Fade Into Me
Chapter One
The Beginning of the End
A Venatori cultist flies out the door of the bar, rolling down the stairs and landing unceremoniously with a thump and a groan. The two patrons standing outside spare him an initial glance of shock before continuing their conversation. After all, it’s not uncommon for people to be thrown out of bars. And they’re not overly fond of the Venatori.
From where he stands, leaned against the building in the shadows, Varric spies a green glow fading from the center of the man’s chest, and shakes his head with a chuckle. Oh, little Rook.
”Now, let’s try this again.” Inside the bar, the green glow fizzles out of Lyra’s hands as she brushes them together, removing the imagined filth. She turns back to the bartender and tilts her head. ”Where’s Neve Gallus?”
The woman examines her nails in disinterest from her place atop the counter. “You think you can come into my bar and make demands?” Her tone is almost haughty, and when she finally looks up she may as well be looking down her nose. Not an uncommon look for an elf to receive in Minrathous.
”It’s not a demand. It’s an offer.” Lyra steps forward, raising her hands placatingly when the four Venatori start to crowd her. “Telling me what I need to know is the smart play here.”
The woman scrutinizes her, and for a moment time seems to still. Her sharp, dark eyes pierce her skin as they rake across her, before motioning her forward. The Venatori follow closely at her sides, towering over her small form as she moves. “How do you figure, sweet talker?”
Lyra’s steps are quiet and light as she walks further in, almost gliding across the cracked stone floor. The Venatori are loud in comparison. Loud steps, loud clothing, loud breathing.
“Neve Gallus is my only shot at finding the Dread Wolf. I need to know where she is.”
The bartender picks up the cup, presumably filled with wine, sitting beside her on the counter and takes a drink as Lyra comes to a stop in front of her. Once again she looks completely disinterested, and Lyra feels a prick of annoyance. She’s never liked overly smug people who can’t be bothered to help others unless there’s something in it for themselves. That’s not how she was raised.
“We were supposed to meet here, in your bar, but you let Venatori cultists drag her away.”
“I didn’t ‘let them’.” She looks at Lyra almost smugly as she places the cup back down. “They paid me.”
“So, answer my questions, and walk away with the coin.” She shrugs lightly, her vibrant green eyes almost glowing in the candlelight as she leans gently against the counter. “Or spend it cleaning up the place when I’m through. Your choice.”
The woman is silent for a moment, observing, and then, “You’re adorable.” She coos, before lowering herself from the counter. “Dumat Plaza. That’s where you’ll find Neve Gallus.”
She turns away and motions for one of the Venatori to follow her out, only to stop when Lyra thanks her. She has a look of gentle condescension when she looks back at her again, as if she’s a child who’s wandered away from her parent and is moments away from stepping into a very obvious trap.
“You want to get yourself killed fighting the Venatori, it’s your ass.”
She doesn’t linger after that final almost-threat, finally leaving through the back door with the one Venatori following after her like a loyal, blood-soaked little dog.
The remaining Venatori share a look once the door closes behind her, which causes Lyra to push away from her lean against the bar. Here we go..
“That offer’s good for all of you, too.” She looks between them with a raised brow, watching as they roll their shoulders and crack their knuckles. “No?”
Green swims around her fluttering fingers as they close in on her once more. Have they forgotten that she sent their friend flying through the door only moments ago? Have they forgotten how she did that?
..Are those cowls squeezing their brains?
But, before either side can swing first, so to speak, another voice sounds from the entrance.
“If they won’t listen to you, they can always listen to Bianca.”
Varric stands just inside the doorway when they turn, aiming his crossbow directly at them with a firm look on his face. He doesn’t give them a chance to move away on their own before firing a flurry of bolts between them, forcing them to either jump back or be hit.
She smiles as they reluctantly slink away through the back door, but not before one points at Varric in an attempt to look threatening. It doesn’t work, and the dwarf simply ignores him. She laughs.
