Victory, Vigilance, Sacrifice

by eyeofjanus

Eruestan would rather be studying. Rowena wants to travel the high seas. But when the ground starts spewing darkspawn and the country falls to pieces, two unwitting heroes will rise to change the course of history. Another retelling of the Fifth Blight. *Story currently being updated*

21. Fading In and Out

"Eruestan…Eruestan…wake up…wake up!"

Eruestan's eyes fluttered open. He was back in his bunk, back in his apprentice robes. His head rang funnily as he sat up – not quite a headache, but still unpleasant. The Apprentice Quarters were surprisingly bright for the morning. He blinked and squinted, trying to figure out what was going on.

Jowan was standing in front of him, shaking his head. "Maker, you've been asleep for ages," he said. "You must have been really tired!"

"Jowan?" Eruestan said. Something was wrong, though he had no idea what that could be. "Where am I?"

"Antiva," Jowan said, snorting. "What are you talking about? We're at the Circle!"

Eruestan furrowed his eyebrows. He had dreamt about something – had he always been at the Circle? His dream was getting harder and harder to remember, nothing but a few vague flashes that were already getting fuzzier and fuzzier. "But…I was outside the Tower…the Blight…"

"Scary, isn't it?" Jowan said, sitting down next to him. "I heard King Cailan's calling for the army to march down south – do you think we're finally going to get out of here?"

Eruestan pinched his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. For some reason, it felt terribly important that he remember his dream. Something felt horribly wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "But…I was there…" he said in frustration. "I was at the battle…at…at Ostagar…?"

"Ostagar?" he said, frowning. "Where's that, even? I swear, you have the weirdest dreams sometimes…"

Had it all just been a dream? The harder he tried to remember, the less he could. His bunk was getting more and more comfortable; maybe it was for the best to try and forget. He smiled weakly and shook his head. "Sorry, it was just so…real. Whatever happened, I felt like I lived it."

Jowan rolled his eyes. "You're always saying that. Guess you're just too connected to the Fade or whatever." He sighed. "Maker, when am I going to get my Harrowing?"

Eruestan sat up straight. A chill went down his spine, as if he had been struck by lightning. He leapt to his feet and backed a few steps away from his friend, his hair standing on end. "Stay back, Jowan," he said sharply. "You're a blood mage."

Jowan frowned. "Was that part of the dream, too? Weird."

"It wasn't a dream!" Eruestan snapped. "It really happened. You betrayed us – you were…I was…"

"Hey!" They jumped and turned around. Three Templars had entered the Apprentice Quarters and were running angrily toward them, hands on their swords. "What are you two doing here?" one of the knights barked. "You need to be in the dining hall now!"

"That's not a rule," Eruestan said, frowning.

The Templar crossed her arms. "Are you doubting me, mage?"

He held out his hand, trying to focus. His thoughts were too blurry, and he couldn't figure out what was going on. He didn't want to cause any trouble, but at the same time he needed to focus on Jowan—or did he? "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said, screwing up his face and trying to think. "I just…I needed to talk to my friend…"

"That can wait," one of the other Templars said harshly. "Move along!"

"Eruestan, come on," Jowan said, pulling his arm. "We don't want any trouble."

Eruestan started to follow him, his head still foggy. He was suddenly angry, irrationally angry. These Templars had no right to make up rules around him! How dare they drag him around like this! Didn't they know who he was?

"You're a Grey Warden now, act like it!"

He gasped and stood up straight. His friend Rowena had said that. Rowena was a Grey Warden. He was a Grey Warden. The Blight. The Tower. The Sloth demon. He stood frozen in shock in the middle of the dormitory, reality crashing down on him. Slowly turning his head, he looked out the nearest window. Looming in the distance was a tall, blackened spire.

"Andraste's tits," he said. "I'm in the Fade."

There was a loud crack. "You shouldn't have said that, Eruestan," Jowan said, turning towards him. Lightning started to crackle from his hands as the Templars drew their blades.

"Oh," Eruestan said, taking a step back. "Shite."

The one nearest Templar charged at him, swinging his sword madly in front of him. Eruestan yelped and jumped back, falling into one of the bunks. He scrambled out the other side as the knight cut through a bedpost with his sword. Leaning around the side, Eruestan shouted "Fulmino!" and sent a lightning bolt careening into the knight's chest, blasting him off his feet and throwing him a few feet back. A moment later, the knight's body turned into the smoldering corpse of a dead demon. The other two knights roared and tore after Eruestan.

The mage began to run frantically down the row of beds, shooting smalls bolts of lightning haphazardly over his shoulder. The demons, however, dodged aptly around them, closing the gap between them and the elf. Thinking quickly, he threw up a magical barrier in the middle of one of the aisles. The first Templar crashed into it and sprawled to the floor. The third, however, skirted around it into the next lane, racing to catch up to him. Panicked, Eruestan tried to run faster and tripped, crashing to the ground. The Templar ran up to him, her sword raised high – instinctively, he thrust out a hand and encased her in a sheet of ice. She stood frozen in place for a moment, black empty eyes looking around frantically. With a grunt, Eruestan thrust out his hand and sent her flying to the back wall where she, too, fell to the ground and transformed into a demon.

The last Templar had climbed back to his feet and was now charging at him. No longer afraid, Eruestan drew his hand back and jabbed forward, muttering, "Stilia." An ice spike jutted out of his hand and embedded itself in the knight's skull.

Panting, Eruestan looked down the aisle to see Jowan staring at him, lightning still crackling in his fist. "Well, well, well," the demon grumbled in a voice far deeper than Jowan's. "You're stronger than we thought."

