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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere	By : TheStarvingArtist Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 7181 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE. This is a work of fiction, and I make no money from it. This fic contains dialogue from the game.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Author's Note:
GUESS WHAT I DID THIS WEEK.
Okay, so I didn't really do anything besides a lot more writing than I thought I would get to. I thought this chapter would take me 2-3 weeks, and it... um... took me three days... It would've been done yesterday, but I had my date-night with my vhenan, I enjoyed that instead. This actually took me a while to do, because I didn't want to go through every single minor event, but I didn't want to lose a lot of the great dialogue that Rio has. More in-game dialogue for this one, and more in the next one (the fall of Haven), but then it starts really branching out after that. (On the upside, I actually have the aftermath of Haven written, so that will save me some time.)
Also, a million apologies for how long this chapter is... (Long chapter is long.)

Review Replies:
DifferentSet: I am absolutely going to continue! I have much of it planned already, and I can't wait to get to some of the later scenes that I have planned and half-written. <333
Rhino: I'm so glad! This story is just so much fun to write, and I love to just come up with the snippets and string them together. Stick with it, great things come to those who follow along =D (Like playing flower-crown ring-toss. You'll see what I mean.)

Enjoy!

**This fic contains many quotes and much dialogue straight from the game. Also, this chapter's title gets its name from the Meatloaf song The Future Ain't What It Used to Be, which I don't own, I just used it as inspiration for the chapter. Copyright to the respective owner on that.**

Chapter 7
The Future Just Ain't What It Used to Be

When Rio fell into the murky water in the cell, she was having a hard time figuring out how exactly her week could get worse. She had been chased off a cliff by mercenaries, tumbled into Earth and traveled back to Thedas, was held at knifepoint by her scumbag of an ex, going into debt to Varric for a mystery box that she'd been talked into (and she definitely still owed Varric about four thousand royals for it), accidentally wandered into dragon territory not once, but twice, dealt with a time-twisting rift outside Redcliffe, then being told by the tiny mage woman that she had been mistaken when she spoke to her in Val Royeaux and they'd already allied themselves with Tevinter. After all her running around, Rio was starting to feel like she'd been led on some wild goose chase when she'd been given a note...
“Meet me in the Chantry, he says,” she grumbled mockingly, getting back to her feet as her head stopped spinning at last, eyes adjusting to the dim reddish glow around her. “You're in danger, he says... Maker's balls,” she snapped as she tried to wring out her coat as it weighed her down, “does no one in this crazy world just hold still for ten minutes and make sense?”
Dorian chuckled, only half-listening to her for a moment as he looked around them before his gaze was caught by the two Venatori that came running in. “Blood of the Elder One!” one shouted when they spotted Rio and Dorian.
“Where did they come from?!” the other cried before he was knocked off his feet from a blast of ice to the chest. Even tired as she was, Rio threw herself into the battle alongside Dorian, each taking down one warrior. Swift blows from her staff and bolts of light felled them both, leaving the mages standing in a pool of dark water.
Panting, Rio turned to look at Dorian for a moment before her eye caught something red, staring at a large spike of red lyrium growing from the floor. Looking around, she found more than just the one growth, finding it almost seeping into the mortar between the stones. She almost asked Dorian where they were when he said thoughtfully, “Displacement? Hmmm... It's probably not what Alexius intended...” He kept talking, even as Rio's confused look just deepened, murmuring, “The rift must've moved us... to what? The closest compliments of arcane energy?”
Rio's ears lowered at that, trying to understand what he was saying as she said, “But... We were in the hall at Redcliffe Castle... Where are we now?”
“Let's see, but if we're still in the castle, then... it... isn't...?” His brown eyes brightened as he smiled, “Of course! It's not simply where, it's when!”
Rio frowned deeper, putting her hands on her hips as she said, “I'm sorry, Dorian, I'm still new to the whole time-travel bit... What?”
“Alexius used the amulet as a focus,” Dorian said excitedly, “it moved us through time!”
Blue-gold eyes blinked at that, dread filling her, “That can't be good... So, did we go forward in time, or back?”
“Those are excellent questions,” the young man said, smiling from ear to ear. “We'll have to find out...” Looking around, he nudged one of the Venatori bodies, grabbing what looked like a set of keys, he straightened up, turning to walk out of the cell, Rio wading out behind him. “Let's see if we can find out where the Rift took us... Then we can figure out how to get back... if we can...”
Sighing, Rio followed, shaking out her dripping boots as they walked down a hall dotted with red lyrium crystals, her head throbbing harder as they trudged up some stairs. “What was Alexius trying to do?” she asked, trying to push through the pain.
“I believe his original plan was to remove you from time completely,” Dorian said, stopping on the stairs when Rio stumbled, catching herself as she tried hard not to fall back down. He waited until she got her footing again, frowning as he caught her press a hand to her forehead as she rebalanced herself again. “If that had happened,” he continued, helping her up the last few steps as her head started to swim, “you'd've never been at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, or mangled his Elder One's plan... I think your surprise in the main hall made him reckless. He tossed us into the rift before he was ready...” When she had to sit herself at the top of the stairs, he was starting to get concerned before she seemed to steel herself after a few moments. “... The magic went wild, and here we are... Make sense?”
“A little... it sounds bad,” she murmured, looking up at him. “My head is killing me though... I don't think I've seen quite this much red lyrium before...”
He couldn't help the small smile as they kept walking, “I don't even want to think what this will do to the fabric of the world... We didn't travel through time so much as punch a hole through it and toss it into the privy...” He caught the look of worry, the doubt and fear crossing her face, and he paused to place a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze as she looked up at him, bright eyes looking at him as he said, “Don't worry... I'll protect you.”
