Note: Sticking with Lara for now...
The creak of a door jolted Lahara from sleep. Her eyes opened, and at once she had to shut them again; the over-spilling daylight was too bright. She coughed, her throat parched, and made to sit up. Something held down her left arm, and she stopped, hissing as whatever it was caught on her elbow.
"Hey, keep still!" Eliza's voice called from the darkness, and soon the healer's hand was on Lahara's shoulder. "Hang on a second, let me draw the blinds."
Lahara nodded, sinking back onto her pillow. It was slightly damp; she must have been feverish. Her collar clicked, and she took slow, careful breaths. At least that seemed to be working, though it did little to compensate for the aches everywhere else. Drawing so deeply on her power had really knocked her for six.
Curiosity overcame her, and she traced her fingers over the tether around her arm. It felt warm, but it wasn't metal or cord; some other material she couldn't place.
She couldn't examine for long, though, as chiding hands battered hers away.
"Maker's breath, stop fiddling already!" Eliza scolded. "Alright, I've closed the blinds, see if that helps."
Sighing, Lahara opened her eyes again. The semi-blackness was much more comfortable, and allowed her to solve the mystery about her arm. A needle had been placed in her vein, connected via reed tubing to a lyrium potion. The latter trickled directly into her bloodstream, leaving an odd tingling beneath her skin.
"What's this?" Lahara carefully raised her arm, examining her rift mark. It was flickering, as did her the rune on her other hand, but their lightning-like pains had quieted to dull aches.
"Lyrium infusion," Eliza explained, sitting beside Lahara. "Not something I've done before, but after your little stunt, you needed every drop you could get, and more."
"Isn't this dangerous?" Lahara asked.
"No more dangerous than taking it otherwise, for a mage," Eliza answered. "Besides, even if you were conscious enough to drink it, the lyrium wouldn't have gone in fast enough, you've been losing so much."
"I see." Lahara rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks warm. Another close call; and it seemed it was taking less and less for her to end up like this. "Looks like you've performed another miracle, Eliza. Wouldn't know where I'd be without you."
Eliza's smile faltered.
"Yeah, about that…"
She was interrupted as the door opened again, and a flash of lilac caught Lahara's eye.
"Eliza," Leliana began, "sorry to bother you, but my leg needs…" She stopped short, catching sight of the Herald sitting up. "Oh thank the Maker, Lara, you're finally awake!"
She hobbled to the Herald's bedside, coming to sit on the bed. Lahara noted a graze to her temple and a healing cut on her lip, yet otherwise she appeared no worse for wear.
"Forget me, you almost went down with the Winter Palace!" Lahara took the spymaster's hand. "I'm so glad you're alright."
"As I am for you," Leliana answered. "Josephine and I owe you our lives." She bowed her head, her eyes downcast. "Alas, many were not so fortunate."
Lahara fell quiet, bunching her hands to fists. Even with her two close friends alive, it did not take away the true horror of the disaster that had befallen the Winter Palace.
"What's the damage?" she asked softly.
Leliana let out a long breath.
"The palace has been completely destroyed," she said, her voice heaving with sadness. "Most of our own forces made it out safely, and Empress Celene managed to escape as well, but I am yet to hear what happened to Gaspard or Briala. Orlais itself remains divided and in disarray, and many are pointing fingers at the Inquisition for the tragedy."
The vein on Lahara's temple bulged.
"It was Florianne's fault!" She slammed her fist against the bed. "I warned her, I even destroyed her dust monster, had her trapped in a corner, and she still...!"
"We know, Lara," Leliana cut in. "Iron Bull and Solas have said as much already. Fortunately, we did win the favour of several nobles whom we helped evacuate, and Josephine is using our connections to our advantage."
"And what about the Corruption itself?" Lahara pressed. "It must've spread everywhere by now."
"For some reason, it has not," Leliana answered. "It remains buried under the rubble, and the surrounding plain is still unblemished. Dorian and Solas are investigating, though they have not had much to report so far. Either way, Celene has ordered a complete withdrawal from the area, and has left it in our hands, so we can be thankful for that, at least."
