Chapter 2: Not so Bad

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He looked at me warily, hands––I mean hand slightly raised after he put the staff against the wall. I think he was expecting me to scream again but I just stood there, staring at him.

Actually, I stood there still considering if perhaps I was in some sort of crazy dream.

This isn't happening. This couldn't be happening. There is no way that a giant demonic wolf had attacked me and I was saved by a video game fiction character that was standing right before me. I was expecting him to disappear like the wolf did, but nothing was happening. We were both silent and weary of one another.

"…My Lady?" He tried again, taking a step forward. "Please, listen, I am not here to hurt you. I am merely lost, and I do apologize for intruding in your home."

The cape hung loosely over his left shoulder, hiding the left arm, but I know what I saw. He was missing a forearm.

That had to be like… like after the Trespasser DLC right?

Hahaha… He is trespassing…

Wait…

"How…" I managed to speak and I took a moment to swallow and clear my throat. I continued, "How did you get here? You are not supposed to be here."

He blinked at me. Huh. He likes to blink.

He gestured to the wardrobe. "I had to escape from some wolves. They had me outnumbered and so I went through a mirror, and here I am."

"The Eluvian?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes… How do you know what is an Eluvian mirror?" He asked me.

"I–… Well–… YOU! Are NOT supposed to be REAL!" I suddenly snapped, catching him off guard as I quickly went over to the wardrobe. I opened the doors and there was nothing but the chestnut wall of the wardrobe.

Opening the doors wide, I pointed at the wardrobe.

"How did you and that thing come out from that?" I asked since there was no magic portal there or anything.

His eyes widened as well and quickly he went over to the wardrobe to inspect. He touched the wall of the wardrobe and started knocking on it. He then got out of it and went around behind it to inspect. Nothing.

He stepped back now, probably suddenly realizing…

He was stuck here.

Now… I'm still freaking out why he's here. I mean, I know he's real now. Very, very real. I feel wide awake and I just witnessed magic in front of my eyes no matter how impossible it was.

"I… I need to get back!" He said as went to grab his stuff and went up to the wardrobe again.

Standing aside, I watched him as he held out his right hand. He called out some Elvhen words that I didn't understand but I heard the words: Enansal and Vir'vhenas.

He repeated the line so many times, but still nothing worked.

Then he stopped, giving up.

"…Mahanon?" I tried, guessing that that was his name.

And it was indeed as he looked at me, confused and surprised.

"That's… my name. You know my name?" He inquired. Had no one ever called him by his name? Then again in the game, I've never heard any of them call his name other than calling him Lavellan.

"You are Inquisitor Lavellan, right?" I tried again, just to make certain even though the missing left arm is a dead give–away.

"Former, though people still call me that, yes." A title that still bore respect even though it's been long gone. Former meant that they had disbanded then rather than becoming a peacekeeping organization.

He decided to ask. "Where in Thedas are we? I must have travelled far from the Anderfels."

Anderfels? What was he doing at the Anderfels?

Shaking my head, I proceeded to tell him. "Inquisitor! You are not in Thedas… In fact, you are far, far away from Thedas."

He looked at me like I was crazy, but then his eyes widened a bit as if realizing I was telling the truth.

"What do you mean?"

"Mom?" A soft voice called and the two of us looked at the open door and saw two of my children there, standing confused.

Ethan tried again, "Mom. Who's that?"

"Is that your boyfriend?" Sophie unhelpfully asked.

I swear I saw a smile twitching upon the Inquisitor's lips. Walking over to my kids, I had them turn around and march. "Upstairs, you two. Now."

"But who's the weirdo?"

"Why is he wearing armor?"

"Is he from the Medieval Times Tournament?"

"He's carrying a staff. Is he a wizard?"

"Those are elf ears, right? Is he related to that Elf King in the Hobbit?"

My fault. I have dorky brats too.

I stopped for a moment, realizing Mahanon didn't follow us. "Uhm! Inquisitor, please come upstairs!"

Once he did, I asked him to stay as I took my kids up the second floor, trying to get them to bed again. I told them several times that he was not my boyfriend and after threatening to ban cookies tomorrow, they went to their respectful bedrooms and off to sleep.

