Ok...so this chapter is going to be a little crazy. The first part is a POV from Arleta of course, and as I found myself writing this chapter, I couldn't help but put in what was happening on the other end. Like you get to see what had happened on both ends of this. Trying not to spoil this, I just want to point out that later in this chapter when Alistair is confronting "Arleta" the italics are what "she" is saying outloud, but in another voice...sorry, i may just be confusing you. And before I let you read this, I just want to say, THANK YOU! thank-you to all the people that read this, have alerted this, and reviewed! Much thanks all around!
"Pup?"
I looked around the room. I could see shadows moving in and out of the walls. I couldn't keep focus. My mind going in and out of the Fade.
"Pup?"
"Father?!" I cried falling to my knees. I felt as though I was going to be ripped in half, that half of my body was in one world, and the other here...
"You shouldn't be here..."
I gasped for air, feeling something press on my lungs. The pain was excruciating!
"Help me Father!" I pleaded. I needed to get out of here, I needed to get back...I...can't...think...
"...you need to finish what you started..."
"ARLETA!"
The room around me started to spin. One minute I could Zevran's face, the next one, a blank wall.
"SOMEONE!"
I felt my chest being risen up in the air, head, arms, and feet dangling, then...
SLAM!
I took a quick breath of air as I came back to the real world, if only for a second. I could feel blood in my mouth, and pain everywhere.
"Leliana...get..." Then I was slammed back into the wall.
It felt as though someone was trying to force my spirit out of my body. I clawed at the ground, I needed to stay here. I knew that if I went back into the Fade again...I might not come out. Suddenly a flash of blue and white illuminated the floor and I could feel my spirit winning. I heard a roar echo through my ears, as again I was risen above the ground from my chest like a puppet with it's string through the middle.
I closed my eyes, knowing that I was going to be slammed against the ground one more time. I felt the air shift around me, but instead of being pushed, I felt...freedom. Just like someone had cut the puppet strings that went through me. So I fell.
Instead of hitting the ground, I landed in someone's arms. I tried to lift my head up, but I couldn't. I couldn't think. So much pain.
"...get...Alistair...out..." I whispered. I could feel the peace as they laid me down on the floor. So much pain...
"Don't! There must be another way!"
My senses were coming back, and I now could start to move, even though how painful it was. I felt like a fish out of water. I rolled my head to the left, and blinked. I tried to say something, but I found myself spitting up blood. I looked at my hand, stretched out like that, and tried to move my hand. I had to squint to concentrate on moving it, and after it seemed like ever, my thumb finally twitched. This wasn't good.
"How long will it take us to get to the Circle?"
The voices were echoing in my head, I tried to listen to what they had to stay.
"Four days. And that is if we travel nonstop."
"That might be too late."
"Its either that or..."
"...Death."
Alistair didn't know what was happening...he didn't know why in the Maker's name he was still alive. Didn't she finish him off in the street? Why was he so dizzy, and how is Zevran supporting the majority of his dead weight as he was basically dragged down the halls.
"Wh-" And it didn't help that he couldn't talk.
"Just tell me that you can still do you're lovely templar things..." Zevran looked like he was about to collapse.
"Ywaghe..."
"...without talking..." Heaved Zevran as they rounded the last corner. Alistair looked up to see a group of people in a circle, watching what looked like a fight. Arms and legs flung around like a rag doll. Thrown up against the wall, then landing with crash to the floor.
Leliana, looked horrified as she noticed Zevran, and Alistair down the hall. "Thank the Maker!" She gasped, going to the right side of Alistair, throwing his arm over her shoulder and helping Zevran drag the drugged Templar over to the group. And that is when they heard it.
"So this is what it feels like to be a Grey Warden and have so much power!"
A cold shiver ran up his spine, as the group parted a little bit to see a girl sitting on her knees. Her head was bowed, with her dark auburn hair fanned around her face. Blood was dripping from her mouth, and he could see that at least one of her legs was twisted in a way so unnatural that it had to been broken.
The girl raised her hands in the air, and tilted her head back to examine them.
"Arleta..?" he whispered. Knowing that that was the only word that he could actually say. And how could he not? How many dreams have tormented him since the Landsmeet, since the betrayal? A lump formed in his stomach. Out of hatred, or guilt he did not know. All he knew, was that Arleta was no longer Arleta...she was possessed.
