Chapter Two: Link Start
Artz Lanaria was your average human being. She graduated high school, failed out of college three times, had her driver's license, didn't own her own car, watched TV, played video games, read books, listened to music, went to work every week, got paid, did her own shopping, occasionally buying some scratch off tickets, owned a yowler for a cat, her best friend lived in another state, her parents were divorced, her elder brother was married, her grandmother had yet to kick the bucket, her other relatives were either assholes or didn't stay in touch…oh and she wrote an obscene amount of fan fiction.
Her most recent obsession was a series of video games called Dragon Age. There were four main stream installments and then there were the add-ons for each game. The first in the series was Dragon Age: Origins and it had several DLC packages including Dragon Age: Awakening, The Stone Prisoner, Return to Ostagar, Soldier's Peak, Leliana's Song, Golems of Amgarrak, The Darkspawn Chronicles, and lastly, Witch Hunt.
The second installment was called Dragon Age II and its add-ons were called The Legacy and Mark of the Assassin. They made up for the lack of extra content by introducing an extra recruitable character in the form of Sebastian Vael as well as the super exclusive shop called The Black Emporium. They also included several item bundles that were totally awesome and really helped in the long run.
The third installment included a multi-player system which she didn't use. She kept getting bored with it. Anyways, it was called Dragon Age: Inquisition and its add-ons were practically their own adventures just like every area you played in the game. They were called The Jaws of Hakkon, Descent, and Trespasser. They did bring back The Black Emporium which was totally awesome. The third installment was by far the most intricate though it did lull at times, but overall was a fantastic game once you found your personal battle style.
The final installment was called Dragon Age: Dread Wolf and as the name implied, you were trying to save the world from a certain egg head that was trying to restore the ancient empire of the elves by tearing down the Veil. It didn't have any add-ons as of yet, but was yet another amazing addition to the Dragon Age franchise. The graphics, the mechanics, the story were all amazing and she couldn't wait to see what they would add to it in the future.
She had attempted many times to get her best friend, Anna, to play the games which she never could convince her. Turned out that her friend didn't really know much about elves… she never even watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy! Shocker to be sure which was totally ridiculous because she was missing out on so much badassedness that it wasn't even funny.
Artz absolutely loved Dragon Age. She particularly liked the romance system though no one could charm Varric Tethras into their beds, such a tragedy, but then again, she seemed to have a thing for elves…except Zevran, sorry Zev. No, her usual love interest in Origins was Alistair and it turned out that his mother was an elf, so yeah, all elf blooded romances for her.
For Dragon Age II, it was the tall, dark and broody Fenris that hated magic and slavery… yum. Plus it helped that the voice actor that voiced Fenris was also the same man that voiced her crush from Final Fantasy XII, the suave and self assured sky pirate known as Balthier. She was doomed because she would never be able to fully relinquish her beloved Fenris. She tried to romance others in the game but she couldn't do it. She was sort of interested in Tallis, but that was only because she had seen the actress in some of her favorite shows.
Moving along was her romance option for Dragon Age: Inquisition and originally it had been Cullen. He was so sweet and adorable and the only one she wanted to romance as a human since Leliana was no longer an option and she didn't really care for Josephine in that way. The one she truly wanted to romance was Solas and she had to specifically be an elf to do it. She knew ahead of time that he was going to break her heart thanks to YouTube, but she did it anyway and cried her little bitch tears when he dumped her.
There they were, the three men that had wormed their way deep into her heart. Each of them had a special place there and the love she had for them would never truly fade, though sometimes she liked putting her beloved Dread Wolf into a parental like role sometimes because he was so old that he could pull it off. Plus, she always wondered how he would be around children. Alistair was a natural family man and Fenris was fiercely loyal to those he loved.
She had written so many fan fiction stories within the universe of Dragon Age, having her original character…always a Dragon Age fan falling into the game…living in Thedas, trying to change things. Even if it wasn't much, even if only a single life could be saved with the knowledge that she possessed then it would be worth it. She did it from many different viewpoints and various setups that she was relatively comfortable in the universe. Sometimes her stories in Dragon Age: Inquisition gave her some problems, but that was mainly from writing herself into a corner.
Now how did any of this apply to her current situation, it made for a very pleasing distraction. She was currently sitting on some kind of cot, wrapped in a somewhat scratchy blanket. She was in some kind of dungeon, but she wasn't chained up or tied down. Didn't make it any less freezing and her left hand was killing her. She hadn't brought her hand out to examine it yet because it was too damn cold. She did wonder where the weird green glow was coming from.
She glanced around again, taking note of the fact that there were not any guards inside the dungeon itself, which was odd because it was an actual dungeon with cells and everything. There were several torches lit, but it did little to brighten the actual room. She wasn't sure what her brain was trying to tell her, but she felt something in the distance. It was big and it felt like it was angry or perhaps simply violent? It was hard to tell, but something was definitely there.
She could also sense that something was wrong. There was a general sense of fear, panic, and something that hurt her heart…grief maybe? She had never truly been an empath before but then again, her hair wasn't white before and it was kind of long, almost halfway past her shoulder blades. Her body was different too, she was skinny like properly skinny. She wasn't nearly as wide hipped as she was before and her breasts were a bit smaller, firm and not flat like pancakes.
She cried out in pain as the green glow under the blanket got brighter for a moment. That's it! She had to know what the fuck was wrong with her hand! She worked up the nerve to expose her left hand and she held it up to examine it. She felt her blood freeze within her veins, her eyes wide as she saw a glowing green mark scorched into her left palm, but that was impossible.
She knew what this was, but it couldn't be. The Anchor was something from Dragon Age: Inquisition, it wasn't real. It wasn't supposed to be real! She shivered and felt an odd sensation in her ears. She reached up with both hands to figure out what was wrong and she stilled when she felt the small yet defined points on the top of her ears. How the fuck was she an elf?! Though that did explain the hair.
Her fingers went to her face to see if she could feel any kind of markings on her skin and her eyes began to tear up because she could feel the difference between her normal skin and the altered skin. She traced the lines and realized that her face bore the vallaslin of Mythal, but there was something odd about the placement of the lines, almost like they had been curved to form some kind of shape, but still looked like Mythal's markings.
