The scream died in her throat before she could even let it out as she came into being in the back section of an unusual peculiar shop of oddities and intrigue. It was located underground upon a cliff precariously hanging over a steep drop down toward a ravine that gave of a mystifying green glow. A simple wooden bridge with wooden fence posts allowed one to cross over the ravine up and out toward the exit. The walls of the shop were adorned in metal and wooden bookshelves, held up by large metal chain links and large wooden struts underneath them. The high arching wooden roof was kept up by rafters and struts and a sole opening led up and out. White crow, black doves and canopy of vines and peculiar plants inhabited the rafters. In the center of the shop was single raised slab with a grand chair illuminated by a stream of light from above. Vines nearly overtaking the single occupant of the chair.

Lena could only see the back of the chair as she managed to stop herself from falling over. Her grip on her bags tight as she shivered. "What... where am I?" Her voice squeaked. The sound of stone grating against stone and loud thumping on wood alerted her to something, or someone, approaching.

A large thing made of stone, carved into with runic symbols she couldn't understand approached her. Its skin was stone, or granite, or some kind of mineral she'd never seen before. The runic symbols all glowed but somehow did not illuminate. Beside the stone golem was a small child, peering down at her with curiosity. The child was taller than her! She gaped up at the child

"Who is it? How did they get past the wards?" A voice reverberated around the entire shop and Lena gulped as she took in her surroundings. Tables laden with books, a box with muffled screaming, and a large towering mirror with all assortment of candles around it.

"Thaddeus, bring them to me." The voice reverberated and Lena yelped, trying to turn and run as large stony fingers gripped her arm and dragged her forward.

"Hey! Wait... stop it!" She tripped immediately and was dragged across the floor. Lena glared at her feet only to see her pants were too long as they flowed over her flats, which she could feel were breaking at the seams and popped off and out from her pants. The once loose and flowing tunic she wore now fit her snuggly and flared at her hips. Her body was thicker than she remembered and far too short; her feet were bigger and her hands... well her hands were just as small as she recalled, with short stubby fingers. She froze, hands touching her stomach and hips.

Now Lena had never been model thin, but she had never been obese. Sure she would admit she was chunky but this was... this was far more than just chunky, more than just overweight. She was now thick and it wasn't as distributed with her height because now she was short. If she'd have to guess, she lost a whole foot maybe even more.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY?" Lena screeched as she was set in front of the grand plush chair and came face to face with that of a skeleton with a large book propped up by a hand. It's head moved, traces of blackened and aged tendons moving it and dead eyes taking her in. The smell of long aged putrefaction making her gag and turn away.

"How rude! Now kindly tell me how did you get in here?" It jaw moved, yet there was no tendons there and it seemed to move completely disembodied by the rest of it.

"What... who..." Lena asked bewildered. "What are you?!"

A wheezing cough sounded from the skeleton and Lena shuddered at the burst of dust from its mouth. "I should be asking you that. Hmm, a dwarf with no magic, no surprise."

"Who-who are you?" Lena had an idea but it was impossible. No way. But, considering she had been in a bookstore called the Antiquarian. This was no coincidence. Where did Rahmi send me, what was Rahmi? What was Daerin? What happened? Why did they do this?! Her head swam with questions.

"I am Xenon the Antiquarian and you were not invited to my shop. Yet how did you get in here? Did the Carta send you?" It's mouth continued to move but it.. his name made Lena feel dread, made her stomach drop and it made Lena sick.

No no. No! I cannot be here. Not here. That's not possible! Lena searched around her, from the Stone Golem to the Mirror of Transformation, each item damning her to the realization that was creeping on her. "No! No one sent me... I ... I was looking at a book and then... I was here." She babbled her explanation, body shaking.

"A book?" The skeleton, Xenon hummed in thought, its head swiveling. "What kind of book?"

"I-I... don't know!" Lena stuttered, shrinking away from Xenon.

"Bah! You're useless. Thaddeus, see that the dwarf leaves." Xenon turned back to the book he had and once again the large stone hand grabbed Lena.

"Dwarf?!" She snapped and then looked at her body and it clicked. She was a dwarf! She looked up at Xenon even as she was effectively thrown out of the shop, her belongings strewn around her as she scrambled up and tried for the door as it slammed shut. "Wait! I have questions!" She yelped and banged on the door but the door disappeared into the sandstone wall in front of her with a faint shimmering blue. She jumped back and gaped at the door. "What the fuck..."

