Day 22: They Made me do It

CW:mention of death

Summary:El visits his other self who has been incarcerated after encountering him at the World Tree.

Word count:1,139

Note: Just for reader friendliness, Eleven’s the guy who’s from the future, traveled back in time, and been mistaken as the Darkspawn. El’s the ignorant cinnamon bun who hasn’t seen a lick of act 2 before. (If this longfic thingy ever gets published that was sorta the plan for distinguishing them forever)

Heliodor castle was quiet the evening of King Carnelian’s burial. Jade had holed herself up in her room as soon as the proceedings were over, wearing a black veil and leaving a trail of silent tears behind her, Rab at her side.

El, Erik, Serena, Veronica, and Sylvando sat around a table.

“I still can’t believe Jade’s old man is gone,” Erik muttered.

“I know,” Veronica said. “Here I was thinking the Darkspawn didn’t even exist. He sure played us for fools, huh?”

“How terrifying, to think that someone would use your image for evil,” Serena said, turning toward El. “I rather hate to think about it, actually! He was so ruthless…”

Sylvando smiled. “Don’t worry about him, darlings. He’s locked safely away in jail, where he belongs. And there won’t be his little tea leaf to break him out this time!”

Erik sneered back, but El frowned between them. «Mm…» El hummed. «I don’t know. There was something about his expression that didn’t speak ‘evil’ to me.»

Veronica snorted. “Your body double murders a man in cold blood in front of you and you have the sympathy to feel bad for him?”

El squinted. He lifted his hands and started to sign, his fingers sure. «He came out of nowhere. We hadn’t even run into him before that. And it’s not like he attacked me.»

Sylvando straightened. “That’s because— Well, hmm… you do seem to have a point, darling. Why attack the king and not the Luminary? If he wanted to destroy the world, certainly he would have gone after you?”

Erik shrugged. “Doesn’t bear any thinking about. Don’t you think we have bigger fish to fry? They said Mordegon is still out there somewhere, and we’re left cleaning up this mess. Maybe this was his way of distracting us.”

“Oh, I see!” Serena gasped. “Then we must be more careful then. Perhaps we should leave the castle soon to search for him?”

“Sounds like my kind of plan,” Veronica said, smirking. “What do you say, El? Think we should start off on our next adventure soon to defeat the Lord of Shadows?”

El hesitated. He sighed. «I want to talk to the other me, just once. Before we go.»

The others frowned.

“Talk to him?” Veronica repeated. “And say what? 'You’re cool, let’s be friends’?”

“It could be dangerous,” Serena added. “We don’t know what he’s capable of. What if he hurts you?”

El gestured to the Sword of Light strapped to his back. «I’ll take this with me, for extra security. That should be enough to protect me.»

Sylvando sighed. “I don’t like it, honey, but if you want to talk to him, then I’m not going to be the one to stop you.”

El looked to Erik next. Erik sighed, scratching the side of his head. “What he said. If you think it’s for the best, then I’m not going to stop you. But I’m not sure it’s the best idea.”

El shook his head and rose. «I’m going to give him a chance to explain himself. It’s the least I can do,» he signed.

“Alright,” Erik said. “But be careful.”

- - -

The dungeons were just as El remembered them — dark, dank, and dingy. He pinched his nose as he navigated them, examining the brick walls caked in mildew and moss, examining all the empty cells. They were deeper down than he had ever been before. He didn’t recognize the area nor its rooms, just knew that the other him was in one of these cells.

El approached the last cell and saw movement.

He heard a cough and straightened, reaching for the weapon at his back.

“Oh, if it isn’t me,” an unfamiliar voice spat.

It reminded El of Rab’s, only much younger, with bite to it.

El didn’t speak often, so it was not a surprise to him that he didn’t recognize his own voice, though its tone still shocked him.

The other him crawled forward and El’s expression tightened. Dark stains traveled down one side of other Eleven’s dirtied shirt, and it looked like blood, but it was too dark in the dungeon to tell. El swallowed as Eleven’s hands curled around the bars and Eleven grinned at him, bearing two rows of teeth that flashed white in the dim cell.

“Giving me the silent treatment, huh? I don’t blame you,” Eleven muttered from inside the cell. “Why did you come down here, anyway? Don’t tell me it was to try and convert me!”

El lifted his hands and began to sign. «I wanted to ask—»

“Don’t bother. I don’t understand those… little hand signals you do,” Eleven said, waving them away. “If you have something to say, you can say it with that precious voice of mine.”

El breathed slowly in and out. He opened his mouth. «Who are you?» he asked.

“Speak up, I can’t hear you,” Eleven sneered.

«Who are you?» El repeated, a little louder.