"Yeah," Lahara muttered, closing her eyes. For all the struggles the Inquisition had faced, this was their first real failure, and it hurt, deeply. Especially when she had been a hair's breadth from preventing it all.
"Lahara." Leliana rested her hand on the Herald's shoulder. "I know you feel you are to blame for this, but..."
"I am to blame, Leliana!" Lahara shook off her hand. "I was too slow, not ruthless enough!" She clenched her fist. "If I'd just killed Florianne outright..."
"If that is the case, then just as much blame rests with me," Leliana countered. "I had spies trained on her, and I should not have waited for more proof before acting. Had I not hesitated..." She sighed, trailing off. "Even now I cannot truly believe it. All the lives lost, the centuries of Orlesian culture and history, wiped clean as if none of it had ever been." She swallowed. "Even if it did stand for many injustices as well, it is still hard to acknowledge it is gone forever."
"It was a place close to your heart," Lahara murmured. "I'm sorry."
Leliana closed her eyes.
"It...held many memories for me," she admitted. "It is like losing an old friend, someone familiar and cherished whom you never thought you could lose one day." Her cheeks became rosy. "I must sound like a fool, mourning the collapse of a building so."
"It was Orlais's seat of power, and home of its Court," Lahara said. "It was always more than any building, Leliana."
Leliana nodded slowly. Her eyes grew distant, and they spent a moment in silence. It was eventually broken by Lahara's loud yawn, and she flushed, holding a hand to her mouth. Leliana's gaze softened, and she rose, taking her crutch again.
"Forgive me, I should let you rest," she said. "But I am glad you are on the mend." She squeezed the Herald's shoulder. "The sting of this will subside, and the Inquisition will bounce back. I know it." She managed a smile. "Maker speed your recovery, Lara."
She turned, making to walk away, when Lahara caught her wrist.
"Wait," the Herald said, a sudden thought gripping her. "Just one more thing." She licked her lips. "Have you heard anything from Bethany and the others?"
Leliana's face became drawn once more.
"Nothing since we returned, no." She fingered the Warden pendant around her neck. "The last I heard, Elissa was investigating a ruined village in southern Ferelden, but I have had no further updates."
"Right." Lahara released her, letting out a sigh. "You'll tell me if you hear anything else?"
"Of course," Leliana said. "You will be the first to know."
She left the infirmary, and Lahara crumpled into her bed. She wasn't sure why, but thinking of Bethany right now left her chest tight and pulse quivering. Her eyes fell to the rune on her hand, alas it gave away nothing. She could only pray that nothing ill had befallen its sister bearers.
"Herald." Eliza prodded her shoulder, returned from checking her other patients. "I'm going to take this infusion down now, mind holding still a second?"
"Sure." Lahara stretched out her arm, then glanced away. She didn't really want to watch. The reed tubing jerked across her skin, and then she hissed as the needle was withdrawn, and hard pressure applied to the puncture.
"Hold this," Eliza said, gesturing to the gauze above the Herald's elbow. Lahara took over, flexing her fingers that had started to buzz with pins and needles. The Shard and rift mark fell silent, leaving her palms clammy, and she closed her eyes. Something about them seemed different somehow, but she couldn't quite place what.
Eliza discarded the line and needle, before coming back to Lahara's bedside.
"Bet that feels better, huh?" she smiled, applying a fresh bandage to the Herald's arm.
"A little," Lahara murmured, as Eliza placed the iasometer device to her other forearm.
"Well, according to this, I'd say a lot," Eliza commented, checking the readings. "Your blood pressure's come back up, and your pulse is good, too. Thank the Maker."
"You really are a talented healer, Eliza," Lahara said. "Thank you."
"Eh, I'm not too talented." Eliza removed the device, fiddling with it in her lap. "Listen Lara, this...well, condition you have, it's making me worry about you."
"What do you mean?" Lahara asked.
"It's those marks of yours," Eliza answered. "That Shard especially laps up lyrium like a dwarf does ale, and it's getting worse. If you don't keep yourself topped up, it takes mana directly from your life-force, and that's never a good thing."
Lahara sat up straighter. "Are you serious?"
