Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Safe to say, I wasn’t on Earth anymore. Gone was home - replaced by what might as well be an alien world of sorts.

I resisted the urge to groan, especially since I’d been groaning for struggling to handle what I was looking at. The last thing I needed was a headache for trying to think hard. For one, I was no longer on the road - instead on rocky terrain being overlooked by a massive mountain range. I had to be less than a kilometer or so from the base of that mountain range, which sat surrounded by harsh cold and snowy lands.

For now, the lands were the least out of all of my fucking problems. One second, I’d been driving to class on a cold and very snowy morning - and now I was somewhere else completely, ass sitting in the much stronger snowy environment in confusion. Was it a blizzard?

I was less worried about the sudden change to the weather, especially since the dozen or so cars and trucks I’d been waiting behind a mere few minutes ago were now nowhere to be seen.

My car was nowhere to be seen.

The lodge was nowhere to be seen.

All that remained were the clothes on my person. I wore a pair of durable blue jeans, black boots, a gray form fitting shirt worn under a zipped up thick black leather jacket - an outer fur collar included. I was really wishing it had a hood, but hindsight is twenty twenty. The only other thing I wore was a black bandanna tied around my messy brown hair.

I felt my eyes starting to narrow as I tried to think back on what happened. Everything that could have happened before I suddenly realized I was in a blizzard in a forest in a blizzard couldn’t come to me - not clearly anyway. “Wait, I had been snowboarding, hadn’t I?” I tried to recall thinking, trying to focus on walking as well. “I could have sworn...”

I closed my eyes, shivering in the cold as I tried to get my attention back on moving. I lifted my foot - which felt heavy at first, at least until I felt heavy snow fall off my equally as heavy boot every time I lifted my foot with every step. I winced as I looked down at my feet - feeling myself get slower and slower.

I was glad I was wearing boots, which did help a little for this kind of weather, even if they could not likely survive too long in such a harsh snowstorm, not when they were designed for use in snowboarding in relatively clear conditions in mild snow rather than the massive fucking blizzard I found myself trapped in. Not that I was dressed for such conditions - I didn’t recall having any plans to snowboard that day.

Not that it mattered now.

Looking around, I could barely make out much in terms of vision other than the forest far away and the massive rocky mountains nearby. In fact, I couldn’t see anything that resembled civilization. None of those large signal towers or any sign of a lodge or city. A view up the mountain showed no sight of any wire for a ski lift. Maybe it was on the other side of the mountain, but I had no means of finding a way to go around the mountain, especially with how rough the terrain was nearby.

“I gotta get moving,” I mumbled to myself as I began to make my way down the hill I was on, away from the rocky base and towards the barely visible forest. The weather was similar to the very early mornings of New York, though what I was feeling in the forest was much harsher, with the winds much stronger than anything he’d ever encountered or planned to experience before.

Tugging the edge of my jacket’s outer fur collar over my face, I began my rough trek through the snow. Deciding to turn away from the mountain, I pushed against the wind to head for the nearest treeline. If I was lucky, the wind would be much weaker and easier to handle within the trees.

Thankfully, this was the case. After a minute of powering through the harsh storm of snow, the screams of the howling winds were replaced by the heavy rustling of branches and trees, with the air being slower to handle in the forest itself. The snow was just as deep, and I struggled just to walk without falling over. My teeth chattered incessantly against the cold, despite my scarf covering my face - and I could feel my legs starting to drop in temperature.

“Fuck...this is fucking bullshit...I was probably kidnapped or something...” I grumbled the entire time, desperate to ignore or distract myself from my predicament. It was hard to do so, especially with the freezing temperatures beating down on me, with little to no chance of me being able to focus on anything else. “Probably got my organs sold online before being dumped here or some bullshit...” I continued my quiet ranting as I trekked, growling to myself all the while.

I didn’t feel like I was missing a kidney or anything important, so I was quick to shelve that possibility.

I was unsure how long I’d been walking, how long I’d been wandering aimlessly through the forest. I couldn’t even be sure of where I could be - were there big national parks like this near the lodge? If I recall correctly, the mountain we were on had no forests - just slopes and rocky parts. What about the massive mountain range near the forest - was that the mountain I’d been at earlier? How far could I have gone, and how could this have even happened in the first place?

I shook my head, feeling my own skull starting to hurt from the thoughts. It wouldn’t help - not when I had to focus on finding some shelter. With my own body starting to slow down even more, I had to focus as much energy as I could on survival. I gritted my teeth and pushed forward, feeling my steps getting heavier, my own energy starting to drain.

It was starting to get too much. Seconds passed into minutes, but they all felt like hours. The forest seemed endless, and I could barely see more than a few feet ahead of me with the heavy fog hanging in the air. As much as I fought, I was starting to feel the thought of what had to be hopelessness penetrating my mind.

I was going to die, freezing myself to death in the middle of some godforsaken forest in the middle of a godforsaken blizzard. I tried to push further, to get more steps in as much as possible, but all the effort and stamina I could muster wasn’t enough to keep me on my feet. I was failing, and I knew it.

I struck the ground on my knees, sinking up to my thighs into the freezing snow. My legs were almost immediately struck by the harsh pins and needles of the freezing cold. I tried to pull myself up, but it was like the snow had pierced everything below my knees, pinning me to the ground.

I looked up, pelted by the harshly falling snowflakes above. All I could see was a view of the treetops from below, as well as some falling leaves - crumpled or torn from the heavy winds.

I couldn’t fight it any longer. My body was weak and far too cold to do anything but slump forwards. I shut my eyes as I slammed into the snow, my face hitting the ground below as I felt everything leave me almost instantly.

Moments before I lost consciousness, I wondered if my corpse could ever be discovered, or if I’d even be recognizable. Maybe if I was lucky, the snow would keep me looking like a human long enough to be recovered. If I would even be found at all.

I wondered how deep I’d be buried...

...

...

...

Silence.

I felt my eyes open, my body cold but not freezing. I wasn’t shivering, and I could no longer feel the sharp winds piercing my skin, nor hear the sounds of the screaming winds of the blizzard. I was no longer lying face down in the snow...but rather face up at some dark rock.

Wait, some rock?

I tried to sit up, only for my body to scream out at me. Wincing, I flopped back down on the ground for some more much needed rest. Gritting my teeth, I relaxed myself and felt my sore muscles pulsing in agony. My breaths were shaky yet quiet, and my entire body had the same feeling of pins and needles as when I was still freezing my ass off - although not quite as intense.

Looking around me, I saw the rocky ceiling above me illuminated by what appeared to be cold natural light from an opening somewhere. A cave, I must be in...but how did I end up in a cave? I’d fallen in open grounds...

I could do nothing but wait for the feeling of my body to regain energy, and even so that was a slow and torturing process. All I could do was look around at my surroundings, tilting his my to either side by a small margin before I had to stop lest the agonizing headache get stronger. I couldn’t see much from what little movement I had available to me - just rock, rock, and more rock around me.

I was laying on something soft - a sleeping bag, maybe? But who could have placed me on it? How did I end up here, was I carried? Maybe I was picked up and revived somehow? A couple more minutes had passed when I realized I could move my fingers by my side. Opening and closing my fist a few times, I was relieved to find that my hand had stopped hurting as well.

After trying to roll my wrist, I found the feeling of a soft blanket over my body as well. After mustering enough energy to sit up just a little, I was able to see that my body was underneath a large red cover - which was somewhat warm. Furthermore, I could see the entrance of the cave I was in - revealing a heavy snow layer on the ground outside and the trunks of some trees in the distance.

My attention was drawn elsewhere moments after my newfound discovery, with the sight of what looked to be footprints leading out of the cave. And by footprints - I meant near literal footprints. There didn’t seem to be any sort of imprints made by shoes, and they were narrow like the feet of actual people. Did someone actually decide to go barefoot in the snow?

Looking down and around me, I saw my jacket - which was hanging off a jagged rock in the corner. Reaching over and patting it - I realized it had dried out. Someone rescued me - someone who wasn’t around. Pulling my things on, I couldn’t help but realize how quiet it was. There was not a sound - only the noise of me buckling my helmet on before wrapping my scarf around my face.

The silence was unsettling.

I frowned as I headed towards the cave, grumbling to myself about all the crazy things that could have happened to me. Peeking my head out, I looked around to search for something, anything that could help me figure out where I was.

Nothing but snow greeted me - but at least there was no harsh and foggy wind blocking my vision. With the storm calmed and the sunlight exposing everything around me, I could get a proper view of everything around me.

I could feel the cold breeze in the air - a far departure than the freezing and piercing environment from earlier. I found myself locked in awe with the view around me - not even movies could capture just how serene everything looked. The snow looked practically undisturbed, and there were even icicles hanging from a few branches, easy to spot with the glint of sunlight. It was much warmer as well, and I felt a sense of comfort as I looked around me.

This place was beautiful. I began to walk around, fully bundled up once more. I was grateful for how everything I had was dry and warm, because I could feel my own body heat warming up my clothes now that I was outdoors. I was still tired, hungry, thirsty, and annoyed, but I was warm at the very least.

“Don’t move!”

I jolted and whirled around, stumbling back. On a rocky ledge on top of the cave’s opening was a woman - short and lithe. She wore what looked to be a sleeveless and low cut green robe with a red sash, which was held up by a brown leather belt. She had basic shin guards, leather arm pieces, and shoulder plates of a shiny silver color. She wore black tight legging-like pants and brown boots as well, with metallic edges over the collars of her footwear. Small green armored pieces were on the heels of her boots, with similar ornate golden markings. Her feet were semi-exposed, revealing small pale toes.

A pair of fingerless gloves were worn as well, her hands gripping what looked to be some sort of staff - a wooden stave with golden lining and what appeared to be a stretched flanged head of a mace: silver and ornate in nature. A bright blue glow emitted from within the head of the stave, and I found it to be a very enthralling light.

However, the glowing staff was second on my mind - the first was the woman’s face. She had long brown hair with bangs swept to the left side of her face. She spotted soft and slender facial features, including what appeared to be dark branch-like facial markings on her forehead, trailing smoothly down the center of her face, branching out to her cheeks and ending at her chin. Her eyes were large and blue, and she had a thin yet clearly visible scar above her left eyebrow.

Her biggest feature had to be the ears. They weren’t round like normal ears - they were thin and pointed backwards, easily a good four to five inches in length. She was an elf - an honest to God real life elf.

What did I stumble into now?

“Garas quenathra!” the woman called, and I was surprised at the words. For one, they were unlike any language I’d ever heard before. Secondly, I could have sworn she spoke English earlier.

“...I’m sorry?” I asked.

“What are you doing here, shem?” the woman hissed. The last word she spoke was hissed with vitriol, and I almost flinched from her anger. But I couldn’t help but think that something felt off.

Shem. The word sounded familiar.

Either way, she was speaking English. Clearing my throat, I stepped back again. “I...uhh...got lost,” I began to explain. “I sort of wandered in this place in the middle of a snowstorm. I don’t know how I got here or where I am, so I tried to find shelter. I don’t remember much of what happened-”

“You passed out. If I hadn’t found you, you would be dead,” the elf woman interrupted, lowering her stave as she relaxed her stance - though only by a little. “It is only because of my care and fire that you are warm now. I suppose you should thank this knife ear that you aren’t an ice covered corpse in the forest right now.”

Knife ear? I sighed, ignoring her haughty tone. I wasn’t sure about the attitude - but to hear that she saved my life was a relief. “Thanks for warming me up,” I said. “I owe you my life.”

The surprise that suddenly etched itself into her features was almost comedic, almost like she hadn’t been expecting a thank you. “I...either way, you shouldn’t be here,” she said, shaking her head. “You are to leave the forest. Otherwise, I won’t be able to stop the hunters of my clan from attacking you if they were to see you.”

“I...don’t exactly know if I can do that,” I said sheepishly. Her eyes narrowed, and I was quick to continue speaking. “I’m lost, I don’t know where I am, and I think I’ll die if I just wander around on my own in the wilderness. I don’t suppose I could go with you?”

“Out of the question,” the elven woman snapped as she hopped down from on top of the cave, placing her stave on her back before turning around to enter the cave.

“Oh, come on!” I complained. “I could help you out on some stuff.”

“Doubtful. I’m returning to my clan,” the woman said as she knelt and began to pack her things.

“Well, is there a town or something near here? You could at least get me there,” I suggested.

“Hah,” the elf said - she literally said it, not laughed. “There is no town near this forest - and you have to be stupid if you believe someone like me could get close to one.”

I tilted my head. “Why not?” I asked.

The elf actually stopped doing what she was doing and turned to look at me. “Either you’re mocking me or you must be incredibly stupid,” she said.

“I...uhh...really don’t know what you mean,” I said. “What’s wrong with going to a town?”

“Tsk. Figures a human would be so ignorant,” the elf grumbled. “I’m not discussing this any further, not with you. If you follow me-”

“Why did you save me?” I asked before she could threaten me or tell me to get lost.

“What?” she asked, clearly not expecting an interruption.

“You talk down on humans, yet you kept me from freezing. Why?” I repeated. I was surprised to see...what looked like uncertainty in her features in response to the question.

Eventually, she spoke up once more. “As if you deserve any answer from me,” she said before bringing her fingers up to her mouth and whistling loudly. Moments later, I heard the sound of approaching steps, alongside the soft noise of snow being shuffled about.

Turning around, I saw a large deer-like animal approaching casually, pure white like the snow with dark eyes and a lack of a tail. Its most defining feature were the antlers - sleek and curvy in nature. They almost resembled long and rounded branches, pointing upwards haphazardly. However, it looked more beautiful than dangerous. The animal trotted towards the cave before stopping near me and the entrance.

I stared in clear awe of the white majestic creature, and I found myself slowly raising a hand in front of its nose. “He or she?” I found myself asking.

“Her name is Mihlora, and you would do well not to antagonize or try anything with her, should you get stabbed by her horns,” the elf said, and I felt the creature’s breath tickle my hand as she sniffed my gloved fingers curiously. Mihlora was fantastical by nature, and I could scarcely believe such a creature existed.

“She’s beautiful,” I muttered. Mihlora’s eyes turned towards me, blinking slowly before turning back to the elf in the cave. I stepped back as she came back out with a backpack carrying all of her things.

“You’re the first shem to think so,” the woman muttered as she climbed on gently. There was no saddle, no rope, nothing. “Come on, Mihlora. Let’s go.”

I was expecting the two to leave me here, but Mihlora didn’t move. The creature simply stayed put - having gone back to eyeing me for whatever reason. “Mihlora,” the woman repeated.

“Looks like she isn’t obeying. Is she sick?” I asked.

“Halla don’t get sick like that. If she’s not moving, then she’s just choosing not to listen,” the woman grumbled.

Halla? Now that did sound familiar. Halla. Shem. Elf. Knife ear. Where did I know this?

The answer came at once, and it was all I could do to not stumble or flinch in surprise. I’d played Dragon Age Inquisition not too long ago. I did every possible side quest, including one where I was to find a golden halla.

This creature in front of me was a halla. The elven woman on top of the halla had facial markings similar to the clans in the game. The Dalish clans. Then there were the other words spoken, the apparent words that elves associated or were associated with elves, it all made sense.

I was in the universe of Dragon Age. I was in Thedas.

“What’s your name?” I finally found myself asking.

“Oh, now you wish to know?” the elf asked before sighing, leaning forwards tiredly. “My name is Valyssa Lavellan - First to Clan Lavellan.”

Lavellan.

Clan Lavellan.

A mage and the First from Clan Lavellan.

Holy shit, I’m speaking with the future Inquisitor.

“...nice to meet you,” I said. “My name is Carlo.”

“Carlo. Odd name,” Valyssa grumbled. She glared down at the halla, who made no effort to move.

I was a little bit amused by this, at the very least. I held up my hand gently once more, and to my surprise - Mihlora leaned in against it, my gloved fingers brushing against the soft coat on her face. “Wow...” I whispered. Her coat was warm, and it was very much an eye opening experience at the very least.

Valyssa looked to be furious, her face slowly reddening before she exhaled - a loud sigh. “Ugh!” she growled. “Fine, he can come along.”

I blinked. “Huh?” I found myself asking dumbly. The halla began to move, however - walking along away from the cave. “Wait, what’s going on?”

“Shut up and follow. Or we’ll never make it home at this rate,” the elf grumbled. Seeing as that was the end of the conversation, I followed the slow moving halla through the forest. I was still tired and hungry, but walking was no real pain to endure. Plus, asking about food or water at this stage would probably piss Valyssa off anyways.

The trip was relatively quiet, awkwardly yet comfortably quiet at the same time. It was easy to ignore the tension by simply turning my attention to the snowy forest around me.

Bits of snow fell from the treetops, and I could see how it was blanketed on top of and around everything in the forest - all originally blocked by howling winds and razor sharp snowfall. Movies did very little justice to the experience of seeing such a sight in real life.

“Do all shemlens look around as much as you do? I would think you saw a forest before,” Valyssa said.

“I haven’t seen one after a blizzard before,” I said, my eyes still gazing at my surroundings. “If I’d frozen to death last night, then I’d probably never be able to see something like this.”

“If you were frozen, you’d be dead. The only thing you can think about is the forest?” Valyssa asked.

I shrugged and turned to look at her. “It’s a nice forest,” I said. “Thanks again for saving me. I know humans and elves don’t really get along, but thanks anyways.”

Valyssa narrowed her eyes at me before looking back ahead once more. “You’re an odd shem,” she muttered.

“Thanks,” I said. A snort escaped me when Valyssa’s head whirled around to stare at me. With a sigh, she looked back to the front and returned the silence to the journey.

It didn’t take long to reach the clan - with the large green and gold sails easily seen in the distance of the white forests. Aravels, if I recalled. There were dozens of them, alongside the plumes of what appeared to be campfires nearby.

We didn’t get too close to the clan when the sight of a few more elves appeared from behind trees. Three of them - dressed in green armor and brown clothing underneath. Two of them wielded bows and arrows, the third holding an axe and shield, and all three had the same face markings.

“Aneth ara!” the axe wielder - a male - called.

“Aneth ara!” Valyssa called. “I have returned!”

“With a shem, it seems,” the other elf said. “Why does he travel with you?”

“Ask Mihlora,” Valyssa grumbled. “I saved his life last night out of a decency humans don’t seem to possess, and he finds himself indebted to me.”

“A human indebted to an elf? No shem would ever agree with that,” the other elf snickered. The other two elves nearby exchanged amused expressions, and I could tell that they were probably making fun of me.

I shrugged. “She dug me out of the snow and kept me warm during a storm. Why wouldn’t I owe her?” I asked. “She’s a pretty nice person.”

“Praise from a human? Now I’ve seen everything,” the elf said as he rested his axe on his shoulder. “You say Mihlora wanted him to come?”

“She wouldn’t budge unless I agreed to let him come along. He’d probably get lost and freeze again if I hadn’t,” Valyssa muttered.

“True,” the other elf remarked. “Very well. The Keeper’s been waiting, and I’ve taken up enough of your time. Keep the shem on a leash - or else the hunters will think him an intruder and fire without warning.”

“Ma serannas,” Valyssa said before turning to look at me. “Just follow,” she snapped, and Mihlora took the moment as a cue to start walking. I followed close behind, ignoring the stares of the armed elves around me. We entered the camp itself - the snow cleared out in a massive circular area where the aravels sat.

The aravels were like what I saw in the game - though I was unsure if it was exactly the same: it was a while since I’d last played. The carts were sleek with large wooden wheels and bright green coloring atop and over their robust wooden frames. Campfires were scattered throughout the area, and benches were laid out around them. Alongside the aravels were tents and tables, with dozens upon dozens of elves around the camp in various places.

Male and female. Short and tall. Young and old. All of them had the same kinds of facial markings - vallaslin, I think - as Valyssa, only with different patterns here and there. And all of them noticed me at some point, eyes locked on my features as I walked with the halla carrying the clan’s First. Nearby was a large area reserved for halla, with fences and troughs set up for the large creatures to mind their business.

Valyssa led the halla over, dismounting and grabbing her things before leaving Mihlora over by a large grazing area. The clan’s First made her way over to the center of the camp, whilst Mihlora walked over to some other halla. Watching the majestic creatures for a moment, I decided to hurry over and catch up with Valyssa.

The center of the camp held a particularly large aravel, with its sides hinged upwards like canopies. Near it was a campfire, and a few elves sat around it, enjoying its warmth. “Aneth ara!” Valyssa called as we approached.

One elf stood up - wearing green and black robes with pieces of silver armor. She was older than most of the elves in the clan, with graying hair and a few wrinkles on her skin. Like Valyssa, he had a stave on his back similar to the clan’s First - although more ornate. “Aneth ara, da’len,” she greeted as she waved a hand. Her gaze turned upon me, and the warmth in his gaze seemed to cool ever so slightly. “And who may you be?”

“...I’m Carlo,” I said quietly, unsure of how to address the Keeper. I took the moment to clear my throat and straighten myself up. “Your First rescued me from the storm from last night, and I wanted to offer my help in any way that I can.”

“I see,” the elder elf said, although her tone didn’t seem to portray any approval or disappointment. “My name is Delanna Istimaethoriel. I am the Keeper of Clan Lavellan. Andaran atish’an, human.”

I didn’t know what to say or what else to do, so I bowed my head. Some of the elves snickered around me, only to fall silent mere seconds later. I looked up to see Keeper Istimaethoriel holding a hand up, having presumably silenced the laughs herself. “I understand,” the Keeper said, and she turned to Valyssa. The two began to converse in the elven language, trading words I couldn’t understand.

It was hard to tell where the conversation was going, with Valyssa’s tone starting to shit towards one of anger - all while the Keeper’s tone remained neutral. A good few minutes of talking passed between the two before Valyssa finally fell silent, a sour expression on her face.

“...is everything alright?” I finally asked, after a moment of working up the courage to speak.

“Stay out of this, shem’alas,” Valyssa spat at me, the pure venom in her voice almost making me flinch back. The sound of the Keeper’s throat clearing made her wince, and her angered expression lessened. “Just...shut up,” she grumbled.

And with that, the young elven mage stormed off. I looked over at Keeper Istimaethoriel, hoping for some sort of explanation. Thankfully, she provided one. “As you are aware, there is heavy tension between the Dalish and the humans. Many clans despise humans, while others wish for peace regardless of species,” the Keeper explained. “Clan Lavellan is one of those clans - despite what you may see.”

I nodded slowly, crossing my arms.

“If you truly are genuine in your words, then I shall not deny you. I have assigned you to my First. She shall spearhead the way to peace and serve as an example to show that humans and elves need not hold such hatred against one another, not with the violent state that this world is in,” Keeper Istimaethoriel explained.

I felt myself freeze at those words. My mind blanked out trying to comprehend the words. What was she talking about? The Breach wasn’t open in the sky, and I don’t think I could recall any mention of Corypheus aka the Elder One.

“The mages and templars,” one elf spat. “We’ve had to fight them off more than once. They can leave their fighting elsewhere.”

Ah. I forgot that was going on.

“I accept,” I said. “What should I do?”

“Follow my First. Learn from her, and show her that we can cooperate,” the Keeper said. “You will receive shelter, food, and protection as long as you comply with the rules of the clan.”

I nodded. “I’ll be respectful and careful to make sure I don’t offend anyone,” I said.

“Mala suledin nadas Valyssa,” one of the elves said, and I was quick to turn around, following where the clan’s First had gone towards. Ignoring the surely distrustful looks of the other clan members, I headed towards one of the smaller aravels - where Valyssa was sitting.

Clearing my throat, I sat by the aravel, making sure I wasn’t too close before speaking up. “I-”

“Don’t,” Valyssa grumbled before getting up and heading inside the large cart, leaving me alone outside.

“Wonderful,” I mumbled to myself as I looked up at the pale blue skies, deciding to spend my time minding my own business. “I wonder when the Breach will come...” I thought to myself aimlessly.

Chapter Text

My dream was vivid. Too vivid.

For one, I could tell that I was asleep - because there was no way that I woke up back at home. I couldn’t deny that my run-in with Valyssa of Clan Lavellan was real, with the experiences, words, and the sights being very much real. I’d drifted off looking at the sky, where I ended up back at home mere seconds after falling asleep.

It was all familiar, too familiar. I was sitting in the bus on the way to the lodge in the mountains, with several others all chatting with each other on the ride. Their discussions were all background noise, however - as I was still focused on what I was seeing, as well as what I felt like I was supposed to be thinking.

Like how none of this was supposed to be real.

“Is this the Fade?” I mumbled as I leaned back against my seat. I’d seen the Fade in Inquisition - and it looked nothing like this. I wasn’t sure if the Fade could take the memories of someone and shape them into their own realm such as this. It all felt very much real, down to the familiarity of what it was like to ride a packed bus.

No, this wasn’t normal. I don’t remember much, but the Fade wasn’t easily molded into dreams. There was little to no mention of any sort of manipulations this drastic in the game. I continued to look out the window, deep in thought of what I was seeing, feeling, and hearing.

I could see the mountain approaching through the window on my left. I could feel the rumbling and ever so slight jostling of the bus I was sitting inside, as well as the low hum of the heater aboard the bus. I could hear the people talking as clear as day around me, with phones and music going off in the background.

There could be a chance that this was actually reality, though there were far too many thoughts in my head keeping me from accepting it. For one, I’d been on this ride before - not only having been on it, but I’d exited the bus and stayed at the lodge for a full day before going snowboarding up the very mountain I was looking at.

There was no way I could have imagined so many hours discarded. If I had, then there’d be something very wrong with me. I gripped my forehead as I began to nurse the annoying headache that was slowly starting up.

“My, my...what a wonderfully new dream...”

I blinked, slowly opening my eyes at the female voice that hissed next to me. Turning to my right was a slender figure of purple, sporting very little in terms of coverage other than what appeared to be jewelry. The near nude woman had a tail and long spindly fingers, as well as a pair of curled horns atop her head.

The desire demon simply smirked back at me, her eyes aflame with dark magic and purple glows. She obviously didn’t fit in with the rest of the bus - but no one other than me seemed to take notice of the demon that sat among them.

Just another telltale sign that this was just a dream of sorts.

“...I’m a mage, aren’t I?” I found myself muttering. “Dammit.”

“Hm,” the female demon purred. Her voice sounded somewhat layered, almost ethereal in nature. She leaned back in the bus seat next to me, legs crossed as she smiled coyly. “You aren’t like...the other Dreamers.”

Dreamers. I could almost slap myself - of course there were people who could shape and manipulate dreams! There were two as far as I was aware - a half elven teenager in Dragon Age 2, and Solas slash the Dread Wolf. Wait, does this mean I’m one too?

“...I know,” I muttered. “And it’s weird.”

“Then I find myself fortunate to come across a...delectable source of power in this realm,” the demon remarked, licking her lips in such a way that made me shudder. “Although...I don’t think I have ever seen a dream such as this.”

I looked back towards the mountain. “Hmm...” I muttered. “So this is all coming from me? Interesting.”

“And that makes you very noticeable. Do not doubt that others of the Fade will approach you,” the desire demon said. “Are you aware of what demons wish?”

“To possess people and live in the non Fade world, right?” I asked.

“To put it simply, yes. I will not entice you,” the demon said. “You are aware of the dangers, and I am no fool to see that you possess the willpower to defy possessions.”

I blinked. “Really? Just like that?” I asked.

The desire demon frowned, as if disappointed - which I guess would make sense. “Indeed. It is likely because of that willpower, I cannot see your innermost longings. To put things bluntly, I cannot offer what I do not know.”

That was news - very useful news. “I...see,” I said. I was still wary, knowing how easy it was to fall to demonic possession in the Fade. This could all be a lull to lower my guard and seize my body.

“You do not fear me?” the demon asked.

“Why should I?” I asked, thinking back to the topics of the residents in the Fade. Cole entered my mind, and I found myself thinking of how he used to be a spirit of the Fade - as was Solas’s friend. Spirits and demons were one and the same, regardless of what emotion of characteristics they inhabited. “You’re not trying to kill me...not now, at least. We’re just talking.”

“A foolish notion,” the demon sighed as she looked to her right, staring out the other side of the bus to see dozens of snow covered trees passing by. “You may fall, sooner or later. However, I doubt any other demons can force you to relinquish your hold on your body as easily as it usually happens.”

“I’ll deal with it when that happens,” I muttered, turning back to my side of the bus, eyeing the mountains and the lodge area in the distance. “For now, I’ll just focus on my dream.”

“An odd dream it is,” the desire demon commented. “Odd clothing, and a very odd...carriage.”

“A bus,” I said, feeling myself calm down. I was by all means still on my guard, but I was no longer worried about the risk of demonic possession. She didn’t seem to be interested in tempting me in any way - and I feel like I’d know if she were trying to do so. “By the way, what’s your name?” I found myself asking before I could stop myself.

“You...wish to know my name?” the demon asked. Her tone sounded surprised, almost as if no one had ever thought it was possible to converse with a demon, herself included.

I winced. That sounded sad, actually.

“Yeah. If that’s okay,” I said.

“...I see. I am known as Glamour,” the demon said.

I nodded, smiling a little at the answer. The demon blinked, and I realized that she hadn’t been expecting me to smile. “Thanks,” I said. “My name is Carlo.”

Glamour leaned back in her seat once more. “You are an odd individual,” she said.

I didn’t get a chance to respond to that remark, my thoughts lost as the dream around me was torn into shreds of green. Glamour vanished, and my entire vision turned black.

I gasped for air as I sat up, heart racing at the sudden rush of waking adrenaline. I was back in the camp of Clan Lavellan, in the tent right outside of Valyssa’s own aravel. A tent and a sleeping roll was all I got ever since I started learning the ways of Clan Lavellan under the tutelage of a very annoyed elven mage.

Speaking of annoyed elven mage, said mage was standing over my bedroll, arms crossed over her chest with a scowl on her face. “I’ve been shaking you for a minute, shem,” Valyssa snapped. “Get up.”

And so I did, shaking the sleepiness from my eyes as I pulled the blankets off of me. It had been freezing last night, having been forced to sleep in a tent with a fire near me. I hadn’t complained - I wasn’t in a position to. After all, I was pretty sure I’d get gutted if I tried to sleep in one of those aravels.

A part of me shuddered at the thought of genuinely freezing at night.

As I got ready for the day, I couldn’t help but wonder about Glamour. It was just an odd feeling, but I had the idea that she wasn’t your typical desire demon. That had to be the only reason why she didn’t try any attempt at possessing me, right?

Even if she did make her way into my dream...

“It is likely because of that willpower, I cannot see your innermost longings. To put things bluntly, I cannot offer what I do not know.”

She couldn’t tempt me - that much was certain. That made me feel a bit more at ease - though I was not at all sure if I would be safe if I ended up in the Fade once more. The thought of the dangers that awaited me once I fell asleep was much more frightening than I’d like to let on.

At the same time...the thought of me being a Dreamer was exciting. I could create my own realm, live out my memories or fantasies. I liked the Halo games - what if I were able to create those game moments in my dreams?

“Hey! What’s taking you so long?” Valyssa’s annoyed voice called from outside the tent.

I growled quietly to myself and pulled on my jacket before leaving the tent. The camp seemed just as busy as the day before, with many elves residing by the aravels or campfires to have their own conversations or do their own work. Many of the elves of Clan Lavellan had already come to terms with my stay, with several of them minding their own business and not giving me any shit for being a human.

Keyword being “several of them”. Several picked on me - either sneering at a distance or whispering plainly in front of me. I could tell when I was being judged or degraded, though I didn’t care much. My years in middle school and high school were full of bullying - both in the subtle and not so subtle manners, and I’d grown used to dealing with the rude gestures.

Even if they were still annoying. I hadn’t expected others to feel warmed up to me - I was a human in a clan of elves, after all. I’d never gain their trust, though it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. In fact, I wasn’t sure what I wanted.

And I wouldn’t get the chance to think about what I could possibly want in Thedas, not with myself still so...disoriented felt like the right word. I hadn’t quite come to grips with my circumstances, how I ended up in the world of the fantasy role playing video game series that was the Dragon Age games. At the same time, I was all for immersing myself into this world. I wasn’t quite freaked out, and I did my best to integrate as best as I could with the clan.

I feel like I would start going insane if I didn’t focus on such.

“Your job? Cutting firewood,” Valyssa snapped. She pointed over at one of the aravels - surrounded by crates loaded with tools. A few elves were carrying away axes, likely to collect firewood as well. “Enough to keep all the fires going for another few hours.”

I counted all the fires, seeing at least a dozen - and that wasn’t including the largest one that was probably three or four times larger than the others.

I sighed. “Yeah, sure,” I said as I began to walk off. I wasn’t stupid - I could tell that she was just pawning me off to labor in order to be rid of me. Grabbing an axe, I turned and headed towards one of the larger trees along the edge of the camp, away from any aravels.

The last thing I wanted was to accidentally chop down a tree on top off an aravel or a halla. That was the quickest way to guarantee a death sentence. Walking past a few other elves near their aravel, I ignored their looks as I rested the axe on my shoulder. If this was what it took to earn some trust, then I’d comply.

It wasn’t like I had much of a choice anyhow.

- POV: Valyssa -

The First of Clan Lavellan watched with mild satisfaction as the shemlen left the proximity of the village, sure to be locked in hours and hours of work away from her. Despite what the human had said, as well as his polite manners and lack of an intimidating posture, she wasn’t fooled.

This ‘Carlo’ wouldn’t endanger her clan if she had anything to say about it.

Valyssa waited until Carlo had disappeared over the hilltop before she went back to work, cleaning her stave and readying her next set of clothing to be washed at the nearby river on the other side of the camp site. The camp wouldn’t move until months later, months that couldn’t pass by soon enough.

“Da’len.”

Valyssa sighed and turned around to see the Keeper making her way over to the aravel. “He’vesia, Cei’vahti,” she greeted cordially.

“Why do you show such coldness to our guest?” Istimaethoriel asked, her voice stern and leaving no room for excuses or deflections. “I have given you a task, and you have never been one to go against it.”

“Keeper, why should we show hospitality to a shemlen when they deserve none?” Valyssa asked, her tone snappy.

“You tell me, young one. Why did you save the human?” Istimaethoriel asked.

Valyssa had no answer. Her mouth opened and closed once. Twice. On the third time, she turned around - unable to find an answer. “I...I don’t know why I saved him,” she asked. “It just felt...wrong to leave him there.”

“There’s your answer,” Istimaethoriel replied, the Keeper coming over and resting a hand on Valyssa’s shoulder with a kind smile. “You are compassionate, and that has earned the gratitude of the human you have saved. Even with the anger you feel, you must know that saving him was the right thing to do.”

“But...” Valyssa attempted to protest.

“Your anger blinds you to sense. It is not a weakness to see the good in humans. The young man...Carlo, his name was? He does not show hostility, even to your behavior,” Istimaethoriel said, her tone chiding in such a way that Valyssa felt her ears slightly wilt. “I have seen how you have treated him. Or rather...heard.”

“I...I apologize, Cei’vahti. I-I shall curb my behavior,” Valyssa finally relented. Despite her compliance, she found herself struggling to keep her fists unclenched. She wasn’t convinced of his pure intentions - not completely. But a part of her wished to trust her Keeper, the woman who raised and mentored her for much of her life. The elder had earned her trust and respect, but she found herself doubting her words.

What if this Carlo person was indeed malicious? What if he used her saving his life to sneak into her clan in order to do unspeakably horrible things to her friends and family? How could she stand by and let it happen, even with the Keeper’s wishes? She had to be careful - and she would guard her clan from any and every danger, regardless of whether it was an obvious danger or not.

“Give him a chance. That’s all I ask,” Lavellan’s Keeper instructed softly.

“I will, Keeper,” Valyssa found herself complying. The Keeper simply smiled before turning around and walking away, leaving Valyssa to her own thoughts as the rest of the clan continued their early morning preparations.

It had snowed overnight once more, blanketing the roofs of their aravels with a thick layer of white, as well as the ground in their camp. The halla had shelter and a fire to keep them warm in the outdoors, while everyone else had slept in the aravels.

Carlo had slept outside in a tent - with the only warmth being granted by a fire laid next to his tent, protected by the long overhang of Valyssa’s aravel. The clan’s First looked over at the tent - snow piled around it with some specks even inside.

She wondered if he truly was freezing all night, even with the fire. The thought of that made her stomach pang in shame. Even if he was a human, maybe she had gone too far.

She looked towards the direction of where the human had gone before she sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. While she maintained her suspicion on the human, she thought about the Keeper’s words.

“You are compassionate, and that has earned the gratitude of the human you have saved.”

Was it truly gratitude? She narrowed her eyes at the thought of the human being genuinely grateful to a ‘knife ear’ like herself. No human in their right mind could ever look up to an elf, much less a Dalish elf.

But...he was genuine, wasn’t he? He thanked her, even proclaimed that he owed her his life. He had even complimented Mihlora with childlike wonder, and humans looked down upon halla almost as much as they did elves.

Maybe that was why Mihlora refused to move.

She sighed at the thought of her stubborn halla. She loved her very much, but they argued often.

Her thoughts fell back to the odd human, and she realized that she was no longer feeling as much anger and suspicion towards him. In fact, she felt mostly confused.

“Give him a chance. That’s all I ask.”

The First looked over at one of the campfires, where a stew was being prepared, with a massive cast iron pot resting over the fire. Many elves sat around the fire, awaiting the first meal of the day. With a final urge in her mind, Valyssa slowly stood up and made her way over to the fire.

- POV: Carlo -

It had to be a few hours since I’d been sent to collect firewood. I lost track of how many trees I’d chopped down, but I know it wasn’t many. A large pile of small quarter cut logs sat near me as I cut apart the last bit of the tree trunk I was currently working on.

I had to work slowly, especially since I had no food or water. I probably should have asked for some, though it hadn’t been on my mind at the time. I didn’t consider myself weak - but there was only so much I could get finished without passing out from exhaustion. The few breaks I allowed myself were rather long, and they did little to stem the burning feeling of my muscles.

I was on my fourth break now, having dropped the last current piece of wood in the pile before sitting on the nearest stump of a tree I’d chopped down a while ago. The axe rested on a snowy rock as I reveled in the cold, allowing the temperature in the air alone to soothe his burning body.

“I guess this is a form of workout...” I muttered to myself. I’d taken off my jacket a while ago, wearing my T-shirt underneath. My jacket hung off a branch on a smaller nearby tree.

Despite the burning aches and the exhaustion, I felt a little proud of myself. I wouldn’t call myself a bodybuilder, but I was able to chop a few of those logs in half with just one swing. Whether it was the axe or my strength, I was just glad that I could get some physical work done.

I could only imagine Valyssa’s wrath if I couldn’t even chop firewood.

“Human.”

Speaking of Valyssa...

I turned to see the elven mage approaching, a wooden bowl covered by cloth in her hands. I shot up to my feet, expecting some sort of disapproval for not working, though it never came. Her face was unreadable, and I found myself a little wary of what she was here for.

I gestured to the chopped logs sitting near me. “I got this much done. I just needed to take a break,” I said as I picked up my axe, ready to get back to work. “I’ll get more done in the next hour.”

“No, wait.”

I stopped, turning to see Valyssa had approached me. Before I could ask what she wanted, she held out the bowl towards me, and I could see some steam rising from the cloth. “What’s this?” I asked, unsure of what to think.

Valyssa didn’t say anything at first. Her eyes were locked on me, and I felt a little bit uncomfortable. Was she judging me?

“Stew. From the camp,” Valyssa finally said, her tone stiff, yet polite. I took the bowl, not wanting to offend her by asking if it was poisoned - although I was very much tempted to ask her regardless.

“Thanks,” I muttered. “So...when do you want me to bring the firewood back?”

“I’ll have some of the hunters come along and bring it. Once you eat and get two more trees down, you’re done for the day,” Valyssa said.

I blinked, having not expected her to end my work, much less bring me something to eat in the first place. I lifted the cloth from the stew and was hit by a small wave of heat, alongside the savory smell of a brown vegetable stew. “Okay,” I said. “Do I eat first?”

Valyssa just nodded before she walked over to a nearby tree and leaned against it. I took the time to get started on eating, and I was very glad for the chance. The stew was incredibly tasty: the vegetables were soft and the broth was very flavorful. The fact that it was still warm did plenty to bring back some very much needed energy.

I was finished eating in the span of a few minutes, setting the bowl and cloth aside before I got back to work, picking up the axe again and making my way towards one of the nearby trees. It was a slightly thinner trunk to work on, much easier to cut down with just three or four hits.

As I worked, I could feel Valyssa’s eyes staring at me the entire time: watching me with every move I made. I wasn’t sure if she was expecting me to try and attack her, or if she was waiting to try and catch me on some mistake I made. I didn’t let my mind linger on the matter for long - deciding to simply focus on working before I could let myself slip up.

It took me about twenty five minutes to half an hour to get the last trees done, tossing about forty moderately small pieces of chopped logs in the pile. “I’m done,” I said as I set the axe down against the rock before grabbing my jacket from the nearby tree.

The clan’s First came over to the pile of wood, inspecting each piece I’d provided. I’d cut the trunks themselves into medium sized cylinders before chopping each cylinder into quarters - at least for the larger trees with thick trunks. The smaller trees were cut into whole logs, being small enough to be carried easily.

“Good,” Valyssa finally said, setting down the log she’d picked up before dusting off her hands. “Come with me. We’re returning to camp.”

“Okay? What for?” I asked.

Valyssa turned to look at me, a puzzled expression on her face. “You live there now, do you not?” she asked. I was surprised she didn’t come out with a snarky or rude remark over my question. I blinked for a good few seconds before pushing myself to answer.

“Yeah...I kind of figured you sent me out here to get lost or something,” I muttered before picking up the axe, as well as the bowl and cloth. “Sorry.”

Valyssa looked like she was about to say something before she sighed and turned around, beginning to head towards the direction of camp. I followed her, making sure to keep some distance before she could start making some remark about how I was too close or being too creepy. However, she kept silent for the entire walk - and I found myself feeling more than a little suspicious.

When we reached camp, I saw how busy the clan had become while I’d been gone. Some of the smaller campfires near the edge of the camp had been doused, and there were plenty of elves working amongst themselves, with various tasks I’ve yet to see.

Valyssa and I walked towards the Keeper, who was waiting for us by herself at her aravel. She waved a hand kindly at us, gesturing for us to come over as we approached. “I see you have brought back our guest, da’len,” she said, a smile on her face.

“Yes, Keeper. I assigned him the task of chopping firewood. He did...rather adequate,” Valyssa said, her tone sounding low and cordial.

I raised an eyebrow. “Thanks?” I asked.

“Ma serannas, young man,” the Keeper said kindly, bowing to me. I blinked, unsure of how to feel at receiving a gesture from the leader of the clan. “You have done well to help this clan. Have you had a chance to eat something yet?”

“Your First brought me some stew,” I said. “It was very good, by the way.”

The Keeper’s smile widened. “I see,” she said. “Is it my understanding that she has finally begun to show some kindness towards you?”

I blinked. Of all the things I was expecting her to say, that statement was not one of them. Looking over to Valyssa, I could see a mix of surprise and mild annoyance in her features.

My bewilderment must have shown, because the Keeper simply chuckled to herself. “I have taken enough of your time, I only wished to see how you are adjusting,” she said.

“I’m adjusting well,” I said. “Everyone’s wary of me, but that’s to be expected.”

“Indeed. Give them time,” the Keeper advised. “Valyssa, I believe it is time for the hunt.”

“Yes, Keeper,” Valyssa said as she turned to look at me, gesturing for me to follow her. “Come, we have food to catch.”

I was unsure of what the hunt was, other than the fact that hunting was involved. Was it a sort of group activity? Or was there some sort of process or set of steps that needed to be taken in order to hunt for food.

“What kind of hunt is it?” I found myself asking. I couldn’t help feeling a little wary, especially if the thought of ‘hunting’ could go many ways. For all I knew, Valyssa was about to tell me to run before she and the rest of the clan gave chase to hunt me down for sport.

It was a stupid thought, but one that existed in my head regardless of stupidity or not.

“Watch and see,” Valyssa remarked as she walked towards where the halla grazed. Placing a finger and a thumb in her mouth, she blew a piercing whistle towards the majestic mounts.

Only one reacted, the halla looking up and seeing us walking over. Mihlora trotted over to us, nuzzling softly against Valyssa’s raised and waiting hand. The giggle that came from Valyssa was nothing like her earlier attitude. Soft and high pitched, it was the type of cute laugh that would make anyone who heard it smile, no matter how cold hearted one was.

I forced myself to look away, not wanting to be caught staring at her. “So, what do you like to hunt?” I finally forced myself to ask, wanting to keep myself focused on what the Keeper wanted me to do.

“Anything that comes our way. There’s been sightings of a few druffalo here and there, possibly a small herd. If we get one or two of them, it’ll keep our camp going for another day,” Valyssa said as she stroked the gentle halla affectionately. She turned to look at me, pointing behind me. “Grab a weapon and keep it close. But if you try to-”

“I won’t, I promise,” I said, having been expecting such a warning. “I’ll be cut down by everyone around me if I tried.”

Valyssa raised an eyebrow at my interruption before briefly nodding, not at all seeming insulted or put off in any way. “Then we’ll have no more problems “ she said, and she moved over to Mihlora’s side before pulling herself up on her back.

I took the time to turn around and see what Valyssa had been referring to: a pair of elven hunters bringing along a moderately large crate of weapons over, followed by several other hunters approaching their halla.

“Our Keeper has permitted you to choose a weapon, shem,” one of the hunters holding the box of weapons said. She looked disdainfully upon me, and I could tell that she was just itching for an excuse to consider me dangerous. “Be warned that a hand raised against one of us is reason enough for death.”

“I gotcha,” I said, holding up my hands before looking down into the box, finding a wide variety of daggers, swords, and even waraxes. Each one looked very valuable: intricately designed and meticulously crafted, judging by the sleek shapes and near flawless features of each and every weapon.

I decided to go for a sword: a long curved blade with a handle of red leather. The sword was surprisingly light for its size, and a few test swings showed that it cut through the air very easily.

“Ah, a Dar’Misaan. A decent choice,” another elven hunter said, before he moved on. The other two hunters picked up the crate and brought it to the edge of the camp, where several other elven hunters and their halla waited.

I held the sword in my hands, unsure if I was really allowed to carry one. I turned back around, my eyes wandering the area to see if any of the elves were going to attack me. I wasn’t sure if they would, but one could never be too sure.

That’s when I saw her once more. The clan’s First had turned on her mount and was now holding a hand out for me to grab onto. “Well?” she asked.

I stared at her hand before looking up at her once more. My eyes flickered back and forth between the appendage and her features, realizing that she was serious. With a sigh and another nervous glance, I reached out and gripped it.

She was either warming up to me or luring me into a false sense of security. At this point, I would never know. I held my breath as she pulled me up behind her.

I could only hope for the best.

Chapter Text

The hunt was a pretty amazing thing to witness.

I laid alongside Valyssa as we both staked out a spot where a druffalo with a thick brown coat was grazing mildly in a large open patch of grass in the forest. The snow has mostly been shuffled away by the heavy steps of the large creature, which was lazily standing in place while munching on the grass.

There was only one for now: as druffalo apparently liked to wander on their own whenever they weren’t actively traveling in a herd. It wouldn’t be long before the herd would regroup and move on, so Valyssa had insisted on taking their chance.

The two of us were on top of a smaller hill, shielded from view by a thick bush, watching as the druffalo minded its own business - completely unaware of the fate that lay before it. Around the druffalo, three to four elven hunters circled it in the trees, bows and arrows at the ready.

“Watch and learn,” Valyssa remarked quietly as she raised her staff through the bush: doing so at such a slow pace that it could barely be heard. I peered back towards the front to see that all of the archers had their bowstrings pulled back, arrows at the ready.

For a moment, everything was tense, and all was absolutely quiet. I realize I’d even stilled my own breathing out of instinct, unable to tear my eyes away from the view before me. It was like everything before me was frozen in time.

Then the flash of light came. I wasn’t sure what exactly happened at first, but by the time I’d realized it came from Valyssa’s stave - the druffalo had already fallen, lifeless on the grass. Arrows pierced its hide - one in its head and another in its neck. The death had been quick and painless, and that relieved me more than I’d expected.

I turned to see Valyssa lowering her weapon, the glow of magic dissipating as the other hunters moved towards the kill. I was very impressed - seeing magic firsthand, and the hint of a smirk on Valyssa’s face suggested that my awe was clear to see. “Hmph!” she huffed before she made her way to the druffalo.

I watched as the elven hunters got to work, focusing their efforts on getting the animal hoisted onto a cart being pulled by halla, which would then be brought back to the rest of the camp. We weren’t the only group that had left Clan Lavellan in order to hunt and gather resources - which meant that a few druffalo were more than enough to bring back.

I looked around, deciding to maintain watch of the area as the corpse was loaded up. The halla waited patiently as the body of the druffalo was tied down in the cart. “How much weight can the thing hold anyway?” I asked.

“Quite a lot, shem,” a nearby elf said as he tied a knot with some rope. “Now stop gawking and focus on guarding the area.”

I fell silent at that, unsure of what else to say. It was hard to be mad at the attitude - not that I was trying to be - when I remembered how bad elves tended to be treated by humans in the universe of Dragon Age. I only shrugged, hefting my axe and turning to focus on the perimeter.

I took the time to work out some things in my head, like how things would go when Valyssa would inevitably be sent to the Conclave. If I recalled, every possible background did go to the Conclave - it was only whoever the player selected that would become Inquisitor. Everyone else would die as a result of the player’s choice.

That was a scary thought. I peered back at Valyssa, who was busy with the other hunters. So if Valyssa was to become Inquisitor, then that meant she would survive the explosion, right?

But what if Valyssa died?

I felt my gut run cold as my thoughts began to wander elsewhere. Keeping my eyes on a swivel, I was somewhat aware of the elven hunter keeping his eye on me at the same time. I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous, less so about me being watched and more so about the possibilities that the future would bring.

It was difficult to consider, especially since I realized that there was no actual guarantee that Valyssa would actually survive being sent to the Conclave. For all intents and purposes, I could have just been some unlucky soul who was lucky enough to be rescued here, where Clan Lavellan was camping out of all places.

I rubbed the side of my head, feeling my skull start to pound from an oncoming headache. The Conclave was actually going to happen. Corypheus was going to be an actual enemy. The Inquisition was going to be formed.

The Dread Wolf was going to return.

“Hey!”

I jolted and turned around to look at the hunter who’d been watching me. “We’re done. Now get going or be left behind,” he said. I raised my hands in mock surrender, and he headed off with the others - who headed to their own mounts.

I turned to see Valyssa approaching her halla, climbing onboard before looking over at me. She held out a hand for me to climb up, and I took it - pulling myself onto the creature and securing myself behind her.

The group began to ride, making our way through the snowy forestry as the quiet settled in. “You looked awfully distracted,” Valyssa said after a brief moment of silence. “What’s going on?”

I sighed. “Nothing much. Just...I dunno. Kinda worried I’ll get stabbed in the back or something.” I mumbled.

The clan’s First let out a huff. “Well, none of Clan Lavellan would be so foolish as to try something such as that,” she said.

“Not so obviously, right?” I asked. To my surprise and mild relief, the elven mage barked out a genuinely amused laugh. “Yeah, thought so.”

“Relax. Our clan is genuinely giving you a chance to prove that you’re not like any of the shemlen who would call us knife ears,” Valyssa said. “But you do have every right to be wary. We tolerate no funny business.”

“I can see that,” I said. “In any case, I was just thinking about...well...how dangerous it could get out here.”

“If this is about humans coming across us-” Valyssa began.

“It’s about the mages and templars,” I said, cutting her off. “Coming across one or the other would probably be tougher than fighting bandits or...well, racist people. If you find the two fighting each other?”

“It could be very destructive to deal with,” Valyssa said. “I see.” She fell silent as we continued to make our way back to the camp. “Did you ever deal with them?”

In a sense, yes. Much of the start of Inquisition was mostly made up of fighting crazed apostates and rogue templars in the Hinterlands - a sequence I was all too familiar with. “Yeah. It wasn’t easy having to escape them. I’m not sure where we are now, but other places south had a lot of them.”

“I see. And to answer your question, we are in the northeastern reaches of the Free Marches,” Valyssa said. “Where do you hail from?”

I looked away, realizing just how far away I was from a place like Ferelden. “Well...” I mumbled. “May have been traveling on my own since Kirkwall fell.”

Valyssa was silent for some time. I waited anxiously for what she’d say - hoping she wouldn’t question me about it. If she did, then I could probably recall enough moments about Dragon Age II to sell the part. At the very least, I could describe the final moments of the game without getting into specifics that I didn’t know about-

“I heard some of what happened at Kirkwall. It’s what started this war between mages and templars all over Thedas,” Valyssa said. “So what exactly happened?”

“I don’t know too much,” I muttered, deciding to tell the story from the perspective of someone who couldn’t have seen what Hawke had. “The templars tried to annul the circle. The circle fought back, and the whole city started to burn. The story spread, and soon all the circles rebelled at once. Ever since...well...”

“Ir abelas,” Valyssa said. “It must be difficult, losing your home.”

I blinked before realizing the elven term had sounded familiar - only a little bit. It was said as an apology, if I recall correctly. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m just glad I’m alive. Thanks again for saving me by the way.”

Valyssa turned to look at me. “What’s up with that, by the way? Such a blizzard could have been avoided easily. Yet you weren’t even equipped to deal with one,” she said. She reached over, tugging on my fur collar before gripping the shoulder of my leather jacket. “This is not suitable for any sort of cold weather.”

I shrugged. “I’d had to power through the snow before. I thought I could handle it that time,” I said. It was technically not a lie - I hadn’t planned on being stuck in a storm like that, especially when there hadn’t been any snowfall before I was basically yeeted into the world of Dragon Age.

“And why is it made of leather?” Valyssa asked. “It’s an odd sort of leather, but why is the whole jacket made of it? If it’s not meant for the weather, why wear it?”

I shrugged off her hands. “It’s to survive...well...a lot of stuff. It’s easy to take care of and it lasts longer than most stuff,” I said. “And it’s still warm. It works against the cold, not just...well, that much cold.”

Valyssa narrowed her eyes before looking down below the belt, specifically at my jeans. She stared at them for a while before sighing and turning to look ahead once more. “I guess I have no right to question your odd choice of fashion,” she mumbled.

I sighed. “Thanks,” I grumbled. The resulting huffy exhale that came from the elven mage sounded awfully amused.

The rest of the journey took about a half hour, returning to camp to see a few other hunting parties with their own catches, which was mostly druffalo. The hunters unloaded the dead animal where it would be cleaned and prepared for cooking while Valyssa led Mihlora to the aravel at the center of camp.

“Aneth ara, da’len,” Keeper Istimaethoriel greeted. “How was it?”

“He was...a competent guard,” Valyssa said. I shrugged, not finding much to argue against.

“I see,” the Keeper said. “He has caused you no trouble?”

“Other than annoying our hunters a little bit, nothing happened,” Valyssa remarked.

“I’m glad,” the older woman said, a smile on her face. “Many of us don’t believe peace with humans are possible - but I hope you’ll bring some much needed change. A new perspective.”

I scratched the back of my neck. “I don’t think I’ll change too much. I’m still just one person,” I muttered as I looked around me. Most of the elves were clearly still rather guarded against me, and it seemed like the Keeper and Valyssa were the only ones remotely showing any sort of friendliness.

“You are not the first human that our clan has helped, but you are most certainly the first to join us - at least for now,” the Keeper said. “Believe me when I say that you will have a much greater effect than you would possibly believe.”

I found myself raising an eyebrow at that statement. That was a rather cryptic statement.

The Keeper only smiled. “Go and rest. I must have a few words with my First,” she said.

“And don’t try touching anything,” Valyssa added.

I held up my hands. “I won’t, I won’t...” I said before yawning. “I’m gonna take a nap.”

“Yeah, you go do that,” Valyssa muttered, and I made my way to the tent I’d slept inside the night before - crawling in and lying down. It was a little less cold than before, and I found it easy to get comfortable in my sleeping bag, curling up on my side as I waited for sleep to claim me.

It only took a minute of waiting in silence before I found myself drifting away.

- a few minutes later -

“You have returned.”

Glamour sat atop a rock when I turned to see where she was. The desire demon rested her hands on either side of her, legs crossed as she looked down at me. It was easy to tell it was her the second she greeted me, being the only resident of the Fade that I met.

“I have to sleep somehow, right?” I asked. Looking around me, I could see that I wasn’t in some place familiar like the first time I’d dreamt in this world. I was seeing the raw Fade for the very first time - the world around me being enshrouded with green mist. I could barely make out the sounds of whispers, water trickling, a steady low hum that hovered through the air.

Through the mist, I could barely make out the silhouettes of jagged rocky structures, mountains, floating rocks, and more. It was all something straight out of Greeky mythology - but I could see how familiar it was to the Fade in Inquisition.

It was a very eerie environment overall. As I looked around, I could hear the sound of a hiss - and I quickly turned back. A dark glow vanished just as my eyes laid upon it, disappearing into the green fog. “This probably isn’t good,” I muttered.

“No, it isn’t. You draw the likes of spirits and demons,” Glamour said as she pushed herself off of the rock she was perched on, floating gently to the ground in front of me. “However, you may be a different sort.”

“You’ll have to educate me,” I said, admittedly a little hazy on the specifics of magic and demons. “I’m afraid I don’t know too much.”

“Of course you don’t. You’re like a newborn - likely to make a mistake simply by stumbling around,” Glamour said as she walked around me, strutting with a hand on her hip. “But you’re unique. You are clearly a dreamer, capable of simply appearing in this realm at will. Yet...you show no such aversion to me.”

“...and why would I?” I asked.

“It’s quite simple. Dreamers, while powerful, are vulnerable to spirits. To demons such as I,” Glamour explained. “Yet...you would willingly converse with me despite knowing the danger I pose. Your demeanor suggests that you could not be ignorant of everything of the Fade.”

I looked back to where that glow had just been. “So...if I’m drawing in demons and spirits, then where are they now?” I asked.

“That’s the most interesting part,” Glamour explained, continuing to circle me. “You appear to be subconsciously warding against them. I sense no magic, no spells. Your mana appears to be suppressed, almost like your willpower is more than just that.”

“But...you’re here,” I said.

The demon raised her hands. “Do you portray me as a threat?” I asked.

Fair point. I looked down at my hands, trying to process what I’d been told - speculation from the eyes of a demon. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting - being thrown in Thedas, much less being able to dream in the Fade?

Speaking of which...

“So I’m a dreamer. what...I can manipulate dreams?” I asked.

“You could, given enough knowledge and skill. The talent is a lost one at that - making you quite the rarity,” the desire demon continued. “Perhaps you could manipulate the Fade itself...at least until you could wake up.”

Now that kind of power definitely sounded rather enticing. “But it wouldn’t protect me against other demons,” I finished.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Glamour said. “For demons such as I, you show an unusual amount of willpower against me.”

I frowned. “Doesn’t reassure me too much,” I mumbled. “That’s annoying.”

The demon shrugged. “It’s simply all I know,” I said. “Ask a spirit of knowledge if you wish to know more.”

That was a little helpful to know, but wandering the Fade where demons could try to possess me was far too risky. And I still didn’t know nearly enough about protecting myself against them, much less how it worked if Glamour claimed I was doing it automatically. Looking around me, I sighed. “Better start figuring out how to do dream stuff.”

“Starting from your memories may be a safe start for you,” Glamour chimed in.

“Yeah, thanks,” I said as I thought back to earlier moments of my life. “Memories, memories...what to remember...”

It was difficult to think about anything specific to remember. If I could manifest it to form my surroundings in the Fade, then I’d need to be careful, especially when it came too exposing stuff about my former life on Earth. The only things I could think of were what gave me comfort - which were usually sports, music, video games-

It happened before I fully realized it. The eerie dark haze of the Fade had almost instantly turned into a landscape of dirt, smoke, and fire. Flashes of light around me were accompanied by massive booming noises and violent tremors below me. Stumbling, I hit the dirt and looked around, crawling to the nearest bit of cover I could see - a large fallen tree trunk.

Fighting was all I could see. Men clashed viciously, wearing muddied coats and old dented helmets. Clubs, knives, shovels, and axes were swung as explosions tore through the lands around me. “What the hell...” I mumbled before I looked up.

A massive zeppelin hovered over the landscape, looming over the hundreds of battling soldiers as streams of bullet tracers firing from its gondolas. Realization dawned upon me in an instant.

I was in World War I. More specifically, I was in the Battlefield I video game.

“What...is this?” Glamour whispered, and I realized that she’d joined me in the dirt. A soldier dropped dead in front of us, his head missing as the rifle dropped from his hands. Reaching forward to grab it, I pulled it towards myself and ducked back behind cover.

“It’s...something,” I muttered, realizing that I’d put us in a literal warzone. I wasn’t about to test if imagining a war in a dream could kill me in real life, and I fought to change my surroundings.

It didn’t take too much to think of the moments before this change in scenery had happened, and soon I was able to decimate my surroundings, turning it back into the raw Fade. The green haze replaced the bright explosions and blackened lands. The gunfire and screams of men vanished at once, almost leaving an echo in its place.

“...what was it you perceived?” Glamour asked. “That is unlike anything that could have possibly been imagined.”

I found myself struggling for an excuse. “It was...a dream I had once?” I asked.

“No. It was far more than that,” Glamour said, beginning to advance upon me. “I think there’s more to you than I believed.”

“You said that before,” I said as I began to back away, only to hit one of the rocks behind me.

“And that was an underestimation. So tell me,” Glamour said, her ethereal and smooth voice taking on a rather excited tint as she closed the distance between me and her. “What was that?”

I leaned back as far as I could as I tried to think of something, anything, before I sighed. There was just no way I could convince her it was all made up, especially since it was apparently drawn from a memory of mine - slightly modified.

I stifled a chuckle at the thought of Glamour seeing me sitting in front of a gaming PC rather than the battlefield itself. Though, that did raise the question - why I’d imagined being in the game when I’d only ever played such battles on the other side of a screen.

No, I couldn’t start thinking about that - not when I had a more serious situation to deal with.

“Promise you won’t freak out?” I asked. Glamour’s expression didn’t change, and I inhaled deeply. “I’m from a world where magic is nonexistent. It’s all humans, there’s no dragons, and it’s all advanced compared to this world.”

Glamour’s eyes narrowed, and the two of us maintained quite a bit of eye contact. There was nothing but silence around us as I waited for the desire demon to respond, either to ask questions, accuse me of lying, or worse.

But neither of that happened. Glamour stepped back, closing her eyes. “I see,” she said. “I believe you.”

I blinked. “Just like that?” I asked.

“The memory doesn’t lie. You have shown the proof before the explanation, and it all adds up either way,” Glamour said. “You truly do come from a world unlike ours.”

I thought back to the brief reenactment of Battlefield I, before realizing that I hadn’t just manifested what I could recall about Battlefield I, I’d legitimately brought out what I fully remembered - and memories couldn’t be faked.

I sighed. “I woke up here by accident. I don’t know how I got here,” I said.

“I see. It does explain why you know so little about the basic rules of magic,” Glamour continued. “So it seems that you have much to learn while you’re here.”

I winced. I couldn’t ask anyone from Clan Lavellan when I woke up - they’d no doubt try something upon learning that I was a mage. Then there were the endless possibilities that could happen if they learned that I was indeed from a completely different world.

I shuddered.

“I don’t suppose you could teach me?” I asked.

“Oh? And what would you provide in return for my time?” Glamour asked, a wry grin on her face.

I froze - fully aware of the fact that I was asking a demon for something. “Uhh...” was all I could mutter as my mind began to race, the thoughts of abominations and corruption and more passing through my brain.

Glamour chuckled, her gentle laughter almost echoing through the Fade. “You needn’t worry about giving anything up,” she said as she rested her hands on her overly exposed hips. “My nature would do me no good if I were to simply take what I wanted in such a short amount of time.”

“So what do you do? Feed off my desires before possessing me?” I asked.

“Not exactly. The latter wouldn’t be necessary - and frankly, it would be something I would wish to avoid,” Glamour explained. “I could feed off of your wish to learn for as long as I wished, and you would grow stronger as a result.”

That sort of made sense. I only ever heard about possessions and the basics of how demons could cause damage by manipulating their prey in the Fade. “So you want to feed off of me. Is that it?” I asked.

“Of course not. I want you to show me your world. Tell me what your world is like. I want to see what life you’ve led before coming here. You have intrigued me, and I plan on learning as much about you as I possibly can,” Glamour said, the smile on her face turning rather mischievous.

I found myself chuckling. “Storytelling, huh? I could do that,” I said, crossing my arms. “Not sure how long I’ll be asleep. I am supposed to be napping.”

“Oh, I imagine we’ll have plenty of time to chat - as long as you stay alive to sleep.” Glamour sat down on the rock, crossing her legs as she did before. “So what do you wish to know?”

Any worries and thoughts I had about being possessed were quick to remain forgotten as I found myself getting comfortable. The two of us remained interrupted as we got to talking, exchanging stories and things I knew from my world and information that would be vital for me to survive in the Fade.

When I woke up a few hours later, I was more than refreshed. Fueled by some very useful knowledge, I left my tent - ready to see what else needed doing.

