And a long day, it was…
Liz sat there in the back of the cart and tried to tune out the arguing the best she could. Serana was sitting across from her, helping her diagnose a little girl who appeared to be pale and unresponsive. The parents were arguing and yelling about a 'damn rabbit' touching their child. But Ian was standing there in the way and trying to placate them.
"Now now, just give it a moment. The Inquisitor's sister herself is tending to her. That's what you wanted, right?" Ian said, holding up his hands.
Somewhere in the background Sera was heard yelling, "Let me at 'em! I'll show 'em! I SWEAR I WILL!" As Jade Cadash held her back, giving the couple a glare of her own. But she remained completely still. Keeping her more explosive friend in line.
"Her body is strained. Part of her consciousness is in the Fade. I think she was coming into her power when the rift opened." Serana says in a very quiet tone. Liz looks up at her, her gaze lingering on the rather large welt on the side of her face. Courtesy of the man just outside of the cart. She gritted her teeth and looked down at the young girl.
Liz had to remind herself that she was here to help the little girl. Not those poor excuses for humans, who would outright abuse someone just because of their race.
"What do you suggest we do?" Liz whispers to Serana.
"She's anchored there by something. Likely the …" She whispers back, "Nightmare Demon. When we arrived at Val Royeaux, the Inquisitor was speaking to some of the contacts from within Orlais. Things aren't looking good. Along with the rifts opening up, more and more people simply aren't … waking up at all…"
Liz looked at her with a horrified expression, fear building in her gut at the mention of it, "W-What…?"
"Yes, and he's speaking with the leaders of this country as we speak. Forcing them to work together, for the time being. They aren't happy, since the Ball in Halamshiral is in another month… but these are dire times." Serana looks absolutely sad.
"They're still hosting that thing?" Liz hisses quietly. To which Serana only nods quietly, her pale gaze lowering to look at the young girl between them.
"In any case… the Inquisitor doesn't know how to help these people. If we don't figure something out soon, they're all going to starve or die of dehydration in their sleep."
"What about Solas? His specialty is dreams, right? Does he know anything?"
"If he does, he hasn't told me…" Something about bringing him up caused the white haired elf to look saddened, her pointed ears drooping slightly.
Why was that?
"Of course he hasn't, that crotchety old bastard." Liz mutters, causing Serana's face to scrunch. Appearing offended at the comment on her lover's behalf.
"Excuse you."
"I say it with utmost endearment, of course."
"If you ladies are finished gossiping over the dying girl, could you please hurry up?" Ian snaps back at the two. The couple in front of him have calmed, in the few minutes he's been standing there. The woman appeared flustered and about ready to burst into tears. But the middle aged man at her side looked like he wanted to strangle the large Qunari. But his self preservation and inner fear of the imposing figure kept him at bay.
Liz sighs and stands up, walking to the edge of the cart and hopping down so that she's in front of the couple. She brushes her furs off as she stands there, "Look… She's physically in good health. But … like many of those afflicted by these rifts, she is in a comatose state. My suggestion is to ensure you keep into contact with the Inquisition, as they are currently looking into a cure for the condition. It appears directly related to the Breach. I've done what I could, at this point."
The couple nearly burst into tears at the words, the woman covering her mouth and almost falling to her knees in grief. The man held her aloft and spoke in a shaky tone, "Will she… will she be okay?"
"For now, yes. Just try to keep giving her water regularly and ensure a doctor is watching over her. Like I said. It'll take time." Liz was horrible at placating people. Her words only seemed to cause more distress as the couple moved passed Adaar—no, Ian—and went to hold their daughter's hand.
Liz got up and walks away from the cart and sighs, running her hands through her hair.
And so the trio became a party of five people. Serana had been in the area already, as she'd informed Liz later that day. But the one who had been sent to deliver the message had been Jade, who was able to move around just fine and had been given the OK from Solas and a few other healers.
Evidently Maxwell had requested them to make their way to Val Royeaux, so they could meet up and determine what to do about these rifts opening up and the Nightmare Demon making his claim on the world. Only Maxwell had the power to close the rifts, but Liz had a few ideas on what she could do to help those that had been put into an endless slumber. Reliving their worst nightmares over and over again.