With that, I went to my closet and gathered clothes that were my husband's. I can't believe how lucky Mahanon was that I didn't throw away my husband's clothing that he left behind. And I had washed them, just in case he came back.

Then I would skewer him if he came back.

I went downstairs again but slowly when I saw that he was looking around in awe. He was over at the buffet table, looking at the photographs that I placed there as reminder. I slowly descended down the stairs and set the clothes and towel aside on the side table, watching him pick up one of the photos.

Walking over to him, I spoke, "That's when we went to an amusement park."

"An amusement park?" He asked curiously, turning to me.

"It's a place where we go to have fun."

He nodded but I'm sure he still had no idea what an amusement park is. "These paintings… they're very… real. I've never seen anything like it."

"They're photos rather than paintings," I explained to him. "They were taken by a device called a camera."

"How does it work?"

"I am not sure but it has to do with the light and it captures that light and image." I really had no fucking clue, but it's the best explanation I can think of. "I didn't create the device. I've only bought it from a vendor."

I was careful with my words, only using those that I was sure the Inquisitor would understand. He stared at the photo a bit more before slowly placed it back down.

"I am not in Thedas anymore, am I?" He asked then slowly he turned to face me and my heart fluttered a bit.

See, I'm used to seeing the back of his head when playing the game, running around here and there. Then I see him in front of me, and I thought… he was handsome. Very handsome. I think Cullen lost his spot of being the most handsome.

Ugh, what am I thinking?

"You have me at a disadvantage, My Lady. You know my name when others do not…" He pointed out. Right, I had a lot of explaining to do.

"My name is Hannah… That wolf that you killed? That didn't happen to be Fen'Harel, was it?"

His eyes widened, surprised that I knew the name. "No, it was just a void creature."

Oh good. That would have been an "anti-climatic ending for the Dread Wolf" (credit to ryderofclouds).

But wait…

"A void creature?" Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is this? Is this really after the game? It has to be. How much time had passed since then?

"Yes. It's a very long story, and I really need to get back to my world, but…" He was stuck here at the moment. The portal that was supposed to be in the wardrobe is not there, and no mirror is there. It would have made more sense if there was a mirror there.

It's strange though how he's taking this so well.

Also odd how I'm taking this so well that the Dragon Age series is actually a very real thing.

"This world is called Earth, very different from yours," I told him. "In our world, we don't have magic."

Shock flashed across his face before understanding softened it.

"Is that why I can barely feel the fade?" He asked. "I mean it's there, but then there's a thick wall."

Huh. That's something good to know.

I only shrugged. "I do not sense it, sorry. We also don't believe a fade exists here, and thus no magic whatsoever…"

"Alright… now may I ask how you seem to know my name? And Fen'harel?" He inquired, now getting to the most serious parts. I'm surprised he didn't ask me that the beginning, but then again, he is very… calm. He's so level–headed, and maybe he had already seen so much shit that any new shit that comes up, he can handle it like a boss.

Like… really, he's so… much like a Leader.

"U–umm… How should I say this? …Your world is a storybook here."

He raised his brow at that. "A storybook?"

"Yeah. Like a pick–your–own–adventure storybook," I explained. This was harder than I thought. "There are three books. The first book was about the Hero of Ferelden, the second was about Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, and the recent third book is about the Inquisitor slash Herald of Andraste."

"And the third book is about me?"

"I mentioned pick–your–own–adventure yes? Well, you could either be a human, a dwarf, an elf, or a Qunari to be the Herald of Andraste. In this case, you are the Herald of Andraste. A Dalish elf from Clan Lavellan, and seeing your staff, you were the First of your clan, right?"

He nodded, looking at me as if I was crazy, then again all of this is crazy.

"Also you could make choices in this storybook and whatever choice you make, you would go to that specific page of the storybook and find out like for example… When the Iron Bull told you that the Qunari wanted an alliance, a mission came up that you all did to stop the shipment of red lyrium, but things went awry and you had to choose between retreating the Chargers or not retreat. What did you choose?"

