Notes

What Dreams May Come
.~::DaI: Sera x Mage!Adaar::~.

Adaar had been walking in darkness for a while now, unsure of when she started.
Gravel crunched beneath her large feet as she continued down the darkened hallway, heading towards some distant glow. There was something was else drawing the Qunari forward. A song. It was like a pied piper was humming a tune that she just had to follow.

Where do you want me to go?

That’s when she noticed them.
Small cracks in the walls, like veins, that covered almost every surface. Shimmering crystals were visible within the cracks and a strange light emanated from them, glittering colours she couldn’t recognise. As she walked, Adaar came across more stones where the crystals had burst forth, bathing the passage in its eerie light. Only this light was what had hummed, what had called out to her: red lyrium.

This shouldn’t be here.

The Blight, a darkness that poisoned all living things, had wormed its way into the lyrium crystals. Infected it. Turned the once bright blue into a murderous red. It warped the lyrium’s song into one full of dissonance and despair.
It wanted the mage to come closer, to touch it, to feel the stroke of her fingers, to be brushed against her dark lips. To taste it. If only she would stop resisting.

Adaar dug her nails into her palms and kept moving. Pain filled her left palm, nothingness from her other. It cleared her thoughts and refocused her will. To give in to its whispered words would be to surrender herself to a slow and painful death. The crystals would burrow through bones, grow beneath her skin, and consume the woman from the inside out. Leaving only red lyrium in her place.

The haze around the glowing veins undulated, reaching out as she passed by. Rocks crunching beneath her heavy boots. They searched for something to latch onto, to feed on. Anything it could grasp. And so she held her arms close to her scarred chest and dodged the tendrils as she continued listlessly forward.

Everything will be fine. Just don’t touch any of it.

Lies. Even such close proximity was a to risk ones sanity. Its call would eventually wear down their will and drive them mad. To be lost to its song, seek it out, and then be consumed.

But for now, I’m safe…so long as I don’t touch it.

The red lyrium pulsated with life, hungering, calling with its twisted song. Growing bright with each beat, it suffused the corridor in its sickening light. Yet, there was something else.

What is that? It’s like a feeling, but also a sound.

It tugged at her mind, drawing her further, towards an open door at the end of the hall. Shadows deepened and crept in from the edges of vision, blurring all but what laid directly ahead.

“Hello?” Adaar turned, searching for the source.
“Is someone there?”

There was just a soft humming. Just at the edge of hearing. A soft tune that had a sharp edge which rang, and rang, and rang. Adaar could feel it in her teeth and horns. Resonating.

Is it the red lyrium?

“Like bees love... flowers... sun? No not right, never right!” A familiar voice echoed down the hall. One Adaar had heard a thousand times, but never like this. The humming had mixed within her words, shaking the cadence of her speech.

“Like bees...love flowers, …No. honey…? Bees love honey, not flowers... wait no that doesn’t sound right! Ugh!”

The shuffling of feet pacing in frustration, grew louder. Off to the left. Closer. A shadow moved against the angry red glow of the lyrium.

“Remember, stupid. They can’t take that. Won’t!”

There, in a cell. Pacing and tripping over her words. Sweat soaked hair stuck to her forehead. Clothing frayed and hanging off her slim frame. Her lips, cracked and dry, moved restlessly. Lost. Trying to remember the words that meant so much to her.

Sera. My Sera.

Each step echoed loudly as Adaar approached the bars.
“No…this cannot be. Please, don’t let this be real. Not again,” she whimpered.
Sera starts at the sound of the voice, but turned away from the entrance, mumbling and caressing the glowing red lyrium crystals that jut out from the cell wall.

“Sera?” The cell door was unlocked, and it creaked on its hinges as the tall woman entered. “Sera, is that really you?”

Please let me be wrong.

“Inky” Sera warbled. Her voice was soft, thick with tears, and hoarse from untold hours of crying. The humming edge of her words made the hairs on Adaar’s neck stand on end.

“You left me. Said you’d protect me, then didn’t. Left me with those demons.” Frayed mucky nails broke as she dug her fingers into the red lyrium’s edge.
“I cried, you know. Stupid… Used up all my arrows. Made them pay. Those shits. Had to use a blade. Piece of crap, it was. Still, made them regret it. Should have killed me.”

Sera choked back a sob, hesitant in her next words.
“But then it didn’t matter. You were still gone. You left me here and it got friggin worse.”
Something thick and wet dripped onto the cell floor.
“Always worse.” She chuckled, her warped laughter held a manic edge to it, darker and different from the usual.
“That’s always the way, innit?”

Fear tightened Adaar’s throat, strangling her words as she reach out to her.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave. You know I’d never!” Adaar pleaded, words stinging her throat as she struggled to form the words.
“I watched you fall to the demons. Just like the others. Dorian…he said we had to go. That if we went back through the rift then none of this would have happen. All of this would be undone.”

Sera stiffens when the hand touched her. Frail and boney. The smell the sickness radiating off her, along with the reeking stench of old blood.

