a surge of magical energy coming from the Herald of Andraste, her entire body glowing with a soft blue light. That same light encompassed the Grey Warden known as Anders and when the light faded, both he and the Herald had passed out. Solas was in front of them before she could blink and was scanning them with his magic, his eyes closed in concentration.
"Any idea why Starshine would suddenly flare up, Chuckles?" Varric asked as the elven mage finished his examination.
When he reopened his eyes, the seeker was surprised to see such wonder and awe in those storm grey depths. What had he discovered that would bring about such a reaction from him? His eyes became serious and worry settled across his features.
"Inquisitor?" She called, her own concern beginning to rise.
"What I'm about to say must never be repeated to anyone…ever. Do you understand?" Solas began, his tone hard and grave.
Both she and the dwarf nodded after thinking for a moment. Whatever it was, it greatly disturbed the Inquisitor and the fact that he was calling for absolute secrecy meant that the ramifications of others knowing could potentially put his mate at risk which was something he would never allow.
"She cured him. Anders no longer possesses the taint. Artz has cured the Blight with her magic." He revealed, making her go perfectly still.
"Well, shit." The Dwarven author muttered under his breath.
Cassandra was reeling from this revelation. A mage being able to cure the Blight…every scholar, researcher, and scientist worth their salt would be swarming the Inquisition, trying to get to the Herald. Her thoughts turned even darker when she realized just how many with less than altruistic intentions would also target her. Every magister in Tevinter would attempt to claim her and because she was an elf, she would be enslaved and experimented on and no one would even bat an eye.
Now she understood why Solas was demanding complete secrecy, it would change everything and even the Grey Wardens would seek her out. She remembered hearing about how they experimented on one of their own that used to possess the taint but then one day, she simply wasn't tainted anymore and attempted to retake the Joining, but was completely immune. Should they learn of the Herald's ability to cure the taint, they would come for her and the seeker wasn't sure if their meager forces would be enough to keep her from them.
"Varric, not a word to anyone about this. We cannot risk the Herald's life." Cassandra ordered, fiercely determined to keep her charge safe.
"No shit, Seeker. She just saved my friend's life, fuck…his sanity. I'm not going to let anyone take her. They do so over my dead body." The dwarf vowed, his tone certain and sincere, "Still begs the question of how though."
"We will not know that until she wakes up and explains the process, though I doubt that any of us will be able to truly comprehend. She is quite impossible at times." The Inquisitor commented, earning a snort from the crossbow wielding storyteller.
"You mean all the time, right?" The dwarf corrected.
The elven mage chuckled softly before picking his mate up off the ground and carrying her to their shared tent. Cassandra decided to move Anders into the tent that he was sharing with Varric before agreeing to take the first watch.
When Artz awoke the next morning, she was immediately peppered with questions and she just sort of stared at them, not entirely certain what they were asking about. Cassandra kept saying something about a blue light and Varric was asking how she did it. Solas came back from checking on Anders who was still out cold, poor guy was exhausted and apparently needed to catch up on some sleep. The bald elf sat next to her and explained what was being asked.
"When you glow with a soft, blue light, you apparently do the impossible like when you reverted the pride demon back to its original form as a spirit of wisdom and again with Anders. You cured the Blight, my love. He is no longer tainted." Solas explained.
"Oh no, it's still there. I just restored its natural rhythm is all. The song was twisted and warped, really grating on the senses now that I think about it. It was like oil and water. The two were refusing to mesh so by finding the natural rhythm of the song I was able to fully merge it with the natural flow that is entirely Anders." Artz replied, trying to put what she did into words.
"Looks like you were right, Chuckles, because that didn't make a lick of sense to me." Varric commented, earning a nod from the Seeker in agreement.
"What's not to understand, Weaver? I just fixed the song, that's all. I could get more complicated and say that I needed to synchronize the harmonics of the magical energy found within the taint once I had located the original harmonic in which the magical energy is derived from. Then to focus that harmonic and force the rest to conform to it, allowing for full integration into the life force of the one inflicted with the taint." She elaborated, getting really wordy, "I think the words I fixed the song with magic is about as simple as I can get."