“I’m the Darkspawn, the devoted subject of the Lord of Shadows, and am going to help him return to power. I will cut down anyone who stands in my way and help my master resume his station as the ultimate ruler of Erdrea.”

El frowned. Eleven’s expression twisted and he hunched over, moving his hand across the underside of his shirt. El saw the flash of blood again and frowned.

«How did you get injured?» he whispered.

Eleven glanced down. “Oh, this old thing? I got it fighting one of the guards getting out of here. It hurts, you know. I think this body’s almost outlived its purpose, to be honest. Same as that old bag of bones before. It was nice for a while, but it doesn’t have the most ideal mobility.”

El’s breath hitched and he stepped backward.

A face overlaid Eleven’s and emerged from his body. A long, bony face, pale and white, with sunken eye sockets that held eyes with red irises. The face grinned, lunged through the bars and toward El, latching onto him and shoving him to the ground.

El screamed, but the sound died in his throat as Mordegon overtook his body.

There wasn’t much of a struggle. El gripped himself as if trying to tear Mordegon off him, but there was no use. When he rose again, his eyes were focused on the body lying on the other side of the bars.

Mordegon smirked and reached for the sword on his back, unsheathing it and turning it back and forth. He held it close, testing the grip of it in his hand.

“Thank you for the assist there,” he whispered. “Shame about the whole dying thing, though. Wish I could help, but I have a world to go destroy.”

Receiving no response from Eleven, he twisted on his heel and strutted away.

Day 5: I’ve got Red in my Ledger

CW:Death, murder, blood

Summary: Eleven returns to the World Tree after going back in time.

Word count: 698

Eleven was panting by the time he arrived at the top of the World Tree. He staggered along Her boughs, reaching for any branch he could grasp to steady himself as he ran.

Air wasn’t coming cleanly through his lungs. It kept hitching as his side burned, but he pushed onward nonetheless, reaching for the Sword of Shadows on his back and yanking it out.

He heard voices and could see Yggdrasil’s heart in the distance now.

The others weren’t paying attention to Eleven as he approached, Eleven’s eyes shifting from Sylv, Jade, Veronica, and Serena to a copy of himselfstanding next to Erik and Rab.

But Eleven could not bring himself to worry about that now. His first priority was Mordegon, who hadn’t revealed himself yet, remaining in Carnelian’s body. Jasper was saying something; Eleven didn’t know what, zoning in only on “Carnelian.”

Eleven readied his weapon and darted forward, sinking it into Carnelian’s back.

A gasp wrenched from Carnelian’s throat and Jade screamed. Jasper reacted immediately, drawing his sword and advancing on Eleven. Jasper swung his sword and Eleven stumbled, landing on his back with a sore “humpf!”

The air squeezed out of Eleven’s lungs and he gasped, drawing his sword up just as Jasper swung down at him again.

“The Darkspawn!” Rab shouted.

Eleven bit his tongue and kicked Jasper off him, giving himself just enough time to roll into a crouch with his sword raised above him.

“Father!” Jade shouted.

No, no, no, Eleven thought. He hadn’t killed Carnelian! He’d killed Mordegon!

“What is the meaning of this?”

Hendrik’s voice joined the fray as Eleven once again shoved Jasper away from him. Carnelian lay in a crumpled heap on the floor of the World Tree, and El approached with the Sword of Light grasped in his hand. Eleven’s old team gestured to him, and Hendrik approached, grasping his wrist.

Hendrik yanked Eleven to his feet. “So you have shown your face, Darkspawn!”

“We must kill him immediately, before he can cause more trouble,” Jasper said.

“Usually I’m not one to agree with the enemy, but I think they have a point this time,” Erik said.

He said it so matter-of-factly. With his hand on his hip and a nonplussed look on his face.

“But to kill him makes us no better than the enemy,” Hendrik said. “We must bring him into custody. Certainly he knows something of the Lord of Shadows.”

“Yes, quite,” Jasper added.

Eleven’s mouth worked but no words came out.

He’d been panicked. He hadn’t been thinking. He was tired. Nothing about the act had been calculated, he will admit that, but to so readily cast him aside as a Darkspawn? He would defend himself if he thought he could, but he was already rendered too shocked for words.

“Jade…” Carnelian’s withered voice muttered, and heads turned toward him.

He was grasping his side, which was stained red. Jade was kneeling in front of her father, grasping his hand in hers. Her other hand settled over Carnelian’s chest.

“Father… your heartbeat…”

“Worry not for me,” Carnelian whispered. “I be not long this world, but for now, for this one moment…”

“Hendrik, Rab, is there anything you can do?” Jade asked.

Rab shook his head. He was also at the king’s side, though his hands had stopped healing. “No. It was a fatal hit.”