“Your friend Neve Gallus is at Dumat Plaza.”
“I heard.” Varric grabs a bottle and a mug left on a table. Surely the owner won’t mind if they have a drink before they go. Hell, what does he care if she does or not? She works with the Venatori. She’s lucky they don’t drain her dry. “That’s why you’re my second-in-command.”
He empties the bottle into two mugs before placing one in front of her. “Although, for the record, you might be too charming for your own good.”
”Well, I learned from the best.” She smiles that innocent little smile she would do when she was young and he can’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah.”
They each take a quick drink before Lyra glances outside and places her mug back down. ”We should get going. Harding’ll be worried.”
”Alright, breaks over.” Varric downs the rest of his drink before leading the way up the steps and out the door.
Lyra’s eyes do a quick sweep over the bar as they leave; the knocked over chairs and table from when Neve was taken. She hopes she’s alright. Also, ”I hope Neve’s as good at finding people as you claim.”
”She’s the best damn detective I’ve ever met.” Varric assures. “If she says she’s got a lead on Solas, I believe her.”
They stop abruptly upon exiting the bar and finding search lights scanning the city. Lyra’s heart plummets. Shit.
“The Archon’s Palace! Something must’ve gotten them riled up.”
“Venatori? Or Solas?”
Varric hums in thought, before nodding and heading down the steps. “Come on.”
They walk casually past the people in the little square, careful not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. Just like he taught her. Act like you belong and the chances of someone noticing you are lower.
Lyra only stops briefly to drop some coins into a vagabond’s bowl. “Andraste bless you.”
She smiles softly at the elven man before returning to Varric’s side. They stop again briefly when a man in their path lifts a box back onto his broken cart. She follows closely behind her da as he sidles around the mess of wood and merchandise, careful to not step on anything important.
Right as they round the corner, one of the spotlights suddenly stops and focuses on a woman in front of them with a blare of a siren. Everyone else flees as quickly as they can, cowering in fear as a voice echoes over the amplifier.
”You there! Halt!”
”Wait!” The woman pleads while raising her shaking hands. “But I didn’t do anything!”
”Get down!” Varric scurries forward and presses himself against the wall, holding his hand out behind him to keep her there as well.
They both peer around the corner, watching as the woman lowers herself to the wet ground with her arms above her head, and Lyra’s heart clenches at her fear.
”We have to do something!” She tries to step around him, only to be stopped by his grip on her arm, and she looks down at him with her brows scrunched in a plea for him to let her go. “Da-“
”I know, Rook.” Varric squeezes her arm with a sigh. His daughter, the bleeding heart. “But we don’t have time to get arrested, especially if-“ He’s cut off by a loud tearing sound, almost like lightning. Their hair whips around their faces as the wind picks up and rain begins to fall.
And then comes the roars of demons.
Lyra feels something pull somewhere inside her, and Varric is sure to keep her behind him as they push away from the wall. Their eyes widen in horror at the sight before them.
Directly above the Archon’s Palace is a bright, glowing tear, growing larger as they look up at it. It shifts between blue and white and green and Lyra would think it beautiful if she didn’t know what it was. What it meant.
”Ohh, crap.”
“We’re too late!”
”The ritual’s started. But if we hurry, we can still stop Solas before it finishes.”
The rain falls harder, sticking her white blonde hair to her cheeks, and the few people who are still out hurry to get indoors as lightning flashes across the sky. The air feels heavy not just from the sudden storm, but from magic. It crackles and seeps into Lyra’s skin, curling around her shoulders like a hug and warming her deep in her core.
”Let’s go. Harding’s this way.”
Lyra follows behind her father as he hurries out of the market, trying to ignore the terror filled screams echoing through the air as demons fill the streets.
”She’ll get us to Dumat Plaza, then Neve will get us to Solas.”
She feels it just before it ploughs through their path; a rage demon. “Watch out!”
