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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 58
- 59
- 60
Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
Further translations at the end of the chapter to prevent spoilers.
Please do tell me what you think so far of the story! I would love to know your opinions!
Thank you all so much for your continued readership! It means so much!
Translations:
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty." Endearment Zevran uses for Riel.
Mi amiga: Antivan. "My friend."
Mi amor: Antivan. "My love."
Fenedhis lasa: Elvhen. A curse/swear. Extension of Fenedhis. "Crap."
Absolutamente: Antivan. "Absolutely."
Excelente: Antivan. "Excellent."
Comprendes: Antivan. "Understand."
Mis amigos de la señora: Antivan. "My lady friends."
Ar lath ma: Elvhen. "I love you."
Ma vhenan: Elvhen. "My heart."
Elgar'nan: Elvhen god. Represents fatherhood and vengeance, and leads the pantheon with the goddess Mythal.

Time passed by slowly for Riel as the group fought their way deeper into the ruins. Past clusters of giants spiders, groups of skeletons and small packs of werewolves until Riel wasn't the only one drenched in sweat and weary from the fighting. However, the mage's spells wouldn't cease her pain as it did for the others. Their magic couldn't end the throbbing pain that emanated from her leg or the nausea that plagued her body. And with each step forward, Riel could feel her control over herself slipping.
Morrigan's potions only slowed the change and eased some of the symptoms. Time was still her enemy as with each second that ticked by more of Riel's sanity slipped away. And the constant fighting only made it that much harder to resist the change that threatened to completely overtake her.
Riel stopped at a fourway junction, her eyes narrowing as she tried to guess which direction to now take. The pain in her leg throbbed in tune with each beat of her heart, distracting her mind and driving away her focus.
"Fenedhis lasa!" Riel cursed out suddenly.
Gripping her dagger in one hand, she ran the blade down her exposed forearm deep enough to draw blood.
"Riel! What are you doing?!" Zevran exclaimed, snatching her dagger from her. However, all Riel did was laugh darkly as she watched her blood begin to seep through the fresh wound.
"Wynne!" Zevran called out, placing his free hand over the wound and trying to stop the blood flow. Riel wrenched her arm free from him though, spearing him with a menacing glare.
"No! Don't heal it!" she yelled, her wild eyes moving from between Zevran and Wynne. "Just wrap it! Tightly so it hurts more!"
"Riel?" Wynne asked, her features full of concern.
"Riel, you need to have that healed!" Zevran shouted back at her with his own angry look.
"No! I need it. I need the pain. It… helps…" Riel confessed, taking her free hand and rubbing at her temples.
Leliana came forward and pulled a long bandage from her pack. Without looking at Riel she began wrapping the bleeding wound, bringing the cloth around tightly just as Riel had asked. Only when she had tied the bandage into a tight knot to keep it in place did she meet her friend's eyes. Except no words came forth as their eyes locked, their emotions speaking for them. Leliana then turned and took Riel's dagger back from a stunned Zevran, offering it back to Riel.
"How much longer?" she asked Riel, her voice clipped due to the weight of emotions inside of her.
Riel remained quiet for a few seconds as she held her friend's gaze. She then shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "If I… When I…-"
"When we get out of here," Leliana placed extra emphasis on the word 'we', "I think you and I need to go shopping. Perhaps if we hurry, we can make it to Gwaren for their next shipment from the Free Marches. The nobles of Denerim always order the best fabrics from Kirkwall hoping to cut the costs of Orlesian taxes, yet I happen to know a few of the shipmasters. I might even manage to get a sneak peak at the shipments and place a few bids before the Nobles even get there!" she giggled, her eyes dancing with mischief. She then glanced quickly over to Zevran, a sad smile touching her lips. "After all, a lady must have a dress for her wedding. Right Zevran?"
"Absolutamente, mi amiga," Zevran replied sadly even though he smiled. Zevran walked up next to Riel and gently lifted her chin up. Staring into her silver eyes, his thumb lightly drifted over her trembling lips. "You wouldn't deny me the pleasure of becoming your husband now, would you mi bella?" he purred softly.
Tears swept down Riel's cheeks as she shook her head and forced a smile onto her face. "Of course not," she breathed, her chest constricting.
"Good." Zevran held out his hand to her, his own eye sparkling from unshed tears. "Then let us keep going, no?"