Her head whipped back and forth around her. It looked like a covered alley, dark and dusty. Distant echoes of the ocean and the general stench of a sewer not far made her gag. If she were to assume she was where she thought she was, then that'd put her in Darktown. Somewhere she did not want to be. With haste, she picked up her items, cursing as she stubbed her now large and bare feet and then rolled her pants up. At least, her fingers were the same. Their familiarity gave her some comfort as she gathered her items and effects.

Her carry on now looked like a large suitcase, filled with clothes that would be too big and too long for her and the odd electronic she brought with her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed and looked around her frantically. Once sure no one was around, she dug into the case and yanked out a small metal box, her iPhone. Unlocking it, she cringed when the unlocking sound played and echoed around. Quickly turning the volume down, she paused at No Signal on the top left made her frown. Of course there wouldn't be signal. She sniffed, her eyes tearing up as she stuffed everything else she had on her in the case, even if it made it bursting. Her small backpack was too large for her new dwarfish body. At the very least, she didn't feel heavier so her mass was still the same.

Wiping her tears away, she looked around again. She couldn't stay here. Could she?

No, she couldn't. Especially as she tried once again to find the door she was thrust from. There were no seams, no knobs, no latch for a hidden entrance; it was just a smooth sandstone wall. Her fingers caught on nothing, at least where she could reach. Minutes of exploration turned to an hour of her getting desperate. She banged her fist on the wall, pleading to be let back in but no one answered her.

Finally pulling out a single tube of lipstick from her suitcase she marked the wall, intent on coming back to this spot. Then she picked a direction and began trekking that way, sticking to the left. She responded to each sound and echo around her, showing just how jumpy she was. Eyes wide and trying to make sure no one or thing snuck up on her.

Was it actually possible she was in Kirkwall? It seemed like madness, the very thing she used to write about happening and yet here she was. No No. Better be sure first. For all she knew she could have been dosed. The tea she drank could have been laced with some large quantities of LSD. She'd never once had a good acid trip. She could be lying defenseless in an antique shop in the middle of bumfucknowhere with two strangers... She stopped that train of thought as she shivered at the implications of what could be happening to her now, to her defenseless body.

But if this was a hallucination or a dream, this was very unlike any dream she'd ever had. Lucid or otherwise.

Her bare feet slapped against the sandstone and she froze as a high pitched screech made her turn around a corner, only to see the largest rat she'd ever had the misfortune of coming across. It was being kicked at repeatedly by a giant of a person. No... a normal sized person. She was the one who was tiny now. She slid back around the corner, and peeked around.

"Blasted things." A distinctly accented female voice griped. Lena twitched as the screeching of the rat died off suddenly. The rat was likely dead. She gulped and looked again.

"Where's your man?" Another said, this one male. Lena once again peeked around the corner, and watched as the two lingered. Hoods drawn and very pointy swords in their hands as they dispatched and shucked away the giant rat.

"He'll be here." The woman said, arms crossed. Lena could see she was barefoot and wore light green cloth clothes with dark brown leathers strapped over her shins, and arms. Between the space of her gloves and sleeves, Lena could spot intricate blue tattoos or markings that disappeared underneath the cloth and she could spot them again where the woman's shoulders were somewhat exposed. Lena watched as she pulled her light brown hood down revealing dark blonde locks pinned back into a high bun, but that wasn't what drew Lena's eyes. No it was the woman's ears which were large, elongated, and pointed.

That's an elf! Lena snapped back around and pressed against the wall, her hand clutched at her chest. She wanted to scream and point but managed to keep herself from saying anything. Instead she looked around like the eavesdropper that she was. She took in the elf's eyes and they were large and wide and unsettling to look at. Lena noticed everything else off about the woman-elf. She was too thin when compared with how much armor she was wearing and her head a tad too large for her body.

"Quiet... there he is." The female elf said, drawing Lena's attention back to the conversation she'd missed. Instead faint footsteps drew Lena's gaze toward where they looked, down the corridor. A dark haired man with scruff on his chin and he looked around suspiciously, making sure the corridor was empty. Lena ducked back around her corner and listened.

"Raleigh, back again." The female elf said with a bit of haughtiness to her voice. "You got the coin?"

"Athenril. You know I'm good for it." The man's rich voice made Lena choke.

