The days that followed consisted of rebuilding, rebuilding, and more rebuilding and in the process what had once been a empty, crumbling castle gradually began to transform into a fortified, defendable fortress held by a growing number inhabitants. One such inhabitant, had set out upon a personal mission of learning about teleporting magic. Which led to him now talking to a rather eccentric looking mage in Skyhold's Library.

"Dorian Pavus." The mage said with a theatrical bow.

"Hardvak. Pleasure." The Nord introduced himself.

"It is isn't it?" Dorian said looking over the man quizzically. "I was wondering when I would meet you. I heard you brought a man back from the dead."

"Damn it. I had hoped to kill that rumor." Hardvak replied with a head scratch.

"I know the mage that pronounced him dead. He's no slouch when it comes to telling when someone has died."

"Whys that?"

"Mainly because he's me." Dorian answered causing Hardvak to sigh.

"It was easy to overlook." Hardvak defended. " In my experience some souls just tend to be rather too stubborn for their own good."

"Ha! Interestingly put." Dorian said with a laugh. " In any case, good to finally meet you. I believe you wanted to discuss something with me."

"Yeah. How much do you know about teleportation magic?" Hardvak asked intent on hearing a fruitful explanation. He would sadly end up being disappointed not just by Dorian, but Fiona and Viviene as well. The resulting depression caused him to sit in a large room at the bottom of the library. Just where the other mate had decided to call home.

"Do you have a moment?" An elvish voice asked. Hardvak looked over to see the image of the simple clothed Solas walk up beside him and bring him out of his stupor.

"Yeah. Whatcha need?" Hardvak asked as the elf sat down beside him.

"I talked with the Inquisitor yesterday. She mentioned that you are not Thedoican."

"Let me guess, you want to know more about the cat people?" Hardvak asked with a sigh which shifted immediately at Solas' response.

"At another time maybe, now I wish to discuss magic. Specifically yours."

Hardvak seemed confused by the topic. "It's magic. Manipulate the elements by waving your hands and concentrating. What's there to discuss?"

"Well for one, the type that lets you stop storms." Solas said. Finally understanding what Solas wanted to know, Hardvak's head drooped slightly.

"Right. Figured that would come up." Hardvak said turning to face the window that peered down into the valley below. "Follow me. Best do this where no one can get hurt." He said walking towards the door.

The pair left Skyhold and stopped in the valley, several hundred feet away from the nearest tent before Hardvak spoke again.

"So, what do you know about dragons?"

"Dragons? Admittedly, not much." Solas replied intrigued by the question. Hardvak smiled at the answer which just confirmed that more than one dragon indeed inhabited Thedas.

"Ok, well what can you tell me about the Dragons in Thedas?"

"Big, scaled up, reptilian creatures, with a knack for breathing elemental attacks." Solas replied.

"Right. Sort of like this." Hardvak said turning towards Solas' side and speaking loudly.

"YOL TUUR SHUL!"

A powerful wave of fire erupted from Hardvak's mouth and spilled out into the surrounding area in all directions for maybe a hundred feet before finally fading away. The resulting effect melted a good portion of snow and left Silas stunned.

"How?" The elf managed to speak.

"Dragon speech." Hardvak replied knowing full well he was going to have to explain further.


While Hardvak began the rather difficult process of explaining why that actually was, another conversation was occurring several hundred feet above them in the Tavern of Skyhold.

"Hey, Cole!" A female voice rang out through the Taverns's highest level.

Cole turned to meet the voice and saw that it came from none other than the Red haired Inquisitor herself strolling up the stairs to meet him.

"Hello." He replied simply.

"What are you doing up here?" She asked finally reaching the top step.

"Quiet…" He replied meekly.

The loud smash of a bottle echoed from downstairs as he finished.

"Yeah. Very quiet." Rayara replied.

"Not too quiet though." Cole said with a small smile. "Being here lets me think but also hear."

"People's emotions you mean?" Rayara asked hoping for specifications.

Cole nodded. "Yes."

"Prove it. What am I feeling right now?"

"Curious. A little tired. Stressed, and…worried?" Cole finished seemingly confused by his own answer. Rayara looked at him emotionlessly for a moment before letting out a light chuckle.

"Damn. Your good." Rayara replied taking the seat beside him. "How do you do that?

"I just hear things. I've always been able to." He answered as honest as he could.

"And you can do that for everyone?"

"Yes."

"What about Hardvak?"

"He's…..harder to hear." Cole said after finding the words.