Chapter Text

Three days had passed since I was first rescued by Valyssa. Much of the time spent living with the clan was spent doing physical labor. Chopping firewood, helping to wash clothes, and helping to cook meals was the norm throughout the days. The elves seemed to show less and less hostility as time went on, and I was all too happy to not be treated like a constant threat.

Even Valyssa had warmed up to me - a little. She was no longer snarky or as suspicious as the others, and she seemed to be a little less wary around me when the two of us were alone, usually helping me out with whatever I was doing if I needed any assistance. She wasn’t actively friendly, but I would take what I could get.

It was late in the afternoon as I washed up in the nearby river. My clothes were neatly folded and hidden from view as I scrubbed away the dirt and grime from my skin. The river was about as cold as I’d expected - with the general weather still being rather snowy, even if the temperature was slowly getting hotter by each passing day.

Fighting my urge to shiver from just how freezing the water and air felt, I quickly climbed out of the water, drying myself with this world’s equivalent of modern towels - which were thick pieces of absorbent cloth - slightly rough but more than enough to dry my skin. After getting dressed, I made my way back to camp - where dinner was being prepared.

A large cauldron sat over the fire - with a few elves tending to it. Valyssa sat with a few other elves, chatting by the fire as they waited for dinner to be served.

“Hey,” I said, finding an empty spot nearby. Sitting down, I held out my hands and let the heat from the fire wash over me. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Not much,” Valyssa said. “You did well with gathering firewood today.”

“Well, I had a bit of help,” I said. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

The edge of Valyssa’s lip curled up. “I’m glad you remembered to show gratitude. Other shems can learn from you,” she said.

I rolled my eyes. “Trust me - I know how bad humans can be,” I said. “This clan’s a nice change of pace.”

“The shem prefers the company of elves over shems,” one of the hunters said, her voice sounding mildly amused. “Now I know I’ve seen everything.”

I sighed. “Yeah, yeah - I’m special,” I sighed before turning around, looking across the camp to see the stacks of firewood along one of the aravels. “Is that going to be enough wood to burn for the night?” I asked.

“It should be enough for all night and some of tomorrow,” Valyssa said. “Don’t worry, you’re going to be collecting some more when you wake up.”

“Great,” I said. “Think I could get some help like earlier?”

“I’ll be going out with the hunting party tomorrow,” Valyssa said before looking over at the elves around the fire. Her eyes fell on one elf - a young female elf around her late teens. She had short blonde hair and narrow hazel eyes, sporting brown leather armor and gray boots. “Riva,” she said. “You and Carlo will be collecting firewood tomorrow.”

“Why me?” Riva asked, a scowl in her features.

“Because it’s your turn this time around. I’m assigning you to watch over Carlo and help him out if he needs any,” Valyssa said. The young elven teen narrowed her eyes before she nodded, whirling her head around to face the fire. “Don’t mind her - she’ll cause you no trouble.”

“I’m more worried that I’ll end up causing her some,” I muttered. The other elves chuckled as a result.

“As long as you just focus on firewood, she’ll find nothing to be mad at you for,” Valyssa said. “Just make sure to keep that mouth shut.”

“It’s not like I talk often,” I complained, and Valyssa only responded by opening and closing her hand like it were a mouth. I sighed and gave up - content to sit by the fire and continue warmIng myself up before dinner was served.

As I waited, I couldn’t help but think about what was to come tomorrow - especially with the prospect of having to be guarded by a sour elf.

- in the Fade -

The sensation of racing through the mountain road was all too familiar, but not quite as real as I could have felt in the real world.

I was imagining the days when I had time to go out for long rides out of the neighborhood - riding my motorcycle up and down long empty roads with nothing but the view on my side. It was almost exhilarating to experience once more, even if it wasn’t quite the same.

“Remarkable...” Glamour whispered. Even with the feeling and sound of the wind whipping against us at such speeds, I could hear her plain as day. “So this is what your world is like?”

I turned to see the desire demon sitting right behind me. Her hands were wrapped around my waist, and her horns were pressed right against the fur collar of my jacket. Despite her initial hesitations about the concept of a motorcycle, as well as the brief panic that followed the teleportation to speeds of 80 miles an hour, she had calmed down at the view of the mountainside.

We were rather high up, and the road was in full view of the Hudson River - where the entire distant horizon across the river appeared to be entirely made up of the big city - stretching to either side as far as one could see. The clouds seemed rather close above us, and there were even birds flying far above us in the distance.

“What do you think?” I asked as I slowed down near a curve in the road, stopping my motorcycle when we reached it. “It’s a nice view, right?

“It’s...odd,” Glamour said. “It resembles what little I’ve seen of Thedas - almost exactly like the world beyond the Fade. But it’s...different.”

“It’s the city, isn’t it?” I asked, pointing down at the very distant but still very large cluster of tall to short buildings in the distance. “Thedas doesn’t have anything like it.”

“No, it doesn’t,” the desire demon said. “What exactly is a city in your world? Is it not like Kirkwall or Denerim?”

“Well, it is something a bit like Kirkwall,” I said. Judging by the way Glamour nodded, she knew what the City of Chains looked like. “It’s sort of like that - but there’s no Darktown, Lowtown, or Hightown. No Alienage, no Gallows. It’s all on level ground with buildings and other stuff packed closely together. There’s roads like this-” I gestured to the road we were on. “-and there’s even underground stuff.”

“Underground?” Glamour asked.

“Yeah. Some buildings go below the ground - mostly so earthquakes don’t topple everything over,” I said. “Mostly for the big buildings, and the city has a lot of them.”

“And how big can cities of your world be?” Glamour asked as she peered at the city across the river once more.

“Some cities are big enough to hold maybe fifty or sixth thousand people. There are a few that are large enough for one or two hundred thousand people to live in,” I said. “The total population of my world is pretty damn big.”

“How big?” was Glamour’s next question.

“Total population of everyone in the world? Eight billion or so,” I said. I enjoyed the way Glamour’s eyes lit up in clear surprise. “Yeah, we humans like to make plenty of babies.”

“I can see,” Glamour muttered before smirking. “I don’t suppose you’ve partaken in-”

“Nope, I haven’t,” I said before any sex jokes could be made. “Haven’t found a girl or guy I’m into yet.”

“A pity,” Glamour sighed. “In any case, show me more of this world.”

“After you teach me a bit about how spells are casted,” I said. “Like how I can use mana.”

“Do you remember what mana is?” Glamour asked.

“Yeah. Mana is a measurement of one's ability to channel energy from here, and using mana is transforming it into magic,” I said.

“Indeed. Just as the Fade can be utilized to perform feats of magic by those who have grasped its nature, so can the world as a whole be manipulated by magic by using one’s mana to will things from the Fade into existence,” Glamour said. “This is what spells are.”

I nodded. “So using mana is converting energy from the Fade into magic in real life,” I said before flinching. “Not that this isn’t real - I just meant-!”

“I know what you meant, so do not fret,” Glamour said as she chuckled. “And yes, you have grasped the basic concept of how mages would be able to perform spells.”

“Alright,” I said. “So how would I be able to cast spells?”

“It’s a moderately long learning process,” Glamour said. “Some master the basics faster than others. But it’s all dependent on willpower and focus.”

That sounded accurate. “So do I just focus and ‘will’ a ball of fire into existence?” I asked.

“Not quite. However, you’ll know what to do when you feel it,” Glamour said. “Now, try to conjure something. A gust of wind, a ball of fire as you said, something small.”

I looked down at my hand before holding it up, closing my eyes and focusing. I wasn’t sure what I was meant to focus on - but I simply waited for something, a feeling or a sense of anything out of the ordinary.

A part of me felt rather nervous at the prospect of casting magic. Something told me that I wouldn’t be able to do much other than dream in the Fade for a while, but the thought of suddenly being able to cast spells when I wake up was a bit overwhelming - especially since templars and mages were currently at war.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been waiting, but it must have been a while since Glamour eventually tapped my hand once. “It’s not a process that’s easy to activate. Magic tends to approach you, rather than the other way around,” she explained. “Manifestation will come when it’s ready.”

I sighed. “That’s a little reassuring. I’m not trying to summon forest fires as soon as possible, so I’m all for taking things slow,” I said.

Glamour simply nodded. “I believe it’s time for you to wake up,” she said. “What do you wish to learn the next time you sleep?”

I thought for a moment. “Well, I guess the concept of how mana is manifested. Might make the actual start of casting spells and stuff a bit easier and less messy,” I said.

“Agreed,” Glamour said before she looked out at the mountainside once more. “It really is a marvelous view.”

I nodded in agreement before it all faded to black - rather quickly, I might add. I woke up where I’d fallen asleep - in the tent. Sitting up and stretching my arms, I felt my joints popping as whatever stiffness I felt meter away.

It was early outside, and I could feel the naturally cold morning air settling throughout the camp. A few others were awake - mostly guards minding their own business. I got to work, grabbing some firewood and heading to the fire pits to get them started.

It was a half hour before most of the fires were up, warming the camp area as other elves began to wake up. Valyssa was one of the first to do so, coming out to see me at work. “Aneth ara,” I greeted, which I’d learned was a casual ‘hello’ in elven..

“Aneth ara,” Valyssa replied as she sat down in front of the fire, hugging her knees to her chest as she leaned close to the gentle hot blaze. “Ahhh~ That feels nice.”

“Yeah. Hoping mornings get warmer soon,” I said as u sat next to her.

“So do I,” Valyssa sighed before she looked across camp. “When Riva gets up, you’ll have to go out to get more wood.”

“Yeah,” I said. “So what’s for breakfast?”

“Cheese and bread,” Valyssa said. “And what few dried meats we have.”

“Yum,” I sighed. The food was fairly basic, and somewhat flavorless - but it was food and I was never the picky type. “So you’re hunting again, right?”

“Indeed,” Valyssa said. “Herds have been rather common, so we should have plenty of food for the next few days if things go well.”

I nodded before looking back to the other tents. I’d lit fires for them, and many of the waking elves were now warming up, chatting amiably with each other as the morning slowly got less and less cold. “Well, here’s hoping everything runs smoothly.”

Valyssa chuckled. “With how hard it is to squeeze through human detection, it’s unlikely,” she said as she breathed on her hands. “A few scouts from the night before spotted human stragglers making their way through the forests. They were armed, which makes me think they’re likely bandits.”

I frowned. “Wouldn’t it be a good time to pack up and move?” I asked as I stretched my legs near the fire. “A whole camp like this wouldn’t be easy to hide or defend.”

“You’d think so, but moving around is even more likely to gather attention. We tend to stay away from cities, especially given how large their reach can be in the Free Marches. Bandits - we can at least deal with it since it’s not like a whole city will try to hunt us down,” Valyssa explained. “But if someone from any of the cities tries anything with us, even hurting them a little will be enough for them to try and wipe us out entirely.”

It was all obvious enough, given how elves - city or Dalish elves - tended to be portrayed. No matter how just or kind they were, many humans wouldn’t hesitate to try and do some real harm. They were as much of the Chantry’s victims as the templars and mages were. “Yeah, Stupid Chantry...” I grumbled. “Always thought it was a dumb religion.”

“Hah. You’d really piss off some shems for saying that,” Valyssa said, sporting a wry smirk on her face. I grinned back for a moment before she got up. “In any case, we’ll be heading out soon. You’d better get ready to start chopping wood.”

I groaned. “Yeah, yeah,” I sighed as I got up, stretching my arms and leaning back - feeling just how stiff my back felt. “Ugh...my arms are gonna kill me.”

Valyssa only smacked the back of my shoulder, whistling as she walked on by. I rolled my eyes before making my way to the aravel carrying weapons and tools. Grabbing a beautifully crafted felling axe from one of many crates, I headed to the edge of camp - sitting on a rock and waiting for my escort to show up.

It took Riva less than two minutes for her to show up - with a bundle in her hands. “Your breakfast,” she muttered, tossing it in my arms.

I caught it, opening the cloth bundle before seeing it to be two pieces of bread with cheese slices on top. Even the simple foods had my mouth watering, and I started munching away. “Thanks,” I said between bites of my first slice of bread. “Is there anywhere you wanna start?”

Riva hoisted a mace over her shoulder, sighing tiredly as she looked around the edge of camp. Her other hand held another felling axe, though something told me she wouldn’t be keen on using it. “Over there,” she said, pointing to the nearby river - where many bathed in turns near the evening. “The larger trees in the area tend to be much larger. Just one of those will be enough to get enough wood for two days.”

“Alright,” I said as I stretched my arms. I didn’t mean to brag, but I felt like my muscles had gotten much stronger since I started helping around the clan a few days ago. It was some of the hardest labor I’d done for long periods of time, after all.

The two of us left the camp to head towards the edge of the river - where Riva pointed out one of many trees standing tall and proud by the water when we finally arrived. It was massive - easily taller then most of the other trees by half, with its trunk easily twice as thick. Massive branches hung overhead, with most of them easily being as thick as small logs.

The two of us would both get to work on chopping the aforementioned tree down. To my surprise, Riva helped with the initial start of the task - the two of us hacking away at the rather thick tree trunk for about ten minutes straight before I finally got to shout timber.

When Riva asked why I said that, I shrugged.

Riva maintained a steady watch on me as I worked, remaining quiet and stalwart while I toiled away at cutting the branches off the main tree trunk. The pile of neatly measured and cut logs sat by the rocks near the river, and it grew with every branch I chopped up.

As I worked, I remembered to keep an eye on Riva to see what she’d do. As I’d expected, she was suspicious - holding a near constant scowl on her face as she stood and did nothing. She wasn’t saying or doing anything that could potentially antagonize me, but the scrutiny - even when silent - did much to make me feel more than a little nervous.

Not even Valyssa had been so discomforting, and she’d been more verbal with her thoughts on “shemlen like me” from the start of my stay with Clan Lavellan.

It was a few hours after I started working on the fallen tree when I set my axe down. “Hey, no offense - but it’s hard to focus on working when you’re glaring holes through my face,” I said.

“You don’t seem to have any problems regardless,” Riva said.

“It’s uncomfortable. Makes me think you’ll stab me in the back or something,” I said.

“Don’t think I won’t,” Riva warned. “The others may have warmed up to you, but I haven’t. I’m all too aware of humans that try to play their way into the good graces of elves that would help them.”

I frowned. “Personal experience?” I asked. Riva growled, and I raised my hands. “In case you forgot, your clan’s First saved me from freezing to death. I didn’t beg for help and I didn’t even see her. She dragged me out of the snow and by her fire.”

“That is something I’ll never understand,” Riva said. “It’s needlessly cruel to leave you on death’s door, but why would you come back with her after you've recovered from the cold?” Her grip on her weapon tightened. “It doesn’t make sense unless you had something planned against us.”

“Is it so weird to have a human that’s genuinely grateful?” I asked. The silent glare was the only answer I got, and I sighed tiredly. “Besides, if you want an actual selfish answer, I had nowhere else to go.”

“You’ve traveled this far. You could travel some more,” Riva said.

I rolled my eyes and turned away, gripping my axe and getting back to work. I’d gotten my break, and the last thing I wanted was to end up accelerating the argument into a shouting match - or worse. Grumbling to myself, I continued to hack away at the branches, knowing I’d have to deal with having to cut apart the massive main trunk. “Can’t wait for this to be over...” I muttered to myself. “Stubborn teen...”

Like I hadn’t been one myself.

I didn’t know how long I’d been working after that - only that it had gotten significantly warmer by the time I stopped my chopping once more. I looked over at the now massive pile of logs I’d managed to produce from the tree. All of the branches were now gone, leaving just the tree trunk to work through.

“...great,” I groaned as I lifted up my axe, ready to start hacking away at the ultra heavy cylinder of wood and bark. Before I could bring the weapon down, a loud thunk filled the air. I flinched as a loud cry pierced the quiet, and I turned to see Riva, collapsed on the forest floor. What alarmed me was the thin wooden shaft of an arrow, its head buried deep in her clothing and her side.

“What happened?!” I called as I made my way over to the fallen hunter. Her face was panicked and pained, her breaths low and shallow as she held her wound - blood seeping down her leather as I tried to get a good look at the injury. “Where did that even come from?!”

“Hey!”

I could hear the rustle of leaves and heavy footsteps against the dirt. Turning, I felt my blood run cold upon seeing two men in worn gray armor over brown clothing, one of them holding a bow with the other holding a two handed sword. They were tall, buff, and very dirty, sporting heavy facial hair and a handful of cuts on their arms and face.

“We saw that knife ear holding you prisoner,” one of the men said, hoisting his sword over his shoulder with a clank of the heavy plating on his body. “You alright?”

I realized that they must have thought this was a rescue mission. I looked back at the injured elf - the teenager growling before wincing in pain. We were outmanned, and under armed to deal with these two guys.

“What’re you even doing out here?” the man with the bow asked, his voice rough and deep.

“I...uhh,” was all I could say as I tried to think of a proper course of action. “I got lost.”

“And this knife-eared whore thought it’d be funny to make you work for her?” the man growled. “Good thing we were hunting for their clan in this area, or something nasty probably would’ve happened.”

I held up my hands. “Okay, that is not what happened,” I began before shaking it off. “A-anyways, she needs help. Do you have any bandages? Anything to-”

“Step aside. You don’t need to defend her,” the man sneered before he made his way over to the two of us. Riva attempted to scramble away, panting and gasping from the pain. Her eyes were widened, and her skin had gone as pale as a sheet.

Upon realizing what he planned to do, I quickly pulled myself in front of her. “Hey, you already shot her. You don’t need to-” I tried to say as I blocked his way, only for his hand to grip me by the arm.

“You’re already free. Go home or whatever,” the man said, pulling me aside and sending me stumbling against one of the rocks. “Me and my friend are just gonna have a bit of fun.”

“Unless you wanna join in?” the man with the bow chuckled, slinging his weapon over his chest as he moved to join the other man.

I realized what was going on, and I tried to step in again - if only to try and dissuade him. “Hey, what the hell are you trying to do?” I protested as I grabbed his arm and pulled, my heart dropping into my gut as the two only advanced.

The man only growled and shoved me away, harder this time. Riva’s panicked breaths turned to whimpers, and she turned to try and escape - only for the swordsman to grasp her by the waist and pull her back.

“No! Let me go!!” Riva screeched, flailing frantically as she tried to pry the man’s grip open - only to be thrown haphazardly to the dirt with a yelp. For a moment, I could only watch in horror as the two men descended on the screaming girl, holding her arms and legs down.

That horror turned into anger, and I tried to make my way over - if only to pull one of the men off of her - before my foot hit something. Looking down, I saw the mace that Riva had brought lying in the dirt, and I didn’t even hesitate.

Before I knew it, I was hoisting the heavy weapon in my hands - swinging at the nearest man. “Get off of her!” I yelled, and the mace impacted him in the side - a loud clang filling the air as the impact dented his armor in.

He roared in pain, stumbling away as he gripped his side. I’d likely caused a nasty bruise down there, maybe even cracked a rib by the way he contorted his face with every breath. “You little bastard!” he hissed as he picked up his sword.

The other man scrambled to pull out his bow, but I wouldn’t let him. Hurling the mace at him without any second thought, the spiked head slammed into his chest. He fell back, his back striking the tree trunk lying on the ground. A loud cracking noise followed, and I saw his bow fall against the ground brokenly, having been snapped in two between his weight and the trunk he’d fallen against.

A loud roar cut off my thoughts, and I turned just in time to see the man swinging his sword in a downward swing. Without hesitating any longer, I leapt to my side - hearing the blade slam into the dirt as I barely dodged the attack. “Get back here!” he snarled as he pulled his sword from the ground and swung it my way again.

He missed as I leapt for one of the felling axes still in the area, grabbing it and swinging it at the man, only for him to swing and bat it aside. The tool hit a nearby tree trunk, its blade buried in the bark as I found myself cornered with no weapon. Turning, I saw that one way around was blocked by the tree trunk, and the man was blocking every other way out.

“We rescue you from this little whore, and this is the thanks we get?!” the man hissed as he readied his weapon. He was shaky, only using one hand as the other was still holding onto his injured side.

In the near distance, I could see the other man holding his chest in pain - having not moved from his spot against the trunk. “I never needed rescuing,” was all I could growl as I panted for breath.

“I guess not,” the swordsman sneered before he raised his sword once more, ready to bring it down on my head. With nothing else I could do, I shut my eyes and braced for either a quick death - or unimaginable pain.

Neither came. Instead, I heard a shout and a thud in front of me. My eyes opened, and I found myself surprised to see the man lying on his back, eyes wide. His sword lay next to him, and he was scrambling back.

“Mage!” he cried.

I blinked, not expecting something like that - at least until I lowered my hands. They were glowing a blue hue, and tingling with a warm feeling. It was almost like a glowing fog, which was brighter in the palms of my hands, pulsing with energy in what felt like it was in tune with my heartbeat.

“...huh. That’s new,” I could only mutter.

Chapter Text

I’d successfully casted magic - whatever it was.

My wonder was brief, as I realized the man was recovering. If I knew how to use magic, I would’ve done something like throw a wave of air, or levitate a rock into his face. But all I had going for me was a blue glow that was slowly going away.

So I had to use the window of opportunity while it was still there.

I leapt on the man, my knee striking his wrist before he could lift his sword up as I pinned his body down with my own weight. At once, I began attacking him - pounding my fists into his face, swinging left and right, with every impact wet and heavy as I beat him down as hard and as fast as possible.

The man struggled, his free hand trying to push me away - but I didn’t relent. I was too furious, too panicked to slow down. I didn’t know when blood started appearing, but all I knew was that it was covering much of his now swelling face.

My next punch was cut off by a large figure pulling me off of him, yelling as he swung his own fist against my face. The explosion of pain tore through the side of my head, and I stumbled back - slamming into one of the trees. By the time I’d shaken the dizziness off, I saw my attacker rushing towards me, a piece of his broken bow hanging off of his shoulder armor by the bowstring.

The second punch threw me against the tree again, breaking its back with a loud crack. Hissing in pain, I tried to get back up - only for the man to grip me by the shoulders and hoist me up. His face was contorted in pain, and his breaths were heavy and slow. “You’re dead...” he snarled, spitting as he hissed out the words.

I was too delirious to respond. All I could see was the hazy face of the man who was ready to kill me.

All I could do was spit back in his face - landing it on his cheek. The man roared and swung around, hurling me to the dirt. I slammed into the ground, my back aching badly as I struggled to get up. I didn’t even get the chance to groan before the man was on top of me once more, hand reaching down to grip me by the throat. Before I knew it, I was hanging off the ground - my legs too tired to kick as he held me up, his grip on my neck tightening by the second.

I felt my throat start to convulse, gagging as I was deprived of the air I very much needed to live. Clawing at his hands, I could do nothing more than hang from my attacker’s grip as he squeezed harder. My attempts to pry his fingers off of my neck weakened, and I was starting to black out.

“Fuck...this wasn’t how I was planning to go out...” was what I could remember thinking to myself.

But there wasn’t anything I could do. I couldn’t even muster enough strength to lift my fist - and it hung limply by my side. A buzzing sensation was starting to rattle my whole body from the feet and up, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

Just as I thought I was going to be pulled through death’s door itself - I dropped. My throat opened up once more, and air flooded into my lungs. I gasped desperately before breaking out into coughs, clutching my sore and aching neck as I fought to regain my consciousness. Tears welled up, and I was feeling shaky all over.

I could hear a heavy thud over the ringing in my ears, and I opened my eyes to see the man lying face down in the dirt, not moving. Slowly blinking, I stared at the body - wondering what had happened to make him release me.

That’s when I saw the axe buried in his back - right through his armor. A leather boot stepped into view, and I slowly looked up to see Riva - panting as her arms hung in front of her. I didn’t get a chance to look at her expression as what little energy I could manage was starting to fade away.

Before I knew it, I was slumped over on the dirt, lying on my side as I lost consciousness.

- some time later -

Riva stared at the unconscious human lying in front of her - his breathing shallow and face pale. The skin of his neck was reddened, and for a moment, Riva believed he was about to die. “W-why...” she whispered, her hands shaky after burying the axe in the back of the much larger human. “Why did he...”

He had defended her. He’d attacked the other humans when they were intent on raping her, and he was nearly killed for it. If she hadn’t found the strength to pick herself up...

It was the first time Riva had truly fought a shemlen. It had gone how she’d expected from the stories, and Riva wished she could never have felt such eye opening and horrifying fear in the first place.

Instead, this oddly dressed human had risked his own life to save her own, all while she’d been helpless to save herself. Riva dropped to her knees, moving over to try and pick the human up, failing to move his somewhat heavy body from the dirt. “Why...” she repeated, unable to move past the question in her mind as elven teen worked on dragging her apparent savior back to the camp.

Her body felt like it was moving on its own, slowly hauling the unconscious body along the dirt for a few minutes, away from the corpse, and away from the river. The pile of chopped branches sat by the fallen tree trunk, and Riva felt like she should have been worrying about the firewood rather than the human - but the hunter continued to try and move him regardless.

Riva wasn’t sure how long she’d been traveling, or if they even got far enough back to camp - but all she knew was that her body was getting weaker by the minute. “Back...to camp...” was all that was on her mind, her shaky legs struggling just to make the next step.

Eventually, Riva collapsed - the injury in her side making itself all too known as pain lanced through her stomach. She’d forgotten that there was an arrow lodged deep in her body, and moving was almost impossible now. Panting for breath, she fought back the urge to hiss as every bit of movement seemed to cause more and more pain.

As she struggled to maintain consciousness, Riva slowly looked up - towards the direction of camp. A shadowy figure came to...followed by another. Then another. They were making their way towards her with shouts and quick footfalls, and the hunter fought to try and keep her eyes open, but it was no good.

All that could be heard were the footsteps fading away into silence, as did her vision as she collapsed.

- a few hours later: at camp -

Valyssa stroked the side of her halla as she and the dozen elven hunters returned to the camp. The fires burned brightly, and a sense of warmth had filled the area as a whole. Despite that, the clan’s First couldn’t help but notice just how subdued everyone felt.

“What happened here? Did someone die?” one of the hunters muttered to themselves, riding in the cart with their newly hunted druffalo. Valyssa felt a lance of cold flood her stomach, realizing that something terrible had likely happened. She gently eased Mihlora to a stop before quickly hopping off.

She made her way to her Keeper, who exited her aravel upon hearing the return of the hunting party. “Da’len,” the Keeper said, leaning on her stave as Valyssa approached.

“Keeper, what happened?” Valyssa asked. “Everyone seems on edge.”

“Carlo and Riva were attacked by humans when they were collecting firewood,” Istimaethoriel said, her voice serious yet quiet. “Riva suffered only the injury of an arrow, but Carlo is badly hurt.”

Valyssa’s breath stopped, choked in her throat as she digested this information, and she looked towards the aravel that the Keeper had exited. “Is he alright?” she asked.

“He’ll live, but he was strangled - badly,” Istimaethoriel said. “The two have been treated, and they will wake up soon. I imagine there will be many questions they should be asked.”

“Y-yeah,” Valyssa said. “What happened to those humans?”

“Killed. We believe they were bandits. One died from an axe in the back, and another was finished off by our hunters when he tried to escape,” the Keeper explained before she looked at her aravel. “I shall not keep you any longer, I’m sure you are worried.”

She gestured to enter the aravel, and Valyssa did so, clambering into the small doorway. Making her way to one end of the large cart, she saw the two resting quietly in two small cots. Riva had been unclothed, wearing her smalls with her injury treated and bandaged. Her entire midsection was wrapped, and her knees had small scrapes and cuts.

Turning, she saw Carlo - still clothed - but with his neck bandaged. Even then, she could see the bruises at the base of his jaw, as well as through the occasional gap in his bandages. He was pale, and his breathing was rather shallow. “What happened...” Valyssa muttered.

Seeing the two hurt and bedridden - even if they weren’t life threatening injuries - it felt wrong. Valyssa liked Carlo, having grown to respect him over the course of the few days he was around. He was unlike the other shemlens - looking up to the elves and helping out whenever he could.

And the fact that the two of them were both injured and together earlier could only confirm the fact. Sitting between the cots, she could only cross her legs and wait for either one of them to wake up. Despite the worries she felt, she was more than glad to see that they would recover.

She only wished it wouldn’t take them long to awaken.

- nightfall -

I found myself awakening in what felt like moments after I passed out. The first thing I could recall was the fact that I’d fallen unconscious after being saved. Despite the gaps in my memory, I was starting to piece things together - slowly being able to remember what had happened while we were out chopping wood.

“Riva...” I mumbled as I wiped my eyes. My voice was raspy, and it hurt to breathe. “What happened...”

“Riva’s safe,” a voice said. I turned to see Valyssa sitting against the wall. It was dark, and it took me a moment to realize that I was not lying in a tent - but rather inside a structure.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“You’re inside the Keeper’s aravel,” Valyssa said, and I turned back to see the First stepping up. “What happened?”

I realized what she meant, and I looked down with an upset frown. “These two humans saw me working, and they thought I was being held prisoner,” I muttered, my voice low as to not force my throat. “Then they tried to take her and...”

I shuddered, remembering her panic as the men had decided to try and claim her before I attacked them. It was a mess to remember, and I could recall being tossed around like a ragdoll before-

I blinked as a small tidbit of info slipped into my mind.

Magic.

I slowly looked down at my hand.

Holy shit. I used magic. I didn’t know what kind of magic I’d used, but apparently it was enough to be called a mage.

“And what?” Valyssa asked gently.

I sighed, my breaths shaky as I tried to compose myself. “They were going to hurt her badly,” I mumbled quietly. “I attacked them. Punched them hard. They almost killed me, but Riva saved my ass after that. I think I passed out afterwards.”

Valyssa nodded. “That matches what Riva said,” she said. “Dammit, I didn’t think humans would be able to stumble on us, especially since we’re so deep in the forest.”

“How bad was she hurt?” I asked, trying to sit up. Valyssa made her way over to me, helping me sit steadily as I tried to catch my breath. She held out a small wooden cup, and I drank greedily - gulping down the cool water despite the pain that swallowing gave.

“The worst of it was the arrow in her side. She can’t do much for a week, but she’ll recover completely,” Valyssa said. “She also asked me to convey her thanks for helping her.”

I smiled. “I’m just glad I could help,” I said. “In any case, what happens now?”

“There’s a good chance that the clan will be safe,” Valyssa said. “They may have been bandits, but there might be a chance that those shems could have been from the cities. The Keeper is having us pack up and move. Possibly southwards.”

I nodded. “That sounds ideal,” I said.

“She also wanted me to know if...if you’d wish to part ways from us,” Valyssa said, her voice growing softer as she spoke.

I raised an eyebrow before my eyes widened, me starting to put two and two together. “Wait, they don’t think it’s my fault that-!” I began.

“No!” Valyssa quickly interjected. “No, none of us blame you for this. We’re not kicking you out. But we’ll be traveling very far to avoid any possible problems, and the Keeper said you may not be comfortable with traveling such a distance.”

Oh. That made sense now. Scratching the back of my head, I sighed in relief. “I’m fine with it,” I said. “I mean, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

Valyssa blinked before she looked away, rubbing her knuckles meekly. “Oh. Right,” she muttered to herself before she looked back at me. “Well...if it’s all the same to you, I don’t have a problem with you sticking around.”

I smiled. “I don’t have a problem with sticking around myself,” I said. “You guys kinda grew on me.”

“A human in our family,” Valyssa muttered before she let out a quiet snort. “Wait till the other clans hear about this. They’ll go raving mad.”

“Can’t wait to see that happen,” I said. “So when are we leaving?”

“In an hour. We’re getting everything packed up and ready to go,” Valyssa said. “The Keeper wanted me to make sure you recovered fine.”

I nodded. “Thanks,” I said. “Honestly, I feel a little fine.”

“Good, so you could answer something Riva mentioned when she was explaining what happened,” Valyssa said as she scooted closer, sitting right next to the cot. “She said you used magic.”

I gulped.

Valyssa raised an eyebrow.

“I...I think I did,” I said, deciding that there wasn’t really much point in calling Riva a liar. “The guy said I was a mage, but I didn’t know what I did. I just sorta expected to get stabbed or something...”

“She said you casted a barrier of sorts. A small one,” Valyssa said. “And judging by the way she described you, you seemed to have no idea that you could cast magic.” Her eyes narrowed. “But it also tells us that you knew you were capable of it for some time.”

Well, there goes that excuse.

“...it’s a long story. And it’s something I need to explain...properly,” I said. “Just...I don’t really wanna talk about it right now.”

Valyssa backed off, thankfully, and she stood up. “Focus on resting for now. Your throat should heal properly by tomorrow,” she said. “By then, we’ll be leaving this part of the forest.”

“Alright,” I muttered. “Thanks.”

“And just so you know, we will have you under guard,” Valyssa said. “You can never be too careful, especially when it comes to the manifestation of magic. Our Keeper will be around as well, so if something happens...”

I nodded. She wasn’t seeming too threatening, but the message was still clear to be heard. “I understand. And thanks again.”

Valyssa nodded back at me before she left, leaving me in the relative dark - sitting on the cramped yet somewhat comfortable cot. Lying back down, I closed my eyes, finding myself way more tired than I had thought.

“What a day...” I thought to myself as I rubbed my forehead. “Hoping something like this won’t happen again...”

- in the Fade -

Glamour was waiting for me when I opened my eyes in the world beyond the Veil - feeling very awake despite quite literally dreaming. “Something has happened,” was the first thing that the desire demon said when she saw me.

“Yeah. Apparently, I casted magic for the first time,” I said. “And I didn’t even mean to. A barrier, it seemed like.”

“Do you recall what happened before or during your moment of casting the barrier?” Glamour asked.

“Well...I remember expecting to be cut down by a sword,” I said. “Maybe it’s instinct?”

“Perhaps. Magic can be difficult to control, especially for those who are very new to their magic. How did it feel to cast a barrier?” Glamour asked.

“Well...” I muttered. “It was kind of tingly and warm, although I didn’t feel anything drawn out of me when it happened. It was just sort of there.” I looked down at my hands. “Was I supposed to feel something?”

“It does take considerable effort to draw upon energy from the Fade. But if you could cast a simple barrier spell, then perhaps your touch with the Fade is much more...intimate than one would believe,” Glamour pondered.

Ignoring her choice of wording, I crossed my arms. “Well...if I can learn how to manage casting spells, it would save me a lot of trouble,” I muttered. “Is there anything I’m supposed to be looking for?”

“Less...looking for and more ‘forcing yourself’ to feel,” Glamour said. “Try willing yourself to draw in mana.”

I looked down at my hands, closing my eyes before I decided to focus. I kept my hands open, palms facing upwards as I waited. It was difficult trying to manage something such as this - anything, but I figured I needed to imagine trying to cast something. Perhaps...

“Maybe I need to imagine casting a spell. If mages can think of summoning a fireball...” I thought to myself. “Then I don’t need to imagine drawing the mana. Just drawing the spell out.”

I waited for a second, before I felt something. It was barely noticeable, but it was something that hit me by surprise - a tingle in my hands, warm yet dim. I fought the urge to open my eyes to see what was going on, just in case it would go away - instead latching onto that tingling and focusing on making it grow.

To my relief, it started to feel warmer and greater - growing in size. Eventually, it would grow hot - and I opened my eyes to see literal balls of fire hovering right above my palms - the edges of the flames licking the air as I realized what I had done.

“...holy fuck,” I whispered. “It’s a lot easier than I thought.”

“Perhaps it’s because your body was able to manage the first step, as a means of self preservation. I’ve seen many mages master their abilities in a variety of ways,” Glamour said. “Some can easily manage their abilities. Others struggle greatly at their beginnings and never reach their true potential.”

“...and what about Dreamers?” I asked, feeling the balls of flame shrink before extinguishing entirely, my hands starting to feel cold air once more. “If you’ve seen any.”

“I have seen one,” Glamour said. “A glimpse of the power she exhibited - a spark.” For a moment, she almost sounded saddened. “That spark died mere seconds later.”

“So she was possessed...” I thought. Even if being possessed was unlikely to happen here, the thought of such was still very much something that made me shudder. “Guess I should consider myself lucky.”

“Not lucky...unique,” Glamour said. “In any case, we should focus on harnessing your ability. You have grasped the concept of drawing mana, shaping it to your will, manifesting it into what you desire.”

“So the next step would be to improve my control over mana,” I said. “Should be simple enough.”

“Much more simple than you believe,” Glamour said as she sat back on a rock I had just noticed was there. “In the past, you used your memories to build the Fade into environments that were familiar to you. You were able to manipulate the area to create places that I was able to experience for myself.”

“Yeah?” I muttered, unsure of where she was going with this.

“It is an ability that you have shown to be quite proficient with over the past few days,” Glamour said as she crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee. “It has become easy, no?”

I blinked, trying to discern what she was talking about. It took me several moments of thought before it finally hit me. “Wait, so I’ve been doing magic before I could manage to try practicing magic on my own?” I asked.

“In a sense. You’re much more capable than you would initially believe,” Glamour said. “If you could manage to do great things subconsciously, imagine your potential when you have full control over your power.”

I found myself a little amazed. I’d forgotten that manipulating the Fade to my memories - and potentially my imagination - was still magic. “So what happens now?”

“Now, we get to work. Bring a memory of yours to life, and see if you could possibly hold the power to change or limit certain aspects of it,” Glamour said. “To do such a thing would provide an aspect of channeling your energy and increasing your control.”

So she was using an opportunity to learn about my world to teach me in the process. “Got it, killing two birds with one stone,” I said, cracking my knuckles.

“I’m sorry?” Glamour asked, tilting her head curiously. “Why would you do such a thing?”

I blinked before realizing what she meant. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean that literally. It’s a figure of speech - it means to get two things done at the same time, you know, showing memories and practicing magic and...and...” I slowly realized that I was not helping my case, and I coughed in my hand. “Never mind.”

Glamour only smirked at me. “Regardless of your killing of birds, bring up a memory of yours. Something fun,” she said. “If your world does have fun.”

I rolled my eyes before thinking back to a moment that stuck out to me in high school. The Fade around me began to shift, the green mist fading away to reveal a large indoor gymnasium - the familiar colors and pictures bringing back much more than nostalgia. The sounds of squeaking shoes on hardwood and shouting teenagers echoed in the building, and I watched as people I went to class with formed in the gym.

It was my class back when I was a sophomore, and they were playing dodgeball - with red balls shooting from one end of the gym to the other. Laughter and yelling were heard, and I smiled upon seeing just how chaotic the match was.

“This is what you consider fun?” Glamour asked. The two of us were sitting on the bleachers on either side of the dodgeball match, almost as if we were an audience.

“For when I was a kid, yeah,” I remarked. “It’s still pretty fun.”

“Hm,” Glamour remarked, remaining silent for a few more seconds as we watched. “It’s a rather odd fight. And at such a young age too.”

“Hm? Oh, dodgeball isn’t a fight. It’s a sport,” I said.

“Dodgeball? Sport?” Glamour asked curiously. “What is a sport?”

“Oh, it’s basically exercise. You know how people get stronger by working their bodies, burning energy, stuff like that?” I asked. “Dodgeball is a game you play that’s both fun and healthy for you.”

I smiled as Glamour leaned forward on her knees as I continued to explain the concept of sports, dodgeball, and eventually high school as the game continued to play in front of us. Time flew by as I explained more and more of what life was like in my old world, with plenty of fun and interesting things to cover before I eventually woke up.

And despite enjoying going through memory lane with Glamour - I woke up the next morning on a very dour note. I didn’t feel quite as happy anymore - nor excited over the opportunity to perform magic.

I found myself missing my home, now more than ever before.

Chapter Text

I was quiet for much of the late morning when I finally woke up on the aravel - which was on the move judging by the jostling and rumbling of the elven landship. I remained lying in the cot for a while when I woke, my thoughts full of what I remembered and dearly missed during my time dreaming.

It took me several minutes for me to finally build up the strength to get moving. After making my way through the elven landship, I found my way outside - a small hatch that led to the main ‘deck’ of the large wheeled carriage.

Valyssa and Keeper Istimaethoriel stood at the bow of the aravel, speaking quietly with one another. As I made my way over to them, I could see two halla pulling the large carriage through the forestry. Around us were a few dozen other aravels- each of different sizes, some with two wheels and many with four. The sails stood tall and proud, the heavy red fabrics standing out in clear view of the green and white environment around us.

“I see you’re awake,” the Keeper said. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine,” I said as I stretched my arms. “Just a little tired, but nothing serious.”

“Good. I’m glad,” the Keeper said. Valyssa had also turned around, sitting at the edge of the aravel as the wind whistled by. “We have much to talk about.”

I sighed. “Is it about the magic thing?” I asked.

“Yes. I must ask - how long have you been able to use magic?” the Keeper asked.

I scratched the back of my neck before sighing. “A while...” I mumbled, not sure if they would believe me if I said ‘a few days at the most’.

“Well, you must have some moderate experience with magic, especially if you could suppress your mana and avoid detection. Neither the Keeper nor I could sense it,” Valyssa asked, her voice stern. “Why did you not tell us?”

I looked away. The truth was that I hadn’t even considered it. Until the day before, I’d only ever used magic in the Fade - to shift my dreams while I slept. I hadn’t planned on telling the clan that I was capable of using magic.

I was quiet for a moment before I came up with a reason. “...I was a bit worried,” I finally mumbled. “You know how mages get treated. I thought you would...kick me out or something. Or worse.”

Valyssa’s look softened, and the Keeper sighed. “I understand your apprehension, and your worries are very much justified. But we are not the Chantry. Surely, you must know that we don’t discriminate upon abilities. You’ve proven yourself earn our trust,” she said.

“And you fought against some pretty nasty humans to save Riva,” Valyssa said. “So you don’t have to be worried that we’ll stab you in the back.”

That filled me with more relief than I expected. They were essentially saying I was a part of their family - basically, I was sort of adopted. “Thanks,” I said quietly. “And I’m not gonna get...you know, possessed and whatnot.”

“I imagine you would be by now, especially since shemlen mages go through their ‘Harrowing’ at ages younger than yourself,” Valyssa said.

“Now, now,” Keeper Istimaethoriel admonished. “Let us not dwell on the past. Let us speak of the news.”

“News?” I asked. “About what?”

“The Chantry’s Divine is apparently taking action against the mages and templars,” Valyssa explained. “We came across a few mages that tried to attack us - specifically our scouts. They’re dead now, but apparently they had letters and papers that suggested that they were on their way to Ostwick to catch a ship to their Temple of Sacred Ashes.”

“Indeed. Their Chantry has sent a call across Thedas, and many have risen to answer,” the Keeper said.

Wait. The Temple of Sacred Ashes.

The events of the Conclave.

“So...” I began, trying not to blurt out anything. My anxiety had skyrocketed, and I realized that the events of Inquisition’s storyline were about to kick off. “Do you think it might be a possible peace treaty?”

“I imagine so. Even the Chantry cannot ignore the fighting that has torn through Thedas. Representatives of both sides were summoned, which could possibly mean negotiations,” the Keeper said. “This is a very big moment.”

“Indeed, Keeper,” Valyssa concurred. “But it’s the Chantry. Knowing them, whatever they will do will surely impact us all. Knowing them, they might as well try to start something against the elves from the shemlen cities and the Dalish clans.”

The Keeper nodded. “As great as the potential to end the fighting may be...I agree with the potential dangers that may affect the Dalish,” she said. “What happens may change Thedas as a whole, and we must not ignore the chance to learn what the Chantry will do.”

“Then we must do something. Is there a way to have the Dalish have their own meeting?” I asked.

“Clans are scattered all across Thedas,” Valyssa said. “And the Chantry has its roots all over the lands. Even if we could manage to send messages to the other clans, the Chantry will be able to learn of this, and that will put us in greater danger.”

Oh shit, this is it. “But is this possible at all?” I asked. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be entire clans - just a few people.”

“We don’t know. Clans of the Dalish rarely meet - much less keep in contact, if we even can. The distance doesn’t help either, but there’s no doubt that many of us will be in danger with what the Chantry has planned - whatever that may be,” Valyssa said before she turned to the Keeper. “We have to do something. We could go to this Temple of Sacred Ashes, perhaps-.”

“Travel to Ferelden and risk the entirety of the clan to the notice of the Chantry?” the Keeper asked as she narrowed her eyes. “No. We must take a more subtle approach to this.”

“Then send me,” Valyssa said. “The future of our kind may very much be in peril, and we have to do something!”

“It is dangerous. Even traveling by sea to Ferelden will put us in peril,” the Keeper said. “I cannot in good conscious, send you to such potential danger.”

“Then send me with her,” I said, speaking up and cutting off any potential protest that Valyssa may have. “Like you said, you can’t risk the clan, and I’ll help protect Valyssa against anyone who may try to cause trouble.”

“I’d only be putting you in danger as well,” the Keeper said. “It’s too much of a risk.”

“Fenedhis lasa, risks be damned!” Valyssa snapped. “I’ll gladly risk myself for a chance to keep us all alive! We must do something, and the most we can do is try to get something, anything on this potential truce! Anything else will not be enough, you know that!”

The Keeper was silent, frowning as she seemingly remained deep in thought before sighing quietly to herself. “I know...” she said. “It is what must be done...”

Valyssa’s anger cooled, and she came over to the older elven clan leader. “I will be fine, and I will be careful. I give you my promise,” she said gently.

The Keeper only nodded before turning to look at me. “You wished to join her?” she asked.

I blinked. Was this really going to happen? “Uhh, yeah - if I’m still allowed to do that,” I said quietly, clearing my throat.

“Carlo? You don’t have to...” Valyssa said.

I slowly nodded. “Yeah...” I said. “A Dalish traveling with a human would probably get much less unwanted attention than if she were to travel alone.”

“Indeed. Though given how dangerous Thedas is right now, I expect that the two of you would still be attacked regardless,” the Keeper said. “Nevertheless, I want the two of you to stay together and protect each other.”

“Keeper, I will be careful. I promise you,” Valyssa said.

The Keeper looked away, looking ahead as the halla continued to pull the convoy of aravels through the forest. The two of us waited, almost anxiously as the Keeper remained silent.

After some more time, she spoke up once more. “Once we make a stop, we should be close enough to Ostwick for you to make it there on foot,” she finally said. “But if you really are to commit to what you are about to do, then I want to make sure you are prepared.”

Valyssa looked at me, her eyes gleaming in excitement before she looked back at Keeper Istimaethoriel . “You can count on me! I promise I’ll stay safe,” she said. “And I’ll look after Carlo here, he’ll need it more than I do.”

“Hey, I’m decent in a fight...” I complained, only for Valyssa to snicker.

The Keeper looked back at us, a stern expression on her face before sighing. “Again, as long as you’re careful,” she said. “We should reach our destination by midnight. You will leave the day after we arrive.”

“Understood, Keeper,” Valyssa said, with me nodding in reply.

Then the elder turned to look at me. “In the meantime, I believe we should discuss the specifics of your affinity for magic,” she said. “Tell us about what you can do - about what you know you are capable of.”

I felt a slight chill slide down my spine, and I sat down. My thoughts raced with options of lying, of trying to pass myself off as a normal mage - someone who could possibly just be like any other member of the Circle. But...I didn’t know much about the Circle, did I? I didn’t know what a normal mage’s life would be like.

And being caught out for lying because I didn’t know what passed as the truth would probably get me killed. Valyssa and Keeper Istimaethoriel waited patiently as I rubbed my eyes, my mind tipping back and forth as I tried to work out what to do.

Eventually, I’d speak up once more. “Well...promise that you won’t...well...get mad?” I asked.

“...why would we be mad?” Valyssa asked, her tone dropping a little bit - as if she were anxious - maybe just as anxious as I was feeling.

I took a deep breath, exhaling shakily before opening my eyes. “Because...I’m a Dreamer,” I said.

That got Valyssa to step back. “A Dreamer? What-but-” she whispered. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Well...I sort of wake up in the Fade whenever I fall asleep,” I said. “And I may be able to change the Fade around me...if that’s what Dreamers do. If not, I’m gonna feel pretty stupid”

“It is,” the Keeper said, coming forward. “I imagine you already know just how rare a Dreamer’s abilities are. If you truly are one, then I would like to see proof.”

I blinked, having been about to ask if that was possible before I remembered that it was. I could remember that Solas had the same ability to dream, and he was able to draw the Inquisitor into conversations in sleep. “I mean...” I muttered. “If I can find you in your sleep...”

“That sounds rather creepy, I’ll admit,” Valyssa muttered. “But, it’s the only real chance.”

The Keeper nodded. “Then I shall cast such a spell on the two of you,” she said. I stood up, and she held up a hand. “Do not be alarmed - I shall not attack you. On the contrary, the spell will make you rather tired.”

“I...okay,” I said, realizing just how wound up I was. “Sorry, I just...I’m a bit on edge.”

“What does that mean?” Valyssa asked.

“Nervous, it means I’m nervous...” I mumbled, not thinking about explaining figures of speech - although I figured that I’d probably end up using figures of speech often.

“Please know that Dreamers are a considerable threat to themselves. If there’s any possible way that you could be in danger, then we must help,” the Keeper said. “And if something could possibly happen to you...”

They didn’t need to say more - I would be killed if they had even the slightest suspicion of demonic possession. I was less worried about me being a Dreamer and what they could do to me, and more concerned about what they would do if they learned about Glamour.

Still, it wasn’t like I had much of a choice.

“Sounds good,” I said, praying to all that was holy - Chantry and Evanuris not included - that things would turn out alright, at least until we reached the Conclave. “Are we doing it now?”

The Keeper nodded, and gestured behind me - to the hatch that led back into the aravel. Valyssa led me inside, taking me back to the cot I’d woken up in a mere few minutes earlier. After laying down, I watched as Valyssa pulled out the cot next to mine, setting her stave down and lying down alongside me. “Alright, Keeper. Whenever you’re ready.”

The Keeper rested her stave on the floor, holding it steady as she closed her eyes. The crystal at the tip of her stave glowed brightly for several seconds before dimming at once. As the Keeper opened her eyes, I realized that I was growing very sleepy.

- across the Veil -

I found myself awake - so to speak in the realm across realms mere moments later, and I looked around to see the familiar hazy landscape of the Fade surrounding me. “Okay...this is a thing,” I mumbled. “How do I find someone’s dream?” I mumbled to myself as I scratched the back of my neck.

“Did somebody knock you out?” I turned around to see Glamour standing right by me, arms crossed. “You woke up minutes ago,” she remarked as she approached.

“I was put back to sleep,” I said. “They learned that I was a Dreamer, and they want me to make sure.”

“Ah. And how do they plan on making you prove your abilities?” Glamour asked.

“Well...” I mumbled. “They want me to find the clan’s First in a dream. If I can, then...” I shrugged, not needing to say much else.

“Fair enough,” Glamour said. “Although, I do question why they wish for you to prove this.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I think it would be wise for you to consider what this could mean for your future.”

I nodded. “I’ve given it some thought, and...well, I can trust them,” I said.

“Are you certain that this is what’s best?” Glamour asked, crossing her arms.

I shrugged. “It’s the best option I have. Hiding it any longer is riskier, and lying about it is probably not going last me long.” I crossed my arms. “In any case, I’m supposed to be looking for her now. How do I do that?”

Glamour uncrossed her arms, resting her hands on her hips as she sighed. “Finding others in the Fade shouldn’t be difficult - but given how you are a beginner, then I shall help you out,” she said. “Come with me.”

And that is how the two of us ended up walking through the Fade itself. I wasn’t sure if she was really taking me to Valyssa, or if just wandering around until a dream could be found was even possible - but my thoughts would be proven wrong. The longer we walked, I would start to be able to feel...different. It was starting to feel warmer, although the chill of the Fade still permeated said warmth.

“You feel it too, don’t you? The magic. It’s the telltale call of a presence within the Fade,” Glamour whispered. It took me a moment to realize that she sounded hungry, and I was quick to shut down any idea she may have had.

“No. If you show up, she’ll kill us both,” I was quick to say, grabbing her by the wrist and stopping her in her tracks. “And if you kill her, I’ll either be killed in my sleep or when I wake up.”

Glamour scowled before sighing. “I suppose you’re right,” she muttered. “You owe me for this.”

“I always do,” I grumbled quietly to myself as I released the desire demon. Looking around the Fade, I tried to spot anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t too long before I finally did - a pale haze in the near distance. “Is that her?”

“It might be. Or it could be another person dreaming,” Glamour said. “There’s no way to tell until you enter one’s dream.”

“Well, nobody should be asleep at this point,” I muttered. “It’s almost noon, I think.”

Glamour nodded before stepping back. I took that as a cue to step forward, making my way towards the haze. The closer I got, the more I could see that it was like a dome - an enclosed space of sorts. The haze seemed to move and shift in place, but other than that, it didn’t seem to move in any other way. Slowly raising a hand - I pushed my fingers against the haze, struck by a feeling of cold air.

Pulling them away, I looked at them - just to be sure that nothing happened. Sure enough, my fingers remained unaffected. I didn’t dare glance back at Glamour, just in case she would lose patience - so I pushed my foot in. Even through my dream shoes and dream pants, I could feel the cold air chill the skin beneath my clothes.

“Weird,” I muttered before I pushed through. The sudden freezing feeling disappeared as quickly as it had popped up, and I could no longer see the Fade. In fact, I saw the camp of clan Lavellan before we left. The snow was crisp, the air was cold, and the campfires burned around us.

It was as if we’d never left. I couldn’t see the walls of the dome - of the haze. It seemed like we were genuinely awake in the forest I’d woken up to for the past several days.

And Valyssa stood at the center of the camp, speaking to the Keeper by the aravel. Making my way over, I waved a hand. “Hey, Valyssa! Can I talk real quick?”

The clan’s First nodded, speaking a few more words of exchange with the Keeper before making her way over to me. “Is something the matter?” she asked.

“Well, what’re you dreaming about?” I asked.

Valyssa blinked. “Dreaming? What do you speak of?” she asked, her voice wary.

“I’m a Dreamer and your Keeper wanted me to prove it. So she put us both to sleep so I could find you and prove it,” I said. “You don’t remember?”

“No, I don’t-wait. Wait, wait, wait,” Valyssa said, closing her eyes for a moment before sighing. Then she looked at me, narrowing her eyes before she backed away a few seconds later. “I remember. You really are a Dreamer?”

I nodded, shrugging awkwardly. “Trust me, this is pretty new to me as well, but I am doing pretty well,” I said.

”How long have you had these abilities?” Valyssa asked. “And why would you keep them secret?”

“I’ve had them for a week now. Maybe more. As for why I hid them, well...” I looked away, unsure of how to say this before settling on a partial truth. “I thought you were going to kill me if you learned I was a mage. With the war going on and the fact that I’d only end up endangering the clan-”

“Stop,” Valyssa said. She didn’t seem angry, which was a good thing, but she did seem upset. With a deep sight she rubbed her eyes. “I guess I understand why you thought we’d try to hurt you. But you know we won’t, right?

I shrugged again. “Well, now I do. Sorry.”

“Like I said, I understand,” Valyssa said gently. “Thank you for being honest. And it’ll help knowing this going forward.”

“Hm? How so?” I asked.

“For one, we need to work out how this is possible. You said you got your abilities a week ago? Most Dreamers that exist - the few of them there are - typically get their ability upon first manifesting the ability to wield magic,” Valyssa said before looking around. “Show me that you can in fact Dream. Change this place into something else.”

I blinked. “Uhh...now?” I asked. “I mean...isn’t that dangerous? Demons could get lured in and-”

“I can handle any demons that appear,” Valyssa said, and I realized she had her stave on her back. Then again, Dragon Age 2 allowed people to fight in the Fade in that one quest with the Dreamer kid.

“Okay. Okay, I got this,” I muttered as I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply as I felt my own slow yet steady heartbeat in my chest. I just had to be careful not to end up summoning something from my own life before Thedas - which wasn’t much. There was little else other than the blizzard that I had suddenly spawned into, and-

“Is this...when we first met?”

I opened my eyes before looking around. Sure enough, we were in the middle of a blizzard. We were freezing, and the snowfall was so violent that I nearly couldn’t see Valyssa - at least until I could see the glow of light from her stave.

“No, this is what I last remembered,” I realized. “Before waking up in that cave.” I looked around, seeing just how brutal the blizzard was. Then again, I already knew that - I’d almost died in that before I was rescued. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my thoughts towards after I’d woken up - and the blizzard itself died down at once.

It wasn’t as freezing as before - but it was bright. The sight was as beautiful as I remembered, something straight out of a fairy tale. “Thanks again. For saving me,” I said quietly.

I turned to look at Valyssa, who only looked back at me with a smile. It was a small one, more than what I expected from her - but a smile nonetheless. “Guess you aren’t such a bad shem.”

“Knowing how the other ‘shem’ apparently treat elves, I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said.

“You say you’re from Kirkwall, yes? How are you not aware of how your kind treat elves?” Valyssa asked, crossing her arms.

I was miraculously able to withhold my wince as I looked back at the snow. “Well, the Alienage in Kirkwall seemed just about as crowded as the rest of that area in Kirkwall. Most of the city’s a hole in the ground, so I thought we all just...you know...lived like that,” I said.

“And you never grew up around such prejudice?” Valyssa asked, skeptical.

I shrugged, deciding to roll along. “Not really. A few were assholes, but longer ears is a stupid reason to hate someone,” I said. “Figured they were just being stupid.”

“Oh, make no mistake - they are just being stupid,” Valyssa chuckled. “I’m glad you’re not like them.”

“Thanks,” I said. “If it helps, you’re way better than any human I know.”

Valyssa only shook her head. “So you really are a Dreamer,” she muttered. ”This means we’ll have a lot of work to do.”

“What kind of work?” I asked before everything went dark.

I awoke, startled and shaken from the sudden burst of adrenaline that shot through me. I was back on the aravel, trting to sit up with my breaths heavy.

“Is it true?” I could hear the Keeper asked.

“It is, Keeper. He is as he says, a Dreamer,” Valyssa said. She’d gotten up already, while I was struggling to sit up.

“Fascinating,” the Keeper whispered, and I looked to see that she’d gotten closer. “And you’ve resisted possession all this time?”

“I detected no risk during the extent of our dreams. I could hear and feel no demons, nothing out of the ordinary. What he is...he’s something else,” Valyssa said.

”Remarkable,” the Keeper muttered. “His potential is great.”

“Uhh, what does this mean?” I asked.

“It means you shall receive formal training to wield and utilize your capability to wield magic,” Valyssa said as she crossed her arms. “Until we receive our destination, you’ll learn the basics of how wielding magic works. Is that understood?”

It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. “Alright,” I said, doing my best to hide how nervous I was feeling. “Okay, how do we start?”

- many hours later -

Apparently, we started with a lecture. Valyssa became my teacher in a sense, having me memorize the kinds of magic that existed, such as elemental, spirit, primal, force, creation, and more. She had me recite the essentials of mana, magic, resistance to demons, and more.

About halfway into the afternoon, she had me start practice on conjuring spells, small ones. It started with learning to draw upon mana, which was relatively easy given what Glamour had been teaching me in my dreams.

Nevertheless, it was pretty satisfying to see the mild glint of surprise flicker through Valyssa’s eyes when I summoned a small ball of fire in the palm of my hand - holding it steady for a good few seconds.

“Is it possible to bring up barriers?” I asked. “Like shields of mana?”

“Defensive magic? It exists, but they tend to be used as a last resort. Mages are ideal at range, and the mana needed to create a shield strong enough to block a physical blow is enough to power a dozen spells,” Valyssa explained.

So it was less a matter of whether it could be done and more a matter of using it at the right times. “Worth a shot,” I muttered, thinking back to when I had apparently deflected that blow with magic.

“You’re doing the basics, so don’t rush it. And don’t bother trying to focus on something like expecting to do battle in knife ranges,” Valyssa scolded. “Now Let’s start focusing on pushing your mana. Summon that fireball again?”

I did so, feeling its warmth hovering above my skin as Valyssa sat in front of me. “Now see if you can try and amplify it. Push more mana into it, make it grow larger or burn brighter.”

“Is that safe?” I asked.

“I’ll be here to prevent anything from happening, alright?” Valyssa said. “Now do it.”

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply as I held up my hand with the fireball. Drawing within, I followed Glamour’s guidance and pushed my mana through my body - down my arm and into my hand.

I could feel its warmth grow in heat - and my eyes opened to see the fireball had grown in size - from the size of a baseball to about as large as a bowling ball. I had to keep from flinching, should I lose control and end up launching it somewhere.

“Impressive,” Valyssa said. “You’re improving faster than I thought. Are you sure you’re not skilled in magic?”

“I’m sure. This is all new to me,” I said. “Maybe I’m better at practical application than theory?”

“It seems so. It probably means that learning off of books and lectures would be less than effective with you,” Valyssa remarked.

“And my moment of triumph has died an ugly death. Thanks for that,” I sighed. Valyssa let out a tiny scoff.

The aravel bumped.

I stumbled back, the fireball exploding in my hand. Any feeling of horrid hellish burning didn’t come, not that I was expecting it.

I hadn’t expected that little bump to shatter my concentration so easily in the first place.

The swathes of flame died down as quickly as it had happened, and I forced my eyes open to see Valyssa’s hand glowing. Had she nullified or countered it in some way? “You alright?” she asked.

“I’m alive,” I said. “Thanks.”

Valyssa nodded before sitting by me. “This is a good enough time for a break,” she said. “In the meantime, you could answer some questions.”

I fought hard to stifle any panic that may or may not have shot up, and I nodded. “Shoot.”

“Shoot?” Valyssa asked.

“Go ahead, I mean,” I quickly amended.

“Uh huh,” Valyssa mumbled. “Are you certain your magical capabilities are so new?”

“Yeah. I started having this stuff maybe a day or two after you first found me. If I had it earlier, then I’d probably have been in Kirkwall’s circle - and that would have been one heck of a mess,” I said.

“Fair enough. In any case, it’s very odd to manifest magic this late. How old are you?” Valyssa asked.

“My early twenties,” I responded.

“Exactly my point!” Valyssa cried. “Magic is discovered before someone reaches ten! I don’t understand how you bloomed so late! And you couldn’t be faking it, not with how your own mana behaves!” She groaned and wiped her face. “I don’t get it, not at all.”

Maybe it was because it had to do with the fact that I’m not even from this world, and my magic manifested when I first arrived. I wasn’t going to tell her that, obviously - it was an easy way for me to get burned at the stake.

All I could do was shrug, not wanting to risk making some weird excuse that would only have more suspicion thrown on me. “Not sure what to say. Maybe I’m a special case,” I muttered. Not that I was complaining about the ability to wield magic, but the side effect of starting it at this age made me wonder if it was worth it.

“Yeah, that’s very much an understatement,” Valyssa grumbled before she rubbed her eyes tiredly. “In any case, there’s not much that can be done about it now. It’s clear you have the potential, and you’re learning quickly.”

I nodded. “Alright,” I said, more than glad to move on from that particular subject. The last thing I wanted was to have attention focused on how prominently I stood out from any other mage in this world. “So I have the basics of pulling mana forward for spells. Should I start learning more spells to get started on?”

“No, we’re going to make sure that you can absolutely handle yourself when pulling on your mana reserves. Mana is always the first step to the basics of magic, so we’re going to focus on mastering that first. And that includes meditation,” Valyssa said, and she crossed her legs, waiting for me to follow her example.

I couldn’t help but sigh as I crossed my own legs. I wasn’t very good at staying still for long periods of time, although something told me I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. “How long does meditation take?” I asked.

“As long as it is needed,” Valyssa said. “And when ir’s time for us both to sleep again, we’re going to continue training in the Fade.”

I blinked. Training with Valyssa in the Fade? Knowing her, we’d end up learning for the entirety of our sleep.

Glamour wouldn’t be happy to hear that.

Chapter Text

“I am not pleased,” were Glamour’s first words the moment I fully explained my situation to her.

I sighed, not too surprised. “Yeah, I figured,” I muttered. “In any case, I doubt the two of you could train me together.”

“No, she’d no doubt try to kill me, and then kill you if you tried to defend me,” Glamour conceded. “I wonder why I bothered helping you find her earlier.”

I couldn’t help but groan to myself as I sat down in the Fade, next to Glamour. “Yeah, I’m wondering that myself. Still, it’s not like I can do much to stop that at this point,” I muttered. “Would it be possible to split our time? Maybe...the first half of my sleep here and the second half of my sleep with her? That’s fair, right?”

The desire demon crossed her arms. “Two thirds of your sleep with me and the last third with her,” Glamour insisted.

“...three fifths of my time in the Fade with you and the other two fifths with her,” I said. “Hopefully she can believe that finding her in the Fade is more difficult than it is.”

“Very well,” Glamour sighed, as if she weren’t the one getting more of my time than Valyssa. “Just don’t forget your deal.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” I promised before looking around me. There was no haze to be seen, but I was still a little worried. She won’t...be able to just find me, will she?” I asked. “Like, she won’t stumble across the two of us or-”

“No, only Dreamers may wander the Fade as freely as you do,” Glamour said. “The only way she will learn of the two of us is if we both walk into her dream together.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it,” I sighed. “So what do you wanna know more of?”

“Well...something with a nice view. I’m in the mood for something peaceful,” Glamour said as she thoughtfully tapped her spindly finger against her chin. “Like that mountain from a while ago.”

“Well...” I mumbled to myself. I hadn’t been much of a traveler. The nicest places I could recall were the mountains and the big city, and I doubted Glamour would be too interested in the noisy cityscape.

