Prologue
Jaenera Targaryen
Well-known member
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Age franchise, it belongs to Bioware.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Aerea Amell, Warden-Commander of Ferelden and Countess of Amaranthine, blinked before turning her head sideways in the voice's direction. She blinked again as a vaguely-familiar redhead in a form-fitting suit of mail fitted with a cowl approached, before abruptly shaking her head and forcing herself up into a sitting position.
"Leliana…?" Aerea asked. "Is that you?"
Leliana smiled while putting a hand on her old friend's back. "I see you remember me." She said.
Aerea gave her a sideways look, and then before the bard could react, pulled her in for a quick kiss. Leliana stiffened in surprise, and then relaxing, returned the kiss with a mix of amusement and enthusiasm. "…as if I'd ever forget you…" Aerea softly said as they separated, only to break off with a cry of pain. "…what is this?"
The Grey Warden clenched her left hand, which glowed green with the energies of the Fade. Only it was and wasn't at the same time…more importantly, it seemed that…whatever this was, this burning brand of energy on her hand, it was woven into her very being, and not simply seared into her flesh.
It was also threatening to simply kill her, the strain of the brand burning her soul and by extension her body.
"…on to business then." Leliana grimly said as Aerea fought off the pain by sheer force of will, until the brand finally subsided. "Quickly, we don't have much time. Put on your armor and weapon, then follow me."
"…what's happened?" Aerea said, throwing off her covers and swinging her legs off the bed. Leliana pursed her lips in thought while bringing Aerea her boots, and helping her put them on.
"What exactly do you remember?" she asked. "At least, of everything that's happened recently?"
"I…" Aerea began only to trail off in shock and confusion. "…I don't…the last thing I remember was waking up in some kind of ruin…then getting to a glowing portal and…and what looked like a…a woman…?"
"A woman…?" Leliana echoed.
"Yes…" Aerea softly said. "…and that's it…nothing before that, at least between waking up and arriving at the Temple of Sacred Ashes to attend the Divine Conclave…"
"…I see." Leliana grimly said, and Aerea gave her an equally grim look.
"Memory loss from getting thumped senseless on the head isn't this selective." She grouched. "Something did this to me…probably whatever it was that also…left this, on my hand, and whatever it is that has you looking so urgent."
"As perceptive as ever, I see." Leliana said with a small smile, helping Aerea to her feet before getting the latter's gambeson. Aerea quickly put it on, belting it at the waist before Leliana brought the rest of her armor. Greeves and winged knee guards, followed by gauntlets, vambraces, elbow guards, and rerebraces. Then a cuirass, bearing the griffin-flanked silver cup of the Grey Wardens on the chestplate, followed by faulds for her hips. Last came the pauldrons, winged like her knee guards, with Aerea instead opting to carry her helmet for now. "Let's go."
Aerea nodded while adjusting the weight of her longsword on her back, and followed Leliana out of the room. Men-at-arms bearing the paired All-Seeing Eye and Sword of Mercy stood to attention as they proceeded down the hallway, Aerea wondering at the meaning behind the new heraldry. As far as she knew, the enigmatic Seekers of Truth used the All-Seeing Eye, while the – now rogue – Templar Order used the Sword of Mercy as their respective heraldries.
And yet…here the heraldries were mated…why?
Leliana has the same heraldry at her collar…what's the meaning of this?
"Leliana!" a strong voice shouted as they approached the open doors at the far end of the hallway, a Nevarran – based on her accent – woman quickly striding over to them. "Well, has she said anything?"
"Yes, she has." Leliana replied before taking on a chiding tone. "That said, I'm sure we can spare the time for even simple introductions. Warden-Commander Aerea Amell, this is Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, the Right Hand of the Divine."
Aerea gave a small bow. "It is an honor, Seeker." She said.
Cassandra gave a curt nod. "…likewise, Warden-Commander." She said stiffly. "Has Leliana told you anything?"
"Only implied disasters, I'm afraid." Aerea said.
"It would be faster and easier to show you." Cassandra said, leading the way outside. Leliana motioned for Aerea to go ahead, and taking up the rear behind her.
