Sisters of Tevinter

Consumed

      Bull stripped the chest plate off of one of the Venatori and strapped it over his chest in silence. Dorian grimaced. "Isn't that all bloody? There's got to be sanitation issues when it comes to wearing someone else's blood." 

       The qunari grinned. "The Qun wear blood all the time. Tevinters are our favorite."

      Dorian looked ill. Jor rolled her eyes. "Bull, leave the mage alone." 

       The mercenary chuckled. Jor glanced back at Cassandra, who had been silent for a moment. She looked awful, barely able to stand straight, an arm pressed close to her ribs. The sword she'd taken dangled from her other hand, which was equally bruised and bloody. 

       "I have to get you guys fixed up... Tell me when you need rest." She folded her arms. "We can't fight our way out of here if you can't breathe or stand." 

        "Yes, my Herald." Cassandra smiled wryly. 

        "Whatever you say, boss." 

         Jor nodded and plunged down another hallway. They continued on, seemingly descending again. This was confirmed when they reached another stair case. One door lead left, the other right. 

          "Perhaps the right this time?" Dorian smiled slightly at the scholar. 

         "Sure." Jor's lips quirked as she pressed her ear to the wooden door. Silence. She placed her hand on the wrought iron handle, slowly swinging it open. The hallway was empty but for the jagged red lyrium crystals growing from the floor. There were more of them here, clustered around molding barrels and uneven corners of stone, as if feeding. 

           Jor crept forward through the room, trying her damndest to avoid touching the horrible crystals. 

          "...H... Herald..."

           Jor froze. Behind her, Dorian looked up. The scholar turned, slowly. Behind a door of steel bars, a cell was full to the brim with lyrium. The jagged gemstones grew everywhere, at every angle. One particularly large crystal protruded up from the center of the floor. A dark shape was leaning out of it, barely moving. 

          Jor clapped her hands over her mouth, stifling the bile that rose in a torrent to her throat. The elf woman was nothing but a ragged torso, her dress in dark and dampened tatters. The crystal had swallowed her from the waist down, a long sliver of it pressed over her chest, growing slowly as every second ticked by. 

          "Fiona," Dorian whispered. 

         The enchantress gave a rattling gasp, struggling to breathe. "You live."

          Jor swallowed her nausea. "Yes." She knelt beside the lock. 

         "Do not waste yourself," Fiona rasped. "It is too late for me." 

         "Is that... growing out of you?" Bull asked, looking appalled. 

          Fiona gave a dark sort of laugh. It was more of a hiss. "Yes... Red lyrium feeds on magic, on life... It will cloud the mind, seek to break it if it can. It is its nature." 

         "We'll get you out, just hang in there." Jor shook her head as her daggers slipped inside the lock. "Blast." 

          "Herald..."

          "No, I won't leave anyone to die here. Not like this." The scholar gritted her teeth. 

          "Leave... me..." Fiona gasped. "Leave, so this... this never comes to pass. Find... your Nightingale..."

           Jor paused, looking up, her expression stricken. "Leliana?"  

          "She is here... she can tell you everything... go..." 

          Cassandra laid a hand on the scholar's shoulder. "We should go. Leliana can help us. There is nothing we can do here." 

           Jor stood, torn. She glanced at Dorian, who shook his head sadly. She looked to Fiona. "I'm sorry. I'll reverse this, I promise." 

          Fiona nodded weakly, her head slumping to her chest. 

          "Come on." Jor turned away and continued down the rows of cells. She wanted to snap every blasted brick of crystal that rose from the floor. Another staircase spiraled upwards. Higher and higher it went, until Jor was convinced they were ascending some kind of tower. A door was ajar at the top of the landing, and Jor could hear voices. She crept closer to the sliver of firelight. 

           "Where are the rebels hiding? Where is their sanctuary? Where is the templar commander?" 

            There was a weak bubble of laughter. "I will never tell you." 

             Jor could see a hooded figure with his back to her. He chuckled, reaching for the table at his side. The scholar recognized the glint of a scalpel. "How much longer can you resist, songbird?" 

              Suddenly realizing what was happening, Jor slammed her heel into the door in front of her and it banged open with a snap. The hooded figure whirled around. 

              Leliana dangled from the ceiling, chains fastened to her wrists. She was pale, starved, her cheeks hallow and gaunt. She scowled and hoisted up with all her remaining strength, wrapping her legs around her captor's neck. 

            Jor watched his eyes pop, the scalpel clattering from his grasp. "I'm still singing," Leliana hissed, wrenching with her hips. The man's neck snapped with a sickening click and fell limp. The Nightingale released a pent up breath and lifted her knees, letting the corpse slump to the floor with a dull thud. 

           Someone stirred in the corner of the room, lifting a headful of matted red hair. "What's going on?" they rasped, almost sleepily. Leliana's expression crumpled.

            The others stepped into the room, and Kaisen turned to face them. Jor felt the weight of all the realms slam into her like an anvil dropped from the heavens. 

            One of her eyes had been torn clean from its socket, leaving a bloody void of tendons and veins. The left side of her jaw was swollen and drooping, green and filthy with infection. Deep, jagged scars crossed from her chin to her temple, over her nose in a hideous 'x'. One of her fingers were missing. Her middle finger on her left hand had been sawed off through the glove, still caked in blood and leather.

             Bull's gaze softened. "Oh, red."

             "Hi, Bull." she whispered, smiling softly. Her voice was raw. "Look. We're twins." She lifted her chin to display her good eye.

              The qunari chuckled and  passed Jor to kneel beside the Crow, tearing the wooden restraints from her lap and wrists. "Yes, we are."

              Fury built and thrashed like an angry dragon in Jormungandr's chest. It hurt. It burned. Alexius will pay for this. She turned away without a word and reached up to free Leliana's arms.

              "Am I dreaming?" Kaisen murmured behind her.  

              "No, Crow. You are awake." Cassandra, her face set with swallowed rage, gently lifted the rogue to her feet. 

               Kaisen stumbled, and Dorian caught her arm. "Woah now." He smiled gently. "You're alright, take it easy." 

           Cassandra lifted the rogue's arm over her shoulder, letting Kaisen lean on her for support. Leliana dropped from her restraints into Jor's arms. 

            "Are you alright?" the scholar grunted against the woman's weight. 

            "I'm fine." Leliana scowled and stood. "It's good to see you are alive. I heard tell of time spells, I'm sorry I never believed any of it."