Riel took his hand and squeezed it lightly. "Alright…"
"Excelente! Now! This way!" Zevran laughed, leading her straight ahead down the corridor.
"Wait, how do you know that this is the right way to go?" asked Alistair from near the read of the group.
"Easy my friend," Zevran chuckled. "It smells the worst like wet dog!"
Riel rolled her eyes and groaned, yet even she couldn't stop the smile that his humor brought to her. Nor could the others it seemed as a round of jovial banter broke out amongst the group of companions. With Morrigan offering her usual dry quips and teasing remarks, Shale complaining about how few things there were for her to crush, and even Sten even offering to take the golem pigeon hunting once back on the surface in exchange for letting Wynne examine one of her crystals. When Alistair asked why Sten would make such a deal, Sten just shrugged, muttering that Wynne was the only one in the group who knew how to make cookies.
All of the banter went largely ignored by Riel however. For a while the pain her arm eased the pain in her leg, bringing back a small amount of focus. However even that small mercy drifted away under the increasing pressure behind her eyes.
At the end of the corridor they walked was a long flight of stairs leading even further down into the underground ruins. And with each step down, Riel could feel her careful control slip even more. Finally they reached a large wooden door at the base of the stairs that held deep scratches and gashes in the ancient frame and door.
Pushing open the door, Riel was the first to step in the medium sized anteroom. Greeting her was a half dozen werewolves, snarling and snapping their powerful jaws. However, they held back instead of immediately attacking as all the others had done before. Perhaps because at the head of the pack was the one werewolf that Riel was beginning to recognize. With a light brown fur and standing a head taller than his packmates, Swiftrunner fixed his yellow eyes on Riel as she approached and drew her blades.
"Parlay, elf! Parlay!" he growled out, his guttural voice grating even further on Riel's threadbare nerves.
"Now you wish to talk, beast? After I slaughtered my way into your lair, killing your kin? Interesting how it is only when my blades are drenched in the blood of wolves do you finally wish to speak! Yet when your claws are dripping with the blood of my kin, you boast of how swiftly you bring about my death!" Riel hissed out as she raised her blades.
"It is not I that wishes to speak, elf! The Lady has become impressed with you! She has seen you fight, and knows that you are different than the other Dalish who make their home in this forest!" Swiftrunner shifted his stance, obviously uncomfortable with the new situation. "I told the Lady that you mustn't be trusted, yet it is her will despite my disagreements."
"Who is this woman you speak of?" Zevran asked, his own blades out and shining in the torch light.
Swiftrunner bristled at the question, his eyes narrowing on Zevran. "She is the Lady. And you will grant her respect, elf!" he growled. From behind Swiftrunner, the other werewolves increased their snarling as if they too took offence to the question. Swiftrunner then returned his glare to Riel and huffed. "She knows of the curse that runs inside of your veins. She has offered to aid you, in exchange for speaking with her."
Riel stood silent for a full minute as she weighed her options. The bitter, savage part of her wanted nothing but more bloodshed. To slice her way through the werewolves that stood before her and drink down blood as she ripped their flesh free from their bodies. To break down and succumb to the urge was a tempting pull in her mind, threatening to override every other sense she had.
"Very well, beast," Zevran stated calmly, easing his fighting stance yet still keeping his daggers out. Riel snapped her eyes to his, silently questioning him. "If this Lady can aid you, then I am willing to listen to what she has to say."
"And this doesn't sound like a trap at all…" Alistair groused from behind Riel.
"Does this mean that we will not be squishing them?" Shale groaned. "Pity."
"Fine…" Riel replied angrily, placing her blades back into their sheathes. However when the group of them moved forward, Swiftrunner held out a clawed hand, blocking their advancement.
"Halt!" he growled fiercely. "There are too many! I will not have the Lady overwhelmed by your people! Only the cursed may enter the Lady's sanctum!"
"By the Maker! Are you kidding me?! There is no way we are letting Riel be led into some kind trap by you animals!" exclaimed Alistair, lifting his sword once more.
"Where she goes, I go beast," Zevran stated, folding his arms across his chest as he glared at the werewolf. "You would protect your Lady? I would do the same for mine. And she is my Lady," Zevran added, motioning towards Riel.
Swiftrunner again shifted, his massive shoulders rolling as his eyes went back and forth between Riel and Zevran. "Four may go, no more. The rest will stay here," he finally said, his voice thick with barely concealed malice and anger.
