WIP
Searing pain jolted up Arthfaels arm, and he stumbled, passing it off as tripping on a stone at his companions worried glances.
It killed him to see them like this, to see the fear in the eyes of his best friends - his family.
Josephine had been terrified when the anchor acted up in front of her, but he begged her not to tell anyone, least of all Dorian.
Oh, Dorian certainly suspected something was wrong, but Arthfael couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth. Not yet.
But as he used the mark to protect them, his eyes enveloped in a ghostly green, and a million questions on Dorian's face, he knew there was no more time to delay. He was dying, and Dorian deserved to know, to say goodbye, before...
Arthfael fell to his knees, Fade energy bursting around him, the pain from the anchor shooting up through his now burning arm, and into his shoulder and chest. It felt as if a rift was forming inside of him, long tendrils of green going across the Veil as he was dragged up into the air by his hand.
He only had time to cover his face with his good arm before the air around him exploded, and huge waves ripped through the Veil with enough strength to alter time.
Arthfaels companions were thrown back in slow motion before time sped up again, and he dropped to the ground with a pained gasp.
Cassandra was the first to get back up, and she rushed over to his side, pulling him up gently, strangely reminiscent of the first time he closed the Breach. Back when the anchor was a blessing, helping to restore order to Thedas, and not something that was destroying him from the inside.
He brushed back his hair with the back of his hand, and saw Cassandra try not to gasp. The entire left side of his face was covered in green, glowing lines, matching the ones covering his left arm.
'Arthfael...' She looked pained, and Arthfael bent his head apologetically.
'We,' he grimaced as Sera and Dorian joined them, 'We have to find Solas, and fast.'
'Amatus,' Dorian stepped closer, and Arthfael averted his gaze. He couldn't bear to deal with this, not right now. Perhaps not ever.
'Why didn't you say something?' Dorian sounded heartbroken, and Arthfael felt tears gather in his eyes in return.
' I could've done something, I could've-'
'Stop,' Arthfael chocked out. 'You couldn't have done anything. No one could. I wanted to tell you, but I- I'm sorry.' He bit back a sob and held Dorian's gaze.
'I love you.' And with that, he rubbed his eyes and turned away, trying to stay in the role of the Inquisitor - while he still could.


















