As Cassandra and Leliana approached me, I tried to make sense of what was happening around me. The last think I remember was a flash of light before I woke up here. Maybe I'm still asleep, and this is all a dream. I'll wake up, and I'll be back in my house, right?

Cassandra walked behind me and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, just like she does in the first cutscene with her.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." She scowled getting up and moving to face me, "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

A moment passed, before I remembered that a dialogue wheel wasn't there to guide me through the conversation.

"And you think that whatever happened at... the Conclave, is because of me?" I nervously whispered. I'd went through this song and dance plenty of times, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm not still intimidated by the Seeker.

She grabbed my left hand, raising it up and making the shackles on my wrist clank together, "Explain this."

It was then that I felt a burning pain in my left palm, amplifying until a crackling green energy was emanating from it. I gasped from the feeling, fighting back tears. Is this what the player character had to go through?!

"I... I don't really think I can." I lied. I had a pretty good idea of how I got the Anchor, but I don't think explaining exactly how I knew would make sense to them.

"What do you mean?!" Cassandra shouted, obviously not satisfied.

"I-I don't know how this thing got onto my hand, I swear!"

Cassandra stared me dead in the eyes, before gripping both of my shoulders violently, earning a more than startled yelp from me, "You're lying!"

Before I had to endure any intimidation tactics from the Seeker, Leliana grabbed her by the arm and moved her further away.

"We need him, Cassandra." She said, turning back to face me now that Cassandra was at the doorway.

I shook my head, starting to freak out. This wasn't a dream. I felt the pain from the Anchor, the shock and fear from Cassandra. I was really here, in Haven.

"This can't be happening, why is this happening?! I was home one second, here the next! Why is this happening?!"

That had caught Leliana's attention. "So you don't remember what happened? How this began?"

I considered telling them everything, before realizing that might incriminate me more than saying I don't know what happened. So instead, I'll just echo what the characters said.

"I-I really don't. I mean, I guess I remember running from these c-creepy things, and then... a woman?"

"A woman?" Leliana said. Looking at her now, I knew that was her hoping that the Divine is still alive. I felt a pang of guilt for saying that now, but I'd already said it. I have to commit to it now.

"I think she reached out to me, but then..." I looked down and shut my eyes, pretending that I was searching for the memory in my head.

Cassandra approached, likely just as confused as I was, admittedly for different reasons.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take him to the rift."

Leliana nodded, and walked away. As Cassandra knelt down to undo the chains that kept me on the ground, I spoke.

"It's bad out there, isn't it?" It came out as a question, but I knew just how bad things were, and how much worse they were likely to get.

She paused, before echoing her scripted line. "It... would be easier to just show you."

As we walked through the doors, I looked up and saw it. Playing the game I'd always look at it and admire how much detail must have gone into it. Seeing it now, I felt a lump form in my throat, knowing what I had to do, what this would lead to. I stared at it for a moment, before realizing that Cassandra had been speaking. I turned to respond, before feeling the pain in my hand again, stronger than last time, the energy from the Anchor crackling violently around my arm. I doubled over, gasping for breath. Cassandra knelt down, so that we were both at eye level with each other.

"Each time the Breach expands, your Mark spreads... and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time."

"I..." I paused, thinking about my life before this. I know I'm going to help no matter what, but a large part of me wonders how I got here in the first place. If I help close the Breach, maybe I can find out how I got into this mess. "Alright. I'll help you stop this thing, in w-whatever I can."

Cassandra says nothing, but it's clear she didn't expect me to go along with this. She grabs the back of my t-shirt, and led me through Haven. Everywhere I looked, people stared back at me, scowling.

"They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead. We lash out like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves. As she did. Until the Breach is sealed."

That confirms that the events leading up to this are more of the same. A dead Divine, the Breach looming over everyone, the Anchor threatening to kill me. Except this time it actually is me, not the Dalish Elf I usually played as.

"There will be a trial. I can promise no more." She said, cutting the rope that kept my hands bound together.

"I... alright. Considering the mess we're in, that's all I can ask for, right now."

She gave me another surprised look, then shook her head.

"I... suppose I should ask you, what is your name?"

Her asking that caught me off guard. "You don't know my name?" I blurted out.

Cassandra gave me a look, before saying, "Leliana's people are still looking into who you are. I suppose I could wait and ask them, but I'd prefer it if you told me."

Oh. Now that I think about it, that does make much more sense. I'm not looking forward to things once Leliana's people can't find anything on me, though. I'm going to have to keep the more modernized parts of my life a secret unless I want to look like a maniac.

"My name is Garrius. Garrius Tawn." I told her. At least my name sounds somewhat age appropriate.

"Then come, Garrius. We should get to the forward camp, quickly."

It was then that we heard an ear shattering BOOM in the distance. Exactly where we were supposed to be going.

(Alright, that's a lot better than the previous chapter. I know that this chapter is still really similar to the actual story, but the next chapter will be aimed towards resolving that issue.)