"Ser Rutherford? Are you feeling alright?" A Templar asked Cullen as he stumbled his fingers over the clasps of his chestplate.
"I...What? Oh yes...Sorry, I've just been having a hard time sleeping these past few days."
"Ah, it's strange sleeping with all these...walking abominations around isn't it?" But Cullen didn't hear the other Templar. Instead he began to think about the nightmares that have been plaguing him for the past days.
He ran as fast as his body would carry him, the demons were not too far behind. Cullen looked over his shoulder and regretted the decision because each demon wore the face of someone he knew. His mother, father, sisters, brothers, the Revered Mother, the Knight-Commander, and several other faces he didn't have time to recognize. A door appeared in front of him and Cullen thanked the Maker as he drew closer. He passed the door frame and the door slammed shut behind him.
He awoke with a start.
The next night only seemed to continue the dream.
The room was damp and dark. Cullen stood absolutely still, hoping to somehow sense where he was. A soft, green light flickered in the distance and the Templar felt himself drawn to it. Slowly, he began to move forward, but his legs felt heavy like he was wading through mud. However that didn't deter him. Cullen had to reach the light. It called to him, a beacon in the darkness, and ever so slowly the light grew stronger as it drew closer. Soon the light was just a few feet away and Cullen could make out the flickering form of a person. It appeared to be reaching out to him, but as soon as he stretched out his own arm to take hold of the figure he jolted awake.
He sat up in his bunk for a moment, trying to calm his breathing, before flopping back again hoping that maybe sleep would come again. But it didn't and Cullen carried on with the rest of his day, wondering who the figure was in his dream.
That evening when the Templar settled down for the night, he did his best to return to the strange dream. However the Fade seemed to have other plans.
He was back home with his family. The day before he was taken to the tower. Everyone had just finished up the meal and were now excitedly chattering away. Cullen excused himself and headed out towards the lake. As he headed down the path he saw that same green light on the edge of the water. Even though he could barely make out a figure, Cullen could tell that it was smiling at him. He had to know what this light was and broke out into a sprint towards the docks. The land around him warbled and warped before demons (why was it always demons?) tore through the earth and lashed out at him. Instinctively, Cullen reached for a sword, but there was nothing there. The demons drew closer and the Templar could feel their claws scraping against his flesh. He screamed and lashed out, doing all he could to fight off the horde. But it was no use, he was quickly overwhelmed.
Cullen screamed and fell off his bunk onto the stone floor. The other Templars just laughed.
"Alright. Where are you…" Cullen paced around in the darkness of his dreaming mind.
"Ser Templar? Are you alright?" A mage (it sounded female) approached him. Perhaps...he wasn't dreaming. He looked around, he was in the Tower, on his post by the library. Had he blacked out during his watch and not realized it? Maker he hoped not.
"Ser...Are. You. Alright?" The mage asked slowly and Cullen tried to focus on her, but found he couldn't.
"I...I'm not sure. Is this a dream?" He looked up at the ceiling.
"Of course it is. That's why it's so empty." The mage answered as casually as if he had asked if the sky was blue, "You've been having quite the difficult time this past week." Her voice sounded so familiar.
Cullen tensed, "How...How do you know that?"
"Because I was there. I saw those demons."
"And you didn't help?" A hint of anger tinged his voice.
"I…" She faltered, "Couldn't. I don't know what that would have done to you."
Cullen was silent, he wasn't sure of what to make of this. The mage spun on her heel and began to walk away.
"Wait...Who are you?" The Templar called.
"A friend. Kind of." And with that the mage vanished in a flash of green light.
Cullen stood at his normal post by the Library, eyes scanning the halls as mages walked by. He was still unused to the sensation of feeling the Veil around him shifting from so much magic in the area. His thoughts occasionally drifted back to his dreams, trying to pin the voice of the mage in his dream to one of the mages in the Tower. The mystery was beginning to really bother him. A gut feeling told him that it was one of the mages in the Tower. A loud shriek and muffled crash brought Cullen back to reality and he instinctively ran into the library where the shriek came from.
On the floor lie several mages and a few Templars sprawled out under a heap of books.
"Oh...Ow…" Anaise's head popped up from under a rather large spellbook, "Sienna? You alright?" the other Elvhen mage slowly crawled out from the pile, looking fairly disheveled.
"Think we're banned from stacking duty?"
"How much you wanna bet they'll say Blood magic was involved?"
The Flame mage held up her hand, "Oh no! Look papercuts! Blood magic indeed! I can feel the demons already!" she dramatically flailed and several mages snickered then everyone began cleaning up the mess.
"I saw those demons. Book demons. Worst kind." Anaise glanced over at Cullen and flashed a humoured smile. The Templar however, froze. I saw those demons. He stared at the Ice mage and felt the colour drain from his face.
Of all the people to dream about...why her? Oh Maker, why her?