"Morrigan, Leliana and Zevran," Riel stated flatly, her eyes never leaving Swiftrunner.
"You can't be serious?!" Alistair exclaimed, coming up to Riel. Without thinking, he took hold of Riel's bandaged arm and turned her to face him. "Listen to me-"
"Argh!" Riel screamed out in pain. In flash she turned and grabbed hold of Alistair by the throat and pushed him up against a wall. Her silver eyes flashed red as her teeth elongated into sharp daggers into her mouth. The hand that was wrapped tightly against his throat grew long claws that dug into his skin, drawing forth small pricks of blood.
Alistair gasped as he struggled for breath, his hands coming up to try and peel Riel's tight grip from his windpipe. However Riel wouldn't be budged no matter how hard Alistair tried to free himself. Riel leaned in close, her breath mixing with his as a savage growl erupted from within her. Harder she squeezed, her glowing eyes seemingly taking pleasure from the purple hue that began to overtake Alistair's oxygen deprived features.
Riel felt a body slide up against her from behind her, the scent of foreign spices filling the air around her. The savage animal inside of her paused and breathed in the spices, causing her grip to loosen slightly. Closing her eyes, Riel struggled against the warring pieces of herself.
"You do not wish this, mi bella. You are better than this. Better than him." Zevran gently placed his hand on the arm that held Alistair. "Come with me now, mi amor. Allow me to comfort you as I should..." he purred softly into her ear.
Riel's grip on Alistair fell away as she began to shake violently, nearly collapsing to the floor. Instead she was scooped up into Zevran's arms and brought tightly against his chest. From beside him Alistair coughed and wheezed as he gasped for breath, his hand coming up to rub at his throat. In a flash both Wynne and Leliana were there as well, with Wynne casting a healing spell on both Alistair and Riel. However the spell only seemed to aid the ex-Templar, as Riel continued to shake and tremble in Zevran's arms.
"Morrigan! We need another potion!" Zevran called out over his shoulder.
Morrigan appeared silently by Zevran side and began to examine Riel, first lifting her eyelids then moving to check her pulse. After a moment she shook her head sadly. "She is beyond my aid, assassin."
"NO!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet and pushing past the others to where Swiftrunner and the other werewolves still waited. "Take us to see your Lady! Now!"
The head werewolf almost seemed to smile down at the two elves, a smug look of satisfaction on his wolfish face. "Very well. However, your Lady will soon become one of of ours, I think," he stated cruelly before turning and leading the way through a another doorway.
"Sten!" Zevran called out quickly. Immediately the giant was at his side, his face grim. "If we are not back within the hour, I wish for you imagine that these beasts stole your precious sword. Comprendes?"
"Aye, elf," Sten grunted in response.
"Good. Now, mis amigos de la señora?" Zevran looked over to both Morrigan and Leliana. "Time to meet ourselves this Lady."
Zevran followed Swiftrunner through the door, not even looking back to see if the women were behind him. The room beyond was immense, with ancient stone sarcophagi lined up against the far walls. In the corners were grand trees that had roots running across the stone floor every which way, interlocking with each other and breaking apart the stone to reach the soil underneath. Vines even covered the walls and much of the floor, the effect making the whole room look as if it was more apart of a forest than stone ruins.
And in the center of it all, stood a green skinned woman with ebony hair. Without garments covering her lithe and slender body, instead her deep green skin held raised brown veins that looked more like wood than flesh. Even her hands and feet extended out into wooded appendages instead of fingers and toes. Yet she was definitely female, with womanly curves and feminine features on her hauntingly beautiful face. With eyes consumed completely in black, she watched with stoic calmness as Zevran and the others approached her.
On either side of the Lady stood more werewolves of various shades, along with Swiftrunner standing close behind her in a protective pose. The werewolves gathered all snarled and swiped at the air, as if they were all too eager to slice their claws into Zevran and the other's flesh. Yet for their bluster, Zevran kept his head held high as he approached the Lady, keeping his eyes pinned on her.
"I am pleased you have agreed to speak to me," the Lady stated cooly. Her voice echoed and vibrated off the walls, seeming to carry with it the very essence of ancient magics.
"First you aid her. Then we will speak," Zevran replied stiffly, his tone harsh and impatient.
Swiftrunner growled, his teeth baring at Zevran. "See how they disrespect you, Lady? These elves know nothing!"