"Afraid so," Eliza said, still playing with the iasometer straps. "That's why you've been unconscious for so long. You need to be really careful with your magic. Go over a certain limit, and I'm not sure I'll be able to wake you up again."
Lahara stared at the healer, then at the rune on her hand. No wonder she'd felt so drained lately, even before the collapse of the palace.
"So you're saying I need to continually binge on lyrium to keep my Shard happy?"
"If you do that, you'll just give yourself lyrium toxicity, the amount you'd have to drink," Eliza said. "Infusions are safer as they avoid those side effects, but they're not practical, as you can see. But I have something else that should help."
She reached into her pocket, producing a silver bracelet. A ridge had been engraved into its centre, which held a few droplets of lyrium inside.
"I asked Dagna to make this," she said, clasping it to Lahara's wrist. "It'll change colour from silver to gold, depending on how much magic you use. When it's completely gold, you'll have to stop casting, else you could drain your entire life-force and..." She hesitated. "...well, you know what happens then. Doesn't solve the problem, I know, but until I can find a better fix, it's all I can offer."
"Uh huh." Lahara brushed her fingers over the bracelet. The metal was cool against her skin, though swiftly warmed with her body heat. "I appreciate it, Eliza. I'm confident you'll come up with something eventually." She tapped her collar. "You found this, after all."
"Let's hope so," Eliza said, putting aside her tools. "Now, you must be starving. Shall I get you something to eat?"
A yawn escaped Lahara as she looked out over her balcony. It was not quite the same as the lake view in Haven, but the misty mountains were equally as breath-taking. The setting sun glinted off her bracelet, and she raised it to the light, watching the lyrium droplets gather. The metal had returned to silver since she had tested it earlier; though compared to everything else, this new addition was the least of her worries. Three days had passed, and she'd still heard nothing from Bethany, and even less from Hawke. Worse still was Corypheus's silence, which was even more nerve-wracking. Without anything to distract her, Lahara was growing more and more restless, and she didn't know how much longer she could hold out.
Sighing, she rested her hand on the railing, her collar clicking. Her eyes fell to the rune on the back of her hand, and her lip curled.
"You're more trouble than you're worth," she mumbled, running a finger along the Shard. It had been bad enough acquiring the rift mark—an event she still couldn't recall—let alone gaining a second so soon afterwards. And while it had certainly gotten her out of some tough scrapes, it was also not without its drawbacks. Eliza's warning had set off deeper, more troubling thoughts, too, and Lahara shivered as they washed over her once more.
She held out her hands, studying the Shard and rift pattern together. Both held tremendous power, and both were starting to show the true cost of sustaining such. A cost that was rapidly becoming too expensive.
How swiftly that debt would come to claim Lahara, however…
A knock echoed from her door.
"Inquisitor?" The voice was not familiar; probably one of the soldiers. "Commander Cullen requests your presence, it's urgent. He's in the war room with Lady Josephine and Sister Leliana."
"I'll be right down," Lahara called, grabbing her jacket from her chair. Finally—they must have heard something worth acting upon.
She jogged down the steps, weaving through the main hall and into the war chamber. As she pushed open the great oak doors, she found her advisors waiting, along with a face she hadn't seen in a long while. She stopped at the threshold, brow raised.
"Ah, here she is," Cullen said, and the newcomer turned around, revealing his Grey Warden uniform and shoulder-length hair. His face now sported a neat goatee, and he greeted Lahara with a tight smile.
"Nathaniel?" Lahara blinked.
"Good to see you too, Herald, or should I say Inquisitor," Nathaniel said, standing tall. "I've heard it's been a little rough for you lately. I hope things have picked up."
"Sort of," Lahara said, coming to join her advisors. "What's brought you back to the Inquisition?"
"Well, actually I was wanting to speak with Alistair," Nathaniel said, "but is it true he's off on other business?"
"With Elissa and Bethany, yes," Lahara said, "and we don't really know when they'll be coming back."
"So Leliana has told me," Nathaniel said. "That leaves me in quite the predicament."
Lahara leant against the table, folding her arms.
"Sounds like something's up," she said. "Anything we can help with?"
