Title: Forged In Fire
Rating: M (for violence and language)
Warnings: none
Summary: Elissa Cousland teased Loghain for being ridiculously sentimental when he gave her a diamond ring engraved with the words 'You Brought Me Back to Life'. Now, four months later, he is trying to kill her and she is raising an army against him.
Disclaimer + Notes: Bioware owns everything you recognise. Everything you don't (including the poetry) is mine. Thanks ever so much to my beta-readers lilpumpkingirl and analect for their help with spelling, style, ideas and all manner of things. They have been life savers! As always, any remaining errors are mine. Thoughts, comments and opinions (negative or positive) are always welcome, and I do respond to each of them individually.
Also, I have some (bad) news for you all. As you may have noticed, this chapter took much longer to come out. This is because I've been struggling over the past few months to have sufficient time to write in this fandom (in addition to RL). So, from now until mid next year, the chapters will be coming out once a month instead of once a week. I'm terribly sorry about that, but it's kind of unavoidable. Hopefully after that, it'll pick up the pace again.
Quick query - are people actually enjoying this? I'm not getting much feedback so I'm not sure... I'll keep writing either way, but I was wondering whether people are actually reading it, or whether the hit-count is new readers deciding it isn't for them.
Chapter 12 – The Wish The Heart Makes
Where right meets left and left meets right,
Children run safe and free in
A pretty picture filled with gentle light,
And lovers kiss without fear
glass
The
shatters
"Mother!" A four year old whirlwind flew into the decorated living room. Maric had inherited his father's tall, solid frame and Elissa barely kept her feet on the thick grey carpet when the child barrelled into her. If she'd been in armour, she would certainly have fallen over.
Leaning down she picked him up and settled him on her hip. "Yes, Maric?"
"Cass won't let me play with her lute." The boy pouted, his full bottom lip sticking out. The green tunic he wore was stained blue on the right shoulder, and a hint of blue paint on his fingers told her why. "And she said I had dog breath!"
A slightly taller black-haired girl appeared in the doorway with her father's signature scowl. "You broke one of the strings last time. And you just called me a monkey butt!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
She was getting a headache. "Stop it." Elissa set her son down beside the low, intricately carved wooden table. "Come here, Cass." She crouched to look them both in the eye. "Maric, it is Cass's lute. And you need to learn to be more careful with things when she gives them to you. You have your own toy lute, go and play with that. And you shouldn't be calling her names." Her son's bottom lip wobbled.
"Yeah!" Cassandra put her hands on her hips and glared.
"Cass, you shouldn't call your brother names either," Elissa scolded.
Her first-born frowned. "But-"
"No buts." She winced at her own terrible pun. Thankfully both children were too young to realise.
"He started it," Cass complained.
Elissa shook her head. "I don't care who started it. Neither of you should be using names like that at all, let alone on your siblings."
The girl opened her mouth to continue. "But, Mot-"
"Enough, Cassandra." A deep voice came from the doorway. "You heard your mother. Now, I believe Alyiana is looking for you both."
Elissa turned towards the door as the children scampered out past Loghain.
He crossed the room to her side. "This just arrived for you."
She took the parchment envelope he offered her. The sun streaming in through the gold-draped windows gleamed off the green laurel leaf wax seal. She cracked it, and unfolded the letter. A quick scan later and she smiled broadly. "Fergus and Oriana will be here by the end of next week." She folded the parchment and tossed it onto the low wooden table near the couches.
Loghain raised an eyebrow. "Bringing yet another child to add to the noise."
"Oren is well behaved," Elissa protested. "Last time he was here, you loved him!"
"I meant your brother."
Elissa laughed. "It is not as though you do not relish the opportunity to duel someone other than myself and your knights." She discreetly tried to rub her forehead, where a pounding sensation was developing between her eyes.
"He has some redeeming qualities." Loghain's eyes were amused although no sign of it touched his lips. "But he acts like barely more than a child, and when he is around, you seem to degenerate as well."
Elissa laughed again, and reached up to link her hands around his neck and pull him down to meet her lips. His hands were warm through the waist of her thin silk of her pink gown, and she pressed against his doublet-clad body. After a moment, she pulled away with a smile. "Has Cailan contacted you since his last letter to me?"
He rolled his eyes. "No. But Anora's latest letter says they should be here before the tournament begins."
"Good. We haven't seen them since the Fourth Blight Anniversary." A thought tickled at the edge of her mind, and then his voice echoed in her head: This is no damned Blight.
Another voice, this one sounding remarkably like her, commented, Duncan thinks it is.
Yes well, you'll forgive me for not agreeing with that fool, Loghain's voice retorted.
She shook head to rid herself of the stray thoughts. "It's been four months. Aryan will have grown so much by now!" The youngest prince would be almost two by now.
"Maybe he'll have grown enough to stop waking the entire house up," Loghain said dryly. Elissa grinned, remembering the screaming that had woken the whole keep last time the royal family visited.
A voice she didn't recognise murmured in her head, Poor lad, he was so very very weary. You want to join us, don't you?
Elissa frowned, wondering where the thought had come from. She didn't recognise the voice or the words this time. "Father can look after him again. He was always good at that." Even as she spoke, an image of her father's broken and bleeding body flashed into her mind. He was crumpled on the stone floor of a room she recognised as the larder in Highever Castle. I dare not slow you down, my love. It was like a boulder to her chest, and she couldn't breathe.
"Elissa?" Loghain gave her a worried look.
She shook herself. "Nothing." She offered him a reassuring smile.
"Elissa," he repeated. "What's wrong?"
She sighed. "I don't know. There are…images in my head."
Loghain raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Elissa nodded slowly. "It's like I'm remembering things. Only…they're things that can't have happened. I just saw my father die, for the Maker's sake."
He frowned. "What?"
"In my head. I saw Father die."
"Did you have a nightmare about it?" Loghain looked confused.
"I don't know." Elissa rubbed her hand against her forehead wearily.
"I'm sure he's fine." Loghain encircled her waist with his arms. "We just got a letter from him last month, remember. And Fergus would have said something in his letter."
"Yes, of course." Elissa closed her eyes, gritting her teeth.
"Are you all right?"
"I don't know. My head hurts."
She felt a hand on the small of her back. Gentle pressure guided her forward, and she went obediently. The scent of lavender swirled around her, and she knew she was in their bedroom. The hard wood of the bedframe bumped the front of her knees, and she turned to sit down.
"I'll get you some water." Loghain's fingers brushed her cheek briefly, and then disappeared. She lay back with a half-groan. In the space of only a couple of minutes, her minor headache had developed into a full throbbing agony in her temples.
Resist. You must resist, else we are all los-, a woman's voice cut through the headache.