It jumps the wall next to them, barely missing Varric, but luckily it pays them no mind as it runs off. Lyra watches it scurry up the side of a building, breaking a scaffolding and sending charred wood flying.
”I can feel the Veil weakening!” She shouts over the noise, watching as two more rage demons grab two people right in front of them before darting away. “They’ll just keep coming through more and more tears until he stops!”
Varric throws a worried glance at her. “You going to be okay?”
The bridge in front of them explodes before she can do more than open her mouth, and she’s knocked to the ground with a gasp.
A pride demon is in front of her when the dust clears, looking down at her. Her skin buzzes with something familiar, and the demon seems to.. settle, almost. Relax. She hesitantly raises her hand towards it, hearing but ignoring her father’s warning. What if she just-
She gasps as it’s suddenly knocked back by a shot from the palace. Her eyes fill with tears at its pained shrieks, watching as it’s hit two more times before it falls away, disappearing from her view. She feels her da’s hands pulling her to her feet, and hears his gentle voice in her ear.
“Come on, little Rook.” He gives her a tug before letting go and carefully making his way across a stone beam. “This way should get us to Harding.” He waits at the other side, watching her with patience despite their rush.
Lyra casts one last look back at the ledge before shaking her head and following behind him. She needs to focus. She can mourn it, and all the others, later.
Thankfully the next corner they round leads them straight to Harding. And a mother and child she protects from a despair demon. Her arrow pierces through right where its heart would be.
“You’re safe now. Get inside and bar the doors, quick as you can, okay?”
The mother quickly thanks her, holding her terrified child close to her chest and hurrying into the building beside them. They can only hope they’ll be alright. That most of Minrathous’ citizens will be alright.
”Harding. You alright?”
”I’ve been doing what I can to help. The ritual must be weakening the Veil. There are a lot of scared people out here.”
”And a lot of demons. Haven’t seen this many come through the Fade in years.” He throws a glance at Lyra as she scans the area around them, watching as more tears open up in the sky. The Palace fires directly at them, in hopes of stopping the demons before they can come through. They’re not entirely successful.
”What about you two? Are you okay?”
Varric nods when her eyes go to him, and that turns her attention to Lyra.
The pride demon flashes in her mind just briefly before she pushes it away. “I’m okay.” She quietly assures the both of them before moving on to something more pressing. “Do you have my gear?”
“Right over there.” Harding nods to her pack and staff leaning neatly against the wall behind her. “Where’s Neve Gallus? Wasn’t she at the meeting point?”
”The Venatori got to her first.” Lyra quickly throws her pack over her shoulders before gripping her staff, feeling the welcome warmth that comes with it. She leans against it while speaking. “They grabbed her before we arrived and paid off the bar owner to keep it quiet.”
“I’m not surprised our detective did something to piss off a cult of murderous blood mages, but their timing stinks.” He rolls his eyes before they come into a huddle. “The bar owner said the Venatori took Neve to Dumat Plaza. Can you get us there, Harding?”
“Not a problem.” She steps back and casts her eyes around them. “I saw Dumat Plaza while I was scouting the area.. and it was crawling with Venatori. Follow me.”
A tear opens up not far from them and three despair demons come flying out of it. Varric shouts a warning and they dispatch them as quickly as possible, moving together fluidly.
“I know Solas always talked about how beautiful the ancient world was, but..” Lyra voices, her eyes doing another scan of the damage around them. “Is this truly worth it?”
Lyra remembers the times when her da would be out on a mission with the Inquisitor, and the others would take turns entertaining her. Her favorite was Dorian. But Solas would sometimes entertain her with stories. Sometimes he’d paint while he talked.
He’d tell her about the places he had visited in the Fade and tell her their magnificent histories. She eventually learned that he hadn’t just visited those places in his dreams. He’d really been there.
“That world existed before the Veil, and he wants it back.”
“Even if his ritual kills us all in the process.”