Lena stuffed her fist into her mouth. Between the names and the voices, she recognized both parties. But who was the third man? She desperately wanted to look and figure it out but she also didn't want to get caught. They had swords; pointy and deadly swords that could skewer her alive and she did not have a death wish.

"That's what you said last time. I've yet to see the five crowns from last time." Athenril's voice took on a dangerous tone. "You wouldn't want to upset my boss, would you?"

"Like he'd come out for someone like me." Raleigh scoffed.

"You sure you want to risk Harlan's wrath?" Athenril pressed. Lena had to strain to hear them now, she skirted dangerously close to the corner. Some mumbled words passed between them but she couldn't hear.

"You've got the lyrium or not?" Raleigh grumbled.

Lyrium! Good lord, that's right they are smugglers after all. But I thought the Carta would have issues with people on their turf. Lena mused. She risked exposure and looked around the corner.

"Depends." Athenril mused, unbothered by Raleigh's agitation.

"Fine, here's your gold." A purse of coins exchanged hands and Athenril gave a pleased hum as she counted it out. "Well?"

"Here." The third fellow now spoke, hopping off the crate he had sat on. "Enough lyrium for the month." Raleigh went to grab it but the unnamed fellow pulled the small box back. "But if I hear of you tarnishing my name again, Samson. Then you'll be swiftly meeting the depths of the Waking Sea. Understand?"

"H-Harlan?!" Samson shied back but didn't stumble even as the third fellow raised a sword and pointed it at him.

"Aye. Don't think I've gotten too big to deal with you addicts." Harlan spat.

Their voices lowered imperceptibly and Lena leaned a bit more around the corner to try and listen. What were they saying? Was the lyrium deal going sour?

It was then Lena felt something brush against her foot. It was large and furry with an elongated tail. It was not one rat but two very large rats. Lena was not fond of rats or mice, or most rodents in general. They were, to her knowledge, disease ridden pests and nuisances. So when she looked down and saw two rats darting past her legs and around the corner, she gave a shriek. A tick too late she covered her mouth.

"Who's there?!"

There was a scuffle and the sounds of fighting. The rats, in response to her startled shriek and the screaming Athenril and Harlan gave their own frightened screech. Their teeth flashing in the low light and went straight for her feet.

"SAMSON! GET BACK HERE."

There was someone running now, their footsteps echoing around her as she stumbled away from the rats, trying to avoid their bite.

"Get him, Athenril!"

She stumbled back, yanking her suitcase down to try and bludgeon the vermin. She tripped out into the corridor, running on poorly placed instinct as she moved further from the rodents and out into the open. And unfortunately into the running form of Athenril who tripped over her and they both went careening to the floor just as Samson darted around another corner, lost to the maze of Darktown.

Once she got her bearings and Athenril also rose taking off quickly without giving her a second glance, Lena quickly found herself with a dagger held to her throat and slammed against the sandstone wall.

"You! What's your name, dwarf?" Harlan turned out to be a brutish looking fellow with a long scar down one side of his face that placed his mouth into a permanent grimace made worse when he snarled at her. His dull grey eyes boring into her dark brown ones and his grip tight and harsh against her shoulders.

Lena yelped as her feet kicked at the empty air below her.

"L-Lena..." She stammered, eyes drawn to the sharpened edge of the dagger.

"Well well. Are you with the Carta? Are they finally making their move?" Harlan pestered her.

"No-No! I'm not with anyone! I'm no-one!"

Harlan spat a globule of black tar onto the floor, his gaze hard as he examined her. "No one? Then why were you eavesdropping?"

"I wasn't dropping no eaves, sir!" She automatically fumbled over Samwise Gamgee's words with fake accent and all. That seemed to piss Harlan off and he growled.

Athenril came bounding up. "He got away. With the lyrium and the coin."

Lena gulped as Harlan scowled at her and then grinned. "Well well. Looks like this No one just became someone. Lena was it?"

She gulped but nodded. "Looks like you owe me fifteen crowns for the loss you caused by dropping eaves." The dagger pressed at her throat. She squawked as she felt it cut, barely skimmed the surface of her skin. "Check her bag."

"What- I don't-" Her words were cut off as the dagger was placed harder and blood began collecting into a drip. She refrained from gulping and remained silent. Athenril, once kicking away the rats that had indeed been bludgeoned by the suitcase, was at a loss as to how to open it.

"Sir…" She peeked up with confusion. "I'm not sure how to… what is this contraption?"

