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Iridescence	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4697 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Dragon Age and the characters from it do not belong to me. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's 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. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right?? ;-)

Five days. Five blasted days! It has been five days since they left Kirkwall. Trudging through mud and swamp, with unrelenting rain pouring down on them since they left. Their only reprieve was when they came across some cave or tunnel they had to go through. Yet he would walk through the core of all the Darkspawn nests in order to bring her back to him. If only he didn't have to deal with these Maker-forsaken whiny "friends" of his.
Fenris was starting to like the - mostly silent - child dwarf more and more as he was one of the only ones who didn't feel the need to constantly find something to complain about.
"Will this rain ever let up? By the Ancestors! I'm close to drowning here!"
"Oh, Varric, it's not that bad. What I hate was that swamp we had to pass through yesterday. I ruined a very good - and very expensive I might add - pair of Antivan leather boots!"
"Oh will both of you just shut up!" Aveline shouted behind her. She and Fenris tended to take the lead, mostly because they both seemed to understand the concept of silence. Behind them were Sandal and Isabella, and picking up the rear was Varric and Merrill. Only when they went through caves did Isabella take point, being able to notice and disarm any traps better than either Aveline or Fenris could. She was also not that bad at melee combat if it came to it, something which Varric wasn't seeing as almost always used that crossbow of his.
According to the map that Sandal held in his pack, they were still another day from when they would reach the tower that the boy claimed lay beyond the Bone Pit. Thankfully, most of dragons were gone from the pit from the last time they cleared it out. However, there were still plenty of bandits, spiders, and even a bloodmage who unfortunately crossed their path as they travelled up this wretched mountain. Though, if they travelled all the way here and there was no tower, Maker help that boy. Child or no, with his mood over the past few days he was likely to shred that boy to pieces for leading them so far out of their way when they needed to help Hawke.
They had checked in on her before they left the estate, resulting in having to calm down the chantry sister who took care of Hawke and explain what they were doing there so late. The sister told them that although Orsino came daily to try and heal her body, Hawke looked like she was getting weaker and weaker, mostly because it was difficult to properly feed her while being completely unconscious. When Fenris leaned over to kiss her forehead and whisper his love to her as he normally did when he visited her, he was surprised at how much paler she appeared since the day before. Her cheeks looked less full, and her eyes more sunken. They were running out of time to save his precious Iris, and he would not suffer anyone - friend, official, or even child - to delay her recovery anymore than necessary.
"Can we stop for a midday break? We have been walking for hours!" Merrill squeaked out from somewhere behind him. Fenris wanted to just tell her to suck it up, that Hawke's life was more valuable than her tired feet. Yet before he could say anything, Aveline cut him off, granting the bloodmage her request - much to Fenris' annoyance and the joy of the rest of the companions.
Finding a small clearing off to the side, the party pulled up rocks to sit on rather than the moist grass. All except Fenris and Sandal, who went to stand next to the brooding elf as he stood with his arms crossed, as he looked further up the path.
Again, Fenris felt a slight tugging of his gauntlet and looked down to see the boy looking up at him with those wide brown eyes.
"What do you want, child? I am not in mood to speak."
Instead of answering, Sandal pointed to the map in his hand, indicating the same rough area he had previously told them all where this tower lies.
"Yes, that is where we are heading. It is where you are guiding us, afterall. Or have you changed your mind?" The annoyance in his voice was thick with anger. Yet not once since they left Kirkwall had the boy ever shied away from him. Many times the elf had lost his temper due to various annoyances encountered throughout their journey, and when there was no enemies to kill, he simply yelled and punched inanimate objects. Certainly enough to make even his companions weary of his volatile mood. Yet this small dwarven boy rarely left his side. Even to the point of insisting on sleeping near him when they finally camped for the night.
"Tower, down there." The voice was smaller than it had been before. The boy probably feeling the general weariness that seemed to engulf the whole party as of late. Pointing towards the edge of the path to the side of them, where a sharp drop off to the ground floor existed.