So I thought up the next best thing.

I watched as the Fade shifted into a massive garden - park sized with neatly trimmed hedges and a wide variety of colorful and decorative flowers. Tall trees stood tall around the park, and a large circular fountain rose in the center of the area, a stone statue of someone I didn’t remember at the center of said fountain.

The pale green hue of the Fade quickly turned into the bright blue tone of a clear sunny sky. The sounds of chirping filled the air, and a gentle wind brushed against both me and Glamour.

“Oh my, what is this place?” Glamour asked as she looked around. “Some sort of noble’s backyard?”

“It’s a public garden,” I said. “Doesn’t belong to anybody. My parents and I went here once, and I always thought it was nice.”

“It is,” Glamour said as she brushed a hand along the edges of the nearby bushes.

I did the same, feeling just how real it was. Almost immediately, I was struck by nostalgia - the moments with my parents, the memories of just spending time with them. And they were all followed by more and more memories of my old life. My friends, my family, my job, my hobbies.

They all rushed me like a tidal wave of emotions, and it didn’t take long for the gardens I conjured up to vanish - reverting back to the Fade before I could stop it. The greenery, the blue skies, all blinked out of existence as Glamour turned back towards me, her expression one of annoyance.

“I-I’m sorry,” I said, my voice noticeably shaky. “I didn’t mean to - I mean-” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my fingers quiver as I attempted to try and bring back the garden.

Glamour’s features softened a moment later. “You miss this. Don’t you?” she asked.

I slowly nodded, cursing myself for losing concentration so abruptly. “It’s all from my old world. The more I think about it, the more I see what I’ve lost. What’s gone,” I confessed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your experience, just give me a moment and-”

“You needn’t,” Glamour interrupted. “I hadn’t considered if exploring your memories wouldn’t hold some pain for you in the process.”

I still felt bad about it. “I’ll move on. Hopefully it won’t take long for that. I just need to get used to it, right? Simple,” I said as I slowly pulled myself together.

“Perhaps,” Glamour said thoughtfully. She didn’t sound particularly sympathetic, but considering she wasn’t trying to force me to bring the garden back, she must be feeling kind. “I’ve little knowledge of how humans handle pain or loss. If that is how it works, I shall hold you to it.”

Fair enough. I chuckled weakly before sighing. “Thanks,” I muttered.

“Now cease your crying, it makes you look pathetic,” the desire demon huffed as she walked by me, and I realized my eyes were feeling a little wet.

“Hey, I’m not crying. Just feeling emotional, okay?” I said.

“Whatever you say, boy,” Glamour tittered as she walked by a nearby rock.

“Adults can feel emotion too!” I called as I hurried after her.

- some time later -

I was able to regain my composure, bringing back the garden for Glamour to explore once more. Despite the pain and the nostalgia, I was able to keep up the view of the environment for at least a few hours. As we walked, Glamour asked questions about my home, and I answered the best that I could without feeling sad.

Glamour eventually let me go to find Valyssa, and it took me several minutes of wandering before I eventually came across that same haze from earlier. Stepping inside, I saw not the forest camp - but what looked to be the base of a mountain. Sure enough, much of the clan was at the mountain, with aravels parked by the rocks and tents set up by caves and other shelters.

One side of the camp was protected by large rock walls, no doubt constructed by the clan to ward off enemy attacks. The other side was guarded from the edges of the mountain itself, where the jagged rocks above should have left no cover for anyone to attack.

Though, that didn’t seem to stop the ragtag group of men and women from launching an attack from above the rocks anyways.

The instant I’d entered the dome, my ears were assaulted by the sounds of chaos. The shouts and clanging of metal rang through the camp as several dozen people jumped down the rocks. A few lay dead on the ground with arrows sticking out of their bodies, but many still charged, fighting many elven warriors in sword to sword combat.

It was something straight out of some fantasy movie or video game cutscene, and I’d walked in the middle of it. For a moment, I was frozen - trying to comprehend what I’d just stumbled into before I remembered that this was a dream: specifically someone’s dream.

Or a nightmare.

“Valyssa?!” I called over the shouting of ringing metal and yelling from both humans and elves. I looked around, looking for the clan’s First over the chaos. “Valyssa, where are you?!”

It didn’t take long to find out where she was. All I had to do was see the exploding fireballs and burning people. Ignoring the screams, I rushed over to where Valyssa was, flinging fireballs at any humans that she could get a clear shot at. “Valyssa!”

I had almost stumbled when the elven mage brought her stave upon me, only for her eyes to widen. “You! You-you’re...who...” She shook her head, almost as if she were in disbelief as her gaze fell upon the battlefield around her. “No, I met you long after this happened. What-”

She looked back at me before snarling. “It’s a nightmare. I’m reliving the raider attack on my clan! I was supposed to...be teaching you,” she stormed towards me. “Where were you?!”

“I’m sorry I took so long, it’s not easy navigating the Fade-” I tried to explain, only to get tackled against the rocks by one of the raiders. “Get off!” I hissed, slamming my elbow into his back as I felt my back scraping against the rocks that very much felt very real. How did these Fade dreams slash nightmares even work if I could get attacked and possibly die here?

“Move!” Valyssa yelled, bringing up her stave.

“Does it look like I can do that?!” I snapped as I slammed my elbow down once more against the one pinning me to the rocks, kicking up my knee against his chest at the same time. Thankfully, that was enough to dislodge my attacker long enough for me to kick him off of me.

An explosion of fire decimated him the second he stumbled away from me, and Valyssa rushed up to me, her breaths heavy and her skin flushed. “Change the dream!” she cried. “Change it!”

Cursing myself for not thinking of that earlier, I tried to focus back on the garden from earlier - the only thing I could come up with on such short notice. Thankfully, it worked - the shouting and sounds of battle vanishing in an instant, replaced by a silence that would have been eerie if it weren’t for the change of envrronment.

I plopped my ass down on the nearest bench as Valyssa looked around me, seeing the same hedges, trees, flowers, statue in a fountain, and beautifully clear skies as Glamour did hours ago. “Where...is this?”

“Oh, some place in Hightown,” I said, quick to come up with a lie as I leaned back on the bench to catch my breath. “A place I’ve been to once, that’s all.” I looked at Valyssa, who was staring at the statue silently. “Uhh, what...what was that earlier? You said there was a raider attack on your clan?”

The clan’s First slowly turned towards me, her stance rigid. She looked haggard, almost haunted - not that I could blame her for what essentially looked like PTSD. “Are...are you going to be alright?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just...” Valyssa let out a shaky sigh as she made her way over to the bench. Sitting next to me, she set the stave by the bench and buried her face in her hands. “Shemlen slavers hired by Tevinters tried to steal our children. Many attacked us and died by our hand to let others steal the clan’s young,” she said.

I felt the spike of anger, and I forced it down - knowing there wasn’t much good to explode over something that had happened long ago. Inhaling deeply, I exhaled quietly to try and calm myself down. “You...did you beat them?” I asked.

“We did. But not before they slit the throats of eleven boys and girls. Out of spite,” Valyssa hissed. I clenched my own fists upon hearing that, the anger surging back. Once more, I was reminded of just how bad the racism that humans in Thedas tended to hold. The fact that they would murder elven children purely because of race shouldn’t have surprised me.

But the reality that people would absolutely do something so monstrous hadn’t truly sunk in. Not until now at least...

And Valyssa had to relive the attack because I’d spent too long with Glamour.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered darkly. “I...this wouldn’t have happened if-”

“Hey, I’ll hit you both in the Fade and in the real world if you finish that,” Valyssa said. “Like you said, you were trying to find me. It’s not like you knew what was happening and decided not to enter my nightmare.”

I remained silent.

“Let’s...let’s just focus on what we’re here to do,” Valyssa said, quick to push aside the subject. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Let’s...let’s just move on. We have work to do.”

Her tone left no room for argument, and even I wasn’t stupid enough to be forceful over such a rough event. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down before nodding. “Okay. What were we planning on learning next?” I asked.

- two days later -

Neither of us spoke of that nightmare. Things went back to normal as Valyssa pushed herself into teaching me, and I pushed myself into improving my magic as much as possible. It was weird being able to cast spells, but I was starting to master the basics of conjuring magic, practicing spells like summoning fireballs and even balls of light.

Eventually, almost a full day had passed after the clan had stopped at their destination. We were in another forest, a few miles from the edge of Ostwick. The city-state was one of many in the Free Marches, and surrounded by massive walls with a handful of buildings that towered over them near the center - those buildings presumably being the Circle tower and the Chantry.

I sighed as I took in what was essentially going to be the prologue of Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was the first step to this whole mess, and it would mean Valyssa would be well on her way to becoming the Inquisitor.

And I would be there - maybe even at the Conclave when Corypheus blows it all up.

That was a fucking terrifying thought.

I pushed those thoughts away as I looked out at the massive city in the distance - seeing the dim haze of lights shining over the walls in the late afternoon. “So Ostwick will have a ship we can take?” I asked.

“The city states are mostly running normally, even with the Circle rebellions. Ostwick’s Circle Tower never fell, so I think they’re working fine,” Valyssa said. “From what I could tell, any damage from those events in the other city states were repaired quickly.”

“I thought the city-states would have blown up from the conflict - not literally blown up-” I was quick to amend when Valyssa looked at me with an odd expression. “I meant, well, I thought there’d be a lot more panic and chaos over this many apostates.”

“You’d think so, but the Templars were particularly merciless in the aftermath of Kirkwall,” Valyssa said. “From what I could recall, they pretty much secured the city states and then started to comb most of the Free Marches, and we think the apostates mostly fled the area - ended up making their way either to the Imperium or Ferelden. It’s probably why the Circle in Ferelden collapsed not long after as well.”

That sounded about right. “Even so, will they actually let us travel?” I asked. “I know the Free Marches tend to have all sorts of problems, and a lot of them would probably be race related. Getting through can’t be easy”

“Well...I doubt they’d simply force me into their Alienage the second I walk in - Ostwick is an open city compared to the others. Still, I’m not expecting them to let us pass without trouble,” Valyssa sighed as she made her way next to me. “I suppose it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a shemlen come along. Draw some attention off me.”

It was clear she spoke with mild jest, and I rolled my eyes in response. “Does this mean I get to punch anyone who tries to touch you?” I asked. “Or call you a knife ear or worse?”

The young woman chuckled. “As satisfying as that would be, that wouldn’t be much of a good idea,” Valyssa said. “It’s probably best to just avoid attention as much as possible.”

“Fair,” I remarked. “How much food and water should be brought with us? I’m not really sure how long it’d take for us to get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.”

“Well, we did have a route planned,” Valyssa said, gesturing for me to follow. I did so, heading to the Keeper’s aravel - where a small table was set up. On that table was a large map of Thedas - including marked locations for the city states of the Free Marches, and the various cities of Ferelden across the channel. There was a series of lines drawn on the map, one starting from Ostwick and crossing the water to Highever. “So we’re going here by boat?” I asked.

Valyssa nodded as she began to trace a finger down the drawn lines. “Yes. Then we’ll travel to north of Lake Calenhad to resupply, then down the Imperial Highway to Redcliffe. After that - it should be a clear shot to the Frostback Mountains,” she said. “It should be...about two to three weeks of travel. A month if things are rough.”

“Do we know when this meeting at the temple will take place?” I asked.

“No, what we found only said that it would happen at the Temple of Sacred Ashes,” Valyssa said. “Which means we can’t waste any more time.”

Two weeks of rough terrain, no cellphones, and hanging around with Valyssa? “Well, that sounds like a nightmare to handle,” I muttered.

“There’s not much choice - not with what we have to attend,” Valyssa said as she crossed her arms. “This could reshape the way powers around Thedas work, and the Dalish clans all over could be affected.”

“And the fates of all the clans could all come down to this meeting,” I finished. “I agree - just not looking forward to what could end up getting in our way.”

“Well, life is never easy,” Valyssa said as she picked up a large sack, the sound of clinking metal within. “I’ll handle the coin.”

“What if we get attacked or robbed on the way?” I asked. “There’s not much the two of us can do - not to mention that almost everyone is gonna hate magic thanks to the whole mages and templars war going on.”

“And any more than two people would just have constant suspicion placed upon us,” Valyssa said. “A pair of us could slip through the city, get a boat, and maybe hitch a ride with anyone making their way to the temple as well.”

“Are we taking any mounts with us?” I asked.

“No. I don’t want to risk Mihlora or any other halla,” Valyssa said. “Walking is our safest option - even if it may not be the fastest.”

I nodded. “Alright. So when do we leave?” I asked.

“Soon,” Valyssa said. “I just have to say my goodbyes to my clan. Wait for me by the edge of the camp, okay?”

I nodded again, making my way to a rock by the side of the camp. Thankfully, it faced the open area between the forest and the city of Ostwick itself, which meant that there was no way the camp could get ambushed on this front.

Still, I wish I had something that could pass the time. Maybe I could ask if I could buy a book to read on the journey. I wasn’t even sure if the common language spoken here had the same written language as English. The thought of not being able to read was more than a little bit worrying.

I was quick to shake off my worries, knowing that it probably wouldn’t be viable to buy a book on such an important trip anyways. “Worrying about boredom isn’t gonna make it go away. Might as well get used to the thought of having nothing to do.”

Other than continuing to learn more about how to wield magic, that is.

“Excuse me?”

I blinked as I was brought out of my thoughts. Turning around, I saw Riva approaching me. She wasn’t wearing armor and her side was wrapped in bandages. “Hey,” I said. “You feelin’ okay?”

“I’ll make a full recovery,” Riva said. Her voice was soft in tone, and she seemed nervous. “Umm...I don’t think I got the chance to thank you.”

I couldn’t help but smile, and I brought my hand up, patting her on the shoulder. “No need to thank me. I’m just sorry you had to save my ass,” I said.

“You’re the reason I could save you in the first place,” Riva said. She smiled back, just a little. “Guess not all humans are so bad.”

I shrugged. “Well, I’m glad you’re getting better,” I said. “You come to say goodbye?”

“Well, I wanted to come with you...but I guess I can’t do that while I’m still like this,” Riva muttered, patting her bandaged side. “So...I guess thank you is all I can really say.”

“If things work out, Valyssa and I will be quick with our spying and make our way back here in...well, a month in the shortest,” I said.

“Back, huh?” Riva remarked, sitting on a rock near the one I was leaning on. “You plan on coming back to the clan?”

I wasn’t - I was planning on staying at Haven, then Skyhold - but I couldn’t say that this early. “Duh - I don’t have anywhere else to go - and you’re all starting to get used to me.”

“Starting to tolerate you, you mean,” Riva giggled.

“Same thing,” I grumbled before I reached over, ruffling her hair - much to her halfhearted protests. “Hey, you stay safe - alright? No crazy stuff.”

“I should be saying that to you,” Riva grumbled as she pushed her hand off of my head. “So don’t get killed.”

I nodded, and Riva headed off. I felt my mood improve greatly from that small bit of talk, and I was glad she wasn’t going to come along - especially with the amount of danger that was sure to be waiting for us when we showed up.

And there went my briefly improved mood.

“Hey,” Valyssa said, and I turned back to see her approaching. She wore a brown cloak that covered up much of her armor, and she held two large rucksacks in her hands. Pressed under her arm was a thick brown bundle as well. Her stave was wrapped up, slung over her back. “Are you ready to get going?”

I took one of the sacks - finding it to be not as heavy as it looked. It was most likely filled with food and water. “Yep,” I said, taking a deep breath as I took one last look around the clan’s camp. The various elves were bustling about, working on setting up campfires and shelters for the night. “Think the clan will be alright without the First?”

“They’ll do just fine without me. I don’t do everything around here, after all,” Valyssa said before grabbing the bundle under her arm. “Here, put this on.”

I took the bundle, unfurling and opening it to see that it was a heavy brown cloak, similar to what Valyssa was wearing over her outfit. “Good idea,” I muttered. It was sure to get cold, and a black leather jacket with a fur collar wasn’t exactly common.

Which made me wonder why I hadn’t exactly drawn more attention to my choice of outfit. Still, I wasn’t about to start now. Buttoning the cloak shut, I pulled the rucksack over my shoulder and looked back at Valyssa. “Are we good to go?” I asked.

The elven mage nodded, and she was the first to walk out from the camp. I took one last glance at the elves who watched us go before turning to follow her. The two of us walked down the path of the large open fields, approaching Ostwick’s walls as nighttime began to approach. “What do you think is gonna happen at the temple?” I asked.

“Hopefully a meeting we can spy on,” Valyssa remarked. “But even that’s unlikely - especially given that mages and templars will likely be showing up in great numbers.”

I remembered the opening menu of the game - specifically how it showed entire rows of templars and mages approaching the temple. I felt a shiver run through my spine as I began to think about just how many on either side were killed from the explosion. “Yeah...honestly, I’m wondering if this plan is even doable.”

Valyssa barked out a single chuckle. “Plan? We don’t even know what this temple looks like,” she said as she looked back at me. “But knowing the Chantry, it’s probably going to be some big nice looking place with a lot of places to sneak around.”

I didn’t very much remember the Temple of Sacred Ashes - other than what little I could recall from when I played Dragon Age: Origins, and there wasn’t much to recall. “Okay...” I muttered. “Look, I’m not saying this is a bad idea, but if we’re gonna do this - we’ll need to figure out something that gets us to what we need. Maybe we can find a book or something on what it looks like.”

“Considering the fact that there’s not much material about the temple in the first place,” Valyssa said. “But you do have a point. Did you have anything in mind?”

I shrugged, having not expected her to ask me such - but it was a valid question. “Personally, I’d just try to look for anything about that temple,” I said. “Then work out how we’ll get inside when we show up.”

“Sensible, but it could take up precious time,” Valyssa said.

“Well, flying by the seat of our pants isn’t exactly an ideal plan anyways,” I argued.

Valyssa blinked, and the tips of her ears twitched ever so slightly. “Flying by the...I’m sorry, what?”

“Some saying I heard,” I said, forcing myself to remember that some figures of speech didn’t exist in this world. “Basically means being reckless. And we don’t want that.”

Valyssa sighed. “Okay, you made your point. Once we reach Ostwick, we’ll start searching for something we can build a plan off of,” she said. “Hopefully there will actually be something we can use.”

I felt a little relieved that she was willing to listen. “Uh huh,” I said as I looked up at the walls of Ostwick, so far away. Despite the fact that we’d been walking at a brisk pace for a while now, the city state still looked like we hadn’t even stepped closer at all. “Here’s hoping things go smoothly.”

- an hour of walking later -

“Smoothly, huh?” Valyssa sighed.

I didn’t dare answer as I took in the view of the three men in filthy clothes with even filthier knives and pieces of wood. It had only been mere minutes after we’d entered Ostwick - specifically one of Ostwick’s many alleys.

“We just entered the city,” Valyssa grumbled. “Of course we run into trouble.”

“Hey, I didn’t know,” I quickly snapped.

“Isn’t this common enough where you came from?” Valyssa asked.

“Yeah, well Ostwick doesn’t have a Lowtown and a Darktown, now does it?” I shot back.

“You wanna empty that bag for us, knife ear?” the man sneered, interrupting our conversation.

I narrowed my eyes.“Please tell me I can punch them,” I said as I shrugged off my sack, holding it out to the elven mage.

“Go for it,” Valyssa said, taking my bag and crossing her arms.

I cracked my knuckles. I’d been in street and alley fights before - and I felt more than confident that I could take them down without much help. “Thanks,” I sneered.

The first man lunged at me, the knife coming in wildly, easy to avoid by a sidestep. His yell was cut off by a sudden wheeze as I buried my fist into his gut, and I shoved him to the ground. This all felt familiar - fighting people with knives, baseball bats, pieces of pipe, even planks of wood.

I fought the urge to grin as I watched him flop like a sack of potatoes. My gaze flickered up to see the two men looking much less confident. I almost felt at home.

The second man stumbled back, and I jumped forward - flinging my leg out and slamming my boot into his chest with enough force to send him crashing into the third guy. Before one of them could get up, I brought my foot up before dropping it on his chest.

“And stay down,” I warned before kicking him away. The three lay there, groaning as I looked back at Valyssa. “Feels great,” I said.

Valyssa looked mildly impressed - only mildly. “If you could fight, why did you almost get choked out by the two shemlens from the other day?” she asked.

My smile fell at the reminder of that less than ideal fight. “Wasn’t thinking right at the time,” was all I could say. “In any case, we’d better get out of the alley. It’s best to stay somewhere in sight.”

Valyssa didn’t respond, but she did follow - handing me the rucksack once more. As we entered the busy streets of Ostwick, we got to work on navigating the city.

Chapter Text

We finally got ourselves a stroke of luck.

About two hours of searching throughout the city later, we came across a bookstore that had a book written by Brother Genitivi - which had to do with the journey to the Temple of the Sacred Ashes during the events of Dragon Age: Origins. The book covered his trip to the village of Haven, the various trials of the temple, and his second journey with a fully funded and crewed expedition.

While we managed to get good illustrations of various rooms of the temple in the book, I couldn’t learn anything about the Hero of Ferelden and his or her party. It seemed like Brother Genitivi had completely omitted him from the book.

We were huddled up in the corner of the relatively quiet bookstore, away from any prying ears and eyes. Even so, we took great care not to draw attention or be too loud - just to be safe. Despite our success at finding the book, only Valyssa could read it - because the language in which it was written was not English.

Which meant that I could not read a single letter in this world whatsoever, much less a single word.

I decided to remain silent, only focusing on the pictures - at least for now. But I’d need to avoid books and rely on Valyssa for anything that needed reading. Not that I’d tell her that - it’d be pretty awkward to explain.

“Well, that settles it,” Valyssa said as she closed the book. “The main room is probably going to house the meeting. No doubt the Chantry’s ‘Divine’ will be there as well.”

“Knowing the Chantry, they’ll probably have repaired this whole thing,” I said, pointing out the holes that were drawn in. The temple in the menu screen of Dragon Age: Inquisition seemed to be in pretty good shape from what I remembered - at least until Corypheus blew it up.

“Which means there’ll probably be no sneaking in,” Valyssa said as she put it back on the shelf, brushing off her cloak as we made our way over to the bookstore’s door. “How well guarded do you think it will be?”

I recalled the Qunari Inquisitor’s backstory essentially being hired for security for the Conclave. “Knowing the Chantry? It’ll be very well guarded. Wouldn’t put it beyond them to hire mercenaries for protection. Not to mention the sheer number of mages and templars that we’ll see when we get there,” I muttered.

“That’s fair,” Valyssa said before tensing up at the door. “Wait. I have an idea.”

I looked over at her. “What is it?” I asked as I opened the bookstore door, the two of us making our way out.

Valyssa quickly closed the door before lowering her voice to a whisper. “We’re both mages. What if...we were to go to the temple just as mages?” she asked. “We...we could say we’re part of the rebellion, walk into the temple with the others under the banner of peace.”

I looked down, falling deep into thought over the proposed idea. “Well...it could work in theory,” I muttered. “It’s not the safest, but that probably is the best idea we have so far.”

“So far?” Valyssa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, a lot of things could go wrong,” I said.

“Really? You’re worried about stuff going wrong now?” Valyssa teased.

“Yeah, well I’m being more careful now, okay?” I muttered to myself. “I mean, we’re not exactly...you know, from the Circle.”

“We don’t have to be. We just say we’re capable of magic,” Valyssa said. “It wouldn’t be a lie either.”

I shrugged. “Guess that’s true,” I conceded. It did sound much more ideal than trying to sneak in such a highly populated area. My gaze turned to the rest of the city. Even though it was getting late and much colder, it was still crowded beyond relief. It reminded me of the big city, and how easy it was to get lost.

“I honestly have no idea where to go - this looks pretty different to Kirkwall,” I admitted.

Valyssa stretched her arms as we exited the bookstore, heading back into the relatively cold and dark streets of the city. “Lucky for you, I’ve been to Ostwick before, so finding the docks shouldn’t be too much of a struggle,” she said.

I found myself a little taken aback from that declaration. “Wait, you’ve been here before?” I asked.

“We sometimes do trade near the edges of the Free Marches. Sometimes we go to different places - Ostwick, Markham, Hercinia,” Valyssa said. “We went to Wycome once, but that wasn’t very fun.”

Wycome. That was something to remember.

“Uh huh. And how bad did humans treat you?” I asked as I looked around. I was suddenly aware that there were more than a few stares pointed at the two of us, a decent amount of them with dirty expressions.

“Getting protective now, are you?” Valyssa chortled. “Relax, not everyone shouts insults in a crowd. The looks are often the worst of it.”

“Doesn’t make it okay,” I said before looking over at Valyssa. “It is getting pretty dark - do ships usually leave this late?”

“A few do,” Valyssa said as she grabbed my arm, pulling me along. “So we’d better hurry before we miss one. Come on.”

“And if we do miss one?” I asked.

“If we do miss one, I’m going to slap you on the head because you keep asking questions,” Valyssa threatened, and I fell silent after that.

The walk through Ostwick was generally uneventful, thankfully - but the sheer size of the city made navigation a bit slow, especially with how tall and clustered the buildings were. Much of our time was spent squeezing through crowds, keeping our sacks close and making sure hands didn’t slip into any pockets or through any straps.

And there were more than a few attempts to get handsy - not just to pickpocket our things.

“If another hand tries to slip beneath my cloak one more time, I am going to kick someone,” Valyssa grumbled as we finally reached the docks. Unlike the rest of the city - there were much fewer buildings here.

The open space consisted entirely of berths for ships - dozens of them. Many were small and obviously personally owned, while others were large and presumably meant for cargo.

“So all we need to do is find a ship heading to Ferelden,” I said. “How much did we bring?”

“Just over ten sovereigns worth of coin,” Valyssa said, and I blinked in surprise. “What, you didn’t believe we were poor, did you?”

“No - I just thought the clans didn’t use much money,” I said. I always figured the money from doing business in the first and second game was purely for gameplay purposes.

“Well, we do use money. Clans do business with others - and trading isn’t reliable all the time,” Valyssa said. “So yes, we do sell things for money - mostly to do business with others that are willing to sell useful things to us.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I said. “So how do we get tickets?”

“Tickets? For a simple boat trip?” Valyssa asked in confusion. I could’ve slapped myself for letting that slip - but the elven mage only shook her head. “No, we just pay whoever owns the boat. Simple as that.”

It wasn’t as simple as that, not when the first thing they saw was the markings on Valyssa’s face or the ears on the sides of her head.

“For a knife ear like you? Twelve sovereigns.”

“Not taking bribes! Leave before I call the guard!”

“I could drop the price if you spend the journey in my quarters.”

“Whore.”

A few ships - specifically ships heading to Ferelden - skipped over, and Valyssa was seething red. “We’re running out of options. I’m tempted to just steal a boat at this point,” she snarled as she looked ahead. Out of the many docked ships in front of us, only two or three of them looked ready to leave.

“You think...I should do the talking?” I asked.

“Honestly, go for it. If I hear another comment about my being a ‘knife ear’ or a ‘whore’ or a ‘knife eared whore’, then I’m going to knock someone into the water,” Valyssa grumbled. “Maybe even with magic.”

I patted her on the shoulder, hoping to calm her down. “Trust me, I would’ve beaten up all those other guys if it were a good idea to do so,” I said. “I’ve had some experience shaking down a few people here and there. Mostly punks who thought they were tough people.”

“Shaking down? Punks?” Valyssa asked, her anger seemingly replaced by confusion.

“Punks means assholes,” I amended. I turned back around to see one of the ships with a few people walking up, down, and around the deck. Some were pulling back ropes, and it seemed ready to leave. “And by shaking down, watch and learn. You think that ship is a good bet?”

“Probably,” Valyssa said as she pointed up at the masts. “The banner on their sails indicates they hail under Highever’s flag.”

That sounded good enough for me, and I walked over. “Excuse me!” I called. One of the men on the deck turned to look at us. “Any chance we could speak with the captain?”

The man looked us up and down - specifically the cloaks that covered our bodies and choice of clothing before he turned around. “Cap’n!” he called.

A man climbed out of a hatch coming from below the deck. He was tall with a brown coat and a rough appearance. “What do you want?” he asked.

“You’re heading to Ferelden, right?” I asked. The man nodded once. “My friend and I need to get there - and we’re willing to pay.”

“Smugglin’, eh?” the man gruffly muttered. He leaned over me, his bad breath washing over me. I fought the urge to flinch or grimace - the last thing I wanted was to appear weak or rude. “And why should I lend previous space to you lot? Especially a knife ear?”

How many people here hated elves?

I could practically feel Valyssa’s bloodlust rising - but not as much as my own. “Look - we’re willing to pay you,” I said. “A few extra sovereigns over what you make in one trip.”

“Hm. Ten sovereigns each and I might consider it,” the man said.

We didn’t have that much money on us. “That’s a bit unreasonable, don’t you think?” I asked, quick to try and come up with some sort of middle ground. “Look, we’re not gonna ask for food or water either - just a little bit of room. We won’t try anything, and it’s no extra work on your part.”

“Didn’t you hear me, brat? Twenty sovereigns or no deal,” the man sneered. “Now get you and your whore out of here before I throw you into the sea.”

I didn't mean to get so mad so quickly.

My temper snapped before I realized it, and I quickly gripped the man’s collar - tugging him down to my level with a hiss. “Listen - we need to get to Ferelden - and we were willing to pay whole sovereigns,” I repeated. “But call her a whore again and I’m going to beat you black and blue, you got it?”

The man spat in my face as he gripped my wrist, threatening to squeeze and crush my bones. “Do you think you have the right to make demands of me, boy?” he hissed. “You have no power here.”

I pulled my left hand from his collar before snapping my fingers. A small flicker of flame burned to life between my fingers, and his eyes widened. The fire was small, and we were directly below a large lantern hanging from a post - so my fire wasn’t noticeable, not at a distance, at least.

“Don’t I?” I asked, and I could feel his wrist slacken significantly. “If you so much as even say a word to alert anyone right now, I will light up your ship and destroy your livelihood, your crew, and you as well. If you try to dump us overboard on the way to Ferelden, I will sink us all. Do I make myself clear?”

It felt weird, using magic to threaten someone compared to using the threat of broken bones - but it got the intended effect. “What do you want from us?” he growled.

“Like I said clearly, we just want safe passage to Ferelden. We’re not gonna rob you, we’re not gonna attack you unless you try anything us. We want no trouble, I mean it,” I whispered. My gaze flickered back to Valyssa, who nodded back at me. “We’ll still pay you for the trouble - four sovereigns for the two of us. You’ll be getting eight total. That’s all we got, so is that good?”

The man narrowed his eyes - he was nervous, but clearly trying not to show it. “Yeah, sounds good,” he grumbled.

I let him go slowly. “We won’t cause you any trouble,” I repeated, keeping my voice low. My anger hadn’t gone away, even as I extinguished the little flame I had, I think that anger was what kept him from calling for the guard right then and there. “Just think of us as extra cargo. But if any of you try anything to hurt me or my friend, you will regret it.”

The captain narrowed his eyes before brushing off his coat. “Yeah, no trouble,” he sighed before he gestured for us to come aboard.

I turned to look at Valyssa, who was already counting out the coin from her sack. “How’s that?” I asked.

“Not bad. Still, did you have to offer him most of our coin?” she asked, handing over a heavy pouch - and I could see she’d taken out the difference from what we’d promised him.

“If we threatened him without paying, he’d probably try something stupid,” I said as I hefted the large pouch in my hand. “This way, he won’t try and throw us overboard.”

“We could take him. And the crew,” Valyssa sighed. “But I get your point. Neither of us know how to use a ship, I think.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, I don’t know how to do that,” I said as the two of us headed over to the ship, hopping onto the deck. It was a modest vessel - with two masts and a raised aft deck. The captain was talking to his crew, and I could see the few men and women glancing at us every once in a while.

Eventually, the captain stopped talking, and the crew quickly dispersed. As they got to work on untying the ship from the berth, the tall man turned and headed over to us. “I just let them know we’re having a few passengers. They won’t try anything,” he said.

I was half certain that something was up, but throwing suspicion around was a surefire way to bring trouble before it could start. “Alright, I’m trusting you on that,” I said - handing the bag over to the captain. “Should be eight sovereigns. And it’s been counted.”

“I’m trusting you on that,” the captain said as he peered inside. I caught a glimpse as well, and I saw mostly silver before he closed it up. “Cargo deck’s almost full. Find someplace comfy.”

And with that, he headed to the door at the aft deck. Valyssa and I turned to look at each other before we headed down the hatch. The cargo area seemed to take up the entire - being completely full of crates, barrels, and much much more.

There was barely any light - and I was quick to conjure up a small flame - just enough to see what was inf front of us. There was barely any space as far as I could see - save for a relatively thin corridor straight down the middle.

The two of us pushed our way to the end of the corridor - where there was a small amount of space between two crates at the very end. “So...you get the space in the end and I get the end of the hallway?” I asked when we reached it.

“So I’ll get crushed if these boxes move even a little?” Valyssa asked.

“It’s not like I can fit in there,” I pointed out.

“Just squeeze in there - that way you won’t be crushed,” Valyssa suggested.

“That’s not how it works and you know it,” I muttered before sighing. “Fine, we both have the hallway. You take the end and I’ll take the space next to you.”

Valyssa narrowed her eyes before sighing. “Fine,” she muttered as she squeezed her way past me, setting her sack down before sitting down. The corridor wasn’t too thin, and Valyssa had just enough room for her shoulders to not touch the large boxes on either side of her.

I sat down, my back pressed against one crate while my feet pushed against another. I felt huddled up, knees bent and pushed against my chest as the ship rocked slowly. “Well...here’s hoping I don’t get seasick,” I muttered.

“The last time you said ‘here’s hoping’, the exact opposite happened,” Valyssa warned. “If you throw up on me, I will hang you in the water myself.”

I rolled my eyes. “Alright,” I said as I leaned back with an exhausted yawn. “I’m tired, gonna catch a few winks. You?”

“I’m not too sleepy yet. I’ll wake you up when I need to sleep,” Valyssa said as she crossed her arms and huddled back against the wall, the cloak draped over her front like a blanket as she hunched in.

I did the same. The cargo deck of the ship wasn’t too cold, but it definitely wasn’t warm. Still, it was comfortable enough, and the feeling of a sore back was going to be tomorrow me’s problem. “Good night. If anything crazy happens, wake me up,” I said.

“I will, don’t worry,” Valyssa said, nudging my side with her foot.

I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to claim me through the muffled sounds of splashing outside, as well as the slight rocking of the ship.

It took minutes for me to cross realms once again.

- in the Fade -

“How is it you’re always waiting for me when I wake up here?” I muttered upon seeing Glamour sitting on a rock a few feet from me.

“That’s a secret,” the desire demon said, her tone unusually jovial. “So, how did things go?”

“Pretty well. We’re making our way to Ferelden - and we managed to get to a ship heading there,” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “Well, I had to threaten some guy after he called Valyssa a whore.”

Glamour’s smile dropped. “As you should,” she said, her voice a bit haughty. “In any case, I’m less interested in every detail of your story. Now, what have you ready to show me next?”

“Okay, moving on,” I muttered before I put my focus into shifting the Fade - the open emptiness of the Fade transforming into enclosed walls and ceilings. The hazy and rocky ground turned into smooth wooden floors, and furniture began to appear.

Soon, Glamour and I were standing in my apartment - moderately large for one person. There was a dining table for two, a small kitchen with a built-in oven and a small fridge, and two cabinets. The living room was next to the dining area, with a television and a small couch by the window.

There were only two other rooms - the bedroom and the bathroom. The bedroom was small enough for one bed,a single small dresser, and a desk for homework and laptop stuff. The door to the bathroom was near the door out of the bedroom, for a sink, a mirror cabinet, a toilet, and an area just large enough for showering.

“This is...your home? It feels rather small,” Glamour said as she looked around curiously. I sat on the couch, letting the demon walk around and explore the space. She opened cabinets and drawers, pulled on chairs and touched the stove.

“Yeah - it’s my home,” I said. “Cozy and ideal for one person,” I said as I leaned back on the couch. The cushions were just as soft as I remembered, and the warm sunlight pouring through the window felt just as real.

“Very interesting. Do all humans live like this where you come from?” Glamour asked as she finished her exploration, coming over to the couch and sitting next to me. Her fingers brushed along the cushions as she hummed curiously.

“No, not really,” I said. “Families tend to live in houses. Apartments are meant for those who don’t plan on staying in one place forever. Usually for work or something.” I sighed as I remembered aspects of my old life, how I was staying in the city to finish classes and build up money from work before moving elsewhere for a big job.

Finishing my degree seemed very like a thing of the past now.

“It is a rather cozy place,” Glamour said as she peered around. Her eyes fell on the TV - a rather wide flatscreen. “What is that?”

“A television,” I said as I looked over to see the TV remote on the armrest of the couch’s edge. “It’s...not easy to explain how it works.” I took the remote and pushed the ’on’ button. The screen flickered to life, and Glamour’s eyes widened.

“What is this?” she whispered.

“Long story short - you can watch movies or play games on here,” I said as I looked at what was currently playing onscreen - specifically, a YouTube gaming video on Halo 3. It was something I’d remembered, and it made me wonder if I could pull up entire movies from my memories or not. “It’s all entertainment.”

“Fascinating,” Glamour breathed. “How does it work?”

“Electricity and a lot of stuff I have no idea how to explain,” I said as I eventually shut off the TV. “We don’t have magic here, so we make do.”

I spent some time talking about how my world worked - how clean energy existed, creating electricity that powered homes, generated heat and light, how businesses flourished and worked, and much more. I even started talking about other things created in my world, stuff like vehicles and video games - specifically Halo.

I nerded out about what I liked about the games, even being able to spawn in stuff from Halo in the Fade - specifically the energy sword and the jackal defense gauntlet. I’d spent about half an hour playing around with the dreamed up weapons, and they remained on my person before I went back to talking about the general state of my world.

And Glamour listened with rapt attention, laying back comfortably on the couch as we made ourselves at home. For a few moments at a time, I’d completely forgotten where I was, that I was in the Fade and not at all in my apartment conversing happily with a demon whilst holding video game weapons.

“So none of this is magic - anyone can just create this kind of power,” Glamour whispered as she looked up at the ceiling lamp - which glowed brightly from the lamp that burned within.

“Well, it’s not easy to make, you need years of learning this kind of stuff, but yeah,” I said, holding up the energy sword in my hands. It was large, and even as I held it in my dreams, it all felt real - and I had to actively resist the urge to keep swinging it - just in case I’d dreamt up the fact it was pure plasma. “People build careers off of this stuff.”

“Careers? What do you mean?” the demon asked.

“Careers are basically long term jobs you train for,” I explained, thinking back to when I still went to college - which was right before I ended up in Thedas. “Some people take jobs to work on machines or on electric grids and stuff like that because they pay a lot. Others open up their own businesses to make names for themselves - and it becomes a family business. That’s just a few examples.”

“And what is your ‘career’?” Glamour asked.

“A chef, believe it or not,” I said as I lowered my fake energy sword. The demon’s eyes blinked twice, and I realized what was wrong. “A cook, I mean. Same thing.”

“A cook?” Glamour asked. “That’s not what I would’ve expected.”

“Yeah, I like making food,” I said before sighing. “If I’m being honest, I forgot I was even studying to even become one when I got here. I’ve mostly been thinking of - well, trying to survive here.”

Glamour’s eyes softened, and she remained silent for a while. “Do you ever wish you could be back home?” she asked.

I fell deep into thought. “Well, don’t get me wrong - living in Thedas has been pretty cool, and I’m talking to a literal desire demon,” I said. “But on the other hand, I had a future back home - friends, family, classes, a job, my motorcycle...”

“Do you miss them?” Glamour asked.

“Yeah, I miss my friends and family,” I said as I looked down at the energy sword in my hands. “I hope they’re okay - but there’s really no way for me to check.”

Things went silent between us for a bit, and then Glamour started to speak once more. “Tell me about them.”

I would have, if I had the chance. My mind fell to my parents, to my friends, and I opened my mouth to talk about them.

Glamour vanished in front of my eyes before I could say a word, as did my apartment. I was back in the ship, sitting in the corridor between crates, presumably halfway to Ferelden.

“Wake up!” Valyssa hissed, and I ignored the sudden ache in my back as I looked around. Valyssa was standing over me, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly and shaking me harshly.

I was a little drowsy, but I was quick to shake it off as much as I could when I heard the sounds of muffled shouting above us. “What’s going on?” I asked, feeling my fist enclosed around something. What was I holding?

“We’re being attacked! Pirates!” Valyssa hissed, and I instantly forgot about whatever was in my hand. My drowsiness now gone, I stumbled to my feet - hearing the sounds of yelling and thumps against the deck above us.

“We need to help!” I hissed before Valyssa shoved me against the crates, pinning me against them as she looked up.

“Don’t be stupid!” she snapped. “We need a plan.”

“Well, why don’t you come up with one?!” I spat as I looked up. What little light I could see through the wooden boards of the upper deck kept moving, with people stepping over the ultra thin gaps. “Are they even pirates?”

“They boarded us with ropes and hooks,” Valyssa whispered, and she gestured to the sliver of space between the cargo and the upper deck. I followed her gaze, and I saw what she was pointing at - a thin metal barb gleaming in the limited light we had. “They’re likely going to steal the cargo - maybe even the whole ship.”

“Well they’re going to come down here soon!” I whispered, my clenched fist tightening over the odd warmed metal. “We can’t hide, we have to do something!”

“Well, what can we do?” Valyssa asked. “If we try and go out there, we’ll only get attacked - and we can’t fight in tight spaces like this!”

I growled. “Dammit, of course something goes wrong! Something always goes wrong!” I snarled, my voice still a whisper as I felt just how cold it was.

The clattering of metal above was heard. “Like you said, we have to do something. We can wait out here - or we could try and bribe the pirates to-” Valyssa began.

“To hell with that! I say we go up there and fight!” I snapped, and I swung my arm, slamming my fist against the nearest crate.

A loud hiss filled the air, and the entire area to my right lit up with a pale light. Valyssa and I stumbled from the sudden light and noise, and I whirled to see what had happened.

The energy sword from my dreams rested in my hand, the blade hissing and burning the air it touched as it illuminated much of the cargo hold. The sudden heat from the video game weapon turned real life weapon warmed up the area, and the two of us were silent.

“What-what is that?” Valyssa asked quietly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the plasma sizzling the air - and part of the crate I’d hit.

I was still in astonishment, my thoughts quickly began to race as I took in this new reality of this situation. I had a weapon - one that I’d somehow brought from the Fade into real life.

“Something very useful,” I mumbled before looking over - seeing the closed hatch where we came in. “I have an idea.”

Chapter Text

It all happened so fast.

I’d moved once the trapdoor had opened, with a man in dirty clothes holding a sword stepping in. What available space was lit up by the twin pronged blades of energy as I closed in - much faster on solid wood than the man was climbing down a step ladder.

The man yelled when he saw the glow of the energy sword, but he fell silent moments afterwards. I hadn’t even hesitated - my heart racing as I cut him down before he could get away. His pieces thumped to the floor against my foot, the sound of hissing and a nasty smell filling the air.

I hadn’t thought this through as clearly as I thought I had.

I paid no attention to what remained of his body as if crumpled on the floor, and I fought to keep the surge of sickness from pushing its way up my throat. I scrambled out of the hatch - just in time to see what the main deck looked like.

The crew and the captain were tied up against the main mast, and there were half a dozen armored men and women with swords and daggers across the ship. One stood on the upper deck with a bow and arrow. Next to this ship was another smaller one, connected by several ropes with hooks caught in the wooden railing of the deck, as well as another rope attached to a single ballista on the attacking ship.

“There’s more of them!” one of the women yelled, and a man with a greatsword wasted no more time rushing in - the large two handed weapon swinging down at me as he charged with a roar.

I barely had time to react once I was on my feet, swinging my arm up to cut off the incoming sword - which practically melted into two pieces as the energy sword passed right through it.

The man stumbled back in shock, holding what remained of his greatsword before I capitalized on the moment, kicking him down with as much force as I could muster. He slammed into the wooden railing with a pained grunt and I looked up to see that the other boarders hadn’t moved.

Valyssa joined me on the deck, her stave unwrapped and gripped tightly as she surveyed the damage. For a moment, we were all standing still on the rocking ship. “Six,” she mumbled.

“Only five of them are armed now,” I said as the other attackers readied themselves to fight. Forcing my sickness down, I held up my blade. “You take out the archer. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Alright,” she said, and that was the end of our conversation. The boarders rushed forward, spreading out to surround me as Valyssa opened fire - launching blasts of magic up at the archer on the aft deck across the ship.

The first swordsman tried to get in low to cut at my legs, but I was quick to back away, not slowed down by armor like the others were. My back hit the railing as the others attempted to rush me, but I wasn’t about to let myself get cut down - especially by pirates of all people.

Swinging wildly in a wide arc, I caught a woman’s dagger with the glowing blade - as well as her hand. A scream filled the air as she crashed into the deck, clutching her steaming remains of a wrist as I lunged at another man.

The stab was clean and swift - and I almost didn’t feel the resistance his body gave to getting run through with pure plasma. That same horrible smell filled the air, and I whirled around to see the other three attackers stumbling back in horror. I probably should have asked them to surrender, to throw down their weapons and avoid any more pain and death.

I should have done that, it would have saved the next several hours from being absolute hell.

Instead, I let out a yell and charged at them as they tried to retreat.

It all happened so fast.

When I stumbled to the deck, chest hurting as I panted for breath, I felt a cold sensation wash over my entire body. I dropped the sword, and it thankfully shut off before it hit the wooden floor. The smell of death and burnt flesh was still there, and I was almost certain that I’d be smelling it for the rest of my life.

A ringing sensation hit my ears, and I looked around - the ship rocking ever so slightly. The attacking vessel was still attached to the ship we were on, but there wasn’t anyone else onboard. Were the ones who boarded the only ones who crewed that ship?

I forced myself to my feet, stumbling to the railing as I tried to regain some sense of composure. My body felt cold and shaky, and my chest hurt like hell. I tried to say something, anything - but my throat seized up - and I began to heave over the edge of the ship.

When a hand rested on my shoulder, I couldn’t help but flinch badly. Valyssa pulled me from the railing, helping me stand as she guided me towards the aft deck. “Hey. Hey, it’s over,” she whispered.

I nodded, my head feeling heavy as I leaned against her. “Sorry,” I mumbled. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the handle of the energy sword I’d dropped. The video game item I had used to mercilessly cut down people - living people.

The urge to throw up returned, and I choked.

“Hey, hey!” Valyssa hissed. “Come on, you need water.”

I wasn’t in the mood to argue - although knowing Valyssa, it would have been pointless either way. I let her guide me to the stairs that led up to the aft deck, sitting me down. Letting me go, the elven mage quickly turned and hurried across the ship, towards the hatch that led to the lower cargo deck.

I watched as she vanished below deck, coming back in a minute with the rucksacks we brought. Fishing through them, she pulled out a skin canteen filled with water. “Here, drink,” she whispered, popping open the cap and guiding it to my lips.

The water was warm and stale, but I gulped it down greedily. I had to have finished at least half of the canteen before she pulled it away from me. “Just...just sit here, alright?” she asked.

I could only nod numbly, leaning back on the stairs as the cargo ship continued to sail. The sound of splashing waves and creaking wood was all I could hear, although I couldn’t very much register the sounds with my mind racing.

I was exhausted, aching, and I was fairly certain I hadn’t eaten for a long time - but all I could think about was how I killed them.

I’d killed those people.

They were pirates.

But they’re dead because of me.

I’d somehow brought a weapon from a completely different video game into this world, and I used it to kill people.

Hours passed, and I felt nothing - almost lifeless. Valyssa returned a few moments later to bring me back to the cargo hold. Every once in a while, she would speak with me: about what, I couldn’t remember. She gave me some more water and food, though I couldn’t bring it in myself to eat. Thankfully, she didn’t force it - and the remainder of the journey would be spent in relative silence.

It was early noon time the next day when we finally arrived in Ferelden. The captain had peeked down below to tell us that we were here. The two of us grabbed our things and made our way up the step ladder and onto the main deck - to see Highever before us.

It was like Ostwick - only not as densely populated. There were less taller buildings, and a large castle in the distance, resting on slightly higher ground.

“Hey.”

I turned around to see the captain approaching. “Thank you. For saving my crew and my ship,” he said. His voice was still gruff, but less rough than before. “I imagine you didn’t have to do that.”

I shook my head. “It would’ve been stupid not to defend the ship,” I mumbled.

The captain nodded. “Even so, you have our gratitude nonetheless. I won’t ask questions, and no one will know we smuggled apostates, alright?” he asked.

“Alright,” I confirmed. “Thanks.”

And with that, we stepped off the cargo ship, making our way out of the docks of Ferelden. The area was busy, and we were lucky to slip towards the cobblestone streets without causing any trouble.

We walked for a while before Valyssa pulled me towards an alley. After making sure it was empty and not too dark, she pushed me gently against the wall. “That was the first time you’ve taken a life, wasn’t it?” she asked me quietly.

I nodded. “It...it was,” I mumbled with a shuddering sigh.

“I...I’m sorry,” Valyssa whispered. “It’s never easy.”

I fell silent before pushing myself to ask. “Have you killed before?” I asked, before remembering the nightmare from before.

“Yes, I have. A few people over the years. That attack you saw in the Fade...plenty of shems died that day,” Valyssa explained.

I nodded again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be moping over this. I mean, I’ve seen death before, but-” I began.

“Riva killing that filthy shem was not your burden to bear. It does not apply similarly to this,” Valyssa interjected. “Seeing someone die and taking their life yourself are two different things.”

I agreed to some degree, but it didn’t help much. “I dunno. I mean, they’re pirates and they probably deserve it, but-”

“A life is a life, good or bad. Trust me, as much as I hated shems at the time, killing one wasn’t as easy as I thought,” Valyssa said. “So believe me when I say that I understand, and that things will get better over time.”

I slowly nodded one last time before forcing a smile on my face. “At the time? Does that mean you don’t hate shems anymore?” I asked.

Valyssa only smirked. “Nah, it’s just you,” she said, nudging my shoulder. The smirk died fairly quickly, her expression softening. “If you do want to talk-” she began.

“I will, I promise,” I said. “Thanks. Sorry for...”

“Don’t worry about it,” the mage sighed. “Can I at least ask...what was it you used to kill those pirates?”

I wasn’t sure how to explain it, so I ended up spilling part of the truth. I was...holding it while I dreamed. It was something I came up with when I was just doing stuff in the Fade,” I said. “Can’t really say what it is - only that it’s real now.”

Valyssa seemed to be taken aback. “You dreamed it...into reality?” she whispered. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of that happening - but Dreamers...very little is known about what they’re capable of.” A moment of silence passed before she spoke up once more. “Come on, we need to see if we can find passage to the Frostback Mountains,” she said.

The two of us were quick to move on - our journey soured but not downed from that dark chapter. Despite Highever not being as packed and large as Ostwick, navigating the city - or teyrnir, Valyssa called it - wasn’t any easier. It was early in the afternoon when we finally managed to find where we could find the main gates of Highever.

And apparently, travel was popular. The gates were flush with traffic - with many horse drawn carts traveling in and out of the teyrnir. Near the entrance was a massive set of stables, where horses and carts could rest or prepare themselves for departure. And like at Ostwick, there were plenty of carts getting ready to leave Highever. The only thing we needed to figure out was which ones were heading to the Frostback Mountains.

Thankfully, many of them were heading in that location, presumably due to the Conclave being called upon by the Chantry. Some had guards, and others traveled alone. But there was one cart that we had some decent luck with.

“We’re heading to Haven as well,” Valyssa said to the man standing by his cart. “We’re willing to help protect you against raiders and bandits in exchange for a ride with you.”

The man had a family - a wife and a son in his younger teens. Both were in the cart, looking nervously as we spoke to the husband that owned the cart. Both looked relatively well off, with plenty of supplies for the long trip down the Imperial Highway. I did my best not to make eye contact - I didn’t want to seem dangerous or at the least, weird.

“We wouldn’t be able to pay you,” the man said nervously. “And we don’t have enough supplies to-”

“We brought our own supplies, and we’re not going to ask you for any coin. All we want is transport to the Frostback Mountains,” Valyssa quickly reassured. “We promise you no harm.”

There was silence between us, the sounds of bustling life in Highever occupying the gap before the man spoke up once more. “Do you...do you give your word?” he asked.

“Felix, you can’t possibly consider this!” the man’s wife hissed.

“You know how bad things get - ever since those damned apostates and templars started fighting, nowhere is safe!” the husband grumbled. “And because of them, bandits are everywhere!”

“How do you know they’re not any different?” the wife demanded.

“Because they want to get to Haven too!” Felix said before turning to both me and Valyssa. “You’ll promise to protect us?”

“We promise,” Valyssa assured. “Neither of us are slouches in fighting.”

“If it helps, we fought off pirates on our way here,” I chimed in. Images of what I’d done flashed in my mind, and I fought the urge to grimace.

“That helps...a little,” Felix whispered. “Okay, we’ll take you to the Frostback Mountains.”

“I-thank you,” Valyssa breathed, and I realized just how tense she was. “Thank you so much.”

And with that: our two week long journey from Highever began. It took us ten minutes to get underway, sitting at the back of the cart as the horses pulled along. We didn’t pay much attention to the family - we agreed to be guards rather than conversational pieces. When we were awake, we seldom spoke to one another - simply enjoying the silence and the lack of violence.

When I slept, I spoke with Glamour or Valyssa under the privacy of the Fade. I didn’t bring up the events of the journey at sea. Valyssa would continue to tutor me over magic - nothing advanced, simply an additional lesson or two of the basics, while I continued to share more of my world with Glamour in exchange for some more of her lessons over how advanced spells and techniques would work.

There was little to say about that leg of the journey, other than what the Imperial Highway looked like. It was an impressive project of construction - a massive road of paved stone, raised above ground level with large arches for ease of detection. Apparently, the highway started from the Tevinter Imperium and spread throughout Nevarra and even Orlais, built many centuries prior to connect the entirety of the lands.

And much of the roads remained in good condition.

“You’ve never even heard of the Imperial Highway?” Valyssa asked on our third day of traveling. It was near midnight, and we were almost at Lake Calenhad.

“Nope. We don’t get too much info from outside home,” I said. “So a road that spans multiple kingdoms is...kind of unbelievable.” I didn’t have to fake my awe too much - especially since I didn’t even know that much about the Imperial Highway: other than that the Warden takes it to and from Lothering in Dragon Age: Origins.

“I’d say that’s difficult to believe, but this is the Free Marches we’re talking about,” Valyssa sighed. “The Imperial Highway doesn’t cover the Free Marches.”

“I imagine it doesn’t or else I would have heard of it by now,” I sighed. “In any case, we’ll need to prepare for what we’ll find in Haven. Do you think it’ll be crowded?”

“Possibly?” Valyssa mumbled. “You saw what Highever was like - so many people are traveling there. Haven was supposed to be a small village, but I imagine there’ll be a lot of people. Mages and templars not included.”

“Fair enough,” I sighed as I leaned back in the cart - resting my back against a crate. “Honestly, I’m more than a little nervous about what else we’d find.”

Like an explosion powerful enough to destroy a temple and kill dozens to possibly even hundreds of people.

“I am as well,” Valyssa sighed. “But like we said before, there’s no point in speculating until we actually get there.”

I nodded, and I closed my eyes - just for a moment. There was silence for a few minutes before a small voice spoke up from behind us.

“Why do you wanna go to Haven?”

I opened my eyes, and I turned around to see the young teenage boy looking back at us curiously. The father sat at the very front with the reins, and the mother had drifted off to sleep - unable to keep her eyes open any longer. The boy was speaking quietly, almost as if to avoid being heard.

“We heard that the Chantry was going to try and end the war between the mages and the templars at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. We wanted to see,” I said quietly.

“Really? My parents said they wanted to see the temple. A lot of people are going there for the ashes,” the boy said, his eyes widened in awe. “Why do you wanna see something about a war?”

“Well, you do know how much trouble it’s causing, right?” I asked. He nodded, and I turned partially to rest my elbow on the crate. “Where we’re from, it’s getting kind of dangerous - and we want to see what the Chantry does to end things. Don’t you want to see something that affects all of Thedas happen before your eyes?”

“Maybe,” the boy mumbled thoughtfully. “I hope nothing bad happens at Haven.”

“I hope so too, kid,” I said quietly - knowing it to be a lie before looking over at Valyssa. “I’m gonna catch some sleep. Wake me up when something happens?”

“I will,” Valyssa said. “I’m feeling more awake this time around.”

“Sounds good,” I said as I leaned back once more, closing my eyes as I got comfortable. It was easy to adjust to the slight rumbling of the cart, especially given how smooth the Imperial Highway was - leagues smoother than sitting in that ship. “Good night.”

“Night,” Valyssa replied.

- in the Fade -

“Something troubles you.”

The movie paused, and I sighed as I leaned back on the couch. My apartment had become the environment I created whenever I was dreaming ever since I first showed Glamour what it looked like. Said desire demon was resting on her side next to me, eyeing me curiously. “Can this wait?” I asked.

“I’m afraid not. Something has changed, and you seem...lackluster compared to before,” the desire demon remarked.

“Worried for my well-being?” I asked dryly.

“Yes,” Glamour said, and I blinked. “Is it truly surprising? I have grown...rather attached to you. The knowledge you bring, the conversations we have, it’s all very enlightening,” she said.

“I...huh,” I mumbled. “I guess we’re friends then.”

“So tell me - what is the matter?” Glamour asked.

I wasn’t sure what to say, but I ended up starting from the beginning. I told her about how I was torn from the dream to a pirate attack, and that what I had been holding in my dream was now a real tangible object in my hands. I talked about how I’d ended the lives of the pirates, as well as how much it bothered me. I mentioned how hard it was to really handle what I’d done, having pushed it aside in favor of moving forward - although that didn’t always work.

When I stopped, Glamour seemed deep in thought. “You...were able to bring what you summoned in the Fade into Thedas?” she asked.

I chuckled dryly. “Yeah, I was honestly surprised too - real plasma and everything. But...can we focus on that later? The other thing...the fact that I’m becoming depressed and broody over killing?” I asked.

“I’ll be honest with you. I can’t exactly relate to that…ahem, issue,” Glamour said. “We don’t confront much emotions in the Fade, much less any opportunities to experience any sort of variety.”

I sighed, having suspected this to be the case. “Well, I wasn’t expecting demons and spirits to have their own society in the Fade, but you don’t get any emotions?” I asked.

“Of course we do, we may experience them, but not truly for ourselves. Demons and spirits don’t develop under their own power like mortals would,” Glamour said. “We’re often made reflections off of those by mortals. Ideas of justice and power, hunger, desire-” I ignored how she dragged a hand up her side and against her breast in a suggestive and teasing manner. “-we claim them as our identity.”

I think I remembered something like this - how spirits and demons were the same, with spirits taking on benevolent characteristics and demons taking on malevolent characteristics. My mind briefly flashed to Solas’s side quest, when Wisdom became corrupted into a demon. “But...spirits can be changed into demons if their purpose is corrupted,” I said as much. “Could demons turn benevolent?”

“Perhaps. It is not an ideal thing to occur - but given inverse circumstances to how a spirit is turned demon, I imagine it may be possible,” Glamour said.

I nodded, deep in thought. “I see,” I mumbled.

“In any case, this has become a lesson,” Glamour said, waving a hand dismissively. “Where is this...energy sword now?”

I blinked as I tried to think. “I think...I think Valyssa still has it,” I mumbled. “Not sure I’m ready to ask for it back.”

Glamour was quick to push that aide - whether out of impatience or sympathy, I couldn’t say. “Very well. Let us continue this...what was it you called this? A movie?” she asked.

I chuckled at the way her voice had turned a bit eager, and the two of us spent the rest of my dream watching the television.

I didn’t notice until much later how that little conversation of exposition with Glamour had completely taken my mind off of my problems.

- a week and a half later -

No raiders showed up. Our trip had been almost entirely peaceful, with the family making little conversation with us. Despite the journey being pretty slow, we preferred the mild boredom over any action - me especially, given what was to come ahead when we actually reached the Conclave.

Hours passed, and the sun rose and set. With every dream that rolled by, I gained more and more understanding of my abilities. Concentration on keeping an active environment was slowly starting to feel second nature to me, and I realized I could create more than just an apartment sized area of the Fade. I could create parts of a city street, with bystanders walking to and from either end, as well as cars rolling up and down the road.

I created places I visited often and remembered back home - recreating the details of a coffee shop, a laundromat, or even a McDonald’s. I wasn’t quite ready to see if my sense of taste could be recreated in the Fade, so I didn’t bother trying to dream up any food - at least not yet.

As odd as it was, reliving things from my past was less and less painful the more I did it. Maybe I was starting to rely on it - living at home through my dreams as I shared them with a demon, almost routine at this point.

And even for as long as it happened, Glamour - a desire demon - had become one of my closest friends in this world.

Odd stuff.

I never did bring up the energy sword - I know Valyssa held onto it, and she didn’t seem to bring it up at all. I was grateful for her giving me some space - especially now that I was starting to process it. I’d come to terms with the fact that I would probably have to end up killing again, given where exactly I was. Furthermore, I was likely going to have a much more direct role in the events to come.

Presuming that I’d survive.

I shook my head tiredly as I felt the cold settle in. We’d left the Imperial Highway long ago - traveling up a dirt road with more and more visible snow as we passed. Valyssa and I stared up at the path up to Haven - feeling the weather drop significantly in temperature with every minute we approached.

It didn’t take long before we saw Haven beyond a small frozen lake - the dirt path branching out to surround its large stone walls and wooden picket edges. The Chantry could be seen at a great distance beyond them, on higher ground - with the thin smoky plumes of what appeared to be multiple fires. The trip to the front gates took shorter than planned.

“We’re here,” Felix said as they approached the front gates. A few armed men and women stood at the gates - wearing the familiar armor and equipment of the Inquisition - though I wasn’t sure if it was known as the Inquisition yet. “We come in peace, to visit the Temple of Sacred Ashes!” he called.

The soldiers looked at each other once before they moved forward, hands on their weapons. “Please disembark!” one of the men called, gesturing for us to hop off the cart. “We’ll conduct a quick search!”

The family stepped off of the cart, with Valyssa and I following close behind. The men and women searched the belongings, opening bags and boxes to see what was inside. We were also searched, our cloaks removed to pat us down. If we were judged by our clothing - Valyssa’s Dalish armor and my clearly not belonging to Thedas wardrobe, they didn’t look like they’d mention it.

They also searched our rucksacks, rummaging through what little remained inside them. Most of what we’d brought was food and water, and we’d just about finished all we had on the journey to the Frostback Mountains.

The only other issue was the fact that my energy sword was still in the bag.

“What is this?” one of the soldiers asked, pulling the hilt of the energy sword out of the rucksack and quickly looking it over.

“Uhh, that belongs to me,” I said quickly, stepping forward once before realizing just how hostile it could be taken. “It’s a personal...momento.”

“Is it now?” the soldier asked as he eyed it curiously. The next minute was incredibly tense, watching as the soldier looked at every inch of the weapon’s handle. With every second that passed, I prayed to all that was holy that it would not activate.

And thankfully, it didn’t.

“Very well.” the soldier said as he handed me the hilt. “You’re all good to go. Don’t cause any trouble.”

We nodded, relieved that it was over. The family quickly got back into their cart as the gates were opened. We walked inside ourselves, passing the horses as we took in what Haven looked like.

For one, it was both larger and much more packed than the village in the video game. For one, there weren’t nearly as many sets of stairs in the village - made of several large wooden houses with dozens upon dozens of market stalls and tents packed around pathways. Literally hundreds of people were here, all of them minding their own business.

As we made our way through the village, we could see the front of the Chantry - specifically just how crowded the door was. There were soldiers guarding the church, and many people were simply praying outside.

“Shem religion...” Valyssa mumbled to herself as we walked by. “Makes me wonder how I’m gonna survive making it to the temple.”

“Just ignore anything they say,” I said as I patted her shoulder. “Come on, we should probably find a place for our stuff. Then we can ask when this Conclave is going to take place.”

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t get the chance. Heading up the stairs, we came across a young man who was setting up his tent. As we walked by him, he noticed us - and evidently, he began to follow us. “And what’re your kind doing here?” he sneered.

Valyssa and I sighed, stopping as we turned to see the angry man. “What do you think?” I asked. “We’re here to see the Temple.”

“Not with one of them knife ears, you ain’t!” the man spat. “Their kind will desecrate Andraste’s holy resting place! She’ll not set a single foot towards the temple if you know what’s good for ya!”

He was obnoxiously loud, and attention was gathered towards us rather quickly. I looked around to see a handful of people making their way. Many around us didn’t seem to care, but the few that did take a good look at Valyssa seemed angered.

I couldn’t help but cross my arms and gaze over at the elven mage traveling with me. She didn’t even seem phased by the negative attention. “How do you not wanna punch his stupid face?” I asked.

“He’s just a shem - his kind will always whine and whine about the fact we’re not all shems,” Valyssa muttered before she cleared her throat. “I’m not here as a Dalish - my friend and I are here as pilgrims to the Conclave!”