It takes longer than they’d like to reach Dumat Plaza, having to fight through Venatori cultists as well as demons. Varric laughs when Lyra sends one flying over the edge with a stone fist.
They finally come to a stop in front of a huge dome of ice, quickly dispatching the Venatori just in front of it. Varric sends an aggressive flurry of bolts at one who calls him out personally, claiming ‘they own these streets’.
“This looks like Neve’s work, not the Venatori’s.”
Lyra cautiously approaches and peers at the surface. It is magic. She lifts her hand to attempt to dispel it, but it melts away just before her fingers can touch it. On the other side stands the woman Lyra safely assumes is Neve Gallus, at the center of four frozen Venatori. One lays at her feet with her wand embedded in their back.
”Varric, Harding. Not the worst timing.” The Venatori to her right falls.
”Neve!” Harding exhales in relief as they descend the steps towards her. “It’s so good to see you. We thought the Venatori had kidnapped you.”
”They thought the same thing.” She pulls her wand from the Venatori with a smirk and they make their way through the courtyard, eyes scanning for threats despite how quiet it seems. Harding’s grip on her bow doesn’t loosen either. “A lot of Venatori in this city have reason to hate me. Figured I’d play along, find out who wanted to settle the score this time. Then the sky started raining demons. So, I’m back on the job.”
”Appreciate it. Rook, this is Neve Gallus, our local expert. She’s gonna help us find Solas.” They follow Neve up one set of steps and then another, into a small crumbling building. “Neve, meet Rook.”
”Your daughter?” She throws a smile over her shoulder at Lyra. She’s a little thing. Barely taller than Varric and Harding, but Neve knows that means nothing.
”Nice to meet you. We came prepared for a rescue. Looks like you were way ahead of us.”
”A rescue? You’re sweet.”
”You said you had a lead?” Everything around them abruptly shakes with an earthquake, flickering the lights above them, as if to punctuate the sense of urgency.
”I haven’t seen Solas in person, but I did finds hints of old magic. Similar to what you get in elven ruins.” She gives Lyra a look of interest. “A little similar to you, too. I traced it to a building beneath Our Lady of Victory.” She walks towards the back of the room and points to the gigantic statue not too far away. “That’s where your man is hiding.”
”Then let’s go.” Varric says. “Before this ritual he’s doing gets any worse.”
“Worse?” Neve throws him a look. “This ritual is already drawing more power than I’d expect from a dozen mages. You told me he was working alone.”
”I also told you he was an ancient elven god.” Varric drawls and Lyra can’t help the little smile it brings to her lips.
”An elven god. Well, whatever he is he’s causing trouble in my city.” Her grip on her wand tightens. “Let’s go.”
A templar’s voice echoes through the amplifier as they carefully hop down the ledges. “All citizens in the Canal District must remain in their homes.”
Lyra can’t help but think all citizens everywhere should remain in their homes.
“So, if we do catch Solas- or the Dread Wolf- What’s the plan?” Neve asks when Lyra halts them to let a rage demon fly past them.
”He wants to bring down the Veil. Hopefully that ritual takes his full attention.”
”If we have to fight him..” Lyra mumbles, leaving it open ended. They all know they won’t stand a chance if it comes to that. Whether he calls himself one or not, compared to them he is a god. They can only hope he’ll listen to them. The people he spent years knowing. His friends. His family.
They reach the base of the statue in no time.
“There. That’s the building I tracked Solas to.”
”Looks like the Venatori also found it. And then demons found them!”
They’ve barely finished crossing the bridge before more demons surface in front of them. Lyra sends a wave of Rift magic at the one nearest to her, sizzling across its form before Varric fires a bolt through its chest.
”Enchantment on the entrance.” Neve voices once the last demon is dealt with. “I can get it.”
Lyra watches as her brilliant blue magic swirls around her hands and dissolves the door right before their eyes, gaining them entry into the rocky cavern.
“So, this is the Dread Wolf’s hideout.”
