I don't think they had time to comprehend, let alone appreciate, my totally accurate description of the Breach when Leliana called out from behind us.
"You're here!" She came at us with a jog followed by a stream of archers and swordsmen, don't know where she got all those archers from, I mean I guess some were probably proficient in both sword and bow, but what idiot chooses to use his sword in a fight with demons over his bow, with which he's way more likely to survive. Back to the point. "Thank the Maker." She breathed when she got close enough.
"Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple." Cassandra immediately took charge gesturing approximately where she wanted them with a wave. Leliana nodded and went back to her men who had clumped around those that must have been group captains, and proceeded to begin giving directions and orders. I watched them pass, each more pale in fear than the last, all cast in the sickly green of the Breach that sculpted sharp lines into their faces and hands, but all stoic in their brows with white knuckled fists on their weapons, ready to fight through it. The very definition of bravery I'd say. I hoped, somewhat in vain, to emulate them in that moment.
"This is your chance to end this." Cassandra stepped into my peripheral vision. She too was pale but also resigned, and probably channeling enough hatred to take on the Breach herself. "Are you ready?" She was asking me that question. Like anyone could really answer that as a yes the way it was wanted. Like I really knew what I was doing. I was probably the only one literally a fish out of water here.
I looked back at the Breach. "Uhhh, yeah I guess, I mean I'm not real good in the vertical height department so I'm not entirely sure how you plan to get me up there."
"No." Solas looked hard at the cat Rift as if he could somehow stab it with his eyes. Would've been impressive, granted. "This Rift was the first, and it is the key. Seal it and perhaps we seal the Breach."
"Okay, but I'm not liking that 'perhaps' part." I shouldered Sir Waffles into a better grip and the magic started thrumming through my spine again. Fatigue slipping from me. I really needed this back home when I pull all-nighters to finish homework.
"Noted." Cassandra grunted starting off, presumably to hunt down one of the staircases I could see from here but had no idea how to get to. "Let's find a way down." And as an afterthought, "and be careful." As if it need reiterating.
"After you," I gestured, wholly aware of my unpreparedness walking into this situation. More than that, I was not leading the group in trying to wander around finding the stairs. Hell no. When I was really little my parents took me into the funhouse at the state fair, now let me explain I live in Fairbanks Alaska, the state fair looks like half a county fair to most of states and the funhouse was tiny in the vein of everything else I suppose. Anyway, my point. I got lost and cried for about half an hour in the mirror maze, it was barely even a maze, almost literally a hall. My mom had to come in and carry me out, I remember clinging to her plain black silk hijab, she smelled like jasmine and roasted rice that day.
Cassandra shrugged and hopped over a precarious railing. I sighed following after and helping Varric over as well. Solas watched us with minor amusement as I nearly slipped, on dirt mind you, pulling over Varric who grunted when he landed.
"I hate those damn things," he muttered rubbing his back.
"Why is everyone so tall?" I picked up Sir Waffles and trotted after Cassandra who was waiting impatiently at a turn up ahead. The green glass I learned, was slippery when stepped as we continued following that path that wound around the edges of the square garden, passing patrols of soldiers who gave us respectful nods as we passed.
"Now is the hour of our victory." A voice pulsed across us menacingly low and rolling like thunder.
Moving on a reflex I had no idea I even had, I did a sort of duck and weave motion, like I could somehow avoid thunder. "Jesus Christ, what the fuck was that?"
"Bring forth the sacrifice." If there was a ever a perfect bad guy voice, it was this.
"What are we hearing?" Cassandra sounded only slightly perturbed a crease in her brow as she looked about the sky in confusion. I guess this sort of thing happens often? Kind of a delayed reaction in my opinion.
"At a guess, the person who created the Breach." If it was at all possible Solas managed to sound unimpressed and slightly bored wrinkling his nose in distaste. As if he thought he could do a better job.