She tried not to let her doubt show as she said, “I trust you have a plan?”
“I have some thoughts on that,” Dorian said with a soft chuckle. “They're lovely thoughts... like little jewels...”
Rio sighed, closing her eyes as she rubbed her face tiredly. “Yaaaaaay,” she said softly, “more time travel.... Yippee...”
Sneaking through the castle, they passed several empty cells, a mage tucked away in the corner of one, chanting quietly to himself. His voice followed them as they passed through, making Rio shiver as she hugged herself tightly, murmuring, “What the hell did Alexius do...”
A couple cells down, Rio and Dorian scrambled to a stop as a voice called out to them weakly, “Y-you're alive?” Turning, she peeked into a cell, gasping as she found a large chunk of the lyrium growing next to the wall, the upper torso of a familiar woman stuck in the middle. As Fiona looked at Rio, she could make out the glittering, smoldering red in her eyes, the wisps of energy floating around her like hints of smoke. She wanted to be sick at the sight, barely managing to brace herself as she looked at the former Grand Enchanter. “H-how?” she asked mournfully, struggling to string her words together as if each one ground painfully in her throat. “I saw you... disappear... into the rift...” she breathed, shaking her head just a little.
“The red lyrium,” Rio said softly, swallowing hard, “is it... growing from you?”
Fiona's nod was slow, eyes drifting closed as she leaned her forehead into the wall. “The longer you're near it... eventually... you become like this...” Fiona's voice rippled and echoed as she spoke, almost distorted, and Rio realized that not only was the lyrium around her—it was inside her. “Then they mine your corpse for more,” she said gently, Rio's head spinning a little before she had to turn away.
She only managed a few steps before she retched hard, hand grasping the iron bars of a cell for support. Once she'd finished emptying her stomach, she was able to hold herself still, the throbbing intensifying as tears streamed down her face, eyes closing tightly as she tried to quell her roiling senses. How long had she been gone? Red lyrium was bad to begin with, but this... this was worse... She barely heard Dorian ask the date, catching something about a harvest and something about a dragon. “We've been gone a year!” he said to her as she gave a weak thumbs up to show she heard. “We have to get out of here, get back to where we were,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder as she straightened finally, turning to face him as she nodded. He frowned as he took in her tear-stained face, reaching into his robe to pull out a cotton cloth and pressing it into her hand. The grateful look on her face made him smile, just the tiniest bit, as she dried her tears and wiped her nose, telling her to keep it gently.
“Poor little flower,” he said softly, shaking his head, “It's no wonder you travel with warriors...” Her frown made him chuckle before Fiona's voice pulled them back to the situation at hand.
“You have to go back... stop this from happening...” Rio nodded as she continued, “Alexius serves the Elder One, more powerful... than the Maker... No one challenges him and lives...”
Rio's sigh rang through the dungeon before she shook her head a little, “We'll put it right, Fiona... No matter what it takes...”
Dorian nodded at that as he looked at Rio, “Our only hope is to fine the amulet that Alexius used to send us here...” Grey eyes turned serious as the mustachioed mage frowned, “If it still exists, I can use it to reopen the rift at the exact moment that we left... maybe...”
“Good,” Fiona said, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
“I said maybe,” Dorian repeated gently, frowning still. “It might also turn us into paste.”
Rio's eyes widened at that, even as Fiona rasped, “You must... try...” Her gaze fixed on Rio as she said, “Your spymaster... Leliana... She is here... Find her, quickly before the Elder One learns you're here!”
Blue-gold eyes looked to Dorian again, who nodded, turning to lead her through another doorway and down a flight of stairs. More cells lined the walls here, making Rio wonder just how many cells a castle needed.
As they walked, Rio's ears perked up as she heard a familiar voice, slowly peeking into another cell as she stared at the Qunari inside. “... Bull?” she said softly, watching as the Qunari stood, turning to face her, a deep scowl on his face. He was more scarred, and the red lyrium glinting in his good eye was new, but it was definitely Bull. She wasted little time scrambling with the keys to unlock the door and let him out as he grumbled.
“You're not dead? You're supposed to be dead,” he said, eye narrowing as he frowned at them as if trying to decide if this was a ruse or not. “There was a burn on the ground and everything...”
Rio managed a half-shrug as the door creaked open, “Yeah, well, apparently, I'm not very good at dying, or so I'm told... We were thrown through time to the future.”
“Well, it's my present,” Bull said, still shaking his head, “and in my past, I definitely saw you both die...”
“Well, I'm here now,” she said, motioning him out of the cell. “Just as alive as you.”
He gave a grunt, frowning, “Now 'dead' and 'not dead' are up for debate... That'swonderful...”
Dorian frowned right back at him. “Well, this conversation has taken a turn for the moronic,” he said, ignoring the look he got from Rio. “Just come with us, we're going to fight Alexius.”
“Why?” Bull asked, trusting Dorian less and less before looking to Rio. “So you can find out what other tricks he's learned?”
Rio couldn't help shrugging a little, “Unless you have a better plan?”
“Alexius isn't the one you need to worry about,” Bull said, stepping out of the cell, looking down at Rio. “It's his 'Elder One'. He killed the Empress of Orlais and used the confusion to launch an invasion of the South.” Rio's frown deepened when she learned of this, closing the door of the cell as Bull continued, “The army was all demons. You ever fought a demon army? I don't recommend it.”
“Well... shit,” Rio murmured, turning this over in her head as the headache thrummed between her eyes.
“I know, right?” Bull said quietly, reaching out to lightly fuzz her hair before he mused quietly, “It's been forever since I saw you last, kid... How're you holding up? Besides, you know... Not being dead?”
