Disclaimer: Dragon Age is owned by Bioware and EA games.
Warning: There are spoilers from Dragon Age: Inquisition: Trespasser in this book, some pretty big ones. If you don't want to see them, then don't read this book.
Note to readers: After the release of Trespasser I realized some of my ideas which went into Final Hour were right and some were completely wrong (such as the veil, my theory behind that was proven true. Err, that a certain character we all know was behind it and its creation…). This story takes place around the same time as the original did, but with a slightly different plot so it fits more with what was revealed in the DLC.
Also, no, there will not be a prologue.
Oh, and a character I adored writing from a story with HerenyaHope does appear in this book despite the original idea of how he would be in the old Final Hour being scrapped. I couldn't bring myself to scrap him outright and there is still proof the dwarves were around during the height of Elvhenan as it is.
I hope you enjoy this story.
Thank you,
Flame
Water dripped down stone. The sound echoed up through the darkness broken only by a soft, blue glow. Lyrium, untouched, twisted as the branches and roots of forgotten trees. Water dripped from the stone to the ground. None of it seemed able to touch the beautiful lyrium veins.
Solas edged forward. He leaned over a great chasm. The lyrium allowed him to see far below. The veins stretched on for miles, untouched by any elven. He took a deep breath of damp, musty air which clung to the dark places of Elvhenan. A shiver raced through him. His skin crawled. He was far from alone here.
The ground shook. Solas staggered. He pitched forward. His hand clawed at the air a moment before he managed to catch a wall. Every beat of his heart pulsed in his ears. His eyes wide as he stared at the chasm. That had been far too close for comfort.
"The Stone not be liking us here, I be thinking," a gruff sounded behind Solas. "It not be wise to disturb this places."
Solas backed away from the edge of the chasm to the relative safety of where his dwarf companion stood. He was careful not to touch any of the lyrium as he came. "Noted." Solas agreed it wasn't a place he wanted to be. It was, however, one of the few places beyond Elgar'nan's grasping, greedy fingers right now. And the few Mythal hadn't set up.
The heart of this place pulsed with magic. Another shiver crawled through Solas. His heartrate picked up a notch as fear pulsed through him. One didn't just waltz into a place like this, not without realizing it could very well mean death even for an immortal elvhen.
Solas took a deep breath. These thoughts were far from why he was here. It was only a threat he needed to keep at the forefront of his mind.
"My thanks for showing me this place, Hallmar." Solas knew his voice sounded less than confident right then.
"You be crazier than normal, Solas." Hallmar glared at Solas from under his leather helm. His thick brow furled in discontent. "It not being wise to disturb these places even for the veins. Ya people be finding this out from their own greedy digging."
Solas bowed his head. Ice spread through Solas's veins at the mention of the mines the elvhen had dug through for the Evanuris. He shivered despite himself. Solas turned back to the lyrium veins and the soft glow of the tree like material.
Hallmar grunted as he hefted his pack on his shoulder. "Ya be insane if you be thinking you can be stopping them reaching this place."
"I am aiming to seal my people off from this one," Solas stated. He picked up his own pack from where he had dropped it. "Let's head back up. I can seal the passage without disturbing anything." Or so he hoped. There were several cities above them on the surface. Each one at risk if there really was a Pillar of Earth resting deep below them.
The truth of the matter was, those cities would be destroyed if the evanuris had claimed this place and there was a Pillar of Earth here. That was, if Solas hadn't arrived first. It troubled him to think just how greedy and power hungry they'd grown as the centuries had progressed. There was no disputing the power each wielded and no winning against one of them.
Solas let out a low breath. Right now the evanuris weren't his priority and such thoughts were dangerous enough without thinking on enacting on them.
Darkness swallowed Solas and Hallmar as they left the lyrium veins behind. Solas turned. He wove magic into the stone. The stone moved as the ground shook from it. Soon the passage appeared to be just another dead end.
"How many more entrances into the lyrium deposited?" Solas asked. His gaze was locked on the seal he'd just made. It was his hope the others would be unable to break through this.
"There being a few deeper down," the dwarf reply his tone gruff. "It not be the best of treks to be getting down there though, I be thinking your people be not taking those routes."
"I won't put anything passed their greed." Solas pulled out his staff. A soft light glistened off the wet stone.
Hallmar hissed. "You be needing a warning for that." His thick arm blocked the light of Solas's staff.
"I suppose we could stumble around blind for a bit," Solas teased. The light went out.
Hallmar made a noise deep in his throat. "You be bringing the light back. I not be running around blind and you be not having any stone sense. You be hitting walls in the second."
The words left a sting of embracement burning Solas's ears. The light returned, slower this time as it spread out over the wet stone. "Wouldn't the lower levels be flooded?" Solas asked as he eyed the water.
