The Sacrifice of the Sea
The obsidian creature stood, waiting. There was no judgment, no condemnation, no emotion at all. She just waited, calmly, for Ardyn to decide. Her obsidian eyes focused on Ardyn's face; curiosity danced within them, but passivity flowed through her being like brisk water down a mountain stream in mid-spring.
Ardyn's mind spun in loops of nonsense. Her entire quest was about her soul rivaling Varric's. This was all about her becoming a powerful, shining star. Would she be worthy without a soul sea—without the very defining characteristic of her new world? Could she even use the Life Way without a soul sea? Her thoughts looped until they became knots of confusion.
She sighed and forced herself to focus. She looked up to the obsidian creature. As she did so, something within her twitched, and she saw Varric smiling within her. In that moment, she understood she was vastly more than her soul sea. She had learned the sweetness of magic within the cave system of Serpentia. She had evolved her soul to what it was now, and before all of that, she had loved Varric and he had loved her.
And that's all she needed to know. She moved to Atina and prepared herself.
'I am going to give away my soul sea for the final part.'
Atina's entire body twitched, but she calmed herself. 'What do you need me to do, Mistress?'
'If I don't wake back up, take my body back to Varric. Don't hurt yourself trying anything; he will revive me.'
Atina bowed respectfully. 'I will always protect you, Mistress.'
Ardyn smiled and began calming her soul sea. She felt the Life Slip and Life Turn begin to shift in her chest. The Life Call Talisman warmed her skin, and all three parts of the Life Way reassured her and backed her choice. Her soul sea calmed and then it began to drain. On cue, the obsidian creature reached forward, and a stream of lilac came forth and began to flow into the obsidian creature's stalagmite.
Ardyn's soul sea rose up aggressively, as if it were being churned from deep within its depths. She did not falter nor stutter in her actions, and the lilac stream continued to steadily move into the black stalagmite. Ardyn kept her worries muted. As she watched the lilac waters drain away, the violet skies darken, and the small island become rocky and dangerous, she didn't notice the other changes to her soul plain.
The hibiscus bloom that was the sun here grew four times bigger and then split in half. It was a slow division, starting from the center. The new hibiscus stayed closed and moved across the darkening skies. The original hibiscus bloomed large and grew again, this time to twice its original size. Four of its petals sparkled in the dark sky, and the soul tethers that tied Ardyn to Varric, Elsa, Atina, and Seraphis strengthened and were rebound.
This larger hibiscus darkened to a royal purple. The second hibiscus remained closed, but its petals seemed to be lilac and white, as if they were new and untested.
The last of her soul sea left her soul plain and Noir pulsed like a healthy heart after a morning run. The obsidian creature looked to the stalagmite and then to Ardyn. She tried to move to Ardyn but could not.
"Your soul sea exceeds me. It will take much time for me to digest it all." She paused, surprised how her song had changed and how connected to Ardyn she was. "I may not be able to digest this magic."
Ardyn nodded, no longer needing the crystals of her battle robes to translate. "It is yours and no longer my concern."
Ardyn stood and went to the crater. When she did so, she immediately noticed the changes within her. Song had left her; harmony no longer flowed through her veins. But a deeper, more ancient magic slept within her. It slept in a way that was both unconscious and conscious at the same time. As she thought of this, the obsidian creature spoke again.
"Your song has changed. Have you always been deeply connected to Sidus Serpens?"
Ardyn looked to the stalagmite—it was now black-and-white streaked and blotched with hues of purple. Her rainbow soul gem rose to her lips and she spoke into it so the obsidian creature could understand her.
"My connection is younger than yours, but my magic is more complex."
She stepped over the edge and into the air above the crater. "Can I have the Black Life Light now?"
The obsidian creature nodded and the stalagmite began to pulse. A black light shone from inside the crater. It was rich and dark, and as Ardyn waited, it seemed to become even deeper. Noir pulsed and the black light pooled into the grey sky like ink staining a fabric.
The Life Call Talisman rose from her chest—the chain passing through her like smoke slipping through the air—and lifted toward the pool of black. The pool of black stirred as if in anticipation and began to form a tighter circle. The talisman neared and stopped mere inches from it. It shone an ethereal light and began to drink up the pool, its brilliant silver finish turning smoky grey. The blood-red rune etched on its surface shifted to one side and then a second one—black as night—formed next to it.
The talisman tumbled from the sky to fall back to Ardyn's neck. She now had all four parts of the Life Way.