Without knowing quite why, Elissa's lips shaped a name. Wynne.
She felt more than heard Loghain's return to her side. She cracked her eyes open, and half propped herself up to take the glass of water he carried. "Thanks."
Her fingers closed around it, and a man's voice murmured in her head: From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden.
She groaned. What the hell was wrong with her head? Why was she hearing things?
"Do you want me to get Yelena?" Loghain looked ready to run for the mage.
"I'll be fine. It's just a headache." She closed her eyes and laid her head back just in time for the throbbing to turn into a blacksmith's hammer pounding against her skull. She opened her eyes. "Actua-" She cut herself off as her bleary gaze landed on the mantelpiece above the fire. "Loghain?"
His dark head appeared over her. "Yes, my heart?"
My heart? Loghain didn't use pet names. He wouldn't even call her Ellie, like Cailan did. "Where is the portrait?"
"The portrait?" He frowned.
"Yes." Her eyes narrowed, headache forgotten as she sat up. "The portrait."
"What portrait?"
"Of Queen Rowan." The mantelpiece had a small potted plant, and the familiar assortment of portraits of herself, Loghain and their family, but the distinctive silver frame wasn't there.
Loghain laughed. "Why would I have a portrait of another woman, Elissa?"
Elissa shook her head. "You loved the queen. You would never go anywhere without that portrait."
"You are my future, not Rowan." He reached towards her.
She grasped his hands. "And when we got engaged, I told you I didn't mind that you loved Rowan first. That I understood what she meant to you." He'd been in love with his best friend's wife for decades. She'd known going into the marriage that a part of his heart would always belong to Rowan.
He shrugged. "I had to let her go at some point, beloved."
Beloved? Her eyebrows shot up. First 'my heart' and now 'beloved'? "That doesn't sound like you. You never let anything go. Loghain…what is going on? Why are you acting so strangely?"
"Hush." He drew her back down to the bed. "Don't excite yourself. Get some sleep, you deserve a rest. We will be fine without you for a few hours."
Why do you fight? You deserve more…you deserve a rest. The world will go on without you.
Her memory came rushing back. Her family was dead, Loghain had betrayed them. She was a Grey Warden, one of the last survivors, and she had been in the Circle Tower, approaching the central room on the third floor.
"There is something inside there," Morrigan said suddenly, as they neared the door. "Something powerful." Her brow was creased slightly and her eyes were distant, as though she wasn't entirely present. She blinked, and her eyes slid back into focus.
Elissa frowned. "What is it?" Her hand flexed around her sword hilt.
"I don't know. It's not something I've ever felt before." Morrigan shook her head.
"Wynne?"
"I can feel something." The old mage pursed her lips. "But no, I don't know what it is."
"Then we'll be ready for a fight." Elissa glanced at the others, checking that everyone had drawn their weapons. Then she put her hand to the door, and pushed it open quickly.
An abomination stood near the centre of the room, thick ropes of purple flesh bursting through the ragged robes. He turned slowly, almost lethargically, towards them. "Oh look, visitors. I'd entertain you but," he sighed deeply, "too much effort involved." His robes swished to reveal a mage slumped at his feet.
Elissa's eyes narrowed and she prepared to rush forward. "Who is that man? And what have you done to him?"
"He's just resting." The abomination shook his head. "Poor lad, he was so very very weary. You want to join us, don't you?" His voice was strangely hypnotic, and Elissa felt her eyelids grow heavy.
"A sloth demon," Morrigan hissed. "Beware. It will put you to sleep." Her hands moved slowly, and a burst of ice sprayed from her hands. But it didn't go far, reaching only half the distance before fizzling out.
Alistair swayed. "Can't…keep…eyes…open. Someone…pinch…me." His eyes were half-lidded.
Her sword was suddenly too heavy for her to keep up, and the point dipped towards the floor. Elissa felt like she was moving through water as she tried to move towards the demon. "Stop it."
"This is ridiculous." Morrigan glared, although her yellow eyes were glazed. "You cannot expect me to rest on a floor sticky with blood."
A clatter of armour against the rock floor echoed through the chamber as Alistair collapsed.
"Resist. You must resist, else we are all los-" Wynne crumpled to the floor mid-word.
"Ho w dare you do this!" The words lacked any force as she struggled to keep awake. She could almost feel her knees bending.
"Why do you fight? You deserve more…you deserve a rest." The demon made a strange gesture. "The world will go on without you."
Elissa's world blurred and then toppled sideways. She was asleep before she hit the ground.
Elissa's stomach lurched. She rolled off the bed and backed away from Loghain. "What the hell is going on? Is this a dream?"
"Elissa." Loghain looked surprised. "I think you're sicker than you thought. I'll get Yelena."
"Mother?" her daughter called through the door. "Is everything all right?"
No, not her daughter. Elissa didn't have children. The one child she'd conceived had been destroyed by that damned darkspawn blood. "Everything's fine, dear." She turned back to Loghain. "I said, tell me what's going on."
Loghain scowled. "Foolish child. I have given you so much, and you cast it back in my face. Can you not be content with the peace I offer?"
Comprehension dawned. This was all an illusion, and this Loghain was a demon. "The peace you offer?" Elissa demanded incredulously. "You offer a lie, taking my memories and twisting them in a perverse mockery of…of..."
"I gave you your parents, your lover, even children. Is that not a better future than any you could have now, fighting the darkspawn against impossible odds?" Loghain's eyes softened, and he stepped towards her, brushing his fingers against her cheek tenderly. "Elissa, my love. Is this not what you want? What you dream of, even now?"
Elissa was unable to keep from pressing into his gentle hand. The look in his eyes was exactly the same as the real Loghain's, that strange mix of love and reserve that always made her breath catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat.
She tore herself away. "Yes," she said hoarsely. "It is. But it's not real. Loghain betrayed me, us. He left Cailan to die, and blames the Wardens. As much as I still love him, I can't forget that. And my parents are dead. I could not pretend otherwise. Let go!"
"You don't have to remember." Loghain stepped towards her again, and she scrambled backwards. "I can make you forget. You can live the life you should have lived. With me."
"It's not real." Elissa pinned Logh…the demon she reminded herself angrily, with a frosty glare and resisted the urge to grab for a sword she didn't have. "And I don't want a fake dream. And I once swore I'd never let a demon control me! Let me go!"
The voice that issued from his lips weren't Loghain's anymore, but something infinitely deeper and more malevolent. "It seems only death and destruction will satisfy you. So be it! Have your war and your darkspawn. May they be your doom." The familiar River Dane armour shimmered around him, and he grasped a sword that appeared from nowhere.
