Dragons and Thrones: Final War – Doom Upon All The World
Chapter 40 of my crossover story, enjoy.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin, Dragon Age belongs to Bioware.
Solas
The chaos around him was muted, the shouts, cries, while aware of the situation, knowing of Arya's plight, Gendry's pain, of Varric's unfortunate problem, Solas had his entire power focused on the orb. It was their last hope after all.
'We are running out of time, both to kill Corypheus and stop the ritual...' He reflected worriedly.
The orb continued to glow with it's red and green glow, it vibrated violently; yet still Solas focused all his power on it; urging it to 'hear' him. He had another plan in mind with the orb, something he had been formulating and building his magical strength towards for some time, but that would come later. Right now, he needed to get the orb off the altar and therefore stop the ritual, then defeat Corypheus.
"Such a pity..." Corypheus taunted. "I expected better, but, no matter. I will soon ascend to Godhood, first the Fade shall be mine and from it, I shall rule the conjoined worlds. Any who stand before me shall fall...You could have witnessed my rebirth Arya Stark, but your foolishness prevented that."
He tightened his grip again and Arya gasped, her struggles were starting to weaken. Solas could still see her movements however and saw her right hand slip behind her back, towards her belt. Suddenly her hand struck out like a snake, there was a flash of Valyrian Steel and Arya stabbed Corypheus right in the shoulder with her dagger, twisting and wrenching it out viciously in the same deft move. Corypheus roared in pain as he let her go, causing Arya to drop to the ground.
She gasped desperately for air, now free and began pushing herself backwards, away from Corypheus with her feet, grabbing Needle as she did so. It was at that moment, the orb's glow changed to a solid golden colour and it stopped vibrating.
"You talk too much, Corypheus." Solas then stated when he saw this.
Corypheus, clutching his wound, glowered. "What would you know Elf!"
"This."
With that he held out his hand and, activating his magic, summoned the orb to his hand. Obeying it's true master, the orb ended the ritual and flew off the altar into Solas' hand. As soon as he had it he turned it on Corypheus in a powerful blast of magic.
"NO!" Corypheus screamed as he reeled back from the blast.
The spell binding Gendry ended and he got up, shakily. All of them were watching as Solas advanced on Corypheus, his face now even more mangled, as he gazed up at the Elf in terror. But Solas had no pity for the brutish monster that dared assume himself to be a God.
Solas explained it simply. "Your hubris, was your undoing."
With that he raised the orb. "You wanted the Fade, then I shall give it to you."
The orb flared at Corypheus screamed in agony as a Fade rift opened up, inside his own body, absorbing him into the Fade inside out and utterly destroying him, the rift then closed upon command and finally, Corypheus was dead, the sky returned to normal, the clouds parting and it was known with certainty then. The threat was ended.
Without hesitating Solas used the orb again, focusing all the magical energy he had built up for this very spell. It was complex and dangerous, especially as while it had been done before, it was quite by accident. He sought to undo Corypheus' accident and return the worlds to their normal places, however, there were limitations and, to minimize the potential chaos such a spell could cause, Solas knew he had to carefully stay inside them.
'Those who have strong bonds to worlds that are not theirs, Westeros or Essos people in Thedas, and vice-versa...those bonds being stronger than those for their homes...They will end up remaining in the world they feel happiest in, the world those bonds tie them too.' He reflected.
Nevertheless, he felt this was for the best. His plan still had to go ahead and after the time he spent with the Starks, what he had seen of them. He couldn't think of people who least deserved to face the danger his plan would bring.
"Solas..." Arya began, hesitantly.
She stood close by, with Gendry by her side.
"I am working one more spell; the memories of this time will not fade...but the worlds must be set right, returned to normal." He explained. "The spell has already begun to work; I have taken precautions; it will happen gradually, not all at once, but it will happen."
The orb began pulsing several times, indicating the spell had worked. Solas smiled; finally things were the way they should be again. But then the orb shattered in his hand, the pieces falling heavily to the ground.
Solas gaped in horror and then fell to his knees.
"No!" He cried; before shaking his head. "Another relic of the People...Lost."
Varric sighed as he came up next to him. "For what it's worth, Chuckles, I'm sorry."
Solas thought quickly for a moment and then sighed, getting to his feet.
"No, it is probably for the better, this way, it cannot be misused again." He said at last.
But then he saw the glare on Arya's face.
"Who cares about that stupid orb, I lost my brother for fuck sake!" She snapped.
'She saw, came within touching distance of an object of such unimaginable power and yet...her family is what she is worried about.' Solas thought to himself, once more impressed. "Bran is alive."
They all froze and Solas shook his head.
"The Guardian, it came back to help us, it couldn't have done that, if Bran was dead." He explained. "Due to his warging into it, after it's initial defeat, the Guardian's life was tied to Bran's...but not the other way around."
They caught on quickly as Gendry suddenly realized. "So, even though the Guardian is dead now."
"Bran might still be alive!" Arya finished.
Solas nodded and that was all it took, the two of them were hurrying down the mountain towards the buried cave. Varric hurried after them and Solas. After glancing over his shoulder at the ruined orb one more time, sighing sadly, hurried to join them.
By the time he arrived, he spotted Arya and Gendry already hauling away the rubble, trying to clear the cave entrance.
"Solas!" Arya cried the moment she saw them. "Isn't there something your magic can do?"
"Not without triggering a massive rock slide." Solas admitted.
Arya just nodded. "Then we do it the old-fashioned way."
Solas nodded and along with Varric joined the two as they continued to haul away rubble, until, at last, they had cleared the cave entrance and there, seated within the cave, covered in dust and scratches, blinking in the light, and very much alive, was Bran Stark.
End of chapter and of Solas' storyline, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.