The Taint of Magic - A Solas x Lavellan Story

Brighter Futures

Evelyn gasped air back into her lungs and flinched harshly. The burning sensation was nothing she had experienced before nor was she warned that coming back from the dead would be so god damn painful, though she should have expected something. Evelyn opened her eyes and sat up slowly. It felt like her entire body was on fire and maybe it had been? How would she know what they did with her body afterwards, or even how long she had been dead for. A pyre might have been the best choice, depending on how bad she looked. Evelyn glanced around, wait, why was she was in a crypt? Who would bury her like this?
No one buried their dead like this anymore. She had delved into so many Elvhen...ah. Evelyn breathed out as the realization hit her like the air did. Solas. The air still burned her lungs as she breathed in slowly again, there were many things to consider now and as looked down at herself. Half expecting to see her damaged armour and wounds that had not yet healed. She found herself mildly surprised.

Evelyn was wearing a lovely silver dress, that almost shimmered like melted glass if she moved, that was long enough to cover her legs. Evelyn also found she was wearing silver pumps and had silver details on her arms and legs. They swirled over her skin and she found herself tracing them softly. Someone had taken great care in laying her to rest and as she checked herself over, she found herself smiling sadly. Evelyn had never owned such a beautiful dress before and even with all the money the Inquisition had given her...she had no need of such things. Gently rubbing her eyes, she thought back to the grim situation that she was now thrown into, and how once again she had to rethink her whole plan of action. Evelyn couldn't even die normally, could she?

Everly recalled the sad smile Pan had given her as she agreed to attempt to cure the blight and save the world. AGAIN. The kiss on her forehead and the searing pain of being returned back into her mortal body came back soon after. Maybe it was just her fate to battle gods and stop the apocalypse? Maybe she should retire and own a home by the lake before all hell broke free? Evelyn sighed more and put her head in her hands.
This was going to be harder then she thought. How could you explain that she met the Maker, who was female, and that she was sent back to stop the only god she loved and save the mankind from itself? This almost earned a hysterical laugh from her lips, she was so close to losing what little hold she had on her sanity.

Her legs felt wobbly and weak as she attempted to stand up, so this was what it was like to wake up dead? She would be sure to tell Varric, he could even write it in his new book. What an unsettling thought. How the Hero of Thedas returned from the grave...
"What have you gotten yourself into now?" Evelyn muttered as she pushed on the door. Open. People must visit her often, or maybe only he did? After all, she seemed to be in Skyhold. And it almost seemed fitting, her resting place and his pain, under the same broken roof.

Evelyn walked up the stone steps slowly, her legs and joints complaining with each agonising movement. The elf kept looking around, trying to get her bearings within such familiar settings and when she realised where abouts in Skyhold she actually was, a sigh escaped her lips. Her tomb had been the old wine cellar or was it the old library? How long had they took to do that, or was he the only one behind it? She huffed slightly and came out into her main hall, was Skyhold even still hers?

A silence settled as people turned and saw her. Elves, humans and dwarves alike. So the people were still here and the sky wasn't completely broken just yet. That was good news at least.
"Inquisitor?" a male voice, gruff and slightly disbelieving, one all too familiar. Evelyn could remember happiness and worry, and stories all at the same time,
"Varric." she smiled, her throat burning as she spoke, and turned on her heel. Evelyn felt her heart constrict as she came face to face with the ginger dwarf whom she still loved so much. Whom had loved her too.
"How..? you were..." he started, looking so pale, like he was going to be sick. He was never good with this kind of thing. Believing required giving a piece of you up in return for nothing and, well, they had grown to stop risking that.

"Dead? Yes well, when has that ever stopped me." she joked faintly, wincing as his eyes turned so sad, maybe her voice had given too much away.
"It's good to see you." He muttered, he had watched her come close to death so many times and he wasn't even there at the battle of Skyhold and she had died without him. Varric must have blamed himself or something similar along those lines. Did he believe that she was going to fade away? Like he was in a dream...did dwarves even dream?
"Now Varric, don't start crying on me. I would prefer you to be singing!" she said and took the dwarf into a hug. Ignoring the pain in her side and even ignoring the sound he made when he sniffled faintly, when was the last time he even cried...

"Gods, Sparky. Okay. I'm Okay." he said and stepped back, trying to ignore the burning in his eyes, a feeling Evelyn knew all too well.
"You should probably go see Chuckles anyway....he's in your room. Barely leaves anymore. No one has tried to stop him really...after the incident anyway." He said and glanced back at the people. "Don't worry, I got this lot." he added with a faint smile as he walked back to the groups of people. Starting to talk loudly about how their savior had returned and everyone now owed him money. Same old Varric. Evelyn nodded to herself and walked towards her room, the dress she wore reflected the light onto the walls as she walked. Maybe she did look like a ghost.

She walked up the stairs slowly, her legs protesting even more as she reached the top of the tower. Evelyn really had to figure out a way to cut the steps out of this routine, not that she minded being out of breath and in pain that much, but who built that many steps and didn't think breathing would be a problem? Evelyn remembered how elves had magic like air when the place was built. They probably healed themselves or something, but it was really getting out of hand as she tackled the next flight of steps. Evelyn took a deep breath. How to explain that she was dead and alive at the same time? How to start talking to a man she had dreamt of for months? How to let him know she loved him still? Even after everything he had done to her?
And how to tell a god that her birthright made her different? Evelyn shook her head and opened the door to her room, greeted only by the smell of spiced wine and smoke.