Everything was dark. Her head ached and she felt cold all over. But her left hand... it was burning. A sensation like liquid fire seared through flesh and bone and snaked its way up her arm. Finally it erupted into an explosion of pain and Faydren screamed, waking herself up. Electricity leaped from her to the metal bars of her cell and the ceiling grate, illuminating the semi-darkness. It quickly dissipated, but the crackling energy filling the cell around her remained.

What happened? Where was Veran? And how did she get here? Faydren looked down at the chains on her wrists with disgust. The Templars must have ambushed the mages at the Conclave and taken them captive... But why didn't she remember? Then she realized – these shackles weren't blocking her magic. Meaning they didn't know she was a mage.

A couple of guards ran over to check on her and see about the flash of light. One of them touched a bar on the cell door and cried out as his arm went numb from the resulting shock. Faydren slowly raised her head to look at them and they both instinctively took a step back. They could feel the waves of energy swirling around her and now saw the small arcs of electricity jumping between the bars. Her eyes held a dangerous purple glow as she watched them unflinchingly. They froze like scared rabbits being eyed by a predator. The moment was broken as Faydren's left hand suddenly crackled with green energy, causing her to gasp and double over in pain.

"She's a mage. Tell the Seeker."

This time the pain grew until it overwhelmed her and the world went black once more.

Cassandra's fist slammed into the table. She was growing impatient. The Breach continued to expand, and their one suspect was conveniently unconscious. According to the guards, the prisoner had woken up once. During that short time, she'd managed to numb one of their arms completely for the next few hours. Cassandra had wasted no time in ordering for mage shackles to be applied.

"Seeker," a young man entered the room and saluted, "She's awake again. Whatever that apostate did seemed to have stabilized the mark somewhat."

The dark-haired warrior pushed off from the table and strode through the door immediately. Leliana slid away from the wall to walk beside her, clearly anticipating her intent to waste no time.

"We must tread carefully, Cassandra. We do not yet know the best way to gain information from this person."

"I will gain it by whatever means necessary. Now is not the time for dallying and mind games," the Seeker's voice was hard and determined.

She slammed open the door to the cell used for interrogation. The prisoner knelt in the center, mage shackles firmly in place while four swords remained pointed at her head. The mage looked up and locked gazes with Cassandra. What the Seeker saw in those eyes did not inspire confidence. They were dark and angry. They did not hold any of the fear one might expect to find in someone who was innocent. Cassandra was more convinced than ever that this girl was responsible for the events at the Temple – and it filled her with rage.

When her questions were met with silence -or at most claims of memory loss- the warrior was nearly to the breaking point. The biggest reaction Cassandra got was when she mentioned that everyone at the Temple had died. For a moment Faydren paled and her eyes went wide, but the stoic mask quickly returned. The Seeker would have been more than willing to execute the mage right there were it not for Leliana cautiously reminding that the mark was needed.

Finally, it was decided that the only way to resolve the situation was to attempt their plan. Cassandra reluctantly removed Faydren's shackles and pulled her to her feet. The prisoner seemed wary but did not resist. That was to her credit at least.

"Meet us at the forward camp, Leliana. I will bring her."

Varric pulled the trigger, sending another bolt tearing through the Shade making its way toward him. This time it was enough to send the thing screeching back to the hole it crawled out of – or in this case, rift. He used a sleeve to brush at the sweat coating his forehead before quickly reloading Bianca. It was cold as ass in these mountains, but fighting demons was certainly one way to get the blood pumping. This wasn't his first time against the blasted Fade creatures, but that didn't do much to improve the experience. Engaging them right next to the oozing crystalline structure that they insisted on popping out of didn't seem like the best plan to him either. But the soldiers were still here. So was Chuckles. And despite his best judgment, Varric couldn't leave them there to fight alone. So there he was. Dwarf with a crossbow, picking off demons and trying to avoid getting his head ripped off.

The first bolt of lightning startled the rogue, striking the demon about to swipe at him and turning it to ash. The lightning jumped from that one to two others nearby, causing them to shriek and look for the source. Varric turned to look as well, feeling no small amount of relief at seeing the Seeker charge in with her shield (though he would never tell her that). What surprised him was the other woman. It was clearly the survivor from the Conclave, yet Cassandra was actually allowing her to fight and carry a staff. They must have run into trouble of their own on the way up. Varric couldn't say he minded the help. Lightning continued to rain down on the battlefield, occasionally interrupted by a flurry of icy missiles. The last demon finally fell.

"Quickly, you must close the rift before more come through!"

Solas reached out for the marked arm. He pulled his hand back as the static shocked him. Faydren looked surprised and apologetic. The elf tried again, this time succeeding and pushing her hand toward the rift. A beam of green light shot forth, eliciting an intense reaction from both mark and rift. Varric watched Faydren's face fill with pain and took a step forward. Cassandra put an arm out to block him. After a few moments the crystal shattered and vanished from existence, leaving nothing but a pool of green ooze that faded away as well. Faydren pulled her arm away and clutched it tightly. They stood in silence, allowing her time for the pain to pass before she turned to look at them warily.

Introductions were made and Varric had to convince the Seeker to let him and Chuckles come along. He couldn't picture those two making it to the forward camp alone anymore, especially with Faydren already looking worn out. She was trying extremely hard not to show it though, which deserved some respect.

So far the mage was proving to be a walking contradiction. She appeared angry and reluctant, yet was clearly trying her best to help. Varric allowed himself a chuckle. This should be interesting.

Cullen raised his shield quickly, blocking the hissing green projectiles hurtling towards him. He grit his teeth and pressed forward, getting in range to slash at one of the wraiths. His hit connected and the thing froze in place before whiffing into nothing but a green mist.

The Commander turned to see his men fighting valiantly against creatures they were never trained for. It wasn't pretty. That blasted rift had opened right on top of them, but they needed to hold this path for Cassandra to get through. They only had one shot at this. Seeing one soldier about to be overwhelmed, he ran to assist.

There was hissing in the air before a large KRAK. Cullen recognized the sound of a magical attack and his Templar training was still sharp as he dove to the side out of reflex. He was not the intended target however, and electricity arced through the demons plaguing his men. Eyes narrowed in suspicion, Cullen turned his head to the stairs. It was her.

The mage prisoner stood on the landing, hands and staff raised to the sky as her short white hair floated eerily in the aura of static. Her light grey irises were outlined with an electrical hue that seemed alive. Her gaze was focused and intense as she continued to cast. For a brief moment, Cullen couldn't look away.

"Commander!" Cassandra greeted him as she ran down the stairs before charging into the fray.

Cullen returned to the fight as well, but his mind was uneasy. He trusted the Seeker's judgment and she was more than capable of handling any mage. But with all the chaos and confusion these demons were causing, it would be too easy for the prisoner to attack unnoticed or slip away into the mountains... He'd heard how she electrocuted one of the guards unprovoked. This woman was not to be trusted.

The rift crackled and groaned angrily, beams of light shooting out from it.

"Another wave! Prepare yourselves!"

Cullen barely finished speaking before he was knocked to the ground. An exceptionally tall and lanky skeletal demon stood over him, long claws outstretched. He had never seen a Terror demon in person, but this matched the description. A piercing noise came from its throat and the ground under him pulsed a hazy green. It was charging an attack. Cullen struggled to regain his footing, but it was clear he couldn't make it away in time.

A bolt of lightning materialized, striking the creature and breaking its concentration. The ground haze disappeared as Terror angled its head in a new direction before burrowing into the ground. Cullen stood and his alarmed eyes darted toward its most likely target. The prisoner's gaze met his and he saw a hint of fear before the demon erupted from beneath her, slamming the girl into a bundle of rift crystals.

She fell to the ground as Terror approached, arm poised to strike. Before its knife-like fingers reached her, there was a flash and small blue motes swam around Faydren. Blue sparks splashed out as each swing it made attempted to penetrate the barrier. Crossbow bolts thudded into the demon one after another and fireballs blasted its chest. Cullen swiftly realized it was the only demon left standing and began attacking as well. It attempted to burrow once more, but the former Templar was ready and slashed at the precise moment its head was in reach. With a shriek, the thing finally fell. Looking around, Cullen felt a pang of alarm. Faydren was no longer lying where she'd fallen. Had she used that time to escape as he'd feared?

There was a great tearing noise followed by a crunch. He quickly turned and was relieved to see the mage had not escaped after all. She was standing unsteadily next to the Seeker – and the rift was closed. Cullen approached the group.

"Lady Cassandra, you managed to close the rift? Well done."

"Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoner's doing."

"Is it?" His eyes still held some suspicion as they turned to Faydren, and his tone was cold. "I hope they're right about you. We've lost a lot of people getting you here."

Her eyes hardened in response to his obvious mistrust and she subconsciously moved closer to Solas and Varric.

"You're not the only one hoping that," Faydren's voice was strained.

"We'll see soon enough, won't we."

Solas watched Faydren carefully. As a mage, he knew best how to judge her abilities. While her power was impressive, she was clearly not skilled in continuous use. The girl was pushing herself too hard. Energy poured out from her with each spell she cast. This was why the aura of static around her remained permanent. He was truly surprised that she was still going at this point, especially with the added strain of using the mark.

This was the final test. The first rift. If she could seal it, there was still hope. Perhaps it would even close the Breach itself, though that might be too much to ask. Of course, they must first reopen it. There were tense faces all around as Faydren's hand reached toward the tear. A large roar filled the Temple as the rift ripped open and a Pride demon appeared, rising to its feet with a wicked laugh.

This was something that couldn't be prepared for, but they did what they could. Cassandra taunted the creature, weaving around its legs and avoiding the large claws and whips of electricity. Varric leaped and dodged just out of reach as he and Bianca rained bolts on its head. Solas focused on casting barriers whenever he could and using basic staff magic while his mana replenished.

He was relieved to notice Faydren quickly realizing her preferred element would do little against this beast. Instead, she used her ice staff to attack and stretched her hand toward the rift. It was impossible to close at the moment but as soon as she tried, a large shockwave swept the field and the Pride demon fell to its knees. It was the edge they needed. Though it recovered, she would wait and then try again. This was an excellent strategy, allowing Solas to focus on his own.

The Pride demon was getting weaker. It was only a matter of time now. There had been surprisingly few casualties, and it was a great relief to Solas. This relief was shattered as a scream of pain echoed from behind him. Faydren was on the ground, clutching her left shoulder while it oozed blood. A Shade stood over her with deep red dripping from its claws. Solas cursed himself for not keeping a closer eye on her and the rift. More demons must have slipped through. The elf set the demon's head ablaze, throwing it into a panic while archers finished it off.

Elsewhere on the field there was a rumbling groan as the Pride demon fell to the ground and disintegrated. A great cheer went up among the soldiers. Solas rushed to Faydren's side as she struggled to stand.

"Be still. You'll make it worse."

"No," she panted. "I have to finish."

Realizing that she had no intention of listening, he instead helped Faydren to her feet. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she reached out to the rift one last time. Varric moved to stand beside them and Solas met his eyes. The concern in them matched his own. They both knew she was in no shape to attempt this. But it needed to be done.

The sky thundered and the rift roared as Faydren poured herself into closing it. With a resounding crack, the giant tear closed and sent out a shockwave that knocked them all off their feet. The accompanying flash of light could be seen all the way from Haven.

When the dust settled and their eyes adjusted, everyone rejoiced. The Breach remained but had stabilized. They were safe for now. Solas did not rejoice just yet, however. Faydren lay face-down and unmoving on the ground, blood beginning to pool under her shoulder. He knelt and placed his hand on her, eyes closed while he focused. Varric approached behind him.

"Is she-" the dwarf's voice was hoarse.

"She is alive," Solas breathed a sigh of relief which he heard mirrored behind him. "But we must get her back to Haven immediately."