The three women stepped outside…
…and Aerea gasped in shock and disbelief. "We call it the Breach," Cassandra said. "A massive rift in the Veil between our world and the world of demons. It's not the only such rift, but it is the largest."
"…I've encountered Veil tears before…closed them even…" Aerea breathed. "…but this…what the hell happened?"
"A question we would all like to be answered." Cassandra said, then narrowing her eyes as the Breach widened ever so further, and causing the brand on Aerea's hand to surge, all but driving her to her knees. "The Breach grows larger with every passing hour, and with it your mark spreads, slowly but surely killing you."
"Yes…" Aerea ground out. "…I noticed as much…you didn't answer my question."
"An explosion destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes," Leliana answered. "And killed everyone inside, while also causing the Breach."
"…no ordinary explosion could have done that." Aerea said softly.
"Indeed." Leliana said.
"However," Cassandra continued. "While your mark threatens your life, it may be the key to stopping this, but only if we act now."
Aerea blinked at that, and then looked between the brand on her hand and the Breach in the distance. Now that Cassandra had mentioned it, she was sensing…
…something similar, about the way the energies of the Fade acted around her brand – or mark, as the Seeker had put it – and the Breach in the distance. She wasn't entirely sure, but the Seeker could actually be on to something there.
"…we won't know until we try." Aerea said, and making sure to meet the Seeker's eyes while speaking.
"Then…?" Cassandra asked, her voice betraying a tinge of desperate hope.
"Of course I'll help." Aerea said. "That's what a Grey Warden does."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dark glares and accusing looks met Aerea as she walked through the village of Haven, while behind her and Cassandra whispers and murmurs could be heard from the villagers. "They have decided your guilt." Cassandra explained. "They need it."
"Well," Aerea remarked as she coolly ignored the villagers' distrust. "Not much has changed in that regard."
"I…what?" Cassandra asked in surprise.
"I was here ten years ago." Aerea replied. "I was the one who rediscovered this village, while looking for the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Well, me and several others, Leliana included."
"…yes," Cassandra said after a moment, nodding slowly. "Leliana told me about that, now that I think about it. A shame about the Disciples of Andraste…"
"Not all of them fell from grace." Aerea said. "The Guardian stayed true to his duty, watching over the ashes and testing the worth of any who came for them."
"…what was it like?" Cassandra asked after another moment. "Leliana told me about her experiences, how it felt to stand before the Prophet's mortal remains, but…it is a very personal experience, I know, but if it is not too much to ask…"
Aerea glanced sideways as Cassandra trailed off, holding her eyes for a couple of moments. Then she sighed, and briefly looked up at the sky. "It was…touching." She said. "I suppose that's what you expect me to say, isn't it?"
"Was it not?"
"…I would say it was reassuring." Aerea said after a moment. "I…I had to make a lot of hard decisions before that point, all in the name of stopping the Fifth Blight. But…I couldn't help but wonder if I could have – should have – chosen differently. That the Gauntlet had proven that I could still stand before the Prophet's remains without defiling it…it was reassuring."
Cassandra said nothing, all too aware of the weight of responsibility that power brought with it, regardless of the circumstances. And while she knew many in other nations doubted the truth of the Fifth Blight, given how quickly it was stopped and with so little losses…
…she trusted Leliana, and during the course of her service to the Divine, had spoken to many who had lived through that terrible year. Regardless of what the doubters said, it truly had been a Blight, and the Hero of Ferelden rightly deserved her title and honors for stopping it before it could spread beyond the boundaries of Ferelden.
"I can promise a trial, no more." She said simply.
Aerea briefly closed her eyes with a chuckle. "Fair enough." She said, putting on her helmet but keeping the visor raised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rock burning with the energies of the Fade fell through the sky from the Breach, and destroyed the bridge. Men and women alike fell to the frozen stream below, all but Cassandra and Aerea dying from the fall.
But they weren't the only ones to fall, as shades began to materialize from the energies leaking from the Fade. "Demons!" Cassandra shouted, drawing her sword and pulling on her shield before engaging one of the shades. The other shade made for Aerea, who'd lost her helmet. Growling at the approaching shade, the Grey Warden held up a hand, and fired off an Arcane Bolt.