”One of them, at least.” Varric nods as they carefully climb the stone outcroppings. “Not sure how long he’s been here.”
Lyra briefly eyes a painting on one of the walls once they reach the top; ancient elves, and a wolf howling at the breach. They find broken chains and shackles on top of some rubble further in.
“Broken chains.” Neve remarks. “Solas was freeing slaves.”
”Solas hates slavery. One of the few things we actually agreed on.”
“He said the other elven gods were tyrants who oppressed his people. He was trying to help them.”
There’s a hole in the wall next to them, and their surroundings change from cave to ancient elven structure. Lyra climbs down first and leads the way into another room with intricate golden windows.
She peers through the larger one at the center and gasps softly at what stands in the room below them, emitting a brilliant blue glow she hasn’t seen in a long time.
“What do you see?” Varric asks, just a few steps behind her, and her voice is awed when she answers.
”It’s an eluvian.”
“Shit. He must’ve gone through it.”
“I take it this is some sort of door.” Neve guesses while looking down at it herself, receiving a nod from Lyra.
”Eluvian means ‘seeing glass’.” She explains as they squeeze through a crack in one of the walls. “They act as doorways that can take you to any other eluvian anywhere in the world. Solas uses them to get around quickly.”
Neve hums in interest before Lyra stops in front of a mural painted on the wall; six elves surrounding a dragon, bound in chains. Looking at the poor thing makes her stomach churn.
”Ancient elves doing something to.. a dragon.”
”Trying to control it maybe?” Neve suggests, coming to a stop beside her and peering closely at it as well. Her face is equally perturbed.
“Solas said the other elven gods were evil. If they were binding dragons, he was right about that much at least.”
They quickly make their way to the eluvian room after that, gently wading through the cool, clear, shallow water. The mirror hums with pure magic and Lyra doesn’t hesitate to walk towards it. She remembers sitting with Kieran in front of his mother’s eluvian, reading old books and eating pastries when their parents were in meetings.
”Here we go again.” Varric mumbles as he follows behind her.
Lyra feels the eluvian’s magic seep into her, caressing her skin, holding her warmly as they step through it. They immediately emerge in a forest on the other side, and the wind and rain against their skin is an abrupt change from the calm still air of the cave.
“Well, we’re not in Minrathous anymore.”
”I know these trees. This is Arlathan Forest.”
”And there’s your ritual.” Neve points to the space with tall elven statues far away from them, and blue magic circling the sky. “The power involved- I’ve never seen anything like it.”
At that moment another beam shoots up into the sky from one of the statues, shaking the ground beneath their feet and causing them to stumble.
”The tremors are getting worse!”
A group of despair demons materialize in that moment and soar towards them, and Lyra can feel how much more frenzied these ones are, being so close to the ritual.
”And we’ve got demons!”
Lyra spins on her toes and swings her staff out towards them, sending green spikes shooting up from the ground and forcing the demons back a step.
”Nice one.” Neve compliments before launching her own attacks with the others.
They’re moving as soon as the last demon falls.
“The Fade’s a mess.” Lyra mumbles in dismay as they clamber up the hill and over stones. “It feels wrong.”
”Deep breath, little Rook.” Her da soothes. “Stay with us.”
Another beam shoots into the sky, sending another tremor their way.
“Does it feel like those tremors are getting worse?” Harding worries and Varric is quick to urge them forward.
”Keep moving and try not to think about it.”
They fight through more and more demons the closer they get to the ritual sight, and Neve’s fighting quickly blends wonderfully with the others’. She freezes the last despair demon and Lyra sends a stone fist into it, shattering it on impact.
“Quite a few of them, aren’t there?”
”Nothing compared to how many we’ll get if Solas finishes his ritual.”
They finally see the ritual sight just before them, just a few more feet, a few more bricks, but a pride demon forms in their way before they can take another step.