"I think he means that the tower, if it is there at all, is at the base of the mountain. If he's right, we might even make it there before tomorrow afternoon if we're lucky."
Sandal looked up and beamed at the guard captain, again pointing off in the same direction.
"If we travel all night, we could be there before morning." Fenris added, a tiny bit of hope finally breaking through his hard voice. Yet he could already hear his companions begin with their objections. Blast it all, he had suffered worse while running from his former masters, let alone when he actually served them! What was a few hours more if they could reach this fabled tower sooner?
"I agree." Aveline stated, causing a look of shock from everyone, including Fenris. He didn't think anyone of them would agree with what he suggested.
"Oh come on, Aveline! I'm tired. Can't we just camp here for the night? Sure, it's early, but with the trees here we at least got a bit of shelter from all this stupid rain!"
"Isabella!" Aveline warned with the tone she usually reserved for dealing with the insolent pirate.
"Oh come on, Rivaini! I am sure that in such an old tower, there should be plenty of treasure and other shiny things to keep you busy for weeks!"
"You used that line on me yesterday when I refused to get up so flaming early in the morning."
"Oops. Well, it's still true!... I think...."
"You're not helping, Varric. Besides, all you have to do is threaten to tell all of Lowtown what her secret admirer wrote her."
"You wouldn't!" Isabella glared murderously at Aveline.
"You bet I would. I would even get my guards to distribute copies. So move your ass, you wonderful heartworm you..."
"Oh this has got to be good. Come on Red, I need details!"
"What's a heartworm?"
"Never you mind, kitten." Isabella replied to Merrill before lowering a glare upon Aveline. "Fine, we'll go. But I want any copies you have returned to me once we get back to Kirkwall."
"Not making any promises, pirate. Now move it before we annoy Fenris enough where he just throws us down the mountain to save himself the trouble."
"Please don't give Broody ideas, Red. I am sure he is just one joke away from killing us all as it is."
"Well, if we're moving again, I can help us pass the time by telling you the story of when Mythal and June angered Andruil so much that she banished a whole town of craftsmen to the Beyond! And it wasn't even that serious of an offence. It was all because -"
"Daisy?"
"Yes Varric?"
"You see how our favorite brooding elf seems to be glowing more than usual?"
"Why yes, he does seem a bit more glow-y than normal."
"That means right now is probably not the best time for story time."
"Oh. Alright then."
"Good girl."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's massive!"
They all stood in awe of the huge tower in front of them. It wasn't just tall, but it seemed to attached to an old collapsing fortress. Easily as tall as the Gallows, it somehow managed to look even more menacing.
"Scary lady...." Sandal whispered, his tiny body trembling as he tried to huddle against Fenris. Strangely, Fenris didn't even react, growing accustomed to the dwarf child seeking him out whenever the boy was frightened or needing comfort of some kind. Not that Fenris knew how to comfort the boy, but it seemed even allowing the dwarf near him tended to calm him down.
"There is bad magick in there. Evil spirits and other dark things."
"And that's one of the reasons we love having you around, Daisy. Always so cheerful." Varric replied sarcastically as he again inspected his Bianca for any damage that would prove deadly in any upcoming fight. Thankfully, his baby was still as perfect as ever.
"Enough of the banter. We need to find a way inside, and how to handle the fighting in such tight quarters." Snapped Fenris as he removed his large two-handed blade and inspected it for any wears or faults as Varric has just done to his own weapon.
"I suggest we take a page from Varric and Fenris, and inspect our weapons. It has been a long road, and who knows what we face in that thing." added Aveline. One by one the party removed their weapons from their holsters and inspected them carefully.
"Oh drat! I lost my fire enchantment! It must of fell off when we fought that blasted Tal-Vashoth mercenary we ran into the other day. Bloody Qunari and their stupid horns!"
Suddenly, Sandal was at her side, a wide grin on his face as he held out his hands. "Enchantment?"