"What do you mean? Magic?" Rayara asked.

"Yes. Like a wall built around his mind. I only get whispers." Cole replied in agreement.

"Ok. And what are those?"

"Sadness. Pain. Regret. And some worry." Cole revealed.

"Huh." Rayara said slightly surprised by the words. Whenever the two talked Hardvak seemed grumpy at times but never saddened or in pain. She doubted anyone else that talked to him would use those words either. "You helped him rebuild the dungeon right? He tell you why he felt that way?"

"A little bit. He said he made a lot of enemies, some of which were powerful enough to read his thoughts. But…there's still a lot I don't know about him."

"Preaching to the choir on that one." Rayara replied looking up to the ceiling in slight annoyance. Why did this guy have to be such an enigma? And more importantly, why did she still feel like she could trust him?

"Does he feel trustworthy? Like you could count on him to do something?"

"Yes." Cole replied after a small silence. He then looked over to the Inquisitor. "Why?"

When his eyes met hers though, she changed the subject. " tell you about the cat people?"

"Cat…people?" Cole repeated obviously dumbfounded by the idea. Rayara smiled at Cole's reaction before explaining what Josephine had told her.


So, you can actually talk to dragons?" Solas asked back.

"Yes. Well, if they're up for a conversation that is. Half the time they just want to fight, which gets annoying after a while." Hardvak said with a strange sense of annoyed nostalgia.

"But…But if they can speak, why choose not too?" Solas asked back.

"Dragons are prideful by nature. Far more prideful than the other races. A good portion of them would rather try to kill and eat you than talk to you because they view you as beneath them. You aren't worth their time to try and talk."

"I see…but still there must be some that disagree."

"Oh yeah plenty. One of my teachers is a dragon." Hardvak said looking up towards the blue sky. "Old bastard could throw down with the best of them. Also didn't hurt that he was philosophical."

"A dragon, taught you philosophy?" Solas asked now shocked beyond all reasoning.

"Well yeah. He's been around since the dawn of time. What did you think he would teach? Farming?" Hardvak said with a laugh. Solas eyes widened yet again at the detail. This guy wasn't making any sense. So apparently where he's from there's mortal-animal hybrids. Three different species of elves, four different species of humans, talking dragons who could be thousands of years old, and to top it all off, he had barely scratched the surface of magic.

"What was his name? This dragon?"

"Paarthunax." Hardvak said looking back towards the sky as several fond memories drifted back to his head. From fighting the World Eater to just sitting down and talking. Each one filled him with a sense of nostalgia that made him slightly wish he could go back to those days. He was brought out of those memories by the elf's next words.

"I…..I am amazed." Solas replied.

"Hey, it's crazy but it's Tamriel for you. You guys have some pretty 'out there' stuff too you know?" Hardvak replied.

"Perhaps. But yours are so different, it's hard to compare." Solas said with a slight chuckle of his own.

"Give me a few months out in the world. We'll see." Hardvak said back with a smile. "So, what about you?"

"What do you mean?" The elf asked.

"I've given you a few tales of my world, perhaps you can tell me yours?"

Solas gave him a look that asked for specifics.

"Dorian mentioned a race of beings called spirits when I went to talk to him earlier. Saying something about how they inhabited a place called the Fade. He said you were the elf to talk to." Hardvak said.

The conversation that occurred afterward did a great deal to shape Hardvak's ever changing look on this continent. The very idea of spirits not being similar to ghosts was interesting to him. From the description he got from Solas, they seemed more akin to Daedra that weren't assholes and that alone was curious. He made a note to study these creatures when he found more time and proceeded back to his work station.


Hours later, Hardvak nailed another beam into place before turning back to see Josephine standing behind across the room at the bottom of the stairs.

"Lady Ambassador, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The Nord asked.

"I was wondering if you had a few moments." Josephine said looking around the dungeon once again.

Hardvak nodded and dropped back down onto the newly strengthen dungeon floor. "What gentlemen never has time to to talk to a charming woman?" Hardvak asked back as he followed her up the stairs. Once back in the courtyard Josephine continued.

"Back in your home, this Tamriel. Did you hold any official titles?"

"Several actually." Hardvak replied.

"Such as?"

"Thane mainly. Though I did technically become an ambassador for a while." He said.

"And your exact skill set?"

"Warrior, farmer, architect, stablemaster, scholar, mage, cook, spy, and I guess technically Dovahkiin." Hardvak rambled, rolling the different titles off his tounge like a list.

"That word? What does it mean?" Josephine asked on the last one.