Solas looked like he had an epiphany of epic proportions.
"Harmonic resonance, of course. I had assumed you were simply more magically aware, having a heightened sense of magic, but your mind takes it further than simple awareness. Of course, your probability mapping is a simple byproduct of your ability to analyze what is around you. Add in the ability to sense the harmonics of energy itself… remarkable and impossible." He rambled, looking at her with both awe and pride.
She flushed from the praise and even more so from how he was looking at her. Was what she did truly so incredibly monumental? She was just following her instincts, letting her mind wander to chase after a random detail or deviation. She felt like this was being blown out of proportions, but she also knew that the Blight was a big thing here in Thedas, so essentially curing it would seem pretty damn miraculous.
"Where there is Light, there is Hope. Where there is Hope, there are miracles. Miracles are impossible which means I'm definitely involved because I'm Artz Lanaria and I'm the woman that does the impossible." She said softly, a sad look in her eyes.
She really missed her sister in all but blood, Anna. She was her truest believer and always believed that she could do the impossible. Now she was doing exactly that in Thedas and she had magic. Anna would be so jealous that she had magic and the runic bracers would make her so envious and ask a million, million questions. She really would have loved Solas, the scholarly nerd though she didn't know much about elves. How she managed to go through life without seeing just how badass Legolas from the Lord of the Rings was beyond her.
"And with style too." Varric commented, absent-mindedly.
Her head snapped in his direction, but he wasn't paying her any mind, too busy scribbling away in his journal. That wasn't the first time that the crossbow wielding storyteller had done something like that. It started with his acceptance of the word Dalek and other little things like understanding modern idioms, actually knowing what hell was, and even seemed to comprehend the concept of space/time travel. So many things were pointing towards a single conclusion… Varric knew someone that knew her, the real her, the woman from a modern age but how could that be?
In fact, she was beginning to believe that this mysterious Amethyst that he had nicknamed Angel was actually her sister, Anna. It would make sense because Anna knew her better than anyone and she was always gushing about Fenris, so if she crossed paths with him, she would latch onto him and drag him everywhere until she found her. Purple eyes were one of the defining features that Artz used to describe her sister's inner self, what her soul would look like if you peered inside.
She couldn't think much more about it because the spirit healer had just stumbled out of the tent and blinked at the sunlight. When his gaze landed on her, she blushed. The way he was looking at her, well there were no words. Next thing she knew, she was on her feet, in his arms, and his lips firmly planted on hers. She froze initially, her brain jumping from oh shit, please don't kill him, Solas to Holy shit, he's a damn good kisser and please don't fucking stop.
She melted into the kiss, allowing him to lead and enjoying how the song of his magic danced with her own. It created a rather fast beat that reminded her of Immigrant Song from the movie, Thor: Ragnarok. Her brain made the connection and she started kissing him earnestly. Light…he was Light, her Lightning Fang, her light in the darkness. She could hear the seeker of truth yelling and Solas waving her off with something along the lines of him having expected this.
That's when she sensed it, a bond similar to the one she shared with her Dread Wolf. Anders was one of her secondary mates and kissing her like this had fully established the link between them. She could feel his relief, his gratitude, and the beginnings of something else that had yet to be properly defined as of right now, but the attraction was pretty fucking clear though. They finally broke apart, the need for oxygen overriding the desire to stay lip locked.
"Thank you and oh shit, I just kissed you in front of your mate. I'm about to die, aren't I?" Anders started, only to realize what he just did.
"He won't hurt you, my Light, because you're mine. Reach out with your mind and sense our auras." Artz instructed, a knowing smile on her face.
The spirit healer closed his eyes and allowed his mind to feel out their auras, frowning in concentration before his eyes suddenly snapped open.
"We're connected like how you and Solas are connected. I don't understand." Anders said, confused.