She sighed a little, leaning into his hand before she stopped herself, “I'm fine... Just... got a bad headache... This lyrium makes me itch under my skin and makes my head throb... But other than that, I'm peachy...” Her eyes looked him over, feeling a twinge of guilt as she said, “I... really shouldn't complain...”
Bull waved it off as he turned to follow them out and down the hall, down another flight of stairs to yet more cells. Peeking into another, she found Blackwall kneeling in a corner dejectedly, calling his name as Dorian jogged over to open the door.
“Andraste have mercy!” Blackwall breathed when Rio approached the cell, shaking his head at her. “Y-you shouldn't be here... The dead should rest in peace...” he said softly, voice cracking hopelessly.
With the patience of a saint, Rio opened the door to his cell and said calmly, “It's really me... I'm not dead, Blackwall...”
“I was there!” Blackwall said firmly, shaking his head, red-rimmed eyes burning with tears. “I saw you fall! Alexius' spell left nothing but ash!”
“You skipped over too much, Rio,” Dorian said, gently nudging her as she quirked a brow at him. “Look at the poor man...” Shaking his head a little, he tried to explain himself, “Alexius' spell didn't kill us—it sent us forward in time. That's how we survived.”
“Forward in time?” Blackwall said, slowly approaching the open door. “I don't understand...”
“If we can get to Alexius,” Rio said gently, “we have a plan to fix this.” Blackwall studied her in long silence before he slowly nodded, just a little.
“All right,” he said, the pieces starting to fall into place. “You'll need help getting there...” Rio smiled just a little as he glanced her over. “Unless you... magically got better in battle since I last saw you...”
Rio sighed as Dorian looked at her curiously, “You set someone on fire once and you never hear the end of it,” she murmured before stepping aside to let the Grey Warden pass through.
The last cell, tucked away between two hunks of lyrium was Varric, who almost brightened as he saw them, scrambling to his feet when the door opened. “Andraste's sacred knickers...” he swore, the relief crossing his face made Rio smile reflexively. “You're alive? Where were you? H-how did you escape?”
Dorian answered before she could, pulling the door open as he said, “We didn't escape—Alexius sent us into the future.”
Stepping out, Varric couldn't help shaking his head, nodding a little to Blackwall and Iron Bull behind her. “I gotta say, Squeaks... So far, everything that happens to you is weird!
“I know, right? I'm starting to notice that too,” Rio said, a little exasperated as she waved her arms just a little before her hands settled on her hips.
“Poor kid,” Varric chuckled softly. “What're you doing here? I assume you didn't just come back to trade quips with me...”
“Mmmm... Find Alexius, go back a year, fix everything that fell apart after I left?”
Varric laughed hard at that, his voice echoing and warped before he nodded just a little, “Now there's a plan I can get behind...”
Another flight of stairs took them to a long hallway that curved to the right, Rio's ears perking up as shouts echoed in the hall. “Where did the elf come from?!” a rough voice demanded angrily. “How did she know about the sacrifice at the Temple? Answer!”
Pressing an ear to the door, she listened closely as she heard Leliana's voice. “Never!” she said firmly, crying out at the smack that made Rio flinch. She wanted to rush in there to save Leliana, but firm hand on her shoulder made her hesitate, looking back to see Bull watching her. She looked like she wanted to argue, but feeling the press for time, she simply bit her lip, pressing her ear to the door again. Her friend was in there, though, and it took everything she had to keep from rushing in there, spells blazing. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to be patient, not seeing the eyes that watched her as she listened at the door.
“There's no use to this defiance, little bird,” the angry voice spat. “There's no one left for you to protect...”
“You're wasting your breath,” the spymaster snapped back, Rio's hand reaching for the door handle. Another smack rang out, and Rio couldn't handle it any more, shoving the door open hard, just in time to see the blade pull back from Leliana's throat as the torture-master turned to face the enraged mage as she stepped into the room, glyphs at her fingertips as her expression darkened.
Before she could react, though, Leliana swung forward hard, the spymaster's legs wrapping tightly around the Venatori's helmeted head and twisting violently. The satisfying crack rang through the room before he slumped to the ground lifelessly. Rio didn't even pay him any mind, looking up at her friend, barely able to recognize the pale, scarred visage of the redhead. Grabbing the key from the corpse, she rushed to unchain Leliana, whose eyes looked at her with almost disbelief. “You're alive,” she said quietly as she was freed, landing lightly on her feet as Rio nodded just a little.
Looking down at the body on the ground, Rio managed a soft, “Well, that was impressive...”
Hard eyes in sunken sockets met hers as Leliana said, “Anger is stronger than any pain... Do you have weapons?” At Rio's slight nod, the spymaster moved past her. “Good... The Magister is probably in his chambers...”
As she moved to gather a longbow and quiver of arrows from a trunk in the corner, the others arming themselves as well and readying for a fight, Dorian frowned. “You... aren't curious how we got here?” he asked as Leliana straightened up again.
“No,” she said simply, turning away from him.
Quickly, Dorian said, “Alexius sent us into the future! All of this, his victory, his Elder One, it was never meant to be!”
Rio frowned a little, “Dorian, I... don't think she's too keen on the details... We just have to get back...”
Leliana frowned deeply, looking back at Dorian, “And mages always wonder why people fear them... No one should have this kind of power...”
Dorian nodded at that, “It's dangerous, and unpredictable! Before the Breach, nothing that we did-”
“Enough!” Leliana spat angrily, her scowl darkening at Dorian. “This is all pretend for you! Some future you hope will never exist!” Rio's ears lowered as she stepped back a little, guilt making her heart sink as she looked away from Leliana. “I suffered,” she continued, “the whole world suffered. It was real.”
