Next chapter of the second arc of "Siris of Tevinter"
Siris is exploring old ruins when two revenants brings her in a secret underground prison.
She watched the bodies melting in the earth, like sand in a minute glass. The Revenants dragged the not-so-dead elf all the way from the underground prison to the outside of the Temple. And once their mission was done, they turned to Siris, thanked her and faded away.
The young woman felt sad and even shed a tear. Why was she crying for Revenant? They were already dead. Centuries ago, the persons they were died and lived again; forbidden to know rest. Now, they could both sleep.
"They were Arcane Warriors." The elf from the prison said, waking up, sitting up on the fat grass of the forest.
On the top of his skull, he had long braided brown hair. His clothing was a simple tunic with pants. Bare footed, pale skin, a small scar on the forehead. He was taller than the usual elf, and his ears were longer. And his eyes… they were sharp, filled with more… "natural" magic. He wasn't casting a spell or anything. The magic was just very powerful around him. Somehow, that kept the link between Sirs and Healer strong.
"They used to defend my friend."
"Who?"
"Mythal."
"Right." Siris nervously laughed. "Mythal. The Goddess. My day could not go any stranger."
"Goddess?" The elf repeated. He seemed to think, to sink deep in thoughts, like if he was trying to sort his memories out. "Yes. The wandering clans only made by elves. They believe… we are gods…"
"We?" Siris repeated. "So that… spirit… "Healer", wasn't talking crap when it said you are from another age. What's your name?"
"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours."
Siris looked at him for a moment. What was his plan, He looked weak, probably because of that sword he used to have in his chest. But his eyes were cold, sharp, intelligent. In some ways, the young elf knew she would not win a single debate with hm. So, what's the point arguing? Besides, if he was indeed one of the old "gods", then he was probably more confused than her.
"Siris." She finally said.
"My name is Solas."
"Solas? "Pride"?"
"You know elven better than I though."
"I do. Although, my elven is probably not as good as yours…" Siris said before interrupting her thoughts. "Wait. What did you say? We never met before, how can you know…"
"When you took the sword away, I took the liberty to cast a spell on you. I did not intrude to far, just enough to get knowledge about… this world."
His voice broke a little.
He went into her mind, her memories. The only thing slavers never could take away from her. If anyone else tried to intrude like that, Siris might have consider brutally murder the person. However, right now, she did not know if she was mad at Solas or if she pitied him. He seemed… old; yet he looked rather young: he was thirty years old, perhaps? Physically anyway. He looked tired too, like if he saw too many battles, too many act of corruption, witnessed too many proofs of how terrible the world was.
She went to him and snap him behind the head.
"That's for intruding in my head!" She said.
"A violent respond? Typical." Solas spat.
"What's typical? If you went into my head, you'll know that snapping someone behind the head is an act of kindness." She said, sitting on the floor in front of her. "Now, quit the "shut up I'm a God" act and answer my question."
"And what question would that be?"
"Are you the one they call "Fen'Harel?"
"Who is "they"?"
"Who are you?" Siris asked, not bothering to answer his own question. "I was studying a ruin, when two revenants forced me to follow them into an underground prison, where I found what I think is an ancient elf from before the Veil… If that makes any sense because it has never been said, anywhere, that there was a time where this world existed before the Veil. But while I was in this creepy prison of yours, I discovered that a spirit built a link from the Fade while saving my life and assure me there was a time before the Veil. So, I'm sure you understand how confusing my day is."
Solas looked at her carefully.
She hated to feel his cold eyes on her. It was like he was trying to get in her head; although this time without magic. He changed his position a bit. The ground was getting uncomfortable and he was gaining energy. Siris wondered what the man was going to do. He, apparently, was not friend with violence. However, he was strong with magic. Siris never felt that much magic around someone anywhere, not even in Tevinter. Solas could easily break her neck with a finger snap.
And was he Fen'Harel? Siris had many doubts. A spirit told her so, he told her so… But that would be crazy! How could she -or anyone- believe that? He avoided to answer her question, meaning that he was, in fact, the one the Dalish elves called Fen'Harel. As such, he could do… well… anything. The better and the worst. Since this world did not seemed to please him, Siris was scared he might go amok.
And Siris helped him escape his prison.
Great.
She frowned. Solas was looking around; looking for something. More he looked, and more his eyes showed panic.
"Where is my orb?" He asked, almost shaking.
"Your… what? The sword is in the chamber, but I'm pretty sure it's not yours."
"Of course it's not! Where is my orb?!"
"I don't know! Calm down! I'm sure it must be in the prison, somewhere. You want to go there now, to be sure?"
Solas tried to stand up, but his legs were weak. He tried again and again, obviously refusing help. But the Revenants were gone; Siris was the only one around. She had the strong feeling he did not like her; which was not a problem: she disliked him too. She watched him struggle, wondering if he would ask for her help.
-Could you at least try to help him? Healer asked.
"He, obviously, don't want my help." Siris answered. "Besides, I feel like he does not appreciate my presence."
-Even after you saved him from his prison… So rude. The spirit laughed. He could at least say thanks.
"Exactly!" Siris smiled, feeling a connection between Healer and herself. "The gods these days… Ungrateful."
"You do know that I can hear you. Both of you." Solas mumbled. "Fine! Help me out."
