Sparkler and the Wolf

12: Doubts

Maker damn these stupid Warden's, Dorian swore for the hundredth time as another wave of shades rose from the floor. They were almost as bad as the magisters back home with their overblown sense of importance.

After he'd gotten over his anger of Fenris being left behind, the Inquisitor had taken him, Varric and Cassandra as her choice for backup in confronting Clarel. The Warden Commander was beyond reasoning with and sacrificed a fellow warden before the Inquisitor could stop her. That is until Erimond summoned Corypheus' dragon.

After they dealt with the pride demon, they took off after Clarel who had run off in pursuit of the cowardly Tevinter mage, Livius Erimond.

----xxx----

Fenris reached the upper courtyard, snarling at the warrior and rogue Warden's who he despised. They'd been too weak to do anything to stop their leader, even when it was clear she'd gone mad. It reminded him of Cullen and the rest of the Templar order who had also done nothing to curb Meredith's rampage, standing aside and allowing the tensions in Kirkwall to spiral out of control.

They shied away from him when he appeared but he ignored them, his attention riveted to the massive High Dragon circling the keep. He'd seen no sign of the Inquisitor's party and raced upwards assuming they'd gone to engage the beast, activating his markings to move as fast as possible.

He reached the uppermost platform just in time to see the dragon leap over Clarel's bloody and broken body, it's weight crumbling the platform the Inquisitor's party stood on. He watched in horror, heart in his throat, as one after another the Inquisitor's companions fell from the ramparts.

He raced to the platform's edge desperate to help, catching sight of Dorian's flashy robe as he fell beyond the elf's reach. His heart screamed a broken no as a flash of green light filled his vision. He blinked and could see no sign of anything on the rocks below.

Shaken and trembling, be backed away from the edge, his mind clinging to the green light he'd seen. Was it possible? He didn't know, but it had looked as though the Inquisitor had opened a door into the Fade.

Bereft at the loss of so many of his friends, yet clinging to the shred of hope the Fade light promised, he returned to the courtyard where the only rift remained. He sank to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, staring into the undulating light of the rift as it snapped and hissed in the air above him.

His lyrium markings flared painfully so near the anomaly, but as he watched he swore he could hear voices. Closing his eyes, the voices became louder until he was certain he heard first Varric and then Hawke, speaking. He inched closer and.this time heard Cassandra and Stroud, then the Inquisitor and someone else whose voice he couldn't identify.

He was joined by more of Cullen's forces as the mage Wardens fell alongside their demon thralls. Then Cullen was at his side, watching him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Fenris? Might I ask what it is you're doing? Where's the Inquisitor?"

"I'm listening. And I think they're in the Fade."

"What?! They're in the Fade? And you can hear them? How is that possible?"

Fenris scowled and Cullen took a breath, relaxing his shoulders.

"I don't know how it's possible, nevertheless I can hear them. They somehow fell into the Fade or the Inquisitor took them there, but it seems they're looking for a way out. I assume that means they are on the other side of this rift and will be here shortly."

"Are they in danger?"

Fenris scowled again and Cullen clamped his mouth shut. "It is the Fade. Of course they're in danger, but the way is blocked by a powerful demon. I heard one of them call it the Nightmare."