Looking up at her friend, Rio said softly, “That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it right...” All eyes turned to her as she stood there, arms crossing over her chest as she dripped onto the stone floor, still soaked from falling into the water. “That's what's important,” she said gently before she turned to leave the room and head down the hall again.
***
They made their way, albeit more slowly than Rio might’ve liked, her headache spreading the longer they took, but they were able to get through easily. Even a sealed door only stalled them for a short while, gathering the shards to a red-lyrium key, Dorian taking great care not to touch them as Rio kept herself as far from the red stuff as she could get. Now and again, she stumbled and fell, even tripping once over nothing. She was slow to react to things, even when she was paying attention.
When an arrow shot from nowhere and caught her in the shoulder, she gave a shriek, gritting her teeth as she tried to huddle down. She couldn’t get away in time when the archer drew his bow again, though the arrow was met with a shield, Blackwall standing over her as Varric launched his own volley to take him out.
“Boss!” Bull shouted as he ran forward, and for a moment, all he could see was the arrow’s shaft and her coat stained bright red. As the last of the enemies were taken out, he managed to pull her hand away from the wound, frowning as he looked it over before taking the small blade that Blackwall offered to cut the leather way from the wound. It had missed the vital muscles there, and she wasn’t bleeping too heavily. He murmured a small measure of thanks that the arrowhead cut through all the way, so they wouldn’t have to tear more tissue removing it. Frowning, he gathered her into his arms, positioning her carefully as Varric walked over. “Boss, we need to pull out the arrow,” he said, taking note how she looked up at him in confusion, brow furrowed deeply as her focus slid off him again.
“Hurts,” she managed, gritting her teeth a little and struggling as Varric snapped the arrowhead off, slowly relaxing again with a soft sigh.
“I know, Boss,” Bull said as he held her still, looking up at Dorian. “You, got any healing spells?” he asked gruffly, frowning deeply. “Potion, poultice, something. This is gonna hurt like a bitch...”
Dorian frowned right back, reaching into his small pack to sift through its contents. Finding the items for a poultice, he started mixing things quickly, instructing them to hold her tight. Blackwall didn’t wait for further instructions, holding her shoulder still as Varric firmly grasped the arrow’s shaft.
At Dorian’s nod, he yanked it hard, glad when it slid free with no resistance before she jerked hard, throwing her head back as a pained scream tore itself from her throat. The sound echoed in the empty halls, followed by another when the poultice was placed over the wound in both front and back, wrapping it in place with strips of linen. Once or twice, she slipped out of consciousness in Bull’s arms as Dorian said, “That should help for now... It will numb the area for a while, but she’ll need to be looked at soon... She won’t be able to fight with that arm...”
Bull nodded, gathering her into his arms as he stood again. “We need to get to Alexius, then,” he rumbled, Rio starting to stir again as the herbs started to make the pain fade. The pulsing from the poultice matched with the throbbing in her head after a few minutes, her eyes opening as the headache started to abate at last.
Bull didn’t put her down until they stepped out into a courtyard, her eyes going wide as she gasped softly, wriggling in his arms before she was placed on her feet again, staring up at the sky, “Holy shit... t-the Breach...”
“It’s everywhere...” Dorian said, the horror clear in his voice as he stared. Even the couple of rifts they closed along the way were nothing—the sky was ripped open from horizon to horizon. Rio could barely manage to turn her hand palm up and stand beneath the rifts to close them, the power licking painfully at her wound and making her head thrum after each one. Once they managed to reach the throne room once more, Rio had managed to regain some of her strength again, injured arm tucked into her coat as she walked towards the somber figure of Alexius.
He looked thinner, almost defeated as his shoulders slumped, her eyes watching him carefully before she murmured, “Sorry I’m late... I seemed to have taken a wrong turn somewhere... Didn’t mean to keep you waiting...”
He didn’t even turn to look at her as he said softly, “Doesn’t matter now... I did all of this for my son, for my country... but it was all for nothing...” he turned his head, almost enough to look at her from the corner of his eye. “I knew you would appear again, not that it would be now, but I knew I hadn't destroyed you... my final failure...”
Rio snorted a little, trying not to move her arm too much as she said, “Well, I can't say I minded all that much... Between being tossed in time and nonexistence, I think I got the better bargain...”
Dorian frowned as he stepped forward, looking at his old friend and mentor, sad grey eyes watching him. “Was it worth it?” he asked quietly. “Everything you did to the world, to yourself...”
Alexius shook his head sadly, staring down into the hearth as the fire flickered, throwing shadows around the room. “It doesn't matter now... All we can do is wait... for the end...”
Rio glanced back at Bull and Blackwall, then to Varric at her side, ears flicking uneasily. Something didn't seem right about this, it was too easy. Frowning, she turned to look at Alexius as she said, “We can fix this... We can undo all of this....”
Alexius scoffed, shaking his head. “What do you think you could possibly do? You are an outlander, a nobody who fell here... You can't even comprehend the gravity of the situation...”
Rio's frown deepened as she stepped forward and said, “I've had enough out of you! I've worked my staff off to get here, you blighter!” Stomping towards him, she gritted her teeth against the pain that lanced through her head as she shouted, “I've been thrown about, shoved through time, pushed out the wrong end of my continuum, landed in god-knows-what, and I've had this terrible headache since I got here! All I want is to go back to my own time and stop this from happening!”
Alexius slowly turned to look at her, frowning deeply down at you. “You are little more than a child...” he said, eyes cold as he fixed his gaze on her. “The past cannot be changed...”
“It might be your past,” Rio said, shaking her head, “but it's still my future, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you take that away from me.”
“It's too late!” Alexius spat, “The Elder One comes for you... for us all...”
A flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught Rio's attention, turning to see Leliana holding a pale, vacant-eyed figure at knifepoint. Rio frowned as she looked at the faded gold and brown armor, the scales of the mail beneath the tunic, the close-cut of his hair... A soft gasp fell from her lips as she murmured, “Is that...”
“Felix?” Dorian rasped, his voice shaking before he looked to the magister, “Maker's breath, Alexius, what have you done?!”
Alexius' gaze softened, eyes pleading as he looked at his son, whose head lolled back against Leliana's shoulders, a shell of the man he was barely a year ago. “He would have died, Dorian! I saved him!” he snapped, looking from Leliana's blade to his son's face. “Please... don't hurt my son... I'll do anything you ask...”
Rio looked uneasily at Leliana before she said softly, “Please... Leliana... Put the knife down... It doesn't have to be this way... We only need the amulet...” Leliana's eyes were hard like cold stones of opal looking from Alexius to Rio, who tried to take a step forward, her one good hand open to her spymaster. “Please, just let him go...”
“Let him go, and I swear you'll have what you want,” Alexius rasped, dark eyes pleading with her.
Rio's heart sank when she heard, “I want the world back.” Her eyes closed tightly at the sound of the blade opening Felix's throat, his lifeblood spilling to the floor. When she tossed him aside, Rio couldn't stop the look of anger and hurt in her eyes as she bit back the sob welling up in her chest.
“Why?” she asked softly, shaking her head quickly. “Why would you do that?! He couldn't have harmed anyone!”
Those hard opals staggered her back a couple of steps as Leliana leveled her gaze on Rio, watching as her ears lowered, though she didn't back down from the fight. “I don't have the luxury of ideals at a time like this, little Herald...”
“Now is exactly when we need ideals!” Rio bellowed, her voice ringing out in the hall, carrying up to the rafters and holding there in stillness, as if the world waited to see what would happen. “If you won't hold to your values when they're most important, then what good is having them?”
“Nooooo!” Alexius bellowed, a blast hitting Rio hard and sending her flying back with a startled cry before she crashed hard into the floor several feet away, the wind knocked out of her in a woosh. She lay there, dazed and coughing for a few moments, a little aware of sounds of a battle around her as she struggled to roll onto her side, managing to get to her knees before a shadow loomed over her. Blue-gold eyes looked up in time to see the bladed staff raise, the blind fury in Alexius' face sending shivers down her spine as her mind screamed for her to move, only to remain frozen in place.
A heavy half caught the blade before it could come down on her, strong grey arms holding Alexius at bay as Rio looked back, finding Bull over her from behind. He looked down at her with his one good eye, smiling just a little as he said, “Come on, Boss. No laying down on the job.” Nodding, she managed to scramble away, barely avoiding the blast that was sent after her as she eagerly put some distance between herself and the enraged magister.
The battle was short, but intense, and it only ended with Alexius in a growing pool of his own blood, several arrows in his chest and back as he breathed his last. Rio was sore all over from tumbling away, grumbling about the stone floors as she limped over to where Dorian was fetching an amulet from the fallen man's robes.
“He wanted to die, didn't he?” he asked softly, almost as if to no one in particular. “All those lies he told himself, the justifications... He lost Felix long ago...” Straightening up again, he shook his head as he murmured, “He didn't even notice... Oh, Alexius...”
Rio looked at Dorian, eyes tired as she managed a small smile, “On... the upside... We can still help him, when we get back, right?”
“I suppose that's true,” Dorian said softly, though his eyes were sad as he said the hopeful words. Brushing the thought aside, he looked down at the trinket in his hand, nodding, “This looks like the same amulet he used to send us here... It might even be the same one he made in Minrathos...” He smiled a little, nodding, “That's a relief...”
Rio looked down at it curiously, “The prototype? So that means that there shouldn't be any other time-traveling necklaces we should have to worry about, right?”
The Tevinter mage shrugged a little, running a hand through his hair, “Well, in theory, this is the only one...”
“Let's hope so,” Rio breathed, glancing around the room solemnly again. “I've had enough bouncing through time to know I never want to try it again...”
Dorian chuckled softly, looking at the amulet as he said, “I should be able to work out the spell within about an hour or so and open the rift back up.”
“An hour?!” Leliana snapped, striding up to them. “That's impossible! You must go back now!”
Dorian started to argue when the ground shook, Rio barely keeping her footing as Bull caught her good arm and righted her again. A terrible screech rang through the hall, making Rio tremble as her heart hammered in her chest, dust and rubble tumbling around them. “I know that sound,” she breathed quietly, the fear rising in her chest. “There's no way we can fight off a dragon for an hour...”
“The Elder One!” Leliana said, “He's here! We are out of time!”
The fear rose up in her throat as Rio looked to her companions, trying to figure out what to do. She saw the silent look the three men shared, Varric and Blackwall nodding to him as the Qunari looked down at Rio. For a moment, she knew what he was going to say before he said it, and she tried to shake her head as she breathed, “No...”
“We'll head out front,” he said, ignoring her protests, raising a hand to quiet her as tears welled up in her eyes. “We'll hold the line and keep them out for as long as we can, Boss. You have my word.”
“No!” she cried, shaking her head as she let her fist pound against his chest, tears falling down her face. “I won't let you! There's gotta be something else, Bull! You can't die!” Her voice cracked as she looked up at him, the tears distorting her vision as she felt his big hand on the top of her head, fuzzing her hair again gently. “Please, Bull... Don't ask me to do this...”
“Rio, look at us..” he said gently, wiping her tears as she sniffled up at him. He could see the fear and worry in her eyes, and he knew this weighed heavily on her. “We're already dead... Once the red lyrium is inside you, there's no stopping it...” Her resolve wavered as her ears quivered, and, for a second, he let his palm brush over one, feeling the warmth there. “The only way we come out of this horns-up is if this day never comes... Right, Boss?”