"The simplest answer is that you are mated to Artz as I am. We are considered secondary mates, ones that are bonded by choice and sometimes necessity. In fact, the bond between you and Artz has always existed. Why else would you journey into the Frostback Mountains to join an organization that was barely a few weeks old and so few actually knew about it? Why were you drawn to the place where you first met Artz, the need to save her and care for her overriding everything else?" Solas pointed out, completely flooring the spirit mage.
"See? You're mine. Get used to it. Oh and you're not half bad at kissing. I rather enjoyed myself." The snowy haired woman commented before heading towards her tent, "Shall we break camp? We are running kind of late now."
The rest of the trip to the Hinterlands was weirdly uneventful, though Solas did locate a ruin or five for them to make camp in. The dreams she had while sleeping in those ancient ruins were simply phenomenal. Plus it helped that her elven mate was a Somniari, a dreamer, and he was able to enter her dreams to play tour guide. It was so much fun and she learned a lot. He was such a great teacher, so patient and thoughtful. He didn't mind answering her seemingly endless supply of questions.
As for the challenge from Anders about helping to set up camp with magic, he was a smug little shit and so was the Dread Wolf. Both men smirked at her when her magic easily did what she wanted and camp was set up in under ten minutes. The only reason why it took that long was because they had to collect firewood and dig holes for relieving themselves.
She had been legitimately surprised by how easy it was for her to use magic, almost like the Veil didn't exist for her. She had brought it up with Solas after they had retired to their tent for the night.
"It is not that the Veil does not exist for you, vhenan, but your ability to resonate with magical energy. In a sense, you bypass the Veil entirely and your strong will combined with your imagination allows you to mold magic into any shape or form you desire." He explained while laying on his side to look at her.
"Magic is still finite though, so is it possible for you to teach me how to draw power from the Fade to replenish my mana stores?" She requested.
He frowned slightly, making her wonder what he was thinking about.
"I was under the impression that you were already doing so. It's how your mana recovers on its own." He commented, making her frown in thought this time.
"Anders says my magic is instinctive and I'm inclined to agree given all the evidence thus far, so it stands to reason that I am instinctively drawing on the Fade to replenish my mana, yes?" She postulated.
Solas smiled warmly at her, his ancient eyes so soft that it made her want to melt. He reached over with his hand and cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb against her skin. Holy shit, did it just get hot in here?
"You are so beautiful, vhenan, especially when you speak of magical theory. It is quite pleasing to watch your mind work as you analyze a problem and discover the solution. Very alluring indeed." He said softly, making her cheeks rosy.
"Well I've always found intelligence to be a very sexy and attractive quality." She admitted, blushing even harder.
She stayed perfectly still when Solas moved towards her and their lips met in a tender kiss that turned her body into a chemical battleground. Without really thinking, she reached out with her magic to stroke his aura and their kiss went from tender to demanding. Solas climbed fully on top of her, one hand holding her neck and the other at the back of her head, holding her in place so he could properly ravish her mouth.
She stroked his aura a second as if grinding against him and he groaned into her mouth. His hand suddenly found its way in between her legs and into her pants, fingers working diligently into her womanly folds. She arched into his body and he growled in approval, kissing her harshly. She reached out to his aura for a third time and she found herself seeing stars. She came so hard that she was locked in place for about half a minute.
She thought that would be the end of it, but he wasn't quite through with her yet, making her come two more times before allowing her to properly come down. She was so out of it that she barely noticed him removing her leggings, cleaning her up and redressing her in a fresh pair of pants. He then brought her into his arms so that she was laying on top of him and she kind of passed out after that, lulled to sleep by the sound of his heart beating against her ear.
…
The Dread Wolf had not intended to initiate a sexual act when he had kissed her. He had been caught in the moment of her intellectual curiosity at work and simply gave in to the desire to kiss her. When her magic came into contact with his aura in an innocent gesture, his passion flared beyond his control. She did not know just how intimate it was for a mate to use their magic to essentially stroke their mate's aura. It was also a sign of ultimate trust and it meant the world to him that she would do so instinctively.