She cried out again as the Anchor flared, shooting pain up her arm and causing tears to slip down her cheeks unbidden. She gasped for breath as the pain subsided and she wondered where the Left and Right Hands of the Divine were because she had been awake for some time now, but no one had come to question, threaten or interrogate her. She knew she shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but the further things deviated from the original plot line, the more scared she became.
She looked up as her senses felt something drawing closer, two somethings but she didn't feel anything hostile from either of them which was odd if it was Leliana and Cassandra. Her elven ears finally heard a door opening and closing, their footsteps becoming louder as they walked down the hall towards the dungeon.
The door opened and she was momentarily blinded by the sudden increase of light. Her eyes adjusted swiftly and there before her was Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast and Sister Leliana Nightingale. The graphics didn't do either one of these women any justice. They were positively gorgeous and practically oozed confidence and grace.
She jolted out of her thoughts when the former bard sat down on the cot in front of her and gently wiped away her tears. Okay, unexpected, weird, a tiny bit creepy, and a whole lot terrifying. The redhead wrapped the blanket back around her when she noticed that she was shivering.
"How are you feeling, Artz?" The spymaster asked, making everything stop in her head.
What?
"I know that you need time to recover, but there isn't time. We need your help, my friend." The woman continued, unaware that anything was amiss.
What?!
"What happened, Artz? Do you know what happened to the Divine? Who attacked us? Anything at all will help us. Please, Artz, think. The smallest detail could be vital." Cassandra questioned, gently.
WHAT?!
"I don't understand." Artz whispered, having no idea how this could be possible.
How did they know her name? Why did Leliana call her 'my friend'? And why was Cassandra not demanding answers out of her like she was a prisoner?
"Artz, what is the last thing you remember?" The former bard asked, making the snowy elf look at her.
What did she remember? Mom had taken her to an appointment with her primary doctor, just her annual check-up. What happened after that? She had gone home and crashed on her bed for a few hours before waking up and deciding to play Dragon Age: Origins again, wanting to experience a new version of her romance with Alistair where Anora kept the throne and he stayed with the Grey Wardens. She even played as a city elf this time.
What happened after that? She had played through the DLCs before knocking out the Circle of Magi, siding with the mages so that she could save Connor in Redcliffe. She then decided to do a brief stint through Denerim before deciding to head to Orzammar. Got Sten's Asala back for him, killed Flemeth and nabbed the grimoire before handing out all of the gifts and doing some talking to her companions. She fully romances Alistair with the help of the approval guide and had sex with him before ever going to the Circle.
Stop focusing on the damn game already! The next thing she did in real life was… oh! The storm knocked out the power for a few minutes so she had to go flip the circuit breaker, went back to the kitchen to grab some ice water and some leftover biscuits from dinner to snack on then… huh, it goes blank after that, how odd? Whoops, better answer before they stop the nice guy act.
"I remember being at home. I went to the kitchen to get something to drink and a snack before going back to my room to play a game, but I don't remember actually reaching my room." She answered honestly.
"Do you know who we are, where we currently are, and the reason why we are here?" Leliana questioned, but she didn't seem to be digging for information.
It was almost like she already knew how she would answer. She knew that she couldn't lie. The woman was the future fucking spymaster of the Inquisition. She would know in an instant that she was lying. The truth was the only option.
"Your name is Leliana, veteran of the Fifth Blight, former bard that grew up in Orlais, and the Left Hand of the Divine. Her name is Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast. She is a Seeker of Truth, seventy-eighth in line for the Nevarran throne, and Right Hand of the Divine.
We are currently in the dungeon housed beneath the chantry within the village of Haven. Haven is located in the Frostback Mountains in the country of Ferelden in the world of Thedas. The reason why the two of you are here is due to the Divine Conclave where Divine Justinia V was holding peace talks in the hopes of ending the Mage-Templar war, but as to why I'm here, I don't know.
I'm a human from another world, a parallel reality where Thedas and everything that's happening was a work of fiction. A series of games with an immersive, interactive story that allowed you to make choices as the Hero of Ferelden, the Champion of Kirkwall, and the Mark Bearer. The Fifth Blight was the backdrop for Dragon Age: Origins. The events in Kirkwall were a three act plot line for Dragon Age II. Lastly, the events occurring with the Mark are from Dragon Age: Inquisition." She answered, just letting everything spill out.
There was no way they would believe her. She closed her eyes not wanting to see their reactions, tears slipping from beneath her closed lids.
"You remember nothing after your home, nothing at all?" Cassandra asked, actually sounding both sad and relieved at the same time.
She shook her head, trying not to sniffle. Her emotions were all over the place and her stress level was through the roof. She cried out in pain as the Anchor flared up again, the pain blocking everything else out. She gasped harshly for breath as her environment came back into focus. Leliana was holding her, looking more worried than she thought the woman was currently capable of and Cassandra was kneeling next to the left side of the cot, looking equally as anxious.
"Artz, I know that right now, you are confused and scared, that the one thing you want most is to be back in your home, in your bed, and romancing your way into a certain warden's heart, but I need you to trust us, okay?" The former bard said, surprising her with the romancing comment.
"I must take you to the rift and soon because the Breach is expanding and every time it does the Mark grows. And it is killing you." The seeker chimed in with information she already knew.
"It will work. At least it did in the game and if I can get to the first rift at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, I can stabilize the Breach and the Mark at the same time. It won't close it but it will buy us time." Artz informed them, hoping that they would believe her.
"So you will trust us?" The redhead asked.
"I don't have a choice." She answered, a little bitter about that.
The spymaster looked honestly upset at her answer and the Nevarran royal had a look of sad resignation on her face that the snowy elf did not like. It hurt to see them like this and it was her fault.
"Stop that. It isn't your fault. You cannot remember us or the times we shared, so you are under no obligation to trust people that you just met. We're only upset because this isn't the first time that you've lost your memories, but I swear to you that we will take care of you. We will allow no one to hurt you and hopefully one day, we will earn your trust. Please be patient with us, we can be quite stubborn and set in our ways." Leliana spoke up, making her want to cry again.