Her nod was shaky, but she slowly seemed to compose herself as he looked down at her. He could feel the crystals at the edge of his vision, but they didn't stop him from seeing her there, bathed in that pale firelight, and he wondered what was or might have been. How he envied her the time she had now, to go back and make it right... How he envied the other him, the one that didn't have to go through all of that... Leaning down, he gently kissed her forehead, wiping her tears again as he said gently, “Cast your spell and get back... You can do this...”
The look in her eyes almost made him stop, but she nodded again and that was it. Turning away, he made his way out of the hall, Leliana stationing herself near the door as they sealed it on the other side. “All right, boys,” he said to Blackwall and Varric as the first demons burst through the far door, “one last time, into the fray...”

***

Rio stood with Dorian, eyes on the door as he cast the spells as quickly as he could. The sounds of the battle erupted now and again, and she feared that they would break through at any moment. Dorian was nearly done, he told her, assuring her that he was working as fast as he could, sparks flying now and again as he worked to open the dark rift.
Something slammed hard into the door, shaking it on its hinges. When Leliana notched an arrow and raised her bow, Rio looked to Dorian. They were nearly out of time! “Though darkness closes, I am shielded by flame,” she heard Leliana recite, the pale woman drawing the arrow back smoothly. The door burst open, Venatori stalking into the room, accompanied by a Greater Terror. Behind them, she could see two limp forms, a crossbow, sword, and shield scattered about.
Rio's heart threatened to stop at the sight of her friends, fallen for her sake. She stared up at Dorian, looking back as she tried hard not to panic, shaking all over. Her gaze was caught by something that the Terror threw aside, and she couldn't help the shout that rang through the hall. “Bull!” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes once more.
“Andraste guide me,” Leliana continued, loosing arrow after arrow to take them down. “Maker, take me to your side.” The only thing that stopped Rio from running to Leliana's side when she was shot was a firm hand grabbing at her torn coat and yanking her back.
Stern grey eyes looked down at her as Dorian cried, “If you go, then we'll all die!” She looked from him to Leliana, who still fought like a woman possessed, leaping over one falling warrior to beat down the next in line. She felt the rift tear open behind her, the swirling magic pulling on her as she watched as, inevitably, Leliana was caught. She tried to cry out before she was yanked through the rift, tumbling into Dorian as they emerged, safely into the throne room again.
As she trembled, Dorian helped her stand still, watching her face as she took in shaky breaths. The room fell into a silence so still, she worried it didn't work. It wasn't until she stood tall, looking around the throne room that she realized that everyone was staring at them as if they'd seen a ghost. Swallowing heavily, Rio turned to face Alexius, pushing down her emotions as she took in another fortifying breath.
“Is that the best you've got?” she said coldly, looking at the magister, frown deepening. As Alexius fell to his knees, Rio found herself slowly looking around, trying to slow her pounding heart. It felt like it had been forever since she'd been standing there. Turning stiffly, she looked over at her friends, tears welling up in her eyes before she fell forward, limping towards them as they caught her before she could hit the ground.
“I hate time traveling,” she wailed softly as she hugged them each tightly, grateful for the gentle pats to her head.

***

Somehow, through everything else that followed, Rio stayed relatively calm. When the king and queen of Ferelden arrived and tossed the rebel mages out, she calmly reminded them that she had come for their help anyway, so the Inquisition was as good a place as any. With their alliance forged and the mages packed up and heading to Haven, the others were able to see to the Herald’s wounds to get her patched up. It was clear that it would take a while, even with the healing magic and herbs, but she was determined to ride back with them. They managed to get her to settle down and spend a day recuperating down at the crossroads. When she woke up, tired from a night of pain-induced red-lyrium nightmares, she started to pack up her things, insisting that they head out after breakfast.
Freshly bandaged with her left arm in a sling, Rio tried half a dozen times to climb into the saddle, finally having to ask a scout to help. He’d protested at first, saying that she wasn’t really in any condition to be riding, though she didn’t give him much choice as she tried to hop up one-handed and almost tumbled back to the ground before the poor scout hastily supported her while she swung into the saddle. Nodding proudly, she thanked him, nudging the horse forward a ways. He had to run after her when the energetic trot started to jar her too hard, making her yank back hard on the reins, barely keeping herself in the saddle as she tried to brush him off, nudging her horse forward at a much slower walk.
Even that pace almost proved too much as the pain lanced through her shoulder, and she had to stop again. This time, the scout grabbed the reins hard, pulling them from her hand no matter how she protested. She scowled at him and even threatened to fire him as she leaned over the horse, reaching for the reins to pull them back.
Unbalanced in the saddle, she gave a startled shout as she slipped off the large warhorse. Strong arms caught her before she could slam her head into the ground, and she only needed a moment to realize that it was Bull who caught her, frowning deeply. She tried to wiggle herself back upright into the saddle for a second before those arms holding her tightened around her middle and finished pulling her off the horse to place her back on her feet.
“Hey!” she cried, realizing that now she was going to have to start all over again, “I was doing just fine!”
Bull didn’t look amused as he frowned down at her, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Was that before or after you almost broke your neck from falling off the horse?”
Pointed ears flicked back agitatedly as she frowned up at him before she said, “I can ride, Bull.”
“I have no doubt about that, Boss,” he said, turning her gently to walk her towards the covered wagon they’d acquired. “But for now, you need to rest more.”
Rio groaned, running a hand through her hair as she tried to dig her heels into the ground, “I’ve had enough sleeping! Really, I’m fine!”
“Oh? And when exactly did you get this sleep?” Varric said as he hopped down from the wagon. “Seems I remember an awful lot of tossing and turning, and more than a little bit of trying to keep you in bed...”