The second time she did it, it felt like she had ground against his arousal like a demand for physical gratification and he responded instinctively to her command, immediately working his hand into her trousers and using his fingers to please her. She reacted so positively to his touch and it was so difficult not to take her then and there. Then the little minx stroked his aura a third time in a sensual and sultry manner that he didn't even know that she was capable of.
He made her come three times in retribution and he did so enjoy her flushed and exhausted appearance. She was practically putty in his hands and she did not resist him as he cleaned her up from their activities. He did have an ulterior motive for laying her on top of him. After she had fallen asleep, he took her hips into his hands and made her grind against his member. Not only was he able to sate himself, but it had the added side benefit of sexually charging her dreams.
Normally she was aware of her dreams and able to control them like he did, but when her dreams were sexually charged, she was completely oblivious and she was constantly surrounded by desire demons, though they did not remain demons for long. Any demon that stayed in her realm of influence would eventually revert to their original purpose and cease to be demons.
Tonight she was so sexually aroused that she didn't even notice when he entered her realm of influence. He was, however, curious about the place in which the Fade was reflecting. It seemed to be some sort of underwater complex, so open yet structurally sound. His hand easily passed through the bubble like walls and he could feel the frigid water on the other side, yet pulling his hand back in, there was not a single trace of moisture.
He watched in fascination as a current of water shot through the bubble wall and the water formed into a man with dark hair and blue eyes. The man smirked at him and Solas could safely say that his curiosity got the better of him.
"Who are you? You seem familiar to me." He questioned.
The dark clothed man simply chuckled, and shook his head with a smile gracing his lips.
"You know it's strange that you of all people don't recognize me. Maybe not on sight, but at least recognize my aura." The man replied, side stepping the question entirely.
The man turned towards the hallway that led deeper into the complex and laughed.
"You really got her turned up this time. I don't think she even realizes that she's in the Realm right now. Though to be fair, Pride can be very distracting. Bloody hell, the irony is not lost on me right now. Come on, best go interrupt before it gets too far. She's already having trouble distinguishing you and Dragon Age you. No need to add the Realm version of you as well." The dark haired man commented before walking into the complex.
The ancient elven mage was rather confused. What did he mean by the Realm version of him? He followed after the man, looking all around him and marveling at the decor, infrastructure, and technology. It truly was a wonder to behold and he had never seen anything like it in all his time traversing the Fade. Not even the ancient empire of the elves had been so advanced. What was this place and did it even truly exist somewhere?
He blinked when he saw Artz, the red haired and blue eyed version of her, pinned to a column by someone that appeared to be himself. The other him was kissing her and using his hands to please her. She was like butter in his grasp, melting in whichever way he chose. It was a sight more erotic than it should have been, given the circumstances, but he found that he could not look away.
"Oi, Pride! Give her a break, would ya? She's only just got here!" The man called out, making Artz's eyes snap open in recognition.
"Poseidon!" She shouted, happily.
She wiggled out of the other him's arms and bolted straight to the man now identified as Poseidon, Third Captain of the Blood Guard and the Terror of the Deep. While she was preoccupied, he glanced at the other him that was dressed as a humble apostate instead of the fondly referred to god armor. A curious choice to say the least considering there was no need to hide his true self when it came to Artz.
"Hello, Solas. My name is Pride and in this version of reality, I am a member of the Order of the Seven Deadly Sins. The elves here have an entire system of planets and are considered equals to all other races here within the Realm. Our Artz has a very strict policy in regards to racism and religion, amongst other things, so I suggest that you take the word of your Artz as gospel and maybe, just maybe, she can build a better future for everyone." Pride stated, making Solas blink in surprise.
"Pride…oh shit, you know I was actually entertaining the notion of making Solas from Dragon Age Inquisition into the sixth sin of the order, solely based on the fact that his name is the elven word for pride. That seriously stuck here?" Artz rambled, finally returning her attention to the man that had once pinned her to the column to have his merry way mere moments before.