"Not retreat." Mahanon looked at me skeptically.

"Then, if you chose not retreat, the Iron Bull had ignored the orders of the Viddasala," I told him and his eyes widened when I said her name. "Now, if you didn't choose to call off the retreat, the Iron Bull would have betrayed you and would try to kill you and your companions."

He was really shocked to hear that and he swallowed a bit. "…But he didn't."

"Yes, because you chose to save the Chargers, making him Tal'Vashoth." I pointed out. "Thus, he will not listen to any of the Qun members."

"I see…" He fell into deep thought.

I blinked at him. "…You are taking this very… well."

That made him laugh. "No, no, no, I am not. I am… well, I am still trying to understand without… panicking…" He paused a moment. "So… do you know how this ends? What is Solas going to do?"

I frowned at that.

"That's in the next story book, which won't be for a couple of years, I think," I told him. "The last story ended with the conclusion of you, Cassandra, Leliana, and Harding going to Tevinter."

His brows raised. "We did go to Tevinter."

"Oh… How is it? How's Dorian––I mean, Magister Pavus doing?" I asked a bit excitedly, and my behavior made his brow raised, but his smile widened.

"You really do know everything of us."

"Mostly everything. Are you and Dorian together?" My question made his expression turned to horror.

What did I say?

He hesitated. "Um, no… Bull, I think, would kill me even if he still calls me Boss."

Oh…

"So who are you with?" I asked again, and yes, I am prying rudely, but he doesn't mind answering.

In fact, he did answer with a laugh. "I am with no one."

Ohhh…

"Wait. The story says I'm with Dorian?" His eyes were laughing, finding all of this amusing.

"What? No. No, no, I mean, you could have been but it all depends. See, this storybook also comes with pick–who–you–want–to–fall–in–love–with."

"Really?"

And so the time passed as we conversed more about the storybook I told of him to be in and gave more proof of the truth. He's really not freaked out by all this, but I think he's more… flattered and also amused of what I know.

Then, I told him more of this world as much as I could and asked whatever question he had. It was nice, and it almost felt like I was dreaming if I wasn't so sleepy.

My eyes glanced up at the clock and my eyes widened to see.

It was 4:00 a.m.

"Oh look at the time. It's so late!" Standing up, I walked over to the clothes and the towel I had folded for him.

For the next fifteen minutes, I had to educate him about the bathroom. See, I sort of watched this web–based series of Riftworld Chronicles, and the guy from medieval times peed in the trash bin. I love Mahanon, but I would also kick him out if he peed in the trash bin.

"So…the wastes would flush down? Down to where?" He asked, eyes wide.

"It goes to a sewer treatment plant and there, wastes gets properly thrown away without destroying the environment… this is a big leap from the latrines, huh?"

"Yes… very much yes."

Then I showed him the shower and before he would go to wash up, I showed him where he would sleep, which is right next to the bathroom.

The guest bedroom is usually where my parents would sleep when they come over to visit all the way from San Francisco, but since they're not here, he can use it. Plus, the sheets are clean.

"Well umm… I'll leave you now to rest," I told him.

He smiled at warmly. "Thank you, this is… most kind. I am a stranger and yet you let me stay."

"Not so much a stranger, Mahanon––I mean Inquisitor."

"Please, call me, Mahanon… I've never been called that for years."

"O–Oh, then…alright. Mahanon." I give him my best smile and he gave me his. My heart really fluttered. Now how the hell am I supposed to sleep tonight?

"Good night, Lady Hannah."

"G–Good night, Mahanon."

With that, I went upstairs a bit, resisting the urge to look back as I head into my bedroom. This is crazy! I'm letting a fictional character stay in my room! If it weren't for the magic and the demonic wolf, I would have already called the police, but..!

I plopped down on my bed, looking at the ceiling.

Only one way to know this isn't a dream.

Tomorrow, if I wake up and he's not there, then it's a dream, but if it's not…

I have gone completely mental. My kids too.

But that's not so bad.

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Notes: Yay! Just in time for Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Day everybody!