Sever the tether that was keeping them there. Just as Solas had, for her.
So, before they set to leave Montsimmard, she was dead set on saving that little girl. Maria, was her name. Maria was a girl who had simply gone to sleep one night after being grounded for messing around in the family's kitchen. Evidently she'd accidentally burned a lot of the food. That… had been her budding magical abilities.
'The girl will need protection. And a kind hand. Would you… help me, Cole?' She asks through their link. Even though he was still simmering with anger at what had happened, he responds with an affirmative without much thought.
'You are strength. Lightning incarnate. I am Compassion, here to lend a hand to those in need. Together we are the hard edge and the soft hand that follows.'
'Together makes the world less scary.' Liz relays from her spot near the tent that the family is inside of, a soft smile forming on her face. Cole's slightly dour expression softens in that moment as he turns and locks gazes with Liz. The two stare at one another for a time, feeling the warmth between the bond. This soft… and fuzzy feeling that she was feeling wasn't just hers but his as well. And somehow it felt so right.
The buzzing in her chest increases, as he stood up from the campfire and walked over to her. She didn't notice Ian watch this interaction with a look of confusion and morbid curiosity. Nor did she notice Sera scoff and walk off toward Jade. All of her focus and attention was on Cole. Her dear … friend? Lover? What were they, exactly? Friends didn't kiss one another and ignite an inferno in eachother's chests. Friends didn't touch one another's faces gently in their sleep while thinking about the taste of eachother's lips.
They weren't just friends. They were more.
Cole crouches down in front of her and gives her a sort of lopsided smirk, something cheeky twinkling in those beautiful eyes of his. The expression causes her heart to stutter for a second, her cheeks burning. He leans forward and places his hand on her cheek gently, his lips hovering so so close to hers. The little mage couldn't take her eyes off of his, locked in with such intensity.
"There is a saying about cats and tongues, isn't there?" Cole chuckles and leans away from their almost-kiss, causing the saying to play in her mind, 'What's the matter, cat got your tongue?'. Her cheeks flare hotter and she gives him an appalled expression.
"D-Did you just tease me?" She asks, clearly baffled at his behavior.
"I don't know, did I?" He asks in return, tilting his head. His stupid smug smirk never once leaving his face. He removes his large floppy hat and places it on Liz's head. It droops and covers her eyes for a second before she pushes it up with her fingers to get a look at Cole, who is peeking underneath the floppy leather. He speaks in a low and rumbly tone that seems to stir something inside of her, "You won't leave me?"
He spoke of how she plans on Dreaming into the Fade to save Maria. How dangerous it was.
"No. Not ever." She replies without a beat and she felt it, radiating off of him. Fire, curling in his chest. Yet soft, gentle. Just like her. Liz grips the front of his shirt and pulls him closer. This time she initiated, her lips brushing against his gently. A sweet and chaste kiss, before pulling back and sighing.
And oh, her smile. That little smile that sent a twinkle in her eyes. So sure of herself, "What are you talking about? We're doing this together."
Cole felt something, just then. Fluttering, flying floating in his chest. He couldn't quite discern – couldn't quite think. One thing he did know for sure, "Yes. Together."
Together.
Always.
The Fade is as it usually is. Malleable. Hazy, yet not. Clearer than a summer's day. Yet also roiling like a torrential rainstorm. Emotions welling up and nipping at the edges of Liz's consciousness. She stood there, watching a smaller version of herself talking to her grandmother about her best friend. Her spirit friend. The glowing balls that were spirits, she knew, fluttered around curiously at the memory as it played before them.
"See? He's right here, Grandma!" Little Liz said in the memory, pointing back at Cole as he manifested into her dream. He blinked and looked around, before turning and peering down at the smaller version of Liz. His gaze softened and a smile formed on his features. He crouched down to her height and held out his hand to the little girl.
"She can't see me, Little Light." He says to her, saying the exact same thing she remembers him saying to her when she was little. She remembers this memory like it was yesterday. Though she didn't think that he had a tangible form. When she was back on Earth, he'd simply appeared to her like Spirits sometimes do in the Fade. As a white glowing ball of light.