Harlan looked away from Lena to the bag and glowered. His hands came off her. She slumped down to the floor, barely catching herself right. A sword now held in front of it. "You dwarves, have to make everything so difficult. Open it."

Lena was sopping up the blood from her neck with her tunic but nodded and tripped over to her suitcase, still unused to her new shortened height. "You just…" She paused as Harlan gave a growl.

Right, don't talk just do. Don't do anything to piss off the man with the pointy sword and dagger. She undid the zipper and was pushed away. They rifled through her clothes and belongings. There were bottles, plastic bottles of her soaps and shampoos and even a regular bottle. They stopped at those, smelling the soaps and then looked to her. They bagged those.

That's when they found her iPad. Her eyes widened but they weren't paying attention as Harlan picked it up and turned it around. It was covered in a snug industrial rubber protective case. Lena always favored protecting her electronics. Why buy something for several thousands of dollars and not protect it? Athenril pulled her phone out and her iPod and she was met with their confused looks.

"You… what are these?"

Through the fear, she only managed one word "Ta-tablets…" She shuddered as they both rolled their eyes and tossed them haphazardly back in the bag. She could only imagine one of them probably now had a chip or crack in the screen but she was more concerned with the sword.

"These garments look too big for a dwarf." Athenril muttered. "You must be a thief."

"What! No-o. I'm not a thief! Those are mine!" She stammered, shivering as the sword cut her cheek and she fell back and away.

"Thief or no, these clearly don't suit you." Harlan gave a cruel laugh. "I bet some noble would pay a high price for these." He pulled up a single lacey bra of hers and his eyebrows rose.

"Wait-wait!" Lena tried but once again Harlan's sword pushed her back down to the ground where she shrunk against herself. "Pl-please… those are mine." The soaps she could live without but her clothes? She'd need something to cover herself.

Harlan didn't pay her any mind, even ignoring her except to insure the sword remained threatening as he sifted through her suitcase some more. Now that he knew how to open the zipper he blatantly began rifling through the pockets on the front, pulling out papers and then finally a wad of bills and some coin. He discarded the bills but focused on the coins, squinting at them.

Athenril on the other hand was now looking at Lena. Lena sent her a pleading look. She remembered the elf had never been mean in the game. She remembered the woman had even been logical and not spiteful, unless you actually screwed her over.

"Please…" She whimpered to Athenril who narrowed her eyes. A moment of intense sniffling and whimpering later however, the elf took a deep breath in and gave a nod.

"Harlan. Look at her." Athenril rose. "The garments are of high quality. And she's probably from Orzammar. Maybe even an exile from some noble house."

Harlan paused and looked back to Lena, his gaze now critically looking her up and down. They lingered on her chest and bottom, at first with mild appreciation, until he looked up at her face. He gave a grunt and turned to Athenril.

"She could work for you."

Work! Yes. She could do that!

"Hmph." Harlan stood up and gestured for her to do so as well. Only she was too slow, still shaken by the entire encounter. "Get up." he growled and she jumped, stumbling and twisted her ankle. She hopped on one foot and then stood still when Harlan gave a glare. "Turn around." She did as he asked, turning around until she faced him again, feeling like she was on display.

"You only had four silvers on you. So that's fourteen crowns and ninety-six silvers you still owe me."

Four silvers? She eyed the coin he held in his hands. Quarters. She almost wanted to correct him. Those weren't silver but she bit her tongue. Better he didn't know the truth of how very little silver were in quarters, if any at all was even in them. "Do you understand. I would have taken all your…items but I think I know someone who can fetch a much higher price for your…services." The way Harlan practically eye fucked her, raking his gaze up and down her body suggestively made her pale and feel sick.

No! She wouldn't do that! She had some self-respect for herself. She'd sooner clean up toilets on her hands and knees then prostitute herself.

"Or…" Athenril came to her rescue, stepping forward. "…she can work as a servant." Lena thanked the high stars for Athenril's kinder nature. She wanted to kiss the ground she walked on.

Harlan snorted. "If that's how she wants to repay me. But it'll take her years." Harlan turned away, sheathing his sword and walking "Deliver her to the Rose and make sure Madame Luisine knows how much in debt she is." Harlan turned from them and walked down.

Once the two were alone, Athenril turned a sharp gaze to her. "You owe me."

"Bi-big time. Tha-thank you." Lena felt tears come to her eyes again but she swallowed them down.

