Happy Friday! I hope you enjoy the chapter! =D
She should have been dead. He could sense one of his oldest friend's soul lingering in the body of a human woman. Mythal should be dead…her death had sparked a war that ended their people. She had tricked him, tricked them all.
Solas felt betrayed and he flinched when Ellana's hand rested on his forearm to stop the tremors in his arm. He hadn't even realized that he had been shaking.
Mythal greeted Morrigan with as much care as one did a servant. She turned, her eyes, the same yellow he remembered, and her eyes widened slightly when she met his gaze. Though, when she took in the sight of Myna and her children her lip curled in disgust. Myna was always her least favorite biological child. There was a reason that Mythal had given her to the servant class, disowning her before she even reached her adolescence.
"Morrigan, I see that you have made some interesting friends…tell me, child, where did you find ancient elves in this day and age?"
The witch turned to the them, mouth agape. Solas noticed Myna's stiff posture, her hands clenching the staff she was holding. "It's nice to see you again, Mythal, I was under the impression that you had been murdered. Your death started an uprising that nearly destroyed the world. Or, like most of your schemes, it went horribly wrong?" Myna hissed, nearly taking a step forward, but Ellana shot an arm out to stop her.
"Mother, now is not the time," she said, turning to Mythal, her chin raised defiantly, "My name is Ellana of Clan Lavellan, we're only here for the boy. Give him back to his mother and there will be no violence."
Mythal chuckled looking Ellana over like a piece of meat, or a potential slave when her eyes landed on the valislin on her face. Solas' magic sparked for a moment, his daughter was so slave. When Mythal noticed the anchor, she turned towards Solas and grinned, which had him wishing that he was anywhere but in fade.
"Don't posture to her, Inquisitor, this is what she does! She has children, so she can steal the youth from them to elongate her retched life! Now, she wants to do that to my Kieran!" Morrigan growled reaching towards her son, only to have a barrier come into place and separate them. It seemed that Mythal wasn't quite done playing with them yet.
"Never again shall we submit, Morrigan. I posture to no one. I just know when to ask nicely," Ellana replied and motioned for Ven to step forward. He twirled his staff around him, a grin on his face as he built up his magic. "Now, either you give the boy back, or I will have my brother unleash a rather powerful attack on your shields."
Mythal snorted, bringing the boy closer to herself as leverage. Ellana never flinched, "He won't hurt the boy, just you."
Morrigan jerked forward, as Ven's staff started to glow an eerie green, drawing the energy of the fade to himself. The witch looked horrified, her eyes going from Mythal to Ellana, hoping that one of them would change their minds. Solas had honestly never seen Ellana look so cold, even when facing the fear demon, she had considered the lives of all of her companions. There was a resolve present that he had never seen from her. It was calculated, and it reminded him of himself before he did something monumentally foolish.
Like erect the fade.
Mythal stared at Ellana, testing her resolve and something change, the once goddess' posture shifted. The boy once again moved to an arms width away. "So, you are one of my descendants after all. Myna, Morrigan, take note. You show no weakness and you show no fear in the face of adversity and you will be rewarded."
Morrigan snarled. "How dare you use my son against me! He is not a tool for your twisted game! Don't attempt to ruin him like you did me!"
Solas let out a quiet sigh. His friend had always been the mother to the Elven people, but she was awful parent to her own children. Mythal had always been too focused on the larger picture than she had been on those close to her. Solas had been one of the few people she considered a friend, and she had faked her own death, so he would start a rebellion that would end the world as they knew it. Mythal always had her own agenda.
What did she want with a child? He wasn't anywhere near old enough for her to want to steal his body. There had to be something else at play.
"And, yet, what was he created for? He was supposed to be your tool, no, daughter?"
All heads turned to Morrigan. What had the witch done to that child? From what he had seen of her with her son, she was nothing by kind and loving towards him.
Morrigan took a step back when Kieran looked towards them, shivering slightly with tears built up in his eyes. "That plan died the moment he was born. I will not be the mother you were to me. You have no claim over either of us."