The fight barely even starts and Lyra is forced to Fade step through the space, constantly avoiding its attacks as she seems to have drawn its ire. A few attacks nearly clip her. She feels the electricity right on her heels as she runs.
”Watch the lightning!” Harding warns them all as it sends purple lightning at them, before Neve huffs with her shouted question.
”How’d a demon this large get through the Veil?”
”It’s a pride demon! Damn thing probably sensed Solas’ ego!” Varric snarks.
Lyra can’t help but laugh, the sound dancing around them as she dodges another shot of lightning, before bringing her staff above her head, rising to her toes and swinging down. A large meteor forms above the demon and smashes into it, knocking it down and killing it.
”Everyone alright?” Harding’s eyes scan the three of them as they catch their breath, Lyra especially, but she nods.
”Good enough. Let’s get to Solas.”
They clamber up the remaining wall separating them from Solas. Finally.
Varric peers around the corner at Solas atop the stairs, hand extended into the air at the center of the ritual. Neve and Harding take on the demons that manifest behind them as he sighs.
”Alright. I’ll take it from here.”
Neve turns back to look at him in worry as he puts Bianca away. “Are you sure?”
”Positive. You three just keep the demons off me while I talk to him.”
”Varric,” Harding frets, her brows scrunched together in worry. “Solas isn’t going to stop just because an old friend asks nicely.”
”Solas needs someone to sell him another option, to help him justify changing his mind.” Varric’s voice is strong as he looks back at her. He has to try. He has to hope.
”Please be careful.” Lyra tries to make her voice strong, but they all hear the slight tremor of worry it holds. “We’ve got your back.”
”Thanks, little Rook. Whatever else he is, he’s my friend. And if he won’t listen to me.. then he’ll hear from Bianca.” His typical joke feels far heavier than it usually does and it has Lyra shuffling a little closer to him.
Another part of the wall falls in front of them, and Neve and Harding are forced to hold back more and more demons as they materialize.
”Take care of the team for me.” His eyes scan her face one more time, seemingly committing her features to memory, especially those big green eyes, before he rounds the corner calmly.
Lyra watches him for only a moment before she has to turn and help Neve and Harding with the demons before they become overrun.
“Alright. Let’s buy him some time.”
Lyra tries to push her worry for her da to the back of her mind, focusing on the demons in front of her. Focusing on the feeling running through her veins.
It’s not only the demons who are different, stronger, this close to the ritual. She feels as if she barely has to strain herself as she sends wave after wave of magic at the oncoming demons.
”I hope Varric is getting through to Solas.” Harding’s voice sounds to her left before she sends an arrow through the face of one of the demons.
They hurry towards a gap in the wall during a break of demons to watch Solas and Varric, though the onslaught of magic is too loud to make out what either is saying.
They watch as Varric pulls Bianca on him, and as Solas destroys her and sends her flying down the stairs.
”Shit! We need a better plan.”
Harding has her sights set on Solas, her aim steady. “Do you want me to take the shot?”
”Won’t work.” Neve shakes her head. “He’s too powerful.”
“What if we disrupt the ritual?”
”How?”
”See those statues?” Lyra points towards one at the back. “If we break the scaffolding holding that one up, the whole thing’ll come down on Solas.”
”It’s risky.” Neve warns, though seriously considering the idea. “Interrupting a ritual of this scale will have consequences.”
“And what about the demons? Varric needs us to hold them off.” Harding reminds them as a screech echos through the air further away from them.
Lyra nods to herself before jumping to her feet and climbing the scaffolding behind her. “You two stay here. I’ll bring down the statue.”
”What? No. Stepping into all that raw magic is suicide.”
”Not for me.” She turns her head to look at them, and they’re shocked, Neve more so than Harding, at the glow coming from her eyes.
“Lyra..”
”You both need to stay here to keep the demons busy. I can do this.” She nods her head firmly and stares Harding in the eyes, knowing her wanting Lyra to not go alone is for more personal reasons. A familial worry she too feels, but Lyra knows she is the one with the highest chances of getting in and out unscathed.
