Water splashes around me, and soaks my armour. It's cold and dirty, but before I can try to stay dry, two Venatori guards rush into the cell we seem to have landed in.
"Blood of the Elder One!" yells one guard. "Where did they come from?"
My eyes flick to Dorian beside me just as he shoots a bolt of ice into the guard's throat. I sprint towards the second guard, nearly tripping in the knee deep water. Ducking, a blade skims past my head, but I spin out of its course and slam my blade into the guard's back. He stumbles forward and I hit him again, making him fall into the water. Dorian slams his staff on the ground and the water around the guard's head turns to ice. I jump back so not to get caught in it.
Cassandra and Varric have disappeared, and the thought sends a cloud of fear over my mind. But I push it back for now.
"Displacement? Interesting," says Dorian, examining the cell we managed to find ourselves in. "It's probably not what Alexius intended. The Rift must have moved us… to what? The closest confluence of arcane energy?"
"The last thing I remember, we were in the castle hall," I say, not quite sure what Dorian's trying to explain.
"Let's see, if we're still in the castle, it isn't… Oh!"
I raise an eyebrow, "Go on."
"It's not simply where—it's when. Alexius used the amulet as a focus. It moved us through time."
"Moved us through time? Can that even be done?"
"Normally I would say no. Obviously Alexius has taken his research to exciting new heights. We've seen his temporal Rifts before. This time we simply…passed through one. Let's look around, see where the Rift took us. Then we can figure out how the get back… if we can."
"That's reassuring," I say as we walk through the cell door.
"I do believe Alexius was trying to remove you from time, completely," Dorian says. "I'm quite sorry about that."
"But I guess that didn't go to plan."
"No. Certainly not. You are still here after all."
"And a good thing too."
Dorian grins, "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll protect you." I can hear a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Why thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you."
We share a laugh, but it echoes through the hall. We must be in the dungeon because cells line the walls, doors locked tight.
I look at the water at my feet, "What about the others?"
"They're probably still where and when, we left them. In some sense anyway."
That puts my fears to rest… sort of.
"So… you do have a plan, right?"
"I have some thoughts on that. They're lovely thoughts. Like little jewels."
"That's a no then."
As we continue further into the castle, red spires of glowing rock forms on the walls and with a jolt, I realise it's red Lyrium. I don't touch it though.
Bones are scattered around the floor, dirty and broken. Whatever future we're in, I don't want any part in it.
The cells keep going forever and it's until we come to a large room, with water pouring from a hole in the ceiling to the grate in the ground, that we see the man.
I run over to him, but he stares at nothing from behind those cell bars.
"Andraste blessed me, Andraste blessed me…" he mumbles. "My fears are my sins, my sins, my sins…"
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"Andraste guide me," he continues. "Andraste guide me…"
"Come, he won't help us," says Dorian.
I turn from him, checking the other cells as we continue. But all are empty. Dorian doesn't speak and I don't want him to. This is too much to take in at the moment. I need to keep my thoughts to myself.
Heading up a flight of stairs, Dorian pushes the wooden door open with a large creak.
We come to a metal platform, the draw bridge in front of us is up, blocking our route. A wooden door is closed to the left and the right of us.
"Which way, left or right?" asks Dorian.
"Right." Though I'm not sure why I said it.
Heading down the stairs, we reach yet another room full of cells. More Lyrium sticks out of the walls, pulsing.
And it's only then that I see Varric, sitting in the corner of his cell.
I gasp, "Varric?"
"Andraste's sacred knickers. You're alive?" but his voice is different, as though multiple voices are speaking. His eyes… red as the very Lyrium he hates. Dark circles ring his eyes, like he hasn't slept for a long time. But he's the same old Varric, his chest hair still visible under his shirt, his blonde hair messy, but still tied at the back. He scrambles to his feet, "Where were you? How did you escape?"
"We didn't escape," says Dorian. "Alexius send us into the future."
"Everything that happens to you is weird," says Varric, his hands curling around the metal bars. My own fingers hold his, yet his hands are so cold. "Varric, what happened to you? You don't look so good."
"Bite your tongue," he says. "I look damn good for a dead man."
"You're no more dead than we are," says Dorian.
"The not-dying version of this red Lyrium stuff? Way worse, just saying." Inside his cell are spires of red Lyrium. He would have been exposed to it for a long time.
