Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Sixteen

Along with their weapons, Leiliana had also given them a key. It didn't surprise Talyn that Leiliana would already know the path they would take. The key opened all of the doors that stood in their way.

Solas stayed far back from them, leaning on his staff more than Talyn would have liked. She wanted to help him, but whenever she tried he told her to stay away. He didn't want to get her sick. Talyn did admit that her markings turning a deep shade of red disturbed her. But she cared about Solas more.

Talyn heard the chanting before Dorian and Solas did. She had noticed over the weeks she'd been with the Inquisition that her hearing was much better than her friends. The lyrium on her skin gave her many powerful gifts. She wondered who was the one to give her such gifts, and why.

They all crouched down. Dorian and Solas followed Talyn as she peeked around a door to see a dark room, only lit with blue fade light candles.

There were about seven men and women dressed in the same spiked red robes that Alexius had been wearing. Six were in a circle, and the seventh was in the middle. There was an unfamiliar symbol on the ground under their feet. The man in the middle was walking around the circle, his arms raised to the ceiling, and his hands gripping an athame that glinted dangerously in the fade light.

"Elder One, we pray unto you." The man began. The people in the circle repeated after him.

"In your name, we offer this sacrifice."

Then he started chanting in a different language. The others joined him. It wasn't elvish, or anything Talyn had ever heard before.

The man in the middle placed the point of the athame to his chest and shoved it through. Blood leaked from his mouth as he groaned and collapsed to the ground.

The men and women in the circle began to fight. Shouting "for the Elder One", they slashed at stabbed each other until each man and woman was dead.

Talyn, Solas, and Dorian all exchanged horrified looks. Just as Talyn was about to sneak past the door, two shades crawled from the floor. Quickly, Talyn knocked two arrows in her bow and shot them through the hearts before they were discovered.

She tried to make sure they avoided as many Venatori and demons as possible. She didn't want their presence to be announced in the castle, and she knew the bodies they had already dropped were going to be found sooner or later. The less bodies, the better.

Her mark was hurting. She refused to let it show, but it was nearing agony to hold her bow. She gritted her teeth and kept going though, because she had no choice.

They came upon a massive door.

"The great hall." Dorian whispered.

"It's warded." Solas also whispered. "Only the key will get us in."

Dorian studied the door closely. "Ah, yes. Of course, Alexius would use the most complicated sort of ward imaginable." He turned to Talyn. "May I borrow some of your blood?"

Talyn looked over at Solas, unsure. He nodded.

"Why?" Talyn asked Dorian.

Dorian looked at her like she was stupid. "Because I can break the ward, with your blood. You have pure, undiluted lyrium in your veins. It's extremely potent."

Talyn shrugged and pulled out a dagger. She handed it to Dorian and held out her tattooed hand.

Dorian took her hand and sliced the palm of her hand. He tilted her hand to the side and let the bleeding wound drip into his hand. When he had enough Talyn pulled her hand away.