"Goodbye, Jowan." Before the demon could cast his spell, Eruestan swept his hands brusquely to the side. A small piece of wood that had been dangling off the broken bed frame to Jowan's side sped through the air, impaling itself in the demon's neck. The lightning in his hand faded instantly. Falling to his knees, Jowan fumbled at his neck for a few seconds before shooting one last baleful look at Eruestan and transforming into a demon corpse.

Eruestan dropped his hand and blinked. He then gasped. He had been immediately transported out of the Tower and into the twisted landscape of the Fade. He was standing in an empty plain, surrounding by jagged cliffs and mottled brown skies. The tall grass around him seemed to be whispering, as if excited to have a stranger in its midst.

He was not alone, however. Someone was weeping near him. He turned around and started. A few feet behind him, Rowena was hunched over on her knees, crying into Cormac's neck.

"Rowena?' A second later he jumped back in terror. His friend had risen to her feet impossibly fast, her blade pointed at his chest.

"I don't know what the hell is going on," she snarled, tears staining her cheeks, "but by the Maker, you'll tell me or I'll rip you to pieces!"

"It's me, Rowena!" he said, face white. "It's Eruestan!"

With a growl, she began to charge at him. Before she could, however, Cormac barked happily and stepped between them, wagging his tail at Eruestan. Watching her hound, Rowena let her arm drop. "Eruestan!" she gasped, her face lighting up with relief. "Is that really you? Thank the Maker!"

"I'm so glad I found you!" he said in a half-sob, hugging her. She held him tight for a moment, burying her face in his shoulder. They pulled apart and looked at each other. Rowena looked horribly shaken, her eyes red with tears. "Are you all right?" he asked, peering into her face.

She nodded and wiped her cheeks. "I just saw something pretty awful, that's all," she said quickly, clearing her throat. "Eruestan, what is going on?"

"Can you not tell?" he asked grimly. "We're in the Fade."

"This is the Fade?" she said in horror, looking around. "Maker's breath…I thought it would be…prettier?"

"Some parts are, I think," he said, shrugging. "We're just not in those parts."

"How'd we even get here?" she asked, turning back to him. "Last thing I remember, we'd come across that demon in the Tower."

"A Sloth demon," Eruestan said. "They feed off human energy and try to trap us in what would make us content."

She smiled bitterly. "What an arse – he did a good job, at least. I dreamt I was back at Highever."

Eruestan's heart panged. That explained her tears. If she had been at Highever, that probably meant she had had to kill her family. "I dreamt I was back at the Tower. The demon must be trying to trap us in our pasts."

She laughed humorlessly. "Well, I guess it actually is a good thing my past is a fucking nightmare, then." Cormac whined at her side, and she bent down to scratch his head. "So, wait, these aren't really our bodies, then?"

He shook his head. "Be careful, though. If we die here, we die in real life."

"Oh, perfect." She stood up and looked around, grimacing at their surroundings. "Do you know where everyone else is?"

"No idea," he said. "I don't know how to get out of here, either." Out of nowhere, something sprouted out of the ground in between them.

With a yelp, they jumped back and looked at what had appeared. It was an ancient pedestal, as twisted and crooked as the rest of the Fade around. It was covered in strange runes that began to glow as they slowly walked closer to it.

"What is it?" Rowena asked. "Can it help us?"

He paused. It looked a lot like the pedestal he had used to enter the Fade during his Harrowing. But what did that mean? Would it take them back to the Tower? Potentially. Would it bring everyone else back as well? Probably not.

"I'm not sure it's what we need," he said, turning around again. "Let's try to look around, there might be something else—ow!" He had collided into the pedestal, which had managed to jump in front of him.

He frowned and turned around again. The pedestal was before him once more. He paused, then spun around quickly – it moved with him. "This is being remarkably persistent."

"Maybe we have to use it," Rowena suggested. "After all, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, that could be a lot of things," Eruestan sighed. "But maybe it's best if we don't think about them. Come on, take my hand." They grabbed each other's arms, Rowena's other hand resting on Cormac's head.

Eruestan looked over at her, his face a little flushed. "Before we go, though, Rowena? I'm…I'm sorry. About earlier." He paused and grimaced. "I wasn't thinking – I shouldn't have said what I did, I didn't think about what it would mean."

"No, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't understand – I shouldn't have said what I did, either."

"No, you were right, though," Eruestan admitted. "I do need to stand up for myself more – and not just to the Templars, to other people, too."

"I didn't need to say it like that, though," she said. "And Eruestan? I'm glad I'm here with you."

He smiled. "I'm glad I'm with you, too." There was a brief pause as they smiled at each other warmly. Then, Eruestan coughed and said, "You know, you were technically supposed to say that I was right, too…"

Rowena was already looking back at the pedestal. "Don't ruin the moment, Eruestan."

"Ugh, fine." They both looked down and reached into the basin, Rowena keeping one hand on Cormac's collar. Like a magnet drawing iron, both their hands were dragged slowly to the same rune in the center, a strange scratching that seemed to morph under their touch. There was a flash of light, and suddenly they were standing on a small island floating in the emptiness of the Fade.

"Well, this is a gross dream," Rowena remarked.

"Eruestan?" someone said from beneath them. "Is that really you?"

They both looked down to see Niall sitting against a large rock behind the pedestal, stranded on the Fade island. He was looking up at them in shock, as if stunned to see another human being.

"Niall!" Eruestan cried, crouching down next to him. "It is you! Rowena, this is Niall, the man we've been looking for!"

