#Dragon Age Dreadwolf | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

girlwithadragonheart · 2 days ago

Text

Chapter 6 - Strained Ties

This story contains major spoilers for Dragon Age the Veilguard. Read at your own discretion!!

Kalais x Lucanis

Summary: As Kalais recovers, stress is high

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Injury, mom and dad fight, Varric comfort

A/N: A shorter one to bridge the gap between events

Chapter 5 DATV Masterlist Chapter 7

Lucanis paced the length of the room like a caged predator, his wings flickering into view every few minutes, a sure sign his control was fraying. His steps were sharp, almost mechanical, and every so often he shot a glare at the cot where Rook lay motionless.

Her breathing was steady, but she hadn’t stirred since they’d escaped the blight-engulfed fortress. Blood had been scrubbed from her skin, but a faint pallor lingered, and Lucanis couldn’t ignore the faint, almost imperceptible shimmer of lyrium on the wound.

Bellara slipped into the room, her usually commanding presence softened. She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You need to rest,” she said gently.

Lucanis didn’t stop pacing. “I can’t.”

“She’s strong. She’ll pull through.” Bellara’s voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt. She stepped forward, her voice softening further. “Lucanis, this isn’t your fault.”

He froze mid-step, his back to her, his hands clenched into fists. “Isn’t it?” His voice low, trembling with suppressed emotion. “She threw herself into the middle of that chaos---for me. For all of us. If she hadn’t maybe---”

“You can’t think like that,” Bellara interrupted, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. “Rook makes her own decisions.”

Lucanis shook her off and finally turned, his face tight with anger and grief. “Then why do they always put her in danger? Why is it always her bleeding out on some battlefield while we stand by and hope she survives?”

Bellara flinched at the venom in his tone, but before she could respond, Spite materialized, sitting cross-legged on a nearby table. “Wake up, Rook. She has to.” he said, his voice carrying its usual edge of amusement, but even he couldn’t entirely hide his concern.

“And what if she doesn’t?” Lucanis snapped, his voice cracking.

“She will,” Spite hissed.

Bellara sighed, her expression softening again. “You’re not going to do her any good if you burn yourself out like this.”

Lucanis didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on Rook’s still form. Bellara hesitated, then quietly left the room, giving him the space she knew he wouldn’t ask for.

Spite tilted his head, watching Lucanis with unnerving intensity. “You’re scared.”

Lucanis glared at him but said nothing.

“Good,” Spite added, hopping off the table. “Fear keeps things interesting.”

❈❈❈

The world was dark and cold. Fog surrounded my feet, curling up my legs with every step. The echo of my footsteps sounded throughout this empty expanse. My arms crossed over my chest, clutching at the skin on my arms. My skin pebbled up from the chill. My chest was tight, and there was a dull throbbing in my side. I couldn’t remember why.

I couldn’t figure out what I was doing here. I remembered Weisshaupt and Ghilan’nain and the archdemon, and then… everything went black. There’s nothing beyond that. What am I doing? Why am I here?

I wandered through the dreamscape, my boots crunching against an endless expanse of broken mirrors. The shards reflected fragments of me---my face, my hands, my past. In one reflection, I was a child, clutching the hand of the magister’s wife. In the next, I clutched my mother’s lifeless body, screaming into the night about the injustice done to us. In another, I was wielding the Dread Wolf’s dagger, blood dripping from my fingertips.

Endless screams surrounded me. Screams of people I loved, people I knew, and people I didn’t. Those I had abandoned in Minrathous. The Wardens that died at Weisshaupt. The slaves and Venatori in that slaver ring I crashed with Varric. Even my own screams surrounded me.

Every step I took felt heavy, as though the weight of every decision I’d ever made was pulling her down. I stopped at a jagged mirror, my reflection staring back at me with accusing eyes.

“You keep trying,” a voice said softly behind me.

I turned, startled, to see Cole standing there. He was as I remembered him: delicate and earnest, with wide eyes that seemed to see straight into my soul. “Cole,” I breathed. “What are you doing here?”

“I came because you needed me,” he said simply, stepping closer. “You’re hurting.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “You could say that.” I gestured at the mirrors around us. “Look at this mess. Every decision I make, it’s wrong. People get hurt. People die.”

Cole tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “You think you make it worse. But you don’t.”

