Title: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Author: TheLegalAssassin

Summary: Trapped by Sloth in the Fade, the Warden must escape their dream.

AN: Basically a retelling of the beginning of the "Lost in Dreams" quest from Origins. I kinda felt it was a bit impersonal to the Warden and that it should've been tailored a bit more for their specific origin. Then again, I'm not a game designer and it's possible that was their initial idea, but they had to cut it for other stuff.

So yeah, here's a retelling for each of the origin stories, starting with the Human Noble.

Aedan's eyes snapped open and he sprang up, ready to take on the Sloth demon. But instead of a cold stone floor littered with corpses, he found himself in a soft, warm bed with someone – a very womanly someone – lying next to him.

Heart still racing and sweat still dripping down his forehead, Aedan looked over at his companion. Iona was beginning to stir, probably because of Aedan's sudden movement.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, adjusting her position.

"I… no. Just…" Howe's betrayal, his entire family dead, the Warden dragging him away from his parents, the beacon going up, Loghain's betrayal, the darkspawn falling upon him and Alistair. "… A bad dream. That's all." He rubbed his eyes. "It felt real, though."

There was a knock at the door and his mother's voice called through. "Aedan, you'd best come out if you want to say goodbye to your father."

"Give me a moment!" Aedan shouted back, wincing as Iona blinked wearily. "Sorry. We'll talk later, if that's alright." He threw his clothes on as fast as possible, hopping out the door while pulling on a boot.

Strange… Dane wasn't in Aedan's room. The mabari always slept in his room. Maybe someone let him out? Aedan thought groggily. He was sure Dane came into the bedroom with him and Iona after they… well, Dane came into the room when they were asleep, anyways. Aedan thought so, at least.

He could figure it out later. Now, he needed to see his father before he and Arl Howe left for Ostagar.

Something about the way to the entrance hall felt slightly off, but Aedan couldn't put his finger on it. He chalked it up to his still-waking mind.

Bryce stood armed and armored at the entrance. He was speaking with Eleanor, possibly last-minute good-byes. Orianna and Oren stood by them.

It had all been a terrible dream, then. Howe didn't betray his family. His parents, his sister-in-law, his nephew… all were alive. Teyrn Loghain didn't betray the king. Cailan was alive and Ferelden was still ready to face the Blight. Fergus wasn't lost to the Wilds or the darkspawn.

Aedan strode up to his family and drew his parents into a tight hug.

His father chuckled. "You haven't given a hug like this since you were a child." He commented.

"If you're trying to avoid answering why you were… with company…" Eleanor was trying to watch what she said around Oren.

Aedan let out a short laugh. He didn't care about his mother scolding him, even welcomed it. "It just feels like ages since I last saw either of you." He said. He didn't want to bring up the dream. He would seem hysterical and besides, it would be in bad taste to mention the Arl's role in it.

"Well, hopefully you won't be this broken up in the coming weeks, considering that I'll be gone for months." Bryce said. "You have to take care of the castle and your family in the meantime."

"I understand, Father." Aedan said. "Just… be careful out there?"

Bryce smiled. "I will, Aedan."

Aedan froze. There had been very few times in his life when his father called him by name. Unless his father was disappointed or angry or fearful – when Aedan had failed to do what had been entrusted to him, when he had embarrassed a visiting Bann with a prank, or when he had fallen out of a tree when he was a child – he never called his son "Aedan." It was always—

"Pup." The word was forced out of Aedan's tightened throat.

Bryce frowned. "What?"

"That's what you always call me…" And now everything fell into place, like a horrifying puzzle. Dane was missing. There was no one along the halls where there should've been guards or servants. And now the person or thing in front of him, masquerading as his father, slipped up. Aedan hadn't woken up. "That's what my father called me."

"I am your—"

"No." Aedan felt the weight of his armor resettle on him. He held the Cousland sword in one hand and the dagger in the other. "You're not. This isn't real."

The fake Eleanor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Darling, don't do this." She urged. "There's nothing for you outside. Stay here and be happy."

Aedan jerked her hand off, stepped back, and pointed his dagger at the imposter's throat. "I am a Grey Warden. And I am the last of the Couslands." He struggled to keep his voice even. "I vowed to protect Ferelden from the Blight, whatever the cost. I swore to take revenge on Arl Rendon Howe for his crimes, no matter what. And you are in my way." He swallowed. "Don't make me watch you die again."

The fake Eleanor's face contorted in rage. "Very well, mortal." She spat in an inhuman voice. "You will have the war and death you seek." She lunged at him, arms outstretched, and out of the corner of his eye Aedan could see the fake Bryce, Orianna, and Oren doing the same. He gripped his weapons and…

He made it quick.

Aedan panted, fighting down the nausea and to keep his body from shaking. There were no bodies… Thank the Maker for small mercies. He didn't think he could handle seeing his family's corpses again, imposters or not.

He waited for his heart to stop pounding against his chest and for the nausea to past. Once he had control of his limbs again, he walked toward the pedestal that had appeared in the room. He needed to find the others and leave this place. The mages and Ferelden couldn't afford to wait for him.

AN: Next up is the Mage origin.