I figured out I was the one that smelled like marshmallows after we fought a few more demons, including these ones that kind of looked like wispy torsos of people and were unfortunately as green and the Breach but fortunately died the same as I continuously used lightning as a prime attack, and I still smelled like marshmallows for a while afterwards. Which was bad, because I really wanted marshmallows and was damn near considering self cannibalism just to see if the magic suddenly made me taste like them too by the time we made it up some snow covered stone stairs, which I'm frankly surprised I didn't slip on, on our way up to a crumbling stone platform.

"We're getting close to the rift." Cassandra only sounded mildly out breath by this point, which was impressive. "You can hear the fighting."

"Who's fighting?" I finally almost slipped, but managed to right myself catching sight of another group of demons ahead who were engaged by a group of people who didn't look like demons, above all of them was a hovering piece of the emerald stone that was shaped like a spiky star and made metallic noises as it morphed into spikier and spikier versions of itself.

She probably didn't need to tell me but she did so anyway, "You'll see soon. We must help them!"

I sprinted past an alarmingly intact bridge, albeit one with burning stuff on it to my right, building up the magical energy getting ready to burst the dam directed into the staff. And proceeded to slip unceremoniously at the edge of the wall leading down to the fight. I passed it off as on purpose executing a sort of hero landing thing expelling a wave of lightning, controlling it around the people I assumed were friendly and straightened up like nothing happened, as I did so my trusty staff gave a groan and a crack, the orb at the top split and I tried to cough to cover it up. Not that I needed to, no one was paying attention to the little elf that just saved their asses, no they were all panicking about the rift. Granted the emerald shard thing had exploded looking half like a messed up spider's web, and half like vomit, understandably worrisome. Totally killed my appetite though, even my marshmallow smell couldn't save me.

"Quickly, before more come through!" One of the soldiers yelled. I, like the crazy person I was walked up to the green webbing just to get a closer look at where it converged and was followed by Cassandra who stood at the ready. One of the friendly people who were hanging around, well most were running trying to set up cover and get ready for another wave, this guy just walked up to me real calmly, he was an elf, by his elongated pointed ears and a mage too by the staff on his back came up to me. He took my marked hand by the wrist, gentle but firm, I was confused but assumed it was kind of like pregnant women and their bellies, you just kind of lose the autonomy of that part of your body and people feel like they can just touch it if they want to. Not that I cared too much. Just a hand after all, as long as no one cut it off I didn't really care.

He thrust it palm up to the green shard thing and it made a hissing noise, my hand grew hot, kind of hurt, not as much as the usual flashes though, just enough to be annoying. With a sudden whooshing inhale noise it imploded and fell in a flurry of greenish ash.

He dropped my hand and I flexed my fingers again making sure it still worked right, mildly confused but not really surprised, I don't think there was much anyone could do to surprise me at this point. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing," the thin elf motioned to my hand. "The credit is yours." He had high cheekbones, a thin face with wide set dark eyes and thin brows, basically overall thin. He was also profoundly bald.

"You mean this is useful," I looked at the mark again. "Well that's nice to know."

"Whatever magic opened the breach in the sky, also placed that mark upon your hand." He sounded quite sure of himself. I assume he was where Cassandra was getting all her intel on this thing. "I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake, and it seems I was correct." Finally someone who was actually thinking and making headway.

"Meaning it could also close the breach itself." Cassandra looked at me pointedly.

"Possibly." The elven man conceded. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation." I started some comment on how fucked we all were in that case but a muscular stocky man I could only assume was a dwarf, mainly because we were actually the same height, piped in pulling his gloves on tighter, a massive crossbow on his back.

"Good to know, here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." I grinned, I like this guy. he had light hair half of which was up in small ponytail. His red vest stitched with silver under a brown jacket was unbuttoned to his waist exposing an impressive amount of chest hair. "Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong." He winked at Cassandra who proceeded to scowl royally at him. I really liked this guy. Speaking of tagalongs, I'd kill for some girl scout cookies.

"Nice crossbow," I pointed at the thing that was as long as his arm if not longer and maybe as thick too.

"Ah, isn't she? Bianca and I have been through a lot together." He gave it a loving glance. I kinda wished I'd loved something half as much as it seemed like he loved that crossbow.

"That's a nice name, though I'll admit I'd have gone for something more threatening like ah. . . I don't know macaroni-grill or something."

"Macaroni-grill?" Cassandra sounded like she'd lost all hope in me in one word.

"Yeah, I mean who grills macaroni," I folded my arms only half serious. "Only a monster I tell you, macaroni is sacred."

Varric gave a good long laugh. "Oh maker," he wiped away a stray tear or mirth. "Either way, threatening name or not she'll be great company in the valley."

"I'm sure," I started when Cassandra stepped in.

"Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated Varric, but-"

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore, you need me." He gave her a winning smile. Considering she's put up with me this whole time I'm surprised she still had the energy to make a disgusted noise in response.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions." The elven man stepped to my side. "I'm pleased to see you still live."

"He means," Varric interpreted, ""I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.""

I glanced sidelong at him, "Then it seems I owe you my thanks."

"Thank me if we manage to close the breach without killing you in the process," he said. Point taken.

I looked at the mark again. "You seem to know a great deal about it all."

"Solas is an apostate, well versed in such matters." Cassandra still stood well away from Varric. Damn it, another vocabulary word.

"Technically all mages are now apostates Cassandra." Solas pointed out. I made a mental not to ask him about it later. "My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage." Oh boy, more stuff to know. "I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach, if it is not closed, we are all doomed. Regardless of origin." He's the expert I see, so I'll just ask him later when we have some time and were not either in the middle of fighting demons or freezing our asses off on mountainside.

"What about when this is over?" I asked figuring as a mage with all this business going on, being anywhere near people like Cassandra probably wasn't a good idea.

"One hopes those in power will remember who helped and who did not." He sighed before turning to Cassandra. "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood." She sounded like she'd already gathered that much. "We must get to the forward camp quickly." She turned and vaulted over a small wood barrier that was waist high to them and blocking the dirt path. I gave a long sigh, real tired from all this hiking I gotta say.

Varric walked up looking at the two go off with their long legs probably with the same trepidation as I, and cracked me a grin. "Well, Bianca's excited!"