Cullen's gone mad;
Chapter two: Encountering the enemy
Even though the sun had started to break though the night's sky, the forest surrounding her was still harboring dark secrets, and apparently, one Cullen. Synara still hadn't moved from the spot she had froze in and she wasn't sure how long she had been standing there either. There was no sound of anything out of the norm; the trees rustled, and the fire cracked. Could he have just come and gone? She thought, though that isn't a likely trate of a killer now is it. It would kind of be sweet and romantic if she wasn't under the impression he had killed a hand full of mages in cold blood. Either way, she couldn't see anything in the forest that would resemble a man. She shifted her weight to a more comfortable position before stepping forward and reaching down for the rose. She stood up straight; slowly bringing the flower to her nose, inhaling deeply, the scent filled her senses.
"A lovely flower, for a lovely girl," The voice came from behind her and sure enough, she knew who it belonged too. She didn't turn to look at him; instead she moved the flower from her face and dropped her arm to her side. It was alarming how she hadn't heard him approach. As she turned around to face him, the image from her dream flooded her mind; the blood that clung to his body, the demonic eyes burning into her like fire, but instead, he was just as she has remembered, a little paler perhaps, his eye had dark rings and bag; sleep deprivation?
"So, you've come." Synara replied, it was no question. She watched him with cautious eyes. He did not move a muscle. His Templar armor had some dried stains on it, but nothing like in her nightmare. He stared right back at her, she felt like a little girl again, when she was actually afraid of the Templar's in the tower; the more he stared at her however, the more she felt as though he was looking into her soul.
Out of no where, a squirrel dashed through the camp catching Synara's eye, her attention fell from Cullen, and he lunged forward.
If Amell had moved a second later, she would not have dodged the blow; she backed away slowly, but every step she took away, he took one closer. He looked at her how she imagined a Templar would look at someone they believed a maleficar. His eyes fell to her feet for but a moment before he lunged toward her again. Syn moved back falling over something and he on top on her, his two hands clasping his sword she grabbed his wrists trying with all her might to push him away, or at the very least, prevent him from killing her right there. She struggled but his strength was holding out, her arms were about to collapse. She pulled up her leg, wedging it between them before kicking out fiercely. Cullen flew over her; she rushed to her feet only to be pulled back down again. She looked back, Cullen had a grip on her ankle, his sword no longer in his hands, she could only assume it had escaped him. She struggled to be free. Her staff just out of reach, she stretched and pulled to no avail, with her free leg she kicked at Cullen until he let go. She heard a harsh grunt from behind. As she frantically grabbed for her staff Cullen positioned himself behind her where he too grab her weapon, one hand either side of her. He pulled the wooden weapon towards him, towards her, where it made contact with her neck. Panicked, Synara tried to pull the weapon from her, it was no use however, Cullen really was a force to be reckoned with after all. His strength that of a God compared to how frail she really was without magic. She could feel the crushing pain ripping the air from her but still she fought and struggled. Her life force nearly extinguished, she was weakening. Gasping for breath through chokes she tried to cast a spell, any spell, in the back of her mind she knew it was pointless but her survival instincts pleaded for her to just try; and at that very moment Cullen was shot backwards, luckily for Amell the shock caused him to release the staff, she coughed falling forward but never completely over. It appears she had managed to cast a spell after all, lightning; weak enough not too inflict too much damage to Cullen but it sure saved her for the time being. She could only guess his sleep deprivation stopped him from thinking clearly but his brute strength was still intake. Her neck held great pain and she continued to chock and finally fall to her knees. A silvery tint caught her eye just ahead, was that… Cullen's lost sword? She reached out clasping it in her hands before spinning around, just in time it would seem, Cullen was no more than a foot away from her in what looked like a now frozen lunge. She pointed the sword at him, one hand greeted her neck in the hopes to stop the pain. His face was full of anger and hatred.
"Why-why are you doing this?" Synara tried to ask but the words escaped in a faint whisper. She was unsure whether he could actually hear her or not.
"They…they told me I had too." He replied a moment later as though he was a scared little boy talking to his mother. Synara moved her eyes to look around.
"There's only us here Cullen." She was beginning to grow highly concerned.
"She said if I k-killed you," He continued looking shameful now, "The nightmares would stop, she said I could sleep, she said it would get better, I would get better."
"She?" Amell questioned with caution not for a second letting her guard down.
"I didn't believe it at first, but the dreams came back, their faces haunted me, they-they spoke, always saying, you let them die- it was you!" Cullen yelled the last words, his face twisting into hatred again. Synara thought for a moment, maybe it was lyrium withdrawals making him act like this; maybe, but who was this 'she' he kept referring too? 'They' was clearly a reference to his friends he had lost in the tower, but 'she'? Finally it came to her- a demon, it sounded as if he were talking about a desire demon maybe, but they give desires not spread fear, unless this was some kind of round about way to steal Synara's body, she was after all one of the most powerful mages in Ferelden, and of course it would be a lot easier to take her body if her mind were no longer protecting it.
"Cullen, please, you know me, you've always known me, from the very day I arrived at the tower, you've watched me, do you really think I would let everyone in the tower die and then save Ferelden, what would be the point?" Cullen shifted, her words seemed to be getting through to him, at least just a little. "Please trust me Cullen." Her face was soft, caring, and above all else- innocent. He had always loved her for these reasons, though it was a little hard to believe this when you have a sword pointed in your direction. Cullen took a step towards her, she willed her body to move away but it refused. "Cullen!" She gasped as he pushed the sword away. She was utterly confused; he had thrown himself into her arms. Synara stood there completely still as if she were made of stone, her arm dropped to her side and the sword to the ground. Her ears filled with the sound of soft weeping.
"I'm sorry Synara." He cried dropping to his knees in front of her. Her heart filled with sadness. "Please help me." He begged. She slid down to his height and he pulled her closer, his cries uncontrollable now. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling him, "Please forgive me." He pleaded. This touched Synara deeply, to see someone she loved reduced to this.
"Shh, its okay Cullen, I'll protect you."