"Might be. I've not been here since I be stumbling on it a few years ago." Hallmar started off.
Hallmar's boots echoed with each heavy step he took. His boots almost clanged against the stone, beating as a load as a drum beat through the silence of night. The sound was enough to think the entire population of spiders would descend upon them at any moment.
Solas eyed the ceiling, half expecting to see one of the great spiders uncurl from its web. Nothing moved.
In contrast to Hallmar's loud steps, Solas could barely hear his own soft footsteps over the stone. His were nearly bare like so many of his people. This would allow him to go unnoticed in any place in Elvhenan and below it.
Hallmar held up his hand. "There's movement ahead," the dwarf whispered. "It be wise to be snuffing that light of yours, Solas."
Solas paused and strained to hear anything. He could only hear the soft tapping of water against the stone. Darkness cascaded around the two of them. In the deep places of the earth it was wise to trust a dwarf over his own, muddled senses.
Silence, broken only by the soft tapping of water, pressed down on Solas. The feeling was foreign to him. Even in the halls of Elvhenan he had never felt this cut off from anything. Blind and deaf, all he could do was wait on Hallmar.
Then, the first sounds of movement came to Solas. Heavy footsteps, not unlike Hallmar's, rang through the passage. The sound of metal against stone clanked and echoed.
"Hmm, odd," the voice was deep, that of a dwarf, covered in a thick ascent as he spoke elvhen. "The air flow has changed. The passage should open ahead, rather it now feels closed."
A soft light could now be seen just down the passage from where Solas and Hallmar now crouched. The harsher torch light allowed shapes to appear in the form of shadows dancing against stone. Several thick, stocky shapes were the most permeate of the shadows, but there were others intermixed with them. Lithe, tall, the silhouettes of elves.
"Friends of yours?" Hallmar whispered.
"Friends of yours?" Solas retorted.
Solas could just picture the dwarf's scowl at Solas's retort. It was too dark to make out more than the rough outline of his oldest, dwarf friend.
"There be a lot of them," Hallmar muttered.
They were outnumbered. Shadows were a poor way to judge just how many were there. Though, if Solas knew anything about the so called "gods," their initial mining groups were only just large enough to find and secure the passage leading to where the lyrium dwelled. It was too deep down for the group to go it alone. Besides, they would never risk an attempt to take on a Pillar of Earth. If one was in the area, then it was more likely they would wait for which ever "god" they served to come down and deal with the Pillar in person or the order that it was safe to dig. Despite the fact mining where a Pillar slept was exceedingly dangerous.
"Most likely five elvhen," Solas whispered back. "And at least three children of the stone."
"So we be outnumber eight to two."
"At least," Solas replied.
"Aye, at least. We be dead if they not be liking you."
"Doubtful they'll be friendly."
Though, if they were Mythal's followers… but, no, she would never place a city at risk just for more lyrium. She sought to protect the People, never harm them for her own political gain.
"You still not being the most popular among your leaders." Hallmar shifted. His silhouette now held his crossbow. "Well, I be only giving you a protest of this being where I die. I not be thinking this would be where I would return to the Stone."
A small smile curled Solas's lips. Solas turned his gaze from Hallmar to the passage. The group was moving once more.
"We'll have a look," a dwarf informed the elvhen in the group.
Solas placed his hand on Hallmar's shoulder. The dwarf moved a little back so he was just as hidden behind the stone. The dwarves hired by this group of elvhen were well armored and well equipped. The elvhen were at least sensitive to magic and could counter some of Solas's. One had to be a full mage.
Solas squeezed Hallmar's shoulder and saw the dwarf lower his crossbow. His head bowed in the slightest of nods. The two of them moved further back into the shadows. Solas didn't dare draw breath as the group passed them. Their armor clanking. There were well over five dwarves and at least ten elvhen.
"We confirmed the site weeks ago," grumbled one of the elvhen. "If we return without news for June…" he trailed off.
June? What was June doing establishing a mine here of all places? Solas shuddered to think what the craftsman was after. Perhaps June was just being as greedy as the rest. Either way, the more mining which happened, the more likely it was for the world to crumble from it.
"We need a good lyrium deposit and this was the richest one yet," another said. "We're not going back without results."
Solas scanned the elves as they passed him and Hallmar. There were only three in the group who were free elvhen. The rest bore the vallaslin of June. Solas's grip tightened on his staff. His entire body tense. It took a great deal of effort not to leap out and start a fight.
"Stay here," Solas whispered to Hallmar when the group was out of earshot. Solas slipped from the cover and moved down the passage after the group. He kept to shadows as he neared them on silent feet.