“Likely story!” the man hissed as he stepped forward. “Take your things and turn back before we make ye turn back.”

“We were allowed into the village - we have every right to be here,” I said.

“Then the damned Inquisition ain’t doin’ its job!” the man snarled as he grabbed Valyssa’s arm. “You’re not-”

He was on the ground before I knew it, having toppled into the tent he’d been setting up earlier. The disgruntled crowd was now silent, and I turned to see Valyssa. Her face was mildly surprised, as well as disappointed. “Really?” she asked.

I turned back to feel my fist stinging - and I took notice of the bigot’s condition on the ground - his face swelling up badly.

“...oh,” I mumbled, realizing I’d punched him. “Oops?”

“Don’t move!”

Valyssa and I turned to see a pair of guards approaching, swords drawn.

I sighed, now realizing that I’d gotten the two of us into trouble. “Sorry,” I said.

Chapter Text

“You’re to remain here for the next week,” the guard said. “Your punishment for the instigation of violence will be to provide assistance to those who need it around the village.”

I sighed, knowing that community service wasn’t that bad of a punishment. It could’ve been much worse, especially since witnesses apparently reported that it wasn’t me or Valyssa who had started it. Still, self defense was apparently no excuse for knocking a few teeth loose. “I understand. Again, I’m sorry,” I said.

“Just don’t do it again,” the guard said with the wave of a hand, and I was promptly dismissed under escort of a guard. I exited the tent to see Valyssa waiting by the entrance, her arms crossed. Her facial features were neutral - and I found her difficult to read.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, she cut me off. “I’d say you were stupid for doing that,” she said as she uncrossed her arms. “But I guess the shem had it coming for putting his hands on me.”

“He had it coming the moment he thought he could insult you and get away with it,” I said, uncaring of the guard who was still with me.

“Worried about my reputation? How kind,” Valyssa remarked, a wry smile curling her lips. It went away moments later, and she sighed before turning to the guard. “Can we have a minute alone?”

The guard nodded. “One minute,” he said, gesturing to the edge of the village nearby - by the large stone walls. Valyssa and I made our way over to the wall - where nobody was near. Still, we kept our voices low.

“While you were in that tent being chewed out, I did some asking around. Turns out the Conclave is today - in a few hours. Mages and templars have been coming here in droves, and they begin their march together soon,” Valyssa explained.

Today? The events of Dragon Age: Inquisition begin today.

And I would be stuck at Haven doing community service because I punched a jackhole for grabbing Valyssa’s arm.

I frowned. “My community service is apparently a whole week,” I said as I felt my situation starting to settle in. If I was thinking correctly, this meant that I wouldn’t be able to get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes with Valyssa. “You think you could get to the temple yourself?”

“Probably. We made it in time, so it’s not like this throws off our plans by much,” Valyssa said. Her brows furrowed in concern, and I couldn’t blame her - I was much more worried than she was. “I’m getting ready to find them. I’m more worried about leaving you here.”

I shook my head, a bit touched that she was thinking about me, especially when she should be worrying about herself. “This Conclave is much more important than me,” I said. “Don’t worry about me - I can stay alive without you for a day or so.”

“Only a day?” Valyssa asked. “Think that lowly of yourself?”

“Well, duh. Anyone else talk badly about the ‘knife ear’ I hang around-” I used quotation marks. “-and this shem will lose patience real quick. Believe it or not, you’re probably one of my closest friends right about now.”

“Right about now? No one else?” Valyssa asked.

“None that are around,” I said, thinking back to my old world. “I miss them, but I’m just glad that I’m not alone in this world. Not anymore.”

Valyssa was silent. “I’m sorry,” she said, gently. “And...I’m glad you’re the one I found in that blizzard.”

“Same,” I said. I glimpsed to see the guard returning. “Now go on - you don’t wanna miss the Conclave. And...” I took a deep breath. I remembered how the explosion had happened - how the Inquisitor had stumbled onto Corypheus and gained the Anchor as a result of the interruption.

How there was a chance that she might not even be the Inquisitor.

There was a chance she might be killed in the upcoming and very inevitable explosion.

There was a chance this might be the last time I could see her.

“And what?” Valyssa asked.

I took the leap before I could lose my nerve. “Be prepared for anything,” I said. “With all this tension between the mages and the templars, there’s not much of a chance that things will run smoothly.”

“You...you have a point,” Valyssa said. “If things get bad-”

“Be prepared,” I hissed, and Valyssa jolted. I hadn’t expected myself to startle her, and I forced myself to calm down. “Promise me that you’ll be prepared for anything. Always be careful, and stay safe. Please - I don’t want to lose you too.”

The elven mage’s eyes softened, as if she knew how nervous I was. “Alright, I will. I promise. Stay safe,” Valyssa said, nodding as she walked by.

“You too, and good luck,” I called. As the future Inquisitor walked away, I made my way to the guard, who gestured for me to follow.

And so began the longest few hours of my life. Valyssa was gone, and I was ordered to assist with anything and everything around the village in the meantime. Most of that work was moving supplies around to places that needed them most - which was either the apothecary or the tavern.

There, I met Flissa - the owner of the tavern, which she named the Singing Maiden. I hardly remembered what she looked like in Inquisition, but seeing her in person made me realize just how little I’d paid attention to the side characters in the game.

She was beautiful, with auburn red hair, green eyes, and a soft blush on her cheeks. She was kind upon meeting me, offering some water when I’d delivered a crate to the back room of the tavern. “No, thanks,” I had said upon her greeting. “Save the water for those who need it more.”

It was that simple exchange that made me remember that this video game world was more than just that - it was very much a real world with real people, all with real lives and real families.

And the fact that so many would die in the events to come only made me much more serious with my preparations for the future.

I met Adan - the old man gruff as he ordered me to set boxes and barrels by the edge of the large room in a neat and orderly fashion. I obeyed with little words in return, lost in my own thoughts as I tried desperately to remember the events of the game - and there were so many events to remember.

There was the fate of Clan Lavellan, the situation of having to choose between saving either the mages or the templars, the Arbor Wilds, the Jaws of Hakkon. My mind raced, and I reminded myself to find something to write with - to take notes in order to ensure that any future knowledge does not get lost with time.

Time had passed quickly between the thinking and the physical labor, and I didn’t realize that I had earned a much needed break before a guard had told me that I’d earned about twenty minutes of rest before I had to get back to work.

I decided to spend my time at the Singing Maiden, having a tankard of cold water in the warm tavern. It wasn’t too crowded, not with the Conclave happening so soon - but there were enough people chatting and eating to consider the place rather noisy.

The noise gave me some distraction over the troubles that plagued my mind, and I sipped my water - paying attention to what chatter I could decipher, at least until I received a new seatmate at my table. The thud of a figure sitting roughly on the bench was followed by a slow and tired sigh, and I turned to see a man wearing black and gray fatigues under a nice looking brown jacket, which sported pieces of silver armor.

He had short brown hair and a pair of round blue eyes, a thin scar on his cheek. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties - with a toned figure under his choice of clothing. The two of us sat quietly through the noise before I finally found it in myself to break the silence. “You alright?” I asked, a bit eager for a direct distraction.

The man eyed me, before his gaze flickered to my tankard. “You’re having water at a tavern?” he asked.

“What can I say, I’m not much of a drinker,” I said as I sipped my water. “What’s the matter with you?”

“It’s...it’s nothing,” the man grumbled. “It’s just this stupid Conclave. It’s all just a complete mess.”

I sighed. “Well, it could end the war between templars and mages, right?” I asked. “I mean, it’s not like this is gonna continue the war. Or make it worse.”

“I agree, except that...I don’t know...” the man grumbled. “I’ve been frustrated for the past week, and the last thing I want is to cause more trouble.”

He was being rather vague. Setting my half empty tankard down, I leaned my elbow on the table. “Talking about it could help. If you’re frustrated about the Conclave, then it probably has to do with why you’re here, right? What is it - wanting to see the temple for yourself?”

The man looked down at his hands, which were clasped together on the table. “I don’t know if I should say,” he mumbled.

“If it’s super secret, I won’t push. But I’m pretty sure you’d be one of many who are here to spy on the Conclave,” I said before I gulped down some more water. “It’s a pretty big event - no one would blame you for wanting to see how it turns out.”

There was more silence between us before the man sighed. “My family sent me here. They’re not concerned with the war ending - they want me to represent my family name to ensure that things run smoothly,” he said. “It’s less about wanting to stop the death and destruction - and more about ensuring that our house comes out on top.”

I fell deep into thought. “So they value duty over...well...” I began.

“Yes!” the man sighed. “It’s...I don’t know. I’m the only one of my family who aren’t devout in vows to the Maker. It’s likely they sent me with the delegation of my house to ensure that I end this...so called rebellious phase.”

I frowned, unsure of what to think. I hadn’t exactly been planning to help someone with a personal issue, but it wasn’t like I could just back out now. Clearing my throat, I leaned forward on the table. “So what I’m hearing is that only you’re worried about those affected by the war.”

“Yes, and why shouldn’t I be?” the man started to rant.

“Hey, I wasn’t saying you should be,” I said.

The man stopped himself before sighing, clearly exhausted. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Not used to speaking of this outside my family.”

“Fair,” I said. “But you are your own person. If you’re more interested in helping people than following some job from your parents, you could just do that.”

“It’s not that simple,” the man muttered. “My family is powerful, it’s not like I could just say no.”

I wasn’t sure if I could come up with some sort of solution, much less any real suggestion. I didn’t trust myself to make the right choice either - or any choice that could be considered good. Clearing my throat, I looked down at the tankard in my hands. “Just be yourself,” I finally settled on saying, going for a cliche approach. “Focus on what you want and go for it.”

The man scoffed as he looked back at me. “You really think it’s that easy,” he mumbled.

“I didn’t say it would be easy. If you wanna live for yourself, you’ll have to work for it,” I said as I slid what was left of my water over to him. “But earning your own life, your own choices and your own consequences - that would be worth it, wouldn’t it?”

The man was silent for a bit, eyeing my tankard before he slowly smiled. “Yeah. That sounds like the most sensible thing I’ve heard all day,” he said. He picked it up and finished off the water before sliding it back to me. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting actual advice other than ‘follow the wishes of your family’.”

I frowned, knowing just how bad parental expectations could be. “Maybe it’s time to stop following your parents and start living for yourself,” I said, thinking back to drunk Tali’s line in Mass Effect 3. It probably wasn’t accurate word for word, but it got the point across - judging by the way the man’s eyes started to brighten.

“Well, I suppose that settles that. I won’t be going to the Conclave,” the man sighed before turning to look at me, a grin on his face. “Thanks, stranger.”

“My name’s Carlo,” I said, holding out a hand - just to be polite.

“Aiden,” the man introduced himself as he shook my hand. “Aiden Trevelyan.”

Trevelyan.

A potential Inquisitor.

I just saved Trevelyan.

“Oh, you’re from that family,” I said, quick to try and pull up as much as I could remember on the last time I played a human noble in the game. “Ostwick nobles, right?”

“Ah, you’ve heard of us. We’re mostly well known around the Free Marches,” Aiden said.

“Well, yeah. I’m a Free Marcher myself. Kirkwall,” I said.

Aiden’s good mood evaporated quickly. “I see. I apologize,” he said.

“Don’t be - that shithole was always going to destroy itself sooner or later. You should have seen just how many problems were around,” I said. “Lost family, though - that was rough.”

“And complaining about my family probably brought up something bad,” he said.

“No, I’m not blaming you for that. Or...I wasn’t really thinking about it,” I said. “I’m more or less here to try and build a new life for myself. What better place to start than Haven?”

“I see. Are you Andrastian?” Aiden asked, seemingly glad to move on from that segment.

“Nah,” I said. “The Chantry was what started this whole mage and templar madness, so I’m not really too faithful to them.”

“I thought it was that apostate that was to blame,” Aiden said.

“You’d think so - but you’ve had to live in Kirkwall to get the whole story,” I sighed. “The Circle and the Order were more or less butting heads for months. Whenever things would heat up or maybe even see some progress, the Chantry would split them up and send them home. No interference, no help in settling the issues, nothing. When it all blew up, everyone pointed at the mages.”

Aiden was quiet for a good few minutes. “So what you’re saying...is that the Chantry not only chose not to solve the issue, they impeded any attempts at peace?” he asked, almost dumbfounded.

“Yeah. I didn’t realize it at first, but I realized templars have it pretty bad as well - even if mages do have it worse to some degree,” I said. “The Chantry more or less demonizes mages and magic in general, and they hold leashes on the entirety of the Templar Order with lyrium addiction and a complete lack of accountability for the templars. The way I see it - if the Chantry wants actual peace or progress, then changes need to be made for both sides.”

“Knowing the Chantry, that’s not likely,” Aiden grumbled.

“Knowing who the Divine is, it very much is,” I countered, remembering her motivations from her spirit in the Fade. “Believe it or not, everyone in the Chantry doesn’t follow her - but those who abuse its power are in the majority. From what I’ve heard, she’s starting to cut down on the abuse since this conflict began, and the fact she called the Conclave for both sides means she probably intends on making actual changes.”

“Do you really believe that?” Aiden asked, his voice skeptical.

I knew that, in fact - but I settled for saying something else. “Would it be too much to hope for? No one can deny that changes are necessary, now more than ever,” I said.

Aiden was silent, before he slowly nodded. “I’m not sure that the Chantry would change, even if the Divine believes so - but I can understand where you’re coming from,” he said.

I nodded before sighing. “Well, I think my twenty minutes is up,” I mumbled, looking around. “I should get back to work.”

“You don’t look like one of the guards,” Aiden said, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m working here as a punishment,” I said. “I punched a guy for insulting and trying to touch my friend.”

Aiden snorted. “Understandable,” he chuckled. “Where’s your friend?”

“She’s heading to the Conclave - she should be there now, actually,” I said as I stood up, stretching my arms and legs. “Hopefully things go well, so she could come back and-”

A loud boom in the great distance cut me off, and I felt a chill rattle my spine.

The tavern fell silent before the sounds of panicked screaming from outside filled the quiet. Aiden shot to his feet, as did many other customers before they pushed their way to the doors. I was quick to join them, caught up in the small crowd before I made it outside.

The entire village was a buzz of panic and fear, with soldiers everywhere trying to keep the people calm and orderly. I looked around - seeing the hundreds all pushing against one another, crushing tents and knocking things over left and right.

I managed to find Aiden, stumbling into him as we jumped atop boxes to avoid getting pushed around by the people. “What’s going on?!” I called, despite knowing exactly what happened.

Aiden was silent for a moment, only pointing up at the sky. I followed his finger, seeing the massive swirling clouds of green. Seeing it in the game was one thing - but this was something different - especially with the sound of rumbling and cracking that seemed to reverberate throughout the air around us.

The Breach was here. Much sooner than I thought.

“Something...tore a hole in the sky,” Aiden whispered. “What in the...”

I didn’t answer - not while I was still staring up at it. It resembled a portal, the clouds around it spiraling around as if it were a black hole. Massive jagged streams of green energy rained down in the distance - some smashing into the nearby mountains while others vanished into the distance.

The temple was bound to be destroyed, and Valyssa was no doubt still there.

I slipped away from Aiden, jumping down from the box and pushing through the crowd to get to where I’d left my rucksack. After several minutes of trying to get through the crowds, I found our things - rummaging through to grab the hilt of my energy sword before pocketing it.

Turning around, I was quick to gauge my situation. The village was in a sorry state, the soldiers struggling to keep the masses contained. I could see injured people as well, either limping to safety or being carried out on stretchers.

It was all too chaotic for me to stay here, and the last thing I needed was to end up injured or trampled before I could do anything about this.

I needed to leave Haven - and get to the temple or at the very least, get closer to the Breach. I turned back to try and see where the way to the temple was, since I couldn’t remember much about how the game started in the first place. However, I didn’t need to search long - not when the crowds began to shift one way.

I could hear shouts from soldiers in the distance, growing louder as they grew ever so closer. Peering over the crowd, I could see the tops of helmets pushing their way through, clearing a path and letting me see what was going on. Most of the new arrivals were soldiers, many injured. Some carried injured civilians, others were pushing against the crowd to keep them at bay.

Injured people - soldiers and civilians alike - were rushed to the apothecary, while the new arrivals struggled to ensure that order was kept despite the massive hole in the sky. With the injured pouring in and the people nearly breaking out into panic entirely, it seemed like sneaking out would be an issue.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be.

A scream pierced the air, and the people began to run. I was slammed into the wall by a woman trying to push past, and I looked up to see what they were all screaming at.

A flash of green falling into my view was all I saw before it disappeared into one of the wooden buildings, near Flissa’s tavern. Another explosion tore through the air - this one very much closer and more violent as the building was shredded to pieces in a green fiery blast of raw energy. The wave of magic slammed into me, and I could feel my own mana fluctuating harshly, bringing along a nasty but brief headache.

My vision blurred and my ears rang, and I stumbled to my feet to see many others around me, groaning and trying to get up. The building that was hit burned brightly, before the fire vanished at once. A loud roar filled the air, and I felt my eyes widen as the fires returned - only, it wasn’t just fire.

A creature of red flame burned brightly, pushing its way out of the wreckage of wood and metal. A hiss and snarl filled the silence, moments before the panicked screaming resumed. Some of those on the ground stumbled and scrambled to their feet, running to escape the monster that had crashed in the village. Others were frozen in fear, only managing to huddle or scoot away as they sobbed and gasped.

I hissed as I recognized what it was - not a monster, but a rage demon. It burned bright - its limbs dripping with liquid flame. It slid through the ground, incinerating wood and utterly vaporizing the snow near it as it slunk forward.

And it was sliding towards me.

“Oh, goddamn it,” I snarled before I pulled out my energy sword - activating it with a swish of the hand. The plasma hissed loudly as the blade warmed the air near my arm. The demon screamed, an unholy screech that pierced my ears and shook the ground.

It took all I had not to back away, especially since there was nowhere else to retreat. Despite the fear I should have been feeling, I was fully aware that fights would be completely unavoidable.

I was going to fight a fucking demon.

I rushed in before I could think what a terrible idea this was.

The demon snarled once more, rearing back to what looked like a punch - and I was quick to drop to the ground. Sliding on the grass, the demon attacked - throwing a wave of fire that washed violently over my head. Pushing myself back to my feet, I lunged forward - my energy blade slashing wildly at the rage demon’s wide frame.

I landed a hit - cutting across its side with an ugly white gash splitting the fiery form. The demon screamed as it recoiled away, giving me just enough time to regain my balance. As I faced the injured Fade creature once more, I raised my weapon - ready to attack once more.

A volley of arrows striking the creature from behind had the rage demon turning to see several other soldiers of the Inquisition approaching, swords and shields at the ready as archers from beyond provided cover fire.

“Flank it!” one of the soldiers barked as the small group spread out, slamming their swords against the shields to make noise. The demon shook and snarled, and it began to conjure up waves of fire left and right.

I wasn’t about to waste the opportunity - slipping away from the chaos and towards the other end of the village. Running around the burning wreckage where the demon had climbed out of, I felt a surge of relief flood my chest as I saw the only other entrance to the village to be open - clear of all but a few injured civilians sitting in place.

Now was my chance. The sounds of battle echoed behind me as I sprinted from behind the remains of the burning building, towards the opening.

“Hey, stop!”

I didn’t dare turn back - rushing past the injured and away from the tents and buildings. The path out of the village led to a large tower directly in the middle of the path. It took me a moment to realize that it was not a tower, but the edge of a bridge with a large open gate. A few Inquisition soldiers guarded it, and they rushed towards me upon seeing me running in their direction.

“You there, halt!” one of them barked, rushing forward with his shield raised. My energy sword was still active, the blade of pure energy humming as I ran.

I needed to get by, and getting caught here would either get me killed or imprisoned. The soldier’s shields gleamed in the tinted sunlight - and I jumped - as high as I could muster.

My foot slammed into the shield, and I bounced up, leaping overhead with the shield as a landing pad. To my surprise, I overshot the other soldiers attempting to intercept me, my feet hitting the paved stone path before I continued my sprint - straight through the open gates and onto a large bridge.

The sides of the bridge were littered with carts, boxes, barrels, and even wounded soldiers. There were a few more soldiers near the other side of the bridge, all of them having heard the commotion behind me.

“Close the gates!” one of them yelled, and the soldiers were quick to comply - hauling the large wooden doors shut as I closed in. The others readied a defensive line, swords at the ready as they got ready to block me off.

I didn’t dare slow my sprint down - and I turned to see a solution. The stone railing of the bridge was close to the ground beyond the gates, and I could see the path that led up the side of the mountain mere feet beyond. I wasted no time, jumping atop the thick stone railing and running along the edge of the bridge.

I didn’t dare look down, only hearing my pounding heartbeat and the blood pumping in my veins.

“Stop him!” one of the men yelled, and the soldier nearest to the railing attempted to climb atop as I approached, but it was too late. I lunged off of the edge, the glimpse of a frozen river in the distance passing quickly below my glance before I slammed into snowy rock.

My legs burned, but I forced myself to keep running - vaulting over the wooden fence between the path and the edge of the mountain. Soldiers clambered behind me as they tried to open the gates and give chase.

I passed a shattered cart up the hill, and I fought to continue my run. There were shadows up ahead, people in my way. I needed to get by them, but there was little I could use to bypass them - short of leaping off the cliffside entirely.

“Halt!”

That voice - a very heavily accented voice - had me stumbling, sliding and rolling through the snow before coming to a stop. The blade of my energy sword slammed into the snow - a loud hiss of rapidly melting snow filling the air before it turned off. My legs were on fire, unable to move entirely as I pushed myself on my arms. My chest burned badly, my heartbeat almost deafening as it pounded wildly against my chest.

I lay in the snow, unable to move as I panted for breath. The sound of footsteps in the snow grew nearer with every step, and I forced myself to look up.

The emblem of an eye on a steel chestplate stared back at me, as did the dark glare of the short haired woman who wore it. “Name yourself at once,” Cassandra Pentaghast demanded, her sword pointed down at my eye.

I didn’t have the energy to stay awake, much less say my name. Blissful unconsciousness hit me just as my face hit the snow.

Chapter Text

The first thing I felt was complete and utter agony when I woke up. My body was freezing, and my head pulsed badly as I slowly blinked myself awake. I couldn’t remember what had happened before I passed out - only that I’d needed to get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

It was bright - early and bright when I woke up, and I realized that I was sitting up, leaning on stone. It was insanely cold, and I looked down to see my clothes covered in a thin layer of snow.

“He’s awake.”

I slowly looked up to see a soldier standing over me, a hand resting on the pommel of his sheathed sword. The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow made itself known, and I turned to see Cassandra walking forward.

Seeing her clearly for the first time, I realized just how scary she looked - pretty, but also very scary. She had sharp features, with narrow eyes and short black hair, just like in the game. The crown of braided hair nestled on her head stood out, and I wondered how hard it was to style it every morning.

Any further thoughts were interrupted by the sound of ringing metal, the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. I watched as Cassandra lowered the blade to my throat, the tip just poking under my chin. “Who are you?” she demanded.

I fought the urge to gulp, instead sitting back. “Carlo,” I said, my gaze flickering beyond Cassandra for just a moment - to the Breach in the skies above us all.

“You fled Haven, bypassing several guards on the way here,” Cassandra said, her tone biting and forceful enough to direct my attention back to her. “You were attempting to run towards the Breach. Why?”

“I...my friend,” I whispered, and I remembered everything from before - attacking the rage demon, running past. “My friend was there - she was at the temple. She has to be alive-” I tried to stand up, before feeling something tug at my arms. My hands were tied with rope at the wrists, which were tied to something behind me - likely a fence post.

Cassandra’s eyes softened, and she lowered her sword silently. The warrior looked away, almost as if she couldn’t handle the eye contact. “I...I apologize,” she said, her voice wavering. “Nearly everyone at the Conclave...has perished. You are not the only one to lose loved ones in this tragedy.”

“Nearly everyone,” I said, latching onto that word. “Who survived? Please, tell me!”

“Only two people could be recovered. As of now, they are back at Haven-” Cassandra began.

I didn’t have time to focus on the fact that two people were recovered. “Was one of them a Dalish elf - a mage? Long brown hair? She has blue eyes and a scar on her eyebrow, her left eyebrow,” I said. Cassandra’s somber expression immediately hardened.

“Yes. How did you-” Cassandra whispered, but I didn’t care. Relief flooded my body as I leaned back, laughing giddily as I realized she had survived.

“She’s alive! Thank god!” I sighed as I closed my eyes. “She’s alive...”

The sword came back up, pushing against my throat with surprising force. I felt it pierce my skin, the warm and thin trickle of blood seeping down my throat. “You know the one who is responsible for this?” Cassandra demanded. This time, the blade was pushing much harder against my skin, pinning my head to the stone.

“Responsible?” I hissed. “She didn’t do this - she couldn’t have! Did you see how big the explosion was, no mage could have-” I froze before my eyes narrowed. “You’re blaming her because she’s Dalish, aren’t you?”

Cassandra seemed taken aback - almost comically. “W-what? No, she was one of two survivors, and-”

“What about the other survivor you found with her?” I asked. “Why not suspect them, why go after her alone?!”

Cassandra gritted her teeth before pulling her sword away. “It’s easier if I show you,” she said, and she sheathed her weapon before reaching over to pull me up. I saw that I was on another bridge - near where I’d collapsed. The path back down led to the first bridge I’d crossed on my poorly thought out sprint towards the Temple of Sacred Ashes - what remained of it, at least.

Cassandra briefly gave orders to the soldiers holding the bridge before she reached behind me, untying my arms and pushing me along, the two of us walking down the mountain path back towards Haven. “Why would a Dalish come to the Conclave?”

“We wanted to see what was going on. Our clan came under attack more than once, and we figured if the Divine was going to hold something like this, then it would probably affect Chantry plans towards the Dalish,” I explained.

“So your friend’s plan was to spy on the Most Holy?” Cassandra accused.

“Not against the Chantry, but for our clan - and other clans in Thedas,” I said. “This was a matter of their security.”

Cassandra fell silent once more, pushing me towards the other bridge up ahead before she spoke up once more. “You said ‘our’ clan. You are human.”

I looked down, just realizing that I’d been referring to the clan as home. “I...I’ve been living with them for a while,” I said, once again pulling out the fake backstory. “Ever since Kirkwall fell apart...” I sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I live with the Dalish, and I’m damned proud of it.”

Cassandra didn’t reply, and the rest of our trip back to the village was silent. When we did reach Haven, it was noticeably less active. People mourned, praying on their knees and sobbing, or simply standing or sitting around quietly. I was guided up the slope towards the Chantry, where a handful of guards stood.

“Carlo!”

Cassandra and I stopped, seeing Aiden Trevalyan jog towards me. “Where did you go? And what happened?” he asked, sounding out of breath.

“I tried to get to the temple,” I said. “They arrested me.”

“You personally know the one responsible for the Breach,” Cassandra said as she shoved me forward, intent on cutting this conversation off at once.

“You’re just saying that because she’s an elf,” I grumbled - knowing it to not be true. Still, seeing Cassandra redden with anger was satisfying.

“Enough!” she hissed before turning to Aiden. “Return to your shelter,” she ordered as she pushed me to the Chantry. The guards opened the doors at once, and the Seeker led me inside.

The Chantry at Haven was just how I remembered it, with columns sporting brightly lit torches and neat tiles for floors. I didn’t get much of a chance to explore the Chantry - not while I was still being dragged through the church towards one of the doors off to the side, where a set of stairs led deeper below ground.

A quick walk through a dark hallway later, and Cassandra had me brought to another room - a familiar square room. It was dark with little lighting - a guard posted at each corner. Valyssa sat motionlessly ion the center of the room, her hands restrained by ropes and chains.

She almost seemed dead. Had I not remembered that this was how the game started, I would’ve actually believed her to be dead.

I pulled myself away from Cassandra, making my way over to Valyssa before dropping to my knees in front of her. I could tell she was alive, seeing the slightest bit of movement with every unconscious breath she took.

“She’s been unconscious ever since we found her. Almost half a day ago,” Cassandra muttered as she stepped forward. “She hasn’t moved, and the only thing that occurs with her is-”

Her hand sparked with green energy - a jagged mark similar to a rift flashing and blinking wildly. It lit up the room briefly, flicking on and off erratically. I felt my own mana flicker in response, although I was quick to suppress my own power upon instinct.

“We believe it was what caused the Breach,” Cassandra said. “Her guilt has all but been decided.”

I shook my head. “This isn’t what caused the Breach. It looks like whatever opened that hole in the sky did this to her too,” I said. I turned back to Cassandra, who simply glared back at me. “She’s the only one who could have any answers on this, and you’re just blaming her for all this?”

“And what could you possibly know?” Cassandra asked.

“That whatever destroyed the temple requires way more power than a single mage is capable of. Unless you can think of anyone who could just tear open the Veil on a whim,” I said, and the sound of the Anchor sparking cut off our conversation.

“The mark is acting up again,” Cassandra cursed before she turned to one of the guards. “Call for Solas, immediately.”

Right, the Dread Wolf is here. As the guard saluted - aka pounded his fist against his chest armor - and hurried off, Cassandra stepped forward - closing the door behind her. “In the meantime, perhaps you could explain what this is,” she said, reaching in her pocket - or a set of pouches I realized her belt had - and pulling out the hilt of my energy sword.

“Something that belongs to me,” I said. “I don’t suppose I could have it back, could I?”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “Not until I have reason to believe that it wouldn’t be dangerous to return it to you. I want explanations, I want specifics on what this does and what you plan to do.”

“It’s a sword - runs on energy that burns through most things,” I said. “And it’s something I only used when that demon showed up.”

“Energy? What kind of energy?” Cassandra asked. Before I could answer, she stepped back. “Does this mean you are a mage?”

I was about to ask how she could have possibly come to that conclusion before I remembered how things worked. Sighing, I brought up a hand and snapped my fingers. A ball of flame appeared briefly before vanishing. “Yeah. I’m a mage,” I sighed.

“You don’t...” Cassandra began, clearly apprehensive.

“What? I don’t wear robes? I don’t own a staff? I look like I exercise? Yes, thank you for noticing,” I said, crossing my arms. “And before you ask, I wasn’t part of Kirkwall’s Circle - I was...well, guess you could say I’m an apostate.”

“I gathered that,” Cassandra said. “In any case, the two of you are clearly anomalies. Consider our eyes and suspicion on you, unless your friend’s...innocence could be proven.”

“It will be proven,” I said dryly, crossing my arms.

The door swung open with a thud, and a man stepped in, wearing the apparent fashionable equivalent of an ‘unwashed apostate hobo’. Solas himself walked in - a staff on his back. He very much looked like the ‘egg’ that Dragon Age memes had christened him with, only not quite as so. For one, he was pretty handsome - with sharp eyes and chiseled features, as well as a confident posture that could only be expected of the Dread Wolf himself.

I was a bit of a fan of the character, after all.

“I’m guessing you’re Solas?” I asked.

“Indeed,” the elven god in disguise said as he knelt down. He wasted no time getting to business, taking Valyssa’s sparking hand and resting his own palm over it. A bright glow illuminated the room, and within a few seconds - the Anchor stopped freaking out.

“It is stable, Seeker,” Solas said as he stood up. “She shall be safe for now.”

“Thank you, Solas. Your help is greatly appreciated,” Cassandra said.

The Dread Wolf nodded cordially before he turned to me. “I cannot say we’ve met,” I said.

“We haven’t. My name is Carlo,” I said. “And...thanks. For helping my friend.”

“She is your friend?” Solas asked, his tone mildly amused.

“He and the accused traveled to the Conclave together, Solas,” Cassandra said. “For now, they are suspects in the cause of the Breach.”

“Right, because any one person could unleash that much magic and survive,” I said before looking back at Solas. “Cassandra mentioned another survivor, but she hasn’t said much else. Think you could answer that question for me?”

“Of course. A Qunari warrior - she’s recovered much more quickly than your Dalish friend has,” Solas said.

“Thank you,” I said before looking at Cassandra, raising an eyebrow.

“If you must know, her injuries were rather severe, and the concussion she sustained prevented her from recalling what happened at the temple,” Cassandra grumbled. “But she is not ruled out as a suspect, if that makes you feel better.”

“It does, actually,” I said as I crossed my arms. “If it were just my friend, I’d have accused you of racial profiling.”

“You have accused me of such,” Cassandra said, her voice darkening.

“I had no reason to believe otherwise,” I said before looking over at Solas, who was looking back and forth between us, clearly intrigued by our conversation. “So how do you and the Seeker know each other?”

“We met after the explosion,” Solas said. “I was around, and I offered my assistance.”

“Very kind of you,” I said with a smile, lying through my teeth. Thankfully, the elven god didn’t seem to suspect anything.

“If you two are quite finished, you are to be held before we can get someone to properly question you,” Cassandra said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

“It was nice meeting you!” I called out to Solas as I was yoinked out of the room - back up the stairs . Afterwards, I was taken out of the Chantry, led to a tent near one of the buildings and promptly thrown inside.

I hit the ground with a thud, my head impacting dirt. “You could have been gentle,” I muttered as I sat up.

“I could have,” Cassandra said before she stepped back, telling a guard not to let me leave before she headed off. I watched as she walked off before looking around the tent I’d been tossed in. Very little was here, other than a bedroll and a blanket.

The next few minutes were spent in lonely silence, with the sound of the village bustling around us. From what I could see, there were still plenty of wounded - and a lot of sadness was still permeating the air, but there was much less panic. Plenty of soldiers maintained watch over Haven, and there were plenty of new tents with people resting from their injuries.

I sat near the edge of the tent, seeing people walk around, talking amongst themselves. Everyone seemed nervous, especially given that a demon had landed in the village yesterday. I suppressed a shudder from that memory - a literal rage demon. Until yesterday, I’d only ever seen a desire demon. I felt more than a little nervous over the other enemies that I would have to see in real life.

Especially the dragons.

“It’s you!”

I was shaken from my thoughts, and I looked around to see two kids - both girls with scuffed clothes and messy hair. One had long unkempt black hair and another had short brown hair, both looking like they were ten or eleven. “You saved us!” the first girl said.

I blinked. “I did?” I asked. I peered around. I couldn’t see any guards by the tent - and the only ones near me were busy settling another altercation nearby.

“When the demon broke the house,” the brown haired said, much more meekly. “You fought it. Let us run.”

“Thank you!” the black haired girl called, a wide smile on her face.

I blinked, trying to remember when these two girls had shown up. I couldn’t recall them among those frozen in fear, or panicked and running - but they had to have been, right? “I...I didn’t kill it,” I said awkwardly, unsure of what else I could really say.

“But you fought it,” the meek girl repeated. “If you didn’t...”

The other girl was quick to hug her, her smile shrinking as she held her tight. “Thank you for saving us, mister.”

I looked down, more than a little humbled by her grateful words. “I...you’re welcome,” I whispered as I looked down at my feet. “You should find your parents and stay together. It isn’t safe.”

“Mother’s gone,” the brown haired girl said.

I flinched, looking back up to the girls. Both were frowning, their eyes watering. “W-what do you mean?” I asked.

“The house exploded. Mommy was still inside,” the black haired girl muttered.

I felt a chill run through my body. “What about your dad?”

“We don’t know our dads. It’s...it was just mom and us,” the brown haired girl explained. “And now it’s just us.”

If heartstrings were real, all of them had been yanked at once. “I-I’m sorry...” I muttered. What else could I say? These were just kids - far too young to lose parents, much less grow up in a time like this. “Are you...will you be okay?”

“We...don’t know,” the girls whispered. “No one else is willing to give us any food. The nice lady at the tavern gave us bread earlier...”

I needed to thank Flissa, but first...

“What are your names?” I asked.

“Lily,” the brown haired girl said quietly.

“My name is Emma,” the black haired girl said.

I let out a shuddering sigh before I scooched back in my tent. “You can stick with me for now,” I said, making space for the two to huddle up in the bedroll. The two crawled in, and I pushed the blanket towards them. “Keep yourselves warm. I’ll see if I can ask for water.”

As the two wrapped themselves in the blanket, I peeked back out of the tent, looking around. A few of the soldiers were nearby, returning with large crates in their hands. “Excuse me?” I called, and one of the soldiers turned to look at me. “Could I get some water?” I asked.

The soldier didn’t respond to me, only turning to the one next to him and making a gesture. The other soldier nodded and hurried off, returning several seconds later with a small canteen of water. “Thanks,” I said when he handed it to me, and I turned to hand the canteen to the girls.

They shared the water, drinking a few gulps eagerly before handing what remained of the water back to me. I was quick to finish the rest, still feeling the effects of my sprint from earlier. Setting the empty canteen down by the edge of the tent, I laid back, listening to the sounds of the village around us.

“What’s your name, mister?” Lily asked, breaking the silence from earlier.

“Carlo,” I sighed as I looked over at the girls. “Where do you come from?”

“We live here,” Lily said quietly. “We moved to this place about six years ago. We don’t know where we moved from, and this place has been our home for as long as we could remember.”

I sighed. “I see,” I mumbled. “Do you want to stay here?”

Lily and Emma looked at each other, clearly unsure. “I don’t know. All our things were destroyed. It’s just us,” Lily mumbled. “No one else will take us in.”

“You’re the only nice person we met,” Emma said, blinking at me. It took me a moment to realize she was making puppy eyes.

”I don’t know if I’m staying,” I admitted as I looked over at the Chantry. “My friend is asleep over there - once she wakes up...”

“Is your friend okay?” Lily asked.

“I hope so,” I said. “Saw her earlier today - she’s breathing fine. I think...well, I’m hoping she wakes up soon.”

“I hope she’ll be okay too,” Emma said. “I wanna meet her.”

“Me too,” Lily muttered, yawning quietly and snuggling deeper into the blanket. I couldn’t help the little smile as the two girls fell asleep, the admittedly adorable sight helping me soothe my worries over what the future could bring.

The future...

I suppressed the urge to sigh, rubbing my eyes as I looked back out at the Chantry. Until the events of the game officially started, there was little that I could do - other than wait for the Inquisition’s official creation, and the Breach had to be reached for that.

And so I waited - I waited for Valyssa to wake up, for Cassandra to haul her out of the Chantry. I waited for someone, anyone to speak to me once more.

Hours passed - with the village continuing to buzz with fearful activity. Many people left - horsedrawn carts leaving alongside many others with their assorted items. Few villagers stayed - though their numbers were still enough that Haven was relatively crowded. I didn’t see Cassandra or Solas again before it reached nighttime many hours later.

The girls remained asleep, and all I had to do was join them in slumber. It was difficult to fall asleep whilst waiting, but I had to sleep sometime. And drowsiness came quickly when one didn’t eat.

 - in the Fade - 

Glamour was nowhere to be found.

I was in the empty realm of the Fade - the haze of green not as strong. It was almost as if a fog had been cleared, the rocky structures much more clear to see.

“Glamour?” I called - receiving a single echo that was quickly drowned out in the hum of magic around me. Without the demon I’d been so accustomed to seeing, it was all so...eerie. A feeling of unease flooded my gut, and I was beginning to believe something terrible had happened to her.

The Breach, I realized. The rifts forming all over Thedas - dozens of tears in the Veil between Orlais and Ferelden. Demons had been sent crashing into the real world - what if Glamour was one of them?

Time seemed to pass quickly as I stumbled around the Fade, finding details about it that I hadn’t seen before during my dreams - seeing rocky structures, mountainous paths with stairs, jagged pillars and columns, even torches.

Details became familiar, realizing I’d seen much of this before - large floating chunks of rocks, massive arches that glowed brightly, lakes that emanated steam and the promise of death. It was an endless realm - a surreal realm that almost seemed like the Hallelujah Mountains from the Avatar movie - despite it looking freaky and nightmarish.

That was when I realized - there were no demons or spirits I could find. The Fade seemed...empty. Why was that? The Breach, the various rifts, they all had to be doing something, but what?

I felt the beginnings of a headache starting to pulse through my skull, and I shut my eyes. Glamour was gone and I couldn’t find her. What else could I do? Even worse, what if other demons went after me? What if I was even more susceptible to possession without her? Even with the lack of demons, the thought was still there - and that scared the absolute hell out of me.

I needed to stop worrying about something I couldn’t change - I couldn’t find Glamour, and there was no way in hell she would just get up and leave without a good reason. Minutes passed as I paced around in the Fade, slowly urging myself to stop worrying.

I needed to focus on defending myself, and that meant I’d need a weapon - if they even worked here. I quickly looked down at my hands, feeling mana surge through them. Could I still use my abilities here? I decided to think of something else - something other than the energy sword. I thought back to other video games in my time, deciding to try and distract myself from what was going on.

Skipping past Halo, I went to Star Wars.

No, not Star Wars - a lightsaber was a bit too on the nose. What else? Fallout?

My mind raced for a moment. “ Yeah, Fallout works. Maybe a laser weapon, ” I couldn’t help but think, losing myself in the process as mana began to glow from my hands - flowing out slowly before taking shape. Details filled my head, forming blueprints that my mana then shaped from the Fade.

I could feel the familiar process through my body, my energy taking from the realm of demons and spirits and turning the magic into solid metal. My hand slowly enclosed around a metal grip, a trigger forming around my index finger.

A thick and round metal barrel formed in front of the standard boxy shape of a laser rifle’s main body, with a smooth grip underneath. Thin piping and riveted metallic framing made themselves known, and I watched as a tapering edge formed a small squarish barrel at the very end, with a boxy scope forming atop the weapon. When the glow went away, I looked at what I held: the laser sniper rifle from Fallout 4.

I held the weapon with both hands, feeling a noticeable weight to its form. A leather sling was even there, likely something I’d thought up on instinct. It felt like an actual gun - a true physical object rather than the creation of another video game. Holding the stock up to my shoulder, I took aim - the scope acting much like the scope in the actual game.

And so, I was armed. A few minutes of admiring my nostalgic creation, I wandered around once more, searching for something - anything. Seconds bled into minutes, then hours, and I realized that wherever I was in the Fade - it was empty.

“What the...hell?” I muttered. Even if there were no demons, surely there’d be other dreams that I could enter or wander to. I lowered the large laser rifle, my gaze fleeting from left to right. I constantly turned, always aware that anything or anyone could be behind me.

And yet...nothing.

Where exactly was I in the Fade?

Something wasn’t right.

I was more nervous than I was before. I would have taken seeing and risking fights with demons over the eerie silence I was experiencing. What could this be caused by?

“ You are aware of the dangers, and I am no fool to see that you possess the willpower to defy possessions. ”

Some of Glamour’s very first words to me echoed through my head, and I grimaced at the sudden recollection of such memory. How did I recall that of all things? Furthermore, what exactly did it mean?

A hand touched my shoulder.

I jolted awake, a choked gasp escaping my throat as I found myself short of air. Wheezing and coughing, I sat up and gripped my chest as I fought to breathe.

My vision went from blurry to clear in an instant as I realized that I was back in Haven. It was bright and early, and I could feel just how cold the snow was.

“W-we’re sorry!”

The squeaking voices had me turning around, seeing Emma and Lily sitting behind me, quivering. From the cold or from fear, I wouldn’t know - but I was quick to hold my hands up. “Hey, it’s okay!” I quickly reassured them. “I...you just scared me, that’s all.”

The girls slowly scooted back, and I would have tried to speak again had Lily not spoken up. “What’s that in your hand?”

I looked at my right arm, only realizing my hand clasped around something heavy. The Fallout 4 laser sniper rifle rested in my grip, and I paled. “...oh, fuck,” I muttered, realizing what I had done once again.

The sound of a loud thud filled the air from nearby. I whirled around, just in time to see Cassandra Pentaghast herself pull Valyssa Lavellan out of the Chantry, her hands tied and her skin pale.

Valyssa looked scared, her legs weak and her hair unkempt. Her gaze was wild, like a caged animal ready to break free. Her gaze fell upon me across from the Chantry, and her eyes widened. “Carlo!” she cried.

I pulled myself to my feet, quickly slinging my new weapon over my back as I stumbled out of the tent. Any relief I felt upon seeing her awake was now replaced by stress and dread.

The story of the Inquisition and its leader was beginning, and I was going to be directly in the thick of it.

Chapter Text

Even Cassandra couldn’t stop me from pushing through to Valyssa, wrapping up the slender elven mage in a tight hug. “You’re okay!” I whispered, my voice shakier than I’d anticipated. I was still somewhat sleepy, my head aching and my skin cold - likely from the fact that I’d fallen asleep without a blanket.

Valyssa almost seemed delirious, confused - but much less panicked. “What...what happened? Why am I tied up? I...I’m being accused of all these...these things,” she mumbled. “Where am I?”

“You’re back in Haven,” I said, backing away as Cassandra pushed herself between me and Valyssa. I watched as the Seeker cut apart her bonds, freeing her hands. “The Conclave blew up and you...you were rescued.”

“We have little time. Come,” Cassandra said, her hand on Valyssa’s wrist. Her other hand came up, pointing at me sternly. “You, back to your tent now.”

“No, stay with me!” Valyssa blurted out, reaching out to grab me by the arm. I’d never seen such desperation, such raw fear in her eyes before. “I-I don’t trust where she’s taking me!”

Before Cassandra and I could say anything in response, her hand flared up. Valyssa cried out, buckling to her knees as she clutched her wrist. She was shaking violently, almost like she was about to pass out.

People around us stared at us, some glaring and others muttering. It was clear that they already seemed to blame Valyssa for the events - and I was even a bit worried that there would be a riot, maybe a lynching if Cassandra hadn’t been with us.

Cassandra steadied her, helping her to her feet much more gently. “The mark is killing you, every time the Breach expands. It may be our only hope of stopping this,” she said as she held Valyssa’s wrist firmly, as if to exemplify her words.

“T-the Breach? What do you...” Valyssa whispered before her gaze turned up to see the massive swirling hole in the sky. Her mouth dropped open, speechless just for a moment. “What...what is that?” she rasped, horror lacing her tone.

“It’s a tear between our world and the Fade,” I said, staying close. “An explosion wiped out the temple and created that hole. Now demons are falling through the sky and landing everywhere.”

“And it must be sealed at once,” Cassandra said. “We can’t waste any more time, we need to get there and seal it at once.”

“I’ll try...but I don’t think I can fight very well,” Valyssa said, and I took in her state. Unlike in the game, where the main character would recover and join the fight seemingly on a whim, Valyssa actually looked like she’d been locked up for a few days.

There was genuinely a chance that she could die, and I wasn’t willing to trust the “game logic” as much anymore.

“She needs food and water before we go,” I said. “She can barely stand, much less fight through demons.”

Cassandra growled as she tugged on Valyssa’s wrist - albeit less roughly. “We don’t have time! The Breach expands with every passing second, bringing more demons to Thedas and risking the life of your friend even more!”

“And if you rush to the Breach now, you’ll get her killed because she can’t even run from a demon, much less fight it!” I said as I stepped up to Cassandra. I hadn’t even noticed how heated my voice was, or who I was arguing with. “And if she dies, I will kill you.”

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed, and the two of us were silent for a moment. Finally, she relented - turning to a nearby soldier. “Food and water! Now!” she barked, with the man quickly rushing off on her order. “She can eat on the way.”

I released a breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding, backing off from the Seeker. “Thank you,” I sighed in relief, before turning around to see Valyssa. She was still clearly nervous, staying close to me as we waited for the soldier.

The man in Inquisition armor would come back shortly - holding a whole loaf of bread and a canteen of water. As if understanding the assignment, he handed them over to Valyssa before hurrying off to do whatever tasks he had to do. Valyssa wasted no time in scarfing down torn pieces of bread, and Cassandra gestured for us to follow.

“Come on,” I said, helping Valyssa walk as she ate. It probably wasn’t very healthy for her to eat so quickly after being starved for a few days, but there was little I could do, not when time was against us.

“Wait!” I heard a voice cry out.

I turned to see Lily and Emma hurrying over, and I stopped momentarily. “Where are you going?” Lily asked.

“Somewhere dangerous. I promise I’ll be back soon, okay?” I said, quickly ruffling Lily’s hair - then Emma’s. “Stay in the tent. Do not move, and stay safe,” I ordered. “Do you understand?”

The girls were clearly reluctant - and for a moment, I thought they would try to disobey. But to my relief, they slowly nodded. “Come back?” Lily asked.

I nodded. “Go,” I said, and the two girls hurried back to the tent. Turning away, I helped Valyssa catch up with Cassandra, who was waiting impatiently for us at the edge of the village.

We silently made our way out of Haven, hurrying as quickly as we could together down the slope and towards the first bridge. The gates were quickly opened upon our approach, with some soldiers eyeing me suspiciously as we passed by.

“Are they yours?” Cassandra eventually asked when we were about halfway across the bridge.

“Not exactly,” I said as I looked out towards the Breach - in the not too far distance, “The demon that showed up in Haven a few days ago destroyed their house and killed their mother. I’m taking care of them for now.”

“I see,” Cassandra said as we crossed the bridge fully, making our way up the path towards the next bridge, where I’d collapsed in front of her days ago. “You truly believe that you are in a state to care for them? Even knowing the suspicion cast upon you?”

“S-suspicion?” Valyssa asked, lowering the canteen from her mouth. “What suspicion?”

“They seem to believe that you’re responsible for the explosion,” I said, momentarily forgetting about Cassandra’s question. “And because you and I are friends, I’m apparently guilty as well.”

“But...it isn’t possible! No one is capable of such...destruction!” Valyssa protested.

“Well, they’re blaming us regardless,” I said. “The only way they can even consider the fact that we’re innocent is if we help close that big fucking hole in the sky.”

“And how are we supposed to-” Valyssa began, only for her hand to explode into pain once more. The canteen dropped as she clutched her wrist, and I was quick to steady her before she fell over again.

Her body shook violently as Cassandra backtracked, helping to bring her along. “The pulses are coming much faster now,” she said. For a moment, I thought she sounded worried. “We mustn’t waste any more time, not while the Breach continues to grow.”

“How...how did I survive this explosion?” Valyssa asked as we made our way to the next bridge, where several soldiers were holding position.

“They say the survivors...stepped out of a rift before falling unconscious. A woman was seen behind you, in the rift. Nobody knows who she was,” Cassandra said.

“Survivors?” Valyssa asked. “Survivors...there’s more than me?”

“Another - a Qunari. She remains detained in the Chantry, under suspicion. Were it not for your mark, you would be awaiting your trial as well,” Cassandra said.

Valyssa scoffed mildly. “Knowing the Chantry, there wouldn’t be a trial...only an execution,” she grumbled to herself. Despite the tone she had, it only underlined just how nervous she was.

Cassandra turned to face Valyssa, clearly about to say something before she stopped herself, turning back to cross the bridge. “We can’t waste any more time arguing this,” she finally said. “We must hurry if we’re to-”

The memory of the bridge falling apart in the game hit me like a freight train.

“Wait!” I called, remembering what happened next in this part of the game. Cassandra whirled around before the flash of green exploded behind her. Soldiers flew off as the stone began to crumble, and Cassandra vanished in the cloud of dust as the bridge collapsed in an instant.

Valyssa had stumbled back in shock, almost taking me with her as we peered down. Cassandra slammed into the icy lake, with chunks of stone and crates crashing down around her. Across the lake, a second meteorite of green slammed into the ice - shattering a large piece of ice as a demon was quick to emerge from the smoke.

A shade, I could barely recall - same shape and posture as the rage demon, but with what looked to be warped and infested skin and a large hood covering where the head was supposed to be. The creature snarled loudly, clawed hands outstretched on long and thin arms.

Cassandra scrambled to her feet, drawing her sword and shield as she prepared to attack the demon. I quickly let go of Valyssa, leaning her on the broken stone railing before pulling out the rifle I’d formed in the Fade. Dropping to one knee, I took quick aim through the scope - its chest in my crosshairs before I pulled the trigger.

The trademark sound of a laser weapon in Fallout filled the air as a thin beam of red fired out of the barrel - crossing the distance between my weapon and the demon’s chest in an instant. The demon flinched back, hissing as it clutched its chest.

I pulled the trigger again, the next shot piercing its chest once more and sending it slumping into the ice.

When I pulled myself out of my crosshairs, I turned to see Cassandra locked in combat with two more demons that climbed out of the blast that had taken out the bridge, and a fourth one was sneaking up on her from near the other side of the bridge supports.

“We gotta help,” I said as I took aim. I opened fire once more on the demon closest to me, without the Seeker in my line of fire.

Three consecutive blasts brought the Fade creature down, and I could just see the surprised look on Cassandra’s face before she brought her attention back to her opponents, slaying one demon before moving on to the last.

“Agreed,” Valyssa said as she pulled herself forward. She could stand on her own, her breathing a bit steadier. “I’m...I’m regaining my energy.”

“Best to not risk it. Stay behind me,” I said before I looked down. The collapsed bridge had made a mix of a steep ramp and several jagged ledges for me to get down - much safer than how Cassandra had dropped down the lake.

The drop slash climb down was relatively safe, and Cassandra had killed the last one herself. The second I hit the ice, Cassandra brought her sword up towards me. “Don’t move,” she warned.

I kept the weapon lowered. “I mean, I helped save you - so you’re welcome,” I said. Her eyes narrowed, and I quickly spoke up once more. “Look, I want this Breach closed as much as you do. We need to work together.”

“Then your place should be to protect the one who might be able to close it,” Cassandra stated. “If she’s in no state to fight-”

“Then we both need to be helping her, staying close to her. Together,” I repeated. “And that means helping you too.”

Up above the little standoff I was having with Cassandra, Valyssa was still climbing down - hands and feet on the stone ledges as she tried to avoid falling. Just as she was halfway down, her hand sparked up once more - and she suddenly slipped with a pained shout.

I was quick to drop my weapon and catch her before she could hit the ice, holding her tight as I slipped right into a nearby pile of snow. “Hey, you okay?” I whispered.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Valyssa whispered. She still held her hand, hissing in pain as I pushed her to stand. “What about you?”

“We’re fine,” I said, reaching for my weapons to pick it up before turning to Cassandra. “Well?”

The Seeker’s gaze flickered between me and Valyssa before sighing. “You are right,” she said as she sheathed her weapon. “I should remember that the two of you agreed to come willingly.” She reached into the few pouches on her person, taking out a handful of corked glass vials, two red - one yellow, and one blue. “Here, you’ll need these. Maker knows what we’ll be facing.”

Health, stamina, and lyrium potions.

I took the vials, handing two red and a blue one to Valyssa before pocketing the rest. “Where’s the rest of the soldiers?” I asked as Valyssa guzzled down one of the red vials.

“They’re either at the forward camp, or they’re fighting,” Cassandra said, pointing to a small snowy path up the side of a hill. The three of us continued on our way, heading away from the lake and what remained of the bridge.

Valyssa could handle walking on her own now, greatly quickening our pace towards the Breach. We came across other demons - a small group of them passing by an icy river when we found them. Clearing them out was relatively easy, there were never more than a few of them at once, and we had the advantage of a ranged weapon.

I was acutely aware of Cassandra’s eyes on the rifle whenever I used it, but she remained silent. Whether she was impressed, suspicious, or planning on taking it away when this was over, I couldn’t tell. As far as I was aware, she was also still holding onto my energy word.sword as well - though I wasn’t stupid enough to ask for it back right now.

Then there were the wraiths. They weren’t really anything special - transparent spectres that seemingly glowed green, firing off small bursts of energy. It wasn’t difficult to dispatch them next, not with Cassandra luring them in with her shield. They went down with a single laser shot, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the weapon I’d brought from the Fade fired off actual lasers or if they were just another form of magic from the Fade.

That was something to worry about later.

We finally reached the next leg of the journey - where more fighting could be heard. Over the edge of the stone carved stairs would be a rift, as well as where Varric and Solas would be fighting. The sound of crashing and screeching was all we could hear as we hurried into the thick of battle.

We approached the site of combat - a wrecked town with shattered buildings and other stone structures, where several demons fought Inquisition soldiers near the rift. The large jagged shape hovered a dozen or so feet in the air, humming loudly as demons continued to drop from the hole in the Veil.

“Get back! We must clear the area!” Cassandra called.

“I can fight!” Valyssa insisted, stepping forward.

“Then help us fight at a distance!” Cassandra ordered as she rushed ahead, towards the rift.

“Stay with me, we’ll flank them!” I said, bringing my laser rifle to bear. The two of us rushed to cover behind one of the damaged houses. There were more demons than fellow fighters this time, and that meant that a few were trying to do some flanking of their own.

I opened fire on the demons, taking them down the moment they were clear of any allies in my sight. “How well can you use magic without a staff?” I asked, remembering that there was no staff for Valyssa to take in the debris of that icy lake.

“Not very well,” Valyssa grumbled. “The most I can do is some spirit healing. Maybe a fireball.”

“Then save that for when I miss a few coming our way,” I said, turning back to see the demons mostly over and done with. I got up, recalling what came next. “Come on!” I called, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the other side of the rift.

The last demon fell when we regrouped, with Solas hurrying past Cassandra to grab Valyssa’s other hand - the one bearing the Anchor. “Quickly! Before more come through!” he called, and he pulled her hand up to face the rift.

What came afterwards was a massive green flash that was nearly blinding, followed by a blast of force that sent me stumbling back. When I opened my eyes, the rift was gone, and the air it hovered in was one hundred percent clear.

“What...what did you do?” Valyssa whispered as she clutched her hand. The mark continued to glow, sputtering occasionally with every few seconds.

“I did nothing,” Solas said, smoothly brushing off his hands. “The credit is all yours.”

Valyssa looked back down at her hand. “How...how could I do that?” she asked. She glanced at me in a rather nervous manner, almost as if she were asking me for answers.

“Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed the mark upon your hand,” Solas explained. “I theorized that the mark may be able to close the rifts opened in the Breach’s wake. And it seems I was correct.”

Theorized, my ass.

“Meaning it could also close the Breach itself,” Cassandra whispered, her voice lifting in what sounded like hope.

Solas nodded. “It appears that you may hold the key to our salvation,” he said cordially.

“I-is this real?” Valyssa asked, turning to look at me once more.

“It sounds like it, more or less,” I said, shrugging as I hoisted the laser rifle over my back - slinging it over my shoulder. “I’m less worried about whether we can close the Breach itself and more if we could even get there at all. We’re coming across more and more demons as we get closer.”

“Trust me, you’re not the only one sick of being ass deep in demons,” a voice said. I turned to see a familiar beardless hairy chested dwarf stepping forward with a familiar massive crossbow slung on his back.

Behind the dwarf was Aiden Trevelyan, sporting a shortsword in one hand and a small one handed axe in the other. “I was wondering if you’d show up again,” he said. “Was worried you’d be executed or something.”

“If only we could be so lucky. And I figured you’d be in the thick of the battle since you weren’t at Haven. Though I didn’t see you in all those demons,” I said before looking down at the dwarf. “Varric Tethras, as I live and breathe.”

“Ah, you know who I am?” the dwarf asked, almost basking in the attention. “Let me guess - you read my Thedas famous book about the Champion of Kirkwall.”

“Even better, I lived it,” I lied, crossing my arms. “Grew up in Kirkwall myself.”

Varric chuckled. “How’d a fellow Free Marcher end up here?” he asked.

“I’ll answer it if I can guess why a free spirited dwarf like yourself is here,” I said with a laugh that threatened to burst out.

“Go ahead,” Varric goaded with a cheeky grin.

“We don’t have time for this-” Cassandra tried.

“She arrested you,” I said, pointing at the Seeker, cutting off her words.

Varric exploded into brief but very heavy laughter. “I don’t believe it!” he chortled. “Did she arrest you too?”

“She did,” I said with a grin. The dwarf’s amusement was infectious.

“Enough of this!” Cassandra finally shouted. Breathing in deeply, she sighed. “We must get going - time is of the essence.” She turned to look at Varric. “You are free to go. Do avoid causing more trouble in the future.”

Varric chuckled. “Sorry to say, but you’re stuck with me for now,” he said. “The valley’s a mess - your soldiers don’t have control anymore. You need me and Bianca if we’re going to get this Breach closed.”

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed once more before turning and walking off with a huff, leaving Solas, Varric, Valyssa, Aiden, and me looking at her as she hurried off. “Well, it seems like you’ve made friends while I was out,” Valyssa said.

“Yep. Meet the most famous dwarf in Kirkwall, the guy who kept your mark from killing you while you were asleep, and a noble from Ostwick,” I remarked.

“Just a noble? I’m flattered,” Aiden asked, a wry smirk on his face.

“Hey, I didn’t see you do much before today,” I said.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Solas said, smiling in a friendly manner.

“Well. It’s wonderful to meet all of you too,” Valyssa said. “Though I imagine we’d be having much friendlier conversation under better circumstances.”

I could see Cassandra getting ready to storm back towards us, and I made to walk over. “We’re coming, relax!” I called. “Just discussing that Breach is all!”

“You can discuss it while we run!” Cassandra shot back.

The main road was blocked, so we took a shortcut down a path that led to the river bank. If I remembered correctly, there was a second rift further up near the forward camp. There was little spoken between the six of us as we continued our journey, finding very few demons on the way.

It took a while to reach the next rift - which was coincidentally right in front of the entrance to the forward camp - with spiked barricades and a massive set of iron doors standing between the camp and the demons pouring out of the rift.

“Open fire!” I called when the shades and wraiths spotted us. Varric cocked the large charging handle atop Bianca, I took aim, and Solas raised his own staff. Bolts, lasers, and blasts of magic flew into the group of demons, cutting them down as they tried to fight back. The wraiths were the first to fall, targeted first before they could unleash their own ranged attacks - and the shades that managed to get close were immediately engaged by Cassandra and Aiden.

Valyssa stuck by me, throwing the occasional fireball and healing anyone who had gotten any injuries during the fighting. The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun, with the only thing that needed addressing being the rift itself.

Solas looked to Valyssa, gesturing for her to come forward. Valyssa did so, raising her hand and waiting for something to happen.

Then came the blinding green light.

Through my squinting, I could see a large stream of power between the rift and the mark on her hand - glowing brighter and brighter before the rift exploded - fragments of power vanishing in the air as they flew away. Any presence of a tear in the Veil was nowhere to be seen.

There was silence for a moment before Cassandra stepped forward, resting a hand on Valyssa as she panted for breath. “The rift is gone! Open the gates!” she called.

“Right away, Lady Cassandra!” came the voice of a soldier from within. The six of us made our approach, the large iron doors slowly opening to reveal yet another bridge, much wider this time and lined with dozens of soldiers, more barricades, ballistae, carts, and supplies. Tables and tents were set up as well as many wooden stands holding weapons and armor.

“So, if you’re from Kirkwall, I’m sure you know a bit about Bianca,” Varric said, retracting the X shaped arms of his weapon before slinging it over his shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me about that doohickey over there?”

I looked down at the laser rifle still in my hands. “To put it simply, it’s like a crossbow that shoots energy,” I said as we passed the various soldiers. “Think of that energy as...well, light - but with that heat focused into a tiny beam.”

“Well that tiny beam packs quite the punch. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of something like that ever existing - but what do I know? Magic might be swimming around in there for all I can tell,” Varric commented. “She got a name?”

“Not yet,” I muttered, having not considered that. “I’m thinking about it.”

“Don’t take too long. Bianca could always use a like minded friend,” Varric said.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said before staging a whisper. “Though, I think it’d only make Bianca more jealous if you ask me.”

“I think you underestimate what Bianca’s capable of,” Varric remarked.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said. “A bit of friendly competition might do some good, now that I think about it.”

Varric only grinned, and I could hear Valyssa giggling behind me. I couldn’t help but feel a bit liberated myself, the stress of getting to the temple less suffocating with the banter between me and Varric. It felt like I was an actual character in the game.

It felt like I was a member of the Inquisition.

I looked at Valyssa, who smiled back. She seemed much less nervous compared to earlier, even with the mark eating away at her hand. “Are you feeling okay?” I asked.

“A bit better, now that you’re here,” Valyssa said. Her own smile fell moments later. “I still can’t believe all of this is happening.”

The sound of arguing in the distance could be heard, and I turned to see Chancellor Roderick and Leliana herself at the table up ahead.

“We’ll have some time to breathe when we handle the Breach,” I said, walking forwards, knowing what was to come. “Hopefully,” I added quietly to myself.

Chapter Text

Leliana turned to face us as we approached, and I could see glimpses of her red hair under her hood, as well as her bright blue eyes, which held a sternness that almost didn’t fit them had I not remembered her role as Spymaster. “Ah, you made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is-” she said.

“I know who she is,” Roderick said, slamming his hands on the table as he glared spitefully at Valyssa. That look was then turned on Cassandra. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution!”

“You order me?” Cassandra spat, almost offended. “You have no authority - you are a glorified clerk, a bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!” Roderick sneered.

“We serve the Most Holy,” Leliana pointed out sternly, cutting off a spat - or worse - between the chancellor and the Seeker.

“The Most Holy is dead! We must elect a replacement as soon as we can and obey her orders on the matter!” Roderick countered.

“Isn’t dealing with the hole in the sky the more immediate problem?” I asked, stepping in.

“And who may you be?” Roderick asked angrily.

“The guy trying to help the ones actually risking their lives to close the Breach,” I said. “That thing is growing and we have a way to close it.”

“He is correct,” Cassandra chimed in, reaching back and taking Valyssa by the wrist. Thankfully, she was gentle as she brought up the glowing Anchor for the chancellor to see. “This mark is capable of closing the rifts - we’ve done so to the few we came across on our way here, including the one right outside the camp.”

