It's the dripping that wakes her, before anything else. A slow, inconstant plip-plop of droplets sliding down some overhang before breaking free to plunge into a stone floor. They almost echo, like there isn't anything around to absorb the sound.
She doesn't remember how she got here.
Wherever here is.
"You see, Elesse, the circumstances of your arrival have precipitated a good deal of chaos. Some of which, we think, is connected to that mark you have on your hand. And if you don't know anything about that..."
"Cassandra, take her out the back. Show her the sky. I'll try to meet you at the forward camp."
And with those instructions, Leliana turns and leaves the room, signaling the guards to follow her.
Outside, it is a chill day in early fall. The buildings around are rustic, constructed mostly of wood, though the one that Elesse and Cassandra exit is stone. It is also considerably bigger than the others, perhaps some sort of meeting hall or gathering place. Snow-dusted mountains dominate the horizon, studded with green conifers and shedding deciduous trees on their lower slopes.
In the slate grey sky, a gaping green wound stands out starkly. It is the same color as the mark that flares on Elesse's hand. As they stand and watch for a moment, it crackles in time with a flare of said mark, and a trace of fire arcs down out of the wound to impact the ground in the distance.
"We call it the Breach, a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. And it is not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave."
"The Fade. Do you not- Of course. It is the realm of dreams and magic, where mages draw their power from. It is inhabited by spirits and malevolent demons that are now coming through, killing everything around them."
What, is this some kind of fantasy novel? Mages and demons to go along with the steel swords and plate armor. Cassandra seems perfectly sincere, though. Best to treat this seriously.
"Do you have some kind of plan for addressing these- tears?"
"We... believe... that the mark on your hand is connected to the rifts. By the Maker's grace, it may prove the key to closing them."
Ah. Local religion.
"With any luck," Elesse agrees. "Then I presume our next step is to get close to one of these rifts and see what happens?"
"I would suggest that I will be more useful to you if you were to untie me, especially if we will be traversing a hostile environment."
Elesse will apply a slight bit of mental pressure. Just enough to smooth out the spikes of ill feeling Cassandra is experiencing based on the stressful circumstances. The texture of her mind is a little strange, slightly... viscous, is the best way she can think to describe it. Thicker than it should be.
"I have no more wish to see your world overrun by these demons than you, Cassandra. And I am a Jedi. I am sworn to protect the innocent. This my calling. Please."
The town is relatively small, so it doesn't take them long to get the gates. The wall isn't much, a simple wood construction. Cassandra walks with an air of purpose, and with Elesse freed, they don't attract too much attention. People are mostly quietly shellshocked, hurrying about their business with their heads down, flinching every time the sky flares. There is panic, bubbling below the surface. It wouldn't take much to set it off. For now though, it remains contained, the lack of strikes within the town itself and the presence of armed soldiers guarding the wall keeping tensions in check.
From the gate, the two women set off up a road that leads into the mountains, across a stone bridge over a frozen stream. As they leave the town behind, the sound of the falling streaks from the Breach grows louder, cracking like thunder.
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