Chapter Text
She woke up in stages and none of them were particularly pleasant, though arguably the final stage was the best one. During the first, everything ached and not just her body. It was more than that and also less. Her mind couldn’t really cope with everything that was going on around her but from what she could suss out in that moment, even the air hurt despite it feeling stagnant.
Luckily, that stage didn’t last long and she progressed into the stage of semi-consciousness. She was aware, vaguely, that wherever she was hadn’t been disturbed in a long time. How she knew that she couldn’t really say but it was almost like a sixth sense. Her eyes were still closed so she didn’t really see anything but she could feel and hear.
She could feel the air as it swirled around her. It felt alive and yet not all at the same time. It was dry and old but also young and fresh. Those thoughts were confusing so she moved on sluggishly to what else she could feel. Whatever she was laying on felt hard and cold like stone but it wasn’t bothering her as she expected it to. She could also feel the walls around her as if she was in the middle of a room or a cavern.
Feelings turned to what she could hear. Vaguely, she could hear her own breathing and her heart as it slowly pumped blood through her veins. Expanding further, she could hear water dripping into a small puddle some distance away and further still, she could swear she could hear small animals on soft grass.
These sounds disturbed her, as did everything she was feeling. Luckily, that stage ended as well and the final one began. This one meant finally waking up from whatever it was kept her so still. When her eyes opened, it took her a moment to really register what she was seeing.
Despite the utter darkness of wherever she was, she saw everything .
It was suddenly all to much and her body heaved, causing her to suck in a breath and let it out just as abruptly in a gasp. She twisted her body and fell off the giant slab of rock that she had been laying on, hitting the stone below with a grunt. A shaky breath slipped from her lips as she slowly pushed herself upwards until she was on her knees.
Her mind was speeding up and processing every little bit of data that was coming towards her; sights, sounds, smells, even tastes were flooding her in an overwhelming surge. She squeezed her eyes shut and sat up, tilting her head back as she tried to slow her heart which was pounding erratically in her ears.
It took several minutes but once she had calmed down, she let her head drop back and slowly opened her eyes. Part of her knew that the cave she was in, or whatever it was, was pitch black but she could still see which was confusing. Something to hash out later.
First and foremost, she needed to figure out where the hell she was.
Her hand rubbed over her eyes as she sighed, letting her mind think back to the last thing she remembered clearly. She had been, rock climbing. That she remembered quite clearly. She had gone alone as her usual climbing partners, Anthony and Giselle, were too busy to join her that day. Most people wouldn’t have gone alone but she always thrived in high stress situations. So she had gone and she had been halfway up this perfect cliffside when…
Her mind stumbled a bit there, trying to grasp at the wisps of memory. She vaguely recalled falling and then a flash of green, then… Thinking further just sent a spike of pain straight through her skull that had her wincing. With a gentle shake of her head, she decided that perhaps it would best to leave that train of thought alone and get out of wherever the hell she was.
That thought in mind, she pushed herself onto her feet and staggered briefly as a wave of dizziness hit her. It vanished just as quickly and she flexed her hands a bit to loosen up the tightness in her muscles. A frown marred her face as she suddenly realized she was definitely not wearing what she last remembered wearing. In fact, her whole body felt, off.
Glancing down, she looked at her hands and was mildly alarmed that she could see them pretty clearly and even more alarmed that she could see a few fine details on them. Her fingers were long and slender, almost delicate looking but she could feel their hidden strength. Turning them over, she noted in growing alarm that there were calluses that she definitely didn’t have before and these hands were definitely not her own.
That alarm grew exponentially as ‘her’ hands trailed down her torso, noting not only that her clothing was extremely different but her breasts were perky and full, her hips were curved and her ass, well, her ass looked to be that perfect blend of plump and firm.
Considering last she checked she had been flat as a board in both departments, her alarm was now bordering on full on panic.
“What the hell,” she muttered only to gasp and slap her hand over her mouth. Even her voice was different. It was, well, melodious which was utterly absurd. Her voice had always been brisk and southern, not, whatever the hell just came out of her mouth.
Her eyes widened as she finally registered her lips which her fingers were now tracing. They were plump and soft from what she could feel which brought her to trace up her face. Her hands were shaking as she noted that she suddenly had a perfectly shaped, delicate nose along with somewhat defined cheekbones. Her eyelashes were long and her eyebrows felt like they were perfectly groomed.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she moved her hands up over her head and froze as she briefly touched her ears. Everything within her trembled as her fingers traced them.
They were pointed .
That shouldn’t be possible in any reality.