“And you really believe this can be done?” Roderick challenged. He seemed less angry now, more weary. “The casualties are enormous, you cannot possibly hope to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers...or whatever soldiers are left.”

“We have to try!” Cassandra said. “Pulling back now means the Breach will swallow Thedas whole! It’s our only chance!”

The Grand Chancellor made to speak up once more, but Cassandra held up her hand. “We will not lose hope - not when our chance to stem the tide of demons is right here!” she said.

Almost as if on cue, the Breach flared loudly, the green tint in the sky brightening. The Anchor flickered much more loudly than before, and Valyssa let out a pained cry as gripped her wrist.

Cassandra helped steady her, glaring at the Grand Chancellor. “We must get to the temple now. There is no time to debate this any further,” she said. “We’ll join the soldiers on the most direct path.”

“But it isn’t the safest,” Leliana countered, pointing up to the nearby mountain. “That path should flank the demons to the temple - the soldiers will hold their position and serve as a distraction while we move.”

“It is too dangerous - we lost a full team of scouts on that path earlier,” Cassandra pointed out.

“Don’t you see? No matter what choice is made, there will be losses! We cannot hope to hold this position, we must abandon it! Save what lives we can!” Roderick pleaded.

“We cannot,” Cassandra said. “The Breach must be closed.” She looked at Valyssa, her eyes softening. “How do you believe we should proceed?”

Valyssa blinked. “Now you want to know what I think?” she asked, almost incredulously.

“You’re the one who bears the mark,” Solas pointed out.

“And you are the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own...” Cassandra said, almost shamefully.

Valyssa looked lost from the people who apparently now looked to her for guidance. It was a far cry from how I knew her earlier - although a situation such as this couldn’t be normal for her.

I spoke up. “The soldiers could use some help, and the numbers would help us reach the temple easier,” I said. The mountain path was technically safer, but the straightforward option seemed to make the most sense right about now. “How’s that sound?”

“I...I would agree,” Valyssa said, almost reluctantly.

“But what of the scouts in the mountains?” Leliana asked.

“We don’t have time to split our forces,” Cassandra said. “Time is of the essence-”

I spoke up. “I can handle the mountain path - find any survivors and regroup at the temple,” I said.

Valyssa was quick to object. “We can’t split up now!” she cried.

“There might be an ambush waiting to take you out at the temple, or they might be on the way towards this camp,” I said. I hefted my weapon up for all to see. “I can handle this.”

“If you’re certain,” Leliana said, eyeing what I held curiously. “I join you once I gauge our forces.”

I hadn’t expected the offer, but I wasn’t about to turn it down. “I appreciate the help,” I said.

“But-!” Valyssa tried.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “The others will keep you safe and I know how to take care of myself. Been doing so before you found me in that blizzard.”

Valyssa looked less nervous now, and I smiled, patting her shoulder. “We’ll meet again, I promise.”

Valyssa slowly gulped before nodding. “Okay. I’ll see you at the temple,” she sighed.

Cassandra tested a hand on my shoulder. “May the Maker watch over you,” she said before looking at Leliana. “We need everyone left in the valley to come to the temple. We’ll need as much help as we can get.”

“Understood,” Leliana said, and we split up. Cassandra led the others out of the camp, towards the main valley - while I moved to climb up the flanking mountain path.

The walk was long, and the weather seemed to worsen the higher up I went. Thankfully, there weren’t any demons to come across, and the wind wasn’t so bad as to block out what I could see. It took maybe ten minutes of pushing uphill until I could see what looked to be stone towers, with ladders leading up to the ledge many dozen feet in the air.

Slinging my weapon over my shoulder, I got to work - climbing up the ladders and fighting off the wind to avoid being sent plummeting to my death. On the way up, I could see the tips of bent wooden fencing sticking over the edge, no doubt from other pathways.

I pulled myself over the edge of the first ladder, climbing the second another dozen or so feet to reach the next leg of the climb. Once I’d cleared that, a half spiral staircase of old wooden steps greeted me, leading up to a third ladder.

By the time I’d climbed up that ladder, I found myself a bit more exhausted than I was expecting - stopping at the wooden floored pathway that led to a nearby tunnel. “No time to stop,” I mumbled as I looked down at my pockets, remembering the vials that Cassandra had given.

Reaching in, I fished out the yellow potion - popping the cork open and downing it in one go. It tasted nasty - like a mix of extremely potent mushroom and some other flavor I couldn’t describe. It took me a bit to force it down, shaking off the aftertaste as I pocketed the now empty vial.

But like in the game, its effects were instantaneous - and the ache in my muscles was little more than a memory. Shaking my head and breathing deeply, I found myself no longer short of breath either. “Wow,” I muttered before I grabbed my weapon again, entering the tunnel.

And almost immediately, I came across a shade. It was much larger than the ones we’d fought, with a large plume-like protrusion on its back. It snarled, rushing towards me with much greater speed than I’d anticipated.

I opened fire at once, squeezing the trigger as quickly as I could to put out as many shots as I could. The greater shade demon screeched, sliding back as the beams pierced its body. One of them was a few inches shy of its center mass, and the demons’ arm flew into a nearby tunnel column.

The next shot went straight through its head, and I watched as the demon’s corpse collapsed. Lowering my rifle, I moved to head deeper into the tunnels before a green blast shot past me - hitting the wall near me.

I whirled around to see a wraith emerging from behind a column, ready to attack again before an arrow zipped by my ear - piercing and dropping the demon at once. Turning around, I saw Leliana approaching - a longbow in her hands. Behind her were several dozen soldiers following in her wake, presumed to be from the forward camp. “Nice for you to catch up.”

“It appears you’ve done the hard part,” Leliana said as she looked at the body of the greater shade. “Might I ask how you managed to kill it so quickly?” Her gaze was pointed at my weapon, and I was starting to wonder what she would do if she got her hands on it.

“It’s complicated,” I said as I hoisted my weapon in my hands, eyeing it over. Other than a bit of snow that could be brushed off, it seemed to be working fine. “Come on, we should get going.”

“Follow me, I know the way to the temple,” Leliana said. “Our commander and his forces should be covering Cassandra and the prisoner on the direct route.”

Right, Cullen. “That ‘prisoner’ is my friend - an innocent one, you should know,” I pointed out as Leliana moved ahead. I followed close behind, with the various other soldiers following me in turn.

“Maybe - but for now, she is a suspect,” Leliana said. “But I believe you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

We pushed through the rest of the tunnel, finding large open areas with carved out rock and what looked to be mining equipment scattered here and there. The few demons we came across were dispatched with little issue, with the archers that followed us quick to open fire the second danger was confirmed.

We exited the tunnels to see a handful of corpses on the ground. Leliana knelt down by one of them, brushing the snow off their body before sighing deeply. I stepped forward to see the same armor and clothing that the others behind us wore. “Are these the scouts?” I asked.

“Yes. It would have been too much to hope that they would be fine, but-” Leliana looked around. “There are only four here. I sent more than that up this path.”

“Then we’ll have to hurry. If they’re alive, we can push to the temple and recover your scouts,” I said as I looked back at the soldiers. “How many did you bring with you?”

“More than enough to push to the Breach,” Leliana reassured. She looked ahead, and we could barely make out the sounds of combat in the distance. “Come.”

We rushed forward, finding the rift with a handful of soldiers already locked in combat. Leliana was quick to rescue them, flanking the demons and covering the wounded and tired men and women with covering fire and shield support. I stuck back for this one, finding the area too crowded to avoid friendly fire - especially with the possibility of lasers cutting through demons and anyone else that may be behind them.

When the demons were done and over with, there was only the rift left to deal with - a rift no one other than the one bearing the Anchor was equipped to deal with. “What do we do here?” I asked.

“We have no choice but to come back for it later,” Leliana said. She pointed at a group of soldiers, gesturing for them to approach. “Defend this spot - cut down any demons that may come out.”

“Understood,” the lead soldier said, and he was quick to start positioning a handful of troops around the rift while Leliana and I hurried down the sloping path that led down towards the smoking remains of the temple.

It didn’t take long to reach it - not when the biting winds and heavy snow was slowly replaced by the warm and dusty atmosphere of the devastated temple. Crumbled rock, wisps of smoke, and the ashy corpses of those who were inside were all that remained. It reminded me of Char from Gears of War 3 - giving me the feeling of a mass graveyard.

And the fact that these were real people sent a chill through my spine. Real people who died afraid and confused from the explosion.

It was all very creepy.

I didn’t realize I’d stopped moving until Leliana tapped me on the shoulder. “We must keep going,” she said. “The others must be up ahead by now.”

“They definitely are,” I muttered to myself. I spared one last look at the victims of the explosion before sighing, shaking my head and following Leliana and the other troops.

We found Valyssa and the others near the center of the temple - where a rift hovered in the air before us. It was the largest one as of yet, easily the size of a house. Several jagged crystalline shapes jutted and morphed out of the shifting tear of reality.

It was a lot more intimidating up close and not in video game graphics.

“You made it!” I turned to see Valyssa rushing to me, quickly checking me over. “Good,” she sighed. “We’re just about ready to start closing this one.”

I nodded. “Glad to see you’re doing okay too,” I said, turning my gaze back to the massive fluctuating rift before us. “How’re you feeling?”

“Honestly? Terrified, tired, and utterly miserable,” she sighed, her voice significantly quieted. “Once this is over, the two of us are going to go back to the clan.”

I blinked. “You really think they’re going to let us go?” I asked, knowing what had to happen in order to save this world.

“Not if we’re sneaky,” Valyssa muttered, her lips curling up in a little grin. That grin died mere seconds later. “We just have to deal with this first.”

I nodded before looking up at the rift, its energies trailing from the Breach up above. Chunks of rocks and other pieces of land hovered in the sky, seemingly held up by the Breach.

“It’s time.” I turned to see Leliana and Cassandra approaching. The other soldiers that had followed Leliana were spread out, archers at range and on higher ground while those wielding shields and swords took up defensive positions around the rift and near the archers.

“Are you ready?” Cassandra asked, clasping a hand on Valyssa’s shoulder. Valyssa flinched, and I realized that she was still a bit wary of the Seeker - and probably of everyone else as well.

Still, she took in a shaky breath. “As ready as I can possibly be,” she whispered.

“Good. Then let’s find a way down,” Cassandra said, gesturing for us to get going. I looked back to see Aiden and Varric joining us, with Solas not far behind.

“What took you all so long?” Varric asked as he reloaded Bianca.

“Had to fight off demons and save some troops on the way down. There’s a rift up there that needs closing once this is done,” I said.

“There’s still one up there?” Aiden asked, alarmed.

“It’s on a completely different path and we didn't exactly have time to have Valyssa backtrack,” I said. “This takes precedence.”

”Leliana told me as such. She says a contingent was left behind to ensure that the rift does not cause more mayhem, at least until we can return to it,” Cassandra said, gesturing for us to follow. The way down to the rift was a long one - surrounding the rift itself in a spiral-like path of broken stone ground and jagged rocks.

And massive shards of red lyrium, plenty of them sticking up and out of the ground and rocky walls.

“Shit,” Varric muttered as we approached the first of the wildly grown red crystals - the protrusions even more creepy in person. The crystals seemed like transparent glass despite the fact that they were not, with a constant foggy shift of what had to be the blight swimming inside.

Despite our attempts to keep as far away from the stuff as possible, we could feel a warmth coming from the corrupted lyrium. “Dammit,” I mumbled, feeling my own mana flickering from the stuff. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, almost like a slimy feeling that tried to pull me towards those crystals.

“You recognize it too, huh?” Varric asked.

“Yeah,” I muttered. I pulled Valyssa away, keeping me between her and the red crystals as we passed by. “Why is it here?”

“Magic must have been drawn to the lyrium beneath the temple, possibly corrupting it,” Solas pondered.

“Gah, it’s evil. Don’t touch the stuff,” Varric said.

“It looks and feels evil, Varric. No need to tell us that,” I said.

“It feels...eerie. Where did you see this stuff?” Aiden asked, watching one of the bigger crystals jutting out from the side of what used to be a wall.

“Kirkwall,” Varric said. “It’s growing all over the Gallows now, as far as I know.”

“Crazy stuff,” I said before looking ahead. The massive rift was just ahead. “Come on, we’re just about there.”

Cassandra was the first to drop down, followed by the rest of us. As the soldiers jumped down behind us, we were quick to spread out and maintain some distance from the shifting shape of green before us. Valyssa stuck with me, the Anchor on her hand sputtering - though not nearly as wildly as it had before.

Then came the voices.

“Hold the sacrifice still.”

That had everyone whirling around, trying to figure out where that voice was coming from, before realizing it came from everywhere.

“Someone help me!”

Cassandra gasped. “That’s the Most Holy’s voice!” she choked.

“What’s happening here?!”

Everyone whirled towards Valyssa, with Cassandra being the closest. She stormed towards her with a fiery glint in her eyes. “That was your voice! You saw the Divine! She called out to you!” she cried. “What happened?!”

Valyssa stumbled back from her sudden advance, but the Seeker never reached her - not when I pushed back against her. “Back off!” I warned. “Where are the voices even coming from?!”

“Forget about the damned voices, look!” Varric called, and we turned to see what he was on about.

The silhouette of Corypheus hovered before us, the only discernible features that we could see being the red eyes. In front of him was the Divine - the elderly woman held up by tendrils of magic around her arms and midsection.

“What’s happening here?!”

The corporal form of Valyssa stumbling into view in the air had the real and present day Valyssa gasping in shock. Behind her was a much taller woman, sporting long black hair and a set of large curved horns on her head. She wore a set of clothing and armor that exposed her midriff, and sticking out of her back was a large two handed weapon, though I couldn’t see what type.

That had to be the second survivor that was mentioned earlier, I realized - a Qunari warrior.

“Run while you can! Warn them!” Justinia’s voice yelled.

Corypheus’s form turned to face the then new arrival. “We have intruders,” he boomed, and the transparent forms of Valyssa and the Qunari warrior stumbled back in shock. “Slay them both. Now.”

The following burst of light and power had us stumbling back - more from the shock than the actual blast of force. All that remained was the rift before us, still shifting and fluctuating.

“You were there...” Cassandra gasped before she turned back to Valyssa. Thankfully, she didn’t try to storm her again, instead looking very anguished. “Who attacked? And what happened to the Divine? What is this?”

Valyssa looked just as lost as she did. “I don’t remember! I don’t even know how that could have...what could have...I can’t...” She gripped the side of her head, and I quickly held onto her arm - letting her know that I was here.

“Echoes of past memories. The Fade bleeds here,” Solas said, his voice solemn. There was a moment of silence before he spoke up once more. “This rift is closed, only temporarily. But it must be sealed. I believe we can use the mark to open it before sealing it permanently.”

“Got it. But it’ll probably call in demons from the other side,” I said. “We’d better get ready.”

Cassandra steeled herself, pushing aside her need for answers as she drew her sword, raising it in the sky for all to see. “Stand ready!”

I turned to see the soldiers that followed us holding their weapons up, covering as much ground away from the rift as possible. Archers stood at the edges of the higher ground, bows pulled back. Solas and Varric stepped away, their own weapons at the ready to rain down fire on anything that could be coming their way. Cassandra took position by me and Valyssa before looking at us.

I inhaled, quickly nodding. There was a pride demon on the other side of that rift, ready to drop down and start swinging the second it could. “Go ahead,” I said, taking aim up at the rift as Valyssa stepped forward.

Her mark sputtered in response, her hand seemingly pulled towards the rift. A thin stream of jagged energy tore out of her hand, smashing into the rift and growing in intensity and light. We all tensed back, watching as her hand shook.

Then the rift imploded - the jagged crystal-like shapes pulling in on themselves to almost completely vanish - before the whole thing exploded. It looked like a normal tear in the Veil now, glowing brightly and illuminating the dark remains of the temple.

Then came the hand - a massive jagged claw reaching out. The jagged portal seemed to behave less like an actual portal - with the arm forming out of the energy of the rift rather than simply passing through it.

“Get back!” Cassandra yelled, and Valyssa retreated behind me, conjuring up a fireball in her hand as we all readied ourselves to face the incoming threat. Unlike how the pride demon had spawned in-game: manifesting from energy to demon form after leaving the rift, it was instead manifesting directly out of the rift, its body and head forming as it pulled itself from the Fade.

It was massive, its body an ugly corrupted purple - and utterly massive. Its sets of teeth were sharp, and the eyes were narrow slits clustered all over the front of its head. Jagged horns and spiks stuck out of its head, shoulders, and legs as more and more of its form climbed out, ready to destroy as its eyes looked down at all of us.

The second its foot touched the ground, I opened fire - squeezing the trigger as quickly as I could. Cassandra’s yell was almost drowned out as the thin laser beams pierced at its scale-like armor. Arrows flew from all around, raining down above us and slamming into the demon in a full on barrage.

The demon screamed, an unholy screech tearing from its throat before it slammed its hands into the ground. Blasts of fire shot out of its hands, flung towards the nearest group of soldiers. The impact was explosive, their bodies tumbling away as dust and smoke rained down from the blast.

There was little we could do other than keep firing, with soldiers rushing in and hacking away at it as much as they could. With every attack from the demon, either swinging around whip-like tendrils of electric power, or blasts of fire or electricity, it claimed life after life - all while we continued to whittle it down.

We kept moving, circling around it to try and avoid facing it head on. Every time it swung or turned, we’d move accordingly to escape its line of sight. Arrows covered its back by the dozens, the demon’s body was covered in glowing holes, all of them burned through by my laser rifle.

Despite the amount of damage and pain we were inflicting upon the demon, it still stood and fought - but killing it here wasn’t our objective. “Valyssa, hit the rift!” I called. “Try closing it now!”

“I’ll try!” Valyssa cried, bringing her hand up as the Anchor began to spark once more. The rift began to flicker, its edges morphing in and out as the stream of energy emerged once more between the rift and the Anchor. A loud warping sound filled the air, the rift reacting erratically as the pride demon turned to face both Valyssa and me.

Then the rift exploded a second time. The demon was sent tumbling back, and it was immediately swarmed by soldiers, cutting away at its arms and hands to keep it from casting any more attacks on us.

Just as we thought the pride demon would be dealt with once and for all, blasts of energy rained down from the rift - slamming into the ground and forming shades and wraiths that instantly attacked everything around them. “We’ve been outflanked!” one of the soldiers yelled.

“Deal with them, quickly!” Leliana ordered, and I turned to see her on the ground - firing off arrows with enough speed to put a professional archer back home to shame. A shade fell, three arrows sticking out of its head mere millimeters from each other.

“Watch out!” Valyssa called, and I turned just in time to see a shade lunging at me. An instinctive pull of the trigger had a laser shoot right through its head, slumping dead in front of me.

“Get back!” I heard someone call. I turned back to see the pride demon pulling itself up to its feet, snarling as the soldiers backed away. My gaze glanced down to see several troops already dead, lying in awkward or impossible positions with blood everywhere.

The snarl from the demon had me looking back up, its glowing eyes now slits - the massive creature advancing on us in a predatory manner. Archers continued to fire, although it paid almost no attention to the arrows piercing its back and arms, and the soldiers were now occupied with battling the newly arrived shades and wraiths.

A glance left showed Cassandra and Aiden dealing with a shade, while Varric and Solas continued to fire up at the pride demon to my right. “Get back!” Solas called.

There was nowhere else to go.

I pulled my rifle up, pulling the trigger as quickly as I was able - aiming for the head. A few missed, going high up in the air, although the blasts that did connect pierced the demon’s eyes, sending gore and steam practically washing down its head. Screaming in agony, the demon stumbled back into the rift - clutching at its face as I continued to fire away.

“Now!” I yelled while I had the demon on the retreat. “Close it!!”

I watched Valyssa rush up on my right, extending her hand as the Anchor attacked the rift for a third time. The energy hummed as the stream of power grew, the entire rift brightening and threatening to blind us all.

Then the rift blasted itself closed, the demon flying into a nearby wall from the explosion with an arm and most of its chest missing. Everyone else didn’t seem to fare any better, rolling and tumbling in the dirt as the remnants of the rift dropped and vanished.

Cassandra tumbled into Leliana, Solas and Aiden landed in the dirt, and Varric didn’t travel very far - holding Bianca tightly as he hit the ground.

Valyssa flew into me, and the two of us slammed violently into the stone wall not too far behind us. My ears rang, and my back was immediately lanced with a nasty spike of pain. “Ow...” was all I could mutter numbly, and I looked down at Valyssa - laying limply on her side in my lap.

My laser rifle sat not too far away, broken in three different pieces - pieces that vanished into thin air with a flash of bright yellow.

What remained of my Fade created laser rifle from Fallout had disintegrated...presumably back into the Fade.

“Aww...” I mumbled as I felt my consciousness quickly leaving me. “I liked that gun.”

Chapter Text

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying in a warm and cozy bed.

It was quiet - with the sounds of birds chirping barely heard through the walls. It was warm, dry, and very comfortable. Slowly sitting up, I felt the weight of a blanket sliding down my front. A quick glance around showed that I was in a house at Haven - the familiar sight of flat stone floors and wooden plank walls filling my vision.

There was a desk with our rucksacks, a couple of chests, a set of half empty bookshelves, and a few wall shelves. At the desk was a chair that had my leather jacket draped over it. Near the desk was a fireplace, burning slowly and illuminating the room with its flames.

Looking down as I pulled my feet from the end of the bed, I saw that I was still wearing my usual clothes - except for the jacket. A quick tap on the head told me that I was no longer wearing my bandanna either, my brown hair partially draping over my eyes. Pulling myself up to stand, I felt my bare feet touching the carpet below.

Another quick glance down to the floor showed my boots sitting by the bed, as well as my socks. Did they get washed? I tugged on the collar of my shirt, sniffing. I smelt soap, not sweat - and I realized that all of my clothes had gotten washed, and apparently dressed back on me.

“Great,” I muttered before reaching for my socks and boots. As I pulled them on, I looked across the room to see a second bed against the wall.

Valyssa lay under the covers in the other bed, breathing gently. She didn’t seem quite so pale, and it was clear that she was much healthier. Her own boots and pieces of armor sat on the floor next to the legs of the bed. Furthermore, her staff was resting next to the bed - recovered and repaired by the looks of things. Above the bed was a closed window, with a set of thin drapes drawn over them.

Pulling on my jacket, I found my bandanna hanging off the chair underneath it - and I tied it back over my forehead before looking at the rucksacks. Rummaging through them, I saw what little coin we had left. 

Taking a handful of said coins, I made for the door. Outside would be the rest of Haven, where there would no doubt be many people waiting to see their Herald of Andraste wake up.

I shook my head, smiling slightly. That would be quite the sight to see in real life. Once I double checked everything, I made my way to the door - opening it and stepping outside into the busy village that was Haven.

The noise had all but vanished the second I entered the view of many dozens of people that seemed to be chilling right outside the building. Many, most in civilian clothing but with many others in armor. I blinked once, then twice - before realizing that they were all staring at me.

“...uhh, good morning?” I asked as I closed the door behind me.

No one moved, at least until I stepped forward again. The soldiers stepped back, ushering the crowd behind them as they cleared a path away from the house and towards the Chantry. “Oh...uhh, thank you,” I said, more than a little awkward as I walked down the newly cleared area.

It was a very awkward journey. I heard whispers and gasps, as well as squeals and mutters. I couldn’t hear much, other than the words ‘protector’ or ‘guardian’. “Crazy bunch of worshippers,” I couldn’t help but mutter quietly to myself as I walked up the stairs.

And then I heard it.

“Protector of the Herald.”

“Guardian of Andraste’s Will.”

I felt my face heat up at the title. I had apparently been labeled as Valyssa’s personal bodyguard? How crazy was that? I was famous - and I very much didn’t like that. As I walked, I saw the Breach up ahead in the sky, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

What a mess.

“Good, you’re awake,” I heard, and I turned to see Aiden walking up. The Trevalyan looked to be fine as well, other than a healing bruise on the left of his forehead and bandages wrapped around his hand. “I’m guessing you heard what they’re calling you and your friend?” he asked.

“Is it that obvious?” I chuckled, more than a little nervously. My cheeks still felt warm. “Not used to the titles, and I don’t think I could tell them to stop.”

“I doubt anything could - not after that Pentaghast woman didn’t deny it when someone asked,” Aiden remarked.

“Of course,” I grumbled, and Aiden chuckled. I only smiled back as I crossed my arms. “Glad to see you’re alive.”

“So am I,” Aiden said before he sighed quietly to himself. “So far, I’m the only one of us who is.”

“Hm?” I asked.

“Oh - I came here with some of my family. We Trevelyans are a big family,” Aiden explained. “Out of the group that came here, I was the only one who survived - because I didn’t make the journey to the temple.”

Oh. I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. “Sorry to hear that,” I muttered.

“Well, I didn’t know them very well - not exactly close...as family,” Aiden sighed. “Still, I feel kind of bad.”

“It’s not like dying with them would fix things,” I remarked.

“No, I guess you’re right,” Aiden sighed. “In any case, it’s not like there’s a way to change it. We should get to the Chantry - the others will want to know that you’re awake.”

“Sounds good,” I said as I looked around. “Not exactly used to the eyes.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Aiden said as the two of us continued to head towards the Chantry.

Many Chantry sisters and soldiers greeted us when we arrived - and by greeted us, I meant that they dropped to their knees and began praying. I practically ran into the Chantry when I started hearing them speak like that. The two of us made our way through the dimly lit church, where voices could be heard arguing in the back of the area, where the door to the war room was.

“I’ll...stay here,” Aiden muttered. “I definitely don’t wanna get on their bad side.”

“Good idea,” I sighed, knowing something such as this could not be held off any longer. If only Valyssa were awake and here with me too... “Well, time to get this over with.”

Twisting the handle to the door, I shoved it open to see the advisors and plus one at the table.

Leliana and Cassandra fell silent, turning to see me. Leliana showed no change in expression while Cassandra’s eyes widened. “You’re awake!” she proclaimed.

“...I am,” I said as my eyes turned to the rest of the room. My eyes passed by Chancellor Roderick rather quickly, turning to see the man in the fur coat and heavy armor at the other side of the table.

Cullen Rutherford stood tall and stern, his hair slicked back and his facial hair trimmed nicely. His posture was straight and he stood like a knight, a hand always resting on the pommel of his sword.

I could see why he was a popular option for female Inquisitors to romance.

Then there was the ambassador.

Like the game, she wore that blue and yellow frilly dress of silk or satin - but her face was a sight to behold. She was beautiful, her features refined - slender and sharp. Her eyes were round and bright, and her hair was almost perfectly straight out of the game.

It took me a second for me to realize that they were all waiting for me to say something else. Clearing my throat, I stepped into the room. “I am...alive,” I said.

What a breathtaking sentence.

“So you are,” Roderick growled before turning on Cassandra. “Why was he allowed free reign around the village, Seeker?”

“Because I have very good reason to believe that he and his friend are both innocent in the matter. He had not attended the Conclave, and her Most Holy-”

“Ah yes, you claim to have heard her call out to the elf,” Roderick corrected.

“We both have,” Leliana pointed out. “As have Solas, Aiden, Varric, and many other soldiers who fought at the Breach.”

“And this rules the prisoners out of any suspicion whatsoever?” Roderick asked.

“Prisoners who traveled with us, risked their lives, battled demons - all to close the Breach. And they did so of their free will,” Cassandra pointed out. “Not to mention that her Most Holy called out to the suspects for help. It was someone else who had caused the explosion.”

The chancellor narrowed his eyes, and I was quick to clear my throat. “I appreciate the debate, but I’m here to ask about what will happen next,” I said.

“I shall tell you what happens next! You and your friend will be clapped in irons, where you will receive a fair trial in Val Royeaux for the murder of the Divine and countless others!” the chancellor spat.

“No, he will not,” Cassandra warned. “The Breach is still a threat - one that cannot be ignored.”

“So her survival? The mark on her hand - her ability. All meant to be coincidence?” Roderick challenged.

“No. They are providence. The Maker sent them to our aid in our darkest hour,” Cassandra said, meeting my eyes. “Not to mention that the Herald is not the only survivor of the Conclave. And she too has been cleared of any suspicion.”

They must be talking about the Qunari. I looked back at her, before looking back at Roderick, who only glared back. “I dunno...” I muttered as I crossed my arms. “Seeing you all change your tone pretty quickly...”

“I understand your reservations,” Leliana said. “And I would also be cautious in your shoes, but you must understand-”

“No, I don’t think you understand,” I said, a bit determined to make them sweat. “My friend was threatened for what was essentially terrorism, chained up for days, not fed or cared for - and you frightened the absolute hell out of her. And considering that she closed the Breach, I think anything else on the matter should wait until she wakes up.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Roderick said. “Let both prisoners understand the weight of their actions before trial.”

“That will be enough, chancellor,” Cassandra said sternly. She sighed. “I understand. This meeting will be adjourned. We will continue this at a later time.”

Roderick left, not without shooting me a nasty glare. As he closed the door behind him - none too gently - Cassandra sighed. Her posture drooped rather quickly, any composure she may have had now leaving through her breath. “I...we never got the chance to properly apologize for the suspicion. And our actions,” the Seeker explained.

“We must apologize for the chancellor as well,” Leliana said, although the lack of any lilt in her Orlesian slash French tone suggested she didn’t want to.

“He’s grieving - well, you all are. It’s to be expected,” I said as I looked back at the door. “He doesn’t seem too much of an asshole, at least.”

“Was that a serious statement?” Cullen remarked, speaking for the first time.

I grinned. “Good to see you again,” I said, leaning on my supposed backstory once more. “Looks like you’re doing much better than before.”

Cullen blinked in confusion, and Cassandra took the opportunity to speak. “He claims to have grown up in Kirkwall,” she explained.

“Ah,” Cullen said quietly. “I see.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” I brushed off before turning to Josephine. “And who might she be?” I asked.

“Ah, my name is Josephine Montilyet,” the ambassador introduced - her Antivan accent sending a warm feeling down my spine. “I am here as the ambassador and chief diplomat of the Inquisition.”

“Inquisition?” I asked, blinking. If I recall correctly, Cassandra hadn’t started it up with the book. How...

“Yes, It was reconstructed after the calamity at Kirkwall, by the Divine herself,” Cassandra explained. “Although, I’m afraid that there is little the Inquisition could do...at least until we can speak with the Herald herself. In the meantime, Cullen commands what forces we have, and Lady Montilyet handles the political, financial, and overall diplomatic direction needed for the organization.”

I smiled. “Sounds like hard work. Glad to meet someone like you,” I said to the Antivan woman.

“I’m glad you see so. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Josephine said, smiling brightly.

“And this is Sister Leliana, as you’ve met,” Cassandra said.

“Of course. Spy, right?” I asked before I could stop myself. It was by pure luck that I hadn’t blurted out ‘spymaster’.

Cassandra blinked, Leliana’s eyes hardened, Cullen straightened up, and Josephine’s smile vanished. “How would you know that?” Leliana asked.

“...you carry yourself like a spy. Or a bard,” I said - a weak excuse at best. I slapped myself on the inside for putting myself on Leliana’s radar.

“Because I’m Orlesian, yes?” Leliana asked. The question was clearly posed like a joke, but her face was anything but amused.

“Well, you see enough spies and criminals in Kirkwall, you’ve seen them all...and I’m going to stop talking now,” I mumbled, clearing my throat. “In any case, you called Valyssa the Herald. I heard people outside calling her the Herald of Andraste.”

“Of course,” Cassandra said.

I frowned. “She’s Dalish.”

The advisors looked at one another silently.

“We came from Clan Lavellan,” I said. “They worship the elven pantheon...not the Chantry.”

“Even so, people are desperate for a sign of hope - and the two of you are that sign,” Leliana said.

“And to others, symbols that represent how everything has gone wrong,” Josephine said. “After all, many are sure to call the concept that the Herald could be Dalish or elven...blasphemous.”

I sighed. “Sounds like the Chantry,” I muttered. “In any case, I’m more worried if Valyssa will wake up.”

“She couldn’t be in better hands,” Cassandra said with some assurance. “Solas has watched over her, and Adan provided some of the best potions he could make.”

I smiled. “I appreciate the effort,” I said. “Let’s hope Valyssa does too.”

“If...if it isn’t too much to ask,” Josephine said. “Given the rather rocky start she’s had...would it be alright if you spoke on our behalf if she does wish to leave. It...I know it does seem rude and underhanded, but-”

“The Breach is still open, I get it,” I said. “I can’t promise anything, especially since we’ll be worried about the clan. And even if she does accept, I doubt she’d be so trusting.”

“Is there...anything you could suggest to ease things along?” Leliana asked.

I looked back at the ambassador. “What elven do you understand?” I asked.

“Well...I know ‘andaran atish’an’,” Josephine said, her voice turning sheepish. “And nothing else.”

“That’s more or less a formal greeting. The closest direct translation I could manage was ‘enter this place in peace’ or something,” I said, remembering what I learned from the clan, as well as the more memorable phrases from the games. “‘Ir abelas’ means ‘I’m sorry’, and ‘ma serannas’ means ‘my thanks’.”

“You know a good deal of elven?” Leliana asked.

“I lived with Valyssa and the clan for a bit after Kirkwall fell,” I said with a shrug. “I had to learn sometime.” Although, I didn’t exactly know too much - only a few dozen phrases and words that I’d been taught whenever I asked.

“I see,” Josephine said, smiling with what looked to be hope in her expression. “Would you mind...teaching me some more? We don’t have much coin at the moment, but-”

I shrugged, making a silent remark about how pretty her smile was. “Don’t worry about money. I’ll teach you what I know,” I said, not having much else to do. Before I could say anything else, I remembered something. “Is it possible to...speak to the other ‘suspect’? The Qunari.”

“She is no longer a suspect if that’s what you’re curious about, especially since we saw her with your friend in that...vision,” Cassandra said.

“I believe she should be awake right about now. She’s at the tavern,” Cullen said. “Although I’m not sure about this.”

“The path of the Maker is hardly an easy one,” Leliana said before looking at me. “You must be hungry, it’s been about three days since that battle at the temple. Flissa will provide a meal for you upon your arrival. And please, don’t cause any trouble. If you do, we’ll know.”

I understood her warning immediately - the spymaster had eyes and ears everywhere. “I wouldn't dream otherwise,” I said. “Though...I don’t have much coin on me.”

“You’ve no need to worry about coin,” Josephine said. “Covering expenses for the health of you and your friend is the least we can do for your assistance in our dire time of need.”

I looked back at Josephine with a grin. “That’s very kind of you. Thanks,” I said before leaving the war room, making my way out of the Chantry as well.

Aiden was nowhere to be seen, and I made my way to the tavern upon leaving the Chantry. Ignoring the looks and whispers as I crossed the village once more - I walked by the house I woke up in and headed to the Singing Maiden.

When I opened the door, all conversation inside fell silent - the two dozen or so patrons inside turning to see us. One of them stood out from the others - being much taller with grayish skin.

The Qunari warrior was holding a tankard halfway up to her lips, wearing the same midriff baring armor from that echo in the temple’s remains. Her eyes were green, and I could see clear bags under them. Across from her sat Aiden Trevelyan, who waved me over after that moment of silent awkwardness.

“Thought you’d come here,” he said as he scooted over to make room. I sat next to him, in front of the Qunari warrior. “How're you feeling?”

“Having a headache after that argument. Chantry related stuff - apparently we’re still being seen as the ones who caused this whole mess,” I said as I rubbed my head. A plate and a tankard was set before me, and I turned to see Flissa smiling at me. “Thanks,” I said, and she nodded before she got back to work.

I looked down at the wooden plate, seeing a whole grilled fish with assorted steamed vegetables, all of it hot and ready. I didn’t hesitate - digging in with my hands. The fish was soft and flaky, and it fell apart in my mouth with almost no effort at all. There wasn’t much in terms of flavor other than a bit of salt - but I wasn’t nearly that picky.

“So you fought at the Breach, huh?” I looked up at the Qunari woman, who rested her elbows on the table - leaning her chin on her clapped hands as she looked back down at me with a degree of curiosity. Her voice was deep, and it held a power that sent a tiny chill - just a tiny one - through my spine.

“Yeah,” I said. “I heard you were there when it went off.”

“I was. Can’t remember much, though,” the Qunari said. “And I was more or less out of action until yesterday.” She unclasped her hands, taking her arms off the table before reaching for her tankard. “Sounds like I missed a good fight.”

“Wouldn’t say it was good,” I mumbled as I continued to eat.

“Says the one who killed the pride demon by yourself,” Aiden teased.

The Qunari spit out her drink. “You what?!” she cried.

“Hey, Valyssa killed it when the rift blew up - I didn’t...you know...” I sighed. “I injured it.”

“You cut apart its face. I’m pretty sure that would’ve killed it anyway,” Aiden said.

“Eh, details,” I grumbled. “Let me eat in peace.”

“Not happening now that I know you apparently killed a pride demon. Come on, spill the details,” the Qunari woman said, leaning forward as I continued to eat.

I wasn’t in a hurry to start talking about guns - not now, at least. “We surrounded the thing and just kept whittling it down. Then Valyssa closed the rift and the explosion ripped up half of its body,” I said. “End of story.”

“Hm,” the Qunari woman muttered, a bit disappointed that I hadn’t gone into the details she wanted.

“What’s your name anyway?” I asked.

“Ashala,” was the answer the Qunari gave me. Her gaze dropped from my eyes to my jacket. “That’s a weird set of clothes you have.”

I shrugged. Leather jackets existed here, though I wasn’t too sure about denim.  “They’re my clothes,” I said, continuing to eat my fish and vegetables. “In any case, I’m mostly just waiting for Valyssa to wake up. Hoping she does, at the very least.”

“I think she will. The blast itself wasn’t so bad, and the last I heard about her condition was the fact that her body was too exhausted to wake up right now,” Aiden said. “Her injuries were healed.”

“That’s good,” I sighed. “We came too far to lose her now.”

“Hm,” Ashala remarked. “Might there be something more than friendly concern for this Valyssa?” Her lips curled up slyly.

I knew what she was getting at. “Maybe,” I said as I sipped my own tankard of water. “She’s one of my closest friends.”

“In any case, I’m more worried about the Breach,” Aiden said. “We managed to seal the rift on the ground - but there’s not much we could do about the big hole in the sky.”

“Something tells me that issue will sort itself out sooner or later,” I muttered as I finished up my meal - leaving only bones and scraps behind on the plate. Aiden handed me a cloth napkin, which I used to wipe off my fingers before bringing it all to Flissa - alongside a few silver coins to tip.

The owner of the tavern smiled brightly as she took the plate, and I turned to head to the door. “I’m gonna go check on Valyssa,” I said.

“Want us to come with you?” Aiden asked.

“Nah, don’t worry,” I said with a grin. “Besides, I’ll have to get back to the Chantry after that.”

Aiden grimaced. “I wish you luck,” he muttered.

“Thanks, I’ll need it,” I sighed before heading out. I made my way back to the house where Valyssa continued to sleep, finding it under heavy guard across the village. The people were more or less minding their own business now - although they still found time in their day to watch me as I walked by.

I shook my head, already sick of all of the attention.

“Carlo!!”

I turned around to see Lily and Emma approaching, stumbling as they ran. The second I saw them ready to jump, I was quick to raise my arms - luckily managing to grab the two as they slammed into me.

My back hit the snow, but I paid no mind to the ache. “You’re okay!” Lily cried as Emma buried her face in my chest.

“I’m fine,” I said as I sat up, the two looking up at me. “I just woke up about a half hour ago. Where were you two?”

“We were helping Adan move stuff around,” Emma said. “He said we could help you wake up if we helped with medicine.”

I smiled, ruffling their hair. “You two were very helpful,” I said. “Sorry I didn’t wake up sooner.”

“They said you and your friend saved people. That you tried to close the hole in the sky,” Emma said. “Is that true?”

“Yes, it is. We...didn’t close it...but we’re close,” I said.

“Where’s your friend?” Emma asked, tilting her head curiously.

“She’s asleep. Would you like to meet her?” I asked. The girls nodded eagerly, getting up off of me and allowing me to stand. After brushing off the snow, I led the two girls to the house - where one guard stood on either side of the door.

“Protector,” one of the guards said, and both men at the door pounded their fists against their chest plating.

I nodded, not knowing what else there was to do. I slipped into the house quickly, closing the door before turning to see a young elven teen girl carrying a small box.

The girl gasped upon seeing me, dropping the box with a loud thud. “P-protector!” she squeaked.

I held up a hand. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you,” I said. “Are you okay?”

To my surprise, the girl dropped to her knees, bowing deeply and pressing her forehead against the floor. “I am but a humble servant! Please, I beg your forgiveness!” she pleaded.

“Uhh, is she okay?” Lily asked.

I groaned to myself before clearing my throat. “You don’t need to be sorry. I was...just coming back to check on my friend. How is she?” I asked. “And stand up. You don’t have to kneel.”

The frightened servant slowly pulled herself to her feet. “S-she still breathes, your grace,” she said nervously. I felt my eye twitch at the apparent noble title I’d somehow gained. “I’ve made certain that she remains warm, and her health is checked hourly.”

I sighed in relief. “That’s good,” I said as I looked over at Valyssa before turning back to the frightened elven servant. “You’ve done a lot to help. You have my gratitude.”

“O-of course, my lord!” the servant gasped. “U-umm, Lady Cassandra also wished to see her as soon as she awakened!”

I nodded, resisting the urge to sigh. “I appreciate it,” I said before making my way to the bed I’d woken up in. The covers were neatly straightened out, the bed likely cleaned up and made by the servant before I came back.

As the servant quickly hurried off, I sat down - resting my head in my hand. The titles, the apparent start to the game, the pressure of the tasks that were to come...it all seemed like too much.

“Are...you okay?” Lily asked.

“I’m okay,” I said, and I peeked over to see Lily and Emma standing by the bed. “Where have you been sleeping for the past few days, if I can ask?”

“In the tent you let us have,” Emma said. “When did you get a house?”

“While I was asleep, apparently,” I sighed. “You can stay here if you’d like. The bed is warm and there’s no cold.”

“Really?” Lily asked, almost eagerly.

“Yeah,” I said, ruffling their heads. “You shouldn’t have to sleep in the cold.”

The girls looked at each other, Lily beaming as Emma smiled shyly. “Thank you, mister protector,” Emma said.

I groaned. “My name is Carlo. Please don’t call me protector or mister,” I sighed.

Another groan filled the air, and the three of us turned to see Valyssa shifting in her bed. Her eyes fluttered momentarily before shutting again, wincing.

“She’s waking up!” Lily cried, and I was quick to get off of bed and hurry over. The girls were by my side as well, watching as Valyssa slowly turned over - her breaths slow and shaky.

Then she opened her eyes. “C-Carlo?” she groaned.

I smiled. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Valyssa blinked slowly before smiling back. “Glad to see you too...” she whispered.

Chapter Text

Valyssa didn’t pay any mind to those who bowed and gasped in her presence when she passed. She didn’t pay any mind to the soldiers that flanked the path on her way to the tavern. She strode through the village, not paying much attention to anything around the village - not that I could blame her.

When I told her that Cassandra and Leliana wished to speak to her when she awoke, she told me that they’d have to wait until after she had something to eat - not that I could blame her. She had been knocked out for a while.

I sat next to her as Valyssa wolfed down chunks of fish by the handful and slurped up stew by the spoonful, ignorant of the stares of those around her. Thankfully, her status as Herald of Andraste apparently excused her of any poor manners, with the others in the tavern saying nothing - or attempting any approach. Still, the judgement was strong.

Across from me and Valyssa was Emma and Lily, the two of them eating their own bowls of stew as they watched Valyssa scarfing down her own food. “Were you that hungry, miss?” Lily asked.

Valyssa lowered her spoon, ready to speak before a brief but intense belch erupted from her mouth. I snorted before cackling, and Valyssa punched my arm - her own cheeks reddened. “I...I am. I was told that I’d been asleep for over three days,” she said, sheepish.

“Wow...then you’re super hungry,” Emma chimed in, the girls smiling at the elven mage.

Valyssa smiled back, and I recovered from my own bout of laughter. “The fish is good, right?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s wonderful! We almost never have fish back at the clan,” Valyssa gushed, looking down at her plate - now devoid of fish. Only the side of vegetables remained. “I’m almost sad it’s gone.”

“Well, if we ever travel again - we could try fishing,” I said.

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t know how. I haven’t traveled with the hunters for much other than hunting for meat, and whatever fish we do get was from trade,” Valyssa said, and she went back to eating - finishing up her plate before picking up her bowl and gulping down the rest of her stew. Setting it down, she was quick to wipe off her mouth and hands with a cloth napkin.

Taking a moment to rest, she pushed her empty plate and bowl aside before looking at me. “Speaking of which...what happened while I was resting?” she asked.

I explained the gist of what little happened then, having only awoken less than an hour before she did. I told her about the Breach remaining open, and the fact that our innocence was all but confirmed. I talked about Cassandra, Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine - and the fact that they wished to speak with her.

I wasn’t too surprised when she scowled. “So now the shemlens decide to be nice. Only when they want something from me,” she grumbled. She stood up, brushing herself off and heading to the door. Once again, I handed the empty cutlery to Flissa with another few silver coins as a tip - before looking over at the two girls.

“Finish your stew, okay? We'll be back soon,” I said softly. They nodded before I headed out of the tavern to follow the elven mage.

The elven mage that was now heading away from the Chantry. I was quick to rush over, catching up and grabbing her shoulder. “Hey - I know you don’t like them. I don’t either, but the Breach is still a problem,” I quickly hissed.

Valyssa only looked up at me, glaring before she continued her walk. I matched her pace, walking alongside her. “Think about it this way - you could force them to apologize,” I said. “And remind them that you almost died helping them. Twice.”

“This is less about being petty and more about the clan,” Valyssa said. “I need to warn them - to go back and make sure we can remain safe. We’ve already been here for far too long.”

“And what about the hole in the sky?” I asked. “It threatens millions. Clans and cities all over Thedas. Elves, humans, dwarves, Qunari. Regardless of origin, we’ll all die if we don’t deal with this.”

“This is the Chantry we’re talking about!” Valyssa snarled, her vitriol enough to make me step back. “The Chantry that demonizes my people! If I help them, I’m betraying my people and helping our sworn enemies, even if it’s for the greater good. And I know humans - the greater good is always an excuse to grow their own power. The second things go back to normal, they’ll betray me! It’s what all humans do!”

I frowned. “...all humans...huh?” I asked.

Valyssa’s anger morphed into clear regret, and she looked away. “Y-you’re not like them,” she said.

“I know I’m not. But I’m not the only human like me,” I said gently. I took her hands, watching her calm down. “I’m staying by your side, I always will. If...if you want to go back home, then I’ll go with you. But what will you do when the one who caused the Breach comes after us? What if they go looking for the mark on your hand?”

Valyssa flinched, clearly having not thought of that. “I...” she began.

“You walked in on someone in the Conclave. You bear the mark of magic that the enemy needed,” I said. “And they’re more than powerful enough to cause an explosion that killed literally thousands of people. You’re a target now. So will the clan if you return to them.”

Valyssa looked down, and I knelt before her - gripping her hands. “I lost a lot of people at Kirkwall,” I whispered, doing my best to sell the half lie half truth. “I saw death and loneliness with my own eyes, I lived it. If we don’t do this, everyone will live it.”

Valyssa looked at me, her own eyes softened. “Y-you’re right. I’m sorry...I just-” she began.

I stood up, pulling her into a hug. “Don’t apologize,” I said. “Just know that I’m here to help, okay?”

Valyssa’s hands came up, pushing against my back as she buried her face in my chest. “Okay,” she whispered. "Thank you."

The two of us hugged a bit more before we turned to head for the Chantry. This time, Valyssa took note of the people that bowed to her, the soldiers saluting to her, all revering her to some degree. Seeing her eyes flicker down and her cheeks burn red was amusing and admittedly a bit adorable.

“They’re calling me the Herald of Andraste,” Valyssa hissed.

“They’re calling me the Protector of the Herald,” I sniped back. “Makes me sound like a bodyguard.”

Valyssa snorted. “My human manservant, I suppose?” she asked - clearly in jest.

I snorted before bowing dramatically - which was harder to do while walking. “What bidding shall you have me perform, madam?” I asked in the worst French - or Orlesian in this case - accent I could muster.

Valyssa’s resounding laugh was worth me sounding stupid.

We reached the Chantry, the soldiers opening the doors for us as we made our way to the war room. I didn’t hear any arguing this time around, which made me wonder if there was even anyone inside. When we arrived, I knocked on the door of the war room.

“Enter,” came Cullen’s voice. I opened the door, leading the way as Valyssa followed me in. Cassandra and Cullen were the only ones there, the two surprised when they saw who joined me.

“Herald! I’m glad to see you’re awake,” Cullen said.

“Your concern is appreciated, commander,” Valyssa said. I blinked in surprise before I remembered that the way she took had her meet the commander on the way to the Breach.

“We came across the commander and his men en route to the Breach,” Cassandra explained as much. She turned to the door, which had Templar guards on either side. “Inform the ambassador and Sister Leliana that our Herald is awake.”

Valyssa only spoke up when the doors slammed shut behind them. “It’s Valyssa of Clan Lavellan,” she said sternly. “And I am not your Herald.”

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, perhaps trying to state something in the Maker’s name before she remembered who she was talking to. “You must understand - rumors started long before we brought you back to Haven. When they saw the Breach stop expanding, you were believed to be the reason for that,” she protested.

“Which you are,” Cullen remarked.

“Sure, rumors,” I said. “But did you tell them the truth?”

Cassandra didn’t answer.

“Wonderful. A Dalish elf - an apostate by your definition - is sent by your Maker to help you,” Valyssa mumbled. “If Carlo didn’t convince me to come here, we would be gone by now!”

I rubbed her shoulder, knowing her talk was mostly just hot air. “Breathe,” I said quietly. “This is important.”

Valyssa inhaled deeply before sighing. “You want me to close this Breach, yes?” she asked.

“Yes. It threatens all of Thedas. We cannot let ourselves be divided when the world faces utter destruction,” Cassandra said.

“You were ready to send me to a trial for a crime I did not commit,” Valyssa shot back. “The first thing you did was accuse me, demanding explanations for questions I could not answer. And might I be correct in saying that this trial would be under Chantry law?”

Cassandra seemed to know where this was going, and she sighed. “I...I know. I was hasty in my judgement, lost in my own grief, but that is no excuse. But I see the truth - the Divine called out to you. You were not the one responsible for the explosion at the Conclave,” she said.

“But someone is responsible. And you can bet that you’ll be a target for that someone,” Cullen said. “We can help protect you.”

“It’s not us we’re worried about,” I said. “It’s the clan. Could you extend an offer of protection to them?”

Cullen and Cassandra exchanged glances.

“We live in the Free Marches - there’s no way you could protect them, and you can’t bring them here. I’m sorry, but I would rather return to my family,” Valyssa said. "Thank you for helping us recover, but we will be going now."

“Please, you must reconsider!” Cassandra interjected, her tone desperate. “I...I know we have no right to ask this of you, and you are right to be wary. But like the commander said, someone is responsible. If you leave, you will be risking not just everyone, but your loved ones to whoever caused all of this.”

That was a good point, and I could tell Valyssa knew as much as she looked down. She cared for more than just her clan - more than she would think.

I stepped in. “But only if you guarantee that things will change after this,” I added, to try and sweeten the pot for Valyssa. “The Dalish suffered enough at the hands of the Chantry - at the hands of bigotry. Will you remember who helped you? Or will we just be tools to be thrown out when all of this is done?”

Cassandra seemed to be affronted by my words when the door opened. Leliana and Josephine walked inside to join us around the table. “I’m glad to see you’re awake,” Leliana said.

“I do hope your accommodations were fitting,” Josephine said.

“They were, thank you,” Valyssa said, her tone having calmed down in favor of being polite. “And Carlo is right. If I do this, there must be improvements made to how my people have been treated.”

“I understand. But...we cannot guarantee change so quickly,” Cassandra said. “Not with how the Chantry is now.”

“We know that,” I said before Valyssa could interject in any sort of anger. “But promise us that you’ll at least try. We don't need people in the Inquisition calling her a knife ear or trying to murder her.”

"I promise, I will personally punish anyone who tries," Cullen said, his tone dark.

Leliana smiled - only briefly. “In any case, it is something that can’t exactly be addressed until the Breach is closed,” she said.

The door opened once more, and we turned to see Chancellor Roderick stepping in - flanked by two templar guards. “Chain them!” he demanded. “I want them prepared for travel to the capital for trial.”

“Disregard that. And leave us at once,” Cassandra said without missing a beat.

Those guards left, leaving Roderick alone. “You walk a dangerous line, Seeker,” the chancellor warned.

“With the Breach still open, we need her now more than ever,” Cassandra said. “I have told you many times, Leliana and I heard the voices at the temple. Justinia was calling out to her for help.”

“Then her survival is a mere coincidence?” Roderick challenged.

”Perhaps you’d like to remember that she is not the only survivor. A survivor that doesn’t bear a mark such as hers,” Cullen said as he stepped in.

“The Breach matters more, chancellor,” Cassandra said. “And I will not let you execute someone who is innocent in all this, much less someone who can help us save countless lives.”

“And do not forget that the one responsible is still out there,” Leliana said. “If we’re to seal the Breach and bring the enemy to justice, then we must rely on the Herald.”

“That is not for you to decide!” Roderick said, his tone warning.

A loud thump filled the air, and we turned to see Cassandra - her hands atop a large book. I felt my own heartbeat quicken in response when I realized what was about to happen. “You know what this is, chancellor,” she said. “A writ from the Divine - granting us the authority. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.”

Valyssa looked at me, and I could only smile in return. This was where it all began.

“We will close the Breach, find and punish the ones responsible, and restore order to Thedas,” Cassandra said, pointing harshly at the chancellor. “With or without your approval.”

Roderick’s eyes narrowed, his angered gaze falling to each of us in the room before he scoffed and stormed out - slamming the door behind him.

“This is the directive of the Divine - to rebuild the Inquisition of old. To find those who will stand against the chaos,” Leliana said as she came over to the book, brushing a hand along the cover. “We are not ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and most likely no support from the Chantry.”

“We have no choice. We have the means of closing the Breach, and there is no time to waste. We must act,” Cassandra said.

“We will need time to prepare ourselves,” Cullen said as he stepped forward, resting a hand on the table as he looked over the map covering its surface. “But we have a chance. Haven will be our stronghold, and our current forces will serve as the start of our army.”

“This...Inquisition. I’ve never heard of it before,” Valyssa said.

I spoke up before the others could. “They weren’t much of an organization back then - but it’s much older than the Chantry. It only had one job - to do what was right and save lives.”

“And we will fulfill that purpose once more,” Cassandra said. “And we will not go back on what we have said. Changes will be made. You will have our protection and our support.”

“And you will have your freedom once this is over. That is our promise,” Leliana said.

“And what about those who still believe I’m guilty?” Valyssa asked.

“We shall deal with them,” Josephine said, her tone more serious than I’d heard before.

Valyssa slowly looked down, closing her eyes. Eventually, she looked back up at me. “What do you think?” she asked. “Should I trust them?”

I crossed my arms, realizing that she was leaning on me to help her make a decision. “You should. Cassandra isn’t bigoted - she was quick to realize the truth and stand by it. And she seems like the type to be loyal to what’s right,” I said, watching Cassandra smile - just for a bit. “Leliana’s the kind of person to do the right thing too. If I recall, she helped stop the blight a while back.”

The spymaster nodded, her face neutral.

“Cullen’s a good man,” I said, turning to the commander. “You won’t find anyone else more dedicated to doing what’s just. I should know - he’s a better man than almost every templar I’d seen back at Kirkwall.” 

The commander looked down momentarily before standing tall once more, showing little change in his expression.

“As for Josephine...” I said, a mischievous thought entering my mind. “She’s a sweetheart - and probably the most capable of destruction out of all of these people.” The ambassador blinked in surprise, and I grinned wryly. “I’m not kidding - people like her could destroy entire nations legally. Better not get on her bad side.”

“He has a point,” Leliana remarked, a twinkle in her eyes. Josephine spluttered in protest.

“All in all, I’d say they’re trustworthy and ideal allies to have,” I said, looking back at Valyssa.

Valyssa looked away, deep in thought before she nodded. “Very well. I’ll...accept,” she said. “I’m trusting you on this.”

“Ma serannas,” Josephine thanked. The wide eyed look of surprise that Valyssa had was more than a little amusing.

“I must spread the news,” Cassandra said, turning to head to the door. “We must spread posters, gather willing recruits, and work out our logistics.”

“One last thing,” I said before Cassandra could leave.

“What is it?” the Seeker asked.

I held out my hand. “My weapon - the one you took from me a while ago. Can I have it back?” I asked.

 - in the village - 

We exited the Chantry, the hilt of my energy sword in my pocket. We made our way back to the house - where the guards were no longer standing. Varric stood by the door, waving with a grin. “Heya!” he called. “How’d things go with the Seeker?”

“Well, she did apologize to her precious Herald for being a bigot, dropping on her hands and knees and pleading for our forgiveness-” I began before Valyssa elbowed my side.

Varric chuckled. “Alright, I think I get the picture,” he said. ”So what’s the verdict?”

“We’re officially not guilty and we’re going to help close the Breach,” I said. “And hopefully not die in the process.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Varric chuckled. “So what’s our first move?”

“For now? Wait until this ‘Inquisition of old’ is rebuilt before we can start closing the Breach,” Valyssa said. “We need resources, soldiers, and influence. This village will be home to this Inquisition.”

“Every organization has to start from somewhere,” Solas’s voice said. We turned to see the tall elf approaching. “I’m glad to see you’re all alright.”

“So am I,” I said, reaching towards Solas to offer a handshake. The ancient elven god in hiding reciprocated, clasping my hand and shaking it. “Do you plan on staying with us?”

“Of course. Whoever is responsible for the Breach must be taken very seriously, and I believe you will all need as much help as possible,” Solas said. “I suppose you’ll have no trouble working with an apostate?”

“Considering Valyssa and I are technically apostates ourselves, I don’t see why not,” I said.

Solas raised an eyebrow. “Truly?” he asked.

“Really?” Varric asked, sounding more surprised than Solas. “How’d you survive Kirkwall if you were a mage?”

“He says he unlocked his abilities very late - as in a few weeks ago,” Valyssa said. “He’s been taught the basics of handling magic, and he’s been resisting demonic possession easily enough.”

“Guess I’d better be careful now,” Varric said before holding up his hands. “Not that I think you’ll become an abomination or whatever, but I’ve seen my own share of blood magic and possessions back in Kirkwall - and I’ve been more than a little wary ever since.”

I shrugged. “I was there too, remember? You try fighting off a shade with nothing but your bare fists,” I lied. “Relax, I think I’ve been through more than enough to handle a Harrowing.”

“Decent point,” Varric said. “In any case, we’ll have plenty of work to do soon enough.”

And with that, our conversation ended on a good note. Valyssa headed into the house, and Varric left to go to his tent. I was about to follow Valyssa when Solas tapped my shoulder. “Are your abilities truly so young?” he asked.

I nodded. “Trust me, I was surprised too,” I said. “Do you have any idea why?”

Solas shook his head, almost wisely. “I’ve witnessed many events in the Fade. The echoes of one’s potential with magic is easily noticeable - but they all hold significance over adolescence. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen magic unlocked as a young adult.”

I chuckled, thinking about that ‘in the Fade’ bullshit Solas would always rely on as a cover. “Guess I’m just that special,” I muttered. “In any case, I’m less talented than any other mage here - so I’m more or less not going to use magic at least until I learn more.”

“ A wise decision,” Solas said. “Magic must be handled delicately, and too few wish to fully understand what they can do before wishing to exploit such power for themselves.”

I grinned. “Well, I’ve seen my fair share of blood magic in Kirkwall,” I said. “I’m just glad my magic didn’t manifest while all that shit was going down. I doubt I’d be alive if it had.”

“A fair point,” Solas remarked, a wry grin on his face. “If you are interested, I would be happy to lend you my expertise on magic.”

Getting the Dread Wolf as a teacher? Risky. Still, declining might be just as risky - and at least I’d have something to gain for his mentorship. “Ma serannas,” I said, enjoying the very mild surprise on Solas’s face over my spoken elven. “Valyssa’s been helping out fine - but having more knowledge on the matter would be nice.”

“Of course,” Solas said. “Would you like to start now?”

Why not? “Sure. I just need to let Valyssa know what I’ll be doing first. Where do you wanna meet?”

“Outside of Haven, perhaps. By the frozen lake. It provides some distance and privacy whilst under the watch of the guards - just in case some people believe us to sneak away for blood magic,” Solas said, his tone joking.

I chuckled. “I’ll meet you there,” I said. Solas nodded and walked away. I headed into the house to see Valyssa sitting on the bed, removing her armor. Emma and Lily were sitting in front of her, asking questions eagerly. “Hey, Valyssa?” I asked. “I’ll be heading out of the village for a bit.”

“Whatever for?” Valyssa asked curiously.

“Since you should still be resting, I thought I’d ask Solas for some thoughts on magic,” I said. “It should be a few hours.”

Valyssa frowned. “Why not ask me? I can handle my magic just fine,” she said as she started to strap her armor back on. “Let me come with you.”

“Valyssa,” I said, putting some volume in my tone. The shorter elven mage froze, and I stepped forward. “We’ve had a very rough week. Soon, you won’t have much time to rest - especially since that Breach needs to be closed. Get some more sleep.”

“But-” Valyssa began.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, coming over to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Solas helped keep you alive before we headed to the temple. You can trust him.”

“It’s not that,” Valyssa muttered. “It’s just...well...I was just hoping to spend a little time with you before we’re thrown into closing the Breach.” She looked away, almost embarrassed - and it took me a moment to see the pinkening on her face.

I felt a little touched, as well as a little worried. “Valyssa...you know you’re leaning on me way too much, right?” I asked.

The First of Clan Lavellan blinked. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I had to convince you to talk to the others. And you asked me about helping the Inquisition,” I said. “I’m here to help, but I don’t want to take away your authority.”

“Authority?” Valyssa asked, incredulously. “I value your opinion very much - I trust you.”

“And I trust you too,” I said before inhaling deeply. “But...I don’t trust myself. You were raised to be First of Clan Lavellan. You were taught leadership. I’m just some guy who was lucky enough to be rescued by you.”

Valyssa shook her head, saddened. “You are so much more than that,” she whispered.

“Maybe,” I said. “But you are much more than I ever could be. You’re strong, smart, and someone who can handle things on her own. You don't want me as a handicap.”

“Why are you talking like this?” Valyssa asked, a bit nervous.

I only shook my head. This had originally been a talk to let me train with Solas, but it was getting a lot deeper. “I just...I dunno,” I muttered, thinking of an outcome that I didn’t really wish was possible. “I don’t want you to fall apart if I die in the middle of all this.”

Valyssa’s voice hardened at once. “You will not die,” she hissed. “I won’t let you.”

The vehemence did much to flatter me, but I had to be realistic. “We both know it could happen,” I said.

Valyssa’s eyes narrowed even more, before sighing, slumping in defeat. “Very well,” she mumbled. “Just...come back soon?”

I nodded, before leaving the house. I made my way out of Haven, towards the edge of the frozen lake where Solas stood.

The Dread Wolf turned to face him, his staff resting in his hands. “Are you ready to begin?” Solas asked.

I inhaled deeply before nodding. “Yep. Teach me.”

Chapter Text

Solas was a good teacher, I’ll give him that. His first lesson revolved around meditation, pulling on the mana and working on managing my connection to the Fade. He was patient, but at the same time - rather prideful in what he taught me, his lectures thorough and his smile ever present with every question I asked.

I’d been meeting with him outside the village for the past week and a half now, the two of us spending five to six hours a day on working through what I could handle with all related to magic and streamlining the learning process.

As we worked, Haven got noticeably busier. The Inquisition’s soldiers went from several dozen to numbering about a hundred at the most during the past several days. Even now as we trained a decent way away from the village, we could hear the collective yells and metallic clashing of a hundred men and women training hard with swords and shields in the distance.

The two of us spent a lot of time together, while Valyssa ended up having plenty of work to do as the Herald of Andraste. For one, she had to help seal the rift in the mountain path before needing to speak with dignitaries and other nobles to help Josephine secure funding for the Inquisition.

She always came back pissed. Sometimes, I wanted to go with her - but considering that the Herald held all of the political attention, there was nothing for me to help with - other than the occasional show of status by standing with Valyssa in public.

Neither of us had liked being eyed like public attractions.

“It’s rare to see one so willing to learn, much less improve their own skills,” he said once more as he watched me hold up a ball of fire - holding it steady for several minutes at a time with concentration. “A refreshing change of pace from those who believe themselves more knowledgeable than they truly are.”

I let the fireball die out with a puff of smoke. “I’m pretty sure mages in the Circle would be pretty good at magic. If they spent their whole lives there, wouldn’t that time be spent mastering spells and other things?” I asked.

“You would believe so, but many in the Circles suffer restraints on what they are allowed to practice and study. You have witnessed the debacle that was the Circle in Kirkwall, have you not?” Solas asked.