Her frown deepened as she saw the pile of furs in the back, and she knew they expected her to ride in there. It looked inviting, to be sure, but the thought of sleeping, of letting those dreams in again... She shivered a little, shaking her head before she said, “Really, I would just rather walk.... It only takes about two weeks by foot, and less than that if I... don’t sleep....” she added quietly, looking down at the ground.
She wasn’t prepared to be lifted like a child and carried over to the wagon, struggling just until she hit her injured arm into Bull’s bulk, crying out at the pain that flashed through her before she stilled. Despite the kick to the shin that he got, Bull was still gentle as he lifted her up and climbed into the wagon, setting her in the middle of the furs before climbing back out.
If looks could kill, Bull would’ve been a dead man.
As they set out, Rio struggled at first to stay upright, and then fought sleep as it tried to wash over her. It wasn’t long before she was in and out of consciousness, twitching fitfully in dreams. As they rode along behind the wagon, they took turns watching her rest. Bull found himself counting how many times she woke herself up, lifting her head, blinking tiredly as she spotted them riding along behind, and then wearily settling herself back down again. He was up to seventeen before they stopped for a short break, and once the wagon stopped, Rio woke again, starting to sit up groggily.
“Geez, Squeaks,” Varric said as she crawled weakly over to the edge of the wagon, leaning against the barrier that kept her from tumbling to the ground, “you look terrible.......”
“Thanks, Varric,” she said dryly, trying to finish waking herself up as Bull handed her an apple he’d cut in half. Varric was right, she looked more pale than she had the day before, and it looked like the dressing for her wound might need changing again, the deep red staining the white linen. She did look a little better after she finished the bit of apple, and then the cheese and roll of bread, but she was still pale, the circles under her eyes deepening as she fought the urge to fall asleep. When the wagon started moving again, she let her arm flop over the edge as she dozed.
The second leg of the day didn’t go much better as she jerked awake and hit her head more than once. By the fifth time, Varric winced and said, “Why don’t you just... go lay back down on the furs?”
Rubbing the knot that was starting to form, Rio grumbled, “I’m fine... I need a triple-shot of espresso, but I’ll live...” The wagon jerked again, the driver apologizing as she yelped, hitting her head particularly hard that time, eyes welling up with tears as she whimpered, “Frell...”
Grumbling, she started to get to her knees, hand steadying herself on the back of the wagon. “What’re you doing, Squeaks?” Varric asked as he watched her start to swing her leg over the edge, frowning as she almost slipped. Bull turned to see what was going on, quickly dismounting and tossing the reins to Blackwall, who kept the warhorse trotting along with them.
“I’m tired of this stupid wagon!” she half-snapped at him, struggling to get her other leg over the edge. She didn’t even have time to catch herself when the wagon lurched again and she tumbled out. She would’ve landed face-first on the hard ground but for the large grey hand that caught the back of her coat and kept her just off the ground. She didn’t even regain her footing before she was lifted back up, Bull climbing into the wagon with her again.
“Boss,” he said sternly as he placed her back on the furs, “you need to stay put and stop straining yourself, or you’re never going to heal, and the fastest way to do that is if you just get some sleep.”
“I don’t want to sleep!” she ground out before she was flopped back onto the furs with an oof!
Kneeling beside her, Bull frowned down at her as she struggled to right herself again. “And why is that?”
“Because I keep-“ she started to say, ears lowering before she looked away from him. It took the threat of being tied up in the wagon before she finally admitted quietly, “I keep... having dreams... I keep hearing that dragon, and seeing the Venatori and the red lyrium, and... I just... I can't...” She held her face in her hands as she let the tears fall, shoulders shaking, “I'm so tired... but I keep seeing you guys dying for me...”
Varric frowned, reaching into one of the saddlebags and pulling out a small bottle, tossing it to Bull, who caught it, tugging the stopper out and pressing it into Rio's hand before digging through the pack that had been tucked into the corner. After she took swallowed the potion, Bull carefully changed the dressing on her bandages, helping to support her carefully as she struggled to stay upright.
He leaned her forward to carefully retie the sling, smiling a little as she reached a hand up to his chest to steady herself. She was fighting the potion hard, the spindleweed and royal elfroot numbing the pain while another rare herb helped to induce sleep. Her eyes drooped as she murmured something, hand holding tightly to the harness strapped across his chest, her forehead resting against his chest. She relaxed against him, feeling his heartbeat, letting it soothe her as she reminded herself he was still alive, she was going to make it right, he wasn't going to fall to that future...
He started to pull himself away, trying to tuck her into the pile of furs, but even half-asleep, she wouldn't let go of him. Her eyes fluttered as she tried so hard to open them, to look up at him as tears spilled over her pale cheeks. He was in the middle of trying to pry her thin fingers from the strap she held when her soft whimper of protest stopped him. He held himself still as she tried to press into his side, murmuring, “No... d-don't go... please don't l-leave me...”
He only spent a moment thinking about it, glancing up at the others before Varric chuckled, “Might as well stay in there with her, Tiny... She's just going to keep climbing out if you don't...” His smile was good-natured, but his concern showed as she still fought sleep. If this kept up, they would need to try something stronger, just to get her back to Haven in one piece...
Sighing, he shook his head a little, gathering Rio into his arms, turning to lie back on the pile of furs, pulling her on top of him. Almost immediately, she slumped against him, relaxing into him as he carefully arranged her arm so she wasn't lying on it. Slowly, her breath evened out, sleep washing over her rapidly and covering her senses with an inky blackness. All she knew was Bull's heartbeat under her cheek and the warm fur that he pulled over her as she gave in and finally slept.