"Don't suppose you have anything warmer than this blanket by any chance because I am a meat popsicle." Artz requested, trying to make a joke.
The redhead's eyes softened with a light humor, but the seeker of truth looked rather confused so much so that it was comical.
"You don't know what a popsicle is, do you?" The snowy elf surmised.
Cassandra shook her head, still looking quite befuddled.
"I'll explain it to you later, Cassandra. For now, raise your right hand and swipe it down, Artz." The former bard instructed.
Now it was her turn to be confused, but did as she asked, swiping her hand down like she was opening the menu in Sword Art Online. Her eyes grew wide as a semi transparent screen appeared, floating in front of her. She swiped the screen like she would a touch pad and it changed to another page. She quickly scanned over everything, locating the armor page.
She searched for something with an enchantment to resist the cold. She discovered an outfit made from ice dragon scales and had a high resistance to the cold, an effect that encompassed the body so she didn't have to have a helmet or a hat on. She tapped it and the secondary screen popped up asking her if she wanted to equip it or move it to junk. She tapped the equip button and her outfit changed in a shimmer.
The outfit itself was similar in design to the casual outfit you could wear at Skyhold; long sleeved shirt, tight vest and pants, gloves, boots and a loose handkerchief tied around her neck. The difference in temperature was drastic. She stopped shivering and abandoned the blanket, more than comfortable in her new attire. She swiped up and the screen vanished like she hoped it would.
"Okay, I'm good now, but how am I supposed to defend myself? There's going to be a lot of resistance between us and the Temple." She pointed out, getting to her feet and stretching a bit.
"You are a mage. Unfortunately, only you know how to use your magic, so you'll have to discover what triggers it along the way. Stay close to Cassandra, warn her about anything from the game, and call out possible details about the opponents you encounter. Your greatest asset will be your ability to think, so long as you can think, you are safe. You taught me that." The chantry sister answered, smiling slightly.
"Not helpful but alright. Let's dance." Artz snarked.
"I'll lead, you follow." The seeker sassed leading her from the room.
Hot damn, Cassie was one with the sass! Though Varric was probably the king of sass unless Hawke had a humorous personality then he was the king of sass. Leliana went ahead of them so that she could prepare the forward camp for their arrival. They exited the chantry and her attention was immediately drawn to the Breach.
The something big that she had been sensing that whole time was the Breach itself. A spiraling stream of green energy connected to it, from ground to sky. The Breach's center was like a black, gaping void while the edges reminded her of a swirling vortex, almost like a whirlpool in the ocean but a bright green instead. The fact that it was so clearly defined even from this distance showed just how massive the tear in the Veil truly was.
The spiral of energy pulsed and with it, the Mark did as well. It sent her to her knees in pain and she bent over while grasping her wrist, trying to ride out the pain. It took several moments for the pain to subside and she looked up to Cassandra's worried face. She seemed to truly care about her. Were they friends before she lost her memory?
"Were we friends, Cassandra?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes and no. You are…were an acquired taste." The seeker answered, helping her to her feet.
She noticed how the people of Haven were looking at her with such hatred and rage, but she didn't do anything wrong. She knew from the game that the Mark Bearer had tried to save Dorothea by interrupting the ritual that Corypheus was casting. That was how they ended up with the Anchor scorched into their left palm. The Nevarran royal noticed where her attention had gone and guided her quickly through the settlement.
"You spent the last few years in Val Royeaux, staying with the Divine. Leliana attempted to teach you what you needed to know to survive and thrive here in Thedas, but her technique caused a great deal of emotional strain on you.
You would come to me, simply so that you could think about anything else. I would teach you swordplay, but you were terrible with a shield. You favored the greatsword and possessed a natural disposition for it. I admit that it was difficult to teach you. Your mind would wander constantly and I was rather harsh in my instruction at times.
I…was not a good friend. You were always struggling and I…I did not help as I should have. I did realize that the fault was mine, so I tried to connect to you in other ways. We shared a similar interest in romance novels. You explained to me the art of fan fiction and I enjoyed reading the stories you would write for my favorite books, even writing me into them from time to time.
My biggest aggravation with you was your incessant need to call me Cassie. You said it had to do with a story called The Good Witch. I eventually gave up trying to get you to call me something else and even started liking how informal you acted towards me. I did not realize how much I enjoyed the sense of familiarity as if you saw me simply as a person and nothing more." The dark haired warrior spoke, trying to distract her from all the glaring.
"That's because you are a person, Cassie. You were not born as a warrior or a seeker or even as a princess. You were born as a baby and last I checked, babies cried, screamed and shat like crazy, so yeah, person first, everything else is just window dressing.
As for the name Cassie, the main female protagonist of the story was named Cassandra Nightingale but commonly went by the name Cassie. When spoken together, it was pretty much an inside joke about how both Hands of the Divine were represented in a single person with a single name." Artz explained, trying not to slip in the snow.
They came to the first bridge and the snowy elf grabbed the seeker of truth from going any further and yelling at the soldiers at the other end to not move. Less than half of a minute later, the bridge was hit by a blast of green energy from the Breach. The center of the bridge collapsed and the warrior nodded her thanks.
She was really glad that the dark haired woman was willing to believe her about the games or at least, granting her the opportunity to prove the validity of her claim before labeling her as a mad woman. They picked their way down the debris and onto the frozen river. She called out the arrival of two demons just as the first materialized nearby.
Cassandra raced off to deal with it, leaving her with the second one materializing right in front of her. She backed away from the lesser shade, freaking out inside her head. Its warped body began to approach her and suddenly she couldn't move. Shit, her fear was paralyzing her! She needed to move, do something, anything!
The shade lifted its claw like hand and touched her face gently, surprising her. Her eyes widened as she was overcome with the urge to help. It was asking for help. It didn't want to be this way. It just wanted to go home. She instinctively raised her left hand and opened a small rift, the Anchor practically singing from being called on consciously and something clicked within her mind.
The Anchor caused her pain because the Breach was getting bigger, making the Mark react against its natural state, but its purpose was to be used, to be called upon to perform a task. By her consciously activating the Anchor herself, she was fulfilling its purpose and no harm was inflicted upon her. The lesser shade entered the rift of its own accord and Artz closed her hand into a fist, snapping shut the minor rift.
