Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Oasis
Blinking awake with a groan, she closes her eyes against the light, feeling sandstone underneath herself. Then a heavily accented male voice exclaims, ”It worked?! Venhedis! The ritual actually bloody worked.” A murmured phrase followed, repeated by numerous voices, male and female, ’’Praises to the Elder One.”
She slowly shifts herself on the sandstone, opening her eyes and squinting in the light, wearily glancing around as much as she can. Surrounding her are men and women in hooded robes in white with silver metal adornments, and a silver metal mask.
Among them there are some people, shorter and skinnier, with pointed ears barely visible through their hair. Their heads are bowed, barely wearing anything and appear subservient to the ones in robes.
In the midst of these ones, knelt an elf, his face covered in branch like lines, in a colour vivid enough to show as matching his eyes, a bright violet. Bruises and cuts mar the skin along his neck, face, arms and parts of his body able to be seen through his tattered clothes and the chains binding him.
But the most eye-catching part of him was not his appearance, it was how blank his eyes and expression were, emphasis on were. As soon as he met her gaze, he trembled in his chains, the sound barely audible, and his expression crumbled. Shock, realization, horror, and deep emotional betrayal. Within her mind, she heard a quavering voice, ”What have they done? What has he done?”
Mentally she answers, ”I don't know. Where am I? Who are you? What he are you talking about?” He shivers, despite the sweltering heat, before being kicked in the chest by one of the robed people. Collapsing with a wheeze, he mentally replies, ”You are in a place they call the Forbidden Oasis in Orlais. My name is Felassan, what is yours?” “My name is Chi.” “No family name?” “None that would exist here. But if you must have one, use Drakkar for me.” A couple of the, what she assumes are slaves, drag him closer to her and drop him by her side.
The robed figure that seems to be in charge, approaches, growling, ”What in the name of the Elder One happened?! He was Tranquil, he should not be restored by this woman's mere presence!?” She sits up slowly, and deadly quiet, hisses, ”You assume that anyone here knows why or how it happened, you son of a whore.”
He puffs up in indignation, and slaps her hard enough to knock her down onto her forearms. Sand is disturbed into a puff of dust, causing her and Felassan to cough. The robed man sneers, ”Know your places. At least the mind link part of the ritual worked. The Venatori and my master, the Elder One, can work with that.”
Freezing up in dread, Felassan and Chi look at each other in horror, she rasps mentally, ”So that's what this is. We need to get out of here, Felassan, before we outlive our usefulness.” His expression hardens, determined, ”Are you ready to make an escape then?” “I am ready, if you know the surrounding area?”
He smirks, and shifts his stance to be braced to bolt. She mirrors him, but frowns, feeling a pressure within her. She inhales deeply and exhales, releasing a searing blast of wind that stirs the loose sand into a sandstorm.
She feels Felassan grab hold of her arm and pull her into motion. They stumble a bit, due to the wind, before they get their feet under them. They manage to turn a corner and escape the sandstorm. Felassan guides her through the maze of the oasis, ”What was that?! Did you know you could do that?”
Panting, she keeps up with him as best as she could, ”Damned on how I did that. Never could before. Didn't have magic in my birth world.” He looks at her incredulously, ”You don't know how you did that?! As a novice?!” She nods, ”Yeah, what magic I know, is herbal remedies and crystal work. Nothing like a full blown sandstorm, or actual ‘flashy’ magic.”
Halting in an alcove, Felassan places his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. “That, ma falon, is dangerous to reveal. Now more than ever with mages and Templars at each other's throats.”
A new voice pipes up, ”He’s right. It's worse now though, since the Conclave blew up.” They both whip around and see a dwarf in scout armour. Chi tilts her head, confused, ”What do you mean? And who are you?” Blinking and flushing with embarrassment, she answers, ”Oh, sorry. My name is Lace Harding, a scout of the Inquisition.” She points east towards a faintly green patch of sky. “That's what I mean.”
Paling rapidly at the sight, Felassan looks at Harding, ”Does anyone know what caused that?” Harding shakes her head, ”No one does, not even the sole survivor.” Chi steps closer, ”A survivor? How bad was the explosion?”
Grimly smiling, Harding replies, ”Yeah, the Inquisition calls her the Herald of Andraste, she's nice for being one of the Dalish.” She frowns, ”The explosion levelled the Temple of Sacred Ashes, where the Conclave was being held. What direction did you two come from?”
Chi and Felassan glance between each other and point back the way they came. Harding nods, ”Well I guess I should check that out. Reports say that the Herald is coming here in the coming week.” They both sigh, and Felassan grumbles, ”We'll come with you. There are cultists back the way we came.”
Harding grimaces, ”Great, more Venatori.” Frowning, Chi queries, ”There’s that word again. What are the Venatori?” Harding heads down the path they came from, ”Tevinter cultists, they worship someone called the Elder One. Whoever that is.” Following her, Chi and Felassan glance at each other.
The three of them remain silent until they get to the ritual site. Rounding the corner, they see pillars of glass, and encased in the glass are the cultists. They pause and just stare. “Well fuck. This is not what I intended on doing,” Chi looks at the sight appalled. Grimacing, Felassan nods, ”Yes, you need proper training to not do something like this again by accident.”