"No you don't understand. I put my neck out for you. That means if you screw up… its on me." Athenril pushed her back until she bumped against the wall. "Don't make me regret it." Elves as it turned out became decidedly scarier in darkened corridors, their eyes glowing and their teeth bared in anger. Lena shrunk away from Athenril.

"I- won't!" Lena promised and cringed as Athenril gave a deep throated growl before pulling away.

"Pick up your things, we have to make it there before the sun rises." Athenril crossed her arms and Lena carefully shoved her things back into her suitcase, trying to make it less bulky. It rolled just fine on uneven ground but going up stairs was a chore, so much so that Athenril simply hefted it up and carried it up, with Lena trailing after her. Her eyes taking in the alleys and twists and turns they took in the midst of Darktown as their bare feet barely made a sound.

Dozens of staircases later, Lena felt the strain in her thighs and the pain in her feet. She was barely used to the handful of stairs from NYC so walking the distance they crossed plus the increased number of stairs and the steepness they were angled at sometimes, she was overwhelmed. Her breath was short as she panted up the stairs and they came up from Darktown into an alley with a hidden area from the main roads of what looked like High town. Tall ornate buildings with small patches of grass and trees lining the walkways and beautiful arches every so often. The sky was dark and cloudy but Lena made out the glow of the moons. Plural.

Two moons. I really am in Kirkwall. In Thedas. She froze at the sight as the clouds revealed the starry sky. It was beautiful, gorgeous, and unrecognizable. The large arm of whatever galaxy they were in was not the arm of the Milky Way she knew. If this was even in a galaxy she knew of. But the speckled night sky was filled with stars, far more than she had ever been aware of looking at back home.

"Come on. The guards shouldn't be on patrol anymore." Athenril darted out and Lena gave a whine but ran after her, feeling the strain in her legs and lungs. She tripped a fair deal, used to much longer legs able to carry her further. She had to take nearly twice as many steps as Athenril had to and thus twice as many breaths as well.

She was more than just winded by the time a familiar sign came into view. The intricately designed pink and green rose on a wooden sign hung over a door on a walkway that was out of the way but if you knew where to look it was easy to find your way. There were other signs as on other doors but Lena didn't get a chance to examine them as she was pulled inside.

The Blooming Rose was quiet, as opposed to noisy. But as Athenril led her in, she saw why. The place was practically empty save for masked servants cleaning up the tables and bar, and shooing away the drunks and last customers. One such customer was heavily hooded and darted past her and Athenril. She caught only the flash of bright cerulean eyes and tanned skin as they quickly exited with a mumbled accented apology bumping into them.

"What's this? Athenril, you know you're not to come in here." An elderly woman with white locks and a stern pinched look, peered down at them. Between the overly colorful dress and overdone makeup, the woman was the very essence of a painted lady, yet she demanded respect.

"Harlan has a new girl for you." Athenril explained and pointed to Lena. Lena nervously stepped up and gazed up at the elderly woman. She recognized her as the brothel owner.

"That man…" Luisine sighed and shook her head.

"She owes him fifteen crowns." She offered with a smirk.

"Fifteen crowns!" Madame Luisine looked back at Lena with wide eyes and raised brows. "Whatever did she do to earn that steep of a debt?"

Athenril went to explain but Madame Luisine held her hand up and waved it off.

"Forget I asked. Its better I don't know." She huffed and tutted while looking Lena up and down. "I have no spare rooms. A cot will do for now. I'll see about getting a better look at you in the morning, I'm much too tired right now." Madame Luisine pulled her forward.

Lena looked back to see Athenril smirk and waved at her before she darted back out the door. The elderly woman gave a concerned look at her suitcase but shook her head, muttering as they walked toward a large open room with a single fireplace and many three tier bunk beds. "There. Sleep there, and I'll deal with you in the morning." She turned away as Lena climbed into the lower bunk, setting her suit case in the back corner as soundlessly as she could.

"Thank you." She slipped out as the woman went to exit but she gave her a squinted look.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Selena… Lena for short." She muttered as she pulled the thin blanket up over herself. A series of shushes sounded before grumbles as the others in the bunk turned over.

"Yes… well Lena. Don't thank me yet." Madame Luisine closed the door, leaving Lena curled up on her side. If it weren't for how exhausted she was, she probably would have cried herself to sleep but as soon as her eyes closed she was asleep. Perhaps when she woke up it would be back on the train away from this terrible nightmare.