“Yeah, but that’s just one Circle out of dozens. I mean, its Circle was in the Gallows of all places,” I pointed out. “We came here through Ostwick, and their tower still stood. The city seemed to be doing fine too - which makes me think Ostwick’s Circle has less problems than the others.”

“I'm afraid that is the exception, not the rule - and besides, Ostwick has indeed fallen. Bloodlessly and quietly, if I recall,” Solas said, his voice stern as my own eyes widened in surprise. “I’m certain the initial intent of the Circle was for mages to flourish without the perceived dangers of ‘wild’ magic, but things have no doubt changed. What mages are allowed to learn and master are no doubt collared, and I believe restrictions only got harsher over the years.”

That did make sense, sadly enough. “You do have a point,” I said. “When this is over, what do you think mages should do?”

“I believe mages are entitled to the same freedoms as anyone without any connection to the Fade,” Solas said. “This conflict has left little room for any other debate. The concept of the Circle fed thoughts of distrust and paranoia, and they have been treated as nothing more than slaves.”

I nodded. “Sounds about right,” I said, sighing to myself. “Back to meditating?”

“Actually, I wished to discuss what you brought with you on our trip to the temple. That weapon,” Solas said.

Ah, the laser rifle. “What about it?”

“Varric believed it to be something akin to Bianca, but I believe it to be something else. Energies surrounded it when I first saw it - it was a creation of the Fade - was it not?” Solas asked.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I found that I could more or less create stuff in my dreams and wake up with that stuff in my hands. It was something I thought up when I was asleep the night before.”

“Fascinating,” Solas muttered. “To shift reality and create something with nothing more than energy from beyond the Veil...it’s a power I have only seen in the Fade - glimpse of memories surrounding the times of the ancients.”

I found myself more than a little intrigued by his words. What I could do was apparently something that the ancient elves could do when the Veil hadn’t existed. “It...is a little scary,” I admitted. “Creating anything out of the Fade? That seems like something that could make me a big target.”

“I agree,” Solas said. “Who else knows of your abilities?”

“Valyssa, to some degree,” I said. “I’m pretty sure Lily and Emma know about it.”

“They are the children you care for, correct?” Solas asked. I nodded, and Solas fell deep into thought. “I see. It would be wise to inform them to remain silent on your capabilities. If they don't have a full understanding of what you can do, then it’d be best to misinform or divert their thoughts away from the full truth.”

I nodded. “Sounds good,” I said. “Anything else?”

“Nothing else for now,” Solas said. “Now, I’d like to see how you extend your mana - and offer my thoughts on any improvements where there is room.”

I nodded before closing my eyes once more. “On it,” I said as I held out my arm.

 - the next day - 

Eleven days after the Inquisition of old had been reborn, Valyssa and I were called to the Chantry. As we walked through the village, we took in the drastic changes that could be seen. Even more tents were set up - as well as large shelters against the walls. The exterior of the village’s walls had tents and campfires as well, and horse drawn carts were mostly left outside, unless they sold stuff.

The population had almost doubled entirely, with many of the new arrivals being recruits for the fledgling Inquisition. Money was less of an issue - from what I’d heard, Josephine managed to secure large amounts of funding for equipment, uniforms, and more - all of which was being put to good use given how loudly the village was operating.

We entered the Chantry to see Cullen and Josephine at the war table. “Excellent, you’re here,” Josephine said, smiling when she saw us. “How are you feeling?”

“We’ve been doing alright,” I said. “So, what’s the meeting for?”

“We’re ready to make our next move. We’re just waiting on-” Cullen said before the door opened once more. Cassandra and Leliana walked in. “Very good.”

Valyssa eyed the advisors as they took places around the war table. “Let us cut to the chase,” Cassandra said. “We’ve done speculation and research on the matter - and we believe that the Breach can be sealed with the mark if it is significantly stronger.”

“This means we must approach the mages for help,” Leliana said.

“I disagree,” Cullen said. “The templars would be just as effective, if not a safer option.”

“Cullen, the mark needs power if it is to work,” Cassandra chided.

“At the risk of causing much more damage. We still don’t know much about how the Breach or that mark will act, much less react to magic,” Cullen insisted. “Templars could suppress the Breach, weaken it just enough to-”

“That is pure speculation,” Leliana argued. “For all we know, the Breach cannot be smited as normal magic can.”

“Either way...” Josephine interjected. “Neither group will even consider speaking to us. The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition as an organization - specifically you.”

The last word was pointed straight at Valyssa, who scowled. “The shems still believe me guilty,” she said.

“That is not the entirety of it any longer. Your title as Herald has been declared blasphemy, with the Inquisition considered to be heretics for harboring you,” Josephine explained. “And so, our options have been limited.”

“Well, there must be something to do in order to gain their help,” Valyssa said.

“There is,” Leliana said. “A Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has asked to speak with you. She knows those involved far better than most. If she is extending an offer to help, it may be just the push we need to get to sealing the Breach.”

Valyssa looked back at me, and I crossed my arms. Remembering our talk a week ago, she looked back to the advisors with a cough. “Alright - if she’s asking to help us, I won’t say no. Where would I meet with her?” she asked.

“In the Hinterlands near Redcliffe. She has been there for quite some time now, tending to the wounded and displaced,” Leliana said. “We’re preparing a sizable force to travel there.”

“The Hinterlands is rife with heavy fighting between templars and mages alike,” Cullen warned. “If there’s any way we could make our presence and influence known...”

“Sounds good,” Valyssa said. “We’ll be careful and help you where we can. Is there anything else we should know?”

“Not much else, only to be on the lookout for anyone else who may be willing to provide assistance to the Inquisition,” Josephine said. “We need agents to extend our reach and influence beyond the valley - and you’re better suited than anyone to recruit them.”

“Meet with Lace Harding. She’s the head scout, in charge of our forces present in the Hinterlands,” Leliana said.

“I will accompany you on this trip,” Cassandra said as she gestured for us to walk to the door. As the meeting ended, the Seeker left the Chantry with us, leading us towards one of the nearby buildings. “If we’re to prepare you for the trip - you will need armor.”

I frowned. “Armor will slow me down, and I am technically a mage, remember?” I asked.

“A mage who fights without their magic,” Cassandra pointed out.

“I’ve been training with Solas,” I said. “He’s more or less been helping me improve while Valyssa’s been getting used to the mark. Speaking of which...” I turned to look at Valyssa, taking her left hand in my own. “Has the mark been giving you any trouble?”

Valyssa’s thumb brushed over my finger before shaking her head. “No...” she said. “It’s stopped hurting. I’m still worried something else could happen - but it hasn’t been acting up ever since the Breach stopped expanding.”

“As much as that is good news, we must also be careful. Solas has already been informed that he will join us on our travels. As far as we know, he’s the most knowledgeable of what to do should the mark react once more,” Cassandra said. Her face twisted into a troubled grimace. “Varric...has also insisted on joining us.”

I chuckled. “That sounds like him,” I said.

“Aiden Trevelyan and Ashala Adaar have also asked to join us,” Cassandra said. “They have insisted on remaining with the Inquisition.”

“The more, the merrier,” Valyssa said. “Ashala was the other one who survived the Conclave, right?”

“Indeed,” Cassandra said. “If you’re curious about where she has been - she has been assisting the hunters with bringing in food. With the Inquisition’s forces growing in strength, she has asked to be moved to combat duties.”

“And what about Aiden?” I asked.

“He has been providing help to the refugees still suffering from the effects of the Conclave. Though, I presume it is to avoid returning to Ostwick.”

I nodded. “His family is...a bit much, from what I’ve heard,” I said. “In any case, I don’t need any armor - save it for the troops.”

“Well, if you insist. But you must be careful in combat,” Cassandra said, letting the matter drop. “Come. The quartermaster has some of our best available items set aside for us.”

“Can we say bye to the others first?” I asked.

“Of course. Don’t take long,” Cassandra allowed, and she split off from us to head to the building while we left to go to the house.

Throughout the past eight days at Haven, Valyssa had been switching between practicing her own magic and helping me take care of Lily and Emma. She’d gotten very attached to the girls, telling them stories and even teaching her a bit of elven during the shared free time. And at nighttime, she’d let the two of them cuddle up with her under the covers.

It was adorable seeing Valyssa’s eyes glimmer whenever she talked to the girls. Despite the dark times they’d faced - the two girls were optimistic, always happy to see us, staying close and hugging us whenever possible. We were always ones to reciprocate as well, leaning on the two to keep our spirits high when things felt depressing.

We made our way to the house, opening the door to see Lily and Emma sitting on one of the beds, books in their hands. When they saw us, they were quick to set the books down and hurry over to us. Lily hugged me while Emma hugged Valyssa. “Where were you?” Lily asked.

“We were...talking with the others,” I said as I ruffled Lily’s hair affectionately. “We can’t stay long.”

“Why not?” Emma whined as Valyssa knelt before her.

“I’m sorry, da’len . But we do have work to do now,” Valyssa said gently. “We’re traveling to Redcliffe to get some more help for the Inquisition. We’ll be gone...for a month at the absolute shortest.”

The girls gasped, their eyes widening. “Can we come with you?” Emma pleaded, racing right back into Valyssa’s arms and burying her face in her chest. “We’ll be good, we promise!” Lily joined in as well, almost knocking the Dalish elven mage over with their combined body weight.

I could practically feel Valyssa’s heartstrings being pulled. “We can’t bring you. It’s far too dangerous, and we would be so sad if either of you got hurt,” she cooed as she rubbed the girls’ heads gently. “We’ll be back as soon as possible, okay?”

The girls looked down. “Okay,” they muttered simultaneously. “ Dareth shiral .”

Valyssa smiled softly at the learned elven they spoke. “ Ma serannas ,” she said before hugging them once more. I moved in to hug them as well, almost like a close family. “Be good, okay?”

“We will,” the girls said, and we separated. As we left the house, Valyssa took in a deep and shaky breath.

“You alright?” I asked.

Valyssa nodded. “I just...do you think they would like to live with us back at the clan?” she asked.

I chuckled. “I think they’ll fit in nicely,” I said. “We just gotta close the Breach first.”

“Let’s hope we won’t have to travel nonstop until then,” Valyssa pointed out as we made our way to the building Cassandra was heading over to.

I sighed. “I wish that were the case,” I muttered to myself as I patted her on the shoulder.

Once we joined up with Cassandra once more, the process of getting equipped began. The building we were brought to carried more than just armor and weapons - but cloaks, rucksacks, and more. The only things Valyssa picked out were a cloak and a set of daggers as a backup weapon. I only grabbed a cloak and a rucksack for myself, and Cassandra stuck with her usual weapons and armor.

We headed to the stables outside the village - which were right next to the blacksmith’s and the barn. Said stables were empty, and Cassandra patted the wooden fence. “We’ll need mounts if we’re to start travelling around more effectively,” she said.

“Until then, I assume we’re walking,” Valyssa said. “How long would it take to travel from here to the Hinterlands?”

“Two weeks, if our estimations are correct. Longer if we run into any trouble on the way. What scouts we already sent to the region should have cleared out any issues, but there’s always the ones they miss,”  Cassandra said.

“I really wish Mihlora was here,” Valyssa mumbled.

“Same,” I sighed as I looked ahead. “So where are the others?”

“Right here!” came a familiar voice. We turned around to see Varric, Solas, Aiden, and Ashala approaching - fully equipped and armed. Aiden had his shortsword and one handed axe on his back, and he wore armor as well - a set of armored plates over chainmail and leather straps. It was similar to the armor that the Kirkwall City Guard wore in Dragon Age II - although it was gray and white.

Ashala wore the same outfit as before - with a large two handed axe resting on her back. She had a new belt - with pouches on the front and back, as well a pair of swords hanging off of the sides of her hips. “Heya,” she said, waving once.

“You’re Ashala, right?” Valyssa asked.

“And you must be this so-called ‘Herald of Andraste’,” Ashala said before laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Valyssa demanded, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Just thinking about how pissed off the Chantry must be when they saw who their ‘Herald’ is,” Ashala said, raising a hand. “Not just a Dalish - but a tiny one at that.”

Valyssa crossed her arms. “Everyone must be tiny compared to you,” she grumbled. The Qunari was easily just under two whole heads taller than Valyssa.

“Fair point. In any case, I did wanna ask you something,” Ashala said. Her smile went away quickly. “Like what happened at the Conclave?”

“You...you were there. Do you not remember?” Valyssa asked.

“No, I don’t. I don’t remember anything,” Ashala said, her own voice sounding rather frustrated. “Guess you don’t either, huh?”

“The Herald knows little as well. But when we arrived at the temple, there was...a vision. Someone else was responsible - and the Divine called out to the two of you when you arrived, apparently,” Cassandra explained. “Little is known about who is responsible or what exactly happened to cause that explosion.”

“I heard some of the people talking. They said we stepped out of the rifts,” Ashala said. “With another woman behind us.”

“It is believed to be Andraste herself. That was the collective testimonies of the soldiers who found the two of you,” Cassandra said as she began walking down the path - away from the village. “In any event, we must not delay any further.”

As Valyssa and Ashala continued to converse, Solas slowed his pace to walk alongside me. “If I may ask, what is your relationship between yourself and Valyssa?” he asked.

“We’ll, we’re close friends,” I said. “...very close friends.”

“I see,” Solas remarked. “How have the two of you come to be so close? I was aware that the Dalish wished to have nothing to do with other humans.”

I chuckled. “Well...it’s a pretty interesting story, actually. I was caught in a blizzard one day - and I was minutes away from death.”

“A blizzard?” Solas asked.

“Yep,” I said. “Anyways, I ended up passing out in the snow - smack in the middle of the forest. I was pretty sure that I’d die right there. And then I wake up in a warm cave. Turns out Valyssa rescued me when I stumbled near her camp.”

“Talk about a stroke of luck,” Varric said, chiming in as he walked on my other side. “So what happened next?”

I snorted. “You’re going to write some story based off of this, aren’t you?” I asked.

“Hey - I’m not going to waste good material,” Varric defended. “So, back to your tale of rescue - what happened next?”

I shook my head. “I woke up and met Valyssa. I hadn’t expected her to be alone from her camp, but she and Mihlora were more or less surviving. She didn’t trust me yet - I wasn’t expecting her to - and she called me shemlen and all those fancy names,” I said. “She was ready to leave me in the cold when I asked if I could go with her.”

“Really?” Solas asked, intrigued.

“And who’s Mihlora?” Varric asked.

“Her halla. I complimented her, and Mihlora wouldn’t move unless Valyssa agreed to take me back,” I said. Varric chuckled and Solas merely grinned. “Yeah, I didn’t think I’d expect it too.”

“Is that how you came to live with Clan Lavellan?” Solas asked.

“Pretty much,” I said. “She didn’t trust me - but the Keeper was willing to give me a chance. For a bunch of days, I was the ‘clan shem’.”

“That couldn’t have been fun,” Varric muttered. “What’d they have you do? Be the clan jester? Make you do all the hard labor?”

I frowned. “I wasn’t a slave,” I sniped, and Varric held his hands up in apology. “I helped out with whatever needed doing. I went on a hunt with them once, but mostly I helped with getting firewood. They got nicer over time, and Valyssa stopped being as mean.”

“I wouldn’t have thought she could ever be mean in the first place. I mean, the two of you are practically attached to the hip,” Varric said.

“I earned that trust - it wasn’t easy,” I said. My thoughts fell back to killing those pirates - as well as those demons. Even though I shouldn’t have been feeling guilty about the demons - I remembered Glamour, wherever she could be. Demons were living and thinking creatures as well.

I hoped she was okay.

“Whatever hardships you endured strengthened a bond between the two of you,” Solas commented, breaking me out of my thoughts. “I’ve witnessed the tenuous conflict between the elven people and the humans - and I’ve witnessed very few events where one is friendly to the other, much less anyone from both sides willingly reciprocating basic kindnesses.”

“Yeah, it’s not very common,” I muttered. “There were two guys that attacked while I was getting firewood. The elf that was guarding me got hurt, and they thought she was holding me hostage or whatever. They...tried to...”

Varric was the first to get the picture. “You don’t have to continue, kid.”

“No, I need to finish this,” I said with a sigh. “I attacked them. It was the first time I used magic, actually - I brought up a shield by accident. Then I punched out one, nearly got choked to death by the other...and that was that.”

“You nearly died?” Solas asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty sure no one could really believe it back at camp either. A human dying for an elf, I mean.”

“How did you survive, by the way?” Varric asked.

“The guy took an axe to the back before he could kill me. Saved by the one I was trying to help,” I said.

“No, not ‘trying’ to help. You did help,” Solas corrected.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah...” I muttered. “I guess I did.”

The journey fell silent once more, and I tugged my cloak around me as we continued to walk through the relatively cold mountainside. Solas entered into a conversation with Aiden, and Varric moved ahead to start bugging the Seeker.

I stayed in the back of the group, watching as Valyssa and Ashala continued to converse, presumably more talk about trying to remember what happened at the Conclave.

Despite the talking ahead of me, I was less concerned with joining in on the conversation - feeling my thoughts to be more or less occupied with what I was going to expect in the Hinterlands. Apostates, mages, and bandits would be all over the region.

And bears.

God, the bears.

 - two days later - 

Falling asleep was much easier than I’d expected. I awoke in the Fade once more, somewhere different this time. Then again, there was a chance that I might’ve been traveling through the Fade while I traveled in the real world.

Solas and Ashala were taking up the first shift, and I would soon follow so they could have a few hours of sleep. As they guarded the camp, I was wandering around a new area of the Fade - one that looked much less than what I’d seen so far. This looked more...peaceful - maybe more like real life with forests and trees.

Maybe it was because the Veil was much thinner, and more of real life seemed to bleed within my dreams. The Fade felt very different, much more intense and less hazy than before. I could practically smell more magic in the air, and it gave me a headache - just a little one.

But what really caught my attention was just how alone I was. Once again, there were no demons or spirits to see. Glamour was nowhere to be seen or felt, and I ended up spending a while searching for her - hoping I could find her in this part of the Fade, much less any part.

It took me maybe an hour of searching to finally give it a rest. The Breach couldn’t have killed her...what if she was in the real world? No matter how hard I’d tried, there was nothing I could find. “ Please be alright, ” I thought to myself more than once.

I was alone in the Fade - and I found myself with very little to do other than to start planning. Planning on what to do, as well as what to create. I still had my energy sword - but nothing said I couldn’t continue to make one or two things that could help me out in a fight.

A gun? Maybe.

I could pair my energy sword with a plasma rifle.

No, I could end up overheating it and burning myself if I’m not careful. Better to not risk it.

What about a gun with bullets?

No, there’s a chance I could run empty and not be able to make more ammo until I fall asleep. Too much of an inconvenience.

A shield?

I fell deep into thought before remembering that I had created a shield once - back when I was still showing Glamour stuff from my world. I held out my left arm, forming what I could recall when I first made the energy sword.

Like all the other things I created from the Fade, it was energy drawn from the realm around me  at the start - creating pure light that hugged my arm. It was warm, and I could feel it reacting to my mana. Before I knew it, the light had faded - revealing a sleek purple gauntlet tightly wrapped around my arm, over my sleeve.

The gauntlet soon lit up, and a large disc of pure energy expanded from it - with a very noticeable divot on one end. I looked at the pulsating and shifting clouds of plasma energy from the jackal defense gauntlet I’d just created. It was large - easily as large as any basic shield in Dragon Age, but much wider due to it being a circle.

A plasma sword and a plasma shield. Why not?

I must’ve spent a half hour examining my shield, practicing in holding it, as well as working out the best position to cover as much of my body as possible. All in all, it was a rather slow dream - one that had little substance.

This meant that I wasn’t too tired when I was woken up to cover the second shift. A yawn and a stretch of the arms was all I needed to properly pull myself from drowsiness. “Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Of course,” Solas said as I climbed out of the tent. The ancient elf slipped inside, setting his stave by the sleeping bag as he sat down. “By the way, what is that on your arm?”

I looked down to see the large shield gauntlet. “It’s...a surprise,” I said. “Nothing crazy, don’t worry.”

“I shall take your word on it,” Solas said. “And I look forward to discussing how you can manifest such items.”

That made me more than a little nervous, but I did my best to not seem so. “Can’t wait. G’night,” I said, and Solas closed the tent.

I inhaled deeply, sighing as I sat by the campfire kicking my feet back and stretching once more.The fire burned brightly, its flames licking into the air as the soft crackle and strong warmth did more to calm my worries in the peace of night.

“Hey. Are you feeling okay?” I turned to see Ashala sitting across the fire, poking at it with a stick. After a moment of silence, she tossed it into the fire. “You look distracted.”

“I guess I am,” I muttered.

“Well, we’re both going to be up for a few hours. What’s on your mind?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Just thinking. I mean...it was one hell of a journey to go from a Dalish clan to...” I waved a hand. “The Inquisition itself.”

“Hell? What’s that mean?” Ashala asked.

I shrugged, hoping I hid my spike of panic well. “Just a word,” I mumbled. “So, what were you doing at the Conclave?”

“Well, what I can remember was that we were hired to keep the peace between the mages and templars at that temple. We worked for Valo-kas. Or...I...worked for Valo-kas,” Ashala said. “I’m the only survivor of the group sent there.”

I sighed. “Any friends you lost?” I asked.

“Many. Twenty of us were sent. I’ve mourned them this past week already, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ashala said as she clasped her hands together, sighing deeply. “You...you don’t have any questions?”

“About what?” I asked as I crossed my arms. “If talking about it hurts, then I’m not gonna force it.”

“Not that,” Ashala said. “You’re not gonna call me...an ox-woman? A hornhead?”

I saw where she was coming from. “I have no problem with Tal Vashoth,” I said. “Why?”

“Well, Varric did mention that you also came from Kirkwall. And...well, the Qun almost laid waste to the city,” Ashala said. “And...well, the village isn’t too friendly to Qunari.”

I waved a hand to cut off her worries. “If the Divine hired you in the first place, then you have to be a nice person. Plus I’m fine with the Qunari when they aren’t trying to recruit everyone and anyone they see,” I said. “You’re not like the Arishok, trust me.”

“Oh? And what was the Arishok like?” Ashala asked, her tone now curious.

I almost started talking when I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to be Hawke. Clearing my throat, I revised my words. “I heard he was serious. He looked down on everyone in Kirkwall, and cut down anyone in his path - civilian or not,” I said. “Kirkwall took forever to recover from that - and then we have the mages and templars to deal with.”

Ashala winced. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

I sighed. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s in the past - I had time to deal with where I am and how I got here.”

“Same,” Ashala said before a smile curled her lips. “So, about you and Valyssa. The two of you seemed very close...”

“Uh huh,” I remarked, knowing where she was going with this.

“Are you absolutely sure that you aren’t closer than you say you are?” Ashala asked, her smile widening.

I shook my head. This was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take very long to reach the Hinterlands - only about five days. Travel was relatively quick despite us being on foot, and there wasn’t any trouble to come across. Eating happened on the road, and we rarely stopped. Conversations ensued, much like actual banter in the game, and it helped make the near silent travel more bearable.

The troubles began when we actually appeared in the Hinterlands.

First, we met with the Inquisition camp at the edge of the region - a dozen or so tents and a few dozen men and women. One of them was a familiar dwarf with freckles and a positive outlook.

“You’re...the Herald of Andraste, aren’t you?” she whispered in awe, childlike wonder in her eyes. Those eyes then turned to me. “And the Protector of the Herald. I-I heard the stories about what happened at the Breach.”

“Yeah, it was a mess,” I sighed as I held out a hand, asking her a question to which I already knew the answer. “And you are...”

“Lace Harding, Inquisition Scout at your service, my Lord. And my Lady,” the dwarf introduced herself, grasping and shaking my hand.

“Whoa, okay - Lord? Lady?” I asked, my eyebrow raised. I turned back to the others. “Weren’t we criminals in the Chantry’s eyes not a week ago?”

“I was, you weren’t,” Valyssa grumbled, stepping forward to shake Harding’s hand nonetheless.

“Wait until they start calling you ‘Worship’,” Harding said. I could feel myself grimacing, and the scout chuckled in response.

“So...Harding, huh?” Varric stepped in. “Have you ever been to Hightown in Kirkwall?”

“No, I can’t say I have. Why?” Harding remarked.

I shook my head. “Really, Varric? A book reference now ?”

Varric only grumbled to himself. “Yeah, I guess this isn’t the time,” he muttered.

“In any case, we should get back to the task at hand,” Cassandra said, her eyes narrowed.

“Of course, Lady Cassandra,” Harding said. “We came here to secure mounts from Horsemaster Dennet. I grew up here, and it’s been said that his mounts were the fastest and strongest on this side of the Frostback Mountains. Unfortunately, the fighting has only worsened - and we can’t get to Dennet without risking casualties.”

“Then one of our objectives will be to locate him. What of Mother Giselle?” Valyssa asked.

“She’s remaining at the Crossroads under the protection of Corporal Vale,” Harding explained. “She’s assisting with the wounded and the refugees, but the fighting has spread there as well. There’s not much time to lose - Maker knows how long they can last out there.”

Valyssa fell deep into thought. “Finding the horses would make travel much easier. But our main objective is to locate Mother Giselle,” she pondered. She turned to look at Cassandra. “What do you believe we should do?”

“Well, if it were up to me, I’d split our forces - but we don’t have nearly enough people to travel through the Hinterlands without the risk of losses. Keep in mind that we may encounter rifts and demons here as well,” Cassandra said.

“Who says we can’t split up?” I asked before turning back towards Harding. “How many soldiers are at the Crossroads right now?”

“I’d say about thirty to forty men,” Harding answered.

“And with the amount of chaos these fights have been causing, there have to be ten times that number of refugees. They need help,” I said.

“I agree,” Valyssa said. “I can bring a few people with me to help seal the rifts and get to Dennet, and maybe clear some of the chaos that this region is suffering. Mother Giselle needs people to help keep the wounded safe.”

“Herald-” Cassandra tried to protest.

“Cassandra, this is not up for debate. We will help all that we can,” she said. “Carlo, Solas, Varric - you’re with me. Cassandra, Ashala, and Aiden - you’ll secure the Crossroads and reinforce defenses against the templars and mages.”

“This is the best course of action,” I said. “We’ll need to go out and seal the rifts anyways. We might as well start now before more and more demons pop up.”

“Don’t worry, we’re in good hands,” Valyssa reassured. “We’ll travel to the Crossroads together. Once I speak with Mother Giselle, we’ll get to work on helping out the Hinterlands.”

That seemed to placate Cassandra for now, and Scout Harding was quick to wish us luck - pointing us down a steep pathway that led towards the fighting, as well as the signs of combat below.

We came across corpses on the sides of the road, either in scuffed templar armor or dirtied mage robes. The terrain seemed to have suffered greatly as well, with fallen trees and collapsed houses here and there. There were even burning areas like crop fields, and there were very few people to be seen.

The ones we could see were armed, either bandits or people desperately defending what they had left.

“What a mess,” Ashala muttered. “Damned Chantry.”

“Less cursing and more worrying about being attacked,” Varric said as he readied Bianca. “I hear fighting.”

“So do I,” Aiden said as he drew his weapons. Ashala pulled out her axe, and Cassandra drew her sword and shield. Valyssa and Solas pulled out their staves and I...

I drew my hilt and swung an arm. The massive forked blade of raw shaped plasma hissed in the air, as did the circular shape of the plasma shield on my left arm. Both my arms felt very hot, and I looked around.

It took me a moment to realize that everyone else was staring at me, and I felt rather out of my element for a moment. Then again, me being here was entirely out of my element. “...what?” was all I could ask.

Varric only shook his head. “I need you to tell me how you even get this stuff,” he said.

“Not a chance,” I joked, and we pushed forward.

There were indeed apostates and rogue templars battling everywhere we could see. Spreading fires and chunks of ice covered trees and rocks around us, and there were a few overturned carts with scattered crates and barrels. Cassandra called out to the templars, and Solas called out to the mages. But like in the game, they disregarded us - either continuing to fight each other or turning their staves and swords on us.

Thankfully, it was easy to deal with them at a distance. Varric sniped out templars while Solas and Valyssa launched fireballs and blasts of spirit energy towards the mages. Right now, we were facing very few of them at a time, and that made moving through them much easier. We even worked out a formation - with Ashala and Cassandra playing the role of tanks and leading the front.

Varric and Solas covered the sides and Aiden covered the rear, while I was to stick close to Valyssa near the center of the group - as her personal bodyguard. Cassandra had insisted due to the fact that I might as well play the role of the ‘Protector of the Herald’.

The trip to the Crossroads wasn’t too long - though it got much more intense as we came across more and more enemies at once. Injuries were sustained and treated, with Valyssa doing much of the healing when needed. Despite the rough fighting, not one attack came close to hitting Valyssa.

Then there was the death that we saw as we continued on our journey.

More and more corpses were found, and less and less of them were mages or templars. Civilians, adult and child, were seen, dead purely for being in the crossfire. Any banter through the group was now silenced as we took in the atrocious aftermath of what the mage and templar war had started.

“We must stop this,” Cassandra whispered. “We must put things right.”

“We will. One step at a time,” Aiden said, resting a hand on Cassandra’s shoulder. The Seeker smiled, grateful for the reassurance, no matter how little or how much it could have meant to her.

We reached the area where Mother Giselle was at, with a handful of soldiers by her side and helping with the wounded. She was easy to spot - with the red and gold Chantry garb, complete with a similar tall hat like the one worn by the Divine. “Mother Giselle?” Valyssa asked, making her way over.

As Valyssa spoke with the Chantry cleric, I looked around - seeing many injured around us. The Crossroads was a small village in its own right, with tents set up everywhere except the paths. People in the dozens lay on stretchers, or sat against walls and fence posts.

Hundreds more stood around, talking or minding their own business. There was a sense of fear in the air, with many seemingly buried in despair and anguish over the wars that tore up the entire area. As I looked around, Varric and Aiden joined me. “Copper for your thoughts?” Aiden asked.

“I was just wondering...how long it’ll take to get these people help,” I muttered. “I mean, bringing them to Haven is out of the question, and the conflict between mages and templars caused way too much damage for them to just...you know, go back to living.”

“Not to mention the deaths,” Varric sighed. “Look, people always find a way. The fact we’re helping at all is reason enough to hold some hope that things will get better.”

“I think he’s more worried about whether our efforts to help will be enough,” Aiden chimed in.

“Ah, enough is never enough,” Varric sighed. “I get the feeling - you feel like you could have done more. One more person saved, one more battle fought. I’ve seen and written enough tales to know that this kind of thinking loses you more than a night’s worth of sleep.”

That wasn’t a very convincing argument. “I know,” I sighed. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t still bother me.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Varric said as he clapped a hand on my back. “But you don’t have to let it dictate your decisions.”

I only nodded. I knew I’d be seeing all of this in real life - but I don’t think it ever truly sunk in until actually witnessing the sheer amount of miserable people around me. Many paid little mind to us, mostly worried about themselves or their families. These were all real people - with history and lives beyond their existence.

I shook my head, feeling a bit angry with myself. They weren’t side characters that players saved to fulfill an objective, these were all people who needed rescuing. Men, women, children alike undergoing what was essentially disaster or war.

“Come on, looks like the ‘Herald’ is done,” Varric said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I was grateful for the distraction. “You know she hates it when you call her that,” I muttered as I nudged his shoulder.

“Eh, it’s a placeholder until I can come up with a proper nickname,” Varric muttered. “Say, for Valyssa - how does ‘glowbug’ sound?”

“Because of the hand?” Aiden asked. “Really?”

“Well, ‘Elf’ just sounds offensive, and I dunno if ‘Tattoos’ really applies as a nickname,” Varric said.

“It’s called vallaslin,” I corrected.

“Pah,” Varric scoffed. “Anyways, what about...shortstack?”

“By that logic, that should be your nickname?” Aiden said.

“Okay, one: that hurts,” Varric complained. “And two: that’s a good point. I don’t wanna be seen as a hypocrite.”

“Well, what’s Aiden’s nickname?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“He’s just Blades. No offense, but there’s not too much interesting stuff about you to base a nickname off of,” Varric said.

“Other than my deadly skills with a blade,” Aiden chuckled. “Ashala’s nickname is Horns, believe it or not.”

I was a bit taken aback. “Is she alright with that?” I asked.

“She’s fine with it - she knows what nicknames are,” Varric reassured. “Trust me, I asked and everything. Solas is Chuckles, and the Seeker is...well, Seeker.”

“And...do I have a nickname?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, actually,” Varric said. “How does ‘Fur’ sound?”

I blinked once. Then twice. “Wait, why-”

“The fur on that...is that leather?” Aiden asked before he pinched the sleeve of my jacket. “Weird kind of leather, but definitely leather.”

“What he said. It’s the fur on your jacket, and the hair,” Varric explained.

“What’s wrong with my hair?” I asked.

“It’s messy - wild, unkempt. No offense intended, but it reminds me of an animal,” Varric said, before reaching up and tapping his forehead with a finger. “That band around your head’s for keeping the hair out of your eyes, isn’t it?”

I frowned. “Yeah,” I admitted.

“Well, that settles it. Your nickname is Fur now,” Varric chuckled.

“What if I cut my hair and the fur on my jacket?” I asked.

“You’d do that to spite my nickname for you? A well thought out nickname made specifically for you?” Varric asked. “That’s hurtful, kid.”

“Life hurts,” I said before looking around. “Where’s Valyssa?”

“She’s checking in with Corporal Vale to ascertain the state of the Hinterlands,” Aiden said. “Looks like we’ll be staying here longer than usual.”

I sighed. “That was what I was afraid of,” I muttered. “Come on, we need to get ready to move. The rifts aren’t going to seal themselves.”

The others agreed, and we made our way to the edge of the Crossroads - where another Inquisition camp was set up. Valyssa, Cassandra, Ashala, and Solas were at the camp, speaking amongst each other before Solas spotted us.

“The others have arrived,” he said as we walked up. “Shall we head out now?”

“Yeah,” Valyssa said as she turned to us, her face stern. “Change of plans. These people need food and blankets. Varric, you and Cassandra will be out hunting. Bears and rams are in the region and could help feed the refugees. Ashala and Aiden will be pushing to the south with a few scouts to find some apostate supply caches.”

“What about the rifts?” I asked.

“That’s where I come in. You and Solas will be coming with me to find those rifts. Any demons we find, we cut down before I seal the holes,” Valyssa said.

“Just the three of you?” Varric asked. “Are you sure it won’t be too much?”

“I’m certain,” Valyssa said before grinning at me. “Not when we have my ‘protector’ with us.”

“Again with the nicknames?” I muttered. “Bad enough I get called ‘Fur’, I really don’t need this ‘protector’ stuff again.”

“Fur?” Valyssa asked before she turned to Varric.

“It’s a long story,” Varric said. “But...fur collar on that jacket, and fur-like hair.”

Valyssa’s eyes turned to me once more, almost scrutinizing me before she smiled. “I can see it,” she said.

“Not you too!” I practically whined. Valyssa only giggled in response.

“That’s it!” Varric proclaimed, pointing up at Valyssa. “Your nickname will be Giggles!”

The laughter died down in an instant, her amusement replaced with fury. “No.”

Varric held up his hands in surrender, a half grin on his face.

Cassandra only let out an exhausted “Ugh!” before we finally split up.

 - an hour later - 

Traveling the Hinterlands wasn’t so bad - even with the occasional fight in between. Most battles we came across in the wild were easy, given they consisted of mages and templars either traveling alone or in small groups, or larger groups of both mages and templars that had cut themselves down to the point that we were more or less the cleanup crew.

Finding and sealing the first rift was pretty much an easy and done task, much more simpler than the game had portrayed. For one, there were only about three demons - two wraiths and a shade.

Solas had launched attacks on the demons with ranged attacks while I bisected the shade. Sealing the rift didn’t require hitting the rift with the Anchor multiple times - only a single pull of energy was enough to pull the edges of the jagged tear closed.

“Did anyone else expect it to be much harder?” Valyssa asked when the rift was sealed.

“Yes,” I said, warily eyeing our surroundings. “I feel like we should have more demons around the rifts. This one was very light on enemies.”

“It shouldn’t be too surprising. Areas of the Fade run concurrent to locations in Thedas. Some tears in the Veil may occur in places vacant of demons or spirits - the same way rifts could appear in remote places around Ferelden,” Solas reminded.

That was fair, I guess. “Here’s hoping we have more rifts like these in the future,” I said. “It’d make life a lot easier.”

“It’s unlikely, but I concur,” Solas remarked before he came over to Valyssa, gently taking her hand to examine the mark. “Is the power giving you any trouble, da’len?”

Valyssa allowed him to check the Anchor. “It stings when I close the rifts, but it doesn’t act up anymore,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “No other pain.”

“I’m glad. I was concerned that there would be side effects to your use of the mark, but it appears my worries are unfounded,” Solas said.

“Unfounded maybe, but appreciated nonetheless, hahren,” Valyssa said, smiling.

Ignoring the little bite in the back of my head, I couldn’t help but grin at thewarm sight. Even knowing what Solas was and what was sure to await Valyssa in the future, I was a hardcore Solavellan fan.

When the two elves turned to look at me, I cleared my throat. “Glad to see you’re doing alright. Should we keep heading north or expand west?”

“West sounds like a good idea,” Valyssa said as she looked in the aforementioned direction. “Those areas have another few houses - could be worth checking for survivors or supplies before we head to Dennet’s farm.”

“That sounds like a prudent plan - although the heavy presence of fighting suggests that time may be against us,” Solas pointed out. “We are to locate Horsemaster Dennet, after all.”

I agreed. “Our best chance is to push to the farms and secure some horses before we ride them throughout the region,” I suggested. “We could cover more ground and help out much faster then.”

“Or we may secure our mounts and trust the Inquisition’s forces to secure the area,” Solas pointed out. “Keeping the Crossroads and farms clear of any hostility would be enough to convince the commander to send soldiers here in strength.”

“Would that be enough?” I asked.

“I think so,” Valyssa said as she nodded to Solas. “There are plenty of men and women eager to help, and the commander has been effective in training all of them. We’ll entrust the safety of the region to the Inquisition’s forces.”

I shrugged. I was fine with it either way - it seemed much more ideal compared to doing every side mission possible by ourselves.

“This only leaves us with the rifts,” Valyssa continued. “We’ll need to rely on scouting parties to locate rifts - we can’t just wander around and hope we find any by pure chance.”

“Agreed,” Solas said. “Come - we’ll head to the farms and see what mounts we could secure.

The ensuing journey was simple enough - traversing the fallen trees and the aftermath of apostate damages to the lands. We came across a good amount of fighting between some mages and templars - with the templars on the back foot.

“Looks like the mages are going after their camp,” I muttered as Solas, Valyssa, and I hid behind a large rock. Four mages had pinned two Templars behind barrages of fireballs. The templars were backing up, almost out of room as their tower shields took beating after beating. “We should do something.”

“I say we end their fighting and move on. The mages and templars that continue to battle do nothing more than wreak havoc among the people and their lands,” Solas said.

Valyssa bit her lower lip, clearly deep in thought before she sighed. “Let’s see if we can’t get them to surrender first and take them out,” she said as she stood up. “Who knows? Maybe these ones will actually listen.”

“Very well,” Solas acquiesced, readying his stave. “Shall we keep them at range?”

“Yes,” Valyssa said. “Follow my lead.” She turned to look at me. “Shield at the front.”

I ignited it at her command - a large hum of energy being heard as the disc shaped barrier of plasma formed. The mages stopped battling as we stepped out of cover and into their view.

“This is the Inquisition!” Valyssa called, raising her stave - the mace-like head gleaming in the sunlight. “We’ve come to bring peace to this region! Lower your staves and swords and you shall be granted mercy!”

Our answer was a barrage of fireballs against my shield. The attacks dissipated quickly against the shield of plasma, but they were still forcing me to stumble back from the sheer number of them. “Guess that’s a no!”

Valyssa and Solas opened fire with their own attacks - launching blasts of arcane energy with immense speed and precision. Three of the mages dropped at once, and the fourth tried to power up another spell before he dropped - a sword in his back.

The templars stepped away from the last mage, dropping their shields and swords as they raised their hands. “We surrender!” one of them cried. “Maker, please don’t hurt us!”

“They sound young,” Valyssa muttered, and I stepped forward - just in case it could be a feint. But some part of me doubted it - they seemed like they were teenagers under that much too large armor. In fact, the tower shields they had looked taller than they did.

“Step forward, hands behind your heads!” I called - igniting my energy sword, just to be safe. The two stumbled forwards, one of them tripping to their knees as they whimpered. They were terrified - and for good reason.

“What’re you doing here?” Valyssa asked.

One of them - a female - hiccuped as she tried to speak. “We w-wanted to l-leave the Hinterlands,” she croaked frightfully. “But there’s so m-much fighting!”

“We never wanted this! We’re not even templars yet!” the other one cried. “We’re still squires! We never took our vows, we don’t even have lyrium!”

“If you are not full templars then why are you in that armor?” Solas asked, his voice stern. “Why are you bearing arms in such an area. 

“Our superiors wanted us to fight here! They said the Chantry abandoned us and we had to take up arms to defend ourselves! But we just wanna go home!” the female teen wailed. “We tried to leave but those mages cornered us!”

I was more than a little uncomfortable, but Valyssa stepped up, putting her stave away. Despite the act of disarming herself, the teens still scooted away. “We believe you,” she said softly. “Do you wish for safe haven?”

“Y-yes!” the male teen sobbed.

“Do you denounce the order and the atrocities they’re committing?” Valyssa continued.

“We do, messere, we do!” the female teen cried.

“Then travel with us,” Valyssa said. “Leave your weapons and armor, and we shall escort you to the nearest Inquisition camp.”

“Herald-” Solas began, but Valyssa was not having it.

“It’s final,” she said as the teens quickly tore off their heavy plate armor. “They’re no threat to anyone and they clearly don’t want anything to do with what’s been going on here.”

“We’re pretty close to the Crossroads anyways - if they’re hoping to try and follow us there, they’ll just be cut down by the defenders. They could help the refugees,” I said.

Solas sighed. “Of course. My apologies. I approve of helping those in need, but I am wary of the risks of offering a hand to everyone,” he said.

“Only to those who need it. Anyone who tries to attack us or anyone else,” Valyssa said, turning to see the teens. The boy had short brown hair and green eyes, while the girl had short blonde hair and hazel eyes. Their clothes were dirty, and they looked rather pale. “Come with us.”

“And don’t do anything stupid,” I added. The teens nodded rapidly, and we began our walk back to the Crossroads.

It was a fairly straightforward journey - the three of us remaining silent as we kept our guard up for the environment around us, as well as the teens we were escorting. Anything could happen, even with the teens unarmed.

Thankfully they were genuine, and they walked with no intention or move to make any trouble. When we crested the hill, we could see the Crossroads from a distance. A few scouts came over to greet us, and they took the teens off our hands - with promises that they’d be cared for and put to work wherever help was needed.

The three of us headed back towards the West, where there were sure to be a few rifts in the areas we had to cross. Much of it was uphill, the three of us climbing rocks and fallen trees to get to higher ground. More paths were available to us as we covered more ground. There were crates, fallen wagons and carts, as well as more corpses - but no other mages or templars to deal with.

Then came the second rift we found in the region - just hanging near the edge of a cliffside.

“There’s much more demons than last time!” I warned as we approached. We were still climbing up, and there were wraiths - at least half a dozen - firing down at us during our slowed ascent. There were shades as well.

Valyssa was ducked behind me, peeking out to fire off arcane bolts or fireballs at the demons up above.  Solas stayed back at a distance, using the nearby trees as cover as he attempted to suppress the wraiths long enough for us to get up there without . Blasts of magic struck my shield - dissipating easily. The shield held, but I wasn’t willing to test how long it would last. “Think you could take them out before we get there?” I asked.

Valyssa swung an arm over my shoulder, practically lobbing a fireball towards the wraiths. The fireball exploded, sending a wraith recoiling before an arcane bolt from Solas slammed into it. “We’re doing just fine,” she remarked.

I peeked out of my shield’s cover to see a shade sliding towards us. Before it could swing at me, I pushed my arm out - the forked blade of my energy sword piercing its body and killing it at once. “How close do you have to be to seal the rift again?” I asked.

“Pretty close,” Valyssa said. “But it’s pretty straightforward. Kill the demons and close it up.”

“Maybe if there wasn’t so much firepower against us,” I growled. “We’re literally fighting an uphill battle.”

“Well, we’re almost at the top!” Valyssa called, nudging my back. “So speed up, please!”

I grumbled as I pushed my pace - charging towards the top of the cliff under the constant barrage of the wraiths. Thankfully, Solas was an accurate shot, and most of them were killed by the time we reached the rift - with little room to maneuver.

Which was why fighting was much harder when three shades rushed me at once. “Back!” I yelled, shoulder checking Valyssa to my right before the shades practically tackled me - all from my left side. I flew back, striking a rock near the edge of the cliff.

“Carlo!” Valyssa cried before she swung her stave. The mace-like head on the end slammed into one of the shades - sending it reeling back before the mage slammed a fireball into its face, point blank. That was enough to kill it as the other two shades slid towards me.

I brought my shield arm up just in the nick of time, the second shade screeching as it struck the plasma field with its entire body. As it died from its burns, the third shade swung on my flank, its clawed fist slamming into my face with a nasty impact.

I stumbled back - right past the rock I’d hit and over empty air. Before I realized it, I was tumbling off of the cliff itself.

Before I could panic, my back slammed into a very steep grassy slope, sliding downhill at an alarming speed. The side of my shield and the blade I held dug into the ground, leaving behind thin and sizzling trenches as I tried to slow myself down - although I couldn’t tell if it was effective.

I hit a few branches, feeling twigs get caught in my hair and fur collar as I dropped of the edge of that slope - hitting the ground with a thud. It was grass and dirt, much softer than it could have been, but still very painful.

“...ow,” I mumbled as I looked up at the cliffside I’d fallen off of. It was far up in the sky - maybe a hundred or so feet. Did I really survive that fall?

It took me a moment to realize that my heart was pounding very rapidly. I could feel the thumps in my ears, and I slowly sat up. My legs were like jello, and I was surprised that I hadn’t sustained any injuries on the way down, much less any accidental injuries from my weapons.

There was a flash of green light up above, and I could tell Valyssa had closed the rift. “Carlo! We’re coming down there! Don’t move!” Valyssa called from the top of the rocks.

I looked down at my legs, and I decided to at least stand. It took me a moment before I pulled my legs towards me, pushing myself to stand when-

“Carlo?”

That wasn’t Valyssa. It was closer, much closer. The voice was soft, shaky, and somewhat...ethereal.

More than any of those things, that voice was familiar .

“Who’s there?” I hissed as I stumbled to my feet. I looked around - seeing that I was near a cave’s entrance. The rest was relatively open ground, which meant that cave was the only place where that voice could have come from. “Show yourself!”

There was nothing at first - then I heard a footstep. A purple clawed foot slipped out of the shadows, followed by the leg - draped in worn and frilled layers of purplish cloth.

Then the whole body came out - a nearly nude body. My eyes widened as I stared at the desire demon that stepped out of the cave.

No, not just any desire demon.

“...Glamour?” I asked, my eyes bugging out in surprise. “Is that...is that you?”

Chapter Text

The demon slowly blinked before speaking once more. “...it’s me,” she whispered.

I deactivated my weapons at once, rushing over and slamming into her with a tight hug. “You’re okay! What could have happened to you? I couldn’t find you in the Fade at all!” I blurted out, practically swinging the lithe desire demon around in my arms.

“I...I was pulled through. I found myself here,” Glamour whispered, her voice raspy. Was she injured? Weakened? Was she dying? “There has been so much fighting, I didn’t wish to partake in it.”

“So far, you’re the only one who hasn’t,” I said, releasing her and letting her stand. “How’d you end up here? Are you okay?”

“I’ve...been in hiding,” she said. “I’ve disguised myself as a refugee for a time. But then those templars found me. I ran...hid in a cave. It’s...it’s all a blur.” She coughed once before sighing. “I am unharmed - not for lack of trying on the part of the templars.”

“Are you hungry?” I asked, reaching into my rucksack.

“I...I don’t know,” Glamour whispered. “I feel...weak.”

“You’re probably hungry. At least, I think demons get hungry,” I muttered, reaching into the sack and grabbing some food from within - a wrapped block of bread with cheese. Maybe demons needed to follow the rules of the physical realm when out of the Fade. I wasn’t willing to risk it even if it weren’t the case. “Here, eat this.”

Glamour did so slowly, and I pulled my cloak off of my body, wrapping it gently around hers. She felt cold, and it was clear she was somewhat disoriented. “How are you feeling? Can you cast magic?”

“Only around those...those tears in the Veil,” Glamour said. “It’s the only way I can touch the Fade.”

“You’ve probably been starving,” I whispered. “I didn’t even know demons could starve here.”

“I doubt I actually do. I lack in magic rather than sustenance. If I do require food, then...that is rather unfortunate,” Glamour muttered, wiping her mouth. “So this is what eating feels like.”

“What else do you feel right now?” I asked.

“Tired...and a little scared,” she said. “I blame you for me losing my touch.”

“Your touch being...” I asked. Glamour raised an eyebrow, and I chuckled. “Being a desire demon. Right.”

“What will you do to me now?” she asked, her voice softening and I realized that she was more than a little scared, she was downright terrified - to the point of almost being submissive. It was a side to her I’d never seen, and that worried me greatly.

“Look...I will help you,” I said, hoisting Glamour in my arms, bridal style. She was light, and she didn’t struggle or squirm very much. “But...I’m with a bunch of other people right now - you should know.”

“They don’t happen to be with this Inquisition I’ve heard so much about, do they?” Glamour asked.

“They are - as am I,” I said. “But I will not let them hurt you.”

“Carlo? Who’s this?”

I turned to see Valyssa - just in time to watch as she stumbled back with her eyes widened. Her eyes flickered between mine and the demon in my arms, and she reached for the stave on her back. “C-Carlo? That’s a...”

I made to speak, only to see Solas approaching. The moment he too saw Glamour, I sighed. “I can explain.”

  - twenty minutes later - 

I sat by the edge of the cave’s entrance, Glamour sitting by me. Valyssa and Solas stood before us, the two of them looking down at me, the former stern but the latter with interest. I’d just finished explaining everything between me and Glamour - minus any information that could expose the fact that I didn’t belong in this world.

The two mages looked at each other once before looking back at me. Valyssa cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence first. “...so let me get this straight. You knew Glamour here...just as long as you’ve known me,” she said.

“Yeah,” I said.

“She approached you in a dream, and she came up with some willpower related excuse to explain why she can’t possess you,” Valyssa continued.

“Yeah,” I repeated.

“And...the two of you started a friendship ? One that could have made it possible for her to possess you if you weren’t careful, much less,” Valyssa said.

I exchanged a look with Glamour. The demon could only shrug weakly, and I nodded. “Yeah,” I said.

The sheer amount of bewildered anger that twisted Valyssa’s face was more amusing than worrying for some reason. “You’ve known a demon. For. Months,” she said, practically hissing each word. “You...trusted her. She’s been in every dream with you until the Breach. And now...you want to bring her back with us to Haven?”

I slowly leaned back. “...yes?” I asked.

Valyssa punched the side of the cave, right above my head. A crack and a pained yelp later, Valyssa was right back to glaring at me as her hand glowed with healing magic. “Are you insane?!” she demanded.

“Hey - she hasn’t possessed me, and she’s pretty nice,” I said, much too exhausted to come up with a better excuse, much less one that was well thought out. “And...well, I’ve been worried for her. I’m glad that she’s alright, at least.”

“I’m glad you’re the one who found me,” Glamour said, smiling.

Valyssa whirled to look at Solas. “Well? Aren’t you gonna say something?!” she demanded.

Solas didn’t seem interested in chastising me, not when he started asking questions. “You’ve truly shown no wish to possess Carlo?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Glamour said. “I enjoy our conversations.”

“And she enjoys teasing me,” I muttered.

“I imagine anyone would,” Glamour sniped, and I could hear the laughter in her voice.

“I very much doubt I’ve ever seen a genuine friendship between demon and mortal in this age. Tell me, how-?” Solas began.

“Now’s not the time to ask questions!” Valyssa snapped. “We can’t just...let it come with us! One, it’s a demon-”

“She,” I said. “Glamour is a she.” I blinked once before turning to Glamour. “Right?”

Glamour only chuckled. “Yes, I would like to be referred to as a female...despite demons and spirits typically not considering themselves to have a gender,” she said.

“Fine! She!” Valyssa interrupted. “If we try to do that, we’ll get attacked on sight! And two, how could you believe befriending a demon is alright?”

I frowned. “Hey, it’s not like I planned it. I thought she would at first, but she hasn’t...and it wasn’t like I knew how to handle being in the Fade at the start. She’s been helping me through it.”

“You’ve been teaching him?” Solas asked.

“Yes. Though what lessons I could manage became less and less common when Carlo’s magical affinity made itself known,” Glamour said. “But it seems like you could manage just fine.”

“To be fair, I had three very good teachers,” I said, looking between Glamour, Valyssa, and Solas.

Valyssa sputtered. “Don’t think flattery will get you out of this!” she hissed.

Glamour rolled her eyes. “If my appearance is a problem...” She snapped her fingers - and a flash of bright light had me looking away, blinking away the spots in my eyes. When I regained control of my vision, I saw that Glamour was gone, replaced by a beautiful woman with long blonde hair. She still had my cloak on her, although she was naked underneath. “How is this?” she asked.

Her voice no longer had that ethereal effect that all desire demons had - in fact, it sounded just like a normal voice. Her thin dark eyes were replaced with rounded sky blue eyes, and her lips were full and red.

I flushed, looking away. “Okay, ha ha - you’re teasing me again,” I muttered. Glamour giggled once more before she reverted back to her demon form - the transformation a split second shift with a much less bright flash of light.

“I’m afraid I can’t keep it up for long,” the demon finally admitted. “My magic is weakened - mostly from exhaustion.”

Valyssa almost looked relieved - at least until Solas spoke up. “Would lyrium assist in restoring your abilities?” he asked.

“I believe so, yes,” Glamour said, and I watched as Solas fished out a vial of lyrium from his own satchel - something he carried with him for Valyssa and I to use if we needed it. As far as I knew, he never drank lyrium himself.

Valyssa gaped in clear betrayal as Solas handed the vial to Glamour, who uncorked it with a long spindly finger before she downed the potion. Moments passed before she brought back the blonde human disguise once more. “Thank you,” she said.

“Of course,” Solas said. “Shall we continue?”

Valyssa slowly inhaled, before sighing. “We are all talking about this. Later,” she growled. And with that, she stomped away.

Once she was out of earshot, I looked up at Solas. “To be honest, I was a little worried that you’d side with her on this,” I said.

“Far too many people hold paranoia and stigmas over what they portray demons and spirits to be. This demon isn’t mad like the others we faced. She is...different,” Solas said. “And I’d be lying if I didn’t wish to learn more, if it is alright with you.”

“I suppose it’s not too much to ask,” Glamour stated as she stood up. She seemed much more steady on her feet now, and I caught a glimpse of bare feet and ankles under the cloak. “So where shall we go?”

Soon, we were back on our feet and moving - quick to catch up with Valyssa before she could continue to storm off on her own. She remained silent during our walk to Dennet’s farm, and we came across very little trouble on the way there. A small group of bandits were the only real bit of resistance we had to handle - and Valyssa did so with a storm of ice shards.

It was a messy aftermath, and I kept my eyes away from what was left of those bandits. “Hey, let’s maybe...not damage the landscape?” I asked.

“You have no room to talk,” Valyssa scoffed.

“Okay - demons are feared, I get it. But you know I know this. You don’t think I wouldn’t have made friends with one unless I knew she wouldn’t try to...you know? Possess me?” I asked.

“How could you have known that?” Valyssa asked. “The way I see it, you were doing something stupid without any thoughts towards what could happen! What if she lied?”

“One: she didn’t. And two: it’s not like I could avoid demons and spirits forever. I’m a mage, remember?” I asked. “She at least kept the others away - and there are far more dangerous demons out there, most of them who would probably possess me straight away.”

“You don’t get it! She’s a desire demon!” Valyssa snapped, whirling around with a hiss as she jutted a finger in my chest. “They lure you in, they trap you with whatever you want! They can make anyone their victims, and they’re subtle! How do you know you’re not her prey already?”

I turned to look at Glamour, who only looked back. If she had any thoughts or opinions on the argument concerning her, she didn’t show it. “...because she’s not possessing anyone?” I asked. “She’s literally right here. What would be the point?”

Valyssa’s face pinkened before reddening harshly with anger. “That is not what I...you know what? Fine! Go with your demon friend, what do my thoughts matter?!” she snarled as she continued to storm off.

I looked back at Glamour before turning to Solas, who was only watching with a raised eyebrow. “Sorry...I know it looks bad . We’ve never argued like this before,” I sighed.

“I understand both views. Your circumstances are hardly what would be considered normal in this world if you could befriend a demon, and the Dalish suffer the same foolish viewpoints on both spirits and demons as the Chantry teaches,” Solas said. “In all my journeys throughout the Fade, there is much to learn from them all, and that includes just how similar spirits and demons are.”

Yeah, I remembered a bit about this. “Spirits embody good emotions while demons embody bad emotions, right? Supposedly,” I said.

“In a sense,” Solas said. “Although, I imagine you wouldn’t like to have such a lesson in the middle of our task.”

I could only shrug. “Yeah, maybe not the best time,” I said, and I looked ahead to see the farms - as well as a large set of stables. “It’s not crazy to hope that Glamour and Valyssa could - you know, become friends?”

Solas only chuckled, and he walked on. I could only sigh before looking back at Glamour. “Sorry about this.”

Glamour only shrugged. “I am a demon,” she stated. “It’s expected.”

I only shook my head. “You deserve better,” I muttered before continuing to walk on, following Solas and Valyssa. Glamour didn’t respond, though I could hear her footsteps on the grass behind me, suggesting that she was following along as well.

We reached Dennet’s farm, and Solas entered to reach Valyssa while Glamour and I stayed at the edge -e near the fences. If I recall, there were two jobs to be completed before we could recruit Dennet into the Inquisition - killing wolves and locating good spots to build watchtowers.

That seemed simple enough. I wasn’t sure about handling the wolves - killing people was hard enough, but dogs? I wasn’t sure I could handle killing wild animals, even if they were feral and dangerous. Then again, the wolves were being controlled by a demon in the area.

“What are you thinking?” Glamour asked, and I turned to see her leaning on the nearby fence post. “I know that look - you’re planning something.”

I shrugged. “Not really. Just...well, thinking about all these rifts. The Breach itself...” I sighed. “It’s going to be one heck of a long war against whoever caused all this.”

“It will be,” Glamour said. “Although...something tells me you might know more than you let on.”

The little jolt of panic in my gut wasn’t enough to make me jump, and I played off my nervousness with a cough. “Well, I don’t know much,” I sighed. “I’ve been trying to keep up, that’s all. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

“I can tell, with you dropping off cliffs and walking it off,” the demon in disguise chuckled as she poked my side in jest.

I pushed at her arm in an annoyed response, rolling my eyes before I heard the sound of whinnying. Turning, I watched as Valyssa rode out with two horses - with Solas riding one and Valyssa on the other.

“We have a few things to do before we can secure horses for the Inquisition,” she said. “The farm has come under attack by wild wolves, and the stable hand wants us to provide additional security by marking places on the map for watchtowers.”

I nodded, getting into the side quest at once. “I can handle the watchtowers,” I said, looking up. I could still recall bits and pieces of where the towers could go. “They should have a reasonable amount of distance between them. High ground with plenty of open space to see the terrain below.”

“Agreed. Presumably, these watchtowers would also require them to be in clear view of one another for signal fires,” Solas chimed in. “One of these towers should be in direct view of the farming areas.”

“I’ve got just the place,” I said. “Glamour, wanna come with?”

“Actually, I asked Dennet’s wife if he could help care for her,” Valyssa said. “She saw her waiting with you outside - and she offered you spare clothes and shoes.”

“I...see,” Glamour stated, her face contorting to be just a tad bit mildly uncomfortable. “How kind...”

“I said I’d entrust your safety and well-being in the hands of his family,” Valyssa said, her smile showing just a little teeth. “Do treat your hosts kindly.”

I shook my head - feeling the ‘Carlo disapproves’ statement show up in my head. “Well...not much choice,” I muttered before looking at Glamour. “Stay safe, okay? Don’t try anything.”

“I’ll be careful,” Glamour said before she made her way towards the farmhouse. As the horsemaster’s wife walked over to greet her, I scowled at Valyssa.

Valyssa frowned back. “What?” she asked.

I only looked away moments later, not exactly in the mood to argue. Without another word, I stepped past Solas and Valyssa and made my way towards the first watchtower location - a large rocky bluff north of the farms.

 - seven hours later - 

The next several hours of traveling and marking watchtower locations were grueling work, and it was nighttime when I’d finally finished. For one, I realized that I shouldn’t have left to do the job without working out how to actually mark the locations, and I couldn’t just summon up Inquisition banners on poles out of thin air.

I mean, I could - but I’d have to sleep first.

In the end, I had to improvise - a pile of rocks for the first tower near the farms, a tall branch with the hastily scribbled Inquisition logo in the dirt, south on a hillside clear of bushes and trees, and the third being the Inquisition logo scrawled wildly on a rock wall in the general southeast.

After that, I made my way back to Dennet’s farm - getting lost on the way before finding it. I told him that the locations for the requested watchtowers were marked and that construction would begin as soon as any agents were able to start building. After Dennet thanked me and said that he’d head to Haven tomorrow, I made my way back to the center of the Hinterlands.

It was cold and late at night by the time I’d returned to the Crossroads - which was still safe and sound in the hands of the Inquisition’s soldiers. There were still as many people as there were before, but with a significant increase in organization among them.

The paths were kept clear, and makeshift walls were built around them. Soldiers of the Inquisition patrolled and maintained a steady vigilance for the safety of the people. I entered the cramped village, passing many people as I looked around - in search of anyone we’d arrived with.

Eventually, I came across one - Varric. “Hey, kid!” the dwarf said, standing up from the fire he sat in front of. “We were wondering where you were.”

“Watchtowers,” I sighed as I plopped down nearby. My legs ached, my chest burned, and I just felt ready to pass out where I sat. “A lot of climbing and running. No fighting, thankfully.”

“Chocolate  and the others got back a while ago. Along with a friend of yours,” Varric said. He gestured behind him, where a tent sat pitched and closed. “They’re inside. I’ll getcha dinner.”

I stretched my arms and legs before making my way to that tent. “Sounds good,” I yawned. “Thanks.” It took me a few seconds before stopping. “I’m sorry, Chocolate?”

“Yeah, not a good one,” Varric only muttered. I only rolled my eyes before I opened the tent to see Valyssa and Glamour - still disguised. The two were silent, eyeing each other with an unhealthy amount of suspicion and animosity.

“Okay, looks like I haven’t missed much,” I muttered. “How did fighting the wolves go?”

“Oh, it went fine,” Valyssa grumbled. “Killing a demon while trying not to kill wolves is fun .”

Glamour only hummed as she leaned back, shifting on her bedroll to make room for me. “What took you such a long time?” she asked. She was wearing brown pants and a form hugging green tunic, as well as basic shoes.

“Those towers had to be on high ground, and I got lost more than once,” I muttered. “In any case, it’s done. Now, we need to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Valyssa asked.

“One - this demon is no threat,” I said, gesturing to Glamour. I kept my voice down, just to be safe. “I know what the Chantry or your clan teaches, but not all of that is true.”

“Oh, really? Demons that try to possess anyone in touch with the Fade aren't true?” Valyssa asked.

“Like I said, not all of that is true,” I said. “And Glamour is here...physically here. She can’t possess someone like she can through the Fade.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that she is dangerous,” Valyssa pointed out.

“I know that, but she’s safe,” I said. “She had many opportunities to do something against me, but she didn’t. She taught me bits of magic, and we talked. She doesn’t want anything more.”

“Well, if you are so insistent on your demon girlfriend being so safe, why don’t-” Valyssa began to snark.

“Valyssa, please!” I snapped, cutting her off. “You’re my friend - one of my best friends. Glamour might not be human or elven or whatever, but she’s my friend too. She’s no danger, and she’s one of the reasons I’m not dead or possessed or whatever.” I sighed. “I just...want the two of you to get along.”

Valyssa’s anger died down - some of it did, at least. “You can’t possibly believe it can be as simple as that,” she said.

“I want you to at least try, okay?” I asked. “Just...be nice a little. Keep an eye on her, be suspicious if you want, but keep snapping at her and me, and we’ll have problems.”

Valyssa narrowed her eyes, but I didn’t back down. She eventually relented first, rubbing her eyes and looking away. “...I make no promises.”

“Can you at least try?” I repeated.

Valyssa bit her lip before sighing. “Fine. It’s only because I trust you,” she said.

I smiled. “Thanks...Chocolate,” I said.

Valyssa’s face twisted in disgust. “Ugh, no! I hate that nickname! I can’t believe Varric thought that was even good! I don’t even know why!”

“Your hair?” I asked. I couldn’t think of any other reason why he’d come up with that - unless it was a half assed placeholder.

“That...” Valyssa growled as she threw up her hands in exhaustion. “That just feels lazy.”

