oh my god I am so sorry for the lack of updates lately! I recently moved into an apartment and had to wait on the internet to be hooked up, and that took a month all on it's own pleh... but the rest of the time I really have no excuse please forgive me!
CHAPTER 26: WHAT IS TAKEN
The door splintered and cracked as it caved in on itself. As soon as the door hit the floor both warriors had weapons drawn and ready to fight. The two stopped short with Feng growling between them. They peered into the dark abyss as fog wafted around their legs in smokey tendrils. They could see nothing in the darkness. Aveline took a step forward but was stopped by Fenris' arm blocking her path.
She started to ask him why he had stopped her, but his explanation beat her to it. "Blood magic. Someone does not wish us to interfere."
"Well what do you suggest?" She kept her voice low and fought back the urge to go into the room. The reasoning kept her from acting on foolish whims.
"I hate to admit it, but it takes blood magic to fight blood magic like this." He sneered into the darkness feeling something strangely familiar floating about all around him. "Go find Garrett. If this is what I think, then he's the only one strong enough to combat this."
"What about you?" Aveline lowered her shield as she backed toward the door.
"I know my way around blood magic." He hid his grimace at the bombardment of memories, he knew it would take all of his knowledge to even find his way through. "I may be able to find her, but once I enter we will not be able to leave without another blood mage's help."
Aveline sheathed her weapon and gave Fenris a hopeful smile before she took off to the Estate.
"I need your help." He looked to Feng who gave a tilt of his head. The massive dog gave a bark ready to do as he asked. Fenris removed the ribbon wrapped safely around his wrist a tug free and tied it to the dogs collar and held the other end in his hand knowing that they would be easily separated otherwise. The war hound lowered his nose to the ground trying to catch a scent and slowly began walking into the darkness.
Dead silence greeted Fenris' ever sensitive ears, and a chill bit into his skin causing the flesh to bump up along his arms. Each step the pair took caused their bodies to feel heavy and fatigued. Each breath was like breathing in a mouth full of water to their lungs.
The light tug on the ribbon slackened as Feng came to a stop. Fenris could no longer see the dog, and could only rely on the ribbon to know where he was. The whimper the animal gave sounded farther off than the animal actually was in the distorted space. He knew then that Feng had lost the trail.
"Keep trying." Feng turned his head to try and figure out where Fenris' voice had came from, but couldn't tell. He began sniffing again until he found a scent he could follow. The lyrium tattoos along Fenris' skin began to give off a dull aching burn that urged him to scratch at them, but he ignored that and kept his senses focused on the task at hand. He knew something didn't feel right, but there was no way in knowing until he found the source or Valerie.
Give … back... Again Fenris stopped; at first thinking that he had only hearing voices, but knew better than to think that. A feral voice wafted around from one end of the abyss to the other, never remaining in one spot for long, and only repeating the phrase 'give back' to the point of being redundant. Fenris kept his eyes forward, knowing that looking around wouldn't help him anyway. Searching out the source of the voice would prove to much of a distraction.
A short eternity later the fog began to lessen, and the elf could see the dog walking with him once more. But before he found himself able to celebrate, he found nothing but a charred bunch of vines and scorched runes. As he approached a dizzying feeling took over causing his head to swim in dizzying swirls before his eyes. When the room finally stopped spinning he could see a ghostly shadow of what once had been there. It had been Valerie, suspended by thick vines with her head thrown back unconscious.
As soon as the vision appeared her eyes snapped open and mouth opened in a silent scream, a several small sparks flashed before turning into a full blown blaze consuming her entire form burning away cloth and vegetation.
Fenris couldn't be sure to believe what his eyes were seeing, knowing full well it could be a trick of the mind. He turned his head away from the site to the ground focusing on the Mabari whimpering at his feet. The dog too had his head down as he wined.
Almost as a delayed reaction a piercing scream rang through and the snapping of a blaze fought for strength in volume over one of the only other sounds. Then more silence, the scene was gone save for the charred remains. Not lasting long the voice returned, or perhaps it had never stopped; it took over. This time accompanying it though was an even more feral growl. Fenris' eyes slowly lifted up back toward the mass of vines to see a giant shadowy animal's form. It's eyes blocked out in a glowing yellow aura.
Give back... give back... GIVE BACK! With that the animal pounced from the shadows and into the dim gray light. The wiry form resembled that of one of the great cats of Thedas. In one fluid motion Fenris dropped the ribbon to the ground and drew his sword using it as the only thing between himself and the dagger long claws attached to the animal. A spark jumped from the contact of the claws against the sword as it was pulled downward and away from the elf's body.
The cat jumped again placing both large paws against the blunt side of the blade, Fenris sneered and bit back a curse as he began glowing in his familiar blue-white pattern. The animals long whiskers flared out from it's face as it drew its lips back to bare all.
"I have no time for you." In a small burst from his lyrium imbued body knocked the animal from himself and backwards. Feng took this chance and pounced on the much larger animals back, sinking his teeth in and covering his jowls in fresh crimson. The pain from the dog's bite was enough to cause the cat-creature to roar out in agony. In the instant that Feng's tongue tasted blood he released the cat, only for it to throw him from it's back.
Fenris barely had time to note and question why would he suddenly go against all his training.