She swore under her breath, and back-pedalled quickly, darting around the bed to avoid him. He stalked her, the blade extended in front of him. She ducked a blow that would have taken off her head, and slid under his outstretched arm. He shouted, and the door creaked open. Two guards burst through, bared weapons in their hands. They took one look at the demon Loghain, and then turned towards her.
"Blast it," she muttered, looking around desperately. She was unarmed, unarmoured and had three murderous demons trying to kill her. If only she had her weapons, or even just her armour!
Her skin tingled, and then suddenly she was encased in armour. Instinctively her hand went to her shoulder, still half-not believing she would find anything there. But her fingers closed around the hilt of a sword she would've sworn wasn't there a moment ago, and as she drew it from its sheath with a rattling sound, she recognised the sword of Highever. The sword her parents would never have let her remove from Cousland Castle unless all was lost.
The three demons froze, staring at her.
"That's not possible." The demon impersonating Loghain frowned.
The guard on the left shifted nervously. "She's no mage."
"How are you doing it?" Loghain-alike demanded.
"Doing what?" Without taking her eyes off the circling demons, she reached behind her back and slid the shield onto her arm.
"Creating your armour. The sword. Only spirits, and mages, can do that!"
Not bothering to answer, Elissa lunged forward, whipping her sword around to smash hard against the nearest guard's wrist. She heard an audible crack beneath the clang of metal against metal. Before he could do so much as scream, Elissa thrust the blade into the gap between helmet and chest-plate, hoping that the same techniques that worked on demons in the real world worked here, wherever they were. The guard slumped with a bloody gurgle.
A very familiar growl echoed through the room, and Elissa caught a glimpse of a furry body flying into the battle. Duke! For a brief moment she wondered how and when he'd got there, but then a descending sword caught her attention.
She jumped to avoid the other guard's sweeping blade, but in the process caught Loghain's sword on her shoulder. Her armour turned the blade, but she could feel the ache and knew it would bruise. Shifting her weight backwards, she delivered a front kick to Loghain's chest, causing him to stumble back. Taking advantage of the momentary lull, she pressed her attack on the other guard, slashing at his right side. Her blade was deflected and she hurriedly blocked another attack. She could feel the sweat running down her forehead, and her breaths were loud inside her helmet. She side-stepped left, sweeping her blade out in a butterfly strike to the right. A quick parry, and then she feinted right before going for a centre thrust. The tip of her blade scraped along the guard's metal chest-plate with a screech, sending him stumbling back. She followed up with a series of rapid chops, and lunged. Shocks reverberated up her arm as Log—the demon intercepted the strike.
Duke crashed into Loghain's chest. A long thin scratch appeared on the mabari's shoulder as Loghain's sword grazed him, prompting a low, vicious snarl. Loghain returned the snarl, his eyes gleaming dangerously.
Taking advantage of Loghain's distraction, Elissa pivoted and threw her shield into the guard's face, blinding him, and followed it up with knocking him to the floor. She rammed her blade down into the guard's chest, sliding between pieces of armour to pierce through muscle. The guard-demon convulsed once, and then lay still.
Something crashed into her helmet, and Elissa's world swam. Blinking desperately to clear her vision, she raised her shield to protect her head. She turned to face her lov—the demon. Her hands were sweaty inside her gauntlets as she flexed her fingers around the sword-hilt, and she gritted her teeth. This was just another enemy she had to kill. Duke worried Loghain's ankles, but the steel plate armour was doing its job in fending him off. She feinted right, and then slashed left, then desperately parried a return blow.
Her stomach tied itself in knots. She had fought Loghain in training, true, but this was entirely different. Now he was swinging at her with murder in his eyes. Although she knew it was a demon, and not Loghain, it didn't stop her from heart from flinching each time she struck at him. Even with her fury at his betrayal, she had never wanted his death, and it still felt like she was betraying him with every strike.
She danced out of the way of a blow, and then pulled back to circle him. Their boots thudded on the carpeted floor as they watched each other. Her eyes narrowed. The demon didn't move like Loghain. Where Loghain was sheer power, an unstoppable force, the opponent she faced was weaker but faster. She had once compared Duncan to a quick-silver snake, but this demon was even faster. Her armour clanged where he struck, setting her ears to ringing. His blade came up from underneath, and she swiftly parried it and then attacked in a flurry of blows, searching for a weakness. His lips were pulled back over his teeth in a snarl, and his blade sped up. Frantically, she defended herself.
The base of their blades met with a resounding crash, and the hilts locked. He bore down, trying to force her to her knees. She gritted her teeth and pushed back. Her muscles screamed, but didn't give. Despite being taller and apparently bulkier, he didn't have half the weight that Loghain had, or perhaps he just didn't know how to use it. She wrenched her blade sideways, hooking his sword from his hands and sending it spinning across the floor. As he turned to retrieve it, she swept her foot out to trip him. The moment he went down, she plunged her sword into his back.
His body jerked, and then lay still. She stared down at him, panting and trembling. "It's a demon," she reminded herself. "Not Loghain." But that was difficult to remember when she was staring down at a perfect replica of the man's body, dead at her hands. "Why, Loghain? Why did you have to betray us?" Tears burned in her eyes, and she blinked them away. "And why do I still love you?"
Duke nudged her gently, whining softly.
Absently she stroked his fur. "Thank you, boy."
He barked. Then he yelped, as he started to glow. She reached for him in a panic. What was going on? His body began to fade, disappearing into thin air.
"Duke!"
But he was gone.
Now what? Was there a way out of this world or dream or whatever it was, or was she going to be trapped here for eternity? Where could she find Duke? And the others? Even as she thought that, a shimmering glow appeared on the other side of the bed. She tensed, her hand tightening around her sword. Instead of the armed figure she expected to emerge, a twisted brown sculpture emerged, standing at about waist height. She eyed it warily.
It did nothing. Slowly she approached it. It still didn't react. Gingerly, she reached out, prepared to pull back at the slightest movement. The moment her sword touched the statue, light flared up around it. She barely had time to scream, before she was pitched headfirst as it sucked her in.
She tumbled head over heels through a tunnel of bright light and shadows. She glimpsed a dark-haired male face staring at her through the walls of the tunnel with a bemused expression, before it vanished. She slammed into something hard. With the breath knocked out of her, she lay face down. After a moment, she scrambled upright, searching for an enemy or threat. Her jaw dropped. She was in a twisted world of impossible things, of yellow-tinted earth that abruptly dropped away into thin air, of frozen ships floating upside-down, and sharp spikes spiralling up above her, and hanging over it all was a thick haze. In the distance, a black, shadowy city-like shape shimmered.
There wasn't a living soul in sight, but Elissa didn't relax. She still had no idea where she was, or how to get out of this place. Hoping to get back to where she'd been before, she touched the statue, but nothing happened. Sighing, Elissa looked down at the path leading off into the distance. If she couldn't go back, she had no choice but to go forward.
