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I will never stop searching, as long as it takes. I will find you, dear sister of mine.
Velanna had made that vow to her beloved sister, her Seranni. She had been forced to watch in horror as Seranni slipped away in the shadows, away from safety, away from her. The talking darkspawn, the foul, tainted creature had stolen away her sister and corrupted her, turned her against clan and family. All for nothing, the Warden-Commander had seen to that. Yet, Seranni still ran. So Velanna gave chase.
Weeks, then months went by without a single sight, not a whisper of her whereabouts. Velanna, though not a Warden herself, had spent enough time with them to see the clear signs of darkspawn nearby. Their taint destroyed everything it touched, and led her to a long-forgotten entrance to the Deep Roads, almost completely hidden. It was the only sighting she’d had in weeks, she could not pass up this chance. Seranni might be inside. Alive.
Please not my sister, not yet. I can still save her.
It took three days of searching, maybe more, before she encountered any darkspawn, not intelligent ones, merely the mindless, bloodthirsty fiends she knew quite well. She burned the darkspawn alive - they were never really alive - reducing them to piles of charred bone and blood. Fire had come easier to her now more than ever, harnessing the emotions she kept deep within. Rage, pain, fear, betrayal. Judging by their screams it delivered deadly results.
In the silence of the aftermath, what she thought were echoes of her enemies ringing in her ears became another rallying cry. One she well recognized, but there was another sound. A wet, squelching sound. Like thick mud sucking at a passing boot, only more.. nightmarish. Soon, she smelled it. Like infected, festering flesh left out in the sun to rot, but a thousand times worse. Cloying and thick it was, so much so that Velanna lifted her furs to cover her nose; one hand clutching her staff tightly. She spotted a small gap in the rocks up ahead and made her way towards it, closer to the smell. She braced one hand on the cold, slimy stone and hefted herself through the opening. At long last, she saw it.
Swollen, grey flesh entered her vision. Thick, powerful tentacles loomed far above her head, sprouting directly from the bloated body before her. The noise, the smell was coming from this creature. It was screaming, clutching at its face. The face with vallaslin still visible.
Seranni.
Her body took control of what her mind could not - not Seranni, it can’t be her, I will not allow it - she lurched back away from the monstrosity and fell to her hands and knees. Her body heaved, yet she choked. She wanted to scream, but nothing would come out. Eyes streaming, stomach roiling, her chest constricting tightly - that is not my sister, it is not my beloved Seranni - she tried to gather herself, to breathe. Velanna struggled to find her composure amidst all the pain and confusion as she buried her sobs into her furs.
I know what must be done.
Velanna forced herself to move, to climb back through the gap in the rocks, back into the disgusting pit where that thing awaited.
I am sorry, sweet sister of mine.
She needed to face this, to face what had become of her sister. Glancing up, she met the creature’s eyes briefly - those are not Seranni’s eyes, not anymore. Hers were not grey and pale and lifeless - and made her choice.
I should have protected you better.
Velanna clutched her staff tightly between her fingers and called the flames to her hands. She took a calming breath as she envisioned the fire, before she slowly recited the incantation. She met the creatures dead, cold eyes once more, and let the world burn.
I did not mean for it to come to this.
She was not prepared for the screaming. The sound was deafening, and worse yet, she could hear just barely through the noise the sound of many darkspawn coming to the aid of one of their own.
I did not mean for it to go this way.
Velanna focused her attentions on the holes scattered across the rocky walls, forcing even more flames from her hands. A veritable inferno surrounded them now, singeing away her long blonde hair, scorching her skin. Downing the last of her lyrium potions, she pulled the remaining reserves of her magic to unleash a firestorm - I will drown them in flames - to keep the darkspawn at bay.
In the end, I kept my promise.
With one last, long look into the eyes of the pitiful, dying creature - be at peace, dear sister - Velanna paused to take in the sight in front of her. What had once been a beautiful Dalish woman, her Seranni, was now a bloated creature burnt far beyond the darkspawn’s ability to repair. With one final scream, the abomination finally passed. Velanna dropped to her knees, groped blindly for her dagger, and gripped it tight once she found the hilt.
I am sorry it was not enough.
Velanna forced herself to look once more at the body - the body that was once her sister - and plunged the dagger into her heart.
I love you, dear sister. I will be with you soon.