The truth.
Note: This is another little though i had on what could be the reason why the warden and the Champion both disappeared.
This has nothing to do with my other fanfic "Two Stories Follow" but is simply another truth.
I hope you enjoy it.
Linna Mahariel stepped down from the boat onto the bricks of the Gallows in Kirkwall. She tilted her head and looked at Ashalle who was waving her way by a big statue. She noted the traumatic feeling she got from just being here, the statues were sad, the halls filled with templars and tranquil mages and of course Ashalle who for some reason seemed very sad.
"Da'len… I'm so happy to see you safe, how was the trip?" Ashalle embraced Linna and tried to hide the sad expression which covered her face.
"Aneth ara Ashalle. The trip was nothing to write home about, but I survived… What's wrong?" She shook herself loose from Ashalle's grip and placed her hands on her shoulders to keep her in place and face her.
"They're gone…" Ashalle avoided eye contact with Linna and turned around like she was ashamed.
"Gone? What do you mean, have they moved on?" She asked almost knowing the answer herself, she could feel it in Ashalle's voice.
"They're dead…" She cried out and covered her face in her hands.
"How?" She said standing as still as she could.
"The champion killed them."
Linna grabbed her bow and one of her arrows in response. "The Champion? But why? I thought she was a friend of the clan?"
Ashalle placed her hands on Linna's bow and forced it downwards. "Don't draw a weapon where there are so many humans da'len. To be honest I don't know why, I only know that the two of us and Merrill are the last who yet live."
"Not even the keeper…?"
"It started with her as far as I can tell…"
"Where is this Champion? Where is Merrill…?" Linna turned towards the ship, she was about ready to hijack the vessel and head into Kirkwall itself now.
"We don't know why it happened da'len, do not fight a woman with her reputation, I don't want to loose you too!" Ashalle grabbed Linna by the arm to try and make her get off the boat but she shook her off again.
"It's not done Ashalle."
Linna walked up to the man behind the steering wheel and pointed an arrow at him. "To the docks – now!"
The man did as she said, before the boat turned and took off Ashalle jumped aboard and went up to her side. "Please…"
Linna didn't listen; she had only one thing on her mind.
As they made their way through Lowtown they could see the damage from the battle between the mages and the templars all over. Blood on the walls, gore and chars from countless battles, weapons lying about and of course corpses in piles. One corpse in particular caught Linna's eye.
"Anders!" She screamed and ran over to the body of her former companion. "I wasn't aware that he had been part of this…"
"The Champion executed him." A voice sounded. "He was supposed to be our leader, but not even his best friend could understand the necessity of his actions." The young mage looked down on Anders. "I am Alain, I was part of the rebellion…"
"That's it!" Linna rose from her sitting position and continued towards Hightown. "I'm going to get an explanation from this Champion and then I'm gonna shoot her."
Ashalle just tried to keep up with her; she had all but given up on talking her out of it.
"Champion!" Linna shouted out. She stood in the middle of the square right besides the Champion's house. "I know you're here somewhere, I demand that you show yourself!"
"Lethallan?" A familiar voice sounded. Linna couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her old friend stand there in a shining silver armour which she had never seen alike before.
"Merrill? Is that you?" She just said and lowered her weapon. "Why are you here?"
"I live here." She just said, there were sadness in her voice too, like Ashalle.
"You live in this fancy part of town? On your own?"
"No, I live here with my partner, she's inside…"
"Your partner?" She replied and looked at the champions mansion with the recognizable icon above it's door. "You live with her?"
"Linna please…" Merrill tried to say before being interrupted by her.
"How can you be in a relationship with the one who slaughtered our entire clan!"
"Lethallan, please, none of us meant for it to happen, I-"
"You helped her!"
"Lower your weapon!" Another voice sounded. Carla Hawke appeared in the door, she had been alarmed by her dog and had heard some of the ruckus. "Neither Merrill nor I wished for your clan to get hurt, but they attacked us, if we hadn't defended ourselves we would've been dead!"
Linna brought forth a staff she had picked up earlier. "What about Anders? You killed one of my best friends, the first man I recruited into the Wardens myself!"
"Anders blew up the entire chantry and all the people within, if I hadn't done justice by him then someone else would later." Carla answered.
While arguing a light shined behind them and Ashalle seemed to be changing her form.
"What triggery is this?" Linna yelled and looked at Merrill.
"It is not me Lethallan…"
When the smoke cleared Flemeth stood where Ashalle had seconds ago. She cracked her neck like she used to and looked at the two heroes.
"Flemeth?" They both said and looked at each other again.
"That's me!" She replied. "I'm also known as Ashalle, Gorim, Leske, Ser Gilmore, Jowan and Cyrion… You could say I keep my fingers in a lot of pockets…" She laughed and placed her right hand on her hip. "So my two heroes finally meet face to face, a little earlier than what I had planned, but what the heck…"
"Who are those people you just summed up?" Carla asked while shifting her confused stare from Flemeth to Linna to Merrill.
"Those people are- or were rather, individuals who were close to a number of people who had the possibility to become grey wardens. Unlucky for most of them, Duncan only decided to go for the Dalish girl…" She pointed at Linna and laughed.
"So this is when you get your revenge for me killing you?" Linna asked.
"Ah, yes, my appointment!" Flemeth giggled.
"So she was the reason why I had to smuggle you to Kirkwall!" Carla sheathed her weapon and went close to Flemeth.
"Nope, my daughter is, she is just the one who committed the deed." She turned around. "But enough of this, even if this is earlier than what I expected this will have to do…" She waved her hands and a small explosion of smoke appeared before her. When it cleared a large mirror was placed before them.
"An Eluvian?" Merrill stated and ran up to the heroes sides.
"Enter and I shall reveal the truth to you…" Flemeth waved her hand towards the mirror and went up to stand beside it.
"I know it's a portal Flemeth, Morrigan used one such mirror like this." Linna crossed her arms.
Meanwhile Merrill pulled at Carla's arm. "Come Ma Vhenan, this is so exciting!"
"Wait," she stopped Merrill, "Marethari said that the mirror is a doorway for demons to enter our world…"
"Bah!" Flemeth replied, "Marethari knows nothing about Eluvians. It is true that the corrupted ones do become infected with demonic powers, but clean ones such as this one only uses a fade connection to channel physical appearances between each other – they are portals. I believe you are familiar with the concept of lyrium and channelling through the fade am I right?" She pointed at Linna.
Linna looked down and back up when she realized what she was on about. "Amgarrak…"
"Exactly, this is not so much different, the dwarves and old Arlatahan is more connected than you know."
"Very well, if this will give some sort of explanation I am willing to follow… I have already lost everything I cared about… Ashalle, My dog, my clan… Even Leliana…" Linna said this and headed into the Eluvian, after a quick flash she was away.
"And the Champion?" Flemeth looked towards the last two.
"There seem to be more connections than I am aware of… Let's go then…" She grapped Merrill's hand and headed into the mirror with her. A split second after her dog came bolting out of the house and leaped into the mirror as well. Flemeth took a last look around Kirkwall before she grinned and went into the mirror herself.
A strong flash later the mirror and every trace of what had been the Champion and the Warden had disappeared.
"There he is!" The seeker Cassandra Pentagast yelled and pointed at Varric who was trying to escape her men. Eventually they caught him – the story was about to begin.
So, i hope you enjoyed it. Point at the connections and draw a few lines, i think everything is more connected in the Dragon age universe than what they lead on, i hope they will clear some air in future DLC and/or games.
Please Review, I'd love to hear some ideas on the topic.