Cassandra had finished her fight and was staring at her in confusion. She sheathed her weapon and walked over to her, her brow furrowed deep in thought.
"The spirit didn't want to be here, so I used the Mark to open a path it could traverse so that it could go home. I doubt it will work on all of them, but it did for that one because it really didn't want to be here. No, I don't know how I did it, I just did. I was just following my instincts." Artz explained, tripping over her words.
Please don't be mad, please don't be mad! The confusion on the seeker's face cleared and she nodded her head with a slight smile.
"Understood. Leliana did say that it would be up to you to work things out for yourself, but I do suggest caution. As you said, not all of the demons will want to leave, but we can help those that simply wish to return to their world. Come, take these potions and let us continue on to the forward camp." The dark haired woman replied, handing her a small pouch with eight vials containing a red transparent liquid.
She took it and attached it to her belt, trying to get her brain to work again. She had not been expecting the woman's easy acceptance of what she just did, given her stance on demons and anything Fade related, but she didn't have much time to think about it further. Her next encounter with the spirits was pretty much what she expected. None of them wanted help and were simply attacking blindly. They were in so much pain like every part of their beings were under attack at the same time.
She had surprised herself when she whipped her right hand to the side and in her hand materialized a greatsword, one that she recognized… Spellweaver, a blade meant only to be wielded by an Arcane Warrior. It was bigger than the typical long sword from the game, but she figured that everything from the games was simply a reference guide rather than pure fact.
Spellweaver
Type: Long sword
Material: Silverite (Tier 6)
Damage: 10.50
Requires: 26 Strength/Magic
Restriction: Arcane Warrior
Strength Modifier: 1.00
Critical Chance: 3.00%
Armor Penetration: 3.50
Rune Slots: 2
Stats
5 Magic
2 Mana Regeneration in Combat
10% Spell Resistance
3 Electricity Damage
Value: 11 Sovereigns, 60 Silvers
Description
This ancientelven-forged blade vibrates slightly to the touch in most people's hands, but it stills in the grip of amage. Crafted with lost techniques for alloyinglyriumand metals, Spellweaver enhances a mage's powers, acting as a focus in the same way as astaff.
This weapon practically sang in her hand and despite having no prior knowledge or training to draw from, she knew how to use it on instinct alone. She felt terrible for each spirit she fell because this wasn't their fault. They were dragged from their home, their world just like her.
Where she was affected mentally from her arrival in Thedas, they were affected physically and blinded them to all else. She could feel it, their fear. They were scared because of the pain they were in, not knowing what was happening to them, and terrified for their lives. This was wrong, this was so wrong, and no matter how scared she would be to do it, she was going to give Solas a piece of her mind because these spirits were innocent and they were hurting because of his foolishness.
"We're getting close to the rift. You can hear the fighting. Hurry, we must help them." Cassandra informed her as they climbed the snow covered path.
As she reached the top, she paused to get a look at the area. The seeker charged in to help with the corrupted spirits. She spotted Varric and his crossbow, Bianca, firing off one bolt after another. There were a few soldiers a bit further away, also fighting the spirits. Then there was Solas, the Dread Wolf himself. She could only stare at him because her body was doing some crazy shit.
Her heart was beating faster, her palms began to sweat inside her gloves, heat was coiling in her lower body, and she could feel herself becoming wet in between her legs. Was now really the time to get all hot and bothered over the positively scrumptious looking and handsome form of Fen'harel, heralded as the elven God of Rebellion? She noticed a lesser shade approach him from behind.
No! She charged into the fray, Spellweaver singing in her hand as she felt a surge of warmth rush down her right arm and into the blade, causing it to crackle blue electricity. She blocked the shade's initial strike, alerting the ancient Elvhen behind her.
"Get your own geek!" She yelled, quoting Nicole Noone from The Librarian: Quest for the Spear.
She pushed it away, spinning Spellweaver around to slice off the arm she had initially blocked. It yelled as the arm dissolved, its energy disappearing into the Fade. Solas shot a fireball past her, hitting the shade square in the chest which caused enough damage to make the shade dissolve like its arm. Apparently it had been the last corrupted spirit on the field, because Solas grabbed her left wrist and dragged her towards the now diminished rift.
"Quickly, before more come through!" He ordered, thrusting her hand towards the rift.
The Anchor did not take kindly to his manhandling and it really didn't like it when he started shoving something cold into it. Was it his magic? That would make sense, since he favored ice magic, but the Anchor didn't like his magic. It liked her magic and it snapped angrily at him, forcing his magic back into his body. The look of shock on his face was brief, but he did not relinquish her wrist.
She was afraid that he was about to try again, so she focused on the warmth inside her, now identifying it as her magic. She pushed it towards the Anchor and it hummed happily, soaking it all up and shooting a beam of electric blue at the rift. The Anchor tugged on the rift and it closed, some power from the Fade coming back with her own.
She looked down at her left palm and was surprised to see that the Mark on her hand was no longer the bright green color of the Breach, but an electric blue color that reminded her of a lightning strike. She looked over to the ancient Elvhen, seeking an answer for the change.
"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake – and it seems I was correct." He stated, making her give him a flat look.
Thank you, Captain Obvious, but why did the damn thing change colors? Why did the Anchor reject the magic of its true owner and gobbled up her own?
"So if we powered up the Mark, it could close the Breach for good." Cassandra commented, remembering that she had said that she could only stabilize the Breach at this time.
"Possibly." The ancient Elvhen conceded, "It seems you hold the key to our salvation."
"Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demons forever." Varric spoke as he adjusted his glove and walked forward.
"Are you with the chantry or…" She began as she turned around to face the dwarf.
The Dread Wolf let out a short burst of sarcastic laughter.
"Was that a serious question?" He asked with a small smirk.
"No, but it got you to laugh." She replied with a smile, looking over at him.
