Finding Home (Completed)

Chapter XIII

Just before sunrise, Iri left her bed and piece by piece she attached her armor. Deft fingers tightening buckles to exact specifications, once satisfied, she sat to lace her knee high leather foot wraps. Retrieving her daggers from her desk, she sheathed them in her belt and lifted her sword, turning it over in her hands. The blood red lyrium was expertly crafted into a long sleek blade, a series of runes imbedded in the center.

The handle was obsidian, meticulously shaped into a dragon that curled around the back of her hand, lines of blue lyrium swirled throughout the design. The blue lyrium would minimize the direct contact with the red, not that you needed to touch it, but Dagna had concluded that it did in fact have the blight, so minimal contact was preferable. The blue ran into red where the blade met the hilt, allowing her to feed power into the blade while wielding it. The sword sang at the contact of her brands, crackling brightly, casting an eerie light throughout her chambers.

She'd had it commissioned by Dagna a few months earlier, stressing the importance of discreetness, lest her secret get out. Dagna had argued with her, insisting that it wasn't safe for her to handle, no matter how much refining she did, the quantity was too high. Dagna had only ceased her insistent objections when Iri finally sighed and informed her that it didn't matter. She had spent 3 years traipsing all over a red lyrium, blighted enemy infested Thedas, with lyrium branded into her body. The girls eyes had widened and her hands had shot to her mouth, stifling a sob. For a moment she looked on the verge of bursting into tears.

Iri had reached out and put a soft hand on her shoulder, telling her that everything would be alright. She already had the spell, the knowledge of the well was infinitely vast and after the orb had triggered her memories... Dagna had also fashioned a sheath for the blade, also one solid piece of painstakingly carved and hollowed obsidian, remarkably lite. She said it would keep the lyrium dormant until it was needed, sealing tightly against the hilt to keep it contained. Smiths hands had intricately etched the eye of the inquisition in the center of one side and the words halam'shivanas and din'anshiral on the other.

A smile played over her lips as she fastened the sheath to her armor and seated the blade. She mumbled to herself as she rustled through her pack, triple checking that she had everything she may need. Keeping Gereon Alexius with the inquisition had worked to her advantage, his research of time magic had proved invaluable. She'd had to strike a deal for his silence, but she would keep her end of the bargain, Felix was a good man and Alexius had come to hold a place in her heart. Shouldering her pack she descended the stairs of her quarters, pushing through the heavy door to the great hall. It was quiet this time of day, only a few guards posted near the front door as she made her way into the rotunda.

Her eyes danced over the brightly painted frescos, the final panel sitting unfinished. Her mind drifted to the events pictured before her, then wandering to what had come after. Corypheus had been defeated, he'd been ripped apart as she threw him into the fade. Solas hadn't seen when she'd sunk down to one knee after it was done, face twisted in pain. The mark had surged like electricity coursing through her veins and red hot pain had gathered behind her eyes. He'd mourned the loss of the orb, mumbled a few, meant to be comforting words, and then he'd disappeared. She hadn't understood until she'd closed her eyes that night and drifted into sleep.

Waking abruptly, she'd jerked into a sitting position, images of a life she'd long forgotten flashing before her eyes. Senses flooding with the smells, sounds and emotions the images held. She'd gripped her head tightly and opened her mouth in a silent scream. The anchor had flared and her brands had lit, uncontrolled her body had drawn from the fade, until she was engulfed in heatless green flame. Each new memory sent searing pain through her, causing her to gasp for breath. She had stumbled to her feet, struggling to focus through the white light clouding her vision. She'd attempted to make it to the door to call for help, and then the world had gone dark.