With her sword drawn, she headed down the slope. There was no noise at all, other than the scuff of her feet on the earth, and she shivered. It was unnatural, as though everything was holding its breath…or as though there wasn't anything alive.
Then, a murmur reached her ears. A very familiar murmur. She sped up. As she rounded the last bend, she spotted her quarry.
Morrigan was standing in front of her mother with her arms crossed and looking decidedly unimpressed. "Away! Away with you! I shall have no more of your pestering."
Flemeth pouted, a disturbingly alien expression on the Witch of the Wild's face. "I am your mother, do you not love me?"
The younger witch scoffed. "You are no more my mother than my little finger here is the Queen of Ferelden." She waggled the finger for emphasis. "I know you, fade spirit, you cannot fool me!"
Fade spirit? They were in the Fade? The world of dreamers? Elissa glanced around at the dead land. This was where humans and elves went when they slept? Suddenly, the demons earlier words made sense. Only mages and spirits were supposed to be able to manipulate the Fade. Not ordinary people. Or at least, that was what she'd been told. Elissa glanced down at her sword. But somehow she'd managed to summon, or create, weapons and armour.
Flemeth's face darkened. "Are you more clever than your own dear mother? Surely such pride must be punished." She swung back her hand, and struck. The sound of flesh colliding with flesh echoed through the barren wasteland. "There! That is for not showing respect."
Morrigan raised undaunted eyes to her 'mother'. "That is far more like it, but it is too little, too late." She glanced at Elissa, apparently unsurprised by Elissa's arrival. "Tis you at last. Come and rid me of this vexatious spirit. I weary of being prodded."
Elissa eyed the two women warily. Was she going to have to fight this Flemeth-demon, assuming it was one, too? Was she even sure that this Morrigan was the real Morrigan?
"She doesn't even acknowledge her own mother." Flemeth sniffed. "My heart, it breaks." Well, Flemeth was certainly a demon, regardless of whether Morrigan was. Flemeth would never have even pretended to have the emotions, from what she'd seen and heard of the witch.
Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Oh slay it, and quickly. Even the true Flemeth was never as annoying as this."
Flemeth's eyes flared with anger, and then there was a rushing sound in Elissa's head as the old woman cast a magical bolt. Elissa charged, hoping that Morrigan wasn't about to stab her in the back. Relief flooded her as she felt the wave of ice rush over her head towards Flemeth.
The spirit was surprisingly nimble for her apparent age, ducking and dodging each blow. No matter how fast Elissa struck, she was simply not there. Elissa could feel her own muscles wearying in the prolonged battle, already tired from the previous battle against the Loghain-demon and his guards. Magic flowed in a steady stream from Morrigan's staff, lashing the ground around her 'mother'.
Elissa backed off, giving herself time to gather for another strike.
Flemeth smirked at her. "Tiring, girl? And you thought you could take on one as powerful as I!" Distracted, she didn't notice the beam of light from Morrigan until it was too late. The magic surrounded her, encasing her in ice.
A triumphant shout came from behind Elissa, who lunged forward with her own cry. Throwing all her weight behind her shield, she slammed it into the ice surrounding Flemeth's chest. The force reverberated up her arm, making her teeth chatter for a moment. Cracks formed in the ice. Gritting her teeth, Elissa shifted stance and thrust her blade forward, hoping her sword didn't shatter against the magically-reinforced ice. This time, the ice smashed, and inside it, the spirit shattered.
Elissa slumped, breathing heavily.
Morrigan stepped in front of her. "'Tis about time. That was most irritating."
"What was that?"
The witch waved a hand dismissively. "Some spirit. Sent to control me by the sloth demon, no doubt. A pathetic one, actually."
"The sloth demon?" Elissa recalled the abomination that had put them all to sleep. "The one we met at the Tower?"
Morrigan gave her an exasperated look.
"Right. Okay. And we're in the Fade?"
"Obviously."
"Do you know how to get out of here? Or where the others are?"
"Why would I know where the others are? Though I'd guess they're probably trapped with a demon." Morrigan's eyes narrowed. "How did you get out? Only mages can sense the Fade without prompting."
"I don't know." Elissa spread her hands helplessly. "I just…remembered."
"We-" Morrigan cut herself off as her image began to flicker.
"Morrigan?" Elissa reached for the mage, but her hand passed through her as though she didn't exist.
"Wait! What is this?" Morrigan looked down at herself with panicked eyes. "No, not this again. I refuse!" With one last flicker, she disappeared.
Elissa stared at the spot she had been. It had to have been Morrigan, since a demon wouldn't acknowledge something strange was going on. But how did she disappear? Where did she go? Had the sloth demon taken her somewhere? Why hadn't Elissa disappeared like that once she'd killed Loghain?
And now she was alone again. With no more idea of how to get out than before. Elissa looked around herself. If she went anyway but back the way she came, she would fall off the edge of this piece of land. She frowned. Why was this place so much less realistic than the place she'd been in? There, the whole place had seemed as though it was real. Here, it was quite clearly not.
Pushing the thought from her mind, she retraced her steps towards the statue that had brought her here. There was nothing on the way that looked like it would help her escape. She stood in front of the statue, and eyed it. There was no harm in trying, right? Even if it probably wouldn't work. She reached out and touched the cool wood. Instantly, her world dissolved around her.
She landed with a hard thump, and groaned. Her every muscle was aching. She could hear the shouts of children playing.
"Hey!" a cheery voice shouted.
That sounded like Alistair. Elissa climbed to her feet and looked up. He was standing only a short distance away, beside a pretty blonde woman.
"There you are." The armour clad man came towards her. "I was just thinking about you…isn't that a marvellous coincidence." He gestured towards the blonde woman. "This is my sister, Goldanna. These are her children, and there are more about somewhere. We're one big happy family at long last." He beamed at the three children scampering nearby.
Her heart broke for him. A family. Just as the demons had pulled Loghain, her children and her family from her thoughts, so they'd pulled Alistair's desire for a family. With a mother dead as a child and a father who refused to acknowledge him, it would be natural for him to want a family. And now she had to break the illusion.
The woman smiled. "Welcome…Elissa, was it?"
Was there a specific way she needed to make Alistair remember? Morrigan had said that non-mages needed outside prompting, but Elissa had no clue how to do that. "Get away from them, Alistair. This is a trick."
He frowned, clearly not understanding. "What are you talking about?" Well, she'd hoped it would work but she hadn't truly thought it would be that easy.
Goldanna didn't look at her. "Well, Alistair, is your friend staying for supper?"
"Say you'll stay," he pleaded. "Goldanna's a great cook. Maybe she'll make her mince pie! You can, can't you?"