She noticed the brief look of surprise flash across his eyes before she noticed that the tips of his ears suddenly turned pink. Oh ho, so he was not immune to her wily ways. Perhaps she could use that to charm him into a fast friendship. She looked back towards Varric, wondering why he hadn't introduced himself like he did in the game. She blinked when she saw tears in his eyes and he honestly looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"Starshine?" He whispered almost like he was afraid to ask.
After a moment, it dawned on her. This reaction…like he had seen a ghost… he knew her. He was one of the people that she had forgotten, wasn't he? It was the only thing that made sense. His right hand reached up to touch her face and for some reason, she panicked and stepped away, right into Solas's awaiting arms. He wrapped his arms around her loosely, a simple act of support that she was grateful for.
Shit, the look on his face, he was heartbroken. She did that, she caused him to feel like that. She was such a terrible person.
"Stop that." The seeker snapped lightly, making her look over at her, "Leliana told you already that it isn't your fault that you don't remember. Any pain that we feel is entirely of our own doing. You are not responsible for us."
"Don't remember? Shit, Broody is going to want to hear about this. There's no way he's going to leave her on her own to sort this shit out. Sorry, Starshine. It's just up until a moment ago, I thought you were dead, so let me just say, I am very happy that you are alive and I'll stick with you, kid. Where you go, I'll follow." Varric stated, vowing to help her.
"So what you're saying is that I'm stuck with you, Weaver. Could be worse, at least I'll have civilized company in the valley, ain't that right Bianca?" She snarked, trying to lighten the mood.
The crossbow wielding storyteller let out a laugh while pulling Bianca from his back with a smirk.
"So Chuckles, how long you planning on hugging Starshine?" The dwarf asked with a raised brow.
Huh? Well, how about that, he was still holding her in his arms and rather closely too. Upon Varric's question, he seemed to realize this too and immediately dropped his arms while stepping back.
"Ir abelas, da'len. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable." He apologized.
"Who said anything about being uncomfortable? I was being embraced by a perfectly handsome elf. If anything, I'm disappointed." She replied with some sass.
How far could she push this? Could she kiss him before he could stop her? You know what, she was gonna try it.
"Why would…" He began.
She closed the distance between them, grabbed his tunic which took him by surprise, and she pressed her lips against his. A certain thrill raced through her and it was like her body had become a live wire. Imagine her surprise when one hand came to cup her right cheek and the other snaked around her waist to pull her closer. He kissed her back and pushed his tongue between her lips. She opened her mouth and he slipped inside to battle her tongue with his own.
She grunted in pleasure which seemed to fuel his own desire and he kissed her much more fervently. What in the world was going on? Was this actually happening? It felt like something from a dream or some serious wish fulfillment. She was suddenly pulled from behind and out of his reach. She opened her eyes to see the Seeker of Truth holding her sword to Solas's throat, rage in her eyes. What?
"You will keep your distance from her, apostate, or I will gut you where you stand." Cassandra threatened.
The warmth inside of her surged and the seeker's blade became red hot. She yelled as she dropped the blade and Artz ran to Solas, checking his neck for any injuries.
"I am alright, da'ise. I apologize for my behavior. I am unused to being in the presence of a beautiful woman, and especially not used to being kissed by one out of the blue. Forgive me. We need to focus on the Breach. Perhaps we may get to know each other at a later date." He assured before derailing her brain.
For starters, he said that she was beautiful, not once but twice, and promptly asked her on a date after she stabilized the Breach. Is this what heaven looks like, because damn that was fucking incredible.
"I best hurry up then. The sooner the Breach is dealt with, the sooner I can get some alone time with a gorgeous elf. Alright, people, let's move out. Things to do!" She replied, picking up the seeker's now cooled sword and returning it to her.
She jumped over the nearby wall so that they could travel along the bank of the frozen river. She did jump down to see if she could scan and store things like she did in one of her fan fiction stories. She picked up the coppers on the ground by closing her hand into a fist and after the light from the jewel scanned them, they disappeared in a shimmer. She stood and repeated the process on the iron deposit nearby.
She turned around and rejoined the others. She slipped on the ice and almost did a split had it not been for Solas grabbing her hand and pulling her towards himself. She ended up against his chest and blushed a pretty red, remembering that kiss from before. She extradited herself from his embrace, not wanting to delay things any longer. People were dying after all, so she needed to focus on the task at hand.
She just didn't think that he would have returned the kiss, let alone deepen it to that level so quickly. They literally made out on a damn battlefield, but she couldn't comprehend his response. It didn't make any sense at all. Unlike the others so far, he didn't act like he knew her. Wait, did he call her 'little fire'? Da'ise translated directly to little fire. What an odd choice in nickname then again she has been called worse in the past.
She did notice that when not in immediate use, her Spellweaver sword requipped itself back into her inventory. Useful and it was silly that she only now noticed it. Her attention turned to the Breach when it expanded again, but unlike before, the Anchor didn't respond. It was humming contentedly against her palm like it wasn't connected to the Breach anymore which was strange.
She was about to find out for sure if she fucked everything up because they were closing in on the rift that was directly in front of the doors leading to the forward camp. During the fight, Solas stayed near her and she could feel the nippiness of his magic as he would cast barriers over her to protect her from harm. Was it weird to smell things when magic was cast because his magic smelled like walking into a pine forest after a storm.
Once all the corrupted spirits were dealt with, she raced over to the diminished rift. Her sword requipped itself away and she pushed her left palm towards the rift. Please work, please work! Her magic flowed down her arm and into the Anchor which gobbled it up happily before sending a stream of electric blue energy towards the rift. The Anchor once again tugged on the rift, willing it to close like before. Once again, some energy from the Fade returned with her own and she lowered her hand.
Okay, so the Anchor still worked. Most likely answer to this conundrum was that the Anchor possessed some kind of sentience, not a lot. It kind of reminded her of a puppy, happy with its new owner while hostile to its previous owner. The Anchor rejected Solas's magic and it had originally come from him. It accepted her magic and deemed her worthy. It was no longer causing her pain because the Breach was caused by the Orb of Fen'harel, but the Anchor now resonated with her magic alone.
The gate opened and they were permitted inside. Artz noticed how exhausted everyone looked and the bodies wrapped in canvas and tied in ropes. Shit, now she really felt bad for kissing Solas when she did. People were fighting for their lives, it wasn't a game anymore. These were real people with real lives and real families and she wasted time by fooling around!