Pride chuckled, his eyes holding a predatory gleam as he smirked.
"Indeed, though admittedly I was resistant at first. The Star Child came stumbling into my world, my Anchor attached to her hand, and she drove me crazy because she was completely impossible. Never before had I witnessed such incredible feats and all without using a single drop of magic." Pride responded, shaking his head in remembrance.
"Dude, she's a celestial avatar. The normal laws of physics, of creation itself, does not apply to the soul of an actual star. Oh, quick question, is Yuna who I think she is in my current world?" The currently red haired woman replied, making Solas frown.
Who was Yuna and why did this feel like a really important thing to know? Pride smirked as Poseidon chuckled.
"I should say spoilers, but given that your Dread Wolf has yet to figure it out, I see no harm in telling you and the answer is yes." Pride answered, still smirking.
"Fuck yeah, totally called it!" Artz exclaimed happily.
"That's my star, such a clever girl." Poseidon commented, nuzzling into her neck, "I can't wait until you meet my Thedosian counterpart."
"Considering that Fen'harel is the Thedosian equivalent to my Captain, I'm pretty sure that I know who you are in Thedas and I find it rather funny." She replied, smiling in a knowing way.
"Well Jimmy can't have you all to himself all the time. Light, Durga and myself usually have our turn in the spotlight." The third captain said with a laugh.
Her eyes widened comically.
"Durga! Who is Durga's Thedosian counterpart?" Artz asked excitedly.
"Now that, my lovely star…" Poseidon started, tapping her nose and making her cross eyed for a moment, "...would be telling and I promised both him and Yuna that I wouldn't spoil the big reveal."
The redhead groaned in frustration and annoyance before noticing that the environment around them was fading away.
"Times up, ma lath. You'll have to gather some of the older and more powerful spirits if the connection is to be maintained, but do keep tormenting your Dread Wolf. It's quite entertaining to watch." Pride explained, smirking like the devil himself.
The underwater complex vanished and they were once again in the crystal glade that acted as a generic backdrop for Artz's dreamscape. She was also back to having silvery white hair and pointed ears. She turned to him and he saw the sadness in her eyes.
"Well that just happened, but where am I going to find these more powerful spirits that Pride was talking about?" She asked, not really expecting an answer.
"We could start with my friends, Wisdom and Purpose. They are several thousands of years old and through them, we should be able to call others. Bringing demons here to revert back to their original forms should also help as well. I believe that you call it networking." Solas suggested.
The smile that lit up her face was worth all the confusion he had experienced tonight. She jumped into his arms and gave him a tight hug, practically squealing in delight. He vaguely knew of the Realm, Dread Wolf Artz had touched upon it briefly, but it obviously meant a great deal to this version of Artz as well. Then there was the information about the Star Child being the soul of a living star. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that.
Take into account that this was the first time that the Realm had ever been reflected in the Fade and he knew that this lifetime was going to be drastically different from all the others he had lived thus far. It was pretty much derailed from the one time he almost got it right. Nothing was really happening as it should, everything seemed to be changing. He would know for sure after they cleaned up the Hinterlands and brought stability to the area.
Anders was finding that Artz was unlike anyone he had ever met before which included Fenris's best friend, the enigmatic Amethyst. In fact, he was starting to notice the similarities between Artz and the stories about Amy's sister. He wondered if that was why Varric called her Starshine. He had listened to all of Amy's stories and knew quite a bit more than himself when it came to the mysterious sister of their magical rogue.
He still wasn't convinced that the dwarf wasn't up to something either. He had refused to comment about bringing Amy and Fenris into the Inquisition and was starting to believe that the storyteller had already gotten into contact with them. Maybe even possibly arranging transport from Tevinter to the Frostback Mountains for them. He would never admit to it aloud, but he actually missed the broody elf.