It blew a hole through the shade's torso, the demon – either rage or hunger, from the echoes Aerea could sense through the Fade – flying back with a scream of pain. Aerea then focused her power inward, letting it infuse her body and empower it to its peak, while granting resistance to magical attacks. It also phased her partly into the Fade, and increasing the power she could safely draw from the dreaming world.
At the same time, she drew her longsword from behind her, and swung it down as the shade finally recovered. The blow cut it in two, the shade giving a final scream as its existence came to an end.
Cassandra finished off her shade, then looking at Aerea briefly looked alarmed before collecting herself. Noticing the Grey Warden's helmet lying near her feet, Cassandra stowed her shield before picking up the helmet and offering it to the other woman. "Thank you." Aerea said, putting on the helmet and pulling down the visor, giving her the appearance of a griffin.
"We must hurry." Cassandra said with a nod, leading the way up a path that led back up to the road. "These will not be the only demons to have come through the Breach, and the more time we delay, the more will come through."
"Well, no argument there." Aerea said.
It didn't take long before they found themselves drawn into battle again, the Seeker and the Grey Warden reinforcing a group of men-at-arms supported by an Elven mage and a Dwarf with a crossbow. A thought had Aerea's skin hardening to the consistency of stone, before a word had an Arcane Shield shimmering around her.
Then she was neck-deep in the melee, her own voice shouting a war cry above the screams of demons and the defiant shouts of the men. "In war, victory!" she shouted, cutting down a pair of shades with a single sweep, before bashing another shade back with her pommel. "In death, sacrifice!"
A two-handed swing finished off the shade, before another shade's claws raked harmlessly against her armor. It screamed as her retaliation cut it down, and then the battle was over. Only then did Aerea turn to the blazing green of a tear in the Veil nearby.
"Hurry!" the Elf shouted, before grabbing her hand and pointing it at the rift. "Before more come through!"
Aerea gasped as the Elf tugged at the magical energies around her mark, guiding her own power and letting it pull at the rift's edges. Energy streamed between the mark and the rift, and with a thunderclap of air filling a vacuum sealed it shut.
"What…what did you do?" Aerea asked, pulling her hand back and looking at it.
"I did nothing." The Elf said with a disarming smile and tone. "The credit is yours."
"Hmm…you mean credit is to the mark…interesting…" Aerea said softly. "…yes…I felt it before but now I'm sure. This…mark, whatever it is, it…it calls to the rifts, and by channeling power through the mark, can pull at the rifts' edges, pulling them together, before sealing them shut."
The Elf nodded in approval. "An astute observation." He said. "I thought as much, but could only go so far until you actually provided visible proof."
"But now that we have proof," Cassandra cut in. "It could also be used to seal the Breach."
"Possibly…" the Elf said to her before turning back to Aerea. "…it seems you hold the key to our salvation."
"…perhaps…" Aerea said, looking up at the Breach. "…but like I said, it seems to work by channeling power through the mark. The question thus becomes if I have enough power to close…that."
Aerea paused and sighed, shaking her head. "Well," she continued. "I suppose it's better than doing nothing and just staring at the sky waiting for the end to come."
"It certainly beats being ass-deep in demons." The Dwarf said while approaching with a grin, his crossbow stowed over his back. "Varric Thetras – rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong."
Aerea lifted her visor, showing her raised eyebrow. "The Varric Thetras…?" she echoed.
Varric's grin widened. "Well now," he said. "Who'd have thought the great and mighty Hero of Ferelden would be a fan?"
"Just a girl with a sword, when all is said and done." Aerea said with a shrug. "If we live through this, would you mind signing my copy of Swords and Shields?"
This time, it was Cassandra's turn to raise an eyebrow, while Varric visibly held back a grimace. "I'm sure I can find the time." He said.
"Absolutely not…!" Cassandra cut in at the implication that Varric would be sticking around. Sensing a history there, Aerea stepped back, leaving the Seeker and the wordsmith to argue between them, before turning back to the Elf, who was looking on with an amused expression on his face.
"You probably already know my name," Aerea began. "But I don't know yours."
"My apologies." The Elf said. "My name is Solas. I'm glad to see you still live."