“And ‘Fur’ is somehow creative?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It at least makes sense!” Valyssa cried. “If I’m ‘Chocolate’ because of my hair, then...then you might as well call me ‘Brunette’ or something!”

I snorted.

Valyssa jutted a finger against my chest. “Don’t you start too,” she growled.

Glamour only chuckled in response before she lay back. “I’m going to rest for a bit. Don’t mind me.”

“Hey, I’m trying to get you a better nickname,” I defended.

“How about you don’t try at all? I won’t have a nickname, period,” Valyssa grumbled, glaring darkly as she crossed her arms in defiance. “I’m Valyssa - First of Clan Lavellan. Nothing more, nothing less.”

I sighed. “You know a nickname doesn’t actually detract from any of that,” I said. “It’s just something Varric does for his friends. He isn’t being mean.”

Valyssa’s anger softened, and she slowly looked away. “...I forget,” she muttered. “I don’t know how to feel about the others.”

So that’s where this came from. “You know...you can trust them, right? If not with your personal life, trust them to have your back in a fight,” I said.

“How? I don’t know them,” Valyssa said. “Varric is nice, but he tells stories a lot - for all I know, he and those stories could just be lies and made up. If that’s how he is, how can I trust him?”

“Okay - Varric is a pretty honorable guy. He was all over Kirkwall, and he fought to protect innocents when everything went to hell,” I defended. “I’ve known how he is much longer than when the Breach showed up.”

Valyssa narrowed her eyes before looking down. “How do you do it?” she finally asked, her voice a mere whisper. “How do you...get these people? You can get along with Solas and Varric. Aiden and Ashala speak highly of you. The commander and the ambassador back at Haven seem to like you, and even a demon speaks highly of you. A demon of all things!” She rubbed her eyes against her face. “And I feel like the Dalish elf amongst shemlens.”

“...well, Cassandra-” I began.

“Cassandra’s just strict to everyone,” Valyssa muttered.

I sighed. “I got along with them because I had time to talk with them while you were recovering - both after the Breach happened and after we tried to close it,” I said. “Give them a chance. They all respect you, and you deserve to get to know who you’re fighting alongside.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Valyssa chuckled mirthlessly.

“It is. None of them look down on elves, believe me. If any of them do, you can come back and punch me,” I said.

Valyssa snorted. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Eh, you could heal me afterwards. Or I could learn to heal myself,” I said before the weighted flap of the tent was pushed open.

Varric reached inside, holding out a bowl of stew in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. “Dinner time!” he called. “So, what’re you all talking about?”

“Not much. Valyssa here was actually interested in learning a bit about Kirkwall,” I said, taking the spoon and bowl as Valyssa whirled around to gape at me - momentarily at least.

Varric shrugged casually as he sat with them. “Well then, what do you wanna know?” he asked.

“Well...I...I don’t know where to start,” Valyssa said, recovering as she decided to roll with it. “What was Kirkwall like?”

“Oh, it was a shithole,” Varric chuckled, and I began to eat. “Full of mercenaries, smugglers, the Coterie - and of course, more templars than there are of the city guard.”

Valyssa’s eyes widened. “Really? How big was their tower?” she asked.

“Oh, it was more than a tower - there was an entire area known as the Gallows, and there were a lot of mages and even more templars that mostly stayed there - although later on, their knight commander...”

I zoned out as I continued to eat. As I did, I watched as Valyssa’s interest grew the longer that Varric talked. Hiding a smile behind the bowl, I couldn’t help but think that things would be fine.

Chapter Text

It had been about a week or so since we found Glamour, with the work of dealing with the various problems throughout the Hinterlands.

It turns out that most of the side quests had been done or were at least in progress while I was out on that watchtower mission. Valyssa had been asking around the Crossroads for things to be done, and Cassandra had allocated some scouts and soldiers to do those - a few at a time. While that was a bit anticlimactic, it was also much more sensible than the main character running around and doing each and every one of those tasks themselves.

Then there were the other rifts scattered throughout the Hinterlands. It was easy enough to locate and deal with them, maps marked with their locations provided by the scouts deployed all over the region. The areas around them had already been evacuated and cleared of anything useful, such as the occasional camp to be salvaged for supplies.

Ashala, Aiden, Cassandra, and Varric had traveled with us as we made our way to each and every rift - taking down demons and sealing the tears in the Veil throughout the entirety of the Hinterlands. Glamour remained in the Crossroads, still in disguise with a few extra lyrium vials by her bedroll.

There was little to say other than the fact that we were all starting to get along more. When the week was done and the rifts were all closed, we made our way back to the Crossroads, doing one last check with the people before picking up Glamour and some supplies and heading back to Haven - where we would prepare for our trip to Val Royeaux.

As we headed back to Frostback Mountains, Valyssa partook in banter with Aiden and Varric, and Ashala even managed to strike up a decent conversation with Solas. Overall, the atmosphere of the group seemed to be much less tense than before. 

I walked near the front with Cassandra as we made our way back towards the village of Haven - its walls visible from a great distance. “Hey, uhh...Cassandra?” I asked.

“Yes?” Cassandra asked as she continued to walk.

“Do you think the Hinterlands will be safe after how we helped?” I asked, having thought about the people we came across. Many were still suffering, losing family, friends, and their livelihoods. “I mean, we cleared out the rifts and the Inquisition should be strong enough to protect the region without too much trouble, but...is it enough?”

Cassandra looked at me, her expression a little bit softened. “Any improvements we can make will be enough. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do more,” she said, her tone comforting. “Take solace in what good we can do, and always strive to do more.”

I nodded, letting myself feel a little better from her words. “Thanks,” I said. “It’s been rough trying to take it in.”

“Especially after Kirkwall,” Cassandra replied. I stayed silent, not wanting to admit that Kirkwall wasn’t what was on my mind. “I can imagine. Such senseless death and destruction is difficult to get used to. Not that anybody should.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled. “You’re a Seeker - you’ve probably had to deal with some crazy stuff.” A bit of banter between Iron Bull and Cassandra from the game came to mind, and I continued accordingly. “Like dragons.”

Cassandra groaned. “I need to change my name,” she muttered.

I sighed. “In any case...I just wanted to ask. Sorry for bothering,” I mumbled.

“There is no need for apologies. With Thedas suffering such sorrow, it will be...difficult trying to help,” Cassandra said. “But we must try, regardless.”

“Yeah. I can agree with that,” I muttered. I looked back to see Valyssa reaching to tap Bianca’s stock - only for Varric to quickly brush off her hand.

Seeing her get along with the others was...liberating, in a sense. It made me feel like I was genuinely watching her start to become the Inquisitor. I could only smile and shake my head as we reached the village.

The population had almost doubled over again upon arrival, with much of the exterior covered in tents and extra wooden fencing. Large trebuchets were installed along the edges of the village, with an additional few inside the walls. I took note of their position as we entered the walls, eyeing the terrain for a battle that was sure to come.

The Battle for Haven was going to be an absolute mess.

“Where will I be staying?” Glamour asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. She’d adjusted her pace to match with mine, sticking to my side as we headed to the large gates.

“Probably in our house,” I said. “We have two girls living there as well.”

“Oh? Tell me about them,” Glamour said.

“Lily and Emma. When the Breach happened-” I pointed up at the massive hole in the sky. “-a demon smashed into their home. Their mom died, and they were left orphans.”

“Oh. I see,” Glamour muttered.

I patted her shoulder. “Yeah, best not to let them know you’re a demon. Not...yet, at least,” I whispered, making sure nobody else could hear us. “I dunno if you can keep it hidden forever, but if we’re lucky, I could break the news.”

“Why you?” Glamour asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because if you do it...they’ll probably stab you and get it over with,” I muttered. “If I do it, they might just listen.”

“Might?” Glamour remarked.

“Might,” I confirmed. “Just gotta figure out the best way to do it.”

We made our way into Haven, with Cassandra pulling Valyssa towards the Chantry. The others headed to wherever they liked to hang out, and I walked with Glamour to the house where we stayed.

A guard stood on either side of the door, saluting when we approached. I didn’t know what else to do other than nod back before I headed inside. When I opened the door, I saw Lily and Emma sitting on one of the beds, reading silently together. When they turned to look at me, their eyes lit up - and they tossed their books aside to run at me.

“You’re back!!” Emma cheered, burying her face in my side. “You were gone for so long!”

“Yeah, I was,” I said gently, rubbing both their heads more than a little affectionately. “No one’s given you any trouble, have they?”

“No. They know we live here,” Emma said. “They’re all nice, and they talk to anyone who isn’t. The pretty lady with the red hair gives us books to read when we’re bored.”

Leliana? I needed to remind myself to thank her at some point. “That’s good,” I said. “So other than reading, what have you been up to?”

“We helped out wherever we could,” Lily said. “There’s other kids that are stuck here, so we helped to find them places to live.”

“We didn’t know if you wanted us to invite them here,” Emma said before she turned to look behind me. “Who’s that?”

“Oh - this is my good friend,” I said, referring to Glamour. “We’ve known each other for a while - her name is...” I blanked out, not knowing if I should call her Glamour or another less desire demon name.

Thankfully, Glamour spoke up. “Ginny,” she said, extending a hand. “My name is Ginny.”

The girls shook her hand - looking up at her before exchanging looks. Then they looked back at the demon in disguise. “Will she be staying here?” Lily asked.

Considering that any other place could possibly have a Templar nearby, yes. “Yeah,” I said. “She’s hit some rough times so she’ll sleep here. I’m gonna ask about getting a bedroll for her.”

“Aww, not going to offer some space in your bed?” Glamour asked, her voice lilted in a teasing manner.

“Considering I share the bed with the girls, we’d get cramped real quick,” I said, nudging her shoulder. “We have space to spare and there is a fireplace to keep warm.”

“Making a lady sleep on the floor!” Glamour gasped, raising a hand to her forehead in mock offense, only to break out in chuckles. “Very well.”

“She’s weird,” Emma said.

I laughed. “She’s a friend,” I said. “Besides, you can’t say no one’s ever truly normal.”

“She’s pretty, though,” Lily said. “I like her hair.”

The two girls chatted with the desire demon in disguise while I took the time to lie down and rest my eyes. I wasn’t sure how much time passed before Valyssa returned, still in her armor.

“Carlo-” she began before her eyes narrowed at Glamour. The two stared at each other, before the Herald’s eyes glanced at a confused Lily and Emma. “...Carlo, we’re going.”

“What? Where?” I asked, getting up.

“To Val Royeaux,” Valyssa said. “As soon as possible.”

“We’re going to Orlais already?” I asked, more than a bit miffed. “Chantry’s a bunch of hardasses, swear to God.”

“You won’t hear me disagreeing,” Valyssa sighed. “According to the ambassador, we’ve been granted enough time for a meal at the tavern and a basic bath. Then we’re going to get new clothes to make ourselves seem presentable.”

“Nope,” I was quick to decline. “I like my clothes.”

“As do I,” Valyssa remarked. “No doubt that this Inquisition plans on putting me in some uniform or an Orlesian dress. I’m going to be insulted, called a knife ear wherever I go in that Creators damned city, why shouldn’t I be armored for it?”

“They’re not gonna force you, are they?” I asked. “I mean, no doubt we have to go to Val Royeaux, but I’m  not wearing anything other than this.” I looked down at my own clothes, brushing off my jacket.

“Thankfully, Josephine relented. Not wearing a dress today,” Valyssa said. “Come on, let’s get some food and get cleaned up.” She turned to the girls, who were still waiting by Glamour. “Have you eaten already?”

“Yes,” Lily said. “Are you going away again?”

Valyssa sighed. “Yeah, we have a lot of work to do,” she said as she rubbed their heads. “If we’re lucky, it should be an easy trip to Orlais and back without any real stopping, okay?”

The girls looked at each other before sighing quietly. “Okay,” Lily muttered, rubbing her arm.

“We could take them with us,” I said, remembering the general lack of any enemies. “It’s gonna be a big and fancy city - it’s not like they’ll try to kill us in broad daylight.”

“It’s still dangerous, and I don’t want any enemies learning about them,” Valyssa said. “Don’t worry, I’m going to make sure we don’t stay any longer than we have to. Knowing it’s Orlais, I wouldn’t want to.”

“You’re okay leaving them with Ginny?” I asked. Valyssa’s eyes furrowed in confusion, and I held up a hand before she could spill Glamour’s real name.

Her eyes narrowed before sighing. “As long as she doesn’t wish to cause trouble,” she said. “Which I know you won’t, right?”

Glamour sighed, tossing aside a lock of blonde hair as she rolled over on her side on the floor. “I won’t,” she said. “It’s not like I can, anyways.”

“Fortunately,” Valyssa said before she pulled me close to her. “I still can’t believe you insisted on befriending a demon !” she hissed. “I don’t care what Solas says, I don’t care about how safe you think it is, she’s a demon !”

“She’s harmless now that she’s physically in this world,” I whispered back. “And besides, she likes the girls. I trusted her since we met a while ago, and I trust her now.”

Valyssa glared at me before sighing. “You’re lucky Solas defended her,” she grumbled. “I don’t trust her-”

“You don’t have to. But give her a chance. She kept me alive and unpossessed all these times, and now that she can’t do any of that, you have to see that she’s not the threat you think she is.”

“But she’s still a threat...” Valyssa growled. The two of us glared at each other for a moment before she looked away first. “...but she won’t cause any trouble. And as much as I hate it, routing out a demon from inside Haven will look bad on all of us.”

I sighed. “Yep. Just...let me handle it, okay?” I muttered. I turned back to the others, stretching my arms and legs. “Well, we might as well get this over with.” I turned to look back at the girls. “If possible, we could bring back something nice for you two. Books? Jewelry?”

“Books,” Emma said. “We don’t have many books here.”

“Maybe you could ask Varric for a few books. He’s written plenty,” I said.

“We did once. He said most of them aren’t for kids,” Emma muttered with a pout. “It’s not fair.”

“Varric does write some violent stories,” Valyssa chuckled. “Come on, we should eat before we miss out on whatever Flissa’s making.”

The two of us said our goodbyes, with Valyssa giving one last warning to Glamour, followed by me letting her know that she’ll warm up to her sooner or later, before we made our way out of the house and towards the tavern.

Flissa was serving vegetable stew - mostly flavorless, but hot and filling enough that the hunger went away. After that, we bathed in a separate bathhouse, which was a small wooden house with a few small rooms with tubs of heated water. There was very little soap - which was foam made from elfroot blossoms. It smelled fresh, at the least, even if the foam wasn’t as comfortable as soap from my world.

When we were done and dressed again, Cassandra was waiting to lead us to the stables again, where we would then ride to Val Royeaux. Unlike before, a pair of horse drawn carts loaded with supplies were waiting for us, each to be pulled by two horses. Solas, Valyssa, Aiden, and I sat in one while Varric, Cassandra, and Ashala rode in the other. Flanking us were four horses, two on each side - each with an armed Inquisition soldier.

There was very little ceremony involved, with Cassandra double checking our supplies for the trip before we set off for the capital of Orlais. The journey was estimated to be relatively fast despite being longer than our walk to the Hinterlands, with the horses at a constant jogging pace. The trip would take us east of the Frostback Mountains before we’d turn north and head to Jader, where we could then take a ferry to cross the Waking Sea to enter Val Royeaux.

The trip would last a week and a half, with a round trip with our stay in Val Royeaux no doubt lasting a day or so, which none of us were really eager for.

“I spy...with my little eye...” I began, leaning out the edge of the carriage, leaning along one of the tarp supports.

“What do you spy?” Solas asked.

“Oh, it’s a little game I used to play,” I said. “We’re gonna pass a lot of stuff on our way, so we might as well pass the time. I spy something and give hints. You guess what I’m referring to.”

Solas hummed curiously. “Alright then. What do you spy?” he asked.

“I spy with my little eye...something starting with a b,” I said.

“Is it a bluebird?” Solas asked, pointing up at one of the trees. Sure enough, there were glimpses of blue atop its branches.

“...it was actually a bush, but that works too,” I mumbled, feeling much less smart than I did a few seconds ago.

Solas chuckled. “I suppose it’s my turn now?” he asked. I nodded, and he peered out of the carriage. “I spy...something that starts with b.”

I narrowed my eyes. “...is it a bluebird?” I asked.

“A flock of bunting,” Solas said, pointing at the ground. Half a dozen tiny birds pecked away at the dirt, sporting brown colors as they ignored us passing by.

I didn’t need to look at Solas to know he had a shit eating grin on his face. “I spy...something that starts with the letter s,” I said.

“The sky?” Solas asked.

I looked around, trying to find something else - anything else that started with s, before giving up. “Yeah,” I mumbled. “I get it, I suck at this game.”

“It was a moderately good idea,” Solas said. “If your intention was to pass the time.”

“Yeah, well I wasn’t intending to look stupid in the process,” I sighed. I looked over at Aiden, who was reading a book. “Whatcha reading?”

“One of Varric’s books,” Aiden said. He waved the book in my direction. “What do you think?”

I blinked. “Oh...I haven’t read any of Varric’s books,” I said. “Though, I heard that one’s good. Hard in Hightown, right?”

Aiden blinked before staring down at the cover of the book. “I’m reading Darktown’s Deals.”

I flinched. “...oh,” I mumbled, and I looked away. “I was...joking.”

The carriage was silent, with the only sounds heard being the creaking of the wheels and the clip clop noises of the horses’ hooves. I could feel Solas and Aiden eyeing me, as well as Valyssa’s head turning to look at me.

“You...you can’t read?” Aiden asked. “Didn’t you grow up in Kirkwall?”

I didn’t dare make any eye contact with them. I wasn’t sure what to say, much less what to think now that I’d more or less called myself out. “I...never learned. I could speak, but I dunno what any of the letters...well, say,” I muttered, more or less bullshitting my way through this.

Valyssa snorted. “Really? Just when I didn’t think you could possibly be more dumb,” she muttered.

I flinched, my eyes glancing to Aiden, who only raised an eyebrow. “Don’t...worry about it,” I said, coughing and scratching the back of my neck.

“I’m more worried about the fact you apparently never learned how to read,” Aiden said.

“As am I,” Solas said. “From what I can tell, learning to read is commonplace.”

“Yeah, I mean - the wandering elven apostate knows how to read,” Aiden said.

“Yeah, yeah, call me stupid, why don’t you?” I grumbled, shuffling away from the others and looking back outside. I felt more embarrassed than anything - and I couldn’t even tell why. Why was I so flustered? Why was I feeling like I was being judged by the others?

Oh, who was I kidding - I was definitely being judged. I should’ve been used to being judged. Clan Lavellan clearly judged me when I first arrived. No doubt Valyssa judged me when she first found me. Yet, that didn’t seem to hurt as much as it did now.

Maybe it was purely because I didn’t know how to read.

No, it was only a part of it.

The fact that I didn’t know how to read was secondary to a fact that I never truly accepted - the fact that I didn’t belong in this world. I’d been stripped away from my home and my loved ones, placed in a world that I played passenger to.

I’d never really thought about it. Ever since I joined the Inquisition, fought off demons alongside fictional characters turned real flesh and blood, I thought I could belong. It was easy to forget when there was work to be done. I’d met and befriended Solas and Varric. I was close friends with the Inquisitor herself. I met people outside the game I played, other potential Inquisitors included. I talked to Leliana and Cullen.

I’d lived out moments that most Dragon Age fans could only dream of living out. I was in the story itself, and there were changes I made, as well as changes that I could make if I wanted to. And still, it felt like I shouldn’t have now that I thought about it. What if I fucked things up by meddling? What if I got people killed?

I shouldn’t be here. I was never supposed to be here. Why was I brought here? Who or what could have brought me here? Why did I think it was even a good idea to be here, to join the Inquisition?

“Hey.”

I jumped out of surprise, my own breath hitching when a hand gripped my shoulder. I whirled around to see Valyssa right behind me, her own face looking to be concerned. Forcing myself to look away, I shrugged off her hand. “What do you want?” I mumbled, not in the mood.

Valyssa sighed, and she shifted over to sit next to me. “You...you don’t have to be embarrassed about it,” she said. “They weren’t making fun of you.”

“I know they weren’t. That’s why it sucks,” I muttered. “I just...” I fell silent, unsure of what I could say, no - should say. So I remained silent, unwilling to spill anything else about myself. I didn’t know why it was bothering me so much, but it was - and the last thing I wanted was to garner more unwanted attention towards myself.

Eventually, Valyssa spoke up once more. “I’ll have someone teach you how to read. Maybe Josephine,” she said as she pulled her knees up to her chin, hugging her legs.

I scoffed. “The ambassador’s gonna be the busiest one out of us all,” I mumbled.

“Well, maybe not her then. Someone’s bound to be able to teach you,” Valyssa said. “And...well, you don’t have to be worried about not being able to read.”

Being able to read wasn’t my issue, but I couldn’t straight up tell her that. I couldn’t tell anyone else about my true origins, not if I wanted to live. The things I knew, the life I had before, I would only be seen as an enemy, or worse - someone to be used. “Sure,” I mumbled, knowing nothing else of what I could say. “Thanks.”

Despite hoping that it would be the end of that, Valyssa didn’t leave my side. “I know I haven’t been the nicest to you after...well...” She fell silent with a momentary sigh. “Look, I’m just worried you’re getting into something beyond your ability to control.”

I fought the urge to sigh. I was definitely already caught up in something beyond my ability to control. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve been careful, and I know the risks.” I said. “If you don’t trust me to take care of myself-”

“It’s not just that,” Valyssa said as she rubbed her eyes. “You once said that I should be making my own decisions. And you were right. Earlier, I was...afraid. A bunch of Chantry shemlens accusing me of murder and all sorts of horrible things. Then they started calling me their savior, their ‘herald’.”

I chuckled. “I’m aware,” I said. “I had to convince you to come back and help out.”

“And they started listening to me,” Valyssa said. “Even Cassandra would heed whatever I said.” A soft chuckle escaped her as she leaned against my side. “It’s just...it’s been difficult adjusting to what this is - this Inquisition and my new job leading humans, and I’m sorry if I’ve been snapping at you. I didn’t want you to think that I wasn’t trusting you.”

I felt my own features soften. “They have faith in you, you know. And so do I,” I said. “I know you care...and Glamour isn’t really a normal situation.”

Valyssa nodded. “I’m aware,” she muttered. “I’ll...give her a genuine chance if that’s what you want.”

I shook my head, chuckling to myself once more. I hadn’t expected the talk to turn towards this topic, although I wasn’t about to complain. Maybe a talk like this was what was needed. “I’d like that. Who knows? The two of you might even become friends.”

Valyssa huffed. “Don’t count on it,” she groaned.

I only rolled my eyes, and our journey fell into silence, a comfortable sort of silence. The thoughts from earlier wouldn’t go away - not for a long time, but maybe I could just set them aside for now.

I had a whole campaign to get through first.

Chapter Text

The trip to Jader was uneventful, as was the journey from Jader across the Waking Sea by ferry. Unlike the trip from Ostwick to Ferelden, we spent our day in relatively comfortable passenger quarters of the ship rather than the cramped and cold cargo hold.

The weather was clear and the seagoing journey was smooth and easy to bear. Valyssa spent much of the journey around me, and the two of us more or less talked about what we’d have to expect in Orlais. Solas and Aiden didn’t seem to have any intentions of approaching me, which I was all too glad for - the last thing I wanted was to bring up that embarrassing moment.

Thankfully, the journey went off without a hitch, and we finally reached our destination...well, we saw it long before we actually reached it.

Val Royeaux was massive. Despite being a few hours worth of distance away, the city could be seen in all of its glory in the distance. Buildings of white and gold numbered in the hundreds, and there were all sorts of ornate statues that towered over most. I wasn’t sure if I could remember how the capital city of Orlais looked in the game, but it was very impressive to gaze upon in real life.

Too bad Valyssa wasn’t the type to appreciate a pretty city.

“I bet their Alienage wouldn’t look as nice as this,” she grumbled to herself. “Stupid shems and their need to make everything look nice.”

I shrugged. “This is Orlais,” I said. “In any case, we’ll be going inside the city. Anything to expect?”

“A lot of frivolous nobles,” Cassandra said, joining our conversation on the main deck. “It’s best if we put off sightseeing in favor of searching for the templars. Lord Seeker Lucius was not at the Conclave, and it should be expected that the Order will be here.”

“Would they even help us?” Valyssa asked. “Knowing how bad everything is, the templars might straight up denounce the Inquisition like the Chantry is doing.”

I stayed silent, hopefully not giving any hints that I knew Valyssa’s words to be true.

“The Lord Seeker is a practical man,” Cassandra attempted to reassure. “He would understand the true extent of the Breach.”

I would’ve agreed if it weren’t for the fact that the Lord Seeker isn’t the one who shows up. “Here’s hoping. If we’re lucky, we could also get the mages behind us as well,” I said. “Maybe we could get both sides to get along.”

“Unlikely,” Valyssa said. “The Hinterlands was a mess because of them.”

“Rogue elements of the Circle and the Order wreaked chaos upon the Hinterlands, not the mages and templars as a whole,” Cassandra corrected. “The ones we will meet with will no doubt be more open to common sense rather than fear and panic.”

The ferry slowly slid into one of many clean white berths in the docks, with crewmen quick to tie the ship to its moorings. We wasted no time leaving, making our way onto the docks, with Cassandra leading the way towards the main city.

As we walked up a set of stairs, we came across a busy street - the sounds of large and powerful bells slowly ringing throughout the city. Men, women, and children dressed in fancy clothing all walked to and from destinations in the city block, many somber, others in conversation.

“The city still mourns,” Cassandra said, her own voice quiet as we approached the street. Gasps rang out around us, and we turned to see many noblemen and women stepping away when we approached, clearing a path as they whispered amongst one another.

“Looks like the Inquisition already has a bit of a reputation,” Ashala said as she eyed a few children, who huddled behind a wooden stall on the side of the street.

“The Chantry’s doing, no doubt,” Cassandra said. “Spreading fear when there is still the Breach to be worried about.”

“Good thing they’re mostly a bunch of priests,” Ashala said. “The Chantry’s mostly been all talk wherever I see it.”

“Yep,” Varric sighed. “It’s depressing, but not unsurprising.”

“We will bring about change if we’re to deal with the Breach,” Cassandra said. “People cannot ignore a threat of this magnitude, and what must be done will be known throughout Thedas.”

“You’re seriously underestimating the ability for people to pretend like nothing’s wrong,” Aiden said, his own tone sounding rather bitter.

“In any case,” I said, cutting off a potential argument. “We’re here to get the Chantry off our backs. We’ll need to look like we mean what we’re doing.”

“Of course. The Herald should be the one to speak with the clerics,” Cassandra said. “Regardless of whether they believe her to be sent by Andraste herself, her words would carry the most weight.”

“I...very much doubt any Orlesians would be willing to listen to a knife ear,” Valyssa said, sounding rather uncomfortable.

“Perhaps, but they will have no choice but to listen,” Cassandra said before the sound of hurried footsteps made their way over to us. A young woman wearing basic clothing - well, wearing what qualifies as basic clothing in Orlais, considering that said clothes still looked nice by standards in Thedas - made her way over to us. “Lady Cassandra,” she said.

“You’re one of Leliana’s people,” Cassandra said. “Report.”

I blinked. Wasn’t the lady who approached us in the game an Inquisition scout in the game? Then again, it would make sense for someone who worked for Leliana to be more subtle - like a spy.

“The Chantry awaits you, mothers and clerics. But so do many templars. They seem to believe that the templars would protect the Chantry from the Inquisition,” the spy reported. “They’re gathering on the far side of the marketplace - it’s where the templars intend to meet you.”

“They wish to protect the people from us?” Cassandra muttered to herself. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration before she sighed to herself. “Only one thing left to do, then.”

Valyssa and I exchanged brief looks with one another as Cassandra continued to walk ahead, the rest of us promptly joining her. Our small group of seven headed down the rest of the street, where the marketplace awaited us. It was a short walk to reach it - all we had to do was follow the various states of commotion in the distance.

Ten or so minutes of walking later, we found several Chantry mothers - standing before a large locked gate on a raised platform, calling to a crowd of several dozen men and women. A handful of templar warriors stood on either side of the platform, clearly guarding the clerics as we made our approach.

“People of Val Royeaux, hear me!” one cleric called at the center of the platform, her Orlesian slash French accent made more apparent than the words she spoke. “Today, we mourn our Divine, her naive and beautiful heart silenced by treachery!”

She raised a hand, pointing at our group as the crowd parted around us. “You wonder what will become of her murderer! Well, wonder no more!” the cleric spat. “For she and her ‘protector’ have made themselves known!”

I stood in front of Valyssa as Aiden stepped forward. “Your Divine’s murderer is still out there!” he called. “You accuse the one responsible for fighting to save the world!”

“The one we accuse attempts to rise where our Divine fell! Attempting to take advantage of such needless death in favor of power! And to use Andraste’s name for such ambition?” the cleric sneered. “We say this is a false prophet! The Maker would not send an elf in our time of need!”

“I never made such claims!” Valyssa called out. “I wasn’t sent by your Maker or Andraste! My only concerns lie with closing the Breach! Nothing more!”

“It is true! The Inquisition seeks to end this madness before it is too late!” Cassandra called as she stepped up alongside me and Valyssa.

The sound of clanking metal and heavy footsteps made themselves known, and the crowd gasped and muttered to see several dozen templars approaching us, with a tall man in the lead. However, he didn’t wear Templar armor - but instead a set of heavy black plates with a golden outline over dark gray chainmail. On the angular chestplate was the emblem of the Seekers of Truth, the same eye marking as the one on Cassandra’s armor.

Lord Seeker Lucius, I realized. If I recall correctly, he wore the armor of the Templar Order in the game - which was always weird. Seeing the man in the much more intimidating armor of the Seekers though...

“It is already too late!” the cleric called as she turned to the approaching group of soldiers. “The Templars have returned to the Chantry! They shall face this ‘Inquisition’ of yours and keep the people safe!”

The following events were just about what I’d expected. Lord Seeker Lucius walked onto the platform, passing the smug clerics and mothers before a templar leaned back and slugged the grandstanding cleric hard enough to send her toppling off of the platform. The crowd gasped in horror as the Seeker took her place, addressing the templars already guarding the area.

“Still yourselves! She is beneath us! They are all beneath us!” Lucius called as he turned his glare on Valyssa. “The Chantry’s calls to authority are insults! Much like your own!”

I narrowed my eyes, my own temper riled up at the sneering distaste that this man...no, this demon in disguise, held towards Valyssa. “We’re not interested in authority. We’re the ones who fought off demons at the Breach while your templars razed the Hinterlands and its people to the ground,” I said.

“You act like you are of a higher purpose! Yet you raise a puppet as Andraste’s prophet! You hold part in a heretical movement to seize power and influence in the time of chaos! You claim the templars have failed, but we failed no one when we left the Chantry to purge the mages!” Lucius sneered as he made his way off the platform.

I left Valyssa’s side to approach the man in black and gold armor, ignoring Cassandra’s attempts to shush me as I closed the distance towards the hidden demon. “You lost the right to act like heroes when templars attacked innocents. You failed the people,” I said.

“And yet, you come here to ask for our help. Help this pitiful excuse of an organization has no right to even consider,” Lucius growled.

“Clearly. You’d only end up making things worse,” I snapped back.

The man snarled, and I pushed myself forward, our faces practically millimeters away. He wasn’t taller than me by more than a few inches, but I felt like I matched his height with the intensity of our glares. I could feel how tense it was, with a handful of templars moving to surround us.

“Lord Seeker Lucius, I must-” Cassandra quickly interjected.

“You will not address me,” Lucius snarled, his glare turning on Cassandra.

“Lord...Lord Seeker?” Cassandra asked, stunned.

“Don’t bother,” I said as I stepped back. “Apparently, he came here to punch old women and talk about how much better he is than everyone else.”

“But...it is imperative that we-” Cassandra tried again.

“Cassandra!” I called. “He called us heretics. Seems to me like he doesn’t even care about the Breach or the people. He’s not gonna help us, no matter what we say.”

One of the templars approached. He had dark skin and round eyes, as well as a mostly shaved head. Ser Barris, from what I could remember. “But Lord Seeker, what if she really was sent by the Maker?” he asked.

“You have been called to a higher purpose! Do not question me!” Lucius shot, silencing Ser Barris at once.

I crossed my arms. “I think it’s time for you to leave,” I said.

Lucius narrowed his eyes, looming over me. “You’re lucky that you aren’t worth the effort of slaughtering. You and this heretical movement,” he growled. “Make no mistake. You are nothing, and your efforts are less than nothing.”

There was silence before Lucius eventually stepped back. “Templars! Val Royeaux is unworthy of our protection! We march!” I watched as the templars already in the city joined those that marched in with the Lord Seeker, leaving through one of the main streets.

I waited until they all turned the corner before making my way back to the main platform, where the cleric lay on the paved stone ground. She looked pitiful, more humiliated than hurt, it seemed. “Hey, are you alright?” I found myself asking quietly.

The woman turned to glare up at me, though it lacked any real heat or vitriol. “I suppose this victory must please you greatly,” she said, clutching her face. I could see the beginnings of a bruise starting to form.

“We only came here to speak with the mothers,” Cassandra said as she reached over, pulling the lady to her feet. “This is your doing, not ours.”

“And you believed forming your so-called Inquisition had no part in forcing our hand?” the cleric whispered, scoffing. “Do not delude yourself.”

“We’re only here to help people,” I said. “We weren’t lying when we said that the Breach must be dealt with.”

“He’s right. I’m no prophet, and none of us are heretics. We’re all just people who want to help close the hole in the sky,” Valyssa said. “We didn’t show up for power. We came here to find people willing to help us do the right thing.”

The cleric’s scrutinizing glare was turned on Valyssa, before it slowly softened several moments later. “That is...much more comforting than you might imagine,” she finally said. “In any case, it is out of our hands now. All we can do is wait to see what the Maker has planned for us.”

I turned to see Valyssa, expecting to see a glare, some sort of distaste for the Chantry cleric - only to find an expression of pity, something I hadn’t been expecting. “Will the Chantry continue to denounce us?” she asked.

“We already have, and look what good it has done,” the cleric said. “There is naught we can do other than select a new Divine and follow her orders.”

“A process that’ll take too much time, no doubt,” Cassandra said. “Many revered mothers who could have followed Justinia were slain at the Conclave.”

“Indeed. As I have said, it is in the Maker’s hands now,” the cleric said.

Valyssa crossed her arms. “If we’re to deal with this madness, then we need support. The Templar Order has abandoned us, no doubt to continue their war against the mages,” she said. “The Chantry has failed to rein in both the mages and templars. The Breach and whoever caused it is still at large, and it’s only the Inquisition that is doing anything to stop them.”

“The Chantry is not looking for a war. We’re not looking for a winning horse. We’re trying to do right by the people. Supporting you-” the cleric began to protest.

“There’s very little in terms of choice,” Cassandra said. “If we don’t deal with this, then the Breach will destroy us all, and there won’t be any opportunity to elect a new Divine.”

Before the cleric could respond, a thunk in the near distance could be heard. We whirled around, just in time to see an arrow sticking out of the ground. “...hold that thought,” I said, squeezing past Valyssa and Cassandra as I approached the arrow.

It was indeed the note from Sera - or from Red Jenny, at the very least. An old and wrinkled note had been stabbed through the center, flailing lightly in the wind. Reaching over and pulling the arrow from the stone ground, with some effort, I pulled the note out and handed it to Cassandra.

“What’s it say?” Valyssa asked.

Cassandra cleared her throat and read from the old piece of parchment. “ People say you're special. I want to help, and I can bring everyone. There's a baddie in Val Royeaux. I hear he wants to hurt you. Have a search for the red things in the market, the docks, and 'round the cafe, and maybe you'll meet him first. Bring swords. ” She narrowed her eyes. “From Friends of Red Jenny.”

“I’ve heard of them,” I said, taking the opportunity to speak up. “They’re more or less a ragtag group of people that likes to help other people. You know, robbing the rich and helping the poor.”

“They have had an impact around Kirkwall as well - not nearly big enough, but enough that their name came across me more than a few times,” Varric said, finally entering the conversation.

“Where’ve you been?” Valyssa asked.

“Well, Chuckles went to buy some tiny cakes. Horns went with him, and Blades went to buy a book. Assuming there’s a halfway decent bookstore here,” Varric muttered. “In any case, Red Jenny made contact?”

“Indeed. Whoever they are, they sent us an offer of assistance, as well as a warning,” Cassandra said. “The note also said to...‘search for red things’ around the city.”

“A scavenger hunt? That sounds fun,” Varric said.

“And I thought we didn’t have any reason to stay in this damned city,” Valyssa sighed. “What else? Some shemlen party invitation?”

“Excuse me?” We turned to see a man wearing mage robes approaching us, holding out a piece of parchment towards us. “You are the Herald of Andraste and Protector of the Herald, are you not? I have an invitation for you.”

Varric took the parchment from the mage, who promptly left. The dwarf unrolled the piece of paper, reading out loud. “ You are cordially invited to attend my salon held at the Chateau of Duke Bastien de Ghislain, two hours before sundown. Yours, Vivienne De Fer, First Enchanter of Montsimmard, and Enchanter to the Imperial Court. ”

Valyssa’s eye twitched once, then twice. “ Fenedhis lasa... ” she snarled.

“I’ll...go,” I muttered before Valyssa could explode. “You can go find this Red Jenny. I’ll meet this Lady Vivienne and see what she wants.”

“Are you certain?” Cassandra asked. “An Orlesian salon is...”

“Pompous and snotty?” I asked. “I can handle it. Besides, splitting up would mean that we could get all of this over and done with without wasting any more time than we need.”

“Sounds good,” Valyssa said before I could change my mind. “Cassandra, you and I will search for this Red Jenny. Varric, find the others and see if we can’t buy or look for anything useful. Anything that we could make use of.”

“And I’ll go to this salon,” I said. “And pray that we get this done.”

Thankfully, I’d played this game enough times to know how to speak to Madame Vivienne.

 - a few hours later - 

I approached the large open doors as it began to get dark, where a man with a scroll stood at the entrance. Violins and chattering could be heard from within the large estate, and I could see nobles mingling inside. All wore masks, as well as odd hats and accessories on their persons.

“Name and invitation?” the man with the scroll asked.

I handed him the note. “The Herald could not attend, so her protector was sent in her stead,” I said, hiding my grimace over my title. Though, ‘Carlo’ wasn’t exactly a very noble name compared to ‘Protector’.

“Of course,” the man said before he cleared his throat. “The Herald’s Protector of the Inquisition!” he boomed, his voice momentarily drowning out the quiet party happening inside the mansion.

Many nobles turned to look at me, their subdued conversations morphing into gasps and quiet muttering. Some were armed, mostly the men, with swords in scabbards hanging on their belts. Some approached as I walked inside, though I paid little mind - seeing the beautifully carved stone pillars and the fancy paintings on the walls. A raised platform with a set of marble staircases led up to the second floor, where more nobles mingled.

Two nobles in particular were the first to approach, a male and a female. “What a pleasure to meet you, my Lord. Seeing the same faces in every event can become so tiresome,” the man said, his voice professionally cordial. “You must be a guest of Lady De Fer, yes?”

I nodded, clearing my throat. “The First Enchanter herself extended the invitation,” I said.

“I’ve heard many stories!” the lady interjected. “Although, I cannot imagine half of them to be true.”

“Oh?” I asked. “Enlighten me. What has been said about me?”

“Some say that the Veil opened, and that you were carried out of the Fade alongside the Herald by Andraste’s guiding hand herself,” the noblewoman said. “That the two of you were a match made by the Maker himself, sent to save us all.”

“An immortal mage and a mortal man,” the man added. “The two of you are believed to be together.”

I chuckled. “More like two mortal mages,” I said, raising a hand and snapping my fingers. A lick of flame formed between my thumb and index, and the lady gasped. “I know I don’t look the part.”

“I...see,” the noblewoman said. “But you are of the Inquisition, yes? Is the Lady Herald Inquisitor?”

Not yet.

“There’s no Inquisitor as of now. It’s a fledgling organization for now,” I said. “Not much in terms of power of wealth, but we’re a group of action.” I let the flame die as I crossed my arms. “We’re made up of people who care little of anything other than doing the right thing. The Breach is to be closed, and that’s all we care about.”

“A selfless goal? That in itself carries nobility,” the nobleman said, and I could detect a hint of respect in his voice.

“Pah! What a load of pig shit!” another voice from upstairs spat. Another masked man stepped down, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword on his belt. “Nobody can take a group of crazed sisters and washed up seekers seriously. Everyone knows the Inquisition is a group of political outcasts that care for little more than the chance to grasp power!”

I eyed the man as he approached, carrying himself in a haughty manner. “Who are you and why should I care?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“I am someone who would like to challenge you and your lies,” the man sneered. “You speak of selflessness and an honor that just isn’t there. If you were a man of honor, the so-called ‘Protector’ of the knife-eared ‘Herald’, then you would step outside and answer the charges.”

Just like in the game, the man froze - quite literally. A layer of ice encased him from his upper body down to his ankles. The entire estate fell silent, save for the barely noticeable cracking of ice. Slow and steady footsteps from upstairs could be heard, and a voice carried itself smoothly across the mansion.

“My dear Marquise, how unkind of you to use such language in my house...to my guests,” Vivienne said. Her outfit was pretty, of white with a strong silver outline. Her shoulders were puffed, and she had a set of flared collars that seemed to resemble wings. Her hornlike hat was paired with a silver mask that left her mouth and eyes uncovered. “You know such rudeness is...intolerable.”

“Madame Vivienne. I-I humbly beg your pardon,” the marquise spluttered, his voice shaky from the cold.

The mage stepped down, her hips swaying as she strutted around the frozen offender. “What am I to do with you, my dear?” she tutted. Her gaze turned to me. “My Lord, you appear to be the wounded party in this unfortunate affair. What would you like for me to do with this foolish, foolish man?”

I eyed the masked man before I stepped back. “He’s of no interest to me,” I said. “It seems like you’d be more suited to punishing him than I.”

“So it would seem,” Vivienne purred, her tone sounding rather pleased as her hand reached out and gripped the man’s chin with a surprising speed and ferocity. “Issuing challenges and hurling insults like some poor Ferelden dog-lord?” she scolded. “And dressed up in your aunt’s doublet, nonetheless.”

The mage released him a moment later before unfreezing him, the man stumbling before regaining his balance. Still, Vivienne descended upon him, like a tiger cornering its prey. “You were to wear it to the Grand Tourney, were you not? All of the chevaliers of particular status have already left for Markham, yet you are still here,” she continued. “Were you hoping to sate your wounded pride by winning a public duel with the Protector of the Herald?”

Her lips curled up in a mild smirk. “Or were you hoping that his blade would put an end to the misery of your failure?” she finished.

The man made no move to speak, to defend himself. I wasn’t sure what to say myself - I technically didn’t have a blade.

“Run along, my dear. And do give my regards to your aunt,” Vivienne said, and the marquise turned on his heel and left, with what little dignity he probably didn’t have. I watched, more or less stunned to see the woman in the flesh, carrying herself with an air of arrogance that wasn’t like the other nobles in Orlais.

She’s different, I had to remind myself. Vivienne wasn’t spoiled, she’d earned her noble title through hard work and skill - and that made her much more dangerous than anyone else I’d met so far.

The masked lady turned to face me.

And now I was going to speak alone to her.

Fuck my life.

Chapter Text

“I’m so glad you could attend this little gathering. Ever since the news of the Inquisition reached Val Royeaux, I’ve so wanted to meet you,” Vivienne said as she turned to head back upstairs, gesturing for me to follow her.

I did so, paying the other nobles little mind as the two of us walked by them. “I’m glad I could attend,” I said, gathering my courage. “Seeing you lay the man flat was pretty fun.”

“Oh, the marquise deserved no less for such blatant disrespect,” Vivienne said. “Even if you weren’t one of my guests, your exploits and accomplishments have earned you much respect in the nobility. Regardless of your...appearances.”

I only shrugged with a grin, brushing aside that last remark. “Actions speak louder than words. And I don’t mind what people think of me, especially if it gives me a low profile,” I said. “It’s easy to be underestimated, and that’s an advantage in my eyes.”

“Of course, my dear,” Vivienne chuckled as we stopped by an open window, which overlooked the other estates in the area. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vivienne, First Enchanter of Montsimmard and Enchanter of the Imperial Court.”

“A pleasure to meet you, my Lady,” I said, holding up my hand before I could stop myself. To my surprise, Vivienne reached over and grasped it for a firm handshake. “I’m afraid I don’t have any titles other than ‘Protector of the Herald’, myself.”

“That won’t be a problem, my dear. Your accomplishments hold more weight than any titles could offer. I do hope the salon was to your enjoyment,” Vivienne said.

“Well, it’s certainly not dull,” I said with a grin. “Though, I was wondering about your...invitation. I imagine there’s something you wished to speak to us about?”

“More specifically, to the Herald. But I understand that you were sent in her stead,” Vivienne explained. “With Divine Justinia dead and the Chantry in shambles, I believe this Inquisition may be the only ones capable of restoring peace and order to our frightened people. As the leader of the last loyal mages in Thedas, I only felt it right that I offer my assistance to your cause.”

I grinned, already knowing what was surely coming. “You wish to join us or ally with us? If it’s alright for me to ask,” I inquired.

“By all means, any and all questions are welcome, if only to assuage any worries you may have over my intentions,” Vivienne encouraged. “To answer your first question, I offer to join your ranks, and I have much to offer. I am well versed in the politics of the Orlesian Empire, and I know every member of the Imperial Court personally. I have all the remaining resources of the Circle at my disposal, and I am a mage of no small talent. Will that do?”

“Impressive,” I said, genuine in what I was hearing. Knowing how Orlesians treated ‘the Game’, it’d be useful to have Vivienne around. “Although, I do have another question about your intentions - particularly about the Circle. When you say you lead the last loyal mages...”

“I mean the mages that remained stalwart to the Circle, of course,” Vivienne said. “Loyal only to the people of Thedas. We have not forgotten the commandment that magic serves man, nor have we forgotten that magic is also a risk - not just to the people, but mages ourselves. A pity those who rebelled seem to have forgotten that.”

I crossed my arms. “The Circle isn’t perfect,” I pointed out. “I’d like to hear your reasons about why you support the Circle.”

“Of course, my dear,” Vivienne agreed. “Where else can mages safely learn to master their talents? The Circle was an institution where magic could be nurtured and protected. Maker knows what would be the state of Thedas without the Circle.”

It was a valid point, I had to agree. But that was then, and this was now.

“And I won’t argue that there have been...issues with the Circle. However, the mages are hardly blameless in the conflict, much like the Templar Order,” Vivienne said. “It would hardly be fair or prudent to put all blame on the institution itself, rather than the error of those who attempted to abuse or disparage what said institution provided.”

I nodded, seeing the logic. “I agree. If - and that’s a very big if - the Circle is to be restored, changes will have to be made for both mages and templars. Would you agree?” I asked.

“My dear, there is far too much evidence to imply that such change is needed. Some would see the corruption and abuse restored, but they are in the minority now,” Vivienne said. “Those who believe that are mere fools, nothing more.”

“And what about the Conclave?” I asked. “People still blame us for it, but I know you don’t. What’re your thoughts on...everything that happened with it?”

Vivienne’s stern visage faltered - if only for a moment. “I was a great admirer of the late Divine. She fought to instill changes for the better, believing in helping people instead of consolidating power as the clerics now do. At its best, the Chantry would unite the disparate cultures around Thedas and look after those most vulnerable. Divine Justinia V had accomplished so much. Had she lived...she would have accomplished much more,” she said.

Her respect seemed genuine, and her arguments were valid. I never understood why she was such a disliked character, especially when she carried with her a logic that was clear to understand. Most of the fans tended to see the Circle as a whole as bad, and I thought the same at first - but what Vivienne was advocating for also made sense.

It also made me remember that I had to make extra sure that Glamour was kept under wraps. She’ probably be the first to want to lynch her, even ahead of Cassandra and Cullen.

But other than that...

“The Inquisition would be glad to have someone of your talents and connections. And I’ll deal with anyone who implies otherwise,” I said. “When can you make your way to Haven?”

“All I’ll need are two days to sort out my affairs and secure my connections for the time to come. I can secure my own method of transportation, don’t you worry,” Vivienne said, her professional grin brightening into a brief but genuine smile. “Great things are beginning, my dear. I can promise you that.”

And with that, I said my goodbyes and parted ways with the Ghislain estate with directions to the same docks we entered the city at. The agreement was that I’d make my way to the docks, where a ship would leave Val Royeaux at midnight.

The walk through the city was much more peaceful at night. A handful of people still walked to and from, or more or less stood around whilst minding their own business, but other than that - it was a generally quiet and slow night.

Still, sightseeing wasn’t on my to-do list at the moment, not if I wanted to get back to Haven. It wasn’t midnight yet, but it was still easy enough to get lost if I wasn’t careful. All I had to do was remember the instructions to get back to the harbor, and-

A thump striking against the stone street behind me cut off my thoughts, and I whirled around - energy blade and shield flashing to life. A body lay in the street, wearing Orlesian noble garb - mask and funny hat included. Held loosely in his hands were a pair of shiny daggers, and I narrowed my eyes.

An arrow stuck out of the back of his neck, and blood started to pool. I lowered my blade, the sound of air sizzling all I could hear as I stared at the body, at least before I heard something else. Looking up, I saw the shadow of a tall and slender figure emerging from the moonlight, atop a second story balcony.

A large bow rested in their hands.

“Red Jenny?” I asked.

The figure leapt over the railing, somersaulting once before landing right in front of the dead body. The second the moonlight struck her short and oddly cut blonde hair, I knew who I was talking to.

“You’re the Protector, huh?” Sera asked, resting her free hand on her hip. She wore a mishmash of leather red and yellow clothing, some parts torn and other parts stitched. Thin leather pauldrons and a chest guard like other archers wore, and her left sleeve was rolled up to reveal a brown leather arm guard. “Thought you’d be comin’ this way. The shiny weapons gave it away.”

I shut off my weapons, pocketing the hilt of my energy sword and crossing my arms. “Yeah, I had to meet with an enchanter for the Inquisition,” I said. “Guessing my friend got your help?”

Sera blew a raspberry. “Fancy nobles getting in on the fun, eh?” she muttered. “Ah, well. Yeah, I’m a Red Jenny, and we got recruited. Your glowy friend was waiting for ya at the boats. Thought I’d find you before the assassins did.”

“Appreciate it,” I said, eyeing the corpse behind her with distaste. “Didn’t think I’d get an assassin’s contract set on me so soon.”

“Some prissy noble paid for it when you and your friends showed up,” Sera explained. “We dealt with him, though it looks like this guy didn’t get the message.” The tall elven young woman kicked the body’s leg before yanking out her arrow - along with a spurt of blood. “His loss.”

I chuckled, fighting the urge to feel a little sick. “So you found me,” I said. “Do you know where the docks are?”

“Yeah. Come on,” Sera said, and I made to walk alongside her through the empty streets. I was tempted to ask about leaving the assassin’s body in public, though I pushed it aside.

“So, I know a bit about Red Jenny. Steal from the rich and give to the poor, right?” I asked.

Sera snickered. “Yep. That’s us. You wonder why we reached out?” she asked.

“Well, I thought it’d be a bit obvious,” I said. “The Breach is causing trouble for everyone, but no one’s doing anything about it. And you wanna help do something about it. No secret mission, no greed.”

“Yep,” Sera said as she scratched the back of her pointed ear. “Heard a lot about you, yeah? Protector of little miss glowy. She might be elfy, but she’s nice enough. You, though?”

“What about me?” I asked.

“I heard ya can’t read,” Sera said. I felt my face heat up before I could stop myself, and she laughed. “It’s true, innit? You’re no fancy hoity toity pissbag noble. I like ya.”

“Really?” I asked, blinking curiously. “Easy as that?”

“Yeah. Elfy talked about you. Said you saved and adopted two lil ‘uns. Said you grew up poor too, cared about helping people. Even put up with some rich arsehole to help your Inquisition,” Sera remarked. “So you’re aces in my books.”

I blinked again. Valyssa was hyping me up? “Well, I am a little flattered,” I said.

“Then there’s the hair,” Sera said, giggling as she reached over and smacked at my messy hair. “Looks like a bear cub is sittin’ on your dome.”

I frowned. “Hey, your hair’s not that much better,” I complained as I poked at an uneven bang over the side of her head.

Sera smacked it away, the mischievous grin still on her face. “Ye, but I at least cut mine,” she snorted. “What’s your name?”

“Carlo,” I said.

Sera snickered again. “Funny name. Mine’s Sera,” she said.

The two of us ended up bickering all the way back to the docks, where we found the rest of the group waiting for us. Valyssa and Solas were talking on a bench, Cassandra was standing guard by the docking berth, Aiden was sitting on the ship’s upper deck, and Varric was leaning on a pile of crates on the main deck.

Varric was the first to spot me. “About time you showed up!” he called. “The ship leaves in twenty minutes!”

“Where have you been?” Cassandra asked, making her way over. “Surely you couldn’t have gotten lost.”

“He was,” Sera said as she walked by Cassandra to hop on the ship. “Not like he could read the signs. Easy to get lost in this shiny shithole of a city.”

“What she said,” I said. “Also, she killed an assassin gunning for my head. So...there’s that.”

“An assassin?” Valyssa asked, quickly making her way over to me, inspecting me closely. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. He didn’t even get to touch me,” I said as I patted her arm. “More importantly, we got Madame De Fer on our side. She’s bringing along political influence and her own skills with magic to the table.”

Valyssa sighed. “Better you deal with her than me. What was she like?” she asked.

I crossed my arms in thought. “Well, she’s a noble. But not what you’d expect. She’s polite, but...she carries herself with an authority that feels earned, rather than given. She’s powerful, but she doesn’t take that for granted,” I said. “She’s the kind of noble who can back up her words.”

“According to a few people we talked to throughout the city, she has the nickname ‘The Iron Lady’. And her rank as First Enchanter of the Imperial Court would suggest that she would represent a great asset to the Inquisition,” Cassandra muttered.

“Yep,” I said. “Say what you will, she’ll help out.” I looked over at Valyssa. “So, after you met with Sera, what happened?”

“Well...” Valyssa muttered. “We went shopping. We found a few smiths that could make some nice daggers. Bought a few of those, just in case. Oh, and there are some books we got too. But mostly, we got supplies for those at Haven. Enough bedrolls, blankets, and pillows to keep the ones sleeping in tents comfortable.”

“Do they sell that stuff here?” I asked.

“For nobles that like to go hunting or camping, apparently,” Valyssa said. “Oh, and we bought tiny cakes too! We saved you a strawberry and a chocolate piece. If it wasn’t already eaten.”

Cake sounded wonderful. “You’d better hope they’re still around,” I muttered as I made my way over to the ship, with Cassandra and Valyssa in tow. “In any case, we should get going. Can’t wait to go back to Haven and sleep for a week.”

“I hear you,” Valyssa sighed. “Oh, the mage leader spoke to us after you left.”

“Hm? You met Fiona and I didn’t?” I asked, a little upset over the thought of missing out on meeting Alistair’s mom. “Damn. What did she say?”

“...how did you know about Grand Enchanter Fiona?” Cassandra asked.

Oh, crap.

I fought the urge to flinch, and I instead cleared my throat. “Heard about it in Vivienne’s little party. How the leader of the rebel mages tried to approach the Inquisition,” I said, hoping I could keep my voice steady to keep from seeming overly nervous.

“They’re nobles,” Valyssa sighed. “I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that talk would spread so quickly.”

“Especially since the Inquisition is on everyone’s mind, apparently,” I added.

Cassandra sighed. “Unfortunately, I know the feeling,” she said. “I suppose there is little time to be wasted in talking here. Come.”

Solas was already on the ship, where Sera was poking fun at him from atop the large pile of crates. Whether she was talking about Solas being ‘elfy’, bald, or a mage, I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. As we walked aboard, I looked around to see someone missing. “Hey, where’s Ashala?” I asked.

“Here!” Ashala’s voice called out, the tall and toned Qunari woman climbing out of the hatch leading to the deck below. “I was wondering when you’d get back. I thought I’d be able to eat these myself,” she remarked as she made her way over to Valyssa, putting two things in her hand.

When Valyssa turned around, I saw two small boxes resting in her hands, one wrapped in a pink ribbon and the other in a brown one. “Are those...” I began.

“Yes, Orlesian tiny cakes,” Valyssa said. “I had Ashala guarding them with her life.”

I pulled Valyssa into a quick hug. “Oh, I fucking love you. Cake is exactly what I need right now,” I said as I made my way over, taking the little boxes and sitting by the staircase to enjoy my well deserved dessert.

I was just barely able to catch a view of Valyssa’s beet red face out of the corner of my eye as I dug into the strawberry cake.

“Wow...” Sera gasped, and I turned to see the elven archer staring blatantly at Ashala, hearts practically in her eyes. I fought the urge to snort, lest I choke on my cake.

“What? Is there something on my face?” Ashala asked, her hand patting her chin and cheeks.

“I think she’s a fan of muscles,” I remarked. “Specifically your muscles.”

“Shut it, messy hair!” Sera grumbled, turning to hide her own pinkened cheeks.

I only went back to digging into my cakes, reminding myself to brush my teeth once we returned back to the village.

 - a few days later - 

When we made our way back to the village of Haven, Sera immediately made herself comfortable in the tavern while we brought back the supplies to Cullen and Leliana. Cullen made use of the sleeping items for the new recruits while Valyssa gave Leliana the daggers for her own spies.

“I’m afraid these daggers are...ahem, more effective for ceremonial purposes than proper combat, but these will do wonderfully for assassinations,” Leliana had said upon seeing the box carrying a dozen or so of them. “Thank you, Herald.”

“I...of course,” Valyssa said, her smile more a grimace when she heard ‘assassinations’. “Anything to help.”

I snorted after Leliana left. “Well, she knows you care at least,” I said, clasping a hand on her shoulder.

“I suppose. I’ll take small victories where I can get them,” Valyssa sighed, leaning against me as she groaned tiredly. “I just want a hot bath and a long nap.”

“So do I,” I mumbled. “I’m gonna check on the girls.”

“Don’t forget those books we got from Orlais. I hope they enjoy them,” Valyssa said as she pushed herself off of me to head to the bathhouse.

“I won’t!” I called as I headed back to the cart outside the village. After grabbing said crate of books from the stuff we brought from Orlais, I headed back inside the village and made my way to the house. Upon reaching it, I opened the door, heavy crate in hand. “I’m home!”

“Carlo!” Lily and Emma cried, and they rushed over to hug me with enough force to nearly knock me into the wall. I was still holding the crate, and I was quick to hold it up lest I lose my grip on the box.

“Hey, hey, let me put this down, then I’ll hug you,” I said, and the girls backed off. The second I let go of the box, they leapt on me once more, knocking me down to the floor this time. “Oh, I missed you too,” I whispered as I embraced them tightly.

Glamour was sitting on the side of the bed, watching with a smile. “How was your trip?” she asked.

“Oh, it was a fancy city. Nothing special,” I said as Lily and Emma finally let me get up. “We got some extra help for the Inquisition, and we may get some more mages and templars showing up.”

“Really?” Glamour asked with a frown.

“Not to cause trouble, don’t you worry. These ones will want to help stop the chaos, and that means they won’t fight each other. Hopefully,” I said as I made my way over to the bed to sit next to Glamour. The girls were already digging into the crate to see what I brought back, their eyes lighting up to see several books inside.

“That’s a relief,” the demon in disguise sighed. She leaned in close, whispering in my ear. “There have been questions, perhaps rumors about me. That I...am your significant other.”

I frowned. “I’m not with anyone right now. Is anyone bothering you or what?” I asked.

“No, not right now. But that shouldn’t interest you. Some believe you are...committing adultery. To the Herald,” Glamour explained.

I choked. “I’m sorry...people think I’m dating Valyssa?” I asked.

“Dating?” Lily asked, looking up from her newly acquired book.

“Courting. Marrying, whatever,” I amended. “I...I haven’t even thought of romance, and Valyssa’s a close friend. We’re not together.”

“I believe so, but others don’t,” Glamour said. “Although I imagine denying it would help little.”

“And so I should just let them continue?” I asked, somewhat incredulously. “That could really hurt Valyssa in the long run. Besides, she’s interested in someone else. I think.”

“Oh?” Glamour asked. “This, I wasn’t aware of. Is it the elven apostate? The bald one?”

“Don’t call him that to his face. And...yeah, I think,” I said. “Solas is good for her. The two get along well enough, I think. He’s good with magic, so he can keep up with her. I...I probably just hold her back.”

“You could use your own magic. At the very least, continue training,” Glamour said.

“I might have time to do it now, but the Inquisition is gonna have us continue working,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “We’ll be far too busy to improve my own abilities, and both Solas and Valyssa would have more than enough work to handle already. The last thing they need is another burden.”

“You needn’t think of yourself as such,” Glamour said, and I had the mild hint that I’d somehow gained some disapproval from her. “You’re worth much more than a burden to them. I can see it in their eyes.”

“I know that, they’re my friends,” I protested. “I didn’t mean...” I sighed quietly to myself, taking some time to remain silent and think before I spoke up again. “I’m far behind compared to everyone else. Sure I have a fancy plasma shield and a big plasma sword, but that won’t last me forever. The other mages have trained for years, and I’ve had my powers for a month at best.”

“Around two months from what I hear,” Glamour said.

“Yeah. I can summon a fireball or a ball of light if I try, and a small shield of mana if I’m lucky - that’s about it,” I said. “I’d ask you to help train me if...you know...”

“I know. Alas, it is difficult,” Glamour muttered as she looked down at herself. She was using much of her focus to ensure that her disguise was maintained. That was difficult enough, especially since she was trying hard to avoid the attention of templars, who were probably drawn to magic the same way moths were drawn to a flame.

Then there were the girls. The last thing I wanted was for them to be hurt, scared, or worse.

“Well, I guess I could just practice. I can still dream,” I muttered.

“If I could join you, I would,” Glamour said. She eyed the girls to ensure they weren’t listening before leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Demons cannot dream, unfortunately.”

“I figured,” I grumbled, my frustrations mild now that I had a chance to talk with Glamour. “In any case, there isn’t too much to do other than improve. Step by step.”

There was a knock at the door, and we turned around. Glamour nodded, and I got up reach the door. Opening it, I was a bit surprised to see Solas waiting for me. He nodded to the girls in greeting before looking over at me. “A word in private, if you will.”

“Alright,” I said before turning to the others. Be back soon.”

“Okay,” Lily and Emma synced.

Solas and I walked out of the cabin, and I followed the elven rebel god mage in disguise out of the village, towards the lake where we trained for some time. “Alright. What’s up?” I asked.

“I wish to ask something of your magical abilities. You are a Dreamer, are you not?” Solas asked.

I blinked. Did Solas not know this already? Was it something I had or hadn’t mentioned?

“...yeah,” I said, seeing no point in trying to lie. “Been a Dreamer for a while.”

“And I assume your friend knew about it?” Solas asked.

“From the start, yeah,” I said. “Did Valyssa tell you?”

“She did not, I simply pieced it together myself. She said that you and Glamour have met for every dream that you’ve had,” Solas said. “I suppose Glamour is to thank for your safety from possession?”

“Yeah, she mentioned something about...well, willpower and awareness,” I said.

“Indeed. The Somniari have notable skill in pressing their essence upon the Fade, able to walk through such a realm despite the presence of the Veil,” Solas said. “But this leaves vulnerabilities against demonic possession. Willpower and the ability to shape the Fade are vital components to mastering one’s abilities.”

“Uh huh. So...what’re you going to be asking me about?” I asked.

“Not much. I wish to settle some hunches of mine if you’re willing to indulge me,” Solas requested.

I nodded. I still didn’t know much about being a Dreamer, especially with the Breach and the campaign to contend with.

“Those...weapons of yours,” Solas said. “I’d like a full explanation on what they are. And how you’ve come to possess them.”

Ah, I see. “...it’s a long story,” I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

“We have time,” Solas said.

“Fair enough,” I sighed. “I shape them in the Fade. Then I wake up with them in my hands.”

“As you have said before, yes,” Solas said. “But I wish to ask how you came to form such weapons. I’ve witnessed much in the Fade, and items such as the ones you have owned are of concepts that have never existed.” His voice grew stern. “So I’ll have you sate my curiosity on how you have made such creations.”

I blinked once. Then twice.

Oh.

Chapter Text

Solas waited patiently as I tried to come up with something, but it was much easier said than done. I thought about claiming to think of some concept of the energy sword and the laser rifle in my own head and manifesting it in the Fade - but that wasn’t how magic worked. Nothing could be formed willy nilly into reality - otherwise Thedas would be much crazier than it already was.

“...would you believe me if I said that the explanation was too crazy?” I ended up asking.

“Indeed. But truths are often hard to swallow,” Solas said with a shrug.

Fair enough. “The stuff I make...isn’t from this world,” I muttered.

Solas blinked. “What do you mean by ‘not from this world’? If I may ask?” he asked.

“It’s...complicated. And personal. And...a little awkward to explain,” I admitted as I looked away. I could feel his scrutinizing gaze on me, and I sighed. “But, long story short, it means I’m not from Thedas.”