"Right, uh I guess the closest word for it would be Dragonborn."

"I see." Josephine replied writing something down which raised Hardvak's curiosity.

"Ok, why these questions all of a sudden?" He asked.

"I was hoping, seeing as how you haven't left Skyhold, that you would officially join the Inquisition."

"Ah." Hardvak replied moving his hand towards his beard.

"This is by no means an order." Josephine quickly added. "You are free to refuse. But a man like yourself would be an indispensable ally."

"Why did you join Lady Montilyet?" Hardvak asked.

"I…..I want to help build a lasting peace." Josephine said after a little thought. "Thedas needs stability now more than ever and I believe the Inquisition is the only organization that has a chance of accomplishing that goal."

Hardvak laughed long and hard after she finished her sentence confusing her to no end.

"Admirable. Very admirable Josephine." Hardvak said calming back down. "Forgive me. It's been a while since I've seen such dedication to make the world better." He looked up towards the scaffolding and could've sworn he saw Rayara talking to another figure, about what he wasn't sure but it seemed like important information. Putting that aside, he looked back to Josephine and continued.

"I have a proposition." Hardvak said causing Josephine no small amount of surprise. "I will become an ally of the Inquisition as will all of Tamriel. Or at least the non assholes will."

"You can speak for the entire continent?" Josephine asked.

"Hey, whether they know it or not, I've saved all of them at least three times. Which is more than I bet anyone alive has done. They owe me." Hardvak replied.

"Did you figure out a way to get back?"

"Unfortunately no. The mages don't seem to have that type of magic. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost." Hardvak said slightly depressed by the answers he had gotten.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Somewhere out there, might be a way for me to get back home, a forgotten form of magic maybe. I would like the Inquisition's permission to help out in the field." Hardvak answered.

"Very well, are there any particular areas you specialize in?" The ambassador asked with a nod.

"I prefer to know a little about a lot rather than the reverse." Hardvak replied.

" I see. Oh and one more thing, you don't have a last name?" She asked.

"Not that I know of." The Nord replied.

"Well then." Josephine began before writing down something on a particularly nice parchment. "Hardvak Dragonborn, I officially name you Ambassador to the Inquisition on behalf of Tamriel."

"I accept. Lady Montilyet." Hardvak said taking the parchment and giving a small bow.

"Excellent. So when will you be heading out?"

"More than likely by nightfall." Hardvak replied. "The dungeon will be fully repaired by then. And it gives me enough time to gather supplies."

"I see. And what do you intend to do while out in Thedas." She asked as he pocketed the parchment.

"Several things. Find a way home being a big one. Do you have something in mind?" He asked.

"I…I believe so, but the Inquisitor must be the one to inform you of it." Josephine stated.

"Right. Well you know where I'll be." Hardvak said with a slight farewell bow. "My lady."

Josephine repeated the action as Hardvak turned her back to her and moved back the door that led back down to the dungeon. Her eyes lingered on the man a little longer than she had intended but at the same time she could understand why. The aging man was interesting. Far more than even he would ever admit.

As day twisted once again into night and after the final plank had been set in place, and the last of the bars and walls were strengthened, Hardvak sat down in a simple wooden chair that stood out on a simple deck that looked out over the valley. He had decided to leave a decent opening in the dungeon to let those the Inqusition captured fully enjoy the weather of the Frostbacks. The ice cold wind especially.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen a man work as hard or as fast on a dungeon quite like you did." Rayara said as she came up behind him.

"Hey. You gotta take pride in what you do." Hardvak replied offering her a drink. She took it happily and sat down beside him on a spare chair. After tasting it though, she immediately spit it out.

"Maker's balls, what the hell was that?!" Rayara asked trying to cough up everything she had just tasted.

"That there is a proper northern drink." Hardvak replied laughing at the display as he took the bottle back and proceeded to gulp down a huge amount. "I take it, it's a little bit stronger the the stuff your have hear."

"It's like drinking acid!" Rayara said finally ending her coughing.

"Oh get over it. You Theodocians are too spoiled with flavor." Hardvak grumbled.

"It's called actually enjoying your drink." Rayara retorted.

"No it's called being a weak livered milk drinker." Hardvak said

"Weak livered…What?" Rayara asked too confused by the wording to even finish.

"Never mind." Hardvak said with a slight sigh. One of the main insults back home and it just flies over her head. Figures.

"So, Josephine tells me you'll be leaving soon."

"Yeah." Hardvak admitted.

