(A/N: In the words of Monty Python, "I'm not dead!")
~Effects
"Time was once a blessing
but long journeys are made longer
when alone within.
Take spirit from the long ago
but do not dwell in lands no longer yours."
"Be certain in need,
and the path will emerge
to a home tomorrow
and time will again
be the joy it once was."
~Endure
Fires burned within the shaft as she tried to struggle through, smoke cluttering her lungs as the screams increased in frequency and volume. She could not ignore the screams, they were in pain, in anger, and very much alive. But they wouldn't be for much longer. Her voice was gone, ripped from her by the inhaled death around her. All she could see was the dim light at the end of the shaft. For hours it seemed as she crawled through the shaft, looking back towards her feet to see if the fire had caught up to her. With every look, the fire was on her tail like a hotdog on a frying pan. Only she was the hotdog. She could hear the screams, there were so many screams coming from all directions.
She had to save them, had to save them all. There were so many people begging for their safety, hoping that this ship would not implode upon them. She was no hero, but she had already seen what a disaster this ship was experiencing. But it would only get worst even when it got better.
Finally nearing the edge of the tunnel, she came across the grate leading to the ship's core, silence strikes her eardrums. Looking around confused, the smoke still fogging her vision and voice, she looks back into the shaft, as if waiting for a show to arrive.
Black tendrils infected her sight, as if the smoke and heat didn't do enough damage as it was, but they crept from all corners, until black fire spewed from the other end of the shaft, glowing with ferocity. Panicking, she banged against the grate, all sense of self-preservation just bursting through her head and veins. The fire and heat again bloom, closing in on her side of the shaft. A voice could be heard in her ear.
"This is Systems Space Vehicle Trenton, I repeat damn it! This is the SSV Trenton calling for emergency reinforcements, we have massive hull damage and a core malfunction, and our kinetic barriers are down. We have full weapon capability, but are slowly losing power, someone find my daughter damn it…What do you mean she's on Deck three?! That's engi-… oh my god….Damn you bastards respond! This is Lieutenant Shepard of the Systems Alliance Navy! Damn it Oleg, if you can hear this on your bloody hellhole on Arcturus!"
The fire bloomed one last time as the grate flew off, her eyes still concentrated on the black fire.
"Send in the fucking fleet!"
"This is Shepard damn it!"
"Commander Shepard, your presence is needed on Deck Three."
"Commander Shepard, your presence is needed on Deck Three."
Her eyes bolted wide open, a glazed sweat christening her face as she stared at the holographic display. Quickly, jumping out of her bed, grabbing her pistol from the table next to it, charging the shot as she headed towards the elevator, while in nothing but a Cerberus tank top and shorts, as if the whole damn ship was on fire or in a battle.
"EDI, status report," she said, still half tired from her nightmare. Pressing the elevator lock, EDI appeared next to her, immediately speaking calmly; although completely aware of the Commander's frantic state, she was the embodiment of calm.
"Commander, Operative Lawson has requested your presence on Deck Three, she said it was an emergency."
"EDI," she growled, "this whole fucking mission is an emergency, and I'm starting to run on fumes. What can't she possibly handle?"
"Commander," she said as Shepard entered into the elevator, "Subject Icarus is conscious and currently sealing himself in a barrier of semi-unidentified energy within the galley. I suggest extreme caution." With that, the Commander placed her arm, the rolls under her eyes becoming more extreme, in between the elevator doors, heading into her quarters once more, reaching for something under the desk. Pulling out an M-622 Avalanche, she stomped back to the elevator with it in hand, the pistol resting on the desk as the large cryo-blaster revved up its mass effect generator, the elevator doors closing once more.
The air around him was silent, his barrier keeping everything out but the flow of air within this metallic room. Breathing heavily, he was trying to keep his concentration of the barrier. While most mages project their hands as a physical and spiritual barrier, Nihlus and multiple mages in the past taught themselves to project their bodies as shields, a bodily aura that would protect not only the body from physical harm while in meditation, but also any mental harm from the constant assault from demons within the Fade. But with his Joining into the Grey Wardens, and his exposure to the Arcane Warrior phylactery, his physical barrier had improved over the months, while his mental was starting to crumble as the Taint ate at his spirit and flesh. So far during his time in this place, he projected his physical barrier out, to either create distance between himself and his enemies, or provide his comrades with protection for a moment. But unconsciousness could change everything. When the body is asleep the mage can no longer "think" up his barrier.
When he woke up the first time, his barrier was the last thing on his mind, even as the soldier flatly knocked him out once more. When he woke up again, there was no one amongst him, no doctors, no guards, and no bulking freaky creatures. Thinking this to be an opportunity, the young mage bolted off his bed, his head only slightly pounding, but very much sore. Looking around the strange room, he stepped onto the cold floor, realizing he was bare-footed, but still clothed in his patient garments.
"What kind of sick people take a man's shoes?" he thought to himself, taking a look throughout the room to double check his presence was unnoticed. In the corner of his eye, he saw the window that separated him from yet another room. Looking out towards the larger room, he touched the glass trying to see if anyone was on the other side. During his time here, whenever he was met with glass, he would only be able to see himself and the background. It was like he was cut off from everything else in the world. This felt different. Clearly not a prison at the moment.