"He means he kept that mark from killing you while you slept." Varric called.
"Oh, I see. Then you have my thanks, Solas." Aerea said with a nod. "It seems I owe you my life."
Solas nodded his acknowledgement of her gratitude. "I'm honored to have the gratitude of someone as august as the Hero of Ferelden." He said. "That said, I came here to offer my help with the Breach. If it is not closed, then we are all doomed regardless of our fame."
Pausing, he then turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra," he began. "You should know that the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. You may suspect the Warden-Commander's culpability, and she is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."
"Understood." Cassandra simply said. "We must get to the forward camp quickly."
For her part, Aerea just stared thoughtfully up at the Breach, and then again at her hand.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"I order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution!"
"Order me? You're nothing more than a glorified clerk, a bureaucrat, and you're trying to order me?"
Aerea tuned out the argument between Cassandra and the Chantry's Grand Chancellor, only interjecting once things really began to get heated. "Isn't dealing with the Breach the more pressing issue?" she lightly asked.
"You brought this on us in the first place!" Roderick Asignon accused, and Aerea pressed her lips together into an even line. This was worse than during the Fifth Blight, as at least Loghain had some reason to suspect the Grey Wardens of nefarious intentions.
Thanks a lot, Sophia Dryden, for leaving me one hell of a mess to fix.
And more to the point, Grand Chancellor Roderick was pretty much grasping at straws here, latching onto the most convenient scapegoat that appeared before him.
"Call a retreat, Seeker." Roderick said, as he continued arguing with Cassandra. "Your position here is hopeless."
That got through to Aerea, and she stepped forward, causing Cassandra to stop mid-sentence. "Strange," she said, placing a hand over her eyes while sweeping the horizon as though looking for approaching threats. "I don't see an advancing horde of Darkspawn anywhere."
Pausing, she looked up at the sky. "I don't see any Archdemon nearby either." She said.
Roderick slammed his hands against the map table. "Do you think this is some kind of joke, Warden-Commander?" he angrily shouted.
Aerea slammed a gauntleted fist against the table, and causing the Grand Chancellor to step back. "No, Grand Chancellor." She said coldly. "The only joke here is the notion that we have a hopeless situation."
"I…"
"I have faced down hordes of Darkspawn tens of thousands strong." Aerea cut him off. "I near-single-handedly cleared a tower overrun by demons and abominations, saving what few innocents left that could be saved. I stormed the realm of a Greater Sloth Demon in the Fade itself, and freed all the souls it had enslaved. I slew a corrupted Old God and lived to tell the tale. So, do not tell me when a situation is hopeless, when it is clear you have no idea what it means."
Turning from the spluttering and indignant Grand Chancellor, she addressed Leliana. "Options?" she asked.
"The bulk of our forces can advance up the valley along the main route to the Temple of Sacred Ashes." Leliana replied with a smile. "In the meantime, you and Cassandra can lead a small force through the mountains and reach the Temple against only minimal resistance."
"Divide and conquer…sounds like what we did back at Denerim," Aerea said with a smile. "Riordan drew the Archdemon's attention, while we took out the Omegas before heading for Fort Drakon."
"It's an old tactic, but old tactics are old for a reason." Leliana remarked. "They work."
Aerea nodded, before looking at the rest of her companions. Cassandra had a small smile of approval on her face, while Varric looked coolly impressed. In contrast, Solas appeared rather inscrutable, but neither did he look afraid or opposed.
"No objections…?" Aerea asked, and there were none. "Good, let's get moving, and may the Maker watch over us all."
"The consequences be on your heads, Seeker, Warden." Roderick murmured as they walked past him.
"Noted." Cassandra laconically said.
"As usual." Aerea similarly said.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N
Writer's block with my other Dragon Age fic, so I'll try and approach the setting from another angle. Divine Justinia did want to have the Hero of Ferelden be the Inquisitor once it was clear Hawke was nowhere to be found, and here she does become the Inquisitor-to-be. Of course, as she implied early on, she's very much a morally-grey (no pun intended) Grey Warden who made certain…questionable, decisions during the Fifth Blight.
I'm sure you can guess some of those decisions, and wonder at the potential consequences thereof.