"He does do a pretty good job at enchanting things, Isabella. Perhaps have him take a look." Aveline stated as she took out a small whetstone and performed a few quick strokes down the blade of her hand-axe.
Eyeing the small dwarf for a moment, Isabella reluctantly handed over one of her two favorite daggers. They were a matching set that were a gift from Hawke a few months back on her birthday. That sly woman had even managed to get them perfectly weighted for her hands, with enough decoration to make them a bit girlish, yet not taking away from their lethality.
She knows me so well.
"Damage it dwarf and I'll use you for my new pincushion."
"You will not harm the dwarf!" Fenris snarled, causing surprised looks from everyone, including Sandal. "Ah, we still need him. Besides, Hawke would be upset if anything happened to the boy." A slight blush rose to his cheeks, eliciting a string of whispered Arcanum curses under his breath.
Knowing smiles were passed around as Sandal reached into his pack and took out a small enchantment stone and placed it carefully within the blade handle.
"Enchantment! Boom!" Sandal gleefully replied as he handed the blade back to Isabella.
"Okay then. I have no idea what your mumbling about, but I guess we'll see next time we are attacked, won't we?"
"Is everyone ready? I have no idea what we'll face in there, so I suggest that Fenris goes in first with Isabella and Merrill, while myself, Varric, and the boy follow a few feet behind."
"The boy comes with me."
Aveline looked over at Fenris, trying to figure out this new fondness for the child that her normally venomous companion had developed. "Fine, you take the boy, we'll take Merrill. But he stays behind you at all times. I don't want to return to Bodahn with vacant excuses as to why his boy is no longer with us. Understand me?"
"Perfectly."
"Alright then, gather your gear all of you. In a few minutes, we're assaulting a tower."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mist swirled around the floor, obscuring everything under his feet as he crossed over to the window. He could sense them down there; their fear and determination mixing together like a fine wine. A slow smile spread across his lips as imagined what they would taste like.
"They are not for you." The woman stated from the doorway. She had pure white hair, and was dressed in a pitch black dress. With her arms crossed over her chest, her long claw-like fingernails stood out predominately next to her pale skin.
"I know our bargain, witch. I leave them untouched for the chance at leaving this damnable tower." The low rumble of his voice seemed almost inhumane, filling the air like a something tangible instead of just sound waves.
"And you will help them, monster. I need her. Without the rest unharmed, she will never do what needs to be done. I have worked long and hard to get to this moment, and if it weren't for that one blasted fool, things would already of been set into motion."
"You ask much of me, witch."
"And isn't freedom worth it, monster? You have been trapped her for so long. Don't you miss it?"
The hooded man at the window only sighed, remembering back to when he was free to roam this land. When he had power and strength, and was able to drive his enemies running in fear.
"And are you sure they will agree to our terms?"
"Not ours, yours. All I want is the woman. It is you who set the price."
"Enough of your games, witch! For too long I have let those who imprisoned me here roam free!" His voiced boomed, echoing off the walls, swirling around like a gust of wind that caused the mist at his feet to scatter temporarily and the woman's hair to flutter.
"I care not for you vengeance, monster. As I said, my only concern is the woman. It is mere coincidence that her release will also lead to yours. If I could release her without you, I would. But it seems fate has different plans. Now, you know what you have to do."
"Leave me, witch! I have had enough of your blithering."
"Just remember monster, do not screw this up. More than your own freedom rests on this. And if you fail, be assured that not even the Fade will be able to hide you from my vengeance."
With those final words, the woman morphed into a raven and flew from the room out into the night.
Stupid woman. She thinks she is freeing just another monster on the world. Yet when I am free I will consume her precious pawns down below and her 'woman'. Their lives will grant me the power to seek out the first of my enemies and slaughter them wherever they hide. And when my vengeance is complete, I shall have enough power to even challenge even you, fair witch. And with your essence within me, nothing shall ever stop me again!
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Iridescence