"Healer, did you know that technically, I'm a free elf now."
-Yes! Congratulation by the way. I did not find the right moment to tell you that. Tragic end for your masters, but they kind of deserved it.
"I could not agree more." Siris smiled even more. "you would not believe how rude they were: "Slave, do that! Slave do this! Slave scratch my back! Slave, check if my food is poisoned by having a bite; and all that. Never a thank."
"Okay! I get it!" Solas growled, losing patience. "Could you please help me?"
-Here we go! Much better.
Siris moved forward, grab his arm and helped him walk back inside the temple. She feared the stairs: for someone with weak legs, ruined stone steps were death traps. But Solas was steadier than she thought. They arrived in the prison and started to look. Fen'Harel described the object as a big sphere decorated with waves. But most of all, it was extremely powerful with magic.
"We used these artefacts to store our magic." He explained. "Some spells needs more magic than one can have naturally."
"What kind of spells?" Siris asked, curious, as she wondered around the empty throne.
"A big variety of spell, whehn I think of it." Solas answered. "Mythal used a spell that allowed her to read her entire library in only few minutes; seconds if she had enough magic."
"Does she have a lot of books?" Siris asked; then realised she talked about the Goddess using the present.
"She… Yes. She had the biggest library in all Thedas…" She said, with grief in his voice. "She would invite the children to visit it, and would read some for them. She was the first who built a school for her people; even the slaves had to attend to at least three lesson a week."
"Slaves." Siris repeated. "Even back then?"
"I… hum…" Solas hesitated, but preferred to be honest. "Yes."
"Did you… own any?"
"I had a few. They were gifts from my peers. I did not have the resources to acquire any, otherwise."
"and if you had the resources…?"
"I would have bought one, yes."
"I suppose it was how it worked back then?" Siris asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Yes, it was." Solas said. "Although, I did not agree with the principle."
"Of course."
Siris said that with bitterness in her voice. Of course, he would not agree with the notion of slavery: he was far away from his time, and his home and Siris was the only one around to help him. Why arguing with the one that might save your life?
"Why did you not have the… resources?" She asked.
"Unlike my peers, I did not have lands or people under my command. I had a network of spies, though. Anyway, I had no fortune. Somehow, it was a blessing, it gave me the freedom to do as I pleased."
"good for you…" Siris mumbled. "Not to change the subject, but I can't find this orb of yours. Could someone have taken it?"
"The runes were dead when you arrived… and the sword." Solas thought aloud.
"Humans made their way to the tomb: I found arrows on my way in; with a strange looking crystal."
"Bring me to it."
Siris helped Solas to get outside the prison and brought him to the arrow covered with red crystal. She shivered just by looking at it. Fen'Harel looked at it and shuddered too.
"That not crystal. That's lyrium." He said. "But I never saw anything like it. Let's not touch it."
He raised his hand he covered with magic. With a swift gesture, the magic hit the lyrium and destroyed it.
"I don't like it." Siris muttered.
"Me neither. If my orb was taken by someone who does not know how to use it…"
"Can it produce that kind of lyrium?" Siris asked.
"No. As I said, the orb is like mice trap: it lures it and trap it." Solas said as they walk walked outside.
He sat on the root of one of the huge trees and went silent. He was thinking, probably sorting out the memories he copied from Siris' mind. Eventually, the young elf, started a small fire to cook the nug she trapped and killed before heading to in the temple. Solas did not say a word, but stayed. Eventually, he grabbed a long piece of wood and started to work on it. If Siris new anything, she would say he was crafting a magic staff.
"I wonder if magic can corrupt lyrium." He finally said as Siris brought him a piece of nug steak with tarragon. "Are you sure you never heard of this strange lyrium?"
"I'm sure I never. I used to live in a country were mages use lyrium freely all the time. And it's always blue and white."
Solas assented with a movement of the head. He seemed to warm up a little to Siris' presence.
He bit in the meat and froze. Siris watch him taste the food slowly, the texture, the taste… and he seemed to have a lot of question.
"That's nug, over there." Siris said. "It's armless, and since I'm not a hunter, it's easier for me to catch them. Halla meat is far more better, but there are too mistrustful to let me get close enough to them. Were the animals different when you come from."
Solas smiled at the "when".
"You are more intelligent than I thought." He said.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Yes, they were different. These… "nugs" did not exist. Or at least, not like that. And we used to have griffins in the sky."
"It must have been beautiful!"
"It was. But I'm sure this world has its share of beauties too. Any suggestions?"
"I haven't been around the south long enough, but so far, my favourite landscape is the Emerald Graves. Wildlife here he gorgeous!"
"Tevinter does not have beautiful place to go?"
"The cities are ice, I suppose. But going there as a free elf is as much a good idea as going alone and naked in the Deep Roads."
"What's the problem with the Deep Roads?"
"You… Well. The Blight of course." Siris said. "It did not exist during your time?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps it had another name?"
Siris tried to explain to Solas what a Blight was and why the Deep Roads were off limits. As the conversation went, she told him her adventure with the infamous darkspawns, and how Healer and her "first met". At the end of the topic, Solas admitted "his" time never had corruption like that. His eyes suddenly filled themselves with worry and sorrow. He looked down, in shame. For a god, he was pretty sensitive.
"Perhaps it's my fault." He said.
Next Chapter soon.
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