Note: Sorry for the hiatus, been busy with another original novel project that I've just finished (a post-apocalyptic collab with the talented Raven Sinead if you were wondering). However I really do want to get this finished, so here goes!
"Things are not looking good."
Lahara folded her arms, nodding in agreement. She was in the war room with Josephine, Cullen and Leliana, the atmosphere bleak. Cullen was restless, trying his best not to pace or fiddle with the dressings on his wounds, while Leliana was like a statue, her gaze hawkish. Josephine in particular seemed graver than ever, her face drawn and tight, and not at all the bright, cheery Antivan Lahara knew so well.
The Herald tensed the fingers of her right hand, the Shard tingling. Now she was recovered, it had been back to Inquisition business, but the demeanour of her advisors was not uncalled for. Not when the situation was far worse than she could have realised.
"Another ambassador from Nevarra has arrived, along with several from Orlais and the Free Marches," Josephine reported, twirling her quill in her fingers. "We have even had a few Dalish messengers visit, asking for our help. Each of their stories are vastly similar, and utterly terrifying."
"So I've been hearing," Lahara said. She'd caught many things on the grapevine, none of which had left a good impression. "How exaggerated are the rumours flying around?"
"Unfortunately, they are more accurate than we would like," Josephine answered. "An earthquake like none in history has struck southern Tevinter, and the damage and loss of life has been catastrophic. Not only that, but the fissures in the earth have allowed further spread of Corruption, and it has started to seep into Nevarra and Antiva. It has caused mass panic, with many trying to flee to the Free Marches and Orlais, and they cannot cope with the numbers."
"The rifts are not helping, either," Leliana said quietly. "They are facilitating the epidemic, sending Corruption into pockets as far as Ferelden. The dwarves have formed an alliance with Queen Anora and are attempting to contain them, but I fear we have passed the point of no return."
"Sounds like it," Lahara sighed, running a hand through her hair. Everyone had been dreading this moment, and it left a sinking pit inside to know it had come to pass at last. She had hoped that knowledge from the Well of Souls might have helped, but that opportunity had been taken away, and there was nothing else to turn to. Thedas was entering its darkest hour, and if things continued, it would be plunged into shadow forever.
"So what do we do?" Josephine asked. "Everyone sees the Inquisition as their last hope, and they are begging for a solution I fear we cannot give." She swallowed. "Is this…truly the end for us?"
"I refuse to believe that," Cullen growled, grinding his teeth. "There must be something we have overlooked, some way to turn this around!" He looked to Lahara. "What about the research Solas and Dorian have carried out, the findings that Hawke managed to uncover before…" He trailed off, his hands shaking. "There must be an answer!"
Leliana winced at his outburst, and Lahara felt for the bard. She knew what the possible solution entailed, and while the Herald was ready to accept her fate, she was acutely aware it was a price Leliana was not willing to pay. But it was not her choice.
"There might be something still," Lahara began.
Leliana's eyes flashed, glaring in warning. Lahara stared back, unnerved. She could not withhold this information, not when it would cost the entire world. No matter how many hearts she would have to break in the process.
"Merrill mentioned that Hawke was able to use her Shard to combine lyrium and Corruption together, and they negated each other," Lahara explained. "If we could do that at the biggest leak source, it could…"
"Impossible," Leliana interrupted; she was not out of the game yet. "Where would you find such a source of lyrium now? And containing one source of Corruption would not eliminate the threat, merely slow it. You also have no idea what state such a feat would leave you in. Should it drain your mana too much, it will have been a sacrifice in vain."
"We have the contacts to find enough lyrium," Lahara countered, "and we could easily co-ordinate between myself and Elissa to work through the biggest problem areas quickly." She pressed her bracelet against her hip, its sheen returned to silver. "And with the lyrium flow, you don't need to be concerned about my magic-use."
Leliana bristled, leaning heavily on her cane. But the anger in her eyes was tempered by a deeper sadness, and Lahara felt a pang in her chest, knowing what she was asking of the bard. The power needed to combine lyrium and Corruption would be fatal to both her and Elissa, and when Leliana had already faced the loss of her love once before…
"I'm not sure involving Elissa would be wise," Cullen countered, breaking the tense quiet. "Were she to be…overwhelmed again…"
"We don't have a choice," Lahara shot back. "I can't do it all alone, the problem's too widespread. There's no point using our Shards to slow things down, we have to go all-out to erase it completely. Elissa knows what's at stake, and so long as she isn't provoked…"
"That may be, but there is another potential problem," Josephine added. "If combining lyrium and Corruption destroys both, you would be removing a much valued resource. Mages and Templars alike would not concede to this, and many merchants will have their eye on their pockets rather than the fate of the world."
"It would be worse than that," Leliana said, her voice like steel. "You would be erasing magic from Thedas, and once word got out, we would face fierce opposition. At the very least the entire Tevinter Imperium would turn on us, and there will be many others who would lay down their lives to protect lyrium for their own use."