"This wasn't here before!" one of the dwarven guides growled.
The mage in the group stepped forward and lifted her hand. "There are powerful spells which moved the stone. This was done recently. And only one of the creators is capable of such magic."
"Which would move against June now? Falon'Din? Elgar'nan?" asked another.
"Fen'Harel?" the third member of the elvhen chimed in.
The second snorted. "What does the Dread Wolf gain by sealing off a lyrium deposit? It doesn't free any slaves."
"R-right," the third stuttered a little. "But what if he is here?"
"You'd better hope he isn't." There was a harsh tone to the voice now, an edge of fear.
The "god" nonsense again. Solas scowled. He had been trying to prove those rumors wrong for countless years now. Yet, the People still seemed to think of him along the same lines as the evanuris. It was ridicules considering how hard Solas worked to show he was just a normal, really old elvhen.
The slaves shifted, most of their expressions guarded. In some, Solas could see a hint of hope. These slaves needed to be freed.
Solas shifted as he lifted his staff. Then he stopped. He couldn't take on this many and hope the slaves would fight alongside him, let alone recognize him as Fen'Harel. Most of the People depicted him as being a wolf after all.
Okay, so he could take on this many but he would end up killing all of them. Solas had no desire to kill any of them.
"Did you hear that?" the third member shifted, drawing his bow. Sharp eyes locked on the shadows around Solas.
Solas cursed. The hiss of an arrow thrummed in his ear. A sharp pain told him it had grazed his ear. Solas leapt to his feet and bolted down the passage. Another arrow thrummed passed him.
"After him!" shouted the mage.
"Damn it!" Hallmar leapt for his cover and fired a few shots towards the oncoming elves and dwarves.
"Run!" Solas paused only long enough to take hold of Hallmar's arm. The two of them tore down the passage.
There was no outrunning them in the tunnels. Solas glanced around. There was an opening not far ahead of them.
Solas stopped and looked back. His sharp eyes could just make out the torches bobbing in presuit. He could hear the shouts and thudding of dwarven feet.
"Go," Solas urged Hallmar.
"After you."
Solas scowled, but didn't argue. He leapt into the tunnel. The next moment Solas was on his back, sliding down a steep incline. He held his staff to his chest. Cold air rushed around him as the walls sped by. The ground smoothed by water racing alongside him.
The ground vanished as Solas was thrown out into a vast cavern. Water rushed up around him in the next instance. It burned his nose and mouth as he caught a lung full of it. The water broke as Solas managed to get to surface. Waves crashed into him from an undercurrent.
A dark shape struck the water feet away. Solas took a deep breath and dove under. Hallmar was visible as a sinking shape through the dark water. Solas pulled himself through the water, dragged down by the heavy furs on his shoulder. His long fingers hooked the thick leather of Hallmar's coat.
Lungs burned as Solas turned towards the surface. With one hand he clawed at the water and kicked hard. Each moment under left him more light headed than last. The weight of wet fur and the dead weight of dwarf need little to aid in the battle against the deep water.
Fingers broke the surface as a blade would flesh. Solas slammed his hand down. The impact periled him up. His head broke the surface sending blue tented droplets scattering across the lake's surface. He gasped. Cold air slammed into his lungs. His head spun with the sudden filling of oxygen rushing through his body.
Hallmar struggled beside Solas. Water exploded up around Solas. It stung his eyes and nostrils as the two of them were set down. Hallmar trashed in the water as a fish would on land.
Solas stretched out his fingers. The water just over them froze over. He pulled Hallmer up. Each kick a struggle once more. The surface broke. Solas heaved Hallmar up onto the thick ice sheet. Solas placed his arms on the sheet to stay afloat. Each breath was pained. His lungs and body feeling the drain from the struggle.
The dwarf slipped over the ice for a few before he collapsed, coughing up the water he'd breathed in. His face pale even in the dim light of the space. His thick chest rose and fell in time to his deep, labored breaths.
Solas felt his breathing ease as time passed. It took him a long moment to take look up from the ice sheet. When he did, he felt the air flee his lungs. The area spun with his shock. Soft light filtered down from every angle from the twisted, root like veins of lyrium. It was far more than Solas had seen in the cavern before this. The blue veins twisted up the walls and covered the floor of the not so distant stone cavern.
"That be," Hallmar started between deep, gasping breaths, "the last I be letting you lead."
A sharp, breathless laugh escaped Solas. The comment felt so out of place for where they'd ended up he couldn't help it. "Perhaps, it is wise for you to be leader for here on out, my friend." The words were soft.
"Aye." Hallmar sat up. The ice sheet shifted as the dwarf did. "Can you get us across to stone?" Hallmar was staring at the stone floor.
"I can."