There was a quiet hum in the air as magic swirled around Mythal. She tapped the boys chin, forcing him to look up. A ball of light was pulled from Kieran's chest and the child staggered back as if physically hit. "Be well child."
Solas recognized the light as a soul of an ancient. It had been trapped in that child? He turned to Myna, who looked grim, her mouth set in firm line. Had she known about this? Did she know that this boy had been carrying a soul from ancient times within him and not said anything?
Morrigan took this as her chance to grab her son. Ellana moved towards them and ushered Morrigan towards the exit. Solas could barely hear the conversation, just that "we will follow shortly."
"This leaves you four. What would the Pantheon think of the little family that you built, Fen'Harel? I think they'd find it rather amusing, since your mark is killing your daughter and you plan to rip the world apart again."
"You know nothing," Solas replied.
"I know more than you could possible imagine, Pride. Myna, what did you do with my well and its sentinels?"
Her grin was positively feral, "well, Mother, I moved it to a secure location. If you want to look for it, be my guest. I will not have any more Elven men and women be forced into your eternal service thinking that you are bestowing a gift to them. You were once great, but like all the other members of the Pantheon, you became corrupt. Solas always told me you were the best of them, but that wasn't saying much. As for your people, well, they will no longer be forced to do you bidding. I hope that soul you absorbed was worth it, because it's the last one that you'll ever get."
Mythal lunged forward only to be met with solid barrier. It hadn't been cast by Myna, who took a careful step back from the glowing green barrier. Solas turned his attention to the twins. Ven had Ellana's anchor clad hand in his, sparks were flying out of the mark as the two created a something strong enough to repel an Ancient would be Goddess. Solas couldn't help but be impressed, if he didn't notice the sweat on Ellana's brow and her quaking knees. Ven looked strong, but he was holding his sister up. If this turned into an all-out attack, they could be injured. Or possessed by Mythal. They bore her marks on their faces.
If his old friend was going to attempt to hurt the only way for this world to be saved he was going to need to stop this madness. He knew that Myna wasn't going to stop. She had wanted her mother's head on a pike for as long as Solas could remember. Enough was enough and Solas called his power forward and blasted his old friend back.
She hadn't been expecting an attack from him and went flying to the left, skidding to a stop. It wasn't his strongest mind blast, but he was going to need to save his strength if Mythal truly wanted to fight.
"So, this is the side you chose, Fen'Harel? My misfit daughter and her…offspring over your people. Your true calling? You were known as the god of rebellion. Why settle for something less?" Mythal tempted, giving Myna a dismissive wave which sent her flying away from Solas and into wall. She had a barrier around her to protect herself from most of the blast's power and the impact into the rocks behind her. The reverberating thud that echoed was enough to make him flinch. Myna slumped onto the ground, unresponsive.
No one moved for a moment, the remaining four waiting for someone to make a move. Solas called Mythal's bluff and dashed towards Myna, keeping his eyes on his old friend. What lesson was she attempting to teach her daughter this time? He saw that Myna was bleeding sluggishly from her head, but otherwise appeared unharmed.
Mythal tutted, watching Fen'Heral assist her daughter. "And yet, here you are, my old friend, inhabiting the body of a human, doing nothing for the people you claimed to hold so dear," Solas replied, his eyes glowing dangerously. She was stepping into dangerous territory. Myna had been his Spymaster and for a brief time, lover, he wasn't going to let Mythal hurt her just to make a point to him.
Mythal stepped forward, "Done nothing? Oh, I've done more for the people than you can imagine. I've set things in motion that will shake the very foundations of this world, but then my grandchild changed everything."
Solas had to agree with her. Ellana did change everything, as did Ven. She has him questioning all of his plans for the future.
Her gaze turned towards the children, more specifically to Ellana, who had no magical talent, but never flinched under the Ancient Goddess' glare. Ven's arm was around her shoulders, the protective brother till the end.
"What do you plan to do? You can't take on all of us at once," Ven asked, his staff glowing once more, ready for another attack. Solas almost snorted. Mythal could kill them all right now if she truly wanted. He wasn't at his full power yet and, while Ven was powerful, he wasn't ready to fight one of the Pantheon. He would never be ready to fight them, his son just didn't have the experience.