"What are you doing here?" Niall asked, clutching Eruestan's arm. There were deep bags under his eyes, and his hair was lying flat on his head. Eruestan frowned; the Sloth demon must have already drained a great deal of energy from him. "How did that Sloth demon get you, too?"

"We came back to help!" Eruestan said, helping him up to sit on top of the boulder. "We've been looking for you! We think we can save the Circle!"

He shook his head. "Who's going to save you, though?" he asked bitterly. "There's no getting out of here."

"What do you mean?" Rowena asked.

He pointed back at the pedestal. "This thing. It leads nowhere. I broke out of my dream soon enough after I was brought here, but every time I try to leave this place, that pedestal takes me to a different island with stronger and stronger demons. There are impossible obstacles, too – rooms full of fire and doors that you can't open. We're stuck here, forever."

Rowena and Eruestan exchanged a look. "There has to be a way out," Rowena said firmly, crossing her arms. "I don't care how strong this demon is, nothing is invincible."

"Do you have the Litany of Adralla, Niall?" Eruestan asked. "We know there's blood magic going on, we were hoping you could help us."

"Not much use now, am I?" he asked grimly. "It works – I just wasn't able to use it before the Sloth demon took us all under. Now it's all too late."

"We'll see about that," Rowena said, turning back to the pedestal. "Eruestan, come here. I want to see how far we can get with this thing."

Eruestan nodded and rose to his feet. "We'll be back, Niall," he said, walking up next to her.

"Yes, you will," Niall said glumly. The two of them placed their hands into the basin, their fingers lingering over a carving on the right side of the bowl. There was a flash of light, and suddenly they were standing in the middle of a burning building.

"Maker!" Rowena gasped, jumping back. Cormac yelped and started to run around frantically. Terrible heat crashed down on them from all sides, licking at their clothes and singeing their hair.

"Get behind me!" Eruestan yelled, stepping forward. Taking a deep breath, he thrust out his hands and yelled, "Glacio!" A cone of freezing air spiraled out from his palms. Moving slowly in a circle, he managed to extinguish the room, revealing a simple, smoldering guard station.

"This place," Rowena said as the smoke cleared, "is terrible."

"Tell me about it," Eruestan said. "Now what should we do – Maker's breath!" The nearest door had burst open without warning. A flaming, screaming Templar had charged through, flailing his sword through the air as he ran at them. Jumping in fear, Rowena took a step back and readied her sword. Eruestan, however, simply waved his hand and put out the flames with a blast of cold air.

"Oh!" Shocked, the Templar tripped over himself and crashed at their feet. For someone who had just been on fire, he looked remarkably intact. The knight panted there for a moment, and then looked up at Eruestan a bit sheepishly. "Uh…thanks for that."

"My pleasure," Eruestan said, his heart still pounding. "Any chance you could tell us what's going on?"

"I've got no idea," the knight said, shrugging. "This whole place has been on fire for a while – I've been running around here like that for days."

"Well, you know, everyone's got to have a hobby," Rowena said drily.

"Ain't that the truth," the knight said. "You're not seriously going to walk through here like that, though, are you? You're going to burn to a crisp!"

They looked at each other. "I mean, do we have any other choice?" Rowena asked.

"Yeah, fair enough," the Templar conceded. "Just be careful. Fade fire is about ten times hotter than normal fire."

Eruestan frowned. "Have you been on fire before?"

"Yeah, and I wouldn't recommend it," the Templar said. "Be careful, though, there's a demon here and he's not going to be happy to see you."

"Thanks for the hint," Rowena said. "Are you going to be all right?'

"Oh, I died days ago," the Templar said, waving her off. "Hope things work out better for you guys, though!"

He then vanished through the room's ceiling.

Rowena turned back to Eruestan. "This is what I imagine snorting elfroot feels like."

He laughed grimly. "All right, let's see what's going on here – hopefully we can start to figure out where the others are."

The three began running down the halls of the building. Eruestan led the way, beating down the flames with his frost magic. Surprisingly, in the Fade he didn't feel as though his spells cost him any energy, and he was able to cast with impunity. It was a rather intoxicating feeling, one only mildly dampened by the fact that they were being hunted by deadly demons.

The hall ended in a large, circular room, lined with flame and molten stone. "All right, where's this demon he was talking about?" Rowena asked, looking around the chamber with her sword drawn. "Let's get this over with."

Suddenly, the flames on the walls flared up and stretched to the center of the room. The strands of fire began to morph together, taking the shape of a giant Rage demon. It towered over them, its muscled, fiery arms spouting bursts of flame that scorched the walls of the chamber. "Fools!" it roared. "You all will burn!"

Eruestan stepped in front of it. "We'll see about that," he snarled. "Glacia magna!"

The ray of frigid air that burst out of his hands was so powerfully cold it cased his fingers in ice. Still, the spell did what he had wanted it to. Before the demon could even swipe at them, it had turned to solid ice, just as the other Rage demon had during his Harrowing. He stared coldly at the small flicker of flame in the center of the ice statue and flexed his hands. "Frango," he said clearly. There was a pulse of energy, and the demon shattered into a thousand pieces.

A blast of cold wind swept into the room from down the hall. It swirled around Eruestan, Rowena, and Cormac, tumbling them together and lifting them high into the chamber, smashing them through the stone ceiling. Before they knew it, they were standing in an empty corridor, clutching at each other in shock.

"We really need to stop doing that," Rowena gasped, letting go of Eruestan's arm. She looked back at him, impressed. "That was a really powerful spell – where did you learn that?"