Her hands fell abruptly as everything she knew quaked under this new realization. A choked sob broke from her chest and she pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle herself which, ultimately, felt foolish given that she was alone but she never liked to broadcast such intense feelings.
Silent tears fell down her cheeks and she simply let herself cry for a good long while. When her tears had finally dried up, she wiped away the remnants and let out a sigh. Crying wasn’t going to do anything for her at the moment; it provided no answers and would only delay getting out of this place.
Letting out a huff she patted herself down again, patently ignoring her new curves, to take stock of what she was wearing. It seemed to be somewhat like armor if she had to guess. Even though her eyes were good, her clothing was dark in color and that made it harder to discern.
With an annoyed grunt, she let her hands fall back to her sides and finally glanced around the room a bit more. The bits of light allowed her to determine that the room, or whatever it was, had little by way of decoration and the only real thing of note was the giant tomb like slab of rock she had been laying on. It was ornate, with etchings of leaves and other flora on it. She walked around it slowly, taking note of every little detail she could see and absently wished there was more light.
And then suddenly there was.
Startled, she jumped a bit as a torch that she hadn’t noticed suddenly lit with a blue flame. She gaped at it in shock as her brain processed what it was. Veilfire .
The implication...
She stopped that train of thought before it could start, squashing it viciously beneath her foot before turning back to the tomb. Her eyes widened as the previously unseen details came into view and they were utterly gorgeous. Etched in what looked like gold were letters from a language that she resolutely decided not to call Elvhen as it would only shatter what little bit of composure she had.
She traced over it with her fingers, marveling at the delicate words as she continued to move around. As she turned another corner she stopped in surprise as something she hadn’t noticed before came into view. A scabbard, simple but expertly crafted by the looks of it, was laying next to the tomb. She pulled her hands away from the lettering and picked up the scabbard, inspecting it a bit as she wandered closer to the torch.
The scabbard itself was simple but sturdy and the hilt of the blade was delicate, almost fragile looking. She gripped it firmly and tugged, expecting to meet resistance and was surprised as it pulled soundlessly from the scabbard. She marveled at the weightlessness of the sword and tilted it a bit to let the blade catch the light. The blade itself still looked as sharp as ever and was made of some type of metal that she didn’t recognize. She gave it an experimental swing and was startled at the fluidity of the motion. As if it was familiar. Muscle memory.
She briskly ignored that train of thought as well, noting dryly that she was adding to the growing mental list of ‘Things to Deal With Later’. Sheathing the blade again, she continued to look around and barely noticed that she attached the blade to her hip until the action was nearly completed. Letting out a hiss of annoyance, she finished doing so and looked around the room with a slight scowl on her face.
It looked like there was only one way out of the room and it was sealed. With a frown she walked closer to the door, inspecting it closely to see if there was maybe a switch or a lever somewhere out of sight. She didn’t know how long she spent staring at the rock wall but it was long enough to make her smack it in frustration.
“I just need to get out. I need this stupid door to open,” she muttered to herself.
And as if by magic, it did open.
She stared at it in wide eyed disbelief as it fell away to reveal a long dark hallway. She glanced at her hand briefly before dropping it back to her side. She was not going there. Nope. Not right now. Peering down the hallway, she took a hesitant step forward and held her breath for a moment as she listened intently for any sign of a trap.
Sensing and hearing nothing, she let out the breath she had been holding and continued slowly down the hallway. It went on for some time and then seemed to slowly curve upward, solidifying her belief that she had been in a cavern. A bit of light slowly started to appear as she continued forward and she squinted a bit as it stung her eyes.
She had to shut them completely as she finally hit the entrance to the cavern so she didn’t immediately see where she was. Instead she inhaled slowly, taking in all of the scents around her. She could smell fresh grass, flowers of all kinds, the stench of horses and rotting meat. The trickle of water reached her ears along with the sounds of a forest. When she finally opened her eyes and they adjusted to the sharp light of the sun, her jaw dropped.
She knew this place. But she really, really didn’t want to know it. In fact, she had half a mind to go back into the cave.
She pressed her lips together to stop herself from letting out a string of curses as she steadily made her way up a small hill. A little shrine was near the top and she nearly let out a hysterical laugh at the sight but instead continued forward until she reached the edge. Peering out into the valley, she let out a shaky breath.
Dennet’s farm. She was in the goddamn Hinterlands.
Just as she was coming to grips with that utterly ridiculous fact, there was a sudden pressure in the air and everything seemed to explode all at once. It wasn’t just a sound, it was a feeling in the air and in her bones. She bent over and nearly threw up as a bright flash of light lit up the sky.
She looked up incredulously as the Breach formed, angry and vibrant green.
“Son of a bitch.”