“Don’t I?” I snapped, the words spilling out in a rush. “I should’ve found a way to save Minrathous. I should’ve stayed out of Weisshaupt. I should’ve found another way to stop Ghilan’nain. Maybe my mother would still be alive if I had listened. Maybe I wouldn’t have---”

“---done everything you could to save them,” Cole finished gently. “You make choices, Rook. Hard ones. But you’re here because you care. Because you want to protect them.”

I looked away, my throat tightening. “What if I’m not enough? I can’t even protect myself, that’s why I’m stuck in this bloody place!” I gestured around, exasperated.

Cole stepped closer, his voice soft. “You are. They’re waiting for you. You can still fight.”

“I’m so tired, Cole.” My eyes teared up.

“I know.” He reached out, brushing his fingers lightly against my hand. “But they need you. He needs you.”

I closed my eyes, tears slipping down my cheeks. “What if I fail again?”

Cole’s voice was like a whisper of wind. “Then you’ll try again. That’s what you do.”

When I opened my eyes, Cole was gone. The mirrors around me shimmered, dissolving into light.

“It’s time to wake up,” his voice echoed. “They need you.”

---------------------------------

The first thing I felt was a sharp, burning pain in my side, pulling her out of the darkness like a cruel tether. I groaned softly, the sound barely audible, but it was enough.

“Rook?” Lucanis’s voice was hoarse, but it was filled with such raw, unrestrained relief that it made my chest tighten.

My eyes fluttered open, and the dim light of the room swam into focus. Lucanis’s face appeared above me, his usual composure shattered. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hands hovering as though he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to touch me.

“Hey,” I croaked, my throat dry and raw.

“Hey,” he echoed, his lips pulling into the faintest of smiles. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah. You look like shit,” I teased. I heard Spite laugh somewhere on the other side of me. I let out a weak laugh as Lucanis scowled at him, wincing as the motion tugged at my wound. “Missed you too, Mischief.”

Lucanis sat on the edge of the cot, his hand finally reaching for mine. He squeezed it gently, as though afraid I might break. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said, his voice low.

“Do what?” I said weakly. “Save your ass?”

“I’m serious, Rook.” He leaned closer, his forehead almost touching mine. “You scared the hell out of me.”

I smiled faintly, squeezing his hand in return. “I’ll try not to.”

“Not good enough,” he said, but his voice softened.

Spite sneered, interrupting. “Rook. Stop. Dying.”

I chuckled, my eyes sliding shut again. “Working on it.”

--------------------------------

I couldn’t tell you when I drifted off to sleep.

The room was dim, lit only by the faint flicker of a lantern on the far table. My head throbbed, and my side ached fiercely, but it was the emptiness that struck me most. Lucanis wasn’t there. The chair beside the cot was empty, the air still heavy with the faint metallic scent of lyrium and blood.

I tried to push myself up, but my body protested immediately.

“Don’t even think about it, Rook,” a familiar voice drawled.

I turned my head, wincing as the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through me. Varric leaned against the doorway, crossbow resting casually over one shoulder, his expression a mixture of relief and irritation.

“Varric,” I rasped. “Didn’t know I rated personal security.”

He smirked, stepping into the room. “You don’t. I’m here for the entertainment value.” He pulled up a chair, flipping it backward to sit. “Although I have to admit, seeing you in one piece is more satisfying than I expected.”

I let out a weak laugh. “Glad to be alive, then.”

“Glad is putting it lightly. The Possessed Peacock was losing his feathers over you,” Varric said, leaning forward, his tone only half-joking. “He’s been pacing around like a wyvern on a leash. Then, when you finally opened your eyes, he vanished. Typical.”

“Where’d he go?” I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

“Probably outside, beating himself up or sulking in the nearest dark corner,” Varric said. His sharp eyes softened. “He blames himself for what happened to you.”

I closed my eyes, guilt and exhaustion battling for dominance. “It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, I didn’t get out of the way fast enough.”

“Yeah, well, good luck convincing him of that,” Varric said, crossing his arms. “Lucanis isn’t exactly the ‘let-it-go’ type, in case you haven’t noticed.”

I sighed, the weight of everything catching up with me. “I don’t know how to fix this, Varric. I feel like every decision I make just leads to more blood.”

Varric tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of leaders make a lot of bad calls. Sometimes they’re reckless, sometimes they’re selfish, and sometimes they’re just plain stupid. You, though?” He gestured at me with an almost paternal fondness. “You’re different. You don’t take risks for glory or power. You do it because you care. Too much, maybe.”

