[closed-ish] fearless on my breath

[eolasemah]

WHO: Sina, Pel, and Velanna + any reactions others might have
WHAT: Freaky druid shit
WHEN: Before dawn on some day in Solace
WHERE: The ex-chantry garden, Hightown
NOTES: It was planned such that no one else would be here to see,
but please feel free to react to and speculate on the end result!

The sky has only slightly begun to grey by the time the three mages have assembled themselves in the struggling garden, two on each end and Sina in the center. Each has four small diffusers, humbly constructed for the purpose of burning herbs and bearing no special decoration, and within each container is a crumbling of dried royal elfroot. These are positioned around the three with a ritualistic precision, making each of them the center of a compass.

Bearing no flame magic, Sina lights her easterly diffuser using a match, waiting until the other two have followed suit before moving onto north, and around until they're all steaming. Then, with a solemn glance in both directions, she closes her eyes and presses her palms to the ground.

The silence prevails, no birds or even nighttime insects cutting the darkness as a faint greenish glow begins to thrum from beneath Sina's hands, spreading with the slow certainty of pooling blood. It grows wider and wider, until, with a small nod, Sina signals the other two. Their task is to bolster it, to feel the magic their younger cohort generates and push it to all corners of the garden.

What Velanna and Pel don't have, and what they don't realize Sina does have, is a small and inconspicuous length of brambles beneath her hands. They drive into her thin palms, increasing the strength of the spell through the inevitable result of sharp points against skin.
Sina is strong with magic, and this is her area of greatest expertise. But sometimes one's best efforts aren't enough.

Comments

[mythalenaste]

There are tears in Pel's eyes, though she blinks them away rapidly so they won't distort this sight longer than they must. She has traveled the world from ruin to ruin, discovering ancient wonders, and she has never, ever seen anything so beautiful in her life. For a moment, she forgets where she is. For a moment, she is transported to some other world, some pocket of old Arlathan, where the flowers glowed and all magic was turned to the purpose of beauty and creation. She never knew Sina had so much power, such power to rival the most ancient lords of Tevinter. Pel feels it as she lets it run through her, as she amplifies it and becomes one with this miracle. Every moment she believes Sina must be done, Sina must have run out, it becomes more glorious, more astonishing.

[eolasemah]

If Sina's done or running out, she's either not aware of it or failing to heed it.
The trees become too large for the walls to contain them, and the sound of crumbling stone accompanies their spreading roots. The sound of groaning and rustling has been all around them, growing louder with the garden's progress, but only now does Sina open her eyes.
Even so, she may not be awake. Her eyes are a solid glowing green, the same shade as the magic spreading from her hands, her expression placid and unbothered as her short hair wisps about, buffeted by an invisible wind.

[failedfirst]

Velanna's expression darkens as she takes note of the growth, it's starting to become unchecked, this has gone on for more than long enough. When she looks back at Sina she's almost startled enough by the young woman's appearance to break contact with the magic on the spot, but she also doesn't know exactly what that would do.

"That's enough, da'len!" she calls to Sina, her eyes darting briefly to Pel for support.

[mythalenaste]

Velanna's cry is what snaps Pel out of it. For a moment, she fears the worst--possession--when she sees Sina. Her world narrows to a pinprick, those alien green eyes in that beloved little face. She moves to be immediately in Sina's line of sight, blocking everything behind her.

"Sina?" she asks tentatively, then becomes more insistent. "Sina, vhenan, it's finished. Stop. For pity's sake, please, stop!"

[eolasemah]

The magic persists for several more seconds, but hearing her name is powerful. The glow fades from Sina's eyes, and she blinks at the two, smiles placidly, then slumps to the ground as if all her bones just disintegrated.
She's very much alive and not even visibly under any duress. Just depleted and taking a little dirt nap.

[failedfirst]

She straightens when Sina drops, then abandons her circle to run to the young woman, already reaching in her pocket for her crystal to call Anders if she's in danger. Velanna doesn't know much about Pel, and that means she assumes Anders is a better healer.

When she sees Sina is breathing she lets the crystal go, frowning.

"She shouldn't have pushed herself that far. We should get her to the healers."

[mythalenaste]

Pel is no healer either, though she does take note of Sina's bloody hands. Someone will have to get the thorns out with pincers, she thinks. Swiftly, she lifts Sina in her arms, directing magic inward to give herself the augmented strength of an arcane warrior.

"Let's take her to Anders, to be safe." Pel will always be safe when it comes to Sina. "He'll need to take those thorns out of her hands. They're in very deep."