"We get to Alexius, and I just might be able to send us back to our own time. Simple, really."
"That… may not be as easy as you think. Alexius is just a servant. His 'Elder One' assassinated the Empress and led a demon army in a huge invasion of the south. The Elder One rules everything. What's left of it, anyway. Alexius… is really not the one you need to worry about."
I slide my hands from his, "I promise you Varric. We'll make sure none of this happens."
"I'm pretty sure you're crazy. Or I'm crazy. Either way, it's a nice thought. You want to take on Alexius. I'm in."
I kneel down, examining the lock. I pull a pin from my hair and place it into the lock. Fiddling around, I manage to find the sweet spot, so I twist. The lock opens and I swing the door open. Varric steps out and I give him a small hug.
"It's good to see you too, Stumbles."
We continue through the lower cells, pushing various doors open only to find empty cells. My heart beats fast in my chest like a drum. This place is giving me more than just the shivers.
I push through a door, almost giving up when I hear her.
"The light shall lead her safely through the paths of this world and into the next. For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water." Her voice, distorted, is beautiful though. I spin and see Cassandra sitting on the floor of her cell, head bowed, hands bloody.
I leap to the cell and my hands wrap around the cold bars, "Cassandra?"
She looks up, red eyes burning. But realization dawns on her face, "You've returned to us? Can it be? Has Andraste given us another chance? Maker forgive me. I failed you. I failed everyone. The end must truly be upon us in if the dead return to life." Her voice is like Varric's—like there is more than one of her speaking.
"Cassandra," my throat is dry. "You're hurt? What happened?"
"I was there… the Magister obliterated you with a gesture… you died in front of my eyes."
"Alexius sent us forward in time. If we find him, we may be able to return to the present," insists Dorian.
"Go back in time?" asks Cassandra, shakily getting to her feet. "Then… can you make it so that none of this ever took place?" Her eyes drift to Varric, but settle on me again.
I gently take hold of her hand, "I'll try my best."
Again, I use my pin to open the lock. When the door opens Cassandra steps out, "Alexius's master… after you died, we could not stop the Elder One from rising." Her eyes are sad.
"It's not your fault Cassandra," I say, taking her hand.
She looks at my hand then at me, "Empress Celene was murdered. The army that swept in afterwards—it was a horde of demons. Nothing stopped them. Nothing."
"I'm… I'm so sorry," I get out. Seeing her like this tears at my heart. It's my fault this happened. I choke back a sob.
"You were captured?" asks Dorian.
"Yes, Varric and I were taken to different cells. And then we were used… tortured by the red Lyrium."
"They tortured you?" I ask. I clench my fist.
Cassandra just stares blankly at the wall, "Maker… guide us forth."
In the next room, Dorian and I search for any information that could help us. But we yield nothing.
"You're… alive?" comes a groan.
I turn to see Grand Enchanter Fiona in a cell. Her body is stuck to the wall, red Lyrium growing around her like some kind of strangler vine. Her hands disappear inside the Lyrium, and it curls around her spine. With jarring realization, I see that Lyrium is growing from out of her.
"How is it possible?" her voice is faint. "I saw you… disappear into that… Rift."
"Fiona, is that you? What happened to you?"
"Red Lyrium… it's a disease. The longer you're near it… eventually… you become this. Then they mine your corpse for more."
I look at Varric and Cassandra. They're not as bad, but they've certainly been exposed to red Lyrium for a long time. But how long?
"Do you know the date?" I ask.
"Havestmere… 9.42 Dragon."
"9.42? Then we've missed an entire year."
For a year they've been tortured. For a year this Elder One has been rampaging through Thedas. For a year I was considered dead.
"We have to get out of here. Go back in time," I order.
"Please… stop this from happening. Alexius serves the Elder One. More powerful… than the Maker… no one… challenges him and lives."
"I promise I will do everything in my power to set things right."
"Our only hope is the find the amulet that Alexius used to send us here. If it still exists, I can use it to reopen the Rift at the exact spot we left. Maybe."
"Good," moans Fiona.
"I said maybe. It might also turn us into paste."
"You must try. Your spymaster, Leliana… she's here. Find her. Quickly… before the Elder One… learns you're here."
We leave the Grand Enchanter in her cell, heading back to the metal platform. I bite my lip and it's the only thing I can do to stop me from crying.