"Perhaps." Nathaniel's tone was clipped, and he licked his lips. "The truth of the matter is, the Grey Wardens…are falling apart."
Lahara raised a brow. "What, really?"
"I suppose I should start from the beginning, after I left Haven," Nathaniel said, a heavy sigh escaping him. "When I reached Adamant Fortress, Warden-Commanders Clarel and Stroud were in the midst of a…disagreement, and it's come to haunt us all." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You're aware about a Warden's Calling, yes?"
"That is when a Grey Warden is eventually summoned to the Deep Roads, as the price they pay for their Taint abilities," Leliana supplied, subconsciously touching Elissa's pendant.
"Yes. And it usually occurs thirty or forty years after becoming a Warden." Nathaniel hesitated briefly, before continuing. "What you might not know is that recently, all current Wardens have suddenly heard their Calling, regardless of the time of their Joining."
"That's awful," Lahara said.
"It would've been a catastrophe," Nathaniel went on. "If every Warden in the Free Marches, Orlais and Ferelden had to go into the Deep Roads, there'd be none left to face the next Blight, whenever that would arise."
"But why?" Leliana chewed her lip. "Why would you all hear it out of nowhere? And neither Elissa nor Bethany mentioned this, surely they would have heard it as well?"
"There's a reason for that, but first you need to know this," Nathaniel said. "It's Corypheus who instigating this Calling from the start."
Lahara's eyes widened.
"No way…so it's a fake?"
"Are you certain, Nathaniel?" Cullen began to pace. "How can he have that level of power, to subdue every Grey Warden so easily?"
"He is still a darkspawn at heart, no?" Leliana pointed out. "Hawke informed us as much. If he can create his own Archdemon, this would hardly be a stretch of his ability."
"His reach over the Taint goes far beyond anything we've ever seen," Nathaniel said. "And with the threat of losing all living Wardens, Clarel has gone mad. She's become obsessed with finding and killing the final two Archdemons still sealed in the Deep Roads, and she'll go to any lengths to see that achieved."
"That doesn't sound good," Lahara said. "What lengths, exactly?"
Nathaniel let out a breath. "She's sacrificing Wardens to make a demon army."
"Maker's breath…" Josephine's eyes widened.
"Does no-one oppose her?!" Cullen growled.
"We've been trying!" Nathaniel snapped, his eyes hardening. "As it turns out, any Warden exposed to Corruption loses their connection to the Taint, which is why myself, Elissa and Bethany never heard that Calling. But there's only a handful of us at Adamant; not nearly enough to stop Clarel, and Stroud's already paid the price." His face fell. "I don't know what else I can do. Weisshaupt refuses to respond, deigning only a Warden-Commander fit to address them, which was why I've been after Alistair. But Maker knows how long it will take to convince them to send reinforcements, and there's all the chance they'll side with Clarel anyway."
"This is madness," Cullen muttered. "Are the Wardens so obsessed with their fear of Blights that they cannot see they'll doom us all?!"
"A Blight is nothing to be taken lightly," Leliana countered. "I have seen first-hand the destruction it wreaks, but even I would not condone raising a demon army to prevent another. We cannot let Clarel continue this."
"Agreed," Lahara said. "Corypheus must be doing this to replace his Red Templars, and the Orlesian army he failed to get in Halamshiral. Once Clarel's panic-ridden rituals are done, he'll step in and take control of the whole thing."
"And an army of demon-possessed Grey Wardens would make him completely unstoppable," Nathaniel said. "I will not stand idle as he tries to destroy the Order that was founded to oppose his kind!"
"Then we'll go knock some sense into this Warden-Commander," Lahara declared. "The Inquisition will back you up, Nathaniel. You have my word."
"It won't be easy," Cullen broke in. "Adamant has stood strong for centuries against the hardiest of threats, it will not go down without a fight."
"That is true, but I know of some ways inside that are less fortified," Nathaniel answered. "You will still need a sizeable force, though. One that can handle demons."
"Easily done," Lahara said. "Corypheus is not getting the better of us this time." She clenched her fist, her bracelet rattling. Whatever it takes.
Nathaniel bowed.
"Then you have my sincerest thanks, Lahara," he said. "Maker protect us all."