I in turn figured I could make a better distasteful face and did so looking towards the Breach, to remind it I still thought it was a little piece of shit. Like human shit, because at least Moose turds have some economic value. I hardly noticed that we'd neared the red glass until we nearly on it and the red light coming off started staining the edges of my vision. Growing out from the wall some of the crystals had been broken but a majority of them were still there growing up from the bottom of the wall as if reaching for one of the statues that was adjacent to it. I moved my distasteful look towards the red crystals instead. The light that was in it wasn't coming from the sun though, that was clear.
"You know this stuff is red Lyrium, Seeker." Varric sounded more than a little troubled, red mist was spilling off the crystals like it was sweating. The light inside it pulsing in time with the Breach.
"I see it, Varric." She was terse, apparently they'd had this conversation before and for her at least, it was over.
"But what's it doing here?" Varric obviously had strong feelings about this red Lyrium substance, he made it sound dangerous.
"Magic could have drawn on Lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it. . ." Solas mused hands clasped once again behind his back.
Varric gave a small scoff in disgust. "It's evil." Cassandra evidently was not having it as she continued walking without looking back or responding as we rounded the corner it was nestled in. There were small pebbles of the red Lyrium that littered the ground. It was kind of pretty in a way. I bent to pick a piece up for inspection when Varric grabbed my arm. I looked at him and found fear there. Stark terror in his eyes as he gave me a mute shake of the head. I backed off and he let go shivering when he looked at the shards and hurried away to Cassandra's side. I watched the bits a moment longer pushing them around with my toe, the red light soaking into the hungry dirt. I looked up and made to follow, finding that Solas was studying me. Hard eyes and a neutral expression, I was the first to look away and hurry after Varric and Cassandra.
"Keep the sacrifice still." The thunder sky voice thing came again loud and clear. One would think this would be sloppy for the person who made the Breach to let something like this get magically recorded or whatever was happening.
"Someone help me!" That voice came through somewhat unclear, like a reverb passing through it sucking the sound back into where it came from. And, it was female.
Cassandra started, "that is Divine Justinia's voice!" Some pieces are starting to come together I see, though clearly Justinia is dead now, sacrifice and all. Something tugged at the back of my mind as we rounded the last corner, thank God, and scrambled down the stairs. We were all damn near sprinting by now. The soldiers were confused and scared, clutching their weapons tightly in huddles near each other, faces drawn and lips thin in anticipation. The last part of the staircase was missing but we simply jumped, it wasn't that far anyway, and that was far from our first concern at the moment. There was more than a full squadron below positioned in teams around the column thing that sat in the middle of the garden, with Leliana pacing in front of the Rift which still hadn't done shit funnily enough, her face pale and drawn. The column or pillar thing reminded me of an obelisk made of dark stone and mortar it was broken off at approximately where the Rift sat with a squat square base at which red Lyrium grew in bushes, crystals pointing outwards as if to ward off anyone who would attempt to climb it.
I approached the Rift, disconcerted. Usually we had to kill off some demons before I was able to close it, would it be the same here? And if so, I had a feeling the demons would be substantially more difficult than the others. It was clear they were just small fry. The mark began to hiss and spit sparks, worse than it had before but I was determined not to fall in pain now, no matter how bad it got, I clutched my marked arm mutely with the other hand nails digging in and drawing blood.
"Someone help me!" Justinia's voice came again the same as it had before. No change in the level of intensity, still pleading, still afraid, and still in pain. I winced physically in sympathy and I saw Leliana's face drain even further. She turned away.
There was a wordless scream that now followed. I paused, was that mine? It was followed by a small "What?" more a breath than anything.
"That is your voice." Cassandra came up to me. "The Most Holy called out to you. But. . " She grabbed my arm once again, and I shook my head, it was beginning to throb like I was being repeatedly stabbed with a blunt knife. Cassandra seemed to notice that I was bleeding from my own nails and gave a small gasp.
The rift then exploded, and not in the usual vomiting sort of way, it was more in a black smoky way and painted the unclear picture of a large figure with red eyes, tall and thin, whereas the Divine was in utter clarity in her red and white sheath shaped ankle length dress, the tall pope hat thing I saw before was in all its detailed red, white, and gold glory and, if one had the patience, one could practically count the wrinkles on Justinia's face as she was held magically in front of him. Thanks for nothing you little Oobleck colored douche canoe.