"Awwww, but Grandma told me to be careful around Spirits. Are you a Spirit?" The little girl asks, causing the memory version of her grandmother to look down at her in concern. Because who wouldn't be if their child was talking to something unseen.
"Yes. I am Compassion. Tell your Grandmother that he still remembers her, but it's far away. Like it's behind glass. He still loves her and always will, just like he said under the stars by their favorite spot near the lake." Cole says and somehow the little girl turns and begins to relay it to her Grandmother, who had broken down crying at the statement. But the memory pauses before her tears can form. Her grandfather had a stroke and had been hospitalized for a great length of time. For the longest time in her childhood, the family was going through hardships because of that. Sometimes she wonders just how he recovered from being unable to speak and walk. A strong man, he was.
She looks to Cole and smiles. That same friend that was there for her, back then. During these trying times. He was always there...
"I still cannot believe I knew you. Even back then." She says, holding out her hand to take his. Cole responds in kind and gently takes her hand, smiling back at her.
"I can. My Little Light. My star. My world." He says, standing and moving to press his forehead against hers. His eyes filled with so much adoration that it makes her heart ache.
"Awwww, well isn't that just sweet."A dark voice resonates around them as they stand in the memory of her household when she was a child. The entire house rocks and rumbles, threatening to be torn apart simply by those words. "I didn't think you'd pay me a visit so soon, Little Light."
"You don't get to call me that, Nightmare." Liz snaps, waving her hand and the image of the house dissipates like smoke. Leaving the two of them in the green glow of the Fade, rocks floating around. And above them … Nightmare looms. It's numerous eyes looking around and around and around, until one caught sight of the house dissipating and Liz appearing from it. All of it's eyes simultaneously focused on her, causing her hairs to rise.
"Say my name again, Little Light. Oh, how I've missed you so." It cooed in a sickly sweet tone, taunting her to get a reaction. She wouldn't let it. Even as it's massive spider body moved slightly back to reveal it's lesser form. A form still taller than her, and even Cole, while it floats closer to her and stops before her. Many of it's additional limbs clicking together as it lifts it's large clawed hand to hover near her cheek, drawing a faint line of blood as it dug into her face. Liz didn't move, nor did she express any fear. She stood stock still and glared up at where it's eyes would be, "We could have been so much, you and I. Fear and Destruction. A Nightmare and a Calamity. We still could, my little Lizabeth. This world is ours for the taking. Together we would be unstoppable."
It's claws gripped underneath her chin, drawing more blood as it dribbled down it's hand. Nightmare licks it's lips and starts to breathe heavily.
"You can take your offer and shove it up your spidery ass." Liz says with a hint of malice. Part of her always wondered if it was the reason she is here in this world. That it drew her here to bond with her. But she couldn't remember.
Nightmare gets an almost manic grin on it's face, sharpened teeth gleaming in the dim green light of the Fade, "You aren't afraid of me. This pleases me. Yet it doesn't at the same time."
"I'm not weak anymore, Nightmare. You cannot claim any hold over me. You are not my bonded. You never will be."
She just needed to keep it distracted long enough for Cole—
Nightmare's hand shoots out from behind it and grabs onto something. Cole's shimmery form faltering and flickering into view. He lets out a grunt and cries out as the extra sharp appendages from the demon shoot out and impale him. Blood spurts everywhere and Nightmare's smile turns absolutely demonic.
"Cole!" Liz calls out, now fear shoots through her to the core. This causes Nightmare's large form to shiver.
"It's your fault. Yours yours yours! Compassion stole my Destruction. My Calamity! Gone gonegone!" Nightmare screeches, the sound echoing through the area and shaking the ground underneath them. Liz stumbles and her eyes are wide with terror, now. Terror at the thought of losing Cole. At the thought of—"I will show you what happens to those who take what is mine."
Nightmare raises it's free hand and is about to plunge it through Cole's chest. But Liz lets out a screech of rage. Fury. Hatred burning deep inside of her chest. She doesn't realize that her scream is just as loud and thunderous as Nightmare's. Nor does she notice Cole's worried expression as he coughs up blood.
