[OPEN] holes in the sky, pierced by the fire

[eolasemah]

WHO: Everyone who's around!
WHAT: A rift has opened in Skyhold. We have to deal with it.
WHEN: The last day of Wintermarch
WHERE: In the courtyard, between the tavern and the dungeon.
NOTES: I will be posting periodically to let you know the results of what your dudes are doing! If you need clarification or want to ask me something, PM me on this account.

It’s a dismal, rainy evening, with Skyhold at the mercy of one of the many winter storms that passes through the Frostbacks. Most of the keep’s denizens have shut themselves inside to sit by a warm fire, have a drink, even go to bed early rather than face the freezing rain and the wind.

The tavern windows are aglow with light and merriment, but in the open area just behind it comes a different kind of glow: flames bursting to life and then dissipating, as a solitary elf in an oilskin cloak practices her fire spells in the relative safety of the rain.

It’s no secret that Sina has been isolating herself as of late, though her mood has taken an even more pointed downturn in the last few days. Her movements as she works are increasingly erratic, frustrated even, as there are times when she casts a serviceable fireball, and others when barely a spark leaves her hands. As she grows angrier, her energy depletes, and she’s barely resting between casts.

Perhaps it is because of this that what happens next occurs at all. In a burst of anguish and fury, Sina wrenches her hands forward, drawing from whatever reserves she has left—and then her shard reacts.

In an explosion of neon green that knocks Sina flat on her back, a rift erupts into the gloomy sky. It crackles and hums insidiously, its strange electricity causing every shard belonging to every Rifter in the vicinity to suddenly spit and pop in recognition.
No doubt drawn to the new opening in the Fade, the dark form of a despair demon slithers from the rift, takes stock of its surroundings, and slowly begins to approach the prone form of the fool that freed it. Moments later, it is followed by several spindly green terror demons, and at last the hulking inferno that comprises a rage demon.

Comments

[nadasharillen]

Although she didn't understand the language, Nari understood the tone. She remembered. And as she stared dumbly at Adelaide bent over Sina, Compassion's power flowing from the woman's hands into her clansister's too too still form, she smelled the acrid char of burning aravels, heard the screams of her Clan, their First's--now suddenly, brutally Keeper--same urgent low murmur of "Tel din'an, hahren" over the lifeless body of Keeper Dhavihal, his blood creeping like shadow across the ground they'd called home.

The flight. The forest. The funeral rites for too many. Isen'hallan's small hand gripping her own like to crack bone. The slow and final straightening of Thalia's back as she took her place as Keeper, the stone settling into her eyes. Mala suledin nadas: Now you must endure.

And then Siuona had been born. Sina the first child of their new home, whose birth meant repair, whose infant babbling had filled the hollow sorrow. Sina who had chosen Ghillan'nain, who had put her small hand on the velvet noses of their few remaining halla and smiled just like Dhavihal had. Sina who had reminded them that there could still be good things.

Sina, still so small, lying still as stone in the rain.

Nahariel felt a scream building inside her like wind, every muscle in her body tensing as she watched.

[eolasemah]

All was dark and numb. An endless grey ocean in which Sina had been submerged and was sinking steadily, comfortably, her breath no longer troubling her as she no longer had need of it.
She was lighter than air, floating downward into an endless abyss, becoming warmer and more peaceful by the second. She worried about nothing, she thought nothing.

And then a bright beacon rippled through the water in front of her, glaring into her eyes, painfully engaging all her senses. She attempted to turn away, but hands had wrenched her by the shoulders, pulling her up, up, mercilessly back towards the surface. Sina became aware once again of the screaming pain in her chest, moments before the white figure dragged her head above the water and she wheezed in a breath that felt like knives.

Her physical body jolted and she gasped, exhaling with a whine of anguish, her eyelids fluttering open and then squeezing closed again without having seen anything.

[fleurdesel]

"-vous n'êtes pas encore terminé- Sina?" Breathing. She's breathing, her heart beats, she lives. Pain crackles between the shard and Sina's heart, raking across Compassion like so many knives. That she can fix- they can fix. Glowing hands over the glowing shard Adelaide pours her focus into the flesh and bone and blood under Sina's skin. Much like Felix at the end with the Blight it is difficult. The shard is powerful. The energy unfamiliar. She cannot soothe and mend faster than the damage is done.

That does not mean she stops trying. It simply means she can spare her focus for nothing else, the whole of her narrowed down to a single task.

Keep Sina breathing, keep the pain at bay. "Wake up, petite, we have you-"

[nadasharillen]

When Sina took a breath, even one filled with agony, Nari's knees nearly buckled in relief. Not gone, she wasn't gone. Adelaide and Compassion were winning.

But she wasn't safe yet.

The hunter looked around with renewed vigor, senses stretched to the limit. Any demon that found them would find her and her blades first.

[eolasemah]

Sina hears a voice speaking nonsense, and she pulls in another shallow breath, whimpering on the exhale. She is awake, but blind and senseless with pain, the cursed shard still crackling away, heedless of its living host.
Her face is wet with rain and tears, ghostly pale. Her thin hand grips the nearest limb or bunch of fabric, the only thing keeping her from sinking again.