Fenris was such a sassy little shit and could deliver a joke so flatly that no matter the punch line, everybody would practically be in stitches from laughing so hard. He kept the spirit healer grounded when the spirit of Justice shifted into a spirit of Vengeance. The elven warrior had actually grabbed a hold of him one time to keep him from killing an innocent, and his magic had caused the lyrium brands in the elf's skin to burn with a pain so fierce that he had actually been in tears from the pain.
He had never forgiven himself for that either. The way his friend had fallen to the ground, curling into himself, and repeating that he would be good and begging to not feel his master's magic again. Oh man, that had torn him up so badly that he actually got on his hands and knees and begged Amy to help him find a way to separate from Justice and send him back to the Fade. He couldn't bare to hurt Fenris again and Amy was a fucking angel of mercy.
She had worked out how to separate them already, having visited the Avaar and learning how they interacted with spirits. She had done this years prior to coming to the City of Chains, knowing that she would meet him and wanted to help him. It was surprisingly simple to extract the spirit of Justice, but it had drained him of all his magical energy. He was left defenseless for almost three weeks and during that time, his clinic had been raided by two bands of raiders and a Templar search party.
Amy had been able to contend with the raiders easily enough, but one smite from a Templar and she had been in agony. It was one more thing he hated himself for, because those templars had noticed her beauty and took advantage of her weakened state. They had brutally raped her right in front of him and he couldn't even throw a punch at them. He hadn't been able to stand at all at the time and they just held him upright on his knees, not allowing him to look away.
She did manage to kill one of them and stabbed another, but they held a sword to his throat and threatened to cut off his head if she didn't behave. She glared at them with so much venom, but did not fight them after that. He had thought that this was how their lives would end, killed once they were done with them, but he had been wrong.
The person to save them was the elven warrior himself. There was no way that he had fully recovered and he could tell by how much effort it was taking just to hold his greatsword that he was about to drop from exhaustion at any given moment, but it did not stop him from slaying every last Templar. He actually chopped up the bastard that had been holding his sword to his throat. Anders had been legitimately surprised by the amount of hatred being directed towards the templars from the magic hating elf.
He was even more surprised when Fenris checked on him first, actually helping him to a nearby cot to lay down before going to help Amy. He wasn't entirely sure what really happened that day because none of it made sense. From that day on, the broody elf became a constant fixture in the spirit healer's life and the friendship they formed was more meaningful than the one he had shared with the Hero of Ferelden and former Commander of the Grey.
It was silly, now that he thought about it. Fenris, the man that hated magic, had not only become friends with a mage, but became like a brother to Anders. Honestly, he and Amethyst were the closest thing he had to a family… until now. Now he had Artz and Solas that welcomed him with open arms and without a single shred of doubt. He wasn't quite sure what to do about it or how to feel either.
He was brought out of his thoughts when a bundle of orange fur darted across his vision. What was that? He looked around and saw the Herald of Andraste chasing after an orange furred, four legged creature… Ser Pounce-a-lot? She caught the furry creature and snuggled into its fur briefly before bolting straight towards him. She held up the softly purring feline to him. It wasn't quite like the cat he had at Vigil's Keep. This one had white paws and a white underbelly, but had striped orange fur on its head, back and tail.
"Say hello to Merlin! I found him stuck in the mud along the stream, and cleaned him up with magic. I want you to have him!" She said, pushing the cat into his arms before he could even say a word.
Artz wandered off before his mind fully registered what had just happened. The cat, Merlin, stared at him with his blue eyes practically sparkling with mischief, and he felt something in him give way. He held the cat close as he petted his head, receiving a loud purring of obvious approval. The last time someone gave him a cat was the Hero of Ferelden, William Cousland, and that man became a very dear friend. Now he had been gifted with another cat and he didn't know what to feel first.
He looked up from the cat to the snowy haired elf that was chatting happily with the pathological liar that was Varric Tethras and it just sort of hit him. The feeling that he hadn't been able to identify within himself for the past week. He was falling in love. How the fuck did he not notice before now? Well, shit.