"Easy, Swiftrunner. I do not fault him. He worries over the woman, as is his right." The Lady stepped closer to Zevran, her black eyes roaming over Riel's still twitching body. "She is strong. And powerful, for one so young. However, the blood of evil that she carries wars against the curse of the wolves inside of her. And even though she fights it, neither she nor the child will survive the change that is to come."
"Child?!" Zevran exclaimed, taking a step back in shock.
The Lady brought her hand to hover slightly over Riel's body and closed her liquid black eyes. "Your mate is strong, and so is her issue as young as it is. However, neither will survive the change that is coming. It is why I have agreed to speak with you. Enough innocence have suffered because of this curse."
"A-are y-you sure?" Zevran stammered, still consumed by shock.
The Lady opened her eyes and pinned Zevran with a questioning glare. "What do you know of this curse, elf? What has Zathrian told you?"
"Zathrian hasn't said much of it. Only that we needed the heart of Witherfang to end it, and free his people," Leliana offered instead of Zevran.
"And do you know what this Witherfang is?" the Lady asked, her eyes moving to the bard.
Still Zevran remained silent, his eyes trained on Riel's face. Instead Morrigan stepped forward, answering for him. "'Tis no question as to who it is. You are this Witherfang, are you not? The spirit that is the source of the curse plaguing these creatures?"
"It is true. However, ending my life will not remove the curse. If it were such a simple thing, I would have done so long ago. However, it is not only my life tied to the curse you see."
"Can you help her?!" Zevran suddenly shouted out, his eyes filling with tears.
Around them, the gathered werewolves snapped and snarled at the Zevran's outburst. However they were silenced by a look from the Lady. "I can only prolong the transformation for a short time," she finally stated, bringing her dark eyes back to Zevran. "To save her, you must end the curse that is killing her."
"And how do I do that, spirit?" Zevran raged.
"First you must understand why! Why I was brought here, and by whom! Why those around you suffer the curse that is killing your mate, and why we have finally attacked Zathrian after years of sitting by idly, waiting for him to come to us!" The Lady shouted angrily in response, showing the first real bit of emotion since they entered. "It is not just your woman who has suffered, elf! For long years, I have tended to the beasts before you. Helped them to overcome their animal nature and regain their humanity. And each year during this time, I have sent missives to Zathrian, begging him to end this curse he has wrought upon these poor souls! Until finally my patience wore thin and instead of pleading with him to come to us, I sent them after him. Thinking that perhaps if enough of his people fell to the curse, he would be forced to come to me. Yet he does not come himself. No, he sends a proxy in his stead, while he continues to hide from what he has done!"
The Lady backed away from Zevran and walked over to Swiftrunner. A long and thin root like finger lifted up and touched the werewolf leader on the shoulder, and he instantly fell to one knee in front of her. Then the rest of the werewolves around the room mimicked him, each falling to one knee in reverence to their Lady.
"Years beyond my counting have passed since the day I was first pulled from the place your people call the Beyond. Ripped from all that I knew, I was combined with the body of a pure white wolf. Melded through blood and magic, Witherfang become I, and I became Witherfang. And the the one who committed such a feat? The one who spilled his blood to give me life?" The Lady turned back to Zevran and leveled a glare at him. "Zathrian. The one who sent you and your mate here to end my life, was the very one who created it."
"That is how you can control the werewolves?" Leliana asked.
The Lady shifted her glare from Zevran to the redhead, her black eyes flashing red for a moment. "I do not control them. They have come to me of their own free will. Twisted by the curse that consumes them, they were little more than beasts. Mindless, savage, and without even the ability to speak. I have brought them the first semblance of peace since they first were changed!" The Lady hissed out angrily.
Taking a breath to calm herself, the Lady closed her eyes for a moment before once again looking to Zevran.
"I was but a tool for revenge. Created to bring vengeance on those who had killed his son and violated his daughter. Zathrian's anger became my first breath of life, and I delivered his wrath as he wished. However, I proved too much for him to control. After those who had wronged him laid either dead or dying, I escaped into the woods. Living in my own savagery, I hunted any creature I came across. And through my bite, I spread the anger that had birthed me. Unwittingly, I spread a curse that turned any unfortunate soul to survive my attack into what you now see before you. Only after years of learning both control and restraint did I finally regain a mind with which to think and understand again."
The Lady placed her hand on Swiftrunner's shoulder, her face softening into a small smile as she looked down at him.