"I need Nothing from you, Ven'irus. You are the expected result of your parents' offspring. Your sister just intrigues me, she is a true irony." Ven tightened his grip on his sister's arm and Solas could feel the pressure of both Ven's magic and Mythal's in the air, fighting for dominance. Ellana's fists tightened and she dug her heels into the ground, the mark flared to life. "Born from two mages, one a god and the other a descendant of mine, and yet, she has no magic and a name as average as elfroot in the Hinterlands. Yet, she has charmed the shemlen into near worshiping her. A born leader. The ideal Elven Goddess, yet she has no magic."
"I don't need magic to unite nations. The Inquisition follows me because I fight for all nation's freedom from annihilation from insane Magister's plan. No, I've never had magic, Ven has more than enough for the two of us, but he can't lead a halla to water, nevertheless a nation. Magic, does not define me or the people of this world." She held up the mark, it sparked for a moment before she brought it down in a quick arch. Solas had seen her do this once or twice before when he was taken on expeditions with her and summoned a barrier as pure fade energy was sent at Mythal, it send her flying further than his own mind blast. Ellana moved out from her brother's protective bubble.
Mythal was picking herself up from the ground, her golden eyes burning with a violent passion that he hadn't seen in her for thousands of years. Ellana seemed ready to strike the would-be goddess, her daggers out and ready for the next attack. But, the murderous glint vanished, and proud grin appeared on her face instead. "You are a true child of Mythal. I wish you luck my child."
And with those parting words, Mythal vanished. Solas heard Myna shift behind him. Her face had blood drying on it, but otherwise she appeared to be fine. "Was there a reason that you didn't protect yourself?" Solas asked her as he helped her up.
She sent him her strongest glare, which wasn't amounting to much since she staggered to her feet and nearly fell into his arms. "That tracking spell took a lot out of me. I didn't think that she was actually going to be there extracting the soul of an ancient from the child, nor did I expect her to attack me. My mother never cared for me, but I never thought she would attempt to kill me."
"Time changes people…Mythal wasn't quite what I remember either," Solas replied. Had her time spent incorporeal corrupted her spirit permanently?
"We better leave before she comes back," Ellana called, halfway up the ridge that would lead towards their exit.
"Well, that was a fun family outing. I vote that we stay in Skyhold for a nice private dinner next time," Ven said, loud enough for all of them to hear as he caught up with his sister, throwing an arm around her shoulders without a care in the world.
"He resisted her attacks with little effort. Ven is truly a powerful mage," Myna muttered, her hand squeezed his for a moment before she straightened her back and started the walk back.
She was putting on a brave face. Mythal had always been a sore spot with her and meeting her mother like this had to have shaken her. Solas stopped her, grabbing her hand once more and pulling her towards him. "Are you alright, Myna?"
She must have heard the sincerity in his voice because she stopped fighting him. Her head thumped on his shoulder and she took a shuddering breath. "Well, I might have cracked a rib or two when I hit the wall, my mother was trying to kill a child and then attempted to take Ellana with her to gods know where. So, no, I'm not alright, Solas, but I'll pretend to be until all of this Darkspawn Magister nonsense is over with."
"It isn't going to end with Corypheus. The Qunari are moving," he whispered into her ear and she shivered slightly, wrapping remaining arm around his neck.
"Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we, Fen'Harel," she teased. He felt her hand stroke the back of his neck, nails almost biting into his skin.
It had been a very long time since Solas had been in a position like this. Myna's face close enough he could feel her breathing and he was sorely tempted to lean towards her. "I suppose so. Do you have any plans in place?"
She tilted her head ever so slightly, eyes slightly hooded. "Wouldn't you like to know," she replied closing the distance between them and all thoughts of battle strategy left Solas' mind.
FINALLY, WE HAVE ROMANCE! Right before the last chapter. Yep, the next chapter is going to be the last one for this story. It is going to include an epilogue and all that stuff.
Thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows this week!
Have a great weekend,
Animerocker