The demon smiled lovingly. "Of course, dear brother. Anything for you."
"She's a demon in disguise." Elissa gripped his arm with her left hand. "Leave her."
"How can you say that about Goldanna? She's…she's the soul of goodness." He frowned. "You're acting really strangely." He peered at her worriedly. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Alistair," she said urgently. "Think about this, and how you got here. Think very carefully."
He sighed. "All right, if it makes you happy. I…" He frowned. "It's a little fuzzy. That's strange."
"Alistair, come and have some tea." There was a note of panic in the demon's voice. Her forehead was creased in worry, and Elissa resisted the urge to send her a triumphant look.
"No…wait…I remember a…tower." Alistair frowned harder. " The Circle…it was under attack? There were demons…" He sighed. "That's all I really remember."
Relief swept through her. "That's when we got trapped in the Fade." She gestured around them.
"The Fade? Are you saying t-this is a dream? But it feels so real." Alistair looked around them in wonder.
Goldanna tsked, and glared at Elissa. "Of course it's real. Now wash up before supper and-"
"Something doesn't feel quite right here." Alistair glanced at her warily. "I…think I have to go."
"Yes. Come with me." Elissa tugged at him.
Goldanna glared, as a twisted, ugly expression crossed her face. Her voice dropped, becoming deeper. "No, he is ours. And I'd rather see him dead than free!"
Elissa was thankful that Alistair was wearing his armour as the demon's initial blast took him in the chest, sending him flying back. It was a stupid oversight on the demon's part, to leave him in it, but a boon for them. The three children morphed, suddenly becoming adult demons.
She made a quick decision. No-one should be made to kill even the image of their loved ones, or in Alistair's case, the image of the person he wanted to love. "Alistair, take the others out. I'll deal with this one." Trusting him to follow her order, she threw herself into the fight. It needed to be quick, before Alistair could think about it very much.
When the four demons lay dead, Elissa turned towards Alistair to see how he was holding up.
He shook his head. "Goldanna? I can't believe it. How did I not see this earlier? Idiot!"
"You're in the Fade, which isn't like the real world." She touched his shoulder. "It's okay. It can be hard to tell the difference." He didn't look convinced. "In…in my dream, I didn't know at first too."
"Your dream? Were you trapped as well?"
Elissa nodded slowly.
"If I… can I ask, what you dreamed about? I know it's personal but…"
Elissa swallowed, and said nothing. She couldn't tell Cailan's half-brother that she dreamt of living with his murderer.
He looked apprehensive. "If you don't want-" He tried again. "I was just curious. You don't have to tell me."
He looked far too much like a kicked puppy for her not to say something. "I dreamed my parents were alive," she said through stiff lips. It wasn't precisely a lie.
"Oh!" Alistair gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry." He looked down at his feet, and then visibly made an effort to change the subject. "Try not to tell everyone how easily I was fooled. Are we going now? Wait, where are you going? What's happening to me? Hey!" Lights swirled around him and he vanished.
"Maker damn it." She glared at the place he'd been. "Not again."
She glanced around. There was nowhere to go here either, without falling off the edge of the land. Gripping a nearby outcropping firmly, she leaned forward and peered over the edge. As far as she could see little islands floated in mid-air, with tiny glimpses of movement on them. Were all these islands regular dreams? Or were they all the dreams of people trapped here by the demon?
Shivering at the thought, Elissa turned back towards the statue. Hoping it would do the same as before, she touched it.
She slammed into the floor for a third time, wheezing. Crashing into hard surfaces at any point in time was not fun, let alone in full armour after tiring battles. The first thing she noticed was the silence. It was like she was back in Morrigan's dream, with the unnatural silence covering the barren wasteland like a blanket.
Elissa headed down the path again, hoping to find Wynne or Leliana.
The first thing she saw was dead bodies scattered along the path. Had whoever it was already worked out that they were trapped in the Fade? She sped up.
Wynne was standing alone, a faint blue glow around her. She was surrounded by dead bodies, which Elissa guessed were demons. Her shoulders were hunched and shaking, and even at this distance, Elissa could feel the misery pouring off her.
"-ker forgive me. I failed them all. They have died and I did not stop it."
Elissa blinked. What? Had she not killed the demons? "Wynne? What's wrong?
The mage's head jerked up. "Death! Can you not see it? It's all around us!" Tear-tracks marked her pale cheeks.
The dead mages scattered at their feet were insubstantial, and there was none of the ordinary smell of death that hung around real bodies. Wynne was still trapped in the dream, she thought she was responsible for the death of these mages. No, not just mages. One body was clad in the armour of the Templars. Greagoir's blank eyes stared up into the sky. Elissa's eyes passed over the tattooed face of a teenage male elf to a haphazardly sprawled elderly mage nearby wearing the robes of the First Enchanter. It was the result of the Tower invasion, Elissa realised. This was what Wynne feared would happen, a nightmare where both Alistair's and her own had been a much desired dream.
"You're in the Fade," Elissa said gently. "This is a dream."
Wynne didn't seem to hear her. "Why was I spared if not to save them? What use is my life now that I have failed in the task that was given to me? Leave me to my grief, Elissa. I will bury their bones, scatter their ashes to the four winds and mourn them till I too am dead."
"Wynne, there isn't anything to bury. They aren't dead." Elissa stepped through the insubstantial bodies towards Wynne, shuddering as coldness swept around her.
Wynne's eyes burned with fury as she turned on Elissa. "Your disregard for the souls of the dead strikes me as utterly inappropriate!"
"This isn't real! Think about what you're doing here, and why."
"I don't know what you are trying to tell me. Why must you make this more difficult? Do I not grieve enough without you rubbing salt into my loss?" Wynne glared. "And where were you when this happened? I trusted you as an ally, and you were nowhere to be found!"
Elissa flinched at the barb, sinking deeply as it did into the memory of her parents. Her anger flared. "I was fighting my own battles, not standing around and whining!" She took a deep breath, controlling herself. She pushed her anger, and the pain, away. Wynne was a mage, shouldn't she have been able to sense the Fade? "Wynne, you're a mage. Can't you tell this is the Fade?"
"Impossible," the mage said flatly. "I would know."
"Think, Wynne. Look at everything. Does it look real to you?" Hopefully the demons hadn't also changed what Wynne actually saw. Otherwise this was going to backfire.
Wynne glared at her, but slowly glanced around. She stiffened. "Now that you mention it, it does not. The Fade? I…had not considered that. I have always had an affinity for the Fade and I assumed I would recognise it." She nodded slowly. "It is difficult to focus. It is as though something is stopping me from concentrating. Maybe some time away from this place will help me think clearly."
Elissa felt a wave of relief. "That sounds like a good idea."