The girl looked at him surprised, and smiled. Alistair, and everyone else could see the blood running down her face, and dripping onto the floor. Her once bright green forest eyes, where dull like onyx stones. No life. No soul.
"Arleta isn't here...I am sorry." Arleta, or whatever it was now tilted it's head to the side at Alistair, still grinning it's grin which unnerved him greatly. "But...why are you here...aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Arleta." He said it louder this time. He knew she was in there somewhere, and when the head suddenly jerked to the left, he knew that she was fighting whatever it was.
Her face, looked back at Alistair's and the grin widen. "So much pain...so much hurt..." It tilted its head the other way. "She cried for so long..."
"Arleta!" He said it stronger now.
The head jerked again, and it was like the light came back in her eyes. "HELP ME FATHER!" She screamed before her head jerked the other way. When the face looked back to Alistair, angry shown.
"You dare defy me! I will rule over you all!" Her voice sounded so twisted, so evil. "Her life force is draining Templar!" Blood started to come more freely from her mouth. The grin widen.
Zevran left Alistair's side and grabbed the head in his hands.
"ARLETA!" Screamed Alistair, afraid that whatever was in her body would harm Zevran.
Her body shook, as her voice came back screaming, "SOMEONE!"
Leliana also left Alistair's side, grabbing Zevran on the shoulder and dragging him away from Arleta. Alistair could barely hold his weight, but formed a sign in front of his chest, and closed his eyes. He didn't see her body being raised like doll in the air, he couldn't. His Templar training had taught him not to. He needed to focus on casting his "spell" or what Arleta use to tease him about.
He only opened his eyes when he heard her body being slammed into the floor, like the sound of watermelon being dropped from the castle's walls. He could see that she was back. Frantically clawing the ground for something that she could hold onto for a lifeline. She was being risen back into the air, and he hobbled slowly forward. He was directly under her, muttering what he was taught to. The light blue flames licked at his bare feet, as her body hung in mid-air then slowly descended into his awaiting arms.
"...get...Alistair...out..." She mumbled, as she layed in his arms. It was shocking to him, to see her this badly damaged. Never in fighting the darkspawn did he see her this...weak. This badly broken. She looked as though someone ran her over with a carriage several times.
He laid her down on the ground so helpless, so weak, so much in pain. She could barely keep her eyes open, and even though he had wished that she would die by his hands, he didn't want it to be like this.
"Zevran...give me you're dagger." He held out his hand to Zevran, who bowed his head in defeat, and placed a dagger in the Templar's hand. Alistair knelt by her chest, and picked up her head, placing the dagger inches above her exposed neck.
"Don't!" Cried Leliana, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There must be another way!"
"What do you suggest?" asked Zevran, looking at Leliana. "That we continue for her to be possessed."
"But we simply cannot kill her right away!" Spoke up Fergus taking a step closer to the friends. "She has told me of how you saved Conner from death by seeking the Mages in the Tower. Will they help this time?"
"That was a demon possession..." Alistair looked up to Fergus still holding her head in his lap. "This is blood magic. Some blood mage is trying to steal her body from us. Is trying to possess her."
"Then they should know some protecting spells, or something to shield her from the mage!"
"We cannot suffer her to live any longer like this! You saw her... she was fighting as hard as she could against whatever it was, and she had NO control over it! Whatever that thing was...it's strong and it will possess her."
"...you know I could never hurt you. I love you Alistair." He closed his eyes, trying to erase the bittersweet memories that seem to compete with the darkspawn nightmares.
Arleta moved her head, and he opened his eyes back up to see that she tried to say something, but more blood came out. Every minute was killing her. He needed to end this now. He needed to take her out of her misery.
"How long will it take us to get to the Circle Tower?" He found him asking, lowering the dagger's blade to the ground. But even though he was trained as a Templar...he could not kill like this without seeking other ways.
"Four days, if we travel nonstop." Zevran walked around Alistair, and took the dagger from Alistair's hand.
"That might be too late." Leliana looked around each of her friends faces, hoping to see another option.
"It's either that..."started Fergus, with fear, and dread clinging to his voice.
"...Or death." Finished Alistair, looking down at the woman that he had once loved.
"You promise me Alistair, that no matter what the outcome, that you will still be with me? That you will never leave or hurt me?"
And somewhere in his mind, he knew that he still loved her.
"I promise."