Solas was silent for some time, silently digesting my words. I waited, unsure of what he’d say or do next. I felt a bead of sweat form under my headband, and I found myself more than a little scared of what he might say.

“...I can’t say that is surprising,” Solas finally said. “It was more than a little obvious thinking back. Your inability to read, your strange choice of clothing, your odd mannerisms that are very much not like someone who claims to be from the Free Marches.”

I flinched. “ Do you think Varric knows?” I asked.

“I suspect that he can tell that something is amiss, but I doubt he would hold the mistrust that you fear. That does bring me to my next question,” Solas said, his tone darkening. “What are your intentions with the Herald?”

I would’ve stepped back had my feet not frozen in place. “I wasn’t lying about how they found me. I woke up here...wandered around for a bit before coming across Clan Lavellan,” I said. “Valyssa rescued me, and I stayed with her.”

“It also explains your apparent lack of apprehension around elves,” Solas remarked.

I scowled at his apparent snide insinuation. “She saved my life that day, it doesn’t matter if she’s elven or human or whatever,” I snapped. “I owe her my life, and she’s my best friend, elf or not.”

Solas’s eyes narrowed before he sighed. “I did not mean to imply otherwise. It was odd enough knowing that a Dalish elf traveled to a Chantry conclave, but to see a human traveling alongside her?” he said. “It was strange to consider.”

I frowned. “I couldn’t let her go alone,” I muttered as I sat down on the dirt bank by the frozen lake. “When I saw that explosion...” Even if I knew that she would survive, I just about had a heart attack. When I learned that she had been recovered from the ruins of that temple, I was hit with the most relief I’d ever felt.

Solas sat down next to me, and I turned to see the Dread Wolf in disguise’s softened expression. “You truly do care for her,” he said.

“Is that really so hard to believe?” I grumbled.

“Not anymore,” Solas said. “I apologize for the distress my questioning has caused.”

I sighed. “It’s fine, or whatever,” I muttered.

“If you’d like, I’d like to get back on the earlier topic of your origins from another world,” Solas recalled.

“I’d really rather not, but something tells me that you’re not gonna let it go,” I sighed. “What do you want me to tell you?”

“I’d rather have you show me, rather than tell me,” Solas said. “I’d like your permission to seek you out in the Fade.”

I blinked, surprised. “I...what?” I asked.

“You are Somniari , are you not? One who dreams?” Solas asked. “I wish to learn of the world you come from.”

I looked down, a brand new panic snaking its way through my veins.

Should I?

Solas was the Dread Wolf. He was a god, an immortal elf that had plans to destroy this world, a seemingly greater threat than even the Blight itself. On top of that, he was a much more experienced Dreamer than I was - and for all I knew, he could delve deep into my own mind, to learn of things that would probably end up making things worse.

Yet, Solas could force it anyways. He knows I’m from a completely new world, a world with weapons that he’d seen in action now. For all I know, he had a vested interest in learning more about me, and he could probably use me to suit his goals if he wanted to. The thought of that alone was scary enough - and that wasn’t involving the fact that I had to survive the entirety of the campaign of Inquisition.

So I could only weakly nod.

Solas chuckled gently. “You have no need to fear me,” he said as he looked over the frozen lake, with the sun just barely peering over the distant forests and mountains. “I understand the concept of keeping such dangerous knowledge close to the chest. To fear judgement and consequence over what you are. It is...a stifling burden.”

It was easy to see what he referred to, and I wasn’t about to pry any deeper. “Being an elven apostate would put a target on your back, huh? No offense,” I remarked lightly.

“None taken. You are correct, of course,” Solas said. “I am feared for many reasons, with very few good ones. Magic is fickle, treated with fear and hatred, used to do more harm than good.” He sighed, his tone softening. “The weapons you wield with such magic are terrifying, but you show a control over your power that many others would not exercise. It is refreshing to see.”

I nodded. Even though I feared Solas, he was a character I liked, and it was a bit refreshing to just talk to him. Even so, the stress still remained. “So...what do we do in the Fade?” I asked.

“Through the abilities that you have, I imagine that you were able to shape the energies of the Fade to your whim. What experience do you have in shaping the environment around you?” Solas asked.

I fell deep into thought, thinking back to when Glamour was still in the Fade. I had built up my apartment through the magic in the Fade alone. “Well...I could recreate my old home. It relies on my memories, I guess. I can picture it in my head and just...well...” I waved my hand. “It forms around me.”

“I see,” Solas muttered. “And how difficult is it to hold the image?”

“Not too difficult,” I said. “Just thinking about it is usually enough. But I’m not focusing everything I have on it.”

“Interesting,” Solas said. Anything else he planned on asking was interrupted by the presence of footsteps in the snow. We turned to see Valyssa making her way over to us. “We shall continue in the Fade.”

“Okay. I...how do I find you?” I asked. “Glamour usually helped me find other people’s dreams - usually Valyssa’s.”

“Worry not. I shall find you. Good day,” Solas said. He smiled at me before silently leaving, nodding to the future Inquisitor as he headed back to Haven.

“What was that?” Valyssa asked, eyeing the elven apostate as she stopped by me.

“Small talk. Plans for more training with magic,” I said with what I hoped was a more casual shrug. “Maybe I could get further in learning how to handle spells.”

I was surprised to see Valyssa’s features morph into somewhat of a hurt expression, and I winced in response. “You don’t...wish to learn with me anymore?” she asked.

I scratched the back of my neck. “Well...you’re always busy now, and really didn’t want to bother you with this,” I muttered.

Valyssa sighed. “I can always make time for you, you know?” she asked. “If you feel like we’re drifting apart because of my new...job-”

“Oh, I’m not upset,” I quickly said. “You’re helping a lot of people. You should feel good about it.”

“But I’m seeing you and the children less and less,” Valyssa groaned. “Now it’s ‘meet with the ambassador for this’ and ‘speak with the commander for that’ and ‘get ready to leave to this cold and wet stormy area to hire this group of swords in a week’, and I don’t think it’ll ever end.” She threw her hands up. “One hour, just one hour of rest without having to run around the village!”

So Valyssa was meeting up with Iron Bull and his company? Nice.

“Only until we seal the Breach,” I reminded, knowing it to not be true, but bringing it up regardless. “After that, it’s back to our clan with all the funny stories we can tell.”

Valyssa’s frustration faded, and she turned to grin up at me. “Our clan, huh?” she asked.

I felt my cheeks burn bright red, and Valyssa’s smile only grew. “...if you’ll have me,” I whispered. “It’s home to me now.”

Valyssa rested a hand on my own, her fingers soft and warm. “We’d be honored to have you as a clanmate,” she said gently. “I have a few minutes to myself...if you want to just relax. Although, I suppose you’ll be training with Solas now.”

“Oh, we’re not doing that now. We’re training in the Fade,” I said. Valyssa blinked in confusion, and I tapped my head. “Dreamer, remember? Solas is one too.”

Valyssa’s features softened in understanding. “That makes more sense,” she said, sounding relieved. “So...are you busy right now?”

I grinned at her hopeful tone. “Nope, I’m not. What did you wanna do?” I asked.

“Well...” Valyssa began. “I was thinking of sneaking off to the nearby forest to hunt. Wanna come with?”

I was a little confused. “Uhh, don’t we need bows and arrows and stuff like that?” I asked.

“Oh, not that kind of hunt,” Valyssa said. “It’s a game the children played back in the clan. Mostly those who would become apprentices to hunters and huntresses. Normally, they’d only play in the forestry near the camp, but considering that we’re both adults that can protect ourselves...”

So it was essentially hide and seek. I laughed, crossing my arms. “And you’d be hunting me?” I asked.

“In a sense,” Valyssa said, her tone coy as she clasped her hands together behind her back. “So...”

I chuckled. “Why not? I’m game,” I said.

“Indeed you are,” Valyssa snorted, and I realized what I said.

The two of us made our way to the forest, with Valyssa deciding to wait a few minutes for me to hurry into the forest. I wasn’t thinking about what would happen if I got lost, only that I would try to effectively hide myself from Valyssa.

I slipped between trees, jumped over bushes, and climbed over rocks to gain as much distance between me and Valyssa as possible. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed since I’d entered, but it was safe to assume that she would be hunting me now. I did my best to keep my own movements as quiet as I could, pushing deeper into the forest as I did.

I finally found a decent spot - a divot hidden behind some rocks, crowded by a handful of bushes. Lying in the divot and pulling my legs close, I lied in wait, listening intently as I stayed as still as I could, my eyes constantly on a lookout as I tried to hear for anything that could be moving.

So far, I could hear nothing other than the sound of the rustling trees, the occasional sound of my own slow and quiet breaths, and my own heartbeat. Despite my somewhat calmed state, I could almost feel it reverberating through my chest, and it took all I had to keep my own breathing slowed down.

“ Hide and seek, ” I thought as I lay there, curled up like a cat trying to take a nap. “ I haven’t played anything like that in...I don’t know how long. Kindergarten, maybe? ” I still found it hard to believe I was in the Dragon Age universe, but it was slowly sinking in. I’d come to terms with losing my home and my loved ones, however - the time I’d spent in the Fade going over my home with Glamour did much of that work.

Even so, I still missed home.

My chin rested on the dirt, my own thoughts distracted as I fell deep into my own internal discussion. As unlikely as it was to never be able to go home, what would I do if that option came up? Could I say goodbye to Thedas? Would I be able to leave Valyssa behind? It was a daunting thought, and one that I lost myself completely in. Forgetting about the fact that I was playing hide and seek, I pondered.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, feeling lost in my own head. It wasn’t the first time I started overthinking things, whether it came to home, the Inquisition, or any future beyond it, and I knew it was likely that it wouldn’t be the last. I must have spent an hour, lying behind that rock and surrounded by bushes, that I didn’t hear anything other than what I was thinking.

It took the sound of nearby rustling to distract me, and I remembered where I was. A footstep in the dirt had me tensing - and I realized that Valyssa was close.

Then the footsteps were gone. I dared peek my head up, just a little bit, to see where she was. My eyes darted around, seeing nothing in the snowy forest. It was quiet - too quiet.

A hand gently pressed itself against my cheek.

“Found you,” came a whisper against my ear.

I yelped, leaping up out of shock before slamming myself into one of the bushes. I could hear Valyssa’s peals of giggling laughter as I pulled myself out, covered in leaves and snow as I stumbled back to my feet.

“Very funny,” I grumbled, brushing myself off.

“It was,” Valyssa giggled. “You were laying there like a deer sits. If you were trying to act like one, you certainly pulled it off.”

“I was just trying to hide,” I muttered, my cheeks reddened at the loud and embarrassing reaction. “How long did it take for you to find me?”

“Half an hour, maybe more,” Valyssa said. “You weren’t easy to find, but I did see prints in the snow. I almost walked by you a few times when I searched nearby.”

“Well, glad that I was at least a bit of a challenge,” I said. I looked over at Valyssa, who sat atop the rock I was hiding behind. “So what happens now that you caught me?”

“Well, I was supposed to pin you down and tickle you until you pleaded for mercy,” Valyssa chuckled. The thought of that was both scary and funny enough that I chuckled alongside her. “But I suppose I could be lenient with my ‘protector’.”

I groaned. “I hate that name,” I complained. “I think I hate it as much as you hate being called the 'Herald of Andraste’.”

“I know, lethallin,” Valyssa sighed. “In any case, we should get back to Haven. It took me longer than I expected to find you.”

“Oh? Thought I’d be easy prey?” I asked, grinning.

“Hardly. I thought you’d try to fight rather than hide,” Valyssa said, nudging my arm. “But both works.”

The two of us took a while to make our way out of the forest - almost losing our sense of direction more than once and occasionally arguing about where we should go or how deep we shouldn’t have gone in our apparent little game, but we eventually found the edge of the forest. 

The sun descended as we pulled ourselves out of the tree line, only to come across a handful of Inquisition soldiers led by Cullen. 

The second they saw us, we were immediately swarmed, with the commander in the forefront. “Where have you two been?! Maker’s breath, all of Haven is worried sick!” he scolded harshly.

Valyssa winced, and I snorted. “Guess I’m really good at hiding, huh?” I remarked.

“Hiding?” Cullen asked.

“Nothing,” I muttered, waving a hand. “The two of us needed a break, that’s all. The last time we had any time to ourselves was before all of this happened.”

“I see,” Cullen stated. “You could have at least told somebody that you would be away.”

“I did! I told Cassandra that I needed some time away from all of the work!” Valyssa groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“She probably thought you’d just take a nap or something,” I said.

Valyssa sighed. “Well...we’re here,” she mumbled. “What do you want?”

Cullen’s stern visage softened, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well...Cassandra was wondering when you would be ready to leave for the Storm Coast,” he said.

Valyssa scowled at the question. “When I damned well feel like it,” she growled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along. “Duty this, job that...”

I only chuckled nervously as she dragged me back towards the village’s gates.

 - at night - 

Solas indeed found me in the Fade, walking into my little bubble as I sat on the couch of my apartment, playing video games and munching on some Fade created McDonalds. “So this is your world,” he muttered.

“Mhm,” I mumbled, a few fries sticking out of my mouth. I held out the red carton, half full of fries that never got cold or stale. Solas tentatively took one before popping it in his mouth, chewing for a moment before his eyebrows shot up ever so slightly. I swallowed before I spoke up. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

Making food in the Fade was surprisingly possible - all I had to do was remember what I ate, and my own memory would fill in the gaps. Apparently the energies of the Fade could simulate what said food tasted like, and it did much to restore some nostalgia from my home. Sitting on the coffee table was a Big Mac  box, a ten piece nugget box, and a large paper cup of Sprite, right next to where my feet were kicked up.

Plus, this kind of thing seemed safer to show to Solas than anything else.

I patted the empty spot on the couch next to me, and Solas sat down. “Is it safe to assume that you lived alone?” he asked.

“Yep,” I said, lowering my game controller as I reached for the Big Mac, opening the box and taking my burger out. “For a few years, it was home sweet home,” I mumbled before biting into it.

“What is it that you’re eating?” Solas asked, curious. 

“A burger. Food from my world,” I said after swallowing. “If I ever get the chance, I’ll see if I can make it in Thedas.” I bit into my Big Mac again before reaching for my cup of Sprite, sipping on the straw and almost losing myself in that familiar taste of fizzy carbonation.

“Fascinating,” Solas muttered to himself, helping himself to another fry before he looked around. “I must say, I was expecting something more...”

“Fancy? Alien? I don’t really have anything special going for me,” I said as I set down my cup. “This is just basic stuff.”

The elven Dreamer turned to the television in front of me, watching as I played Dark Souls III. “And what is this?” he asked.

“A game,” I said. “We had technology that let us...well, play or watch or really do anything on a screen. I don’t really know how it works since I didn’t get into that kind of stuff, but it isn’t magic. Just some tech that took a very long time to master.”

“I see,” Solas commented, leaning back and watching as the dark knight on my screen battled monsters in shadowy ruins. Even as he seemingly relaxed, he still seemed much more composed than my sprawled out lazy self on the couch.

For some time, he watched me play quietly, and I lost myself in the reminiscence of the game. I wasn’t sure how much time passed before Solas finally stood up, his face stern.

He didn’t need to say anything. I sighed as I paused my game before standing up. The environment of my apartment slowly vanished, turning back into the hazy realm of the natural Fade. Only the two of us stood in the empty and apparently contained space.

“What do you wanna know?” I asked.

“Many things,” Solas said. “I hope it is not too forward of me to discuss your weapons. I noticed one that you brought to the temple in our attempt to seal the Breach. It was destroyed when the pride demon was killed, if I recall.”

I nodded, and I conjured up said weapon in my hands. Like before, it started off as the energy hovering around us, being pulled into my hands and forming a series of shapes that began to glow. Solid metal replaced the cold windy feeling of said energies, and before I knew it - I was holding that same laser rifle in my hands.

I turned and handed it to Solas, who held it gently as he looked it over. “Incredible...” he mumbled to himself. He held it the way I did, hand around the oddly shaped trigger as he pretended to aim it. “How exactly does it work?”

“Well, I don’t know much about how it’s supposed to work since I sorta just made this one out of magic,” I said. “Only that it shoots beams of concentrated light.”

“Light?” Solas asked.

“Well...think of enough sunlight to warm up an entire city - all of that heat and energy focused into the thinnest beam that you can think of,” I said. “That beam’s going to be very hot and very fast.”

“I see,” Solas said as he handed the weapon back to me. “Something such as this...would be very powerful against even the strongest enemies.”

“Yep. And I’m never gonna use this again,” I said. The weapon dissolved in my hands, literally crumbling and dissipating into Fade energy once more. “Last thing I want is for people to start wanting these.”

“A wise notion,” Solas commented. “Though, a somewhat risky one.”

“I know - knowing what we might be up against. Still, I’d rather not tempt people with this kind of power,” I said. Even if I wanted to spawn more weapons from other games and fictional universes, not doing so was just common sense.

Solas was silent for a few passing moments, before he smiled - ever so slightly. “A fine attitude to have, although one can only see how long it lasts,” he said. His eyes seemed to lose focus, as if seeing something beyond me.

I frowned before sighing. “Yeah, I’m hoping I don’t get too crazy over what I can do. It’s scary enough that I can do this - if I use it to hurt other people?” I mumbled to myself. I looked down at my hands, feeling a sliver of fear slip through my mind. The Oppenheimer movie came to mind.

Solas seemed to know what I was thinking, and he stepped forward, a hand clasping my shoulder. “Keep hold of that fear. Use it to keep your thoughts in check, to avoid becoming uncaring, callous, or selfish,” he lectured.

I nodded, smiling at his vehemence. He must’ve been thinking about the Evanuris, which was a good enough incentive to limit ambition. “I..I will,” I said, fully intending to hold that advice close. “And if things turn for the worst, I guess I’ll have you to hold me in check.”

Solas grinned as well. “Indeed,” he said before stepping back. “Now, enough about otherworldly things - let us see how proficient your Fade abilities are.”

Chapter Text

Vivienne arrived at Haven a day after we’d returned from Val Royeaux, showing up in a fancy looking carriage drawn by a quartet of horses. Many watched as the knight enchanter stepped out, her robes flowing in the wind, her fancy large stave in her hand.

I watched as Josephine approached Madame De Fer, beginning to converse everything ambassador related regarding where she’d stay and what she’d do for the Inquisition. The two were followed along by about four other men, carrying a variety of luggage with them.

The sound of a raspberry being blown broke me from my thoughts. I turned to see Sera leaning against the wall of the tavern, a distasteful scowl on her face. “Pah, a poncy prit’s gonna be staying here? Just when I started to like the place,” she grumbled.

I snorted. “You think she’s gonna live in the tavern?” I asked, as I tried to remember where Vivienne would stay in Haven before we moved to Skyhold. “Nah, she’d be camping out in the Chantry.”

“Still, why one of her?” Sera complained.

I shrugged. “She’s willing to stay here and fight alongside us. I’d say that makes her better than your average spoiled noble,” I remarked. “Only a little.”

Sera conceded with a grunt. “Very very little,” she mumbled. “If she starts some fancy noble shit, I’m prankin’ her.”

I shrugged again. “Your call,” I said. “So, what about you and Ashala, huh? I saw you eyeing her on the way back here.”

Sera only grinned dumbly. “Gotta say...woof,” she giggled, and I snorted before nudging her on the shoulder. She nudged me back before heading back into the tavern.

I made my way to the Chantry afterwards, seeing the last of Vivienne’s luggage handlers disappearing into one of the rooms. Josephine sighed as she turned, just in time to see me walking in. “Ah, there you are,” she said.

I blinked as I stopped by her. “What’s up?” I asked.

“I wanted to ask for your opinion on a matter,” she said. “I’m afraid Sister Leliana and the commander are unable to cease their bickering.”

I had a feeling I would know what this was about.

“The commander insists that we approach the templars for assistance, as a safer option to closing the Breach. However, Sister Leliana is quite adamant in approaching the mages that reside in Redcliffe,” Josephine said. “Even with the growth of our influence thanks to work done in the Hinterlands, our options are limited.”

“Well...” I muttered as I fell deep into thought. “How likely would it be to approach both at the same time?”

“Well, our own forces would be stretched rather thin,” Josephine muttered. “We’ve sent scouts and soldiers to the Hinterlands and the Storm Coast, and there is a rescue operation taking place in the Fallow Mire. I imagine it will be a significant amount of time before Cullen gets his current recruits in proper fighting shape.”

I nodded. I’d played many playthroughs of Inquisition to know what happens at both Therinfal Redoubt and Redcliffe Castle. “...I think splitting our forces to approach both mages and templars could be possible,” I said. “It’s a hunch right now, but...”

“...but...” Josephine urged.

I spent a good few minutes deep in thought, at least until I shrugged. “...sorry, I got nothing right now,” I finally said. “But, I can come up with something once we get intel on Redcliffe.”

“That’s good,” Josephine sighed. “The Herald shall be leaving for the Storm Coast in a few hours. Will you be joining her?”

I shook my head. “I already have some work of my own,” I said. “I’ll definitely say bye, though.”

Josephine only shook her head. “I see,” she said. “Well then, if there’s anything you need, you need only to ask.”

“Darling, there you are!”

Josephine and I turned to see Vivienne exiting her room, and the ambassador took that as her cue to quickly head back to her office. “Hey, Madame,” I said. “Hoping you find the Chantry comfortable.”

“Not quite, but the accommodations will do,” Vivienne said dismissively. “But I digress. Might I ask what this Inquisition’s next course of action may be?”

“Well...” I muttered. “The Breach is stabilized, but we lack the raw power to actually close the hole. So far, leadership has been trying to decide between mages to supercharge the Herald’s power, or templars to suppress the Breach for sealing.”

“I see. And what is holding you back from approaching either group?” Vivienne asked.

“Believe it or not, influence,” I said. “We’re doing some work to earn goodwill around Thedas, but it’s not enough. At least not now. I imagine you could help with that.”

Vivienne seemed all too pleased to pitch in. “Of course, my dear. I’m all too happy to provide any assistance I can,” she said. “Shall I speak to your ambassador about what I can provide?”

“Of course,” I said, gesturing to her office. As the mage headed to Josephine’s room, I headed to the room in the back of the Chantry.

Cullen was at the table, as was Cassandra - the two of them deep in somewhat quiet discussion. When they heard me approaching, they separated and nodded to me. I nodded back, resting my hands on the table. “So, what do we have?” I asked.

“A few more opportunities, in fact,” Cassandra said. “The Herald shall be leaving for the Storm Coast with me, Varric, Solas, and Aiden. It should be a month’s worth of travel.”

“Alright. And what other opportunities do we have?” I asked.

“Two - both in the Hinterlands. The Grey Wardens have all but disappeared around the time of the Conclave, but one Warden by the name of Blackwall was known to be operating in the region,” Cullen explained. “If anyone could shed some insight on what might be happening, it’s him.”

I nodded. “Sounds good,” I said. “And the second?”

“We’d like you to speak to Grand Enchanter Fiona in Redcliffe,” Cassandra said.

“Done,” I said before remembering a few things about Redcliffe. “I can meet Warden Blackwall on my own, but I’ll have to wait until Valyssa comes back to meet Fiona - just in case there’s a few more rifts to come across. When she’s back in Haven, send her my way.”

“Understandable. When do you wish to leave?” Cassandra asked.

“In a week, if that’s okay,” I said.

“A week? Whatever for?” Cullen asked.

“Well...I am still pretty crap at magic. I was hoping to get some more lessons in handling that before I move on,” I said. “Like...well...basic spells. Can’t rely on what weapons I have forever.”

“I’m going to ask about those weapons in the future,” Cassandra commented.

“And I may or may not answer,” I muttered.

“Very well,” Cullen said. “I still find your circumstances with magic rather difficult to believe.”

“So do I. But it’s true,” I remarked. “Although, I am adapting. I have to keep training, though.”

Cullen narrowed his eyes momentarily before nodding. “Very well,” the commander said. “I heard that Solas has been providing lessons, although there are a few dozen mages in Haven that would be good choices for additional studies.”

I wasn’t going to go to any of them for help. “Thanks,” I said as I headed to the door. “Wish me luck.”

 - a few hours later - 

“Stay safe, alright? I’ll meet you at Redcliffe as soon as I can,” Valyssa asked. She and her group were already on horses loaded with saddlebags, all ready to move out. Behind them was another procession of scouts and soldiers in carts or on horses.

”I will. I might even learn a few tricks while you’re gone,” I said.

“I seriously doubt that,” Valyssa said, a wry grin on her face as she ruffled my hair.

I only laughed as I pushed her hand off of me. “Oh, ye of little faith,” I said. My smile went away as I nudged her arm. “You’d better stay safe at the Storm Coast, okay?” I asked quietly. “Be ready for anything.”

Valyssa nodded before I stepped back. She snapped the reins, and the convoy headed off to travel northeast. I watched them leave before they vanished from view in the distance, before I made my way to the cabin.

Glamour was waiting for me when I entered, having shed her human disguise in favor of her natural look as a desire demon.  We had the place to ourselves, the windows closed and the girls were busy at the tavern. The two had begun to help Flissa out however they could - which meant that they were typically gone for many hours at a time.

“So, you wished to do some more training in magic?” Glamour asked.

“Yeah. Less to do with control and more to do with casting spells. I know you could cast spells,” I said as I crossed my arms. “What can you do?”

“I’ll give you a basic description of the less...arduous spells that a desire demon such as myself can perform,” Glamour explained. “Illusions and spirit attacks. We can force targets to drop in horror, or we can drain a mortal of the energy that runs through their blood.”

I frowned - knowing those to be some pretty nasty spells, especially in Dragon Age: Origins. “Sounds like I can only practice that in battle. Any...spell I can learn that doesn’t involve hurting or scaring anyone?”

“Of course. Basic illusion,” Glamour stated, raising her hands and casting a spell of light that engulfed her body. When the light faded away, she was back in her human disguise. She let the disguise disperse after a few seconds. “It’s relatively simple to cast, though it might be difficult for a mortal to master.”

I nodded. “Very well, tell me how it feels to cast,” I said. “Then we can work out a way that I can cast it.”

The next several hours were spent with Glamour explaining specifics on how she casts her illusion. She made similarities to other illusionary spells like the ability to make other people see different things. 

According to the basics of what Valyssa had taught me long ago, Glamour’s category of spells would fall under Entropy, where magic was used to attack one’s life force and senses. Thankfully, the most basic illusion seemed easy to master with enough practice - and Glamour had me start small - changing how my hand looked.

When Lily and Emma had returned, I was capable of changing how my entire arm looked in a split second, although I wasn’t able to quite grasp the way Glamour could cast her own illusions. Still, I did have a whole week to do so before I’d have to leave for the Hinterlands, and I could always practice more on the way there.

But for now, I’d be spending time with Lily and Emma.

“When will Valyssa come back?” Lily asked as I doused one of the candles illuminating the cabin.

“Not for some time,” I said as I looked over to see the girls tucking themselves in Valyssa’s bed. I shrugged off my jacket and untied my bandanna before setting them on the desk. “But she’ll come back - I promise you that.”

“She always does. Just like you,” Emma yawned. “We’re going back to the tavern tomorrow.”

“That’s good,” I said, putting out the last candle. The cabin quickly fell into darkness, with the only visible light being the trickle of moonlight from the seams in the wooden walls. I made my way to the bedroll on the floor, as Glamour had claimed the second bed for herself. “Good night,” I said.

“Good night,” the girls mumbled sleepily.

“Good night,” Glamour stated - not at all sleepy. Demons didn’t need to sleep, not even when they were apparently physically in the waking world. Thankfully, this did help to ensure that she wouldn’t be caught off guard, not even by anyone sneaking in at night.

I closed my eyes, feeling rather content with how things were. It would be some time before the events of closing the Breach would occur, and there was a lot to work out, but I had a feeling that things would turn out alright.

 - in the Fade - 

Solas was waiting for me once more as I appeared, and I wasted no time in changing the environment around me. Instead of my apartment, I changed it to a kitchen - a massive one.

It was a kitchen I’d worked in for years as I studied my culinary major in college. Large sets of stoves on one side, with a counter loaded with food preparation equipment on the other. Between them were a pair of large kitchen islands with empty metal surfaces. A shelf above held pots, pans, mixing bowls, and more while spoons, spatulas, and other cooking utensils hung on hooks on the edges of the shelves.

It was just me and Solas inside, although I could hear the familiar sounds of fellow cooks calling out things. “What place is this?” Solas asked as he looked around. He stood at the corner of the kitchen near the walk in fridge and freezer, eyeing the new closed environment with some curiosity. “And what is it that you’re wearing?”

I looked down. Rather than what clothes I normally wore, I wore black clothing with a white chef’s coat. Over it was a large white apron with pockets, tied around my waist and my neck. My messy hair was crammed in a small chef’s cap - a familiar feeling during the course of my college years.

“It’s a kitchen. And this is a cooking uniform,” I said, patting my apron. “Mostly for keeping clean. Cleanliness is very important in making food in my world.”

“Ah,” Solas said. “And how does one keep clean in a kitchen such as this?” Solas asked.

“A lot of hard work,” I said, knocking on one of the metal surfaces in the food prep area. “We use metal since it’s easier to sanitize.”

“Sanitize?” Solas asked.

“Right. Basically we use chemicals to kill bacteria and excess food stuff to make this place super clean. That way nothing gets into the food we prepare, and the people who eat it won’t get sick,” I said. “It’s a lot of ground to cover.”

“And you use chemicals rather than...magic?” Solas asked.

I shook my head. “Magic doesn’t exist in my world,” I said. That shocked Solas, his eyes widening significantly. “There’s no Fade, there’s no Veil, there’s no spirits or demons, nothing. Everything we have is designed and built from the ground up.”

“That is...alarming to hear,” Solas said, and I could hear the alarm in his otherwise calmed voice. “So...is your entire world considered to be Tranquil?”

I shook my head. “No, we’re just people. We can all think for ourselves. We feel the same emotions you and I feel,” I said, recalling how Solas initially saw everyone before ‘he was proved wrong’. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “I hope you’re not thinking less of me and my people because of the fact we have no magic.”

Solas absolutely was, judging by the way he coughed, composing himself at once. “Of course not. My apologies if that was what it seemed like,” he stated. “It’s just...”

I chuckled. “Yeah. How do you think I felt when I learned there was another world with magic and all sorts of powers? It’s...it was something to be used to,” I said.

“And what of other races?” Solas asked.

Ah. “We...don’t have Qunari. Or elves. Or dwarves,” I said. “It’s just humans for us.”

Solas blinked. “A world of...only humans?” he asked, almost...disgusted.

“Yeah. Long story short, we evolved from monkeys millions upon millions of years ago,” I said. “I imagine humans from Thedas did the same. Though since I had no idea about the other races, I’m not too sure how they started.”

Solas nodded. “How have you come to...understand the origins of your species?” he asked.

“Science,” I said as I recalled what I learned in middle school - at least what little I could remember from that part of my life. “There are careers dedicated to it. People spend most of their lives researching the past, experimenting with stuff and basically building up the past. For example, did you know that the land moves?”

Solas furrowed his eyebrows. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked.

“Tectonic plates - deep in the ground and even deeper than the ocean floor,” I said. “Basically, heat from below the earth itself forms magma, which comes up to the surface through volcanoes. The heat from magma makes pressure strong enough to move entire chunks of land. From learning that, we determined that the continents move - maybe a few inches every decade or something.”

“Fascinating,” Solas muttered. “As far as I know, Thedas has always remained the same.”

That was a pretty surefire way of saying the continents and all the lands of Thedas looked the same as it did before the Veil ever existed. That was interesting to know. “Yeah. Basically, millions upon millions of years ago, our world looked very different,” I said. “It was weird to learn as a kid, but it’s basic knowledge for us adults.”

“I suppose I can only imagine,” Solas said. “And what of...troubles in your world? Living conditions and societal issues?”

I thought for a bit. “Well...poverty is still around, but it’s not as common as it was in the past. As for society, we have...” I counted on my fingers for a second. “...we have a few hundred separate nations in our world. Many are in alliances, others are on their own.”

I lost myself in the explanation of my world, and Solas listened. For what felt like hours, the two of us chatted about the differences my world held, such as how democracy ruled over more of the world than monarchies did, how society in an everyday city or town worked, and the concept of free education provided to the common people.

“It appears as if Thedas could benefit from such free education,” Solas said. “It’s as if your people have finally developed the concept of sharing. Only nobles could learn how to read in Thedas.”

“Yeah,” I said, deciding not to mention the fact that free education wasn’t actually as common as it should be. “I imagine I could read in Thedas if our written languages weren’t so different.”

“Hmmmm,” Solas pondered. “Show me what your language consists of.”

I did so, conjuring up a whiteboard and a marker before I began to write. I wrote out the letters of the alphabet on one side, and Solas wrote out the written language of the common tongue. The language made use of individual letters, the same twenty six as English. It ended up becoming a simple case of figuring out which letter of the Thedas common tongue represented the respective letter of the English language.

“I imagine learning how to read just became much easier,” Solas remarked.

I nodded, looking over the whiteboard before me. “Yeah...” I said as I crossed my arms. “Although, I’d like to learn more about the elven language. What the Dalish know has to pale in comparison to the past.”

Solas darkened almost instantly. “Indeed. The clans stumble in the dark, struggling to understand what little knowledge they hold. They make misinterpretations, atrocious mistakes in a misguided attempt to understand their former culture, and they lord it over others as if it makes them superior,” he said, sounding almost distracted by his own distasteful opinions.

I blinked, remembering the few arguments on Dalish culture I could remember. “...you really don’t like them, huh?” I asked.

Solas blinked before sighing. “No, I do not. And it is unfair of me since it is of no fault of their own,” he said. “The things I have witnessed in my own travels in the Fade, and what I have learned differs very much from what the history of the Dalish may imply.”

I nodded. “Does Valyssa know about anything you know?” I asked.

“She knows of my thoughts on the Dalish. The two of us...have disagreed on more than one occasion,” Solas said. “I believe she is wary of the possibility of me influencing you.”

I shrugged. “So she’s not willing to listen to what you learned,” I said. “I am.”

“You are?” Solas asked.

“I know how barebones Dalish history is. I imagine it’s a matter of pride for Valyssa, though. She’s proud to be Dalish, regardless of what being Dalish actually means,” I said. “So, lay it on me.”

Solas laughed, though I could detect no amusement in it. “And you are so certain that it is wise to listen to me? What if I were intentionally misleading you? What if I am the Dread Wolf himself, working to lie and baselessly slander the name of Elgar’nan or Falon’Din?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow, not expecting him to go there. “... are you actually Fen’Harel?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “I can’t tell if you’re lying or not.”

Solas blinked before chuckling. “You genuinely are curious,” he stated, as if he were just figuring this out for the first time.

I shook my head. “You’ve been teaching me about magic. You accepted Glamour when most would lynch her and me. You’ve been a voice of reason for a while now. Why wouldn’t I trust you?” I asked.

Solas only sighed. “You trust far too easily,” he stated.

“Maybe. Or maybe you might trust way too little,” I said. I leaned back on the kitchen island, the Fade shaped environment still holding steady. “Still, I’d like for you to teach me.”

There was silence between us in the Fade, before Solas finally smiled. “Very well. What would you like to learn first?” he asked.

 - a week and a few days later - 

I arrived in the Hinterlands on horseback, greeted by a handful of Inquisition scouts in the border camp. I wasted no time in searching for Blackwall, and I asked around at the Crossroads for directions. The area was starting to look like a small town. Refugees had banded together to build a significantly large village with houses and stables, as well as the beginnings of stone and log walls for protection.

I headed North, traveling through the mostly cleared out areas to find the false Warden. Thankfully, the directions were clear, and that made him relatively easy to find. All I had to do was find the lake and look around for him there.

It was only about an hour of trotting through the countryside when I found the large body of water - as well as a series of jetty walkways over the water. On the far side of the lake was a couple of houses, with about a dozen people standing in one line. From what I could see, they were all armed with basic hatchets and circular shields, lacking armor.

A man stood before the line, speaking to them. He wore a shiny chestplate with sharp shoulder plates over a heavy brown jacket. Mounted on his left arm was a large wooden shield, and a longsword was gripped easily in his right hand, gleaming in the sunlight.

I dismounted and tied my horse to one of the wooden posts on the edge of the jetty before making my way over to the houses, using the walkways to get there. As I got closer, I could start to hear the man’s words.

“Remember to use your shields. You’re not hiding, you’re holding - otherwise it’s useless,” the man said, his own shield held up in a defensive position as he spoke to the men. “Keep it raised at all times, center mass. And don’t be afraid to use it as a weapon if need be. Rely solely on your blade, and you’ll only be exposed.”

I stepped off the jetty onto solid grassy ground, and I took a look around the area to see if there were any other people around. I could recall how the first meeting with Blackwall went, how bandits tried to attack the second the main character tried to speak to him.

It didn’t take me long to find them - men in brown clothing hiding in a nearby treeline. Parts of them stuck out for me to see - shoulders, knees, and weapons. From what I could tell, they were seemingly focused on trying to get the drop on Blackwall and his trainees,

“Warden?!” I called. “You’re about to have company!”

Blackwall turned, and I got a look at that glorious beard in real life. His eyes widened at me before he too spotted the bandits. Eyes narrowing, he raised his sword. “Conscripts, to me!” he yelled.

That got the attention of the bandits. They charged out of cover, their axes and swords raised as they tried to charge. A few archers were with them, and they turned to aim - not at Blackwall and his recruits, but towards me.

I managed to bring up my own shield - the barrier hissing to life milliseconds before the arrows struck and instantly evaporated upon hitting the Fade produced plasma. I didn’t bother going for my own sword, instead rushing the trees to get to the archers.

There were only two of them, both stumbling back as they dropped their bows and tried to pull out their daggers. Shutting off my shield, I jumped towards them, legs outstretched forward to drop kick them. The first archer was hit full force, slamming into a tree and slumping limply to the ground.

The second one yelled as he tried to rush me, his own dagger in hand before I ducked. He swung over me, and I lunged at him the second I was certain he’d missed. My shoulder slammed into his gut, and my own arms grappled around his body as I practically carried him into the open.

Pushing myself forward as hard as I could, I threw him down into the dirt - the man tumbling and rolling before a boot slammed into his side, stopping him where he lay. I looked up to see Blackwall standing there, kicking the man down for certain before he slid his weapon into his scabbard. Behind them were the other bandits, dead at the hands of tired but victorious recruits.

“Thanks for the help. Who’re you?” the heavily bearded man asked, his voice stern.

I brushed off my jacket. “Blackwall. I represent the Inquisition,” I said. “Wanna talk in private?”

Blackwall took one look at me, likely gauging what threat I could be before he nodded. “Very well. What does the Inquisition wish to know?” he asked, gesturing for me to walk alongside him.

“I’ll keep it simple,” I said. “The Grey Wardens have vanished, and since you’re out here on your own with no contact from the Order, you probably don’t know where they are.” Blackwall blanched in surprise, and I continued to speak. “But, since our current assignment is to search for the Wardens alongside closing the Breach, we figured you would be our best chance.”

Blackwall looked down, clearly taken aback by the news. “Well...I haven’t received any news from Weisshaupt. Perhaps a runner was lost, or injured,” he muttered.

That was expected. “Even if you don’t know anything about the Wardens, we need every able bodied fighter we can get to help us close the Breach,” I said. “Are you willing to join us, or is this a bad time?”

“You want to recruit a Grey Warden?” Blackwall asked. I could hear the surprise in his tone.

“Yep. Not everyone appreciates Grey Wardens, but they represent something big. If we get the support of a Warden, then maybe we’ll show people that the Inquisition is serious about trying to stop this disaster,” I said. “But, that’s up to you. We have resources if you want to help locate the other Wardens.”

Blackwall fell into thought, at least for a moment before he nodded, a resolute expression on his face. “I accept,” he said. “I’ve probably been keeping to myself for far too long.” He held out his hand for me to grip, shaking it firmly as I did so. “This Warden walks with the Inquisition,” he declared.

I nodded. “Great. Gather your things and make your way to Haven,” I said. “You could use my horse.”

“What about you?” Blackwall asked.

I looked over in the direction of Redcliffe Village - across the Hinterlands. “I have some more Inquisition business to attend to.”

Chapter Text

Until Valyssa could be finished with recruiting the Chargers, I spent my days traveling and helping around the Hinterlands, clearing out demons and a variety of other threats that needed to be dealt with. There were very few apostates, rogue templars, or bandits - thanks to the Inquisition’s forces being present in significant numbers.

There were plenty of extra jobs to do, and I did my fair share of recruiting for the Inquisition. A week and a half had passed as I traveled through the area, passing the time with jobs, resting, and working out a plan for what to do in Redcliffe.

My nights were spent catching Solas up in the Fade, informing him of a variety of different tasks I did in the Hinterlands amidst the teaching of the ancient Elvhen language.

“ Dareth shiral means goodbye?” I asked. It had been just over two weeks since I recruited Blackwall.

“A more literal translation would be ‘safe journeys’, but yes,” Solas said. “Now, what does shivanal mean?”

“...hmmm...” I mumbled to myself. “...doesn’t it mean something to do with doing your job?”

“Once again, close. To do one’s duty, generally speaking. Not unlike a soldier being told to fight, or a baker being told to make sweets,” Solas said before grinning. “Speaking of which-”

I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers. I was starting to manipulate the Fade quicker now, and I was able to recreate my apartment in a flash. This time, we were at the dining table rather than the couch.

With a thought, I spawned a plate loaded high with chocolate chip cookies on the table. The two of us sat down in the Fade created chair, with Solas picking up and biting into a Fade created cookie. “ Ma serannas . Now recite the numbers from last night,” he said after swallowing.

I thought for a moment before speaking up. “ Sa , ta , tan , ny , va , no , noa , han , uan , and assan ,” I said. “And everything after that is basically how numbers are arranged in common?”

“Indeed. Asan’sa is eleven, asan’ta is twelve, and so on,” Solas said. “Numbers greater than that work a bit differently...but we could cover that at a future date.” He finished his cookie and took another.

I nodded, leaning back and taking a Fade cookie for myself. “I’ve been meaning to ask...how safe is it to wander and find other people’s dreams? I asked.

“Not very. And with Glamour out of the raw Fade, I doubt you’d have a guide to helping you navigate this realm,” Solas said.

“Well...I was kinda hoping if I could...learn how to traverse the Fade? Not now, but later?” I asked, a bit nervously. Judging by the way Solas’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, I held up my hands. “It’s risky, I know. But I’ll have to learn this stuff eventually, you know?”

“Actually, I would have no qualms about teaching this. However, I do wish to know why,” the elven god in disguise asked.

I shrugged. “Well...I kinda wanna be able to share my dreams with Valyssa,” I said. “I already kind of miss her and...well...she’s like a sister to me. I like to think that I’m a brother to her too. I kinda wanna talk with her.”

“Ah, I understand,” Solas said, his eyes softening. “My apologies. To walk the Fade as a Dreamer would be to gain access to other people, and that includes both risks and power - power that can easily be used to hurt others.”

I nodded. “I get that,” I said. “Trust me, learning any of this stuff is scary as hell, especially with all this talk about power and being able to do literally anything with magic.”

Solas chuckled. “I imagine you would possess that feeling for quite some time,” he said. “Given just recently you started magic.”

“Well, I’m still me so I have to be doing something right,” I said, grinning.

Solas only leaned back, taking another cookie. “Very well. What experience do you have traveling across the realm to other dreams?” he asked.

“Well, Glamour usually guided me, or pointed me in the right direction. I’m not sure if I could do it again on my own, so I haven’t risked it,” I said.

“I see,” Solas muttered. “One of many things that shall be added on the list of things to teach you.”

I scratched the back of my neck. “If you’d rather not-”

“Of course I would,” Solas interrupted, his tone still relaxed. “As long as you promise to take things slow.”

“I will,” I said. “So, what’s next on the list?”

“Prefixes,” Solas said as he took a cookie. “This may take a while.”

 - two days later - 

“You said your friend would be operating in this area?” I asked. I was walking with an Inquisition scout towards a grassy hill area - where a group of rogue templars had been seen entering hours prior. He was reluctant to leave his post, but my position as the ‘Herald’s Protector’ carried more than enough weight to get some help.

We’d been pushing through the area for an hour now, covering ground and expecting those templars to show up. But none did, nor did any friendly forces patrolling in the area.

“Yes. I...thank you for helping me with this, ser,” the scout said. “I’m praying that Ritts is alright.”

“I think she will be, but we have to move,” I said as I gestured for him to keep following along. “Any other reports coming from this place?”

“No. It should be safe since the Herald sealed the few rifts nearby, but I imagine there might still be a few demons in the area,” the scout replied nervously. “If there are any-”

“Then I’ll deal with them,” I said. I didn’t have my weapons out at the moment, just in case the sound of plasma alerted anyone to our presence. I looked around the grassy hill area, knowing that we’d be exposed if we crested it quickly. “Up here.”

The two of us headed up, stopping before we could be exposed. The scout peeked up first, eyeing the area with his hood providing some cover from any immediate detection. “All clear, ser,” he whispered.

“Good,” I said. “Come on, let’s-”

“Whatcha doin’?”

The scout and I jumped, crashing into each other as Sera laughed and snorted from behind us. “Sera, what the fuck?!” I hissed.

“Oh, come on - it was funny!” Sera snickered. She was standing up tall, arms crossed. Behind her was Ashala, who grinned at the sight of us tangled up.

I rolled my eyes before yanking her down by the arm, forcing her to join us. “We have templars in the area - and a scout has gone missing,” I said.

“Oh? The elfy one? Ritts?” Sera asked.

“Yes! Yes, that’s her! Did you find her?” The scout asked.

“Yeah. She and some mage were rolling around naked in the grass a few minutes from here,” Ashala said, gesturing to her right with her head. “Don’t worry, they’re fine.”

The scout’s worry turned into confusion, then embarrassment. “Oh. I-I see,” he said before looking down. “Ritts, you idiot!” he muttered.

“Where’d you send them?” I asked, trying to keep myself from laughing.

“They’re by the big rocks at the river,” Ashala said. “If you know where that is.”

“I do,” the scout said before turning to me. “Don’t worry, my Lord. I’ll make sure she doesn’t do this again.”

“See that you do. Imagine if the templars caught her like that,” I said.

“Yeesh. Bad way to go,” Sera mumbled. The scout saluted once before he hurried off, leaving me with the elven archer and the Qunari warrior. 

“So, what’s up?” I asked.

“Herald sent orders ahead for us to find you. She’s bringing the rest to the Hinterlands as soon as possible,” Ashala said.

“Yep. Elfy’s bringing back some more swords. It should be fun. Fun-ish,” Sera added.

“Elfy?” I asked.

“Yeah, you know? Cus she’s an elfy elf. Forest with face lines and all,” Sera explained. “She’s extra elfy. Like baldy.”

I grinned. “Someone’s brithaval, da’len, ” I remarked.

Sera shuddered. “Not you too! Don’t need a human acting elfy,” she said. “No more of that...stupid language around me.”

I laughed. “ Ma nuvenin, da’len, ” I muttered.

Sera shoved me hard, and I only laughed harder. Thankfully, she was quick to move on as Ashala nudged her on the shoulder. “Anyways, Herald’s on the way. What do we do until she gets here?” she asked.

“You remember what Aiden asked,” Ashala said before looking at me. “We’re on a rescue mission of our own. Aiden’s sister is in the region, and he wanted some help finding her  Evelyn, she said her name was.”

I blinked. “Sure. Where is she?” I asked.

“Not sure. She was with a bunch of mages from Ostwick that tried to make their way to Haven. We checked the Crossroads first, but they never came by,” Ashala said. “So, we’re gonna try and narrow down where they could be.”

“Well...the mages are in Redcliffe. Think we should search there?” I asked.

“Eugh, magic. No thanks, you can go find the mages and we can go find rams to shoot. People need food,” Sera said.

“You know, we do have mages in our group,” Ashala pointed out.

“Psssh,” Sera mumbled, waving a hand. “I’m not gonna be buddy buddy with them. I’m fine with baldy and prissy pants being far away.”

“And what about me?” I asked.

“Pffft, you’re no mage,” Sera remarked. “Even if you were, not like you’re one of those poncies from the Circle who throw their power around like a bloody noble.”

“Fair,” I said as I held up my weapons. “Though, what do you think this is, if not magic?”

Sera’s self satisfied smirk vanished. “You...that’s magic? Glowy sword and shield is magic?”

I nodded.

“Well...at least it’s shiny. And...double pointy,” she muttered. “No fireballs or demons and all that shite.”

I rolled my eyes. “Uh huh, I appreciate your faith in me,” I said. “In any case, if you don’t wanna go to Redcliffe, I can go alone.”

“Nah, we’ll stick with you,” Ashala said. “Wandering around Redcliffe doing the occasional odd job is getting a bit annoying anyways.”

I shrugged. “Alright,” I said. “Sounds good.”

There was very little talk after that, with the three of us pushing forward on our journey towards the village of Redcliffe to speak with the mages. At least, it should have been a simple journey with a simple conversation ahead of us.

After an hour of walking, the three of us were perched behind a rock, staring up at the rift right outside the village gates, the occasional shade clawing at the iron bars before wandering off.

“...so, think we shoulda waited for Inky?” Sera asked.

“Maybe,” I said. “In any case, it looks like we won’t be able to get in until that rift is sealed up.”

“Do we go back?” Ashala asked. “I dunno how to feel if we just camped next to a hole in the Fade.”

“The Veil,” I corrected. “The hole isn’t in the Fade. In any case, yeah. Looks like the village will be fine as long as those gates stay down.”

“Good. Not in the mood for demons right now,” Sera said. “Besides, I wanna talk.”

I turned away from the rift, blinking. “Talk about what?” I asked.

“You know,” Sera said. “About you and Inky?”

I frowned. “What about us? Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No, nothing’s wrong. But I’m pretty sure you know the talk that’s been going around,” Ashala remarked.

I thought so. “Of the two of us being a thing? Yeah - weird rumors. I mean, not that she’s not pretty, but she seems more interested in Solas than me, even with the arguments,” I muttered.

“Yeah, I heard that from that blonde who babysits the girls,” Ashala said. “Romance can get ugly - but I just wanted to ask.”

I shrugged. “Romance in general is a bit of a mess, especially in a war like this,” I said. “I’d rather not risk it.”

Sera blew a raspberry. “Boring!” she complained, though she did little else. “Anyways, you sure you don’t wanna bang her bits?”

I snorted at the amusingly blunt question from the amusingly blunt elf before sighing to myself. The question had brought up some more thoughts - though I wasn’t exactly sure where they laid. “Honestly, ask me that again when the Breach is closed,” I said.

Sera grinned. “Better than a no,” she said.

“It’s not a yes either,” I pointed out.

“A yes to what?”

The three of us turned around to see Valyssa approaching on horseback, followed by Aiden, Cassandra, and Solas. Behind them were half a dozen men and women and the biggest, buffest, shirtless man I’d ever seen.

The Iron Bull was massive - his horns long enough that they were just a bit wider than his entire frame. His scarred body and face was chiseled, and a massive two handed axe hung off of his back.

“Holy shit,” I muttered. “That guy’s huge.”

“Glad to impress you,” The Iron Bull said. “So you’re the Herald’s protector?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Even if I don’t look like much of a bodyguard.”

“Eh, looks aren’t everything. I bet you have to be skilled if you earned that nickname,” the large Qunari said. “Name’s The Iron Bull. And yes, ‘The’ is part of the name.”

“Alright, nice to meet you, The Iron Bull. Name’s Carlo,” I said as I waved a hand. “Welcome to Redcliffe.”

Valyssa dismounted, making her way over to us at the hill. “How did we not hear about this rift?” she asked as she perched herself between me and Sera. “You’d think the scouts would let us know the last time we were here.”

“The last time we were here, the Hinterlands were too messed up for scouts to go to and from,” Ashala pointed out. “Reports probably poured in after the region was fully secured.”

“How’d you get here so quickly? I thought it’d be a few more days till you arrived,” I asked.

“Our dear Herald was rather excited to see you again, that she skipped over bringing The Iron Bull and his company back to Haven when she heard that you were still in this region,” Aiden chimed in before Valyssa could interject.

“Oh?” I turned to see a silent but pink faced Valyssa conveniently avoiding eye contact. “Aww, I missed you too.”

“In any case!” Valyssa quickly shot out, ignoring Sera’s cheeky and toothy grin. “The rift’s here now and we gotta deal with it,” she said before she looked over at The Iron Bull. “Do you think you could tell your guys to hold a perimeter?”

“Already ahead of you,” the Qunari said before he waved a hand. “Chargers, spread out!”

Valyssa stood up. “Carlo and Cassandra, you’re with me. Solas and Sera, give us some covering fire. Ashala, protect Solas and Sera.”

Affirmatives were barked all around, and the entire group spread out. I leapt out of cover with Valyssa and Cassandra, while Solas and Sera opened fire from the hill. Arrows and bolts of magic zipped overhead, towards the rift and a few demons that were idling around.

The battle itself was relatively short - the demons killed quickly and the rift sealed in a matter of seconds. As the tear in the Veil sealed shut, we all put our weapons away before making our way to the gates - where several armed men and women gawked through the bars.

“The area should be clear of demons! We’d like to get inside, please!” Valyssa called as we all put away our weapons.

The iron gate leading into Redcliffe Village was pulled up after another moment of shock, and our entire group entered. The first thing we saw as we walked through were the tents - the outskirts of the village no doubt loaded with refugees. Many people lay on stretchers or sat on crates, a handful of them being men and women in armor. It didn’t take much to figure out how they’d sustained any injuries with the earlier rift right outside.

“So this is Redcliffe Village,” Valyssa muttered as I turned to see The Iron Bull and the Chargers following our group. “They seem to be doing well.”

“As well as they can,” Cassandra said. “The village is one of the largest settlements in the Bannorn. Even with the region’s troubles - those in the village are relatively safe.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Valyssa said. “Where do you think we’ll find this mage leader?”

“Most likely in the castle,” Aiden said. “Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of the rebellion is in the village.”

“You could probably ask for help at the tavern,” I said, deciding to nudge them in the right direction. “We’re gonna look around the village, see what things we can gather, people we can talk to.”

“That sounds ideal. If talks go south, some information would go a long way,” Ashala said. “Though, I’m not expecting too much from the mages.”

“They’re all scared. Last thing we need is to give them any reason to get reckless,” Valyssa said before looking pointedly at Sera. “I want you all on your best behavior, is that understood?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sera muttered as she turned towards Ashala.

“Iron Bull, I want you and your men to stay by the gate, just in case we need a clear exit,” Valyssa ordered.

“Sounds good, boss,” the Qunari said before he and the Chargers quickly halted their pace.

“Cassandra, Solas, Carlo, you’re with me,” Valyssa said.

“What about me?” Aiden asked.

“You said you wanted to look for your sister, right?” Valyssa asked. Aiden grinned, quickly thanking the Herald before hurrying off ahead of us.

The four of us made our way down the slope towards the village - seeing dozens upon dozens of huts and wooden buildings. A large wide jetty held many more houses sat over the lake, covering much of the coast in the process. The village overall resembled what I came across in Dragon Age: Inquisition - though on a much larger scale.

If I remembered correctly, the actual meeting would take place in Redcliffe Castle while the first meeting with Dorian would take place in the Chantry. As we made our way through the relatively packed village, I looked around - trying to find one building that stood out over the others.

It didn’t take too long to find the Chantry - the largest one on the highest available ground. “I’m gonna take a look at the Chantry,” I said. “Might be some mages to talk to.”

“Alright. Just stay safe and keep an eye out for trouble,” Valyssa said. “Something feels off.”

Yeah, something was off - a Venatori magister was in the village. I only nodded, opting to just focus on getting to the Chantry. The walk there felt much longer than it actually was, knowing that there’d be a fight alongside a first meeting with Dorian - specifically a fight involving a rift and time travel.

I didn’t have the Anchor - so if I went over to Dorian right now, then there was a good chance that I’d end up in a slog against demons before Valyssa could make her way over here. I sighed, knowing that whether I sped up or slowed down, it’d be another fight.

I sighed again. “Might as well,” I mumbled. “Gonna be fighting demons for this whole campaign, might as well fight some more.”

I reached the Chantry, seeing the area around it to be more or less abandoned. Looking around as I made my way up the large set of stairs that led straight to the door, I saw no guards, no people, and nobody in mage robes. Furthermore, I could hear odd sounds coming from within the church, as well as feel what appeared to be a tingle through my spine.

Magic from the rift in that church, no doubt.

Inhaling deeply, I sighed before reaching the doors and pushing on them. The moment the doors creaked open, I was hit with the sound of a loud screech - followed by a blast of magic. Without thinking, I pushed myself inside and yanked the doors shut behind me.

In front of me was a large rift - a little larger than the others we’d come across before, hovering in the air in the middle of the Chantry. Patches of magic sat on the floor - and I could see those patches affecting the environment, warping everything left and right, turning bits of the floor rotten, then clean, then overgrown with nature. There were barely any demons either - only one or two that spilled out of the rift and turned to the Chantry.

A loud ‘thwack’ filled the air, and I turned to see a man in brown and silver attire striking a shade twice with a staff. Upon finishing off the demon, he whirled around - revealing that weirdly cool hair style and that unmistakable mustache.

“There you are!” Dorian Pavus called, a mere moment before his smile turned into a confused frown. “Er, that is to say...you are not who I was expecting.”

“All that racket had to attract some attention,” I said as I ignited my weapons in response to a shade bolting towards me. A block with the energy shield and a stab with the energy sword later, and I was back to talking to the Tevinter mage. “What’s going on?”

“Is it not obvious? A tear in the Veil, warping time wherever it touches. Careful not to step in those spots, by the way. You don’t want to turn gray and senile,” Dorian remarked, his voice jovial in the dry sense.

I loved this guy already.

“Thanks for the tip,” I said as another shade came pouring out of the rift - only to get clotheslined by Dorian. “Looks like you’ve been handling yourself just fine.”

“Of course I have. These demons aren’t much of a challenge, after all,” Dorian said, finishing off the shade before stretching his arms. “They do little more than slap. You know, much like a parent when you accidentally muddy your favorite shoes.”

Oddly specific analogy, but okay. “You muddy your shoes often?” I asked.

“Goodness, no!” Dorian scoffed, almost as if he were offended. “In any case, you haven’t answered my question.”

“Carlo,” I said. “That’s my name.”

“An odd name,” Dorian remarked. “Dorian of House Pavus, at your service.”

“Full service?” I asked, unable to help myself. My humor was well received at the very least, given the way Dorian barked out a laugh before clearing his throat.

“In a manner of speaking,” Dorian stated before he narrowed his eyes. “Say...you aren’t here for a certain reason, are you?”

“You mean to escort the Herald of Andraste to initiate talks with the mage rebellion, which happens to be living in Redcliffe?” I asked as I eyed the rift once more.

“Ah hah! You must be the fabled Protector of the Herald that I’ve heard so much about!” Dorian exclaimed with a snap of his fingers. “A pleasure to meet you.”

I winced. “Names. Not a fan,” I muttered.

Dorian chuckled. “I believe I can say the same. To think the south calls every mage from Tevinter a ‘magister’. It gets annoying very quickly,” he said.

Anything I could’ve said was interrupted by the sound of the Chantry doors opening with a loud bang. I turned to see Valyssa and the others hurrying in. Before Dorian or I could say anything, the Anchor sparked wildly, causing Valyssa to stumble in pain.

The rift near us expanded almost at the exact same time, spewing a dozen demons out of the tear at once. A shade slammed into the floor right in front of me, and I was quick to cut it down before it could recover.

Dorian zapped two shades at once as soon as they materialized in front of him before turning back to look at the new arrivals. “About time the rest of you showed up!” he called out. “Now help me close this, won’t you?”

Chapter Text

“You don’t even know how that works, do you?” Dorian asked as the Chantry finally fell quiet from the sounds of battle. It only took a few minutes to clear out the demons and seal the rift. “You just wiggle your fingers and ‘poof!’ Rift closed.”

“Well, if it helps - I do get some sort of pull from the rift to my hand,” Valyssa said. “I think it sort of acts on its own like that.” She turned to look at me, gesturing for me to come over. “What happened here?”

“I heard noises, I walked in, and a Tevinter’s dancing around the rift inside,” I said.

“Dance?” Dorian asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Tevinter?” Cassandra asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Relax, he’s a good one. As far as I know,” I said. “So, what’s up with you being here?”

“I believe we already know,” Solas said. “The note that the magister’s son passed us said to go here. It’s only right to assume that the note was written by you?”

“Indeed,” Dorian said, his own eyes trailing over Solas’s outfit with more than a little judgement in his gaze. “Dorian of House Pavus at your service. And before you say anything, I am not a magister, I am an Altus.”

“You said that we were in grave danger,” Valyssa said. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve met the magister and his son, yes?” Dorian asked. “Magister Alexius was once my mentor. And seeing how he’s the enemy - my assistance on helping to defeat him should be considered valuable, yes?”

“How do we know that you aren’t working with the magister? He’s enslaved hundreds of mages, children included!” Cassandra pointed out.

“And where’s Felix? I was expecting him to be here,” Valyssa asked.

“He was to meet us here after giving you the note,” Dorian said. “I’m sure he’s on his way to ditch his father.”

“Seeing just how concerned Alexius was, I doubt it would be anytime soon,” Solas said.

Dorian frowned in clear concern. “Ah, the illness card,” he muttered. “I suppose it would take him some time to get here. Very well, I might as well begin. To put things bluntly, the magister has joined a cult that calls themselves the Venatori.”

“I see. What do this ‘Venatori’ want with me, exactly?” Valyssa asked.

“I’m not quite sure, but it’s clear that they do want you very much,” Dorian said. “Let’s start with the mages. I’m sure that you arrived via invitation, only for the mages to seemingly forget that they ever invited you. To get to the mages before you did, Alexius distorted time itself.”

Valyssa’s features twisted in clear distress. “He rewrote time to meet Fiona right as the Divine died?” she asked.

“You catch on quick,” Dorian said, grinning.

“That is...incredibly hard to believe. Magic can change many things, but time?” Cassandra asked.

“The rift was warping parts of the Chantry,” I pointed out. “Aged the wood and overgrowth before you closed it.”

“You see? Proof for all who doubted,” Dorian said, almost jovially. “I did help develop this magic in theoretics. Before...well...all this happened.”

“Okay, so enough about time. What about this...Venatori cult?” Valyssa asked. “Do you truly know so little about their plans?”

“Until not too long ago, I wasn’t even aware that they could be so influential enough to gain the allegiance of magisters. Although, many of my own countrymen are the power hungry type,” Dorian pondered. The Chantry doors opened, and we turned to see a man in yellow garb walking in. He was pale, and somewhat sickly by the way he walked. “Ah, took you long enough. Is he getting suspicious?”

“No, but I shouldn’t have played the illness card,” the man sighed. “I thought he was going to fuss over me all day.”

“Felix. Are you...okay?” Valyssa said.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” the young man said. “What did I miss?”

“I’ve already informed them of time magic and the Venatori,” Dorian explained.

“Then I’m afraid I’ve little else I can add. My father’s work in the Venatori has been kept secret, even from me. There’s not much I can find out,” Felix said.

“Regardless of all of this. one thing is certain - we need to remove Alexius’s control of the mages. But how?” Cassandra asked. “The arl has no doubt gone to Denerim for assistance, and it could take weeks before they return.”

“How about...we discuss this back at home?” Valyssa asked. “Perhaps our commander and spymaster would have ideas.”

Something from a while ago popped in my mind, and I quickly cleared my throat to interrupt the conversation. “Oh, before I forget. Do you know if there’s a Trevelyan in the village?” I asked.

 - ten minutes later - 

Felix ended up leading me to one of the large buildings by the coast of the village - an inn. “The younger ones stay there. As far as I know, the few Venatori spies there are focused around the center of the village. Maybe most of them are in the castle.”

“I’ll make sure to be careful,” I said. There was silence between us before I found the urge to speak up. “Hey, you...have the Blight, don’t you?”

Felix looked away. “Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“I’m guessing your dad joined the Venatori to try and cure you. If...there is a cure,” I muttered.

“He’s a smart man, but he’s desperate,” Felix sighed. “He already lost my mother and he doesn’t want to lose me either.”

“You don’t seem all that worried about dying,” I pointed out.

“I’ve had time to accept it. To come to terms with my sickness. The Blight is incurable, after all,” Felix said. “But my father...he loves me too much. He’s thrown aside logic for impossible hopes.”

“Do you think he joined this Venatori cult because he believes that they can cure you?” I asked.

“Maybe. It’s hard to tell what any of this madness can mean anyways,” Felix sighed. He stopped, scratching the back of his neck. “The inn is over there. I won’t take up any more of your time.”

“Felix...” I began before he could turn back. “I...good luck,” I muttered, unable to think of anything else I could possibly say.

The sickened young man could only smile silently before he turned back to head to the tavern or the Chantry. I watched him leave for a good few seconds before I turned back to look at the inn.

It was a simple but large building, and it was three stories tall. Inhaling deeply, I sighed and made my way over to the building, passing a few villagers and reaching the door.

Opening it, I stepped inside to see the first floor to be a sort of lobby - a handful of small tables and chairs in the center of the room, as well as a large desk where people presumably booked rooms. It was packed, with most of the tables and chairs occupied by younger men and women in mage robes.