Bearing the World
Prologue
Prologue
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Aerea Amell, Warden-Commander of Ferelden and Countess of Amaranthine, blinked before turning her head sideways in the voice's direction. She blinked again as a vaguely-familiar redhead in a form-fitting suit of mail fitted with a cowl approached, before abruptly shaking her head and forcing herself up into a sitting position.
"Leliana…?" Aerea asked. "Is that you?"
Leliana smiled while putting a hand on her old friend's back. "I see you remember me." She said.
Aerea gave her a sideways look, and then before the bard could react, pulled her in for a quick kiss. Leliana stiffened in surprise, and then relaxing, returned the kiss with a mix of amusement and enthusiasm. "…as if I'd ever forget you…" Aerea softly said as they separated, only to break off with a cry of pain. "…what is this?"
The Grey Warden clenched her left hand, which glowed green with the energies of the Fade. Only it was and wasn't at the same time…more importantly, it seemed that…whatever this was, this burning brand of energy on her hand, it was woven into her very being, and not simply seared into her flesh.
It was also threatening to simply kill her, the strain of the brand burning her soul and by extension her body.
"…on to business then." Leliana grimly said as Aerea fought off the pain by sheer force of will, until the brand finally subsided. "Quickly, we don't have much time. Put on your armor and weapon, then follow me."
"…what's happened?" Aerea said, throwing off her covers and swinging her legs off the bed. Leliana pursed her lips in thought while bringing Aerea her boots, and helping her put them on.
"What exactly do you remember?" she asked. "At least, of everything that's happened recently?"
"I…" Aerea began only to trail off in shock and confusion. "…I don't…the last thing I remember was waking up in some kind of ruin…then getting to a glowing portal and…and what looked like a…a woman…?"
"A woman…?" Leliana echoed.
"Yes…" Aerea softly said. "…and that's it…nothing before that, at least between waking up and arriving at the Temple of Sacred Ashes to attend the Divine Conclave…"
"…I see." Leliana grimly said, and Aerea gave her an equally grim look.
"Memory loss from getting thumped senseless on the head isn't this selective." She grouched. "Something did this to me…probably whatever it was that also…left this, on my hand, and whatever it is that has you looking so urgent."
"As perceptive as ever, I see." Leliana said with a small smile, helping Aerea to her feet before getting the latter's gambeson. Aerea quickly put it on, belting it at the waist before Leliana brought the rest of her armor. Greeves and winged knee guards, followed by gauntlets, vambraces, elbow guards, and rerebraces. Then a cuirass, bearing the griffin-flanked silver cup of the Grey Wardens on the chestplate, followed by faulds for her hips. Last came the pauldrons, winged like her knee guards, with Aerea instead opting to carry her helmet for now. "Let's go."
Aerea nodded while adjusting the weight of her longsword on her back, and followed Leliana out of the room. Men-at-arms bearing the paired All-Seeing Eye and Sword of Mercy stood to attention as they proceeded down the hallway, Aerea wondering at the meaning behind the new heraldry. As far as she knew, the enigmatic Seekers of Truth used the All-Seeing Eye, while the – now rogue – Templar Order used the Sword of Mercy as their respective heraldries.
And yet…here the heraldries were mated…why?
Leliana has the same heraldry at her collar…what's the meaning of this?
"Leliana!" a strong voice shouted as they approached the open doors at the far end of the hallway, a Nevarran – based on her accent – woman quickly striding over to them. "Well, has she said anything?"
"Yes, she has." Leliana replied before taking on a chiding tone. "That said, I'm sure we can spare the time for even simple introductions. Warden-Commander Aerea Amell, this is Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, the Right Hand of the Divine."
Aerea gave a small bow. "It is an honor, Seeker." She said.
Cassandra gave a curt nod. "…likewise, Warden-Commander." She said stiffly. "Has Leliana told you anything?"
"Only implied disasters, I'm afraid." Aerea said.
"It would be faster and easier to show you." Cassandra said, leading the way outside. Leliana motioned for Aerea to go ahead, and taking up the rear behind her.