Just like before.

“He promised me that you wouldn’t have to endure all this. You would be safe. That this wasn’t real!”

At that, she whipped around, facing the Qunari standing behind the shorter elf.

“Is this not real enough for you!”

It felt like the world dropped out from beneath her. Bile rose as she choked on a sob.

“No, oh please, no.”

My Sera…my strong and beautiful Sera.

She was covered in dried, old blood. Flecks of it were scattered across the lower half of her face. Her teeth were stained red from ripping at flesh. Eyes red from tears and the sickly lyrium’s glow. So much red.
And her body… it was covered in it. The front of her ruby tunic was shredded from the claws that had ripped their way through her.
Images flashed before Adaar’s eyes.

A terror demon, mouth opened unnaturally wide as it let out an ear-piercing screech. Paralyzed with fear, being forded back by waves of attacks, forced to retreat. She could only watch as Sera ran out of arrows. Then, she went for her knife, roaring right back at the demon. Fast, unbelievably fast. Long sharp fingers dug into Sera’s stomach.
Her roar turned into a sick gurgle.

Red. Always red. It splashed across the stones.

Sera grabbed the front of Adaar’s armor with a grip stronger than it had any right to be, snapping her out of the painful memories of a future that didn’t happen. It couldn’t have happened.

I fixed this, I must have.

“But…you died.” The Qunari clutched at Sera’s shoulders, searching her dull grey eyes. They glowed red, corrupted. But they were still Sera’s eyes, the same eyes that once reflected the depths of her endless feelings, but now held nothing but sickness and corruption.

“I saw you die! I couldn’t save you. And then I went back and stopped it from happening. I stopped it so that I would never have to watch you die again!” The mage pleaded, tears slipping from her crystalline blue eyes.

“I didn’t die, Inky. You left me like this. Hurting. Dying.” Blood seeped from her lips. The wounds bled anew.
“But I couldn’t die. They wouldn’t let me die!” Coughing wetly, her words grew weaker.
“Not when they could hurt me more.”

The elf fell, the taller catching Sera, holding her close, as her legs gave out. Shallow breaths echoed in Adaar’s tipped ears. Tears streamed down the pale face, trailing through the dried blood and dripping off her chin. A shaky blood-soaked hand smeared red.

Red.
Red as she caressed Adaar’s cheek.

“Not when seeing you again would be enough to kill me.”

Sera held the gaze, as Adaar watched in horror as the light within her faded. She smiled, as brilliant as the day they had first met, but the blood that trickled from her lips was just as bright.

Blood flowed freely, drenching the front of their body’s as it ebbed from her weakened form. Soaking through their clothes and onto their skin. Blood, hot and thick. Adaar’s hands were slick with it, and still she held Sera tightly as they sunk to the ground.

“Oh Sera, sweetheart, Kasaanda, please don’t go. Please!” She frantically tried to stop the flow of blood. It slowed to a trickle, but that wasn’t enough. Too much of it puddled around them, spreading outward as it soaked into the stones. Feeding the vile red lyrium that surrounded.

“Don’t do this. Stay with me, please…I can’t lose you!” Her lips moved, and she was pulled close, desperate to hear her words. Anything that would give the mage hope. Her breath rattled out, a mere whisper to the joyous elf’s normal voice,
“Love…you…for always…Inky.”

“NO!” She felt light in Adaar’s arms. “No…no, no, no, no, no!” She shook her lover, begging for this not to be real.
“NOOOOOOO!!!”

Tears blurred vision as everything turned red. She couldn’t do this again. She couldn’t lose her again.

Not my Sera. Not again.

The humming grew louder with Adaar’s wails. She could still hear her voice.

Inky

Whispered over and over. Face buried in her blood soaked chest, clutching her still warm body.

Inky!

“Sera, no, please. Don’t go!” She howled, “Don’t leave me like this!”

Sera’s nickname for her Qunari lover echoed louder and louder, coming from all sides. It surrounded the woman. Shook the stones until they fell from the ceiling, crumbled from the walls. Small stones clattering and bouncing off the thick skin of the mage. The larger crushed her body, broke her bones, crushed her lungs till no air could enter. but the pain was nothing, nothing compared to the loss she held in her arms.

“Inky!”

I…I don’t know where it’s coming from. Is it really Sera?

~

“Wake up, ya daft tit!”
Wetness hit my cheek like the first drops of a warm rain. They rolled down my face and mingled with my own tears.

Sera?

“Dammit, Inky, BREATHE!”
I gasped for breath. Warm arms had wrapped around me, holding me tight. I couldn’t smell the stink of blood anymore. Just sweat, dragonthorn ash, and a hint of vandal aria oil, a scent redolent of honey and cut sweet-grass. The same oil frequently used on her bow.

“Sera?” I croaked, voice scarce

“You arse! Will you friggin open your eyes already!?”

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked up into the one face that I could never get enough of. My Sera, my Kadan.
Her bright grey eyes were laced with concern. Fearful, but free of the corruption I saw in my nightmare. It was really her, truly her.

