Sisters of Tevinter

Stability

                 A great crater was all that remained of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, nestled in smoke and flickering light within the towering mountains. There, in all its glory, far far above the small army, was the roiling seam in the sky. Slightly below it was a large core of almost solid emerald substance, revolving slowly in the air. Along the shattered pathways, strange stones were thrust from the earth, opaque and scarlet, glowing with inner illumination that made Jor sick to look at for too long. 

                 Varric mumbled something to Solas in grave tones. The elf nodded wearily, giving the crystals a wide berth. 

                  "Red lyrium," the commander murmured from beside the shivering scholar. His voice was heavy with loss and pain. "I haven't seen so much since..." 

                   "Commander Cullen, you've made it." Leliana seemed to materialize from the shadows of a thin mountain pass behind them. 

                   Cullen nodded gravely, his eyes drawn to the core of the Breach. "Quite a sight." 

                   "Yes." Leliana unslung the bow from her shoulders and knocked an arrow. "Whenever you're ready, Jormungandr. We will give the order to attack." 

                    "That thing is going to split open and rain demons like hellfire," Varric cautioned. "I'd wait just a second." 

                      Jor's eyes swept over the faces of the nameless soldiers behind them. She prayed none would be lost, she prayed they didn't have to feel so afraid. They looked so pale. Some were stoic, stone like, other shifted uneasily, murmuring to their companions. She had no idea what was happening, much less how to command an army. This all was happening far too fast. 

                     Solas tapped his staff on the ruined stone. "Breathe," he said to her softly. "This must be done." 

                      Jor steeled herself, giving a hesitant nod as she drew her dirks. The mark at her hand burned, creeping further up her arm. She drew a breath to speak. 

                       A voice that was not hers echoed through the crater. Deep, menacing and male. "Give in, old woman. You cannot stop me." 

                       All heads whirled, turning every which way. The crater was empty. Who had spoken? Jor was shuddering now, her very bones felt filled with terror.

                        "Who speaks?" Cassandra roared into the crater, just as a higher voice, weak with pain, rumbled through the mountains. 

                         "I will hold you." 

                          The monstrous voice came again. "You are dying, fool. No Divine could stop the chaos. Certainly not you. I will swallow all. First you, then the rest of this pitiful world." 

                         "What's going on here?" Jor nearly pissed herself, fumbling her blades as her own voice echoed through the shadows, but she had not opened her mouth. A memory tugged at the back of her mind, insistent, painful, but so far away. Everyone was staring at her. 

                         Suddenly, the Breach rumbled, shuddering with the weight of thunder as it split asunder. An enormous shape was pushed through the Veil, taller than any tower and made of jagged stone, spiderlike eyes set high along its uneven skull. 

                          Varric loaded his crossbow with a click. "Now or never, kid," he said, just as Cullen roared a battle cry that burned like fire in Jormungandr's chest. It was echoed back to her as the army charged into the crater. 

                          Solas banged his staff on the stone, sending up a flurry of silver sparks that swarmed outward, obscuring the demon's massive head in a small blizzard of magic. Leliana raised her bow in tandem with the line of archers beside her, raining down a hail of arrows. Jor's palm suddenly was split by agony as she raised her hand. It was swallowed in boiling green light. Gripping a dirk in her good hand, she let a scream rip from her throat as she vanished into the throng of warriors as more and more smaller shapes were birthed from the rift. 

                          The next half hour was flooded by the smell of blood and steel, the shrieks of demons, the screams of men. Jor sprinted from rank to rank, shadow to shadow, striking from behind the smaller demons. She had enough anger in her to take out a ghoulish shape or two in one good thrust. She was covered in sticky black blood, nearly deaf from the noise as she ducked out of the way of yet another massive footfall of the stone giant. She yanked a bleeding soldier out of the way of the second step. 

                          The Breach was hissing, letting off green sparks. Cassandra charged past her, plunging her sword deep into the gut of a terrifying, lanky creature covered in spikes. A violet thunderbolt split the air and struck the giant across the face, originating from the ledge Jor knew Solas had grounded himself on. 

                            The creature roared. A massive knee buckled. Jor threw up her hand, green light arced into the Breach. Wind stirred around them, whipping her brass hair around her face. The Breach keened, swelled, retracted, and as if sealed by salve, knit itself back into a solid mass of green. All the demons were smote, returning to mist with wails of failure. 

                            Soldiers helped each other up, Varric tossed Cassandra a vial of healing tonic. Jor's vision blurred. The world swayed. 

                            She was awake just long enough to hear the cheers as everyone realized it was over. Then she hit the ground.