He shrugged and looked down at his hand. "I think I'm just stronger here," he said. "Maybe it's about confidence – I think the Fade responds to how you feel. I bet if we'd actually been afraid of that demon, we'd have been much weaker."

She puffed out her chest proudly. "Well, that works out for me. I'm not afraid of anything."

"Which, funnily enough, is terrifying to everyone else who knows you," Eruestan said. "Where do we go from here, though?"

As he said it, a door a few feet away from them creaked open loudly. "Subtle," Rowena remarked.

"Hey, at the very least it doesn't look like it's on fire," Eruestan said. "Small blessings, right?"

The room beyond was pitch blank and completely silent. Exchanging a worried glance, they both took a deep breath and walked forward. Then Eruestan blinked, and he was standing in a tropical paradise.

Waves were crashing on the beach as tall palm trees swayed in the sea breeze. The sea stretched out as far as he could see, shimmering beautifully in the sunlight. A fleet of longships was anchored to rocks in the bay, bobbing up and down in the water. Cormac barked happily and started jumping in the waves.

"Now why couldn't I have been sent here?" Rowena sighed, walking after him.

Eruestan smiled and looked down the beach. He had never been anywhere like there before – it was just like what he imagined it would be. As he looked down the water, however, he saw something that made him jump. "Rowena! Look! There's Sten!"

There were about five Qunari discussing something earnestly under the shade of the palm trees. Sten stood above them, dressed in the full regalia of a Qunari warrior. As they drew nearer, Eruestan began to fully realize how impressive and terrifying Qunari soldiers were. They were all as tall as Sten, with the same bulging muscles and steely blue eyes. In their pointed steel armor and spiked helmets, they all looked horribly ferocious. To his surprise, all the other Qunari had giant horns. Only Sten lacked a pair.

"Ferelden yolculuk uzun ve tehlikeli olacaktır," one of the soldiers was saying, gesturing to the ships. "Biz daha fazla malzeme ve erkeklerin daha fazla sayıda gerekir."

"Daha erkekler?" another said. "Arishok bu kararı yetki vermiştir?"

"Arishok gün uzakta bizden, biz onun görüş sabırsızlanıyorum!"

"Ona karşı giderek Çun karşı gidiyor," Sten said. "Rowena, Eruestan, you may approach. Ben Çun karşı herhangi bir hareket izin vermez."

"What's he saying?" Rowena whispered as they walked towards them. "You speak Qunlat, right?"

Eruestan frowned and looked back at her. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged. "You're smart?"

"Well, thank you," he said. "I don't speak Qunlat, though."

"You don't need to," Sten said before turning back to his men. "Yoldaşlar, bu saldırı affet."

"Sten, bu bas kim?" one of the soldiers said, glaring at them.

"Men, these bas are from Ferelden," Sten said in Fereldan, standing up from the sand. The soldiers bowed to him before turning to Eruestan and Rowena. "This may be your only chance to practice your command of the language before we land there ourselves."

"Um…hi," Eruestan said awkwardly. The Qunari were staring at him hostilely, some of them resting their hands on the hilts of their weapons. "Sten, do you recognize us?"

"Of course," he said. "You are Rowena and Eruestan, Grey Wardens from Ferelden. You have recruited me to join the fight against the Blight, and we are all currently asleep in the Circle of Magi."

"These are Grey Wardens?" one of Sten's soldiers asked. "They are weak."

"They are bas," one of his fellows spat.

"Tell them to stop calling us 'things'," Rowena said distractedly. "And how can you realize what's going on without them turning into demons?"

"Is that what they do?" Sten asked. "Huh. Interesting."

"Yeah, very," Rowena said, staring at him with her eyebrow raised. "And yes, that is what they do. It happened to the two of us."

He thought for a moment. "You both broke free, though?"

Eruestan nodded. "Independently of each other."

Sten was silent. "I wonder if you two are much stronger than I first thought."

"Yeah, that's probably fair—I, uh, mean, what…what do you mean?" Rowena said, frowning as Eruestan nudged her in the ribs.

Sten looked at them for a very long time, letting the crashing waves wash over their feet. The water felt warm and soothing underfoot. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "It is a long story," he said. "It might take a while."

"We've got a lot of time," Rowena said. "At least, I think we do."

The Qunari nodded and turned his back on his men. "You knew in Lothering that 'Sten' was not my name, it was my title," he began. "'Sten' means 'commander', and I was commander of the Beresaad, 'those who reach ahead.'"

"You told me that," Rowena said. "You said they were the Qunari vanguard?"

"Yes," Sten said. "We explore unknown territory for the Qun, forging new paths and discovering new knowledge. Usually, we are sent ahead for information that helps our armies invade new lands. This time, however, we were sent to Ferelden to learn more about the Blight."

"Why do you tell them of our mission, kadan?" one of the soldiers asked. "They are bas!"

"Do not interrupt the Sten!" another shot back.

"Taashath," Sten said. "Allow me to speak." The soldiers fell silent, their eyes looking back on the sand. "Qunari lands have mostly been spared by Blights in the past –the Deep Roads do not go as far as Seheron or Par Vollen. We were curious for more, eager to learn how to best defend our people. That was why we were woefully unprepared for the darkspawn when we first met them in Lothering."

"There wasn't many of them – perhaps they were just a vanguard for the horde themselves. But they tore us to pieces. During the battle, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, these men were dead and this," he said, unsheathing a beautiful greatsword, "was gone."

One of the soldiers perked up in the background. "What do you mean, we were dead, kadan?"

Rowena skated over the sensitive topic. "It's a beautiful sword, Sten," she said. "Look at the craftsmanship."