"Da'ise, you must not blame yourself. You are not responsible for the Breach or the chaos brought in its wake." The hedge mage commented softly and she didn't even have to look at him to know that he was shouldering the blame on himself because it was his orb that started all this.
She became distracted when she heard Leliana's voice from further along the bridge.
"We must prepare the soldiers!" The former bard stated strongly.
"We will do no such thing." The Chancellor negated vehemently.
"Artz must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!" The chantry sister argued.
"You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility." Roderick continued to deny.
"I have caused trouble?" The redhead snapped angrily.
"You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven't you all done enough already?" The clergyman replied, crossing a line he shouldn't have.
"You're not in command here!" The former bard responded coldly.
"Enough! I will not have it!" The weasel denied.
She walked forward, in a hurry to get this over with. Too many lives have already been lost. She could not allow any more people to fall.
"You made it! Thank the Maker!" Leliana expressed relieved to see them.
The Chancellor tried to speak, but she was having none of it. No more arguing, they needed to act now.
"Leliana, have our forces pull back and maintain the line at the rift in the valley. I'm going to the mountain pass to save the scouts, seal the rift then loop around and close the other one. We're going to face a lot of resistance at the first rift and I need every able bodied soldier I can get to hold off the spirits while I'm stabilizing the Breach." She ordered, using the anger she felt towards herself to override the near paralyzing fear she was constantly feeling.
"As you command, Warden Commander." The former bard agreed instantly.
She realized her mistake, her eyes going wide.
"Explain later, action now. People are dying." Artz snapped, making the woman get a hold of herself.
She moved past the former Orlesian bard, the others of her party following right behind her. She requested that Cassandra lead the way since she didn't know how to reach the mountain path. The seeker took up the lead with Varric trailing behind her, occasionally needling the woman. Solas remained a step or two behind her in case she slipped again.
Warden Commander…that's what Leliana called her. Was it possible that she was somehow the Hero of Ferelden? Given the amount of loot in her inventory, it was a possibility, but a part of her wasn't sure. She had obviously lived in this world a while because she was friends with Varric, good enough friends to make the dwarf almost start crying upon realizing that she was alive and in front of him, but was it possible that she became a Grey Warden?
Then she remembered her greatsword, Spellweaver. That blade could only be obtained from one of the cultists that lived in the caves on the way to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The same cultists that the Hero of Ferelden would have to have fought to retrieve a pinch of the Ashes to heal Arl Eamon. She could admit that it was indeed a possibility and when factored with Leliana's reactions thus far, it was the only logical conclusion based on all current facts and observations.
"Fuck me, I'm the Hero of Ferelden. Just what the fuck is my life right now?" She whispered to herself.
She was caught off guard when she felt a cool hand slip around her right hand to hold it. She turned to see who it was and it was Solas. Why was the Dread Wolf holding her hand?
"No matter what you learn, da'ise, know that you do not carry it alone." He said softly, his blue grey eyes intense with unspoken emotion.
Seriously, it felt like she was in the middle of a Twilight Zone episode because Fen'harel was not acting like he should be. What the fuck was her life?
"I'm scared." She admitted, "I've gone from being human to being an elf, I suddenly have magic, I'm in a world that is not my own, and fighting a war that I want no part of. People know me, they call me by name and expect so much from me. I'm confused, I'm terrified and nothing is making sense. Worst of all, I am alone and I don't want to be."
She tried to choke back the tears, but they came anyway. Oh yeah just bear your soul to the Dread Wolf and cry like a damn baby while you're at it! He doesn't care, he's just using you because of the Anchor, he needs you to fix his mistake and that's all. Her inner thoughts made her cry even harder and she stopped walking, too overloaded emotionally to function.
She sank to her knees, bringing Solas down with her. He called to the others and they immediately came back. He moved so he could kneel in front of her, relinquishing her hand so that he could use both to cup her face.
"Is she alright? Is she hurt?" Cassandra questioned, worry written all over her face.
"Physically no, she is unharmed, but emotionally, it is too much. She has done well to make it this far without breaking. I am sorry, Seeker, but we can ask no more of her. She cannot proceed until she can expel it from her system. I know that time is of the essence, but if we push her much further, she will break and we do not know what that will do to the Mark. For now, I will carry her as we climb." Solas answered sternly, unwilling to damage her further.
The others helped get her onto the mage's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and he tucked his arms under her legs. They started up the mountain again and she buried her face into his tunic. She felt so stupid and useless. Why did she have to break down now? People were dying right that minute while she cried her little bitch tears!
She became aware of someone softly singing and it took a moment for her brain to process the information. Solas, it was Solas. He was the one singing. He was singing in elven. Why did the words sound so familiar? Wait, wasn't this some kind of elven lullaby?
Elgara vallas, da'len
Melava somniar
Mala taren aravas
Ara ma'desen melar
Iras ma ghilas, da'len
Ara ma'nedan ashir
Dirthara lothlenan'as
Bal emma mala dir
Tel'enfenim, da'len
Irassal ma ghilas
Ma garas mir renan
Ara ma'athlan vhenas
Ara ma'athlan vhenas
Sun sets, little one,
Time to dream
Your mind journeys,
But I will hold you here.
Where will you go, little one
Lost to me in sleep?
Seek truth in a forgotten land
Deep with in your heart.
Never fear, little one,
Wherever you shall go.
Follow my voice--
I will call you home.
I will call you home.
Follow my voice, I will call you home. No truer words had been spoken. Listening to him sing in that silky smooth voice of his was incredibly soothing and she always did like the sound of the elven language. It always touched her heart every time a character spoke it in any of the games. It had the desired effect of calming her down, even though her tears hadn't stopped.
She was crying for a different reason now. Crying because she was touched by how much the Dread Wolf seemed to care about her. Even if it was a lie, this moment meant the world to her. Thus far he has been the only one really trying to help her with her emotions. Leliana and Cassandra just wanted her to stop blaming herself and focus on the task at hand, and she knew that Varric had no clue how to deal with crying women.