"To do what exactly?" She asked.

"Several things." Hardvak replied. "She also said you wanted to talk to me about what one of those things might be."

"Yeah…" Rayara was quiet for a while seemingly concentrated on something before finally contiuing.

"Hardvak, can I trust you?" The Inquisitor asked.

"Are you really asking me that? After saving your ass and helping fix this place up?" He asked back to her.

"Yes I am." Rayara replied not dropping the serious tone. Hardvak ceased his smile then and decided to match the tone.

"Yeah, I think you can."

"Ok…I need your help to stop Corypheus." Rayara finally said.

"I was planning on doing that anyway, but what do you have in mind?" Hardvak asked.

"We've gathered information that he intends to summon and army of demons as well as assassinate Empress Celene."

"The lady who rules Orlais, right?" Hardvak asked briefly remembering the name he had read in a book about modern politics.

"Yes. These two events combined will throw Southern Thedas into complete chaos and will make our job infinitely harder than it would otherwise."

"Fair point. But where do I fit into that situation?" Hardvak asked.

" Earlier today, I met a man who gave me some information about the army. As of now, The Inquisition is gathering strength and putting its resources into stopping it. I was hoping if you could look into the other matter."

"The Empress? What can I do about it? Be her bodyguard?" Hardvak asked.

"It's possible. She has an interest in stand outs and you stand out from pretty much anyone else in Orlais. But that part is up to you." Rayara replied.

"What would you suggest?" He asked.

"Celene came to power after out maneuvering the then next in line for the throne Gaspard de Chalons. He hasn't taken that very well to say the least." Rayara said in tired voice.

"So what he started a war?" Hardvak asked half jokingly only to be answered with a nod.

"Yes. And my advice would be for you to get involved and end it." Rayara said finally making her point.

Hardvak stared at her blankly for a good while before laughing about just as long.

"Are you kidding me?" The Nord asked.

"No. I'm not."

"I'm from a completely different continent! The last thing I should be doing is getting involved in this one's politics." Hardvak complained.

"You already did when you helped me!" Rayara said matching his voice. Hardvak eyes shifted slightly as he growled in annoyance. "Look, I didn't want to ask you to do this but you've got abilities like I've never seen and I'm pretty certain your one of the best warriors we have." Rayara tried to explain

"That doesn't transition to fighting in and ending a civil war!" Hardvak yelled back.

"You don't have to end it. All you need to do is get Celene and Gaspard to come to the negotiating table after we've dealt with the demons." Rayara reasoned.

"Which, I'm just going to guess here, IS ONLY GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER BOTH ARE WEAKENED!"

"….Yes." Rayara said after some silence. Hardvak, seemingly taken aback by the volume of his own yell went silent himself as she continued. "Look, I get it. A man your age, you've probably seen more war and devastation done to people than either me or a good portion of the Inquisition. And I'm sorry to have to ask it of you to see more."

"That's not it." Hardvak replied almost as soon as she had finished. He looked out over to the mountains as hundreds of memories came flooding back on him at once.

"When I first arrived in my home Province as a young man, it was being torn apart by a bloody civil war. A war that had radicals on both sides as well as those who I would later call friends. And it took me a long time to end that war. Longer than it should've. And because of that, those friends died." Hardvak turned back to her before continuing. "If I'm going to stop a war, or like you said at least weaken both sides, the body count is going to be high."

"Yes. I know." The Inquisitor replied.

"And are you prepared to live with that?" Hardvak asked.

"Are you?" Rayara asked back to him.

"I live with it everyday, girl. And its why I'm asking you." Hardvak answered with a sternness in his voice that she hadn't heard before.

"If it puts us on the path to securing a lasting peace in Thedas, then yes. I am prepared to live with it." Rayara said with a stern nod. Hardvak looked into her emerald eyes as they stared off into the mountains and for a brief moment remembered when his eyes looked like that. Youthful and burning with a passion to help others. No matter the cost.

"Right….Well I guess I better pack up my things." He said after a moment of depressed thought.

"I'm sorry." She repeated.

"Don't be. This is the kind of decision you'll have to make more often now that your in a position of power. Get used to it." Hardvak said standing up. "And most importantly, keep your eyes on the future and focus all of your energy on the demons."

"You know I can spare no soldiers to you then?" She said. "It can't look like the Inquisition is involved in the war."

"Yes. Don't worry about it. I know where to find some soldiers." Hardvak said with a noticeably sad sigh.

"Thank you for this. Hardvak."