"It is a cheap reproduction," he said, sheathing it. "The trappings of a dream. But what a good dream…"

Rowena and Eruestan glanced at each other. "Sten?"

"A warrior of the Qun is deeply connected to his blade," he said, looking out onto the sea. "It's a relationship you cannot understand – our swords are our souls. Losing them, we become worthless – shameful creatures, shells of what we once were."

Eruestan bit his lip. "This might be a dumb question," he said. "But can't you just get a new one?"

Sten shot him a withering look. "Can you get another soul?" Eruestan winced and quickly shook his head. "It is my biggest disgrace," the Qunari continued. "That, and the deaths of my men."

"Why does the Sten keep saying we died?"

Sten ignored him. "I want nothing more than to forget what had happened," he said. "Everything I have let happen. And then… When I first realized that Asala, my sword, was gone, I went berserk. I wasn't in control of myself, more an animal than a man. That's why I killed the farmer and his family – it was an act of frenzy, not evil." He shook his head and took off his helmet, his eyes terribly somber. "I could not forgive myself. Everything I have done since coming here has haunted me, and will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. So, being here, being able to escape the past, was too tempting to resist. However," he said, looking back up at them, "I can only assume that such an attractive offer was also made to both of you, and that you both managed to resist it. You are therefore stronger than I am."

"You're still very strong, Sten," Eruestan said compassionately. He still didn't quite understand why the sword was so important, but he could see the pain in Sten's eyes, and seeing someone so powerful look so vulnerable was surprisingly moving.

"For what purpose?" he asked. "My efforts have only brought me pain and dishonor. I have failed my men, I have failed myself, I have failed the Qun. What point is there in moving forward?"

"What are you saying, Sten?" Rowena asked.

He was silent for a moment. "Leave me here. Let my shame be my mark on the world – let that be my punishment."

"Bullshit," Rowena said. Eruestan and Sten turned to her in surprise. "That's bullshit, Sten. You have a chance to correct your mistakes, and you want to run from it? You want these men to have died in vain?"

"Rowena," Eruestan said warningly. She cut him off with a finger.

"You have an obligation to the world now, Sten," she said. "The Blight is descending on all of us, and you've given your word to help stop it. You think letting your men die is your great shame? Turning your back on Thedas with the Blight at our heels would be even greater. Stick to your word, Sten – you owe these men that."

Sten stared at her for a long time, his face still as stone. Eruestan twitched his fingers, ready for a fight. "You are right, kadan," he said finally. "Forgive my weakness."

"Forgiven," Rowena said. "Now come on, let's go."

"What are you doing?" one of the soldiers shouted, rising to his feet. "You can't abandon us! What of the Qun?"

"I have already left you, kadan," Sten said. "You just don't know it yet."

"Sten," one of the soldiers said, grabbing his arm, "Bizimle kal."

"Yapamam," Sten replied, turning away. There was a loud crack that rippled across the water, turning it black. The palm trees withered overhead, and the sand turned to gravel beneath their feet. Eruestan winced and looked over to see all the soldiers draw their weapons, glaring at Sten murderously. Bowing his head, Sten drew his blade and stood them down. Rowena, Cormac, and Eruestan fell into position behind him. "No," Sten said, holding out a hand. "I will end this."

The first Qunari was charging, his sword held low. Sten waited until he was a few feet in front of him before spinning around, sticking out his sword and slicing off the soldier's head. It flew through the air and landed in the blackened sea as its body turned into a demon and fell to the gravel. Roaring, two other soldiers ran towards him – Sten's first blow shattered the first one's blade. The other Qunari moved to flank him, but Sten smashed in his nose with the hilt of his greatsword, then plunged the blade into the first soldier's stomach. Pulling the sword free, Sten swung his arm back and sliced through the second soldier's skull. There was one soldier left, screaming murderously as he charge at them. Without blinking, Sten leaned back and chucked his sword forward, plunging it into the last soldier's chest.

The waves crashed onto the beach, swallowing the dismembered demon corpses. "Remind me never to make you angry," Rowena said in awe.

He smirked and drew his sword from the demon's body. "The Fade is a tricky pla—"

Eruestan blinked, and he and Rowena were back in the hallway.

"What happened?" Rowena asked sharply as Cormac barked furiously, running around the hall. "Where's Sten?"

Eruestan shook his head, frowning. "We definitely freed him – he might have woken up?"

"Why didn't we wake up, then?" Rowena asked. "For all we know, he might be trapped somewhere else!"

There was a creak behind them. Another door had opened, leading to a second dark room. "There's no going back," Eruestan said. "All we can do is keep going where it wants us to."

She frowned, but nodded and walked forward with him. The door closed behind them, and suddenly they were back in the Tower.

Eruestan instantly felt nostalgic. They were standing in one of his old classrooms, looking down a row of desks filled with young apprentices practicing a small fire spell. Most of the students seemed to be having trouble focusing their energy, creating small sparks that sputtered out after a few seconds. He smiled broadly to himself. Even if it was just a dream, he felt right at home.

Rowena, however, was less impressed. "Great, a classroom," she said. "I guess we found the nightmare part of the Fade."

Several of the children in the room looked up at them with narrowed eyes and hushed them. "Oh, bite me," Rowena shot back. "You're all just little demons, anyways."

"What's going on here?" someone asked. They looked up to see Wynne stand up from a student's desk, a gentle yet puzzled look on her face. "I'm sorry, I don't normally allow visitors into my classroom," she said politely yet firmly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Wynne, it's us," Rowena said. "Rowena and Eruestan."