Most good hearted men were completely helpless when women cried, but Solas seemed to have this irresistible need to comfort her and keep her from shattering entirely. This was not the Dread Wolf she knew and she was grateful for the change. If he acted the same as his fictional counterpart from the game, she would believe it impossible to change his course but this Solas, this version of him gave her hope.
They reached the ladders leading up the mine shaft that cut through the mountain and the seeker turned towards them.
"Will you be able to climb with her on your back?" The Nevarran royal asked in concern.
"There is no need. She has calmed down enough to climb for herself, but to be safe, I will climb with her to lessen her fear." He answered while gently setting her on her feet.
She mumbled out an apology as she tried to dry the tears that were still pouring from her eyes. He surprised her with a kiss to her forehead, making her look up at him. His blue grey eyes were soft and warm and it made butterflies erupt inside her stomach and her cheeks to flush pink. She made her way over to the ladder, hesitant to climb it. She had a rather bad fear of falling.
"You will not fall, da'ise. I am with you." He whispered into her left ear.
Dude seriously, she was trying to focus damn it! She began to climb, again grateful for her gloves because even with the gloves, the rungs were cold. Solas quickly followed after her until his chest was pushed against her back. She thought that she would be uncomfortable with him doing that, but she wasn't. She could feel some of the fear inside of her abating and she felt confident enough to move again.
They climbed together and when they reached the top, he stayed between her and the edge of the small platform as they made it to the next ladder. Rinse and repeat until they were nearing the mine entrance. She made the mistake of glancing away from the mountain and she was struck by a strong sense of vertigo and the beginning of a panic attack. Not now!
Solas pulled her into his arms and kissed her, shocking her so completely that the panic attack stopped trying to gain purchase. He moved away, his eyes searching hers to see if she was alright. She smiled slightly, the tips of her ears burning from the blush.
"Ma'serannas, ma'solas." She thanked, blushing even deeper when she called him My Pride.
He smirked slightly at her, an amused gleam in his eyes. She wished the world would swallow her whole right now. She cleared her throat and focused on getting through the tunnel. She knew where the main loot was so when they reached the little room that appeared to be some kind of study or office, she requipped the loot away and they continued on.
She stopped Cassandra from attacking one of the lesser shades because it wanted to go home. She raised her left hand and opened a small path to the Fade for it to return, sealing it shut afterwards.
"You have exceptional control over such an unusual magic. How did you ascertain that you could open a rift like that and how did you know the spirit's wish to return to the Fade?" Solas questioned, his curiosity barely contained.
"Starshine is a gifted spirit mage and a somniari. She is exceptionally in tune with the spirits of the Fade and is able to maintain their natures without them being perverted into demons. Saved us a lot of trouble when adventuring with Hawke. As for why she's so good with that thing, she's her." Varric answered for her.
That was news to her, being a Dreamer and the fact that the spirits won't become demons for her in the Fade was remarkably calming.
"Very astute as always, dwarf. Artz has a knack for the magical arts. Her instincts allow her to analyze a magic and if she discovers the correct trigger, she is able to use it. I have no doubt that there is still more to discover about the Mark, but I have faith that she will be able to handle it." The seeker elaborated.
Solas fell silent, appearing deep in thought. They continued onwards until they discovered two bodies on the ground just outside. Wait. Wasn't it supposed to be three bodies?
"Guess we found the soldiers." Varric states with a sigh.
"That cannot be all of them." Cassandra responded.
"So the others could be holed up ahead?" The Dwarven author suggested.
"Our priority must be the Breach. Unless we seal it soon, no one is safe." Solas chimed in, sounding like his counterpart again.
"No, I came this way to save the scouts, so that's what we're going to do. Let's move." Artz ordered, leaving no room for argument.
"As you command, Grey Warden." Cassandra replied, sighing because of her slip.
"Ma'nuvenin, da'ise." The hedge mage agreed.
"I'm with you, Starshine." The dwarf concurred.
The snowy haired elf dressed in ice dragon scaled clothing charged ahead, having a pretty good idea about where the soldiers were and she was correct. Battling against corrupted spirits were four soldiers. They looked like they were defending a fifth one that was badly wounded. They fought hard and fast, and she connected to the rift like before, sealing it shut before racing towards the injured soldier.
His body was clawed up pretty badly and he was bleeding quite heavily. She closed her eyes and reached inside of herself for the warmth coursing through her. She wanted to save this man and her magic answered her call. She reopened her eyes, unaware that they were swirling with an electric blue and sparkling like fairy dust. Blue particles of light flowed around the man in front of her and everyone else around her too. She watched his wounds heal, his clothes restitch themselves and his armor mend.
The light in her eyes faded with the blue particles and she sagged a bit, nearly falling onto the man had it not been for Solas catching her and pulling her backwards into his embrace.
"You did very well, da'ise. I am proud of you. Come, we still have one more rift to close before reaching the Temple." The bald elf acknowledged, making her smile at the praise.
He got her to her feet and the soldiers left back through the mining tunnel. She was still off balance so they placed her back on the elven apostate's back so that she could rest on the way. She groaned at the sight of more ladders.
"Wrap your legs firmly around me and lock your arms in place. I have an idea." Solas instructed and she did as she was told.
In one swift motion, he was on the ladder then sliding down it. He repeated the process for the second one before unlocking her legs and placing his arms under them once more. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. Exhaustion was beginning to set in and she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to stay awake. She had never pushed her body so much before, at least that she could remember.
"Solas…" She whimpered, the tears starting up again from being so damn tired.
"Soon, da'ise, soon. Hang on a little longer." He assured, squeezing her legs in encouragement.
She could hear the sounds of a battle nearby. She made to get off of him, but he held onto her.
"No, da'ise. The seeker and Master Tethras have gone ahead to assist. We will join when you can safely close the rift." He informed and she nodded.
She was so damn tired, guess she used up all the energy she got back from the Fade when she healed the soldier earlier. She was barely conscious when Solas told her to raise her left hand. She did so and fed the Anchor her magic. She didn't remember what happened afterward, but she was roused by the sounds of an argument.
"There is no way we can proceed with Artz in this condition, Commander." Cassandra snapped in her defense.