The three women stepped outside…
…and Aerea gasped in shock and disbelief. "We call it the Breach," Cassandra said. "A massive rift in the Veil between our world and the world of demons. It's not the only such rift, but it is the largest."
"…I've encountered Veil tears before…closed them even…" Aerea breathed. "…but this…what the hell happened?"
"A question we would all like to be answered." Cassandra said, then narrowing her eyes as the Breach widened ever so further, and causing the brand on Aerea's hand to surge, all but driving her to her knees. "The Breach grows larger with every passing hour, and with it your mark spreads, slowly but surely killing you."
"Yes…" Aerea ground out. "…I noticed as much…you didn't answer my question."
"An explosion destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes," Leliana answered. "And killed everyone inside, while also causing the Breach."
"…no ordinary explosion could have done that." Aerea said softly.
"Indeed." Leliana said.
"However," Cassandra continued. "While your mark threatens your life, it may be the key to stopping this, but only if we act now."
Aerea blinked at that, and then looked between the brand on her hand and the Breach in the distance. Now that Cassandra had mentioned it, she was sensing…
…something similar, about the way the energies of the Fade acted around her brand – or mark, as the Seeker had put it – and the Breach in the distance. She wasn't entirely sure, but the Seeker could actually be on to something there.
"…we won't know until we try." Aerea said, and making sure to meet the Seeker's eyes while speaking.
"Then…?" Cassandra asked, her voice betraying a tinge of desperate hope.
"Of course I'll help." Aerea said. "That's what a Grey Warden does."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dark glares and accusing looks met Aerea as she walked through the village of Haven, while behind her and Cassandra whispers and murmurs could be heard from the villagers. "They have decided your guilt." Cassandra explained. "They need it."
"Well," Aerea remarked as she coolly ignored the villagers' distrust. "Not much has changed in that regard."
"I…what?" Cassandra asked in surprise.
"I was here ten years ago." Aerea replied. "I was the one who rediscovered this village, while looking for the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Well, me and several others, Leliana included."
"…yes," Cassandra said after a moment, nodding slowly. "Leliana told me about that, now that I think about it. A shame about the Disciples of Andraste…"
"Not all of them fell from grace." Aerea said. "The Guardian stayed true to his duty, watching over the ashes and testing the worth of any who came for them."
"…what was it like?" Cassandra asked after another moment. "Leliana told me about her experiences, how it felt to stand before the Prophet's mortal remains, but…it is a very personal experience, I know, but if it is not too much to ask…"
Aerea glanced sideways as Cassandra trailed off, holding her eyes for a couple of moments. Then she sighed, and briefly looked up at the sky. "It was…touching." She said. "I suppose that's what you expect me to say, isn't it?"
"Was it not?"
"…I would say it was reassuring." Aerea said after a moment. "I…I had to make a lot of hard decisions before that point, all in the name of stopping the Fifth Blight. But…I couldn't help but wonder if I could have – should have – chosen differently. That the Gauntlet had proven that I could still stand before the Prophet's remains without defiling it…it was reassuring."
Cassandra said nothing, all too aware of the weight of responsibility that power brought with it, regardless of the circumstances. And while she knew many in other nations doubted the truth of the Fifth Blight, given how quickly it was stopped and with so little losses…
…she trusted Leliana, and during the course of her service to the Divine, had spoken to many who had lived through that terrible year. Regardless of what the doubters said, it truly had been a Blight, and the Hero of Ferelden rightly deserved her title and honors for stopping it before it could spread beyond the boundaries of Ferelden.
"I can promise a trial, no more." She said simply.
Aerea briefly closed her eyes with a chuckle. "Fair enough." She said, putting on her helmet but keeping the visor raised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rock burning with the energies of the Fade fell through the sky from the Breach, and destroyed the bridge. Men and women alike fell to the frozen stream below, all but Cassandra and Aerea dying from the fall.
But they weren't the only ones to fall, as shades began to materialize from the energies leaking from the Fade. "Demons!" Cassandra shouted, drawing her sword and pulling on her shield before engaging one of the shades. The other shade made for Aerea, who'd lost her helmet. Growling at the approaching shade, the Grey Warden held up a hand, and fired off an Arcane Bolt.