“Sera!” I clutched at her tightly with my one remaining arm as I buried my face in her chest, sobbing.

“What the frig is wrong with you?!” Sera smacked my scarred shoulder, “You scared me right half to death! You ass! Kept calling my name and saying stupid scary shite. And you were crying. Getting all wet and snotty. I couldn’t wake you.” She held me close, tight and bruising.
I clung to her, listening to her frantic heartbeat. My tears continued to fall as I tried to convince myself that this was real. She was real.

We’re both safe.

“You stopped breathing and scared the piss out of me. But now you’re awake and breathing, but you’re still crying. And I don’t know what to do.” She mumbled into my hair,
“It hurts to see you like this, Inky. Don’t want you to cry. Want you to smile.”

I want that too. I want that for both of us.

We held each other like that for a while, clung tightly, but content to be in each other’s arms. The sun crept along the horizon and the sky brightened, chasing back the shadows from our room.
Her fingers stroked through my short hair, just as they had for the past hour.

“It was that dream again, right? That shitty not-real future that didn’t happen? The scary one?”
I could only nod in reply, as I feared that my words would only bring back more tears.
Sera kissed the top of my head. The feeling sending shivers of warmth trough my body

“You remember what you told me about my shitty dreams, yeah?”

I looked up at her, searching her eyes. Sera was never this serious.

Vashedan, I must has really scared her.

“I remember,” I sniffled, voice still hoarse from crying.
“You said;‘they weren’t really real. That you aren’t going to lose me. Well, your dream is just as shit as that. I’m right here.’”

She smiled and pulled my head back to her chest.
“You hear that, love? I’m right here.”

I closed my eyes and listened to the thumping of her heart; calmer than it had been earlier. Soothing. Proving that this was real, and the rest was merely a horrible nightmare.

“Still gives me the willies thinking about that creepy part. Shite. Let’s forget that stupid dream and that not-real me.”
I pulled away from her, just enough to sit up and see her face. The light from the rising sun illuminated Sera from behind, glittering off her still tousled blonde hair. Her gray eyes were calmer, warm with a comforting look, one that I couldn’t help but smile at.

She’s so beautiful.

“You’re absolutely right.”

Her smile warmed my heart, just as always. My hand brushed her soft cheek, guiding her to me as I leaned in for a kiss. It tasted of salt and my berry flavoured lip-balm she often used, but was still perfect.

My Sera.

My next few words were low, lips still brushing together in gentle kisses.
“I’m sorry that I scared you. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

She grinned, devilish and delightful. It never failed to make my heart flutter and stir longing deep within me.
“Oh, that’s easy. We just need to chase away all those dream baddies. Can’t let them hang around that beautiful head of yours. Gotta get rid of ‘em.” Her hands wandered down my back, slipping the blanket from my indecent body. “And I know just the thing.”

I shivered and bit back a smile as I felt her sharpened nails lightly trail lower.

“Oh, really? You know how to chase off bad dreams?”

“Mhmm,” Sera purred. I felt myself melt at the sound. Her lips moved to my neck, kissing her way up to my ear. Nibbling along the way. She pushed me down onto the bed, pinning my one arm above my head, her kisses getting lower. *

Things were about to get going when a knock came at our door, we both turned sharply to face the door, glowering at the wooden door for interrupting this intimate moment.

“Piss off!!” Sera snapped, pointed ears pinned down in obvious annoyance, leaning up on my hips, our bare body’s uncovered in the bright sun that shone through the window blinds. Now far higher than least checked.

“I- My apologise m’lady! But you two have a guest!” The voice of our housekeeper called, on edge from Sera’s outburst, Sera groaned, looking back at me for a time.

“Who?” I called, brushing a lock of hair from Sera’s face, tucking it belong her ear. Her gentle smile returned as she lent down, kissing my neck and collarbone.

“Warden Rainer” the response came, an awkward shuffling coming from the other side of the door.

“Oh, we’ll be there shortly” Sera answered for me, excited at seeing an old friend again. I smiled. The housekeeper agreed and their footsteps retreated hastily.

“Hey Sera” I asked as we got up, grabbing our cloths and getting dressed. She looked up, inquisitive eyes locking with mine.
“Remember that old poem I told you back at Halamshiral?” I asked, wondering if she still remembered the poem unlike the nightmare her.

“Yeah, I remember it” she sighed, smiling at the memory she held to it,

“Would you tell it to me again?” I asked, grabbing the prosthetic arm that I used, fastening it’s shoulder to my bare one.

“Yeah, but I expect something tonight” she cooed, grabbing my hands in hers and helping me up,
“Don’t try to wiggle your way out of it. Unless it’s your breeches you’re wiggling out of. Then wiggling is fine.” She laughed, I nodded,

“Always”

“Okay okay, ya’ sap!” She chuckled, intertwining our fingers.

Like bees love honey,
and flowers love sun,
I love you, my darling,
you’re the only one...