"What choice do we have, Cassandra?! Our people are dying and Artz is the only one that can close the Breach! We have to press on!" Cullen shouted in disagreement.
"So you wish to sacrifice Artz for the sake of Thedas yet again, Commander. How much more must she sacrifice for a world that is not her own?" Leliana replied coldly.
"I'm not saying that, Leliana." The Commander responded, backtracking.
Artz shifted slightly, trying to figure out why her movements were so restricted. She then realized that her right cheek was against someone's chest and that same someone had their arms wrapped around her.
"Rest, da'ise. You need to rest…sathan." Solas whispered in her ear.
Sathan…Please, but there was no time to rest. She needed to stop the Breach from growing, she could rest after that.
"Just a little more. Stabilize the Breach, make it stop growing, and I can sleep as much as I want afterwards. Sathan, ma'solas, ma'halani." She replied.
Please, My Pride, help me. She could feel his hold on her tighten.
"Ane ma'nadas, ma'avise?" He questioned in elven.
Are you certain, My Flame? Certain? No, absolutely not, but she had no choice.
"Ar ame i'tel elithast." She answered in resignation.
I am without choice. Solas let out a low growl of frustration, clearly not happy with their situation, but what choice did they have. It was as the Commander said, people were dying. One final push and they could rest. She shuddered when the cold flowed through her, energizing her body enough to where she could open her eyes.
"This is all I can do for you. Anymore and it would permanently injure your body. Wait until the rift is ready to be sealed before you approach. Otherwise you will run out of physical energy and collapse. Do you understand, da'ise?" The Dread Wolf cautioned.
"Ar'hartha." She replied with a nod of her head.
I understand. Strange how she could speak elven so easily. Even the Dalish had issues with the language. He cupped her cheek and lowered his lips to hers in a soft, gentle kiss that left her yearning for more. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes storming with emotion. He didn't want her to do this, but still chose to help her anyway.
The two elven mages rose to their feet and he guided her towards the inner sanctum of the Temple. She smiled tiredly at the crossbow wielding storyteller that had followed after them. Some of the soldiers had noticed her departure and followed as well.
"Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice." A voice echoed throughout the room.
This brought the Spymaster, the Commander and the Seeker of Truth racing into the temple.
"What are we hearing?" Cassandra breathed, unsure of what to make of it.
"The one who destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes and killed Dorothea… the Elder One. I think…I think I tried to stop him." Artz admitted, sounding unsure near the end.
They continued forward around the edge to find a way down. She hissed as her head picked up a discordant singing.
"What is that? It's killing my head." She asked, gripping her head with her free hand.
The other was holding on to Solas just so she could keep walking. They neared a glowing red crystal and she cringed at it. The singing was horrible and was really making her head ache something fierce.
"You know this stuff isred lyrium, Seeker." Varric commented, staring at the crystals in disbelief.
"I see it, Varric." Cassandra replied curtly.
"But what it'sdoinghere?" The dwarf questioned.
"Magic could have drawn on the lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it…" Solas postulated, attempting to explain like the nerd he was.
"It's evil. Whatever you do, don't touch it." The Dwarven author warned.
They moved away, but she could still feel the discordant singing bouncing around her cranium. She would be glad to get away from this place as soon as possible.
"Keep the sacrifice still." The Elder One spoke again.
"Someone help me!" The Divine's voice rang out.
"That is Divine Justinia's voice!" The seeker exclaimed in horror.
They jumped down a level, but Artz almost face planted. Damn it, a little bit of walking and she felt like she was about to keel over again!
"Someone help me!" The Divine echoed.
"Let her go! Now!" Artz's voice rang out, surprising her.
"You did try to save her just like you said." The seeker reaffirmed.
The Anchor flashed, causing a ghostly image of what happened to appear.
"Someone help me!" The Divine called out for help.
Memory Artz pushed open the double doors and yelled at the dark apparition within the memory.
"Let her go! Now!" Memory Artz yelled in anger.
"Run while you can, Artz! You must warn them!" The Divine ordered.
"The Hero of Ferelden! Slay her now!" The dark apparition commanded while pointing at Memory Artz.
The images faded away and Cassandra charged towards her and Solas.
"Who attacked us, Artz? You were there! You must know! Tell me now!" The seeker commanded, scaring the living daylights out of her.
She could feel another panic attack coming as she started to hyperventilate. Solas cursed in elven, spinning her around and kissing her quite deeply. It was no less jarring than the first time he did this and it mostly worked. She was still gasping for breath and she was crying again. He gathered her into his arms and held her close, so that she could ground herself once more. His scent was soothing as well as the hum of his magic brushing against her. He glared at the seeker over her head.
"She is barely able to stand, pushed beyond her limits both physically and emotionally. Interrogating her while she is in such a state is both cruel and uncalled for. We must focus on the Breach while she is still conscious. We will not get another opportunity to stabilize the Breach until after she has rested and in her current state, it won't be safe for her to attempt it again for at least a week!" Solas snapped, angrily.
The Nevarran royal had the decency to look ashamed for her outburst. She directed the soldiers to take positions and the hedge mage helped her over to the rift. She raised her hand and connected to it. This one felt different and was a bit temperamental, but she finally got it open. A few moments later, a demon of pride materialized but did not attack.
It turned towards her and Solas and she realized what was happening. She wasn't sure she could do it, but she had to. It wanted to go back, so she raised her left hand and opened a path back to the Fade. The spirit walked towards it and disappeared. She barely managed to seal it before slumping in Solas's arms.
She tried to raise her hand again to stabilize the Breach, but nothing was responding. Her vision was swimming and the sounds around her became muffled. The ancient Elvhen whispered an apology into her ear before raising her left hand himself. She cried out in pain as he forcibly pushed his magic into the Anchor. It fought him, it fought him hard.
She mentally pleaded with the Anchor to accept the magic from him just this once, that she did not have the strength to do what needed to be done. The Anchor whined in protest and she felt something shift, cold became warm and belatedly realized that she was converting the Dread Wolf's magic into her own. The Anchor accepted begrudgingly and connected to the rift. It was lights out after that, her mind falling into peaceful oblivion.