It blew a hole through the shade's torso, the demon – either rage or hunger, from the echoes Aerea could sense through the Fade – flying back with a scream of pain. Aerea then focused her power inward, letting it infuse her body and empower it to its peak, while granting resistance to magical attacks. It also phased her partly into the Fade, and increasing the power she could safely draw from the dreaming world.
At the same time, she drew her longsword from behind her, and swung it down as the shade finally recovered. The blow cut it in two, the shade giving a final scream as its existence came to an end.
Cassandra finished off her shade, then looking at Aerea briefly looked alarmed before collecting herself. Noticing the Grey Warden's helmet lying near her feet, Cassandra stowed her shield before picking up the helmet and offering it to the other woman. "Thank you." Aerea said, putting on the helmet and pulling down the visor, giving her the appearance of a griffin.
"We must hurry." Cassandra said with a nod, leading the way up a path that led back up to the road. "These will not be the only demons to have come through the Breach, and the more time we delay, the more will come through."
"Well, no argument there." Aerea said.
It didn't take long before they found themselves drawn into battle again, the Seeker and the Grey Warden reinforcing a group of men-at-arms supported by an Elven mage and a Dwarf with a crossbow. A thought had Aerea's skin hardening to the consistency of stone, before a word had an Arcane Shield shimmering around her.
Then she was neck-deep in the melee, her own voice shouting a war cry above the screams of demons and the defiant shouts of the men. "In war, victory!" she shouted, cutting down a pair of shades with a single sweep, before bashing another shade back with her pommel. "In death, sacrifice!"
A two-handed swing finished off the shade, before another shade's claws raked harmlessly against her armor. It screamed as her retaliation cut it down, and then the battle was over. Only then did Aerea turn to the blazing green of a tear in the Veil nearby.
"Hurry!" the Elf shouted, before grabbing her hand and pointing it at the rift. "Before more come through!"
Aerea gasped as the Elf tugged at the magical energies around her mark, guiding her own power and letting it pull at the rift's edges. Energy streamed between the mark and the rift, and with a thunderclap of air filling a vacuum sealed it shut.
"What…what did you do?" Aerea asked, pulling her hand back and looking at it.
"I did nothing." The Elf said with a disarming smile and tone. "The credit is yours."
"Hmm…you mean credit is to the mark…interesting…" Aerea said softly. "…yes…I felt it before but now I'm sure. This…mark, whatever it is, it…it calls to the rifts, and by channeling power through the mark, can pull at the rifts' edges, pulling them together, before sealing them shut."
The Elf nodded in approval. "An astute observation." He said. "I thought as much, but could only go so far until you actually provided visible proof."
"But now that we have proof," Cassandra cut in. "It could also be used to seal the Breach."
"Possibly…" the Elf said to her before turning back to Aerea. "…it seems you hold the key to our salvation."
"…perhaps…" Aerea said, looking up at the Breach. "…but like I said, it seems to work by channeling power through the mark. The question thus becomes if I have enough power to close…that."
Aerea paused and sighed, shaking her head. "Well," she continued. "I suppose it's better than doing nothing and just staring at the sky waiting for the end to come."
"It certainly beats being ass-deep in demons." The Dwarf said while approaching with a grin, his crossbow stowed over his back. "Varric Thetras – rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong."
Aerea lifted her visor, showing her raised eyebrow. "The Varric Thetras…?" she echoed.
Varric's grin widened. "Well now," he said. "Who'd have thought the great and mighty Hero of Ferelden would be a fan?"
"Just a girl with a sword, when all is said and done." Aerea said with a shrug. "If we live through this, would you mind signing my copy of Swords and Shields?"
This time, it was Cassandra's turn to raise an eyebrow, while Varric visibly held back a grimace. "I'm sure I can find the time." He said.
"Absolutely not…!" Cassandra cut in at the implication that Varric would be sticking around. Sensing a history there, Aerea stepped back, leaving the Seeker and the wordsmith to argue between them, before turning back to the Elf, who was looking on with an amused expression on his face.
"You probably already know my name," Aerea began. "But I don't know yours."
"My apologies." The Elf said. "My name is Solas. I'm glad to see you still live."
"He means he kept that mark from killing you while you slept." Varric called.