[fleurdesel]

Pain is easier to manage than dragging someone back from the brink- Adelaide bundles Sina close, shielding her from the rain and the rift with her own body- Compassion curling around and through her to reach their charge. "Breathe, we have you."

More than her and Nari- Compassion just as invested in this small, fragile soul.

[amygdalae]

It had all happened suddenly, and without warning.

One moment all was fine - and then in the next there was the thunderous crack of something splitting open and people were screaming and fleeing. Bruce himself had been caught by surprise at the initial suddenness of everything, but once the surprise at passed he scrambled to go around and help however he could.

It wasn't easy. The demons were vicious and the civilians were too panicked to be rational. Bruce did his best to help, but with so many of the Inquisition off in Emprise du Lion things were not as easy as they could be.

But eventually, though, he managed, and once most of the civilians were rounded up Bruce hurried over to where the main action was. Left and right were familiar(ish) faces battling the demons, and in the thick of it all--

"Leblanc--" Bruce is rushing to where he sees her, mind whirling as he registers her with the elves - with Sina, in particular. For a moment he thinks the worse has happened to her, but the faint rise and fall of her chest shows otherwise and there is relief.

He glances towards Adelaide, expression concerned and harried. "We should get her out of here."

[nadasharillen]

This time, when more footsteps approached, Nari had enough wit about her to not turn on them swinging like a rabid beast. Which was good, because this one she didn't know--although he exuded the same calm intense energy as Adelaide. She thought she'd seen him in the garden once or twice in passing. Another healer then?

Either way, the suggestion was a good one. In the back of her mind, the hunter wondered what distance away from a demon was considered 'safe'... or if their very existence tore ragged holes in the word.

There weren't too many structures that would offer protection from the elements, but...

"The barn?" she asked. "Farther away, would provide some cover. Could move there quickly with three."

[fleurdesel]

"We can't leave her. The spell will break." And they do not know what that might do to her to lose their soothing power. What breath she would lose, what the shard might do. Eyes narrowed, hands steady she stood as best she could, arms still clasped tight against Sina, glow pouring from her into their patient.

[amygdalae]

"We're not leaving anybody," Bruce quickly assured Adelaide. It would be foolish to, what with the demons around and all the fighting going on, but staying out here was also dangerous. "I can carry her--" he glances towards the other elf for a moment then before continuing, "--and we can move her to the barn, like what she suggests."

He could tell that Adelaide was exhausted from using her powers to help Sina, and the other elf probably couldn't manage it on her own either. Bruce himself wasn't the most built of people too, but he could at least manage carrying one small, frail elf for a short period of time.

[nadasharillen]

Nahariel nodded tensely, eyes flickering back and forth between Sina and the Rift that still raged in the courtyard.

But at the end she would look to Adelaide for what to do--she was the healer, she knew what was safe for Sina, what wasn't. Staying out in the wind, the cold rain coming down insistently... if either of the two were to take a chill in their weakened state, it could be disastrous.

Never mind the demons.

"Can we? Without breaking the spell?"

[eolasemah]

The rift across the courtyard reacted again, causing a lurch and a strangled wail from Sina, but the distance was helping. They would be able to see that it had connected to the shards of the rifters nearby, but Sina was now far enough away that this did not affect her own. She was in pain, but still very much alive.

[fleurdesel]

"As long as I am touching her, the spell will hold." It must. It would hold even if she wasn't touching Sina but this bone deep pain, this bone deep violation of Fade Magic interfering with her work? She needs to be certain that her magic goes where they will it. "We need to move- Bruce."

He is capable and they can, they will, see Sina safe.

[amygdalae]

Bruce nods to Adelaide's words, and without another word shifts himself closer to Sina. He takes a moment to determine the best way to do this and then proceeds forth. He bends down and wriggles his arms underneath the elf, steadying himself and giving Adelaide and the other elf time to be prepared.

"Ready?" he asks, once they've better shifted and settled. Once he gets the affirmative Bruce then straightens up slowly with Sina hefted in his arms. He makes sure to keep his movements steady so that Adelaide can keep close to maintain the connection that she needs.

[nadasharillen]

Nari takes a wary look around, the sounds of the continued combat ringing loudly from the courtyard. If she busied her hands with Sina they might move faster... but if a demon came upon them, she'd have to drop her hold to defend them.

Or, she thought grimly, perhaps they wouldn't have time to do anything at all.

"Can you carry her alone?" she asked, urgent and low, "I can guard you then, while you move."

[fleurdesel]

"We can take her." Between her and Bruce they have the slim, too slim mage cradled in their arms, spell spinning through their skin to keep Sina breathing. "Go, we have her."

[amygdalae]

"Of course." Bruce shifts Sina in his arms as he responds, giving the other elf a nod of assurance. He wouldn't have minded trying to handle it alone, but Adelaide's help is also appreciated, and Bruce gives her a brief, grateful smile before he focuses back on the matter at hand. "Yes, you go on ahead first. We'll be right behind you."