The enchanter paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. She then shook her head and began to escort them out. "No, no, I'm sorry, we'll have to do this some other time. Please try and come back later."

"There won't be a later!" Eruestan said. "We're in the Fade, Wynne!"

"The Fade?" she said, frowning. "Impossible. I've studied the Fade for my entire life, I would know if I were there or not."

"Try to remember how you got here just now," Eruestan said, turning around and blocking the door. "Do you know how?"

"Of course I do," Wynne said in frustration. "I…I…" Her eyebrows furrowed. "I…that's strange, I can't concentrate. I've…I've never had this much trouble thinking before…"

"Don't you remember all the fighting at the Tower?" Rowena asked. "Everything Uldred did?"

She began to look concerned, a hand drifting to the back of her neck. "Maybe…I should leave this room," she said, looking around nervously. "I need to…to reflect…"

"Don't go, Wynne!" a young boy said, rising up from his desk. "We still need you to teach us!"

"What am I doing teaching new apprentices?" Wynne said, her eyes growing wide. "And who are these children? Am I…are we really in the Fade?"

There was another crack, and the students leapt up from their seats, howling in rage as they dove to attack them. Eruestan froze. He wasn't ready to fight a group of children, even if they were demons. Wynne, however, was already brandishing her staff. "Stay back, demons!" she thundered. "You have no power here!" With that, she slammed her staff to the ground. A ray of white light ripped across the classroom, crashing into the demons and destroying them in a burst of energy.

Wynne leaned heavily on her staff. "Unbelievable," she said, shaking her head. "To think that after all my years of study, I can still be taken in by some demon's cheap trick. How humiliating."

"How did you do that?" Eruestan asked in shock. "That was incredible!"

"What, that?" Wynne asked in surprise. "Oh, it's just a trick of the Fade, you have to—"

Eruestan, Rowena, and Cormac were back on Niall's island.

"Piss on Andraste!" Rowena snapped. "Why does it keep doing that?"

"You're back!" Niall gasped. Eruestan frowned as he looked down at the other mage. Niall's hair was turning gray, and the skin around his eyes had started to wrinkle. "You killed one of the demons, didn't you? I could feel the ripples from here!"

"Are you all right?" Eruestan asked. "You don't look very good."

He laughed weakly. "I think the demon is taking its toll. I feel fine, don't worry, just a little tired."

"We'll take care of all of this soon," Rowena said firmly. "By the way, did anyone pass through here? A Qunari or Enchanter Wynne?"

Niall shook his head. "A Rage demon stalked through here a few minutes ago, was that one of them?"

"It's going to be me in a few minutes," Rowena muttered.

"Probably not, Niall," Eruestan said, shooting her a look. "Hang in there – we'll be back again soon!"

This time, they found themselves standing in a field, surrounded by sunflowers that reached up to their chests. A light breeze made the flowers rustle gently around them. Eruestan frowned and tried to look around. "Do you see anyone?"

Rowena shook her head. "Wait—listen!"

"It's a lovely day for a picnic, my love." A man was speaking somewhere near them in the field. "Would you like another cookie?"

"I would," someone else purred. "You're a wonderful baker, my pet."

Eruestan waved his hands. A burst of wind sent the stalks around them bending back, revealing a small clearing not far from where he and Rowena stood. A Templar knight was laying down on a blanket, staring fondly at a pretty mage with long blond hair who was gently stroking his face.

"Erm, Eruestan?" Rowena murmured, blushing. "Maybe we should let them be? I think we're intruding…"

"Who's there?" the knight said sharply, sitting up straight. He looked back at them, his eyes glazed over. "Who are you?"

"No one, my love," the mage cooed. "Travelers, that's all."

"Sorry, sorry," Eruestan said meekly. "We were just—" The blonde mage looked up at him, and instantly she turned into a young man. He yelped and took a step back as Cormac started to growl beside them.

"Rowena," he said, "look her in the eyes."

Rowena jumped. "Your Majesty? What are you doing here?"

Eruestan frowned. "'Your Majesty'?"

The man laughed, a cold, throaty sound. He looked a bit like Ser Gilmore, only thinner, more lithe. Eruestan was suddenly starting to feel a little warm. "Stay here, my pet," the man murmured to the Templar, rising to his feet. "They want to talk to me for a moment."

"Don't be too long," he cooed back, staring up at him lovingly. "The cookies will get stale."

The man smiled at him, then turned back to Eruestan and Rowena with a dark look on his face. "You two are spoiling my fun."

"Eruestan, what's going on?" Rowena asked in alarm. "Why is the king talking to us?"

"It's not the king, Rowena," Eruestan said, taking a step back. "It's…it's some sort of demon…" The spirit was incredibly good-looking, one of the most handsome men he'd ever seen. In fact, it was almost as if he had been made for him, like someone had read his thoughts, knew exactly what he wanted…

Eruestan gasped. "Get back! It's a Desire demon!"

"Of course it bloody is," Rowena sighed, drawing her sword. "I bet all these sunflowers are demons, too."

"Let's not be rash," the demon said, eyeing her weapon. "I have what I want, I see no need for us to fight."

"What do you mean?" Eruestan asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. Desire demons were some of the most powerful beings in the Fade, and it was never a good idea to enter into a deal with them.

The demon pointed back to the Templar. "That is my prize," it said. "His body has long since withered. Without me, his soul will die, too. Why ruin his happiness and take his life? Let us live together in peace."

"I wouldn't call that 'happiness'," Rowena said harshly. "You're selling him a bunch of lies."