"I. Am. Not. Your plaything!" One moment Liz is behind Nightmare, then the next in a flash of lightning and sparks, she is right before him with her hand on his arm. Stopping him from hurting Cole. Stopping the attack. Her eyes glow brightly with white light, raw with power as it crackles at her fingertips.
She doesn't notice that the entirety of the area around them is enveloped in electricity, dancing across Nightmare's true body and causing it to shiver once more. Liz grips it's arm and with a nasty sounding snap, it breaks off and Nightmare lets out a pained sounding screech as it's smaller form turns to ash before her.
Liz whirls around and stands above Cole, who had been dropped and is panting heavily and bleeding on the ground. Her hands shoot up and a net of electricity forms in a dome around the duo. Before expanding and hitting the Nightmare Demon, effectively pushing it away from them.
Nightmare lets out an enraged shriek as it thumps against the barrier, clearly enraged at her sudden ability to control her power. How dare she push him away? How dare she choose Compassion?!
Liz winces as it's thumping causes something to ache within her. Her hold on the barrier lessening. Her eyes widen as she notices a very large and looming shadow behind Nightmare, slowly forming as though coming from the ground. Massive red eyes manifest on it's face as a snout forms, revealing a giant black wolf.
It bares it's teeth and it's maw opens as though it is about to bite into Nightmare.
Liz's stomach drops. She knows what that is.
"We need to get out of here." She says to Cole, frantically. Realizing now that they were way in over their head. She'd thought that they could hop on into the Fade and sever the connection quickly without attracting it's attention. Oh, how wrong she was.
"T-Take my hand!" Cole says, extending his hand to her from his spot on the ground. She drops the barrier for that split second and takes his hand. Nightmare leaps forward and just before he can make contact, the wolf snarls and bites into it. Shaking it rabidly.
Cole and Liz disappear and reappear somewhere else in the Fade.
This time was different… it was one of Cole's memories.
Her heart is hammering in her chest as the fear licking at her insides threatens to take hold. Instead, Liz blinks and tries to right herself and grasp around for Cole. But finds nothing. It's dark. So dark. She hears the faint sound of muffled sobs. But what catches her off guard is the sound of angered shouting and things breaking just outside of…
'Am I in a cupboard?' She wonders, smelling the strong smell of alcohol just outside of the cupboard door. The man outside is yelling around for Cole, smashing items on the walls and floors. Her hand reaches out to peek outside of the cupboard, but a hand stops her.
Cole's much larger hand grasps her thin wrist and keeps her absolutely still. He shushes her and shakily says, "Shhhh! H-He'll hear you…" Liz turns to look at him, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness. He sits there in the corner of the cramped cupboard that the two of them were somehow able to fit in. Wait no, three? She sees the smaller form in his arms as he clasps his hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and dulled. Body unmoving.
"Cole, it's okay. We aren't here." She says in a normal tone, causing the apparition outside the cupboard to stop stomping around and shift toward the cupboard. A fear demon, likely.
"Huuuh? Are you in there, boy!?" It says and she grips Cole's arms, trying to ignore the small dead girl in his arms.
"Cole, look at me. It's me, Liz. Remember me. Remember." She says in a stern tone, causing the lanky rogue to look up into her eyes. Then his eyes widen a fraction as recognition passes through them.
"Little Light…"
With that, the scene around them starts to fade as Liz moves her hand to take control of the area, shifting the scenery to something more tranquil and calm. The cupboard dissipates and the man outside goes quiet. The girl in his arm disappears like smoke between his fingers. The environment around them changes to a memory of being outside of her grandmother's house as she helped make a wigwam. The arched branches and birch bark walls creating a sort of dome-like structure with a door at the front.
Liz sat down inside of it with Cole, her legs feeling the soft grass beneath her, "Just breathe now, alright?" She says, checking his body over for wounds. The punctures from the Nightmare Demon remain, even with the change in scenery. Cole winces when she brushes her fingers over one of the holes in his side, "Is it possible to actually get injured while Dreaming in the Fade?"
