Anri felt the stirrings of the Fade's energies upon his soul, like an irritable tickle. A child's laughter rebounded about his ears. It carried the same sensation and familiarity as before.

  "Little elf, you play a dangerous game with your soul." The child's voice was a mere whisper in his subconsciousness.

  "Spirit begone!" His own voice was loud and clear to his ears, yet it felt weak against the surreal child's taunts.

  The child bellowed with sinister laughter. "The Herald of Andraste. Blessed of the Maker. Inquisitor to many. Savior of Thedas. My, how the world must envy you."

  Anri writhed and struggled with the spirit hands, which were grabbing at his heart core with the attempts to squeeze and smash it. He felt his body was being seized.

  "I won't let you possess me!"

  The child's laughter deepened into a mannish and demonic snigger. "The anchor was taken from you. Your arm is lost along with your power. How is a weak man going to save the world now?"

  An icy touch grabbed his limbs, threatening to shatter his bones. He felt a sickly, watery sensation flow into his body with attempts to disrupt his spirit energies.

  "GET OFF ME." He internally roared with fierce might and all the will he could muster, but the demon intent on possessing him kept pulling and tugging at his being.

  "Face it, little elf boy, your time is over. You're nothing but a washed-up slave who's outlived his purpose."

  "I'm no slave!"

  Laughter pressed into his ears, nearly shattering his eardrums. "You wear the slave markings. Sylaise would be pleased to see a thrall still loyal like a stupid puppy."

  Anri felt the sting of the demon's taunt as nothing more than yesterday's news. Of course, he had long realized the Dalish mark he wore over his left eye was originally a slave mark. But that was thousands of years ago. In his time, his Dalish revered it as a mark of freedom, and to him, a costly reminder. This knowledge helped him partially recover his strength.

  "If I ever get to meet Sylaise, I'll embrace her with all my love." Anri smirked, feeling the demon's hold on him weaken. "However, demon, you'll only get to embrace your doom."

  Anri willed his mind into an intense focus, slipping deep into his inner spiritual zone to tap into a remnant of fade magic, which lingered within his body from the fade-anchor. His lover, Dorian, had helped him bind the magic into an array, which would be useful for moments like now.

  When his focus was at one hundred percent, he recalled the array of spirit binding and unlocked it with elvhen words empowered by his blood, "Uthenera enasal."

  The arrogant taunts from the invading demon became confused shrieks and outbursts of surprise. "Curse you cunning elves. You destroyed our world. You made us demons. Curse you! CURSE YOU. THE OLD GODS WILL HAVE THEIR REVENGE."

  Silk-like ribbons of purplish-blue wrapped the ambiguous form of wispy silver-red light, which struggled to escape the ribbons' attack and binding.

  "YOUR SOUL IS MARKED." The demon shrieked before its presence could no longer be felt within Anri, and his spirit energies had leveled. A lot of energy had been exhausted to expel the demon and attempts at body possession.

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  "It should be impossible." He thought to himself, but his body was changed by the anchor, and it made him wonder if he had the seeds of being a mage. But he felt no magic inclinations for spells and casting and would rather not explore the possibility for obvious reasons.

  At least he was safe from possession. His eyes fluttered open and faced many staunch Qunari soldiers with spears raised to run him through. At the head was a red-haired elf in slim-fitting light rogue armor with her lithe legs in knee-high buckled boots. Her long ponytail swished at her back as she strutted a few steps before him, with sharp green eyes scrutinizing him intensely.

  "From one fire to a shitstorm." His groan came out like a mumbled whimper. Boy, he was too tired to care.

  "The Qun demands answers, Lavellan." Her words held neither threat nor curiosity. She was simply dictating an order.

  Water was poured onto Anri's head to further wake him. He spluttered and gasped; when he reclaimed most of his senses, he saw he was bound to a chunky obsidian column. Did the woman think he still had magic? Well, he couldn't blame her for being overly cautious.

  "Why bother? Just kill me like your bosses demand it, Tallis." Anri realized the woman's importance, which was obvious from the dance formation. It made sense for Ben-Hassrath to have an elven spy (Tallis) to hunt him. She had been so damn persistent.

  He cried out when she placed a dagger into what was remaining of his anchor arm; huffing from the pain but refraining from showing more weakness. They'll get nothing out of him.

  "Oh I will." She stepped closer to dig in deeper. "First, did you kill the Viddasala?!"

  Anri answered with silence.

  Tallis stepped back, shook her head, then swiftly dug the dagger deeper until it pierced the stone at his back. Anri was doing his best to keep his breathing steady.

  "The Viddasala is dead. The way of peace is broken. You destroyed the South!"

  "You honestly believe your way is righteous?" Anri smirked as he spat, "She used the magic of my people to trigger an invasion on the south. So don't have the pot calling the kettle black and lecture me."

  His eyes widened with bemusement when she betrayed a slight moment of disbelief.

  "Everything here is wrong. I'm wasting my time." Without pause, Tallis pulled out the dagger and ran it through Anri's chest, pinning him to the stone so he would bleed out to his death. She no longer felt the desire to fight him. "Leave him to the wolves. His death is not worth the honor of a fight."

  The Qunari took their leave. Time passed. Anri didn't know for how long, but he felt the stirrings of the Fade stroke his skin and spirit with long touches.

  "Ma vhenan, abelas na-vir sa-vir; tel’abelas, ar nathier ma-vallas." A wise voice, steeped with age and time, spoke clearly to Anri's being.

  "Little... Bird?" Anri responded.

  "The sorrow that makes you weary is the pain that binds this world. Fall to sorrow; this world and all beyond will exist no more."

  "Mana sa vhenan na?"

  Stone quaked and trembled, causing dust to shower his weakened body.

  "Everything! Without you, this world will fall to darkness. Without you, no life can flourish. Little Bird, whether you like it or not, you are life's last ray of hope."

  "What are you? Who are you? You're surely aware I cannot be possessed."

  "I am made aware of these questions, ones I will not answer, for at this time they will only cause more harm than good."

  "Made aware? Did you send the demon to try me?"

  Anri felt his binds on his body break. He crumpled to the ground, completely weakened by his blood loss.

  "A gesture of goodwill, Little Bird."

  Anri's body was lifted by magic; silverish light was cast around him to heal his wounds and refill his spiritual energies.

  "Gather your forces and plan well, for your enemy is not idle. The bullish men who captured you face your people the way ahead."

  Anri turned about to see who he had been speaking to, but the rocky cave surrounding him held no other presence. He sighed; whether it had been a demon or spirit that revived him, discovering this fact could wait. The clashing of steel and cries of desperation and angst echoed into the cave. He searched for weapons and saw his dual blade lying discarded in the dirt.

  The pain in his half-arm had eased with the wound healed.

  "The demon could've at least repaired my arm?" He groaned and figured some things were beyond magical capabilities.

  The fighting was louder and more fierce. Anri wasted no time in leaving the cave.

  Shadow Sect. Images were taken from the .