As Wynne stepped towards her, a tingle ran through Elissa's head. She snapped her head around as three of the dead mages lurched to their feet, no longer insubstantial but solid.
"Don't leave us, Wynne." The one in the centre held out her hands, pleadingly. "We don't want to be alone."
Wynne backed away, her face horrified. "Holy Maker! Stay away, foul creature!"
Elissa drew her sword grimly. Would she have to fight demons to win back every one of her companions?
"Stay, Wynne." Another of the demons reached for Wynne's arm. "Sleep soundly in the comforting embrace of the earth. Do not fight it. You belong here, with us."
The old mage continued to back away. "N-no, not yet. My task is not yet done…it is not time yet."
"Come…come away to your rest…"
Elissa had had enough. Without another word, she launched herself into the battle. The first demon was quick to fall, taken by surprise and skewered on Elissa's blade. Magic tingled over Elissa's body and she stiffened for a moment before she recognised the fading pain that marked Wynne's healing magic.
Gasping at the relief of aches she hadn't realised she'd gotten, Elissa redoubled her efforts. Her blade flashed through the haze, slicing through mages robes and into dead flesh. These demons were weaker and slower than the others she'd fought so far, and it was only a matter of minutes before she stood over the downed bodies that were slowly fading into insubstantiality again.
"Is it over? Thank the Maker for you." Wynne sagged.
"Are you all right?" Elissa took her by the elbow.
"Yes, I'm fine." Wynne shook her head vigorously, and then straightened. "My mind is clearing now. I take it you weren't trapped by the Sloth Demon then?"
"No, I was."
Wynne frowned. "How did you escape?"
"I don' t know. I was in the dream. My head hurt, and my memories came back."
Wynne's frown deepened. "That happens to mages. And you are no mage. Unless, the blood ma-" She shimmered. "Wait? What's happening? Where are you going?"
As she disappeared, Elissa didn't even bother swearing this time. She turned on her heel and stalked back to the statue. The vortex sucked her in, and then dropped her into yet another dreamscape. It hurt just as much the fourth time as the first time she was slammed into hard earth in full armour, and she could taste the copper of her blood from where she'd bitten through her lip on impact.
This time, the sound of voices and smell of Chantry incense drew her down the path. She crept along, and peeked around the outcropping of a rock. Still clad in her leather armour and carrying her weapons on her back, Leliana knelt before a Chantry altar. Beside her was a woman dressed in Chantry robes. Elissa's eyebrows shot up. A demon was impersonating a Revered Mother? Truly?
"Blessed art thou, who exists in the sight of the Maker." Leliana's voice carried the short distance to where Elissa stood. "Blessed art thou who seeks his forgiveness."
Elissa strode forward. "Leliana, what are you doing?" She kept a wary eye on the demon, waiting to see how it would react.
"Blessed-" Leliana's head shot up. "-What? Who are you?"
The demon-priestess frowned. "I beg you, do not disturb the girl's meditation."
Leliana turned and bowed her head deferentially. "Revered Mother, I do not know this person."
At least the others had all recognised her, Elissa thought grimly. "We're friends, don't you remember?"
"I'm sorry." Leliana shook her head apologetically. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The Revered Mother made a calming gesture with her hands. "Please, do not vex her. She needs quiet and solitude to calm her mind, and heal her heart." She glared warningly at Elissa.
Heal her heart? Elissa's eyes narrowed. There was some torment in Leliana's background then, or at least the background she could remember. And given that she couldn't seem to remember the Blight, it wasn't that. Shoving the thoughts aside for later consideration, she turned back to her companion. "Leliana, this isn't real."
"Isn't real?" The other woman looked troubled. "I don't understand?"
A tiny chink in the armour. Elissa pressed her advantage. "You're not one of them anymore, Leliana. Don't you remember leaving the Cloister? Coming with me to the Circle Tower? The Sloth demon?"
"Leav…." Leliana's eyes were distant. "Yes, I remember that. And you are vaguely familiar, and I find myself trusting you, as odd as that might sound."
Elissa glanced warily at the Revered Mother, whose face was betraying its increased irritation. "We can discuss it all later. We have to go now."
The Reverend Mother turned to Leliana. "This is your home, your refuge. Do you truly want to leave the comfort of this place behind? Stay, and know true peace."
"There is no need." Leliana's smile was warm. "I carry the peace of the Chantry in my heart."
The demon tossed all pretence aside. "You are going nowhere girl, I won't permit it!"
Leliana's eyes widened, and she stepped back instinctively.
Elissa stepped forward, protectively. "You can't command her any longer, demon. She is free!"
"No." The demon snarled. "She is ours, now and forever!" Her shape shimmered, and suddenly in her place was a towering black-grey vaguely humanoid figure. A Shade. It loomed over them both.
With a sharp scraping sound, Elissa drew her sword. "Leliana, get back!"
But her words were unneeded, as the archer was already running to get some distance between her and the demon. Elissa didn't have time to go for her shield before the demon was charging towards her. She danced to the side, and brought her sword down on its back as it surged past. A scream escaped its lips, and it whirled around.
Leliana's voice rose above the crash of her blade into demon-flash, and a sharp twang of a bow-string followed. Elissa dodged a magical bolt that would have blasted her away, and then sunk her blade deep into the demon's left side. Before it could recover, she whipped her blade out and pressed her advantage with a flurry of blows. A couple of them landed, but most cut through only air as the demon twisted to dodge each.
Elissa pulled back to circle warily. She took a deep breath, gathering her strength for a fresh attack. The demon slammed into her. The air left her lungs in a whoosh as she hit the ground, trapped beneath its body, and her sword skittered across the ground. Instinctively, her body arched, rippling in an attempt to dislodge the demon, and she brought her knees up sharply. Only, the demon didn't respond the same way a human did to a knee in the groin. Heavy fists smashed into her helmet, and she saw stars.
The weight on her chest was suddenly gone, and Elissa's vision cleared in time to see Leliana facing off with the demon, a pair of slender swords in her hands. Gasping for air, Elissa scrambled to her feet and lunged for her sword. Leliana was falling back, the demon stalking around the tiny island. Leliana was good, but even her sheer speed was no match for a massive demon that seemed to be able to cover distances in single leaps.
Elissa steeled herself, and then ran towards the demon's back. Even as the creature turned to face her, she leaped, managing to plunge her blade in high up on its back. Demon or no, there were few creatures that would not react to two feet of steel sinking in their backs and then slicing it open as Elissa slid down.
The demon hadn't even managed to complete its turn when it crumpled to the floor, dead. Elissa crashed to the floor again with a loud clatter. She struggled back to her feet.
"Holy Maker, she…she was a…" Leliana was pale.
