The Encounter

...

     The muffled voices were becoming clearer as Eira and Merrill  got closer to the Eluvian. Both Eira and Merrill had gotten close enough to the point where they could make out what the voices were saying.

     "Can you see anything through it? Wait- Did you just hear that? That was someones voices I just heard!"

      Eira's eyes widened. Both her and Merrill we set solid in their place, not moving an inch. Eira slowly turned to Merrill, who was sporting a horrified expression, cold sweats dripping down both of their faces.

     "We are most certainly not in the Fade, I'm pretty sure. No flying objects, no changing environment. Those voices are coming through the Eluvian!"

     "How could the voices sound like us? Could it be a flash back? Maybe the Mirror is showing us the memory of what just happened, maybe? Or maybe it is just-" Before Merrill could finish her sentence, Eira started to slowly advance towards the Eluvian, waving at Merrill to stay back, causing Merrill to panic.

     "Wait here Merrill I'm going to check it out-"

     "Hawke wait! We don't know what's behind it yet-!" Before Merrill could finish her sentence again or could even attempt to stop Eira from entering the Eluvian, Eira jumped through the Mirror without hesitation and felt her whole body be engulfed by fluid, pure magic. Merrill was freaking out. She knew that Eira was at times compulsive, jumping and acting without thinking, but she did not think she would be like that at such a time. It was an unknown situation, Merrill didn't want to follow just in case it closed or that Eira would return so she waited, nervously. She was pacing across the room, she started to clean the room and was awaiting Eira's return. She did not want to attempt any magic just in case it might affect the Eluvian itself or worse, Eira.

     When Eira came to, after feelings her body being engulfed by the pure fluid magic, she found herself on the floor of Merrill's bedroom, just in front of the Eluvian, surrounded by the purple mist. She seemed to be wet, but it was such a weird sensation because she had not been near water to be soaked as she was. It must have been that weird pure liquid magic she was covered in. She looked up and saw the purple mist start to disappear slowly and saw Merrill with a shocked expression, her eyes wide open, jaw open about to touch the floor. Her staff was drawn, her hand glistering with magic, as though she was about to attack.

     "Wow Daisy, be carefully with that flying bolt of yours, you don't want to accidentally zap me with that, although I may like it... Anyways, better close that mouth of yours before it catches some flies too. What just happened? I'm back where I was before! Just, now I'm covered in that weird Eluvian juice. It didn't seem to work-"

     As the mist completely dispersed, there was also someone standing next to Merrill. A tall, dirty blond, long haired man with a long beard, who was lean with muscle, had his daggers drawn. Eira jumps to her feet immediately and drew her staff, ready to attack.

     "Merrill watch out there's someone-" Both the man and Eira said at the same time. Confused that they had said the same thing, Merrill jumped in between them, utilising the moment of confusion.

     "No!! Hawke wait, stop!!!" Again, confused , both the man and Eira looked at each other, and back to Merrill who was between them and both began to speak at the same time.

     "But why Daisy!?- Wait- HEY!" Puzzled by the synchronization of their words, both Eira and the man drew their weapon of choice out, ready to attack. Before either of the two could attack each other, Merrill gets in front of the man, blocking his way, trying to prevent things from getting out of hand. The man was looking over Merrill's shoulder,  staring at Eira and back to Merrill in confusion, both still having their weapon of choice drawn, in a defensive position.