Waving it from his mind Fenris began glowing again, charging forward and into the animal. He passed straight through in his ghostly like state, and skid to a stop to turn and charge again. The cat fell to the ground. Still persisting the cat held itself up on shaking legs. It's massive head lowered in an attempt to remain conscious.
Feng shook himself off as he stood back on his own four legs. He looked between the great cat-creature and the elf who at the time had his back to the cat, and slowly turning around with weapon ready to end the enemy.
Thick fog curled around the animals black fur clad legs in tiny wisps before snaking their way farther into their own darkness.
"Elf!" Fenris could just make out the shadow of the dwarf as he came charging through the retreating fog. Just behind him the figures of three others phased in. In that split second the cat staggered into the thinning darkness vanishing before he could blink.
"Where is she?!" Anders growled out through clenched teeth. Either by his own choice or preference to find the cat he ignored the human.
"This is the source of the spell. Give me a moment to break it." Garrett rolled his eyes and looked to Varric. The other man nodded and loaded a bolt into Bianca giving her an affectionate pat.
"Don't worry honey, we'll find her, and kill the bastard that took her."
Anders cleared his throat and went after Garrett to provide assistance and backup if the need arose. By that point the other mage had worked his way to the scorch marks on the floor.
"She was here." He reached out touching the remaining chard vine. It crumbled as he pulled his hand back to himself as though it were still ablaze.
"She wasn't... did she...?" Anders felt a knot form in his throat. He tugged at the collar of his robes felling like they were beginning to constrict against his neck.
Garrett looked once more at the ashy remains and placed his hand over the line of runes. A scream erupted from behind the group causing them to all turn at once to find the source of the noise.
"Kitten!" Varric shouted before he was shushed by Fenris. Feng backed up making himself seem small with his ears pressed down against the back of his head and eyes wide in an unknown emotion.
"It comes!" Fenris wheeled around as Anders grunted from the force of a body slamming into him and Garrett giving a loud curse. Without hesitating Garrett through a fireball at the cat landing at it's feet where it quickly jumped back giving a snarl as it landed. Opening it's massive maw it released a shock wave like roar causing everyone to take a step back. With it standing so close to Anders and Garrett it was powerful enough to disorientate them for just a moment. Long enough for the cat to lunge at Anders. Fortunately it was slow enough that Anders had enough time to bring his staff up, causing the fangs of the beast to clamp down onto the wood instead of his throat. It's paws pressed against the staff trying to overpower him and swipe at him whenever it got the chance.
The mage could feel the wooden weapon cracking, splintering with each tooth that sank into the wood each time the cat's jaws shifted to get at him. The cat released the staff from it's mouth and slammed its entire body weight into it causing Anders to lose his balance. He fell over, a sickening crunch as his head collided with the stone floor.
Sliding in and out of consciousness he could see the cat's face getting closer to him feeling it's heavy breath on his cheek and saliva as it's mouth opened once again to finish the job.
Suddenly he felt the weight of the animal lift from his body and he rolled over struggling to breathe. Letting out a hacking cough he looked up to find Solona crouched down over him. Her own staff sizzling with the lightening that had just sent the cat across the room.
"Sorry we're late, we got separated in this fog." Aveline jumped in front of the mages holding her shield before her.
"What the hell is that thing!?" Solona growled out taking a quick glance at Anders. He still struggled to remain awake as he fell onto his back once more. The cat though stood once more. "Damn that didn't kill it!"
"No, I think you just pissed it off even more!" Varric looked down Bianca and sent a bolt into the animals shoulder. It gave a glance at the bolt sticking deep within its flesh and charged for the dwarf who already had another shot lined up. One shot from the dwarf, and several hits of fire and lightening the cat came crashing to a stop flipping over end after end.
This time it couldn't more more than a whisker.
"What possessed that creature to fight like that..." Solona wondered aloud. Anders once again awoke with a sputtering cough, Solona at his side helping him to sit up and checking him over.
Garrett looked away from the site as Fenris made his way over to the animal. Feng gave a bark and moved forward several steps before stopping and giving a pitiful whine. He looked to Garrett and gave a bark looking between the cat and his master.
The fog around the group had almost all but vanished, the spell nearly at its end. Fenris gave an almost feral growl as he hefted his sword above his head.
"NO!" Anders sputtered out in a cough. Lowering his sword Fenris turned his head wearing the most death defying and hate filled glare. "Don't kill her!" Fenris debated between himself about just getting it over with and loping the cats head off, and just what in Thedas the mage was about to prattle on about. Attempting to jump to his feet as Fenris' weapon was lifted again Anders fell over himself shouting for him to stop. "It's Valerie! It's Valerie!"
Again Fenris' weapon was stopped before it could do any more damage. Anders limped over with Solona trailing behind him and Garrett not far behind.
"Oh Maker no..." Varric's face contorted into an expression words could not fit. Aveline's shield and sword were the only other sound as they clanged to the ground, her mouth opening in silent sentences.
Fur began to fall from the cats body as it shrank in size as the last of the fog lifted revealing the abandoned building interior. Fenris backed away his eyes wide as Garrett took his place. His sword too fell to the ground with him not far behind on his knees.
He stared at his own hands covered in blood and fur. The hands meant to protect her, had almost killed her.