"And we would not be able to resist," Cullen said. "We lost many in the Arbour Wilds, and if we are confronted by an entire nation's army, we would crumble."
"And while we bicker with idiots who can't see further than their own nose, Corruption swallows Thedas whole!" Lahara huffed. "There's no way around this, it has to be done!" She shook her head. "Surely we can manage a covert operation, keep our plans as secret as possible until the last possible moment…"
Leliana growled.
"Even I cannot suppress that information, not when we will require many allies to co-ordinate such a task," she said. "And no amount of diplomacy will prevent resistance. Not only that, we would also be losing one of our greatest weapons." She took a breath. "Corypheus still has his orb that does not rely on lyrium as a power source. He would easily wipe up out without any magic of our own to protect ourselves."
"And if he did that, he'd inherit a dying world, and never see the dream of his beloved Tevinter conquest," Lahara argued. "Leliana, I know it's hard, I know it's unfair, but you can't keep trying to defend Elissa from this. We have to do it!"
"Even when you would destroy Bethany's heart and mine in the process?" Leliana couldn't hold back, the truth for her reluctance finally showing. "Magic is the only thing that has kept you and Elissa alive for this long! To just…throw it away like this…"
"That same magic is also what's killing us!" Lahara barked, slamming her fist on the table. "For every moment magic's bought me now, it's taken years away, and now I might not even last the week!" Her voice shook, the admission painful. "Do you know why we even have this problem with Corruption in the first place? It's because lyrium and Corruption were never meant to exist independently, they're both part of the same thing!" She shook her head. "And since we decided to extract every bloody drop of the former from the Deep Roads, Corruption's spread deeper and deeper to the point that it's eating the core of the world itself!" She bit her lip. "There's no time anymore. For any of us. And I don't care what happens, I'm going to make what I have left count for something!"
"Lara…"
Whatever reply was on Leliana's lips was cut off, as thunderous quaking bellowed through Skyhold. The walls trembled, and Lahara grunted, grasping the table for support as tiny pieces of stone rained from the ceiling. It was followed by a howling shriek and startled cries, when the war room door burst open, revealing a breathless Cassandra. She was caked in dust, her eyes wide.
"Inquisitor, we are under attack!" she cried. "The Champion has returned upon her dust griffin, along with Corypheus and his Archdemon. His remaining forces are assaulting the gates, he is holding nothing back!"
"Well, doesn't today just keep getting better and better," Lahara muttered. "How did none of our scouts notice?"
"They did, but they were eliminated before they could send word," Cassandra said, ushering everyone out of the room. "Hawke's dust beast has incredible reach, we must hurry!"
She broke into a jog, and the others rushed after her, echoes of the clashes outside growing louder and louder.
"I have stationed most of our troops on the ramparts, and evacuated all non-combatants to the lower dungeons," Cassandra reported. "But I do not know how long we will hold."
"We should be alright, provided we can deal with the Archdemon and the dust monster," Lahara said. "You and the others focus on the Archdemon, get it down and out the way so it can't reign terror from above." She turned to Cullen. "Keep the rest of our soldiers against the remainder of Corypheus's forces, the mages can support you. In the meantime, I'll handle Amber and her giant dust pet."
"Be careful," Cullen said, before racing off into the courtyard.
"I will back you up," Cassandra said, unsheathing her sword.
"Thanks." Lahara turned to Leliana. "Go with Josephine and make sure everyone else is someplace safe."
"Lahara…" Leliana grasped the Herald's wrist, her face apologetic. "I…"
"It's okay," Lahara said, managing a rueful smile. "Now go."
A dull rumble groaned above, and Elissa blinked, showered in a pelt of small stones. She arched forward from the wall, ignoring the protest of her sore and stiffened limbs. Her Shard quietly prickled, and she swallowed.
What was…
Suddenly her cell door snapped open, and a pair of keys and scabbarded blades were tossed at her feet. Elissa glanced up, spying Sera in the doorway.
"Better hurry, yeah," she said, jerking her head to the stairwell. "Cory's here with all his friends. Seemed wrong not to invite you too."
Elissa gasped.
"But…"
"Listen right, 'Lissa," Sera cut her off, resting a hand on her hip, "your girlfriend's the one who sent me. And she said that even if you do go batshit crazy again, you'll do way more damage to those scumbags than us, and that's only ever a good thing." Another quake, another squeal as the stones started to split and crack in the walls. "Don't take too long!"
She bolted into the shadows, and Elissa squared her jaw. So, this was it. Corpyheus was putting forward a last all-out assault to get what he wanted. Sitting here feeling sorry for herself helped no-one; she had to do her part to stop him.
She fumbled with the keys, unlocking her chains, then picked up her sword and dagger. Their weight in her palms felt reassuring—not at all like the light and ethereal touch of Corruption. She wasn't sure how well she would do now that she had lost her depth perception, but she would have to adapt.
As she made for the stairwell, however, the narrow stone walls shivered. The hairs on the back of Elissa's neck prickled, and she dived back into her cell. Not a moment too soon, as the staircase exploded in a burst of dust and debris. A deafening roar shook the air, and the horned snout of the Archdemon emerged through the smoke, bloody and cracked. It had something in its teeth, and it tossed it aside. Sera's crumpled body crunched as it hit the wall, motionless save for the pouring blood that dripped down the fang-marks in her torso.
"Sera!" Enraged, Elissa charged, driving her dagger into the Archdemon's face. The creature howled, flapping its wings and bringing down more of the walls with it. Elissa ignored the sting of dust in her eye, twisting her blade and gaining purchase as she threw herself onto the dragon's head, locking her arms around its neck. Before her sword could reach its throat, however, the Archdemon snapped its head up. Elissa cried out, clinging on for dear life as the beast launched into flight, breaking through the remains of the stone walls and re-entering the open sky.
It thrashed and writhed in the new space, and Elissa lost her grip. She tumbled a short way, slamming into the courtyard. A pained groan escaped, and she pushed herself upright, wondering if she was going to achieve a record for how many times an Archdemon liked to throw her around. As she groped for her fallen sword, a jet of flame rushed overhead, dangerously close. A huge shadow blotted out the sun, and Elissa sprinted, abandoning her weapon. Seconds later a wave of fire struck, singeing the stone and grass behind her. She managed a glance upward, spying the Archdemon. It growled, its blackened eyes locked onto her and following her every move.
Elissa ran, her Shard burning painfully in her chest. Around her lay the scattered bodies of fallen Inquisition soldiers and a few mages, and it was hard to pick her way through the mess of fallen ramparts and destroyed buildings. Smoke funnelled into the sky, fires raged, and the taste of ash was thick. The Archdemon rumbled, circling overhead and preparing for a dive.
"Elissa, over here!"
Alistair's shout caught her ear, and Elissa turned, rapidly catching the sword tossed to her. Alistair nodded, now only armed with his own shield. His face was smeared in smoke-trails, his jaw set.
"We'll do it properly this time, yeah?" he called, and for a moment Elissa saw the younger, less confident Warden as he had been when they had faced the Archdemon responsible for the Blight they had ended so long ago. They had defeated such a creature before; they would do so again.
"Definitely," Elissa answered, bracing her sword. "Let's go!"
Together they watched the Archdemon build speed, until finally it burst towards them, talons outstretched. The pair dodged, and Alistair hit its underbelly with his shield, sending it off course. The Archdemon screamed, losing balance, and Elissa plunged her sword into its flank. She thrust all her weight behind the blow, the sword sinking in to the hilt, then ripped it across its belly. Blood fountained from the wound and the beast screeched, loud enough to make Elissa's ears ring. She wrestled with the blade, trying to yank it free, but she had only released it a few inches when the claw of the Archdemon struck out.
The talons scraped over Elissa's chest-plate and she smacked to the ground, rolling over and over until the wall of a rampart stopped her. Her blade fell from her fingers, the wind was knocked from her lungs, and spots danced before her vision. The heat of the Archdemon's breath came closer, and panic began to take over. Her Shard pulsed, feeding on her fear, and she felt herself slipping.
No…no…no!
It was too late. The white fire of anger erupted, seizing control, and Elissa roared to the sky. Her pains faded to a dim memory as she pulled herself upright, hungry for blood. The Archdemon screamed at her defiance, before plunging into a charge. Faster and faster it tore across the ruptured ground, its horns aimed directly at Elissa's chest, but Elissa didn't move.
At the last second, Elissa snapped up her hands, catching the beast by the horns. A ripple shot through her muscles, absorbing the energy of its charge, and she pulled her arms back, wringing the dragon's horns as one might wring out a cloth. Black mist escaped her fingertips, and with a gut-wrenching snap the horns broke. The roar of the Archdemon echoed fresh, but Elissa didn't wait. She brought the broken fragments into her palms, then plunged the sharp ends into the Archdemon's eyes.
Blackened blood and sparkles of red lyrium bubbled free, soaking her gauntlets, and the Archdemon shrieked, completely blind. It jerked its head from side to side, catching Elissa with its muzzle and knocking her back into the wall. Elissa groaned, hitting the icy stones and crumpling to her knees. Dazed, she fumbled on the ground, trying to summon more Corruption to make into a weapon. Alas the Archdemon was quicker. It whipped its tail around, the spiked end finding the gap in Elissa's armour and snapping ribs. Elissa howled, clutching her side, blood pooling in her palm. She made to stagger away, but a swipe of claws tore through her, piercing metal and flesh.
No!
Not…like…this!
A familiar voice bawled her name, and through the blur of tears and breathlessness and pain Elissa caught a lilac hood. Hands came to her shoulders, she was pressed into a leather-plated chest, a gentle hand holding the back of her head, shielding her. The Archdemon snarled, and even in the darkness Elissa knew what was about to happen.
No…quick, move!
Against all odds, Elissa found the strength to push back. Her arms circled Leliana's waist, and she twisted, reversing their positions. Then piercing agony struck between her shoulder-blades, and she screamed.