"And it is through you that we have learned the same, my Lady," Swiftrunner stated reverently.
"Zathrian would have his people believe that he has discovered the secrets of his people. However his long life is not due to ancient secrets. As his blood was used to give me life, so I give life to him. As long as I live, so does he. Yet my death alone will not end the curse that these poor souls suffer from. Only a reversal of the spell first cast will accomplish such a task. And to do that, Zathrian must be brought here where it all first began."
Suddenly Riel's shaking got worse, her whole body convulsing in powerful waves. "Zevran! It hurts!" Riel screamed out from in Zevran's arms.
"Riel! Please, hold on!" Zevran cried, tears falling down his cheeks. "You have to do something!" he implored, lifting his eyes to the Lady as he begged.
The Lady swept her outstretched hand towards a nearby sarcophagi. "Place her on top. I shall do what I can. However, there is little I can do at this point. I cannot stop what has already begun. Make no mistake. The change is coming. And once it does, both her life and the life that she carries will end."
Zevran hurriedly placed Riel down on the slab of stone that the Lady indicated. However Riel latched hold of his arm, refusing to let him go. Leaning down to close to her, Zevran kissed her forehead lightly before whispering softly into her ear. "I will not be gone long, mi bella. Please, you must continue to fight this. Please…" he begged, his voice cracking as he spoke.
"You must find Zathrian and bring him here. Only then will the curse end, and your mate live," the Lady spoke again as she approached Riel. Stretching out her arms, the spirits hovered her hands slightly above Riel's writhing body. "You must hurry, however. The life she carries is fading."
Zevran paused, torn between leaving his Riel alone with these creatures and staying with her to protect her.
"Go find Zathrian, Zevran. Morrigan and I will watch over Riel," Leliana stated, placing a hand on Zevran's shoulder.
Zevran smiled sadly at the woman, placing his hand over her own and squeezing it gently. "Thank you, mi amiga…" he breathed out, his voice barely more than a whisper. Again he leaned down to Riel, placing his hands on either side of her face. "I will return with Zathrian, mi bella. And he will end this curse on you. So please, please continue fighting this."
Riel opened her eyes and looked up at him, her silvery eyes glowing red even as she cried. "It hurts, Zevran… And I'm so tired…" she whispered plaintively.
"I know, mi bella…" Zevran whispered back to her, his voice cracking even as he smiled. "Just a bit longer, I promise you. Then I shall take back to our tent and allow you to sleep for as long as you wish. Agreed?" Riel nodded her head sharply, her brow furrowing as pain lanced through her body. Zevran kissed her forehead once last time, before whispering "Ar lath ma, ma vhenan."
"She won't be alone, Zevran. I promise."
Zevran straightened and looked to Leliana, nodding his head. He then turned to leave back through the door that they came through when the Lady called out to him once more. "There is a shortcut to the surface. It is a secret way that leads to the entrance of these ruins." The Lady lifted a long finger towards a nearly hidden alcove near the back of the room. "Time is precious, elf."
Biting back a caustic remark, Zevran only turned and rushed through the alcove that the Lady indicated. Through the archway was a extremely long set of stairs, leading up in a zigzag pattern. Quickly Zevran climbed, a silent prayer echoing in his head with every step he took. After what seemed like forever he finally reached a landing that held a barricaded door. Grunting with effort, he removed the heavy wooden block that kept the door locked shut and set it aside. He then opened the door and stepped free into the same ruin where they first came across the statues.
And there standing in the center of the room stood Zathrian, his face set in a glower as his eyes came to rest on Zevran.
"Where is everyone else? Do you have the heart?" he called out, his voice impatient.
"Perhaps not all the gods despise me after all," Zevran mused darkly as he approached the Keeper.
"I do not understand. Where is beast's heart?"
Zevran shook his head and drew his blades, leveling them at the Keeper's throat. "Change of plans, I am afraid. It seems your presence is desired by the Lady of these ruins. And I have come to deliver you to her, so you may end this curse once and for all."
"Oh? The Lady of the Ruins? Is that what the spirit is now calling itself? And I told you that I would end the curse, if only you were to bring me its heart!" Zathrian snapped back.
"And how do you know that this heart will end the curse?!" Zevran roared. "Or is this just another lie?"
"Ugh…" Zathrian groaned, his hands rubbing at his temples. "And what has this spirit filled your head with? Fantastical tales of magic and vengeance?"