“Doesn’t change that people keep getting hurt.”

“People are always going to get hurt, Rook. That’s life,” Varric said, his voice steady, grounding. “But the ones who survive? The ones who make it through because of you? They remember.”

I frowned, staring at the ceiling. “That supposed to make me feel better?”

“Nope,” he grinned, leaning back. “But it’s the truth. And truth has a funny way of sticking with you.”

We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling over me. Finally, I turned to him, my voice softer. “Am I a good leader, Varric?”

“Kid, you’re a better leader than I ever was,” he said. “Get some rest. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

I didn’t even have the strength to argue with him anymore, exhaustion taking over.

—-------------------------

I sat propped against the headboard, my side aching, my thoughts circling like vultures. Every breath I took was shallow, careful, as though moving too much would break me open again.

The door creaked, and my eyes snapped to it. Lucanis stood there, framed by the dim light spilling from the hallway. His silhouette was sharp, his wings flickering into view for the briefest moment before disappearing again. He looked hesitant, like he wasn’t sure if he should come in.

“You’re back,” I said, my voice rough but steady enough.

“I never really left,” he said, stepping inside. His tone was quiet, too controlled. “I just… needed space.”

I raised an eyebrow, a sharp laugh slipping out before I could stop it. “Space? From what? Watching me bleed out because I was too stubborn to know when to stop?”

He flinched, and guilt pricked at me, but I didn’t stop.

“Is that it?” I asked. “Because if you’ve got something to say, Lucanis, now’s your chance.”

His jaw tightened as he crossed the room, leaning against the far wall, arms crossed like he was holding himself together by sheer will. “Don’t do that,” he said, his voice low.

“Do what?” I pushed.

“Turn this on yourself,” he snapped, Antivan accent thick on his tongue. “You nearly died, Rook. And for what? Because I can’t handle my own damn messes?”

“Your messes?” I straightened, the ache in my side flaring, but I didn’t care. “We were all there for the same reason—to stop Ghilan’nain. Or did you think I’d just stand back and let you take the hit?”

“You should’ve,” he said, his voice tight. “You should’ve let me. I’m the one who should be lying in that bed, not you.”

“And what good would that have done?” I snapped, standing up despite the sharp pull in my side. I saw a flash of panic in his eyes, his body twitching as my knees wobbled, as though despite our argument, he was prepared to catch me. I stayed upright, meeting his gaze head-on. “Tell me, Lucanis, what would that have solved?”

His hands curled into fists, and he looked away, his wings flickering again before disappearing. “I don’t know,” he muttered. “But I can’t—”

“Too bad,” I cut him off. “I am not your responsibility, and I am not some child to be coddled!” I crossed my arms. “Stop treating me like I can’t handle my messes.”

“I didn’t even make the shot!” Lucanis snapped. “What good am I here if I can’t do the one thing I’m trained for?”

“Lucanis, I—”

“Don’t.” He exhaled sharply. “You should lay back down. Get some rest. Excuse me,” he said, putting a hand to his chest and bowing slightly before leaving.

I stood there, dumbfounded for a moment before sitting heavily on the edge of the cot. The door clicked shut behind Lucanis, leaving me in silence that felt sharper than any blade. My side throbbed as though in protest of the argument, but I barely noticed. His words echoed in my head, layering themselves over my own doubts, my own failures.

What good am I here?

I could still see the flash of his wings, the way his hands clenched like he was barely holding himself together. My fists curled against the blanket. I should’ve said more. Or less. Or something entirely different.

I groaned, dragging my hands down my face, and swung my legs up onto the cot. Lying down was a struggle, my side flaring with pain, but I forced myself to settle. My body demanded rest, but my mind wasn’t interested in complying.

I stared at the low ceiling, counting the cracks in the plaster. Five, six, seven… My throat tightened as the weight of everything—the mission, the fight, Lucanis—pressed down on me. I had to fix this, I just didn’t know how.

My eyes were heavy, and the room began to blur. Sleep pulled at me, unwelcome but unavoidable. In the quiet, I whispered to the darkness, as though Lucanis might hear me through the walls.

“I’m not giving up on you either.”

Even if I didn’t know how to bridge the chasm growing between us.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I promise things will get better TwT

Let me know if you want to be on the Lucanis tag list!

Tags: @cirillabelle

23 notes · View notes