"I could say a lot about happiness in your world in response to that, but I'm afraid we really don't have the time," the demon said cattily. "What say you? There's no need for this to come to blows."

"Don't listen to it," Eruestan said. "It's lying – it just wants to trap us like it did to this man."

The demon's eyes were slowly turning black in front of them. "So," it said, its voice deepening to a snarl, "is that a no?"

"Definitely not," Rowena growled, readying her sword. "We're not afraid of you, demon!"

The spirit laughed coldly. "Fools!" it thundered, throwing out it arms. Purple scales sprouted over its skin, and sharp claws began bursting from its fingers as horns grew from its head. The sky above them turned black as the sunflowers began twisting violently in a strong wind. The demon slammed its hands to the earth, and suddenly the flowers' stalks were shooting up into the air, trapping them like the walls of a prison cell. "You will never take what is mine!"

Eruestan spun around blindly, unable to see in the darkness of the field. Something was laughing cruelly at him, the sound echoing in his ears. Suddenly, one of the sunflowers bent in half and grabbed at him, its petals sharp as steel. With a yelp, he swung his fists wildly through the air and sent out a burst of fire that blasted through several of the stalks. More and more plants began lunging for him, throwing themselves down so violently that they plunged into the earth beneath them. Terrified, he began running through the stalks frantically, completely disoriented. Sunflower stalks were sprouting up everywhere, biting and snapping at him as he raced past. He began spouting fire left and right, hoping to fend the flowers off.

Someone was slashing through the field nearby. Unsure if it was Rowena or the Templar, he dove to the ground as they stormed past. Instantly, sunflower roots began circling around his wrists, dragging him deeper into the earth. With a burst of strength he broke free and destroyed them with another ball of flame. More roots leapt up to grab him, and with a yell he jumped back and landed once more in the clearing.

"Well, well, well." The demon was standing over him, a young man once more. He was now sweaty and naked, sleek, toned muscles covering his tall body. Eruestan couldn't move. "You're a fighter," the demon cooed, bending close to his face. "Maybe you'd make a better pet after all…" Then, a sword jutted through his chest.

The demon's eyes grew wide. Rowena pulled her sword back out of its body in disdain, wiping the dirt from her face. With a final groan, the spirit collapsed to the ground, dead, slowly morphing back into its demonic shape. The wind picked up, the sunflowers withered, and suddenly they were in another hallway.

Rowena slumped against the wall and caught her breath. "You tell anyone I saw King Cailan," she said, glaring at him, "and I swear I'll gut you."

"Fair enough," Eruestan said, wiping his forehead. "Don't know how exactly that would come up in conversation anyways."

She conceded that point with a nod. "Who'd you see, anyways?"

He paused, thinking of the demon's naked body. "Not important."

"That's not fair!" she protested. "You know mine!"

He scoffed. "And who's fault was that?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Was it…was it me?" she asked awkwardly.

Eruestan blinked. "Well, that's awfully conceited."

"Hey, you're the one who won't tell me," she said, blushing.

"It wasn't you," he said, shooting her a look. "No offense, but you're not quite my type."

"Yeah, to be fair, I already kind of picked up on that," she said. "Who was it, then? Alistair?"

Eruestan rolled his eyes. "Closer, but he's not really for me, either."

There was another pause. "Was it Sten?"

Eruestan almost choked on the air. "What? No!"

"Hey, you're the one being all shady," she said. "And come on, you're kind of small, he's kind of big – it's almost romantic!"

"Can we just keep moving?" he grumbled, climbing to his feet. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

"Sure, sure." She stood up with him and grinned. "Good look getting him inside, that's all I'm saying."

Eruestan flashed her a very rude gesture before walking through the nearest door. It closed behind them and brought them to a small kitchen.

It was a cozy, warm room with a large fireplace and a well-stocked larder. Cormac barked happily and ran towards the nearest ham. Rowena shrugged and let him bite into it. "What?" she asked, seeing the look on Eruestan's face. "It's not even a real ham."

"I'll go and see what that was, Goldie!" someone shouted. A minute later, Alistair walked into the room, a broad grin on his face. "Oh! It's you!" he said happily. "It's so great to see you, it's been so long!"

"Alistair, thank the Maker!" Rowena said, rushing forward and hugging him. "We need to get you out of here, come on!"

He wasn't listening. "Goldie! Look what I found! My friends from the Grey Wardens!"

"Goldie?" Eruestan asked.

"I'm his sister," someone said in a terrible falsetto. "Goldanna." Rowena and Eruestan stared at her as she walked into the kitchen. The demon had decided that the best way to portray Alistair's sister was to literally be Alistair, but with a long blond wig.

"Oh, Alistair, come on," Eruestan said after a moment. "You can't be serious."

"That's what I thought, too!" he said happily. "I knew I had a sister, but I never thought I'd meet her—and here she is!"

"I'm so happy to finally be reunited with my baby brother!" Wig-Alistair chirped. Alistair wrapped his arm around the demon's shoulder and nestled his head against it.

"I'm going to be sick," Eruestan said, looking away.

"He does look happy, though, doesn't he?" Rowena said, smiling fondly.

Eruestan stared at her. "Think about what you just said and look back at him."

She shook her head. "Right, right…Alistair! We have to go!"

"What?" he said, standing upright. "No, we can't!"

"We have to," Eruestan said. "We have a job to do."

"Don't take my little brother!" Wig-Alistair cried. "Come, stay for dinner!"

"Alistair, this isn't your sister," Rowena said. "This is a demon."

"I like you, but you're being very mean," Alistair said, frowning. "Don't be rude to my sister."

