Chapter Text
The world is singing, shaking in a seizure caused by a wound gone septic.
She could feel it in her bones, in her mind, and she knew she had to run.
Run from them. Chittering and clawing, trying to drag her away from the figure waiting at the end, bathed in fire and sunlight.
“Hurry!” The figure shouts, hands outstretched. The hands are too cold and they burn through her sweater and then she is hurtling, dropping though blistering fire, breath-stealing cold then dropping her onto ground too solid for her to handle and she-
Wakes up
_____________________________________________________________
Her eyes slowly, feeling sluggish and sore down to the bone.
Was it a dream? Or a nightmare?
She blinks off the vestiges of unconsciousness and glances around confused as she finds herself on a cold stone floor. Surrounding her is a circle of metal-shod boots and the glint of swords, gripped in tarnished gauntlets. In the reflection of one of the boots, she sees a glimmer of green originating from... her?
With a furrowed brow, she glances down. The sight of a green tear in her hand is almost as shocking as the blinding pain that rips through her arm and she feels her heart struggle to beat before settling back into its rhythm. There is blood in her mouth and while the shock subsides, the bone-deep ache does not. The sight assists a memory, a name. Green to verdant to Viridian.
There was something in a story she remembered, faintly, that was like this.
Her thoughts are interrupted by a slamming door and a figure clad in firelight and steel walking though, a quiet shadow slipping in behind them.
Viridian’s mind stutters as she sees them. Their faces are set in grim lines and her memory slips her names to go with the faces.
Before her stands Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast of the Royal Line of Nevarra, a figure from a game that she knows well.
The Seeker circles the kneeling girl, worn boots flecked with blood and ashes. The Nightingale (because who else?) watches, quiet and intent.
Lips near her ear startle her as the Seeker speaks. “Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now?” The Seeker’s growl is hoarse with anger and disuse. Viridian looks into her eyes for a moment, seeing bright sea-glass tinged with unending fire. The sight makes something in her chest constrict and it is suddenly hard to breathe as Cassandra continues. "The Conclave is destroyed, everyone who attended it is dead. Except for you" The words are ground out, and Viridian knows the Seeker wants her dead, blood dripping onto the floor for a crime she did not commit.
“I don't know what you’re talking about” She shakes out, tongue and mouth numb like most of her body. Her gaze darts to Leliana only to have her marked arm wrenched up and her chin grabbed to look at the enraged Seeker.
“Do not lie to me!” The hand on her chin grabs her marked hand and forces the fingers to uncurl, the emerald tear revealed. “Explain this!”
“I can’t!” Viridian lies. If she told the truth, the open truth that she knew, Cassandra wouldn't believe her. Neither of them would, and she would be stuck in the dungeon, dying and in pain, or worse.
“What do you mean you can’t!” The Seeker shakes her for good measure before tossing her on the ground with a clatter.
Viridian looks up from her new position, face solemn and serious. “I don't remember how I got here, or how it got there. I don't even know where I am” She can feel her throat tightening with the urge to cry, panic settling in. She can't cry right now, not here.
The Seeker puts a hand on her sword, the other grasping her hair and baring her neck. “Stop lying!” A step forward and then the Sister steps in.
“Cassandra! We need her alive” Leliana guides the sister away, back facing the chained girl. The two confer near the doorway, Cassandra facing her and Leliana’s face hidden. Leliana’s phrasing sends a shudder down Viridian's back. Alive, not whole. They could take what they needed to make her talk, so long as she was alive. She could feel the shaking start and felt the urge to curl up into a ball away from them.
Her mind is too occupied by dark thoughts when Leliana steps up. “Do you remember anything?” The full body flinch causes Leliana to glance to Cassandra, who has a furrowed brow and frown.
“I remember...” Viridian pauses. What does she remember? “I was running. There were these things chasing me. I was trying to get to the light and the woman. Then, I was here” Viridian’s eyes catch Leliana’s, trying to convince her that she isn't lying.
Leliana leans back from where she towered over her. “A woman?”
“She reached out to me, telling me to hurry. Then... nothing. I woke up here.” Viridian’s brow furrowed. She knew from the moment she saw Cassandra she would forget things. But to actually experience missing pieces like this, it was frustrating and she felt the urge to hit something. She needed those memories to help!
Cassandra sighs from near the door. “Go to the forward camp Leliana. I will take the prisoner to the rift.” The scowl is still firmly in place, but it is less severe now. Leliana nods and leaves the room, hand clasping the Seekers shoulder before she disappears.
Cassandra strides forward and unlatches the cuffs, keeping one hand on Viridian’s wrist at all times. The rope wound and tied around her arms is rough and chafes the skin of her wrists.
“Come” The Seeker commands, dragging her up. She grasps Viridian’s bicep and leads her up the stairs.
The first glance of light made Viridian’s eyes ache and water. After blinking away blindness, she saw a village covered in snow, frost, and ashes. But what caught her eye was the swirling vortex above their heads, shades of green and silver spiraling around it. It shouldn’t be beautiful, but it is. The sound of it makes her bones rattle and the blood in her mouth taste as sweet as honey.
“They are calling it the Breach,” Cassandra says aside to her. “It’s a rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave."
“An explosion?” Viridian’s eyes stay glued to the Breach. The Between here is a pressing, seemingly physical presence here. At home, it had been something she reached for, just out of her reach. But not here. Her hand twitches, spasming without pain. She grasps it with her other hand and forces it closed. It is harder than it should be, which is terrifying in itself.
Cassandra nods. “Unless we act soon, the Breach will swallow the world” She tries to turn to the sky, when the convulsing in Viridian’s hand becomes flaming seizure in her arm, matching the sudden scream of the Breach.
The Seeker watches as the girl falls to her knees, teeth gritted and holding a sparking and spitting hand to her chest. She is plainly trying not to scream in agony and for a moment Cassandra feels pity for this creature. It fades when she remembers the crime they are accused of, the crime that cost her-
“Each time the Breach grows, so does your mark, and it is killing you.” The Seeker kneels next to Viridian as she catches her breathe. “It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.” Cassandra hopes, prays to the Maker that she will not have to drag the prisoner to the rift. Her hope is answered when the girl nods, dark hair half covering one of her hazel eyes.
“Okay” Viridian’s voice is hoarse from holding in her scream, but it comes out strong. Her head lifts and she looks into the Seekers eyes, seeing fire and wrath and hope. “What can I do to help?”
Without an answer, the Seeker begins to guide her through a sea of tents and people. Each stare is a pin-prick against her skin, and each harsh word a stone thrown. Then a stone is thrown and Cassandra speaks, ignoring the yelp from Viridian.
"They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justina, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace among the Mages and the Templars. She brought their leaders together. Now they are dead" She keeps her gaze forward, ignoring the stones and pebbles hitting her prisoners back.
Soon they are at a large wooden door flanked by two soldiers in tarnished armor The doors open to reveal a bridge scattered with people.
“We lash out, like the sky, but we must think above ourselves, as She did. Until the Breach is sealed.” Cassandra turns to face Viridian,, hand straying to the knife at her back to cut her bonds. The tightening of her muscles is the only outward sign of Viridian’s fear. It makes Cassandra almost pause, knife out and ready. Does the girl think she would kill her? Leliana’s earlier words filter though, saying ‘alive’ and Cassandra feels a bolt of sick.
The prisoner is expecting to be tortured.
The ropes are cut quickly and the surprise on Viridian’s face is apparent. “You will not be harmed by me girl. You will have a trial, and if you are guilty you will be hung. But you will not be tortured” Cassandra promises. The relief in Viridian’s face is a cut, but her words make it deeper.
“Thank you, Seeker. If I am to die for a crime I cannot remember, I am glad it will be quick.” With that, Cassandra turns and Viridian follows.
“Where are you taking me, if I may ask?” The prisoner's voice is soft and Cassandra almost doesn't hear the question, for all the girl is almost touching her side.
The soldiers and scouts of the bridge are staring at the prisoner and Cassandra feels a hand brush her lower back before it retreats, like the girl wanted to hold onto her, but thought better of it. Her knife is still on her belt, and the girl is scared.
“Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach.” The Seeker mutters back to her before shouting to the guards at the end of the bridge. “Open the gate! We are heading into the valley!”
The two soldiers open the gate and Cassandra sees a leg kick out and feels the prisoner stumble into her. With a roll of her eyes, the girl is hauled back up by the collar of her sweater and laughter is cut off as the doors close.
The hill before them is covered in a mix of fire and snow, pock-marked with spiked walls facing towards the Breach. People run past them yelling about demons and Viridian’s blood runs cold. Demons. How could she forget something like that? Her mother's words of wisdom mean nothing here. Grounding and shielding won't work here, not with physical manifestations like Shades roaming the hillsides.
Viridian opens her mouth to ask about the demons when the Breach bursts again, matching the burst of pain in her hand. There is pain, flaming and keeping her hand in a claw, the nerves twitching in a cramp-like spasm as the mark sends shocks through her entire arm. She lets out a small cry before stifling it. No screaming, she won't scream. If he didn't make her scream, then this won't either. Vaguely she sees Cassandra kneeling next to her and feels hands on her shoulders, keeping her steady. The pain passes, but her hand stays locked up and full of static.
“The pulses are coming faster now” is the only thing the Seeker says as she helps Viridian up.
They walk a bit further before Cassandra speaks again. “The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts open. The more demons we face” She glances at a sprawled body on the ground, red seeping from beneath it. Viridian winces and has to swallow the sudden bile rising in her throat. Once she had wanted to be a mortician after seeing so many TV shows featuring them. But now, confronted by the rotting reality of one, her stomach roiled. Seeing the body prompts a question.
“How did I survive the blast?” is uttered quietly, not really looking for an answer. But the Seeker hears and answers anyway.
“They say you... stepped out of a rift, then you fell unconscious” A glance to Viridian, whose eyes are locked on the mark on her hand.
“Sounds about right” Viridian confirms.
“They also said a woman was behind you. But no one knows who she was” The question is unspoken. As if Viridian might know who the woman was. She is about to answer when the ground underneath Cassandra's feet crumbles as a bolt of emerald hits the bridge before them.
The two tumble and Viridian feels her shoulder and arm smack a stone. ‘Thats going to leave a bruise’ She thinks as she struggles into a sitting position. Looking around, she sees a broken crate full of weapons and an arm sticking out of the rubble. Panic sets in as she hopes it's not the Seeker. Her fear fades when she hears a groan and sees Cassandra swaying and holding her head to her right.
“Seeker!” Viridian shouts as she tries to free her leg. It was pinned beneath a stone, not broken but definitely bruised badly. Cassandra’s eyes are blurry for a moment before focusing on Viridian. A curse passes her lips as she helps Viridian out of the stone. As Viridian is about to thank the Seeker, a comet made of Fade hits the ice in front of them, skipping like a stone.
From one of the ‘ripples’ a thing shambles out of the ground, made of rags and stinking of decay. Not missing a beat, Cassandra unsheathes her sword and charge, leaving Viridian holding herself up against a stone watching the other ‘ripple’ begin to bubble.
Her brain freezes for a moment then goes into overdrive as a clawed forelimb swings out of the bubbling puddle. Her gaze flicks to the fight involving Cassandra and she knows that Cassandra won't have a chance help her.
Then her eyes land on the broken crate as the rest of the thing climbs out. Lunging forward, she grabs the nearest pole with a sharp thing on the end. It's a staff, the other side holding a pretty orb made of frosted glass and marble. Breaking the focus off, she hurls it at the Shade causing it to stagger, still weak from forming.
“Khazâd ai-mênu!” She shouted remembering a favorite battle cry. She may not have been dwarrow, but it gave her courage as she slashed at the Shade. Her brain remembered the feeling of steel under her hands and she let the muscles work, spinning the pole and hitting what she could, using sweeps to make it stagger and a Barbarian to keep it back.
The Shade tries to disarm her at one point, knocking the pole away. Thinking quickly, she throws out a foot, planting it in the shades chest and pushes it away. It gives the Shade an opening to slash at her foot, cutting her ankle.
A roar of rage erupts from her throat as she reverses her grip on her pole, holding it like a javelin and using the momentum of her kick, spears the Shade on her pole. With a gurgle, the Shade melts into a puddle and Viridian gives a mental cheer at the sight. Lungs burning, she grabs the spear from the goo and wrenches it up, looking for more enemies.
What she gets is an angry Seeker, shouting at her with her sword drawn. “Drop your weapon!”
With a clatter, the make-shift spear falls to the ground and Viridian lifts her hands into a placating gesture.
“Easy Seeker. I am unarmed.”
“You are not a mage” Cassandra grits, looking confused at the staff.
“Its a pole with a blade at one end. Works pretty well as a spear if you know how to use it” Viridian leaves out the fact that using it means spinning it with a flag attached. But Cassandra looks contemplative, which is a good sign.
“Pick it up. I cannot always protect you” The Seeker glances at the goo on the ground with disgust and makes a noise.
“Thank you” Viridian gingerly picks up the staff, the nerves in her marked hand still staticy and tight.
Fiddling with it, she tried to make sure the blade wasn't loosened when she hears Cassandra speak.
“What happened to your leg?” The Seeker is staring blatantly at her ankle and Viridian looks down to see blood spreading on her gray pants.
“It got too close for me to get it with my spear, so I kicked it away. It got a lucky shot. I’ll be fine” Viridian says, still looking down, only for her head to lift when she hears Cassandra make an angry noise.
“You know nothing about demon wounds apparently” Grabbing her arm, Cassandra guides Viridian to a stone and pulls out a small roll of gauze and a pot of salve. “Demons infect quickly when left untreated. I cannot heal you, but I can make sure infection doesn't set in.” She rolls up the pant leg and pauses. The gash is small, yes, but it's the black marks beneath the cloth that give her pause.
Small black butterflies marked the prisoner's leg, scattered and flying up her leg. The gash had split the smallest butterfly in half, making a sharp contrast against Viridans pale skin.
“Dammit. I hoped it wouldn't hit those” Viridian curses. Cassandra looks up from where she is applying the salve.
“You have many tattoos?” Cassandra asks, keeping her voice casual. Perhaps it is an assassin's mark? Or perhaps one for a mercenary company? Her head is filled with ideas that cease with Viridian’s next sentence.
“A few. That one just healed. Mostly they are small ones. My mother does tattoos for a living, so she lets me get one every once in awhile” Viridian stands after Cassandra is done, testing her ankle on the ice. Finding it stable and the binding not too tight she smiles at Cassandra. “Shall we continue?”
Cassandra nods and hands her a potion as they get moving. “Drink this. It will help stop the bleeding for now.”
Viridian mutters thanks as she chugs the potion. "Onward then?"
A nod is all she gets as they climb the small hill.