But looking at this moment from his position, he was clearly mistaken. Several "Cerberus", as -they called themselves judging by their uniforms, foot-soldiers were around his barrier, their weapons pointed straight at him. When he left the small room beforehand, entering in to what seemed like a galley on a Corsair's ship, he simply tried to find something to eat. He is human after all. But wherever he was, clearly they did not have the same idea of food storage as Ferelden natives did.
"For Andraste's sake, at least have a sign that says, 'Here be rum, take what you will,'" he whispered to himself. Despite trying to keep low profile, his movement halted as the grumble in his stomach roared into life.
"Oh shut it, I'm getting there." The urge to eat increased as the grumble grew louder; Nihlus stood still, hoping the noise his body was making would cease.
*Gurgle*
"I'm not starting a conversation with you! Gods, I'm an insufferable bastard sometimes," he whispered angrily at his abdomen, almost would be described as a cross between a crawl and a sprint to the other side of the large room, past the tables and towards, what looked like a kitchen. Rummaging through the drawers, trying to find something small before someone found him out. His hand bumped against something, a soft unknown like feeling to it, he pulled it out swiftly and pulled the bag like object apart, savagely it apart, recognizing the object within.
"There must be a Maker, if they have fucking bread," he yipped out, before mentally kicking himself to get too overly excited over bread; bread people.
He relinquished his memory, the story has already been told and remembered. His position here did not change one bit, but he was tired. And he would simply become yet another experiment somewhere else. A dull thud was heard.
Turning towards the deaf noise, he saw that his barrier had cracked, the yellow shimmer acting like glass. But with enough focus, he attempted to reinforce the barrier, in an attempt to wait out the guards around him. But another impact shuddered the energy of the barrier, which drew his attention. A black hair vixen, with an odd skin tight suit, was holding one of the strange weapons, smaller but still quite as deadly it seemed, taking her best shot at breaking his barrier. It was obvious she already had determined, or already knew that he needed concentration to make such a barrier, to be disturbed would mean its destruction. Her "Cerberus" insignia proved that already. They would have to share information with each other at some point. Even the Templars and the mysterious Seekers shared information. But nonetheless, how she knew did not matter. She knew that his concentration was faltering, her continued strike against the shield would mean its destruction nonetheless.
Breathing in deeply, he attained another memory for meditation, years in his tower. His anger, his pride, and his spirit rose up. Gathering up another dose of energy, without spending too much mana, the yellow-colored barrier fluttered, the cracks healing up instantaneously.
Relinquishing the memories, he looked past the barrier at the blacked hair Cerberus, glaring at her with disdain.
"You are going to have to try harder than that, I am not so easily broken."
While this was true, only time would tell whether he would win this battle of will between himself and Cerberus.
*crack-crack*
Another jolt, and much larger cracks appeared, the black hair bitch had found a new weapon much larger and much more like the guards'.
With a sudden wave of his arms, he dispersed the physical barrier, stunning and knocking back the guards a tad enough for him to move freely. Dismounting the table, he rushed towards the operative, pulling another guard around him, breaking his elbow entirely with a swift strike, and flinging him towards other guards. It was quite spectacular on what these people did to his arm, while he could still feel the wound, it was much more useable than if he had healed it himself. Nonetheless, with well-need rest, he was able to reach the Cerberus operative quite swiftly. But at the last moment, a blue aura surrounded the woman entirely; she raised her hand up, pulling it up like a punch, a swirl of energy forming in her hand.
"Great, another fucking mage…another mage…Templars and mages do not mix. This is such a backwards arse-kissing place. No matter," he thought to himself, using a mana cleanse on the Cerberus 'mage,' rendering her own energy, useless. The woman staggered a bit, allowing to immediately grab her by the throat, hoisting her up high, wrenching her against yet another door frame, with every weapon immediately pointing towards his head as soon as its carrier recovered from the stun.
"Unlike my will, my patience is fucking thin enough, you blighted bitch!"
"So is mine!" another voice shouted, with a faint rumble in the background. Nihlus turned his head around to see the other voice, as did the Cerberus mage, whose eyes connected with the figure as well, as she tried to dislodge his arm and hand from her throat.
"Put. Her. Down," the figure said.
"Commander!" the Cerberus woman said.
"Miranda, stay put. Now then," the Commander said, aiming her rather large white weapon at Nihlus, "do you want to know what happens when I don't fucking sleep? Because I'm really willing to show you." With a somewhat evil glare she was giving Nihlus, well then, knew she wasn't kidding. And he immediately recognized her.
"Shepard…I presume."
With the intensity in the galley continuing to become a problem, EDI was the first to observe everything. When the young looking human appeared within the galley, she immediately alerted Operative Lawson of an unknown presence outside her door. Writing reports, awake and alive, for the Illusive Man; through her holographic form, she observed Lawson take her pistol from under her desk immediately heading through the door.
