Blood Oath in the Vale
The girl was an enigma wrapped in an amethyst light, a human who defied all known doctrines of magic. Elsa couldn't fathom the mechanism, but the sheer velocity of Ardyn's spiritual growth was dizzying. Ardyn moved through a new practice set, her teacher had given up on her—saying: "You're too much of an anomaly. Follow your spirit but always tell me what new magics your develop so I know you are not about to kill yourself." Ardyn had taken it to heart.
She was now controlling two streams of magic: one purple and one black as night. The two streams wound around each other like choreographed works of art. Ardyn's body moved with them, smoothly, her control was precise and her focus sound. Elsa shook her head. 'The girl was stumbling through her soul sea a few days ago, now she is a sorceress.' The ancient being drew a deep breath, the unique floral scent of the Hidden Cave soothing her own frayed nerves. She looked off toward the current fighting zone, sensing the shift in the magical atmosphere.
Varric had left the caves that morning. Things had escalated beyond expectation, but they were still manageable. Elsa could sense his steady use of magic—the dark, heavy tang of his Earth manipulation, laced with the metallic poison of his serpent core. She knew he had entered the fray. She smiled, though her lips were tight. They both enjoyed the fight—conquering the arrogant, and taking just for the sake of taking. But those days were gone. Now they fought for better things. Varric fought to keep the light in those amethyst eyes safe, and that was a motivation even Elsa had to revere.
Varric sneered. His opponents were truly outmatched, yet they still stood before him as if they had a sliver of a chance of success. He stepped forward, muscles rippling just beneath his black scales, silver accents moving across his form looking like water flowing from within him.
His tail, flew out, extended, and pierced through four of the closest fools. His face lifted upwards as he let out a roar of a laugh and the other crocodile beast-kin took involuntary steps back.
Varric narrowed his eyes as magic began to swirl about him. Black, silver, and steel grey shot fourth and wrapped around necks, pierced through bodies, and sliced others clean through.
He was a force of nature, a menace, and he was relishing every moment.
The field before him was a chaotic slaughterhouse. The Crocodiles were thick-skinned and vicious, their brute force a stark contrast to the Serpents' fluid, controlled power. Varric sneered. His opponents were truly outmatched, yet they still stood before him as if they had a sliver of a chance of success. He stepped forward, his massive muscles rippling just beneath his black scales, silver accents moving across his form looking like water flowing from within him. His tail, flew out, extended, and pierced through four of the closest fools. Their bodies convulsed, instantly paralyzed by the neurotoxin. He let out a roar of a laugh, the sound grating and ancient, and the other Crocodile Beast-Kin took involuntary steps back.
Varric narrowed his eyes as magic began to swirl about him. Black, silver, and steel grey shot forth, wrapping around necks, piercing through bodies, and slicing others clean through. He was a force of nature, a menace, and he was relishing every moment.
Then the Crocodile Lord, a creature of immense green-and-brown muscle, stepped forward. Varric sneered and his chin jetted to the beast-kin he had already laid waste to. "You wait until I kill half your people and now you appear." He scoffed. "Still the coward."
Varric ran forward and spun, turning instantly into his avatar form—a colossal black serpent of legend. His huge two-meter-long fangs sank deep into the Crocodile Lord's spine. The Crocodile's wail washed over the battlefield like a terrible storm, and weaker beast-kin fell unconscious onto the bloody ground. Its huge, razor-sharp tail swung around—a sheer, desperate reflex—and dug deep into Varric's side. He gritted his teeth and dug his fangs in deeper, poison streaming from him and into the Crocodile Lord. Varric refused to let go until the huge Crocodile was motionless. Varric's huge avatar slithered violently, pain overriding the Serpent's ancient control. The huge crocodilian tail dislodged, tearing deeper, and Varric withstood the pain. Outwardly.
Ardyn's smooth movements stuttered as she felt Varric's pain. She looked to Elsa and saw the worry on her teacher's face.
"I'll go to him now, stay here and continue to practice." A haze of green rose from the floor and covered her, when it was gone so was Elsa.
Ardyn's hands fell to her sides. A sense of uselessness rose within her and threatened to consume her.
Her fists clenched, her knuckles white against her pale skin. All this power, all this effort, and she was still confined to a peaceful, hidden cave, reduced to a powerless observer while her love bled. The uselessness was a cold, suffocating blanket that threatened to extinguish the spark entirely. 'How can I accept his protection when I cannot offer him mine? I must be his equal, his shield, his strength.' This realization shattered the last vestiges of her unworthiness complex. Her heart screamed a single, desperate, protective command: He must not fall.
"All I can do is get stronger so I can stand by his side and help him," she whispered, the quiet mantra rebuilding her focus.
Determination set deep into her features as she began her movements again. She was focused but this time her focus centered on Varric and has that focus hardened and became more and more precise so do their connection.
She lifted her arms and took on more of her new power. Her revitalization ability swirling through her body, giving her more and more strength, changing the dynamic between her and her ability.
And then things changed.
Her amethyst eyes lit with a deep purple fire and a purple sheen moved over her body. Her hair rose into the air and her natural purple streaks glistened and began to move with a life of their own.
And words came to her mind, and fell from her lips, ancient words of power that moved her new black magic and found her connection with Varric and attached to it and charged it.
This new state of magic moved down their connection in an instant and Ardyn felt Varric's almost instantaneous revitalization. The sudden rush of warm, purifying energy—the Wellspring she had discovered—hit Varric like a wave of pure, life-giving water, overriding the agony of the tail wound. He felt the venom in his own body turn harmless, and his mind, clouded by battle rage and blood loss, instantly cleared. The Serpent Lord, still in avatar form, roared not in pain but in surging, renewed power. He lashed out, obliterating the remaining Crocodiles with a renewed fury, his strength inexplicably restored.
Ardyn watched the victory in her mind's eye. She saw his wound heal, his mind clear, and his body fill with power. Still, she continued on, her arms raised, wanting to give him more. She felt the drain, but the pure relief of his safety drowned out her exhaustion. She had not only protected him; she had healed him across an impossible distance.
Ardyn had learned a new technique, once again, born of absolute, terrified love. [Soul Healing Wraith].