“Jade,” Carnelian began, drawing her attention to him again. “Before I go, please… promise me.”

“Anything,” Jade said.

“Do not let the Darkspawn get away again,” Carnelian said.

“Of course,” Jade said. “I will neverforgive him for what he’s done to you!”

Jade glanced to Eleven as she said it, and the spark of hatredin her eyes made Eleven’s very core shutter. Even worse than that, however, was Carnelian.

There was the glint of something in those eyes. Something devious that lurked just beneath the surface, managing to sneak past under the guise of a dying father. “Carnelian” smiled, too, when the others weren’t looking, a taunt Eleven had to assume was for him.

Eleven was absolutely certain Mordegon was hiding in a dead man’s body.

A body which hehad dealt the killing blow.

Day 31: Prisoner

CW: possession, stabbing, blood, choking

Word count: 738

Summary: Mordegon visits Eleven in his jail cell.

Eleven never thought he would see the inside of a Heliodorian prison again.

But there he was, with his arms wrapped around his legs, which were drawn close to his chest. He trembled, and his bruised knees knocked together, the brown shirt and shorts they’d supplied him being little help to ward off the cold that nipped at his dirt-stained toes.

He ignored the discomfort as long as possible to focus on a simple question: How was he going to get out of here? The other Eleven already had the Sword of Light, but that was as good as useless if Mordegon could steal it right under his nose.

None of his friends had visited him yet, and he couldn’t beg the guards to let him go.

For all Eleven knew, the world could have already been turned into bedlam without him knowing. And that would be the worst fate of all.

Maybe he could dig a hole like Erik had. And when the guard entered his room to check it, El could defend himself. He’d knock the guard out, then steal his keys…

The door down the hall opened and Eleven straightened up. He leaned over, expecting to see another guard.

“Hmm… That was quite rude of you to kill my vessel like that, although I suppose it’s not the worst thing to ever happen. After all, it would appear someone unexpected has arrived to my side.”

The bucket head’s voice started out low and quiet, but shifted into something sharper, with a twinge of humor to it. The man who stopped in front of Eleven’s cell slowly morphed, from one of an armor-clad human to a taller figure with pointed ears and purple skin.

Mordegon’s eyes squinted and his thin, red lips stretched into a smirk.

Eleven shifted away from the bars, hands seeking something — anything — to defend against his adversary. His fingers came up with a bedroll and pebbles.

Mordegon chuckled and stepped forward, his shoe peeking out from beneath his robes. "Do you think a little strip of cloth is going to protect you?” Mordegon sneered.

He reached for Eleven’s blanket and snatched it out of his hands. Eleven jerked, stretching out his hand, a fireball shooting from his palm and catching fire on Mordegon’s torso.

Mordegon screamed and dropped the fabric, which petered into small flames on the ground. Eleven stood and cast the spell again, watching as it sparked on Mordegon’s head. He beat it out immediately and reached for Eleven, sliding through the bar to close around his throat.

Sharp nails dug into his skin and he choked as Mordegon stared into his eyes. Mordegon opened his eyes wider and grinned.

“Youwillobey me, you little rat,” Mordegon spat, saliva sticking to Eleven’s lower lip.

Eleven bit his lip and kicked Mordegon in the shin, wresting away from his grip. Mordegon doubled over, and Eleven punched him again. Eleven gasped sharply when he felt something hot and sharp at his side.

He tried to breathe, and again, the gasp came out raspy. His eyes darted down to the blade stuck in his waist.

"You really think I didn’t come prepared?” Mordegon asked.

He yanked the knife out and Eleven clutched the new wound, his heart raging in his chest. It was okay, he’d dealt with worse, he could— he could deal with…

He could feel the blood on his fingers. Mordegon shoved him against the wall, and he glared, kicking air.

“Be good,” Mordegon whispered.

His sharp fingernail pressed into Eleven’s forehead. Bright colors exploded in his eyes, and he staggered backward, gripping the brick walls behind him for purchase.

Mordegon’s energy seeped into him, and he felt full, too full. Sickingly so. Eleven dry heaved as he felt the other force attempting to take over his body. It was the worst migraine imaginable. Like his forehead was expanding, his body bloating to accommodate someone else.

Eleven collapsed to his knees, then onto all fours, as spit dribbled from the edge of his mouth and he stared at the stones beneath him.

Just as quickly as the feeling entered, it began to leave. Mordegon materialized in front of him with a sneer.

“An incomplete vessel… maybe you really are the Darkspawn,” Mordegon said. The grin returned. “Ah, but that is of no consequence. I only need you for a little while anyway, child.”

And then the force that had just overcome Eleven’s body came back twofold, and he lost consciousness, or more, it was ripped from him, as rapid as blowing out a tapering candle.