Sisters of Tevinter

Sudden Death

        Jor's heart jumped and raced like a rabbit's, she reached desperately for her dirk. The maul was falling, it would crack her skull against the pavement, her blood leaking into the cobblestones and running like rivers of scarlet. 

         A burst of flame slammed into the back of the warrior's head. Dorian twirled his staff over his hand and slammed it down on the floor of the balcony, sending a ribbon of blue lightning crackling down as the behemoth lost his balance. 

          It struck him head on, he fell to one knee. Silent now, a dark shape sprang on top of the warrior like a rabid dog. Kaisen drove her dagger deep between the slats of the warrior's helmet. There was a muffled groan and a death gargle as the soldier choked on his own blood. Kaisen ripped the blade free, crouching like a gargoyle on the man's chest. Blood flew in ribbons to fleck her cheeks. "Get fucked," she said flatly, rising. 

           The rift roared, writhing like a living thing. More dreamers and shades fell from the seam. Jor spun on the stones, slipping one leg beneath the other to twist to her feet and brace her palm up towards the flickering emerald tear. It rumbled, energies clashing, the demon's shrieked, dispelled in a blast of force the nearly tore Jor's scarf from her neck. 

           The rift knit itself closed with a crack of thunder. 

            Distant shouts reverberated around the courtyard and the surrounding compound. Leliana was suddenly beside Jor. "It seems our presence is known."

            Cassandra tore a shield from her fallen enemy's dead grip. Smoke trailed idly from Bull's shoulder as he strode towards them. He brushed off the embers with a wince. "I hate magic." 

            "Let's get out of the open." Jor looked around, catching sight of a small oaken door between small, ragged black branches of dead trees on the other side of the yard. She gestured for the others to follow her as Dorian vaulted over the balcony rail to jog after them. 

            Leliana shoved the door open and held it as the others hurried inside. The hall was dark, and only got darker when Leliana let the door swing closed. 

          Jor reached out hesitantly in the darkness. "Is everyone here?" Her fingers brushed against something warm. "Kaisen?"

         "That's my arm," Dorian said patiently. 

         "Oh." Jor drew back her hand. 

        A familiar giggle came to her left, eerie in the shadows. "I'm here, Jor. You're funny."

         Jor relaxed slightly, but her chest was flooded with agony. Kaisen had gone mad. That much was horribly clear. Heat crept up her neck in the dark. I swear, I'll make Alexius rue the day he was born. That bastard will wish he'd turned back time to erase his own existence. "Come on." She forged forward into the dark, bumping headfirst into something solid. 

          "That's me, boss," Bull rumbled, a hand falling heavily on the scholar's shoulder. Kaisen had begun to hum softly, Jor recognized the tune as an offkey rendition of Empress of Fire. Tears pricked her eyes. 

           "Sorry I-" She couldn't see. The heat kept building as moisture behind her eye sockets. 

           "Breathe," Bull instructed softly. "Hold on for a second." His hand left her arm and there was a rustling noise. Silence. "Hey, mage boy, light this for me." 

          The hall was flooded with flickering red light as Dorian lit the torch in Bull's hand. Jor cleared her throat, looking down at the floor to let her tears dissipate. Everyone was looking at her. "We'll go on," Jor rasped. "The east wing can't be far."

           "We're heading in the right direction," Leliana said. "It is good that we were able to see the sky." 

           Jor nodded and forged ahead, avoiding her companion's eye contact. They were silent as they followed her, except Kaisen, who was still humming softly. She could feel pity radiating off of them in waves. She shook it off, straightened her shoulders and put one foot in front of the other. This could all be reversed. It had to be. 

           They came to another door. Jor held up her hand to have them wait as she pressed her ear to the wood. The soft rustling of cloth and clink of glass reached her ears. She flicked her wrist and Leliana split the party, herding them to other side of the door in the room's blind spots. 

           Slowly, Jor swung the door open. She thanked the Maker the hinges were well oiled. The door swung inward into a kind of apothecary. Dried bundles of herbs hung from twine on the ceiling, vines dangled from pots on the many shelves that lined the cramped room. A hooded mage was leaning over a tome, white flame flickering over her fingers. 

             Jor lunged. 

              The mage let off a blast of fire with a yelp. Nearly blind, Jor shouldered through the smoke and drove her dirk up into the woman's jaw. Teeth and bone grated against steel and flesh as blood splattered down Jor's shirt front. The mage met Jor's eyes, light fading from her irises. Jor held the mage's gaze coldly, drawing the blade from her head.

              The body slumped to the floor. 

              Jor wiped the mage's blood on her trousers. Dorian stepped inside, glancing around with a whistle. "Lucky us." 

             "Hm." Jor knelt to pat down the body, tugging the sash from the mage's cloak. She found three small vials of potions and a blade that made her pause. Made of obsidian and onyx, set in a wicked curve and a balanced grip, engraved with jagged lines and carved with free flowing blank space to look through. The handle was set with a single stone, glowing a soft dirty orange. 

              "That's a corrupting rune," Dorian murmured, fascinated as he leaned over Jor's shoulder. "Exceptionally rare. Hard to craft. Deadly in battle." 

               "Mine now." Jor shrugged and tucked it into her belt. "Tell me more when we get home." 

               Dorian smiled. "An excellent idea."

              Jor stepped out of the room and rejoined her companions. She tossed one potion to Cassandra and pressed the other carefully into Kaisen's palm. The rogue downed it without question. She sank down with a soft groan as the wound in her eye started to seal, the infection at her jaw's swelling reduced. 

             Cassandra popped the cork from the vial and drank slowly, glowing softly a rosy dawn color as her cuts sealed and bruises faded. She slowly took her arm from her aching ribs. 

             Jor held up the last potion for Bull to take. "You can split this with Leliana if you want." 

            "I'm fine. With my range, it is unlikely I will sustain more injury. The Iron Bull should have it," the Nightingale said. "It is only logical." 

            "If you insist." Bull grinned and knocked back the little vial. Some of his bruises slowly faded, the chafes around his wrists sealed into tiny scars.