Walking between the pillars, Harding examines them, tapping cautiously on glass and looking into the depths of them. “Well I don't think they are alive anymore. No movement within, not even a muscle twitch.” She winds her way back to the other two, “you really did a number on them, miss.” Chi winces, “all I did was start a sandstorm, I don't know how the glass came to be, unless they used fire in a panic.”
She sighs, “And don't call me Miss, I don't identify as female. Use Xe / Xir to refer to me. If that's not possible, use he / him and the masculine address.” The other two glance between themselves, Harding furrowing her brows, “I am not sure I understand, but I will try my best, serah.” Felassan shrugs, meandering over to the nearest pillar, “doesn’t bother me,-” “-in ancient Arlathan, it never mattered what your body was, only how you presented yourself to others.”
Xe sigh, relieved, “Thank you, both of you, it's a relief that I can be who I am.” “That is interesting to know. What are you hoping to learn by looking closer at the pillars?” He hums noncommittally, laying his hands on the pillar. Then he begins casting, at first the magic seems controlled, but soon he starts to struggle, the magic looking like it’s rebelling against him.
Lunging forward, Chi grabs hold and pulls him back, “Stop casting, Felassan, it’s hurting you!” In pulling him backwards, xe disrupt his focus, allowing the magic to settle and fade. He stumbles and leans against xir, trembling, “It wasn’t that hard to cast before-” “-what did he do to me?” Holding him steady, xe watches him with concern, “Who is he? That is the second time you’ve mentioned that.” Sighing, he glances at xir, “An old friend, one that I thought I knew. But it appears that I don’t, since he was the reason I was Tranquil. Mind you it was only a year.”
Looking at him, completely unimpressed, xe shake xir head, “I don’t think a friend is suppose to be the reason behind making someone ‘Tranquil’. That just sounds cruel.” Gasping in shock, Harding quickly gets closer, “Tranquility is not something to make light of, it severs a mage from their magic and their emotions.” Sucking in a sharp breath, Chi looks at him wide-eyed, “You were like that for a fucking year?!” Wincing, he straightens up and tries to move away from xir. He doesn’t succeed, needing to lean on xir, still shaky from trying to cast magic.
Harding comes up on his other side, steadying him, “Follow me back to the Inquisition’s forward camp.” Xe nod, and Chi wraps his arm across xir shoulder, helping him follow Harding.
It takes them longer than it likely took Harding. Both with Felassan still unsteady, and with the winding paths of the oasis itself. The canyons of the oasis just barely shelter them from the sun beating down on them. but relatively soon they can smell the smoke of a cooking fire. Chi grunts, nearly slipping in the sand and almost dropping Felassan, as he tries to steady both of them, “is that-? Are we nearly there?” She nods, cursing under her breath at the sand, “Yep, that’s the camp up ahead.”
The three of them pick up the pace and make it to the outskirts of the forward camp. Soldiers, wearing armour similar to Harding, make space for them at the campfire. Chi helps Felassan down next to the fire, sitting next to him afterwards. Xir armor somewhat sticking out amongst the soldiers, with its deep forest green leather. Xe fan xirself with xir hand to cool off, xir black shirt, light beige pants and navy blue kama not helping with the heat.
Harding comes over to join them, after speaking with one of the soldiers, and gives the two of them water flasks. Chi carefully uncorks xir flask, sniffs it, and takes small sips of the water. Felassan and Harding stare at xir, their brows furrowing, then she asks, “why did you sniff it? I wouldn't poison either of you.” Xe grimace slightly, before taking a breath, “just had to make sure it wasn’t alcohol.” She tilts her head and shares a glance with Felassan. He shrugs, sipping from his flask.
She sits down with them, “so, why do you have to be worried about alcohol?” Xe runs xir fingers through xir hair, de-tangling knots, “I have to be cautious of alcohol, because I am allergic to it.” Harding’s eyes widen, as Felassan inhales the sip of water he just took, coughs.
She gasps, “oh, that must have been quite the shock to learn. To no longer be able to taste any alcohol.” Xe shrugs, “not really. I’ve had the allergy since birth. I have never been able to partake in alcohol or anything made with it.”
The both of them gape at xir, glancing between themselves with wide eyes. Xe furrow xir brows, “what? I inherited it from my mother.” Felassan clears his throat, “It’s just-, it’s not a known allergy to really anyone.” “Even for me it’s unheard of, and I have been around for a long time.”
Xe re-corks the flask, “Harding, what were you talking with that soldier about?” She sits up straighter, “oh, right. Well the Herald will be arriving either late this evening or tomorrow morning. No idea who is travelling with her.” Sitting up, Felassan corks his flask, “who does she prefer to travel with?” Harding shrugs, “no idea. She picks from her ‘inner circle’ pretty evenly. Which are, Seeker Pentaghast, Messere Tethras, Messere Solas, Madame de Fer, and Sera.”
Adverting his gaze, he grimaces, “ah, I know Messere Solas. At least I think I do, hopefully it’s the same man I’m thinking of, he’s a very old friend of mine.” Exchanging glances with Harding, Chi gently places xir hand on his shoulder, asking softly, “the very same friend who made you Tranquil for a year?” He shrugs, “I don’t know. I was dreaming in the fade and the blow came from behind me. Severing my connection before I could see who it was. I wish I could say that it wasn’t him, but I can’t.”
Xe gently squeezes his shoulder, then lets go. Chi sits up when xe hear a commotion from where the horses are. Harding gets up, “I’ll go check that out, that might be the Herald.” The both of them nod, and she wanders over to see what is going on.