"Yes." A muffled voice says from outside of the wigwam. Liz turns and sees the familiar muted form of her mentor and ancient friend. Solas. A part of her relaxes as she notices this, relieved that he is here. Just in case Nightmare decides to make an appearance again. His muted form is standing just outside of the wigwam. She reaches her hand out and touches the tips of his fingers, granting him access to her space.
The elf pauses as he stands outside of the foreign structure. Now looking around and examining it as one would do when studying an ancient structure of some kind, his thin fingers hovering close to the wall curiously. Before he turns to Liz and Cole, his curious expression melting into one of disappointment.
"I know. We weren't ready for something like that…" Liz says with a sigh.
"Not just that. You could have gotten yourselves killed. Or even worse, corrupted!" Solas dips into the wigwam and takes a seat next to the two, folding his hands before him and breathing to calm himself, "No matter. You're here and you're safe. You were smart to leave when you did."
"I can imagine… something else appeared there, too. Just before we left. It was a giant black wolf with red eyes…" Liz says with concern, knowing just who it was. Athras' teachings ringing in her head as she recalls, "D-Did I see Fen'harel?"
"I cannot say. Though it certainly sounds like the depiction often used for him." Solas says with a carefully schooled expression. He felt like ice when she asks that, for some reason. Harder to read, somehow. Cole just shifted awkwardly from beside her as he scoots closer to him, his hands extending to the rogue. "Nightmare injured you. Had you died here in the Fade, it could have had catastrophic consequences in the Waking World."
"Like what?" Cole ends up asking, moving to remove his hat and set it next to him in the grass.
"A piece of yourself could have been taken. Memories could have been gone. Any number of things, really. Or you could have simply died, had your body been unable to take the stress." The elder mage explains, "It's different for the two of you, because of the nature of what you are."
"Of course it is." Liz mutters, scoffing a little.
"And you. You should have known better." Solas scolds, turning to her with a heated look in his usually cool eyes. "Cole, I would have suspected. Due to his nature and how unlearned he is of these things. But Liz, you should have known that taking on Nightmare alone was nearly suicidal."
"We just wanted to help." Cole and Liz both spoke at the same time, before blinking and looking at eachother.
"…..ah. I see. Emotional Bleed is happening with the bond." Solas sounds like he understands something, now. His eyebrows raised as he looks between the two. Which causes Liz's eyebrow to twitch, because after a few beats of silence. He doesn't elaborate.
"And that iiiis?"
"Sometimes it can make things difficult to discern whether or not it is your feelings or his, I presume?"
"Oh. I think I caused her to spiral and attack Sera because of how I was feeling at the time." Cole says before lowering his head, "It felt suffocating, swirling—sending her into a rage."
"Don't blame yourself for my own stupid actions, Cole." Liz snaps a little, causing his eyebrow to twitch, "I was already feeling like crap to begin … with… oh. And that probably caused you to feel… ah."
"I am taking accountability. Just like you have. We have." Cole says, nodding at Liz's response to her revelation, "We are in this together, remember? So we need to learn how to control the bond."
Solas, for what it's worth, seems impressed at Cole's mature responses. He clearly has been thinking it over. Even still, Liz could still feel the anger simmering and permeating the air around her. Anger and hurt.
'I need to talk to him about that, again…' She thinks and sighs, pinching her brow. She motions with her hands in a knife motion, "Look, Solas. I get that what I did was stupid and I admit it. It won't happen again. We good?"
"What do you mean 'we good?'. What is that even supposed to mean? You don't need to prove yourself to me, I just want the two of you to be safe." He sounds exasperated.
"You're right… but on another subject, I do have a question." Liz ends up saying, causing the ancient elf to tilt his head. Curiosity shimmering in the air around him, "What's going on between you and Serana? She seemed absolutely heartbroken."
"Ah." His expression drops and his walls go up, causing his aura and the feelings in the air to shift and disappear altogether. Liz's eyes narrow and she gives him a suspicious look. When he doesn't elaborate, she continues.
"You broke up with her, didn't you?"
"It's better that it happened this way." Is all he says.
"Bullshit. You know that's bullshit. I see how you look at her. How she looks at you. The two of you are head over heels for eachother. What kind of lame excuse do you have that could justify leaving her like that?" She asks, sounding clearly irritated. Cole, for the most part, has gone quiet and watches the two of them bicker.