Harding ultimately sighs, before giving her a stern look. “Be careful. And good luck.”
“You too.”
They quickly separate as another swarm of demons comes their way. Lyra runs as fast as she can across the path, dodging falling boulders and balancing across beams. She briefly glances at Solas and Varric, still unable to make out what they’re saying, but she can tell it’s not going well. They’re arguing.
Her grip slips slightly from the rain while climbing over a fallen piece of the wall and she silently chastises herself. Come on, Lyra.
She crosses another beam, swaying slightly from the wind, before coming face to face with the statue she wants. “This is it.”
She grips her staff and sends a stone fist at the scaffolding, then another. She watches as most of the scaffolding falls around her, ducking her head for a moment to avoid the splinters that fly in the wind. She looks back up at it, waiting for it to fall, for the ritual to end..
But it’s not falling.
It’s not falling-
“Dammit!” She puts her staff on her back and scurries forward, pressing her hands against the remaining beam. “Come on, move!”
Her hands tingle as it shifts, and she pushes harder and harder, digging her feet into the ground and crying out “Move!” as it finally goes flying. She stumbles as she jumps out of the way of the falling statue, watching it slam into the one next to it like a set of dominoes that she follows. Just like she planned.
That is, until Solas catches the one falling towards him and sends its pieces flying back. Unknowingly sending them straight at Lyra as she runs across the walkway below.
She collides with the railing with a yelp and almost falls to her knees when her head spins from the force of the impact. Her hand grips the railing as she stumbles forward again, shaking off the dizziness. She has to get back to her da.
Her eyes dart away from the walkway as she climbs a pile of planks, up to Varric and Solas, just in time to see them fighting over Solas’ dagger.
Just in time to see Solas twist it, and send it right into Varric’s chest.
“Da!”
Her scream cuts through the wind. She pushes herself faster, fighting against the gusts as they grow stronger and louder. Enough to almost knock her off her feet before she reaches him at the base of the stairs.
But she does reach him. And she throws herself down next to him, knees colliding harshly with the ground, so hard there will be bruises later, and carefully rolls him into his back. “Da!”
Her hands flutter uselessly over his bloody chest as he grunts in pain. Her vision blurs. There’s so much blood.
He tries to say something, her name, to comfort her perhaps, but she doesn’t hear him.
There’s so much blood.
”Oh, no, no, no!” Her hands shake as she presses them carefully around the wound. “Harding! Neve!”
Her teary, glowing eyes rise to Solas, catching his look of shock before her gaze is drawn behind him to the tear. It grows larger, green like her eyes. Eyes that widen as two figures emerge behind him just before he himself turns towards it.
She can’t see his face, but from the way he raises his arms out slightly and steps back, she knows whoever these two figures are, they are not friendly.
Just as her eyes start to fall back to her da, to reassure him he’ll be okay, a wave of magic bursts from the top of the stairs, and she’s sent flying back into the wall behind her.
Her head snaps against the wet stone, and when her eyes open what feels like only a second later, everything blurs and spins around her. She barely hears Harding calling her name or feels her lifting her arm over her shoulders, and she stumbles over her feet as she’s pulled away.
She blindly reaches her hand back, reaching for Varric, before her eyes close.
When they open again she’s leaning back against the eluvian they came through with Harding and Neve somewhere in front of her. They're too blurry to focus on. Everything is so blurry.
She wants to turn her head to find her da, but she winces in pain the moment she tries. Her eyesight darkens further at the edges.
She reaches back with a shaky, heavy hand to feel the wet spot at the back of her head.
She winces again and pulls away as soon as she touches it, revealing her blood covered fingers, and her eyes falls closed once more.
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Finally! She’s here! Those of you who follow me know I’ve been trying to get this out for a while, but had some personal things happen that needed to be taken care of, and that pushed me back quite a bit.
Let me know what you think!