"Yeah….Don't mention it." The Nord replied vanishing back up the stairs.

He didn't waste anytime. He walked straight back to the barn, he and Blackwall had been living and began to gather his relatively few belongings. Slipping into his armor, and folding his regular clothes into his pack along with his several scrolls. He looked around for Blackwall but after seeing that the Warrior had already fallen asleep, he decided it would be best not to wake him. He then made his way over to the tavern for a farewell drink.

Walking in, he was surprised by just how empty it was. It looked like Bull and his men had turned in for the night, Sera just the same, and even Cole had decided to call it a night.

"Looks like they'll be starting on that Demon Army thing soon." Hardvak thought to himself as he sat down next to the counter and got ready to drink when another's footsteps appeared.

"I'm surprised to see you up. I'd figured you heard the news." The mage known as Madame de Fer announced as she sat down beside him.

"Which one?" Hardvak asked.

"The Inquisition will be moving into Crestwood, The Fallow Mire, and the Western Approach tomorrow. Pretty much everyone will need their strength." She elaborated.

"And you won't be going?" The bearded Nord asked.

"My dear, do I look like I would be at home walking through swamps, deserts, a rain soaked hills?" Viviene asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. But your looks didn't stop you from joining the Inquisition to begin with." Hardvak replied.

"….I usually need a good drink if I'm to go along on such missions. I would prefer it if that information stayed private." She confessed.

"Relax. I'm no gossip." Hardvak replied with a smile. "Besides, no shame in needing a drink before difficult missions."

"Speaking of which, which one will you be heading to?"

"None." Hardvak replied swiftly. "The Inquisitor has asked me to intervene in a different matter."

"Surprising, and which would that be?" Viviene asked.

"The Orlesain War." He said simply.

"Oh…. I see." Viviene replied with a slow nod at that whole complicated mess.

"Yeah. That's going to be fun." Hardvak said agreeing.

"Here." She said handing the armored Nord what looked like a list of names.

"What's this?"

"Consider it a going away present. The names of the lords and ladies who would have an interest in ending Orlais's Civil war." Viviene responded pouring herself a drink.

Hardvak rushed through the names, quickly taking in just how weirdly the sounded and noting that he would have to read about them on his new journey. He stopped when he noticed a name circled. "What about this one? Duke Bastien de Ghislain?" He asked.

"He should be the first one you talk to." Viviene replied in tone of voice that he had not expected from Viviene. It was one he had heard only when people had talked about their loved ones.

"So, I will be seeing Mr. Viviene?" Hardvak asked. Viviene laughed loud at the wording before replying.

"Nothing so simple. I'm the Duke's mistress." She clarified.

"Ah. I see. A political move." Hardvak said nodding in understanding.

"Of course my dear. All things in the Empire tend to be political. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the man or he I." Viviene said more matter of factly than she may have intended.

"I never said it didn't." Hardvak replied. "When love blossoms, it often happens between people and in situations you wouldn't expect."

"That experience I hear in your voice?" Viviene asked with a slight chuckle.

"The experience of a younger man." Hardvak replied with a chuckle of his own.

"Oh come now. You mean to say you don't have someone back home? Hardvak the Heroic doesn't have any admirers?" Viviene asked.

"Depends on the day. And lately, I don't think I've been that admirable." He replied with a rather depressed smile.

"Says the man who saved the Inquisitor, the Chancellor, and helped rebuild Skyhold." Viviene reminded him.

"Fair point I guess." Hardvak said with another laugh before continuing. "But still, I was never good husband material. I figured a quiet life like that would only bore me. Limit the amount of adventure I could have. Didn't stop me from the occasional tavern maid or traveling companion though." Hardvak replied with a low chuckle as Viviene listened with interest.

"Of course, then I eventually came across someone I was foolish enough to actually marry.

"Really? And just who was the unlucky fool?" Viviene asked.

"Serena." Hardvak said after a decent amount of thought.

"A lovely name, but by the tone of your voice it sounded like she and you aren't on good terms." She said noting the tone of voice.

"I haven't seen her in nine years." Hardvak replied. Viviene noted the increasingly uncomfortable tone in the man's voice and thought it best to end the topic there.

"I see. A toast then." She said raising her cup.

"To those we love?" Hardvak asked.

"And to the hope that they care about us just as much." Viviene finished as their cups clanged and both drank them down.


Well I thank I'll call it a chapter here. Not that much to say accept it was fun to write. But what did you guys think? Good? Bad? If you could leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.

TTFN