"I don't have the luxury of informing my significant other of-"
"You see, you say that, but you're either lying or you're dense." Liz cuts him off angrily, "Serana would understand. She wouldn't shun you or see you any differently. Do you realize how much that woman loves you?"
"It's more complicated than that, Liz."
"That's all you keep saying. It's too complicated. Well WE'RE too complicated, Solas! Us existing is too complicated! It shouldn't be possible, but it is! Our lives revolve around being complicated and Cole and Serana know this. Serana knew you were a complicated person from the beginning, but she cared anyway. That didn't stop her. What makes you think her knowing would stop her from loving you?"
"You see, that is what I fear." He snapped back, words still calm but swift, "Her unconditional love could be the thing that breaks her. I would be the thing that breaks her."
"And you couldn't live with yourself if that happened." She calms a little, coming to an understanding, "I get it. But… life is all about taking chances. And when I start to think like that, I try to change myself so that I can't hurt that person. Change isn't a bad thing, Solas." Her voice tapered off and her eyes lowered, thinking about the many times she thought of ditching Cole for his own good. She knew not the exact thoughts that were going through his mind but… she understood.
Cole grabbed her hand and squeezed it, offering a sort of comfort.
He said nothing, the silence reigning true between the trio as the sounds of wind and rattling of the leaves outside whistled by. She looked up, seeing an equally solemn look upon his face, "You probably already have your mind set on what has happened. But… she loves you, you know. She's…. she's been such a wreck since you've left."
"I know." Solas sounds so broken, head bowed and ears drooping.
She had no doubt he knew. The man was incapable of not letting some of the newly formed sorrow to seep through into his aura. Liz felt for him, really. If Cole wasn't Cole, it would have been a very difficult situation indeed.
In a way, she was incredibly lucky that she developed feelings for Cole and not someone like Cullen.
Then, things started to get hazy and fall apart. Usually that only happens when something in the waking world is forcing her awake. Liz looks to Cole, but he's already gone. She turns to Solas and can only get out a, "See you later-" Before she, too, is gone.
Liz awakens with a gasp to the sound of battle outside of her tent. She turns to her side frantically and Cole is already missing, likely outside already. She springs into action, rolling out of the tent and looking around swiftly. 'I have to find Maria and her parents, lest they-'
A scream rips through the air and Liz's sight zeros in on Maria's mother screaming as her husband is impaled by a fear demon on one of it's many appendages. It looked very much like Nightmare did in it's lesser aspect. A few more demons stalk around the area, being warded off by Inquisition Soldiers and the others. Jade, Sera and Serana are already out and beating them back alongside the other soldiers.
In a flash of sparks, she is there beside the demon and upon it. Her hand is encased in electricity as she thrusts it forward and connects to it's abdomen. It jolts back and stumbles on the ground a little, dropping the man onto the ground with a 'thump!'.
"Take your daughter and run!" She says to the woman.
"But what about my Husband?!" The woman says, motioning toward the man who had been impaled in his arm and legs. He groans on the ground and tries to scramble back. Liz extends her hands toward the demon and creates a net of electricity like she did in the Fade, though this one was much smaller. Creating a shield of a kind to keep it at bay.
"I'll keep him safe. Just go, or you'll die too!"
With that, the woman dove into the tent and grabbed up her child. Who was still in a comatose state. Then she runs off in the opposite direction of the demons that were pouring out of a … rift?
A rift crackles with pulsating sickly green energy, causing the whispers of the spirits from the other side to filter throughout the area. Something about it called out to Liz. It resonates inside of her chest and feels like home, in a way. Yet not. The thinning of the veil in the area due to the rift causes the air to hum with a sort of energy that starts to empower her spells. Her innate connection to the Fade beginning to show as her spells seem brighter and more deadly.
The Inquisition soldiers and her allies are trying their utmost to keep the demons that already came out at bay while people nearby retreated into the walls of the city of Montsimmard.
"How did this happen?!" Liz calls out to Cole, who is standing frozen in the middle of the battlefield as the noises and activity rages on around him like a storm. His eyes fixated on something ahead. She finishes off the demon in front of her with another bout of electricity as it jolts and causes the thing to turn to ash. She flashes on over next to Cole and shakes him, "Cole, get ahold of yourself!"
"B-B...Bunny." He says, eyes wide like he's seen a ghost.
"Bunny?" She turns toward where he's looking and sees one of the Inquisition soldiers fighting strong next to Jade and Ian. The woman in question has long blonde hair tied back in a braid and bright blue eyes, much like Cole's. She twirls and swings downward onto one of the demons with her mace, caving in it's skull with relative ease as she lets out a war cry.
"Nice hit!" Ian says with a grin, moving to keep her back safe from more. His huge greatsword swinging around and cutting through some of the shades like butter.
Liz is hit with the memory they had been trapped in just moments ago, where Cole was stuck in the cupboard and holding the limp form of a blonde haired girl with blue eyes. The woman in front of her had the same facial features as the girl, if a bit matured. She appears to be in her teens, at the very least, and still swung the mace like it was nothing.
She watches with wide eyes for a second, before needing to turn around and cast a blast of electricity at a rage demon that tried to flank them, "Get yourself together, Cole. We need to finish these demons off!"
But he didn't budge, no matter how she screams at him to move. Liz flicks her wrists and two lightning whips form and make a clapping sound as she swings around and cleaves some of the enemies in half. Bits of their goopy bodies flew all over the place and coated the ground and the people nearby.
Then something happens that she really really wished didn't.
The cackle of Nightmare from the other side of the rift can be heard as it whispers in English, "Come to me, my Little Light. And this can all stop."
"Kiss my ass, Nightmare." She says back in common, which only serves to cause it to chuckle even more. Then respond back, still in English.
"Gladly, my Dear. First, a test~." It says, before something absolutely massive manifests just outside of the rift. Right between Liz and the others. Cole still frozen at her side and the man that she was protecting long gone as he, thankfully, crawled away.
The manifestation took on a corporeal form and dropped onto the ground between the two groups, the ground shaking with the impact of the large 20ft tall monstrosity before them all. Four twisted horns point upward and many different blackened eyes look around as it grins from ear to ear, sharp rows of teeth gleaming in the light of the sun and the rift crackling nearby.
"It's a Pride Demon, watch ou-" The thing cackled and pulled out it's own whips of electricity faster than she could tell people to get down, causing her voice to get drowned out as a thunderous 'Crack!' resounds as the whips make contact with an Inquisition soldier right next to 'Bunny'. Liz watches in horror as the man literally splits in half like a hot pocket.
Bits of blood and seared flesh fly out and stick to Bunny's face and armor, her eyes wide and face pale with shock. However, instead of freezing, the girl raises her mace and yells a war cry from beside Ian. The large horned man himself, however, froze in place and looks up at the demon with his jaw agape and terror in his eyes.
"MOVE IT, IAN!" Liz screams, launching a few spells into the back of the Pride Demon. The electricity washes over it harmlessly and she curses to herself about only practicing the one element after all this time.
Bunny, however, does a combat roll and swings up at the creature. She hits it in the side with a hefty blow, before dodging it's large swing in response to her attack. The teen showing no fear in the face of death and destruction. It seems as though her bravery knocks Jade and Ian out of their stupor as they, too, charge forth and begin to hit the thing with all their might. Jade sticking her halberd into the creature before ducking underneath the thing's legs so that it couldn't get her thanks to her small size.
The creature lumbers around and lets out an angry yell, swiping at Ian and knocking the large man back into the last Inquisition soldier alive. The two go down, tumbling in a tangle of limbs about 20ft away. Then it appears as though the creature begins to charge up it's whips, causing Liz to react swiftly with her own counter attack.
The little mage thrusts her arms forward, sending her whips at the creature's arms, then yanks her arms back and causing her body to feel the strain as the mana channels through her at a quicker rate than normal. The whips lash around the Pride Demon's arms and get yanked into it's sides and it lets out an enraged shriek, leaving it open for the others to attack.
Beads of sweat form on Liz's forehead as she holds it in place as the remaining two slice, chop and wail on the thing repeatedly.
