I do not own Dragon Age: Origins. It is t he property of BioWare and I would never dare to lay claim to something as epic as this. All characters are property of BioWare. Enjoy the read.
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Adaia Tabris was one of the few in the Alienage with skills that surpassed the mundane tasks forced upon her people. As an elf, looked down upon and generally treated as garbage by the humans who 'employed' them, the skill-set of a rogue came in handy. The occasional locked chest, the ignorant noble with more sovereigns on him than needed; she was happy to relieve them of their excess baggage. However, she never hated the humans. If anything, she pitied their ignorance and their attitudes towards those they considered 'inferior'. Even though on more than one occasion Adaia had proven them wrong. After she had her son, Erik, she tried to instill in him her love for life. Adaia taught her son to laugh, to smile in the face of injustice and attempt to make your own, and maybe pick a pocket or two. By age five, Erik had learned his lessons well, and was a natural with his blade and his wit. All that changed with a cruel word, a whip, a cut human, and an executed elf. Protecting a young elven woman being attacked by a band of drunken humans, Adaia stood up for the girl, and gave one bandit a long gash across his cheek to remember her by. The group left battered, bruised, and several silver coins lighter. The next time she left the Alienage to 'clean' a human's home. Three days later, Adaia's body was found in a gutter, with two dead humans next to her.
Humans. Just that word would send Erik scowling. Humans. Beasts who took what they want, when they wanted it, with no regards to anyone. Selfish monsters, liars, cheats and murders. Erik had always has these thoughts about humans, but due to the influence of his mother, he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. No longer. At age six, the young elf was as jaded as any elf whom had come before him. Time did not cure his disposition.
He had grown up strong. With the darker complexion of his mother and black braids that flowed to the base of his neck, he was always a rebel in the Alienate. Fathers in the village feared for their daughters, while the lasses loved his rebellious nature, his love for life and adventure, his quick wit and natural charm. But even they knew better than to mention the 'shems' around the dark eyed elf. No human ever got more than ten feet into the Alienage without having half his money pouch missing, or some undesirable creature sticking out of his belongings during his younger days. On more than one occasion Erik would follow the human home just to rob him there, and set up the nearest noble or merchant for the crime. After all, he was sure that the bastard had deserved it. Though the elder and his father had both tried to curb his hate, the humans did nothing to make this an easy task.
On the day of his wedding, or the end of his independence as he liked to call it, a human 'noble' came and kidnapped his fiancé and every woman in the wedding party, going as far as raping and killing some of them. The bastard even had the nerve to try to buy his way out of it! Humans, only they would think money can buy a man's soul. Erik received no greater pleasure than sliding his dagger through Vaughn's gut, watching his eyes glaze over in pain, fear and confusion, just before taking his head clean off his shoulders. Of course, there is no such thing as justice in the Alienage. The priestess who was to marry Erik and Soris to their betrothed, instead of speaking up against what Vaughn had done, ran scurrying back to her Chantry, where her Maker would convenient ignore what was happening. No guards showed up to help or save the woman Vaughn had taken, but no sooner had Erik and Soris returned, a legion of guards were there to escort them to the gallows for protecting their own. Even that Grey Warden, Duncan. He did nothing to help except loan them a blade or two. He had only saved Erik's life because he 'needed' his Grey Warden. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because he needed another body to throw at the darkspawn.
Humans. All of them wanted something. All of them lied, cheat, deceive and murder. When the Wardens, that idiot King, that bastard Duncan, and most of his army were lost at Ostagar, you would have to stomp on Erik's toes repeatedly if you wanted him to shed a tear for them. The Templar Alistair was the only other surviving Warden. Granted, he was an affable guy, and charming in his own goofy way so much so that even Erik couldn't help but joke with him on occasion. Even Alistair had lied to him, not telling him of his royal birthright because he 'liked Erik not knowing'. Wynne, spouting nothing but platitudes about how the 'Circle' is necessary. Though, Erik cared nothing for the fate of mages, he was disgusted that she condoned her people being cattle for the Templars just to save her own skin. At least Morrigan had the decency to admit right off the bat that she was a liar and a manipulator. An honest liar. An oxymoron is Erik ever heard one.
No, humans, even the best meaning of them, were still deceitful bastards who would sell their own mothers if given the chance. Though they were allies, Erik would not turn his back on any of them. He would have never trusted them with his small clothes, let alone his life. That was until, her.
Leliana, the fussy lay sister in Lothering. When they had first met, she had stopped him from disposing of a few of Loghain's lackeys. Granted, he had thousands of them, but every little bit helps. Still, the woman would not shut up about letting them live. Erik finally spared them just so this priest wouldn't lecture him the entire time he was in town. Then out of the Fade she offers to join him. Erik may have hated humans, but he recognized a good rogue when he saw one. Begrudgingly, he accepted her into the party, despite Morrigan's complaining. During the nights, against all his logic, he found himself talking to her more and more.
At first, Erik had assumed it was her flaming red hair, and her gorgeous Orlesian accent that kept bringing him back. Even though she appeared to be just some overzealous Maker freak, her emerald green eyes would always hold him in check. Erik found himself watching her full lips as she talked, and her playful, girlish giggle always made him smile. Erik figured that he just wanted to bed her. Nothing he hasn't done a thousand times. However, as their travels continued, Leliana wanted nothing from him. She never asked him for anything, had never lied to him. She was nothing like the humans he had met in the past. One day it dawned on him. She wasn't the same as any human he had ever met because she believed in something. Truly and faithfully. She had faith. Faith in this 'Maker', faith in their mission, and faith in him to see them all through. She would never use him for her own gains, or any of their comrades. She would always stand by him, because she believed in him, and that the Maker would never lead her wrong.
If Erik believed in the Maker, it was only to hate him. This 'Maker' who the humans use as an excuse to attack those who didn't worship him. This imaginary being that they used to rally the common shems to scatter the Dalish and drive his people into slavery. To Erik, the Maker had been nothing but another human lie, to cull the shems to follow whatever lunatic was the best at screeching his name. With Leliana it was different. It was as if he actually gave a damn, not just about humans, but about all life. This peace and love he brought the red headed bard was evident, and radiated through her entire being. That was when Erik finally understood it. The reason he longed to be with her wasn't because of her voice, or her lips, or her nimble body. It was the peace she brought with her. Even after Erik had volunteered to aid her against Marjolaine, she had called him her savior. The elf smiled. The first time he truly and honestly smiled at a human. He had not saved her, she had saved him. Erik still didn't know if this 'Maker' exists or not. However, he found himself giving a silent prayer to him in thanks for bringing the fiery rogue into his life. Thanks to the darkspawn taint, he did not have much time on this Earth (thanks again to the son of a bitch Duncan). But if this is how he is to spend it, with all his heart he believed he would live it by Leliana's side.
He had faith.