Into the Stars

Chapter Seven

Maddening Darkness - Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within 150 feet to fill a 60-foot-radius sphere until the spell ends. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness. Nonmagical light, as well as light created by spells of 8th level or lower, can't illuminate the area. Shrieks, gibbering, and mad laughter can be heard within the sphere. When a creature starts its turn in the sphere, make a wisdom saving throw or take 8d8 psychic damage (half on a success)

I imagined the little sword dance Geralt and Lambert have while they fight the wild hunt in tw3 for the first group in the arena, minus the fireball at the end of the cutscene, I suppose.

Neither of us felt much better in the morning. Nevertheless, Decius is eager to participate in the arena.

It's early, far before Cass usually wakes. Solas is only walking with us because Decius woke him getting out of the bed. But it seems that days start early in Stone-Bear hold.

"So! You've come to test yourself?" An Avvar says as we approach.

"We have!"

"Our warriors want your measure, Inquisitor! Bring us an offering, and we'll let you fight Hakkon's trials. Stone-Bear Hold would know if the spirits favor you. So would I."

"Really? Sounds like a great way to start my day. What kind of offering? I would very much like to participate in ritual combat, please."

"Valuable materials for weapons and armor. Metals and the like."

"Wonderful! I have them right here." Decius fishes around in his bag, pulling out a smaller sack before handing it off. "I know the two of us are participating. It's up to you if you'd like to join, Solas."

"It is not often I get to merely watch either of you fight, much less the two of you at once. Besides, best not to bloody the entire party before breakfast."

"Fair. Alright, Just the two of us, then."

"Excellent! Step onto the grounds and we'll begin after a small opening ceremony."

"If I may, I have words for a ceremony, nothing else needs to change."

"It would be a nice change of pace, to see what the Inquisition could bring to us."

~

We stand in a circle with the other participants, weapons on the ground and against the walls surrounding us in the underbelly of the arena. There is one, not dressed in armor but painted all the same, wafting incense. Not in a censer, but a small goblet, and is using some collection of feathers to spread the smoke, before he sets the instruments on the ground and then, he too, joins the circle.

We all look at each other, before one by one they close their eyes, until Decius and I are left gazing at each other.

I nod and close mine.

"Remember that we all are brothers." Decius' voice echoes in the chamber.

We repeat.

"All people," it is a wondrous feeling, participating in a ritual again.

" All people."

"And beasts and trees,

And stone and wind,

We all descend from the one great being,

That was always there,

Before people lived and named it,

Before the first seed sprouted."

After a few moments of silence, without another line, we open our eyes and disband the circle.

It was time to fight.

And as Decius said,

Unhinged.

The first thing I see when I enter the arena is a stack of crates. Those will not last long. Some of who we met below split left and right around the edges. Six against two? That hardly seems fair.

Decius yells over the rocks, "we're a little crazy, just so you know!" He turns to me, "no magic?"

"That's so boring. And what I do every day."

"Yeah but, we're overpowered."

"... and killing is against the rules. Just half the damage. Can't be too hard." I look up, or should I be looking down? "Don't let them die, they're not ready." The wind is eerily still. It's all on us, then.

Decius pulls a sword out, from seemingly nowhere. I have no idea where or from who he got it from. It looks almost as tall as him.

"Fine. Let's go." I twirl my swords and follow him to the center.

They circle around us quickly, but He trained us well for these situations. Life's way is suffering, after all, isn't it? We move and spin together, changing focus in a way that the Avvar weren't expecting. Though, with the future participants watching above us, we won't be able to pull the same thing again.

~

By the third group we were beginning to slow down. A taller Avvar with a hammer is just about to swing down on me, with Decius too far to pull me out of the way through the shadows, as the Anchor pulses a question, protect?

Yes, I would like that very much. I drop a sword and hold my hand up, as if I could catch the hammer, and it bounces off of a force field. I forgot it could do that. I pick up my sword and Decuis is forced to join me under the shield.

"This is interesting."

The large Avvar tries to swing at us again, but he just stumbles back. "Don't hide, lowlanders!"

"Don't hide?" I grin, "try to find me, then."

"Now you've done it," I hear Dec mumble from beside me. His own grin looks a little crazed. I can only imagine mine does as well.

I sheath my weapons, raise both arms, palms up, and simultaneously drop the shield and place a ball of maddening darkness right on top of us.

I grab Decius' hand and take us away from the group of Avvar that had surrounded us, sensing where their minds were.

When the shrieks begin, I drop the darkness. It would be a shame if our hosts went mad, I guess .

Most of them took a knee when they could see again, and the rest were manageable, without further trauma for the participants.

Decius and I wipe our weapons off on our pant legs as we walk back to the arena master after we caught our breath.

"Hah! What a fight! That maneuver... Well-fought, Inquisitors."

"Thank you for the opportunity. It was a blast."

Solas joins us as we walk away to find breakfast. "That was most entertaining." He looks elated.

"Yeah? No sign of our crippling mental states?"

"Maybe a little at the end."