"Serana, shield!" Jade yells as she dodges to the side, noticing Liz's tendrils of energy fading around it's arms.
In response, the mage in the background causes shields to spring over the two. But instead of going after them… the Pride Demon turns it's head and looks at Liz. She could have sworn the thing glared at her.
"Traitorous one." It says to her, before pulling it's arms up and yanking against her binds with ease. Liz, who had still been holding strong with her willpower, felt her small form go careening through the air and her world tumble.
She screams as the thing hits her in the stomach like one would a baseball as she flies toward it. She could have sworn she felt her ribs crack and break. "Unf!"
Her body slams up against a tree and blood spurts out of her mouth as she bites a piece of her tongue off. She lay there twitching as the battle continued to rage on, her ears ringing and the sound of someone's voice muffled behind a door could be heard.
Liz's vision faltered…
"….iz…. iz! …" The voice tried. Then, just like that, her ears popped and the sound became clear, "Liz! Please, get up! Please!"
Her eyes focused and noticed Cole looming above her and shaking her shoulders gently, his eyes wide with tears. She let out a groan and peered behind him to notice Ian back up and fighting with the others and Bunny on the ground in front of the Pride Demon. Her eyes widened as it's fist started to come down toward the teen.
Cole was about to lose her again. She was about to die and he never got to even tell her how the Real Cole felt when he died. How sorry he was. How-
"NO!"
Cole
His heart was nearly hammering itself out of his chest when he saw Liz's form go careening toward the Pride Demon, then get batted away like a fly. Something inside of him twisted and shattered.
He thought she was dead.
It was enough to shake him out of his stupor as he scrambled over to check on her, his blue eyes wide with tears and worry.
"Liz! Liz! Please, get up! Please." He cried, gripping her shoulders and trying to look around at her broken form. Her arm was twisted the wrong way and blood was dribbling out of the side of her mouth. She seemed to come to, but her eyes weren't on him. They were on something behind him.
Then she screamed.
"NO!"
In a flash of sparks, she was out of his arms and gone. The grass beneath where she'd just been seconds ago shifts slightly in her absence. Then Cole hears it. Something he wishes that he could forget even hearing. The strangled scream and squelch of flesh being torn. The bond tugging and rippling. Weakening.
Cole's tear filled eyes turn slowly and he sees Liz… standing there in front of Bunny's prone form. Liz's hands gripping the Pride Demon's arm as it's claws dig into her shoulder and grip onto her to pick her up like a little ragdoll.
As she was being held, the thing was distracted long enough to get Jade's halberd driven through it's spine. Ian sliced one last time, lopping it's leg off and Bunny rolled to the side and leapt forth to hit it's other arm with her mace. Trying to get it to release Liz.
The Pride Demon let out a strangled cry as it started to dissipate. Liz's body fell to the ground limp, laying on her back. Eyes dulled.
Cole let out a strangled cry as he runs forward. No. Nononono, it couldn't end like this. Bloody, battered—broken on the ground. The others watched in shock as Cole knelt down near Liz's head and placed his hands gently on each side, sobbing, "Please don't go. Don't go. Don't leave me. Don't go!"
"C-...Cole." She coughs out, blood coming out of her mouth as she speaks. Her leather armor lay cracked and torn on her torso, revealing the gaping and bloodied wound as it poured out quickly. Too quickly.
"H-Help her please. Help her! You have to help her, Hope!" Cole turns to Serana with a plea. Jade, knowing what that means, ends up ushering people away and pulling on the ruined tent of the Inquisition Camp. Giving Serana some cover as she walks forward to kneel next to Liz as she bled out.
"You're going to have to hurry up, whatever you're doing. Because this rift is still crackling and we need to get the fuck out of dodge." Ian says, still holding his greatsword at the ready. Bunny, who was at his side with her mace out, keeps looking back at Cole. Then the rift. Then Cole, as though she can't believe what she's seeing.
And with a flash of light and glowing white eyes, Serana got to work to the best of her ability. Even though Liz clearly has lost a lot of blood and looks pale. Too pale. The little mage seems to lose her fight against consciousness as her brown eyes roll back and she stops shaking. Going still.
Don't go…
Please don't leave me.