Switching to one of the numerous security cameras on Deck Three, the AI observed Lawson, pointing her standard issue pistol at the subject, who was resting on the center table; the man quickly noticed the woman, sitting up. For a moment, the camera system on the entire deck malfunctioned, the camera's video being cut off in a split second. Before this occurred, from what EDI could see, the man had projected his hands away from himself, a faint light shimmering from his person as the video cut off. Within a micro-second, she had re-routed several program to deal with the electrical short, the video feed returning to her.
What was now present, was a yellow-colored dome around the table, its form fitting around everything, much like a kinetic barrier. With its presence, she immediately shifted her focus to Deck One, and went to alert the Commander. Lawson had already ordered EDI to alert the Security team, who without a moment's notice, only equipped themselves with rifles.
"Commander Shepard, your presence is needed on Deck Three," she said to the commander, who had jolted awake from her slumber. Due to EDI's advance AI capacities, she saw that Shepard's heart beat had elevated highly, most likely due to a night terror. She thought it was peculiar, but placed it aside for a later time. As the Commander rushed down the elevator, she switched back to the video feed within the mess hall. But while Shepard was figuratively trapped within that elevator, the events unfolded much more violently. The subject had grown irritated at Operative Lawson's attempt to get through the shield, seizing the Cerberus operative by the throat. But as he did so, he somehow negated her ability to simply warp the subject. This again was interesting. She made sure to record the event, taking it for analysis later on.
"Shepard…I presume," the man said, his face now facing the Commander, as her Avalanche was pointed straight at the strange biotic. He simply released Lawson, took the pistol in her hand, throwing it across the room.
"You know who I am?" the commander asked, the Avalanche still thrumming as it edged closer to use.
"The same way you know my own name, by simply hearing it and observing," the man said, several suddenly repointing at the man, stunned for a second from the sight of the man moving so fast towards Operative Lawson. Lawson merely slumped down towards the floor clutching her throat as the subject released her throat. Moments later, she propped herself up again, her composure returning to that of an ice queen, a Cerberus soldier handing her another pistol. Aiming it at the subject's head, he simply turned his head around once, looking back at the commander. "I must say…this is a much lovelier place than my last place of stay…but your present company ruins the image…"
"Hands up, no sudden movements."
"Not much of a conversationalist are you, Shepard, speaking of which, never quite heard that name before, sounds awfully Fereldan…possibly a Free Marcher. If you let me go free I assure you'll never hear from me again."
"What the hell are you talking about? Letting you go is the last thing we need to do, you being let loose on the Citadel? No thank you."
"The Citadel…where the hell is that?" By that question, Shepard was simply confused now. It was basically common knowledge to everyone where the Citadel was nowadays, even for humans with a basic education.
"We're docked at the Citadel, within the Widow Cluster, this is my ship, the Normandy."
"So we're on a sea, vessel…although I'm having a hard time believing that this is any ship…because I do not recognize this 'Widow Cluster' you speak of. Is that some sort of island chain?"
Shepard powered down her Avalanche, simply staring at the man in front of her. If anything, both of them shared a quizzical look on each of their faces, her own confusion by the subject's questioning, and his own with the answers she was providing. It was here that she would make things clear. The man obviously wasn't in his right mind. "Of course, if I look at Jack…yea it would make sense for Cerberus to fuck people up." It was here that Shepard decided to show him.
"Miranda, have our guest escorted to the observation deck. I'm going to show him where we are, it will be easier. I'll be back down in fifteen. That isn't going to be problem is it?" she said, the question intended both at Nihlus and Miranda.
"None at all, Commander."
"Humph, clearly military, but I accept your terms for now," the young mage said, holding his hands above his hands, his smile a clear sign of him trying to restrain himself. And with that simple gesture, the commander walked away towards the elevator, disappearing along with her avalanche. The young mage would be escorted to the Observation deck, a small rectangular room, slight larger than his previous cell, but more, shall we say, colorful? Maybe even more comfortable.
The room was lined up with what seemed to be cushioned benches, a laid back chair with an orb looking surface on top of it and finally what Nihlus instantly recognized as the bar. After the mage was in the room, the woman named Miranda and the escort of guards left the room, the door closing behind them, the shining symbol on the door shifting from green to a menacing red.
"Locked obviously," the mage whispered to himself, before eyeing the bar, "well I might as well make myself a drink." The mage walked to the bar, picking up the nearest vial on the shelf. Confused by the container, for a moment, he slid his hands along the lid and brim of the vial, before the vial's top came off. Taking a sniff of the alcohol, his eyes shot opened widely, gagging slightly like a weak livered drunk.
"By the old gods, what did I just inhale? Oghren's Dragon Spit ale? Ah! It's burning my eyes! Take it away!" the mage shouted.
(A/N: Sorry about the hiatus, but I had a fucking awesome summer, and I'm back at school with plenty of inspiration to write now. Also…my hard drive had been replaced so I lost my story outline so I basically had to start from scratch. So that contributed a lot to my absence. Let get this show back on the road. Remember, all reviews are welcomed.)