***

“What were you thinking, turning mages loose with no oversight?!” Cullen asked, frowning down at Rio, who was doing her best to stay awake. Despite all the sleep she got on the way back, she didn't feel the least bit rested, between the occasional jolt of panic waking her and the herbs and potions that kept her out of it most of the way, and the moment she got back, it was one thing after another, and she hadn't even seen her own bed yet. As pleasant as Cullen was to look at, she would much rather have the chance to bury her face into her pillow. “The Veil is torn open!”
Rio sighed again, shaking her head as she fought to keep upright. “Give them their freedom now, and if shit happens, then we'll ground them until they learn to behave themselves, Cullen. It's not that fucking hard,” she said tiredly, frowning right back at him, trying to adjust her sling again. The damn thing was starting to itch against her neck again...
“And how many lives will be lost if they fail?” he replied. “With the Veil broken, the threat of possession...” Turning to Cassandra, he asked, “You were there, Seeker! Why didn't you intervene?”
“Uh, cus it was my fucking decision!” Rio snapped, hand going to her hip as she narrowed her tired eyes at him again.
Cassandra frowned and looked at Rio as she said, “While I may not completely agree with the decision, I support it. The sole point of the Herald's mission was to gain the help of the mages, and that was accomplished.”
“The voice of pragmatism speaks!” a familiar voice chimed in, Rio blinking as she turned, brightening a little as she saw Dorian stride confidently through the doorway. “And here I was starting to enjoy the circular arguments!”
Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him before she said, “Closing the Breach is all that matters.”
Rio nodded a little, sighing, “Good... something good can come of this mess at least...”
“We should look into the things you saw in this dark future,” Leliana said, drawing Rio's tired gaze once more as she tried not to groan at the thought of more work. “The assassination of Empress Celine? A demon army?”
“Sounds like something a Tevinter cult might do...” Dorian said with a soft chuckle. “Orlais falls, the Imperium rises—chaos for everyone.”
“One struggle at a time,” Cullen said tiredly, shaking his head. “It's going to take time to organize our troops and the mage-recruits... Let's take this to the war-room.” Looking to Rio, he nodded his head a little, “Join us when you're ready... None of this means anything without your mark, after all...”
Rio sighed heavily before she said softly, “Ya know... that sounds fascinating... But I... really... need some sleep...”
Josephine smiled a little, gently placing a hand to her uninjured shoulder, “It's all right... Take the time you need, Rio...”
Dorian smiled as he said, “I think I'll skip the war-council... Though I would be intrigued to see the Breach up close, if you don't mind.”
Blue-gold eyes looked tiredly up at him as Rio blinked, tilting her head a little, “Mm? So you want to stay, then, hmm?”
Dorian flashed her his most charming smile as he said, “Oh, didn't I mention? The south is so charming and rustic—I adore it to little pieces. Besides... you saw what could happen... What this 'Elder One' and his cult are trying to do...” Looking at the others, there was a look in his eyes that Rio couldn't quite place before he added, “Not everything from Tevinter is terrible. Some of us have fought for aeons against this sort of madness. It's my duty to stand with you.” His eyes were fierce as he looked to Rio and said, “That future will not come to pass.”
Rio only managed a tired smile, patting his shoulder gently as she said, “Good, because if I get stranded in time again, you're my only hope.” Without a word, she waved goodnight to the others, turning to make her way back out into the night air, tucking her jacket around her as she walked. Dorian fell quietly into step beside her, smiling as they walked slowly down the path in silence, her muscles still stiff from the journey.
“How's the shoulder?” he asked as he glanced over at her. She instinctively tried to shrug, hissing in a breath when pain lanced through her shoulder. “I see,” he chuckled. “But then, two weeks on the road does make it hard to heal...”
Rio sighed deeply, flinching at the pain in her shoulder. “I know...” she said gently, shaking her head, “I'm just... I'm tired... I wanted to get back... I would've ridden hard by horse to get here in just a few days if I could've handled it...” As she walked, she waved at the others as they headed for the tavern, smiling as Bull waved back, a couple of the others cheering her name as they entered the small building.
Dorian watched, raising an eyebrow before he continued to follow her down the steps. The camp was quiet, most everyone in bed, on watch, or at the tavern, so no one was around to hear Dorian as he leaned in close and said, “So, that mountain of a Qunari... How long have you two been...?”
Tired as she was, Rio's head snapped to look at him, her eyes growing wide as she shouted, “Wh-what?!” As her face turned red, she was able to lower her voice, lightly smacking his arm with her good hand as she said forcefully, “No! Bull and I are just friends!”
One eyebrow raised at that, a corner of Dorian's mouth quirking as he said, “You like him..”
Rio sputtered before she lightly smacked his arm again, frowning at him, “It's not like that, Dorian, and you know it.”
Chuckling, he thought it over before he said, “Well, you know... he did kiss your forehead before charging off to his death...”
The look on Rio's face almost made him lose what little composure he had as she managed to spit out, “It was an alternate timeline! That doesn't count!”
“Oh?” Dorian said, curiosity peaked. “Then, pray tell, why did you get most choked up about it? So you... screamed his name when you saw him fall because... what? You're such good friends?” Her face turned redder as she frowned at him, making him laugh. “Goodness, me, what do the other members of the Inquisition think of this? The Herald from another world, with the Qunari mercenary...”
“We're just friends,” she said softly, turning away as she reached her hut. “Besides,” she added, looking back at him as she nudged her door open, “it wouldn't work..”
The other eyebrow rose at that as he watched her give a small smile. “Just trust me, Dorian... It wouldn't...” With that, she closed the door behind her, latching it quietly as she got ready for bed.
“Oh, methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Dorian said with a grin before sighing to himself and turning to head towards the tavern, smile still on his face. “I think I'm going to like it here...”
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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere