The Taint of Magic - A Solas x Lavellan Story

Whatever Happens Next

The first breath in Thedas knocked the wind right out of Evelyn as she stared at the broken land. The ground beneath them had shifted in colour, the lush green grass had been replaced by burnt black blades. She took steps forawrd towards the edge, below the cliff face was jaggard rocks that reached towards the scorched sky like spires. The homes of people were littered across the landscape, some in ruins and others looked brand new.

"what happened?" she asked out loud, turning towards the rest of the group. Many had equal reactions, but the few who knew what had happened lowered their gazes. "Solas?" Evelyn added, seeing the wolf frowning ahead. Past her head.
"Your absence was felt across the world and having something reach into our realm damaged the already frail veil. It didn't last long. I dont have the strength to build it again and without the inquisitor...."
"The world literally fell apart..." Evelyn finished and breathed out, turning back towards the nightmarish world. They could have easily stayed in Skyrim and lived a comfortable life. How was she supposed to fix this?

Easy. Open The Black Gates, Dragon.

The voice was clear as day and sounded oh, so familiar. Evelyn blinked and glanced around. If the veil had fallen then the fade was now one with the real world? Where was the black city and the gates? She followed the horizion until the black shadows came into view. IT sent a shiver down her spine as she gazed at the city that once held the gods. The home of those who brought ruin to her people.
"Evelyn?" Solas was beside her, his eyes trying to search hers. "What is the matter?" he asked, probing, trying to read her mind once again.

"We need to go to the Black City." She spoke softly, hoping the others wouldnt hear. "We can find power there, hopefully enough to fix this mess." she added and huffed. One problem after another. Solas frowned and looked away, could he face that place now?
"On the condition you tell me of your dealings with those Deadra." Solas said with a final frown. Evelyn blinked and glanced at her lover, he was heading towards the others. Starting to explain their half made plan. How could she describe the things she did? Those dark days where she had no light guiding her? The people she killed, the demons she conspired with? All in the name of the next battle. Gulping faintly, she shook her head and headed back towards the group. She would have to decide what she told him and what to with-hold. Then again, she was thinking about the Dread Wolf. Bad Omen of the Dalish and bringer of destruction.

"Are you both crazy!" Varric huffed, pacing the little cliff, Evelyn tried not to smile as she saw him cuss in a variety of ways. "Just walk right up to the maker and ask for a cup of brew?!" he glared at Evelyn when she finally laughed.
"I believe the Maker prefers wine, but semantics. You don't HAVE to come, you know?" Evelyn added, looking at her friends. One by one. "We can't all go anyway, some need to round up any survivors and take them back to Skyhold. It should be there by now." Evelyn added and turned to Solas. "A small group, of four? that way we can evade the demons." she followed her train of thought and turned back to the others. "Like old times. We have already lost our General. I'm not putting anyone else in pointless risk just beacuse I may be right."
"You always are."
"Thanks Varric for that tone, anyway, Cass. You take Bull, Vivinne and Sera and see what you can do. Varric, Solas and Dorian come with me. Any sign of Cole?" she asked, looking around with a slight frown. The few with her reamined silent, and that gave her the anwser she didn't want.

The group said their farewells and went seperate ways, one heading North towards Skyhold (hoping something was there, instead of the gaping hole that had been left) and the other heading South, towards the Black City.

-- Later on... --

The path was broken, dangerous and full of pitfalls. Dorian had many sharp remarks about how he even missed the rain off the Stormcoast. Varric was eerily silent as they made their climb and Solas was still waiting for her to open up about her past. Overall, the atmosphere was heavy and all wrong for what it used to be. The world had no day or night in place, it seemed to grow darker before lights danced across the sky. Stars were hidden amoung the clouds and the sun was missing entirely. How anyone coped in this choas made Evelyn wonder if the ancient elves had not been Immortal at all and just very sleep deprived. Or prehaps it could be due to the damaged world? What if the damaged caused by her being ripped from one world into the other had caused everything to go on its head?

It wasn't until they raeched the entrance to the Black City that the reality of the situation hit them. Giant chasms of blackness dotted around them and the defeaning silence made it all hit home to hard. There wasn't any demons either, nothing jumped out at them. Nothing tried to eat them and each step made the group shiver deep in their hearts.

"If only my father could see me now." Dorian sighed and looked back towards Evelyn. "He would finally be proud."
"He already was, Dorian." Evelyn smiled sadly. It had been a few years since his father had been killed in the deadly game. Even longer sing Dorian had made up with him. How long had it taken for them to be in the same room as each other? Evelyn recalled the day he got that letter.
"The chantry sisters would be having kittens too. An Imprium magistrate, elven apostate and a dwarf? Its like a bad joke." Varric mused, bringing laughter back to them.

"It wasn't always named the Black City." Solas spoke softly, gazing longingly at the giant statues and pillars. "It was once home." he added. Causing the others to blink in shock. Solas had rarely shared any information about himself and here he was, offering it up freely.

"I think we better fix this world before he begins his life story. I dont need anymore rivals, thanks." Varric teased and walked ahead.

Are you ready to make good on our deal?

The voice returned, causing Evelyn to flinch slightly. The deal? What deal? It was then, in that moment, she recalled how all this started. She was on borrowed time. Her heart seemed to stop cold, she was never going to make it out of this city and it was only now that realization was hitting her. No matter what they tried, she was already dead and being a corpse only had one job. It was funny, all those times running around the Hinterlands and delving into the deep roads, all those brushes with death had made her feel so alive. Yet, as she walked ever closer to the heart of the city, she felt dread and a deep cold settle inside her spirit.

The center of the city was a giant acropolis. Buildings of pristine white blocks, beautiful mosaics depicting battles and heroic deeds, flowers that had never been seen by mortals and beautiful carvings of people, elves and animals. Eveyn frowned as she noticed that this one circle of buildings completely mismatched with the rest of the area. The black buildings they had walked past had dissolved into these ones. What was she to do here?

"Welcome back, Dragonborne." her voice rang so many bells and yet, it caused her to freeze.

"Pan." Evelyn looked up at the top of some marble stairs and there she was. Clad in white robs and silver jewellery. She looked so much like the statues that dotted the square. The others seemed to have lost their voices as Evelyn took steps away from them and towards her. The goddess smiled warmly and took the warriors hands into hers.

"I was so worried that this world would be lost, but you returned and at great cost I feel. Are you ready?" she asked, voice as soft as silk and almost as sweet as honey. Evelyn nodded slowly and glanced back towards her friends. "Thank you, for bringing her here safely. Thanks to you, things may be fixed." the old one added and finally looked at Solas.

"Dread wolf, was it? You have much to do, don't you?" she gave a small smile, "and you, child of stone. To come so far, it is truely remarkable. May the stone and myself, keep you safe in future." she spoke to Varric this time and finally, Dorian came into her sight. "You have fought enough, little mage, for home and love. Enjoy the one you call Bull. He will protect what little you have left." she said sadly and finally turned to Evelyn. "Have you said your goodbye for now?" she asked. Evelyn shook her head, no, but she wasnt going too either.

"I will see them again, soon. Lets get this over with..." she muttered. Solas tried to move but felt his whole body frozen. Even with Mythals power and his own, he was powerless in this being presence. Varric and Dorian was the same. Each tried to call out, to stop her, to try and help. But nothing worked. The giant gates before them opened wide and a bright light shot out. Envolping all that saw it, burning and calming. Hot and cold. The light brought them all together and blew them all apart. Was this the end?

The last thing SOlas thought was how sad his heart had been, how lost and alone, and how he had only made that worse for her...