"A demon, yes," Elissa said grimly.
"Oh my head feels so heavy. Like I've just woken up from a terrible nightmare." Leliana rubbed her forehead, and then looked up. "I believe we had some…task to accomplish. Let us be on our wa-Wait? What is happening to me?" In a sparkle of light, she disappeared.
Elissa didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Where were they all disappearing to? There was no-one else for her to 'rescue', what was she supposed to do next? Swearing under her breath, she made her way back down to the statue. There was no other sign of what she had to do next to escape, so it was her best chance. Maybe it would send her wherever the others had been sent off to.
As she scrambled to her feet after the by-now familiar vortex dumped her on the ground, Elissa's heart fell. None of her companions were here, but a tall mage stood with its back to her not far away. Almost in response to its thoughts, it turned and Elissa glimpsed its face. Only its mouth was visible beneath its pointed helmet, but it was enough to tell her the truth. This was no mage, or even a demon pretending to a mage. This was the sloth demon that had trapped them here in the first place. It wasn't any better looking here than in the real world, either.
A cold smile crossed its lips. "What do we have here? A rebellious minion? An escaped slave?" He laughed, the sound echoing and re-echoing around the island. "My, my, but you do have some gall. But playtime is over. You have to go back now."
Five swirling lights appeared in a semi-circle around her, and solidified into her companions. Elissa couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips.
"Oh, here I am!" Alistair beamed at her. "And there you are! You just disappeared. Well, no matter."
Morrigan's eyes fixed on the demon. "You made a dangerous enemy, demon, by toying with my mind."
The demon ignored them both. "If you go back quietly, I'll do better this time. I'll make you much happier." He looked like he really expected them to take the offer.
Elissa snorted. Make her happier? He'd already given her everything she wanted, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't real. "We don't want anything you offer."
"I made you happy and safe. I gave you peace. I did my best for you, and you say you want to leave?" The demon pouted, and Elissa cringed. "Can't you think about someone other than yourself? I'm hurt, so very very hurt."
"You will not hold us, demon," Wynne announced. "We found each other in this place, and you cannot stand against us."
"You are awfully insistent on keeping us apart," Leliana said slowly. "You led us from each other because you fear us. Don't you?"
"Fear you? Why should I fear you, mortals?" The demon sneered. "You are all but cattle."
"Oh yes," Morrigan said dryly. "It's every girl's dream to be told she's a cow. I can't imagine why we aren't eager to stay." The sarcasm poured off her in waves.
"None of you were supposed to get this far." The demon whirled on Elissa, nearly spitting at her. "It is your fault, little girl. You with your ridiculous sensitivity and ability to alter my dreams! Why did they send you, little blood mage victim?" Then, a sly smile touched his lips. "And yet, even you believed for a time."
"Yes, I did." Elissa pressed her lips together. "But I broke out."
"Even you hadn't escaped, none of the others would have."
Morrigan spluttered. "I did not fall for your mind tricks, demon."
"Enough of this." The demon made a slashing motion with his hand. "You want to battle me? So be it, and you will learn to bow to your betters, mortal." The outline of his body grew indistinct, shifting and shimmering. His robes tore as he grew, doubling and then tripling his size. The ground trembled beneath his massive feet, and horns burst from the back of his skull.
Elissa fumbled for her blade and shield, cursing herself for not drawing it as soon as she landed. Alistair charged in ahead of her, slamming his blade into the ogre-shaped demon's foot. The ogre kicked, and Alistair went flying.
Elissa's eyes widened as it reached for a large boulder, easily hefting it. "Duck!" She threw herself sideways to avoid the projectile as it skimmed straight through where she had been standing, and shattered against the far wall. A cry said someone had been hit, but Elissa didn't dare take her eyes of their opponent to see whom it was. Hopefully Wynne would take care of whomever it was.
"Alistair, Duke, you're with me." Hopefully with three of them, the blasted beast would have his attention split between them. The other three could pepper away at him, as they would normally do anyway.
She dodged a grabbing fist, remembering grimly their only other encounter with an ogre and the number of cracked ribs she'd had coming out of that fight. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Duke lunging for the creature's hamstrings. Elissa slipped in under the monster's guard, and drove her sword into its ankle. Dancing out the way before it could kick her, she darted out of range. A burst of magic shot over her shoulder, and almost simultaneously, an arrow buried itself in the ogre's shoulder. Her head hummed, and Wynne's restorative magic washed over her. Elissa felt her strength, faded in the earlier battles, return.
Alistair shouted, yelling an insult that Elissa was fairly certain an ordinary ogre wouldn't understand. Clearly the demon was a little more intelligent, because it grabbed for him with a roar of its own. Alistair barely escaped by throwing himself between and through the ogre's legs. Shaking her head, Elissa ran in to distract the creature. As she sank her sword into its foot, and then ripped it free to leap backwards, it gave a horrendous scream and sank to its knees. A glance at Duke's bloody muzzle and Alistair's self-satisfied grin told her that the pair of them had hamstringed it.
Elissa gripped her sword, preparing to approach the monster and attempt the killing stroke. She halted as it began to glow. "Get back!" she shouted. What trick did the creature have up its sleeve now?
The ogre shrunk, shifting its form, and an abomination rose to its feet. Alistair rushed in without a pause, using his shield as a battering ram to knock the creature over. Duke leapt on the prone demon, his teeth viciously ripping into the body. An explosion of magic knocked them both backwards, and Elissa stumbled as the periphery of the magic caught her.
Regaining her balance, she closed in on it and slashed. The sound of robes ripping was satisfying, and it successfully caught the abominations attention. A magical bolt caught the edge of her chest, sending her spinning. She forced herself to a stop, and thrust even before her vision straightened. A bow twanged, and an arrow sprouted from its chest.
A crash of rocks against the abomination from one of Wynne's spells sent a shower of dirt and rock down on top of her. Coughing and spluttering, she surged up from beneath, and thrust her sword into the chest of the already grievously wounded abomination. It stiffened, choked, and then began to glow. Swearing, Elissa jerked her blade free and backed away, waiting for its next change.
This time, it was a fiery rage demon that emerged from the body of the abomination.
"This is ridiculous," Elissa muttered, even as she dove out of Morrigan's way. They had fighting these things down to an art form by now, even if this one looked stronger than others. The hum in her head intensified as Morrigan cast her spell, and a flood of icy magic surrounded the demon. It turned to ice, and Elissa charged in. She hacked away at the creature, aware dimly of Alistair and Duke doing the same, taking advantage of its inability to fight back.
Alistair leapt backwards. "It's moving!"
