The Ritual Begins
As Bess spoke, the forest quaked and the Bear Clan roared. The ground rose, and several trees stood and walked to an area near a stream. The entire landscape changed as the forest readied itself for Ardyn's ritual.
Bess came to her, her amber eyes alight.
"Your ritual is unique to you. Both Ursi Viridis Circulus and Sidus Serpens have claimed you, and they will decide the path and shape of your ritual."
Elsa watched Ardyn closely as Bess spoke. She recognized the tattoo on her neck and shoulder immediately. It was a blessing from Sidus Serpens and Ursi Viridis Circulus—an ancient runic patchwork that connected the two realms. It seemed Ardyn was now that connection.
Elsa nodded. Her new student was much more than she had previously understood.
Ardyn went into the stream, and it carried her to a high plateau raised from the sacred forest. The stream lifted her up onto the plateau like a fluid magic carpet. She came before the sentient trees – seven of them, all of them a different variety – she sat before them, her legs crossed and her head bowed.
The trees spoke to her, their voices deep, hollow, and ancient.
"Human child."
"You have awoken an ancient song."
"A song gone unheard for eons."
"You are our chosen."
"Our new truth."
"Sit and dream with us."
"And take that which was always yours."
Ardyn closed her eyes, the tattoo twitching on her neck and shoulder as if it wanted to grow along her skin.
She opened her eyes and she was in an ancient hall amongst the clouds.
It was a hall built of an ancient forest.
The walls were ancient, thick, tall trees, closely packed together. Their canopy wove together to create the vaulted, intricate ceiling; the floors were sleek, intertwined roots.
She stepped into the hall and a deep, resonating laugh echoed. She recognized it as her own and understood.
She saw herself at the far end of the hall, standing on the dais before a throne of light, sound, and nature. Her hair was deep purple with light amethyst highlights. Her eyes were a steely grey with lilac flecks. She wore an odd set of robes that revealed her right shoulder, arm, and leg. The black tattoo started above her right eye and extended to the toes of her right foot.
Magic sparked around her as she walked down the dais and toward Ardyn.
"You have grown much, Ardyn Stronghood. Do you know what you want? Do you know what you want to be?"
There was silence, and as the second Ardyn continued walking toward the first, flowers bloomed and it seemed like seasons changed.
Neither Ardyn seemed to notice.
"As usual, you have no answers, only doubts." The tattoo on the second Ardyn swirled, then moved. It all flowed to her right hand, and a long sword formed in her grasp.
It was a long, wide, black blade that glinted with lethality and power.
"You want to change, yet you want to stay the same."
The first Ardyn stood and called her song, but she received throbbing head pain and no inner harmony.
"Sorry. Here you have to use your runes and the natural magic you have. Your natural abilities are cut off here."
"Can you cope with the unknown again? Are you willing to have Varric and be your true self at the same time?"
"Can you walk that path, or will you forever fear it?"
Ardyn stood face to face with herself once again – and once again this incarnation of Ardyn was more powerful than her current self.
Her calming magics were no longer with her. She steadied her mind.
A living staff of braided vine and flowers formed in her hand. The runes on her skin moved further down her arm as she twirled her staff and moved into position. She shrugged.
"Varric is mine, and there is nothing anyone can do – including myself – to change that."
The second Ardyn smiled and brought her long sword forward.
The second Ardyn struck first, and Ardyn's staff moved—in an instant the woven vines unraveled and individual vines struck out to weave around the sword and hold it in place.
The second Ardyn smiled in appreciation. She nodded softly, and her sword disappeared in a burst of brilliant sparks.
She moved forward—still on the attack—Ardyn was not ready for such a move and was taken by surprise. The second Ardyn hit her like a boulder down a mountainside.
The initial blow threw her back, but the second Ardyn continued hitting even as Ardyn flew backward. After just half a breath, the vines of her staff spread out and created a dense shield, and the second Ardyn was pushed back.
Ardyn was badly injured, and she coughed violently, spewing out blood, as the second Ardyn smiled at her.
"This is how you expect to win?" She laughed venomously. "You expect to change like this?" She abruptly stopped laughing, her expression turning sinister.
"You are never going to change!"
She streaked forward, rage in her eyes.
Varric looked up. Elsa had already told him Ardyn was going through the ritual. His heart ached. He knew the ritual – he had gone through it eons ago himself – it was different for everyone, and he knew Ardyn was broken. The ritual could go in a million different ways for her.
He became more and more worried as he felt the pain and stress streaming through their soul tie.
He sat down, centered himself, and helped her the only way he could – he streamed her own calming magic and his steel through their tie.
'You are mine. You will survive.'