Into the Chaos

Chapter Eighty

Radiant Soul: When you have to make a death saving throw at the start of your turn, you can instead spring back to your feet with a burst of radiant energy. You regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum, and then you stand up if you so choose. Each creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you takes radiant damage equal to 2d8 + your Charisma modifier, and is blinded until the end of the current turn.

Sending: a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar. The creature hears the message in its mind, recognizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately.

Decius whispers at me. "Hey, Lu? What do we have left to do on that list?"

I turn around in the blankets for my bag. I flip through a notebook before turning onto my stomach. "Circle books, seekers, beat bull, blackwall, Leliana, house of repose, graves, sword coast, spooky temple, plains, emprise, wastes, the rest of the doors in the oasis, wilds, the dragon, and then it's murder time."

"That sounds like a lot. And we have a year to do it."

"Ja. Some of it can be done while we're gone. Bull seemed worried before we left for Adamant. Maybe we can hit up— no wait. We have to go to the plains first. Storm coast, then up north?"

"For Lels? Yeah."

"Then the plains and graves." I glance over at Decius with Solas curled around and over him and I gently shut the book, place it off to the side. "You two are cute. Looks comfy. I don't want them seeing the Emprise. We can go while they are in the Graves?"

" There's room on my other shoulder for you. The thought of going alone crossed my mind. Solas will object. Heavily. We could ostensibly be the only ones he cares about. "

So we don't bring him. My head twitches. Decius gives me a questioning look. " I was about to suggest that we leave him here. That would break his trust, wouldn't it?"

" I'm not sure. It seems likely. The Emprise is horrendous. I'm not sure if he feels guilty about the consequences. There is guilt in regards to you but— either way, they don't need to see it. We'll stay away from the dragons— but the mines." He draws out the word.

I move closer to Decius when he flops an arm out in my direction. " Yeah. And the towns. And the demon." I kiss the inner side of his elbow.

Solas shifts before opening his eyes to look at us. "You two are being awfully loud over there."

"Solas, we weren't actually saying anything." As Decius speaks, his hand starts to move idly over Solas's neck.

He closes his eyes as Decius's hand grazes his ear. "I know. Care to share?"

Decius sighs. "It's complicated. We're going to have to go to the Emprise eventually."

"Yes?"

I move closer and press my forehead to Decius's ribs, above Solas's hand. "So— we were talking about our plans. Plans that might be hard to understand. There are bad things in Emprise du Lion. We don't want you to see that."

"Alright."

I turn my head to look at Solas. "That means we were thinking of going alone."

He props himself up on an elbow and with narrowed eyes looks at both of us. "Absolutely not."

"Solas. We see how the lyrium spreads in the Emprise. It is a wasteland. You don't need to see it."

"You're not going."