"Enough talking! Riel's life is fading away while we stand here and speak! You will come back with me and meet with the Lady of this place, and the two of you will reverse the spell you cast!"
Zathrian sighed. "I am truly sorry. However, even if I were to reverse the spell, there is no guarantee that she will live. However, with the heart I can cast a spell that will end the life of every one of these cursed creatures, making sure that no others are infected. Even my own people back at our camp will die. It will a heavy price, though it will save many more lives in the future."
"You lied to us!" Zevran hissed, bringing his blade up against Zathrian's throat.
"I did what I had to to save my people! These beasts will die the death that they deserve, and my clan will leave these forests never to return!"
"And what of Riel? She carries a child within her!" snapped Zevran.
Zathrian's eyes went wide in shock. "She is with c-child?" he whispered, his voice uneven.
"Aye! And right now both of them are dying because of your curse!"
Zathrian stepped back, his face ashen with a look of deep sadness contorting his features. Zevran watched him carefully with narrowed eyes, mere seconds away from grabbing the man and literally tossing him down the immense set of stairs that he just climbed moments ago. Zathrian leaned heavily on his staff as his breath became labored and his eyes began to water.
"The child… Is it yours?" he finally asked.
Zevran paused for a minute, remembering the horrors his dear Riel had been dealt recently. "It is Riel's! That is all that matters!" Zevran stated firmly after a moment.
"That is what I told her," Zathrian stated with a heavy sigh. "My poor Nalle…" Zathrian covered his eyes with his hand as if to the shield himself from the images of his mind.
"Nalle?"
"My daughter… My poor, sweet little girl..." he wept as he spoke. "For a months after I brought her back from those who had taken her, she remained sullen and withdrawn. Then one night she came to me, telling me that she was with child, and it that belonged to one of the men who had violated her…" Zathrian paused and looked at Zevran. "I told her the child that she bore would be hers, despite who the father was. Still she argued, and when she stormed away, I thought that perhaps if I gave her time, she would come to see reason. Yet she refused to listen. No… I refused to listen. I see that now. If only I had seen it back then…" Zathrian eyes went to his staff, fixing on the pointed red gemstone fixed to the top of it. "I found her body the next morning when I called her for morning meal. She had slit her wrists during the night with this very crystal. To keep from bearing the child of the humans who violated her, she had killed herself."
Zathrian looked around at the statues that surrounded them, his eyes finding the faces of each one. Silently he walked over to one depicting a male in his prime, holding both a sword and spear in his hands. Looking up at the statue, Zathrian placed his hand on the stone shaft of the spear, his eyes dripping with tears.
"Elgar'nan, our god of vengeance. Chief of all of our gods. By his name I came here the night after I found her body. And by using forbidden magics known only to a few, I summoned a spirit as savage and heartless to hunt those who had taken everything from me. And so with all the hatred and anger that I carried within me that night, the curse that has plagued the peoples of this area was created."
Zevran stormed over to Zathrian and placed his dagger against his throat, drawing a speck of blood. "And now it is killing my wife and child! That which means everything to me! You have already suffered your loss, old man. Do not dare force me suffer the same! By the gods, if you let them die to suit your vengeance, I swear by the gods I will render unto you a wrath that will make your own vengeance look like mere child's play!"
"Very well…" Zathrian sighed. "I will meet with the spirit that I bound so long ago. However, I doubt that much will come of it. As I said, even if I were able to reverse the spell that I casted, there is no guaranteeing that it will save Riel. The spirit is as savage as the beasts it created. Let me ask you. If these beasts attack me as soon as we approach, who will you defend? The savage beasts, or myself?
Zevran sheathed his daggers and smiled coldly at Zathrian. "Easy. My wife. Now move. As I was told shortly before leaving her, time is precious."
Down the long staircase the two of them silently went, Zevran almost dragging Zathrian as he rushed the older man along. Halfway down the last flight, a pained scream echoed out from the room beyond the door at the base of the stairs. Pushing past Zathrian, Zevran rushed forward and through the door. Laying on the stone sarcophagi was Riel, twisting and turning as she writhed in pain. Sitting next to her on the stone was Leliana, holding Riel's head in her lap, while Morrigan did her best to cast healing magics alongside of Wynne.
"She only started getting bad a few minutes ago," Leliana stated as soon as she saw Zevran approach. "I had Morrigan fetch Wynne, hoping that her magics would help. But they only seem to making it worse!"
"Riel! Riel!" Zevran called out, lowering his face to hers and placing his hands on her cheeks. "Look at me, mi bella. Open your eyes and look at me!"
Riel's eyes flashed open, revealing the silver of her eyes turning a crimson red. "Zevran?" she whispered out hoarsely.
"I am here, mi bella…" he replied, managing to smile for her despite the fear that consumed him.
"Welcome Zathrian," the Lady coldly stated as she addressed the Keeper. "I am pleased the elf was able to bring you here."
"Are you spirit? I didn't think you were capable of such emotions." Zathrian gazed over at the assembled werewolves, his face contorting into a look of anger and disgust. "Although I see your company has not changed much over these long years. So you have managed to tame the creatures that you helped to create? Pets to decorate the halls of these long forgotten ruins?"
"How dare you! We are not pets!" Swiftrunner growled out menacingly.
"Taught them to speak even, have you? My, you have been busy. What other tricks have you taught them?" Zathrian sneered.
Swiftrunner leapt forward, bringing his snarling maw up close to Zathrian's so they were only mere inches apart. With claws twitching and a low growl brewing forth, he stared down at the elf.
"See how quickly they leap to attack? They are still just as savage and and mindless as they were when they were still human!" Zathrian scoffed, completely unintimidated by Swiftrunner's close presence.
"Please Zathrian, I did not ask you here to fight. Haven't these creatures suffered enough? How many long years have you lived with your vengeance? Surely your vengeance has run long enough," the Lady gently spoke.
"My vengeance is eternal spirit, as is my pain!" snapped Zathrian. "It because of these humans that I lost everything dear to me! And so I will see them suffer as I have suffered!"
"The ones who harmed you have long since died. The ones who stand before you are the same humans who killed your family. Not all of them are humans, either. Elves and dwarves have suffered under the curse we created. Are they to suffer because of mistakes not their own?" The Lady stepped over to where Riel laid, her hand sweeping over Riel's body. "Will you let this innocent woman and her child suffer for a crime they did not commit? Should they die, as your own daughter died, because of the anger and hatred of others?"
"You… shame me spirit…" Zathrian finally sighed, his eyes softening as he looked upon Riel. "But tell me, do you not fear what may come? You wish for me to reverse the spell that I cast, which will break the hold binding you to this world. You would trade your life for these others?"
"Zathrian, you are my maker. Because of you, I have seen what this world has to offer. I have experienced joy, sorrow, anger, and love. I have lived and breathed, and have come to know so very much. However, this world is not mine. Even if I do not return to the Beyond, I know that I have lived well."
"You are better than I, spirit. My anger and hatred blinded me, whereas you managed to move past that which born you." Zathrian then turned to face Zevran. "I had a vision of this moment. When I first learned of the child Marethari took in, I saw this moment unfolding before me. At first I thought it merely a dream. Yet it persisted. And so I began to prepare. I decided that if I were to die, that I would not die alone. I would take these savage creatures with me."
Zathrian walked over to where Riel writhed on the stone slab. With tears glistening in his eyes, he looked down at her. Briefly he lifted his hand, meaning to touch Riel's cheek. However in a flash Zevran had his dagger out and pointed at Zathrian.
"No one but those she loves may touch her!" he hissed, his eyes blazing with bitter anger.
Nodding his head solemnly, Zathrian dropped his hand and stepped back. "She even looks a bit like my Nalle. The same dark hair and stubborn look. However, it is Lanaya who has the same eyes. The same sweet smile…" Zathrian smiled wistfully as he thought of the woman back at the camp. "You will tell her that… Tell her-"
"We will," Leliana stated, a small smile on her lips.
"Of course," Zathrian whispered. He then looked over the Lady and smiled. "Shall we see what awaits us then, spirit?"
"Come Zathrian. Let us journey together," the Lady replied, opening her arms wide.
All around her the werewolves gathered and placed a clawed hand onto the Lady, offering her a silent farewell. They then backed away as Zathrian approached and embraced her with one hand sliding around her slender waist. Keeping his eyes fixed the Lady's black pools, Zathrian brought his staff down heavily to the ground, breaking the spell.
Instantly a bright light flashed, filling the whole room with a blinding whiteness. When the light abated and they could see again, standing the place of the werewolves were a collection of humans, elves and dwarves. And in the center of the room laid Zathrian's body and that of a white wolf, laying motionless and without life.
"Hooray! It worked!"
"Amazing!"
"Praise the Maker!"
A chorus of excitement and jubilee broke out around Zevran and the others. Yet all of his focus was on the woman lying next to him. Now quiet and still, Zevran's breath caught in his throat as he fears bubbled to the surface. Wynne's hands moved to Riels throat, measuring the beat of her heart. After a long moment the old woman smiled up at Zevran.
"Her heart beats well. She should be fine."
Zevran didn't bother trying to stop the tears that rained down his face as he gathered Riel into his arms and held tightly on to her. Burying his face into her neck, he openly wept as relief washed over him. A string of Antivan prayers rushed forth past his lips as he held her, offering thanks to any all gods that would listen.
A man from the crowd of newly transformed people approached Zevran as he held Riel. Instantly Zevran pulled his blade free and leveled it at the stranger, placing himself between Riel and the human male.
"Easy there!" the man shouted, his gravelly voice holding a familiar tone to it. "I just came over to say… I don't know exactly what…"
Zevran's gaze narrowed on the male, taking in his sandy brown hair and squinting eyes carefully. In a flash of movement Zevran had the male on his back down on the ground with Zevran overtop, his blade cutting into the man's neck.
"I should kill you for what you did to her, Swiftrunner…" Zevran seethed, pushing his blade in further.
"Zevran stop! Don't become Zathrian!" Leliana urged from somewhere behind him. "This isn't what Riel would want!"
"No, she wouldn't…" he hissed, keeping his eyes locked on the human's. "However, I am not her." Zevran then took his blade and ran it deeply down the man's face, mimicking the scar that marred Riel's own face. The human screamed out in pain and thrashed under Zevran, yet it didn't stop Zevran from cutting the deep wound from the man's temple down to below his chin. Zevran than grabbed a fistfull of dirt and crammed the wound full of it, guaranteeing a scar as long as no magical healing was used. "A reminder for you to know what you threatened, as well as a promise. For if she dies from what she has suffered here today, I will know how to find you. And find you I will, human. If she dies, I will make the suffering you endured as a beast a pleasant memory to give comfort during the long hours that I slowly kill you."
Zevran than leapt free from the human and sheathed his dagger. Completely uncaring about the shocked and startled looks the others who were newly transformed gave to him, he went back to Riel and again gathered her into his arms. With his back turned, Zevran didn't see the human previously known as Swiftrunner grab hold of a sharpened rock and approach, his face full of rage.
"Uh uh," Leliana stated, leveling her bow at the human, arrow notched and ready. "Consider his promise mine as well. You have your life today, but make no mistake that there will not be a place in all of Thedas for you to hide."
The crystal on Morrigan's staff flashed, drawing the human's eyes to her. "Or the Fade. 'Tis quite a few spells that I have access to yet have had opportunity to try. Spells only useable on dead souls, made to make even their death the most painful experience ever imagined."
Swiftrunner's eyes darted between the two women for a quick moment before he dropped the stone and backed away. He and the rest of the newly transformed then turned and ran out through the alcove that led to the surface. When the last of them disappeared up the long stairway, Leliana returned her where Zevran and Riel were. Making sure to approach him slowly and from an angle where she would be visible, Leliana kept her voice level and soft as she spoke.
"Let's take her out of here, Zevran."
Zevran kept staring down at Riel's face, his features a mixture of sadness and joy. "Did you know? About the… her…-" Zevran swallowed, unsure if he could even say the words. After all, Riel may be alive, yet what about the one that she carried?
"No, and I don't think she knew either," the redhead answered truthfully. A quiet moment passed, each of them thinking the same thoughts. "Should we tell her? When she wakes up?"
"I think that perhaps for now, this latest development should stay between the three of us. Until we know for certain how all of this has affected her, it would do no good to get tongues wagging," Wynne responded in her usual careful tone. "Once we are back in the camp, there are tests and I can perform to gauge the health of… Well, the health of both of them."
Zevran nodded, his eyes not leaving her face. "Te lo juro, voy a proteger a usted y el hijo, mi amor…" he whispered softly down to her. Zevran then pulled Riel into his arms and stood with her. Casting a glance to each of the three woman at his side, Zevran then left the room to where the others waited for them.

Translations:
Te lo juro, voy a proteger a usted y el hijo, mi amor: Antivan. "I swear, I'm going to protect you and the child, my love".
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Vhenan'ara