Elissa jumped away as though she was burnt. Normally they had much longer before the demon managed to break through the ice. She held her breath and ignored the heat burning her face, darting back in to engage the demon. Over its shoulder she glimpsed Alistair, his blade raised. She redoubled her efforts, holding its attention and giving Alistair time to do whatever he was planning.
The point of a blade suddenly sprouted through its chest, as it slumped to the floor. The glow surrounded it.
"How many lives does this Maker-damned thing have?" Alistair grumbled.
Elissa shot him a look. "Too many."
A Shade rose to face them, a malevolent grin on its face. Elissa felt, more than saw, the light of magic surround her, and then her knees buckled. She crashed to the floor, her sword falling from nerveless fingers, and stared up in horror as her muscles weakened. She could feel the life draining from her body. Dimly, she heard a shout. Her head roared, and more magic washed over her, this time Wynne's. The drain slowed, and then stopped. Or rather, as quickly as her life was being drained, Wynne was replenishing it.
Alistair slammed into the creature, Duke by his side. The spell ended abruptly, and Elissa staggered to her feet. Her muscles still felt like jelly, although their strength was returning as Wynne poured more magic into her. She picked up her dropped blade, and as Wynne's spell ended, forced her way back into the fight.
As she slashed and spun, she caught a glimpse of Wynne racing past her into a patch of blue crystal. She shone brightly for a moment, and as she turned glowing blue eyes on Elissa, the younger woman realised what it was. Raw lyrium.
A bright beam of light flew over Elissa's head again from Morrigan, seeming to have no visible effect. Another spell was quick to follow, and Elissa watched, half in horror and half in dark satisfaction, as Morrigan drained the Shade of its life-force. Is that what she looked like when she was under it?
The Shade wobbled, and then slowly sank to the floor. It was still for a moment, and just when Elissa was about to heave a sigh of relief, began to glow again. "Maker damn it."
"It's a demon," Alistair pointed out. "I think it's already thoroughly damned."
The sloth demon rose again, as itself. A skeletal, ugly creature hidden behind the pointed mask and robes, its smirk was cold.
Alistair screamed.
She jerked her head around. Bright beams of light encased the other Warden, rippling and bending with every arched, pained movement of his body.
Elissa dashed forward, and it was her turn to use her shield, not as a battering ram but as a hammer. Three times she struck the demon in the face with it, causing him to stumble back, and then she spun to plunge her sword into its heart. It dodged, and her blade sank only into its shoulder. She swore.
The mabari was there suddenly, jumping up in an attempt to knock him backwards. That too failed, but it did distract him enough for the spell, whatever it was, to falter. Leliana's arrows rained down on them, one bouncing off her helmet with a sharp clang. The others peppered the demon like a pincushion.
Wynne's strangled, cut-off gasp drew her attention long enough for her to see the old mage encased in ice.
"Morrigan!" Elissa almost screamed.
"I saw!" The younger witch's hands were already moving as she summoned fire to melt the ice more quickly.
Without magical back-up and with Alistair still struggling on the floor, Elissa and Duke were alone, save for Leliana. She threw herself forward, slashing and hacking with wild abandon. Duke worried at his heels, snapping and biting off chunks of demon-flesh.
Elissa's breath caught as pain swept through her, and she could see tiny sparks of lightning dancing across her skin and in Duke's fur. Fighting through the pain, she slammed her shield into him again, hoping to break his concentration. He stumbled backwards, and she chased him, ignoring the agony lancing through her body with every step. Arrows continued to dog his steps, and Duke took every opportunity to rip more stringy flesh from his emaciated body.
Finally, he tripped. Elissa leapt forward before he could recover, and thrust her blade through his back and jerked it upwards. Almost instantly she pulled back, and decapitated him for good measure. Then she scurried backwards to wait and see if he would rise again.
He didn't, and the collective sigh of relief echoed across the island. Elissa glanced around. Leliana looked fine, if a little singed from a fireball. Wynne had recovered from her icy capture, and Morrigan looked grumpy, as usual. Duke was bloody and limping, but licked her hand soothingly. Alistair had regained his legs, although he was a little shaky still.
"I figured it was my turn to get caught by something." He gave her a wan smile.
She stared at him for a moment, confused, before comprehension dawned. He meant the ogre that had caught her on the top of the Tower of Ishal. "It's not a competition, idiot." She rolled her eyes. "Are you all right?"
He nodded. "I'll be fine. Wynne's spells are wonderful."
Elissa opened her mouth to say something, when a flicker of light caught her attention. Another figure appeared, and she whirled on him with drawn sword.
The dark-haired man held his hands up immediately. "I mean you no harm."
She didn't lower her sword. Her eyes narrowed. "You're the man I saw in the tunnel."
"Yes. I saw you then, once you escaped your dream. But I never thought…I never expected you to free yourself, to free us both." He shook his head slowly in awe. "You defeated the demon."
"Who are you?"
"I am Niall, one of the mages of the Circle."
Elissa glanced at Wynne, who nodded, and then back to the newcomer. "How did you get here?"
He grimaced. "I thought I could save us. I led a group of mages to confront Uldred. But the sloth demon killed the others and trapped me here." He took a deep breath. "When you return…take the Litany of Adralla from my…body. It will protect you from the worst of the blood magic."
Elissa blinked. "Your body?
"I cannot go with you. I've been here far too long." He sighed. "For you it will have been an afternoon's nap. Your body won't have wasted away in the real world while your spirit was held in the hands of a demon."
"You'll die if you stay here!" Wynne protested.
"Every minute I was here, the sloth demon was feeding off me, using my life to fuel the nightmares of this realm. There is so little of me left." He looked away, but not quickly enough to hide the pain in his eyes. "I was never meant to save the Circle, or…to survive its troubles. I am dying. It is as simple as that."
"Is there no way-" Elissa started.
He was already shaking his head. "Thank you but it is too late for me. I do not fear what may come." His smile was brave. "They say we return to the Maker in death, and that isn't such a terrible thing." He glanced at Wynne. "My only regret is that I could not save the Circle. I'm not…a hero. Perhaps trying to be one was foolish."
"That's not true." Wynne protested. "You did a lot to help the Circle,"
"Dark times, greater acts of heroism, eh?" He smiled wryly. "You may be right. Before I was taken to the circle, my mother said that I was meant for greatness, that I would be more than my ancestors could ever have dreamed. I hope I haven't disappointed her."
Elissa swallowed. "I'm sure you haven't."
"Elissa!" Leliana said urgently. Elissa followed the minstrel's eye-line, and her eyes widened. The earth was flickering, fading and then becoming solid again.
"It's time for us all to go." Niall too was dissolving. "Remember the Litany of Adralla. The Circle is all that matters now."
"Niall," Wynne called. He looked up. "Thank you."
He offered them a smile. "Good luck." He vanished.
Elissa fell, and then world went black.