"Oh, I see. Then you have my thanks, Solas." Aerea said with a nod. "It seems I owe you my life."
Solas nodded his acknowledgement of her gratitude. "I'm honored to have the gratitude of someone as august as the Hero of Ferelden." He said. "That said, I came here to offer my help with the Breach. If it is not closed, then we are all doomed regardless of our fame."
Pausing, he then turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra," he began. "You should know that the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. You may suspect the Warden-Commander's culpability, and she is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."
"Understood." Cassandra simply said. "We must get to the forward camp quickly."
For her part, Aerea just stared thoughtfully up at the Breach, and then again at her hand.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"I order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution!"
"Order me? You're nothing more than a glorified clerk, a bureaucrat, and you're trying to order me?"
Aerea tuned out the argument between Cassandra and the Chantry's Grand Chancellor, only interjecting once things really began to get heated. "Isn't dealing with the Breach the more pressing issue?" she lightly asked.
"You brought this on us in the first place!" Roderick Asignon accused, and Aerea pressed her lips together into an even line. This was worse than during the Fifth Blight, as at least Loghain had some reason to suspect the Grey Wardens of nefarious intentions.
Thanks a lot, Sophia Dryden, for leaving me one hell of a mess to fix.
And more to the point, Grand Chancellor Roderick was pretty much grasping at straws here, latching onto the most convenient scapegoat that appeared before him.
"Call a retreat, Seeker." Roderick said, as he continued arguing with Cassandra. "Your position here is hopeless."
That got through to Aerea, and she stepped forward, causing Cassandra to stop mid-sentence. "Strange," she said, placing a hand over her eyes while sweeping the horizon as though looking for approaching threats. "I don't see an advancing horde of Darkspawn anywhere."
Pausing, she looked up at the sky. "I don't see any Archdemon nearby either." She said.
Roderick slammed his hands against the map table. "Do you think this is some kind of joke, Warden-Commander?" he angrily shouted.
Aerea slammed a gauntleted fist against the table, and causing the Grand Chancellor to step back. "No, Grand Chancellor." She said coldly. "The only joke here is the notion that we have a hopeless situation."
"I…"
"I have faced down hordes of Darkspawn tens of thousands strong." Aerea cut him off. "I near-single-handedly cleared a tower overrun by demons and abominations, saving what few innocents left that could be saved. I stormed the realm of a Greater Sloth Demon in the Fade itself, and freed all the souls it had enslaved. I slew a corrupted Old God and lived to tell the tale. So, do not tell me when a situation is hopeless, when it is clear you have no idea what it means."
Turning from the spluttering and indignant Grand Chancellor, she addressed Leliana. "Options?" she asked.
"The bulk of our forces can advance up the valley along the main route to the Temple of Sacred Ashes." Leliana replied with a smile. "In the meantime, you and Cassandra can lead a small force through the mountains and reach the Temple against only minimal resistance."
"Divide and conquer…sounds like what we did back at Denerim," Aerea said with a smile. "Riordan drew the Archdemon's attention, while we took out the Omegas before heading for Fort Drakon."
"It's an old tactic, but old tactics are old for a reason." Leliana remarked. "They work."
Aerea nodded, before looking at the rest of her companions. Cassandra had a small smile of approval on her face, while Varric looked coolly impressed. In contrast, Solas appeared rather inscrutable, but neither did he look afraid or opposed.
"No objections…?" Aerea asked, and there were none. "Good, let's get moving, and may the Maker watch over us all."
"The consequences be on your heads, Seeker, Warden." Roderick murmured as they walked past him.
"Noted." Cassandra laconically said.
"As usual." Aerea similarly said.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N
Writer's block with my other Dragon Age fic, so I'll try and approach the setting from another angle. Divine Justinia did want to have the Hero of Ferelden be the Inquisitor once it was clear Hawke was nowhere to be found, and here she does become the Inquisitor-to-be. Of course, as she implied early on, she's very much a morally-grey (no pun intended) Grey Warden who made certain…questionable, decisions during the Fifth Blight.
I'm sure you can guess some of those decisions, and wonder at the potential consequences thereof.
Last edited: