Now I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to see outside the doors, I mean frankly I was still pretty confused about this whole dying thing but really unsure what to do about it or why I was so oddly calm, but years and years of fantasy movies and video games seemed to totally fail me, or maybe they did their job too well? I'm not entirely sure, all I know is that I was somewhat disappointed with the view. Actually correction, not the view as in the geographical vista, that was gorgeous actually, snow frosted regal mountains in the not so far off distance that seemed to create a sort of cradle in which the real disappointment sat. There were small stone walls only about knee high that only kind of sort of lined the paths that were wet dirt the color of chocolate where the snow had been pushed out of existence by lots of foot traffic. The buildings were clustered like penguins huddling together in small clusters, squat like rolls of cheese on their side and purely functional by the looks of them being almost all wood based, thickly cut more for warmth than anything, with only small adornments like the odd carved support beams coming off the roofs and the number of banners on the doors or walls, the chimneys were short and small for the amount of smoke they spewed forth into the wintery air. Kind of reminded me of gingerbread houses before they'd been properly decorated. Even the snow fell halfheartedly in a bipolar wind that only sometimes wanted to rip the faces off of people. In fact, the only thing that seemed to have any urgency, besides some of the people with pinched faces like they'd tried a peppermint for the first time who honestly, mostly looked constipated with worry, was the giant green lightning bolt in the sky that looked like it was just eternally striking the ground somewhere off in the mountains, a pool of sickly green clouds whirling around its top and shards of some emerald stone circling it, slowly and surely as if it was so sure of its own ability in utter destruction that it had time to spare. Kind of like marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate. Sorry, I was quite hungry though not nearly as cold as I thought I'd be.
"We call it the breach." Cassandra stood a little in front of me her hands on her hips, obviously referring to the green lightning thing. I just grunted in response. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour." I wondered if the monsters all looked that sickly green, like they were perpetually about to vomit like a college frat boy after his first party a long way from home. Also had just noticed she had a shield strapped to her back, on which was imprinted that eyes with the rays. "It's not the only such rift, just the largest."
I grunted again, "wow aren't we special."
She smartly ignored me and continued, "all were caused by the explosion at the conclave."
There's that word again, I whistled in appreciation which finally got me a mildly glowering look. "Impressive, an explosion can do that?"
"This one did." She turned and started towards me, her slow pace reminded me a bit too much of those green shard things. Her expression was intense, telepathically daring me to try something. "Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world" She turned her face upward again, towards the breach.
I followed her gaze instinctively, apparently a bad decision on my part as the Breach, as soon as I made eye contact, if one could do that with a static lightning bolt, gave a thunderous cry, cue marky mark which hissed and spit, also swung straight up palm towards the Breach as if they were some long lost lovers and I was a traditionalist parent keeping them apart. "Jesus, fuck!" It brought me to my knees in the dirty snow which wet my dress, Cassandra whipped around to me as I clutched my wrist with the hand that wasn't spazzing, trying to cut off the circulation so the hand would go numb and the pain would stop, which it did after a few seconds of pining.
"Each time the breach expands, your mark spreads." She crouched in front of me, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself at this point. I thrust my palm in the snow to cool it off, probably not the best idea since there was dirt and probably all sorts of germs. "And it is killing you."
I looked up and cocked my head "Oh really? You got proof of that?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Just because it feels like my hand is being torn off and cauterized every once in a while doesn't mean I'm dying."
She grabbed my hand, which was steaming and held it to my face pulling down the sleeve of the dress, which to my surprise was smoking a bit. The mark was indeed spreading. The rays from the eye had started to wind over my fingers, twisting and spiraling over the top of my hand and starting down my wrist. The burns were still fresh, blackened skin at the edge of the pink raw and bleeding lines. "If this gets to your chest, your heart, up to your face, you think it won't burn deep? Are you willing to bet it won't kill you?"
I pulled my hand away and flexed my fingers, the joints ached with the stress, and the skin protested being stretched, sore nerves still felt mostly fine, so overall yeah I was willing to bet it wouldn't burn deep, but the pain was a whole other thing, even if it didn't kill me I might just want to kill myself at that point. "What exactly does this thing, have to do with anything?" I could pretty much gather what her hypothesis was but I wanted to hear it for myself still.
"It may be the key to stopping this," Predictable. "But there isn't much time."
My turn to raise a skeptic eyebrow.
She pressed, "it could close the breach. Though still, whether that's even possible is something we'll discover shortly." She sat back on one heel and one knee watching me studiously. "It is our only chance however, and yours."
"You still think I caused this?" I sat back on my heels. "Seriously, to myself?" I waved the burn in her face for greater emphasis.
"Not intentionally," she sniffed, still somewhat accusing. "Something clearly went wrong. And even if you're not responsible, someone is, and you are our only suspect." Figures, now I sorely miss the tech they would've had back in my time. " You wish to prove your innocence, this is the only way." Might also be the only way to get back. If I even can get back, I mean I went in through some green thing if I go back the same way maybe I'll pop out where I was. I'm not even sure if I really want to actually, now that I'm thinking about it. The police thought I was the shooter, but the security cameras would have caught what happened, probably anyway. I suppose I should try in any case.
I sighed and stumbled to my feet. "Alrighty then, lead the way."
She blinked at me, "then. . ."
"I'll do what I can," I shrugged and looked back at the breach which didn't bother me this time. I want to go home. I want to see my parents again, to make sure that the shooter understands the consequences of his actions. "Whatever it takes."
"They have decided your guilt." Cassandra gripped my arm tightly, practically hauling me through the meager dirt paths snaking between thin cloth tents and people, men and women, young and old in various stages of plain leather armor and semi winter clothing all in drab browns, grays, greens and blues. "They need it." Sure they did, if looks could kill I'd be skewered more times than I could count just walking by the pinched faced people. "The people of Haven mourn our most holy, Divine Justinia head of the chantry." Okay, Haven is here, chantry sounds like church so that might be what it is, Divine is kind of like a pope then. "The Conclave was hers." We continued on past the confines of Haven which I saw was surround by a high wall of logs stuck vertically into the ground with sharpened tops. I think I'm starting to understand the gist of this world. "It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars." Okay new development, mages obviously magic users, good god there's magic here, don't freak out, just think, and don't forget to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The path we went down took us into the mountains. Templars not sure about, I only know the conspiracy stuff of my time, going to have to ask about them. "She brought their leaders together, now they are dead." Oh shit. "We lash out like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves, as she did." We approached a bridge, she nodded up at the gate keepers who opened the giant wood doors to let us through. How did they manage to build something like this in such a primitive world? Must've taken more than a few years. "Until the breach is sealed." Oop better pay attention. She paused. "There will be a trial, I can promise no more." She let go of my arm as we were on the bridge, with a pretty clear view of the breach. She pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes off. "Come, it is not far."
I rubbed my wrists to encourage circulation. "What's not the far? The breach?"
She shook her head an led on, "your mark must be tested on something smaller that the breach." She was definitely right about that, happy she could see that logically.
As we continued down the bridge we passed a group of almost a dozen soldiers, or who I assumed were soldiers with their layered leather armor though they weren't carrying their weapons, those were propped on the side of the bridge and they were gathered around a man in a long white frock with a red one over that, a white cowl over his head, a red cap on top of that.
He seemed to be a preacher of sorts conducting a sermon. "Oh maker, hear my cry." We paid no mind to the men with their bowed heads in grim silence, some of their boots were bloody. Bodies were lined against the bridge's waist high walls covered in tarps some of which were dusted with snow which glimmered with whatever sunlight reached them. "Seat me by your side in death." As we neared the other end of the bridge Cassandra called to the keepers to let us into the valley, leaving behind the gentle puffs of breath they pooled together that disappeared only seconds after leaving their bodies. "Make me one within your glory."