"Yes, don't be rude to me," Wig-Alistair said, glaring at them.

"Try to think about how you got here, Alistair," Eruestan said. "Try to remember."

"All right, but only because you're my friend." He paused. "Huh. Strange. I can't…really recall. I was…I was in a tower…the Circle Tower…there were demons…" He stopped and took a few steps away from his sister. "Something…something's not right. I need to get out of here."

The room cracked. The flames in the fireplace flared and sputtered out, and the food on the larder rotted in front of their eyes. The demon wearing the wig pulled a giant cleaver out from behind its apron. "You can't leave," it said in a low growl. "You are mine, forever!"

Alistair was frozen in shock. The demon swung at his face, inches away from taking off its nose. Luckily, Cormac, who had been busy with his ham until this point, pounced and knocked the demon to the ground. Before it could get up, Rowena stepped forward and whacked its head off, sending its wig flying into the air.

Alistair's jaw had dropped. "What the—how did you—was that—what—"

"A demon," Rowena said, sheathing her sword. "We're in the Fade, Alistair."

"The Fade?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Huh, usually there are more people laughing at me in the Fade—"

They were back in the hallway.

"This is starting to get tedious," Rowena muttered as she stormed through the next door. Eruestan followed her and found himself in an exquisite salon.

He immediately felt self-conscious. The room was magnificent: beautiful marble floors, large glass windows with silk curtains, delicate wood furniture, and an impressive ceiling mosaic made of crystal and precious stones. A group of people were taking tea in the center of the room, chatting brightly with each other as they sipped out of delicate porcelain cups. They were all dressed in brightly colored silks and expensive jewels, each wearing an intricately carved mask. An elegant elderly woman wearing a beautiful bronze stag's mask was sitting at the head of the room, masterfully leading the conversation.

"Madame l'Impératrice aime trop les bals masqués," she was remarking, setting down her teacup. "J'étais absolument choquée de recevoir sa dernière invitation au Palais d'hiver."

"Shite," Rowena muttered. "We're in Orlais."

"Une soirée à Halamshiral n'est pas aussi douloureuse que ça, ma chère Cecilie," one of the other ladies said. "On ne peut pas ignorer la beauté du palais."

"Les critiques nous disent que la beauté est mieux appréciée d'une distance," the hostess replied. "Si oui, j'aimerais donc évaluer le palais depuis la sécurité de ma propre maison, à Val Royeaux." The other nobles tittered and burst into polite applause.

"Bloody Orlesians," Rowena said, rolling her eyes.

Then, someone started singing. Eruestan started and looked over to see Leliana emerge from behind a tapestry. She was wearing a simple mask and playing a small lute, singing something in Orlesian. Her voice was beautiful, like silk falling from the ceiling. It may have just been the Fade, but for a moment Eruestan was so transfixed that he forgot where he was and what he needed to do. Her song made his heart ache, reminding him of lost loves he had never had. Then, Cormac started barking. The sound jolted him out of his trance.

"Leliana!" he and Rowena both shouted. "It's us!"

The music screeched to a halt as everyone in the room stared at them in shock. Bizarrely, Eruestan felt embarrassed, even if everyone else was just demons.

"What eez zees?" the elegant elderly lady said, setting down her teacup. "You are being most rude!"

Rowena ignored her. "Leliana, I know you recognize us!" she said. "None of this is real!"

Leliana fumbled with her mask and tore it off. "I do recognize you," she stammered. "But…but I don't know how…"

"Do not speak to zem, Léliana!" Lady Cecilie snapped, rising to her feet. "'Ooever you are, I demand zat you leave my 'ouse tout de suite!"

Embarrassed, Leliana turned to exit through the tapestry. "Leliana!" Eruestan cried out. "Your vision from the Maker!"

She froze and turned around. "My vision…"

Eruestan was ready for the 'crack' this time. As two vicious nobles lunged for him, he lifted a tea table with magic, blasting it and the nobles behind it back to the nearest wall. Next to him, Rowena had plunged a butter knife into the chest of the snarling lady clawing at her face. The remaining four had surrounded Leliana, who was dodging their lunges and grabs as if in a trance. A nobleman rushed at her, but she smashed her lute into his head. Grabbing the broken handle, she spun around and whipped the chords across a noble's face, leaving deep gashes over her eyes. Screaming, the lady dropped the knife she had been brandishing. Leliana snatched it and used it to slit the noble's throat. She then threw the knife into the nearest nobleman's right eye.

All that was left was the lady of the house, her curls falling lopsided down her face. "Léliana," she said, breaking a leg off the nearest side table, "je t'avais dit de rester sage devant mes invités…"

"Silence, démon!" Leliana cried. "Va te faire foutre!"

The lady howled and charged at her. Fast as sin, Leliana swept her off her feet and plunged the broken lute handle into her back.

The room fell silent. "What the hell is happening right now?" Leliana asked, staring at the dead demon that had been her mistress.

"We're in the Fade, Leliana," Eruestan said. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and climbed to her feet. "All things considered, I suppose."

"Was that the Comtesse de Nivers?" Rowena asked. "I feel like I met her."

"What? Oh, yes, yes," Leliana said a little distractedly. "My mother worked for her in Ferelden, but she went back to Orlais with Madame before I was born. After she died, Madame Cecilie helped raise me." She sighed. "That is, until I—"

As if on cue, they were on Niall's island once more.

"There you are," the mage said, panting slightly. "You got another one, didn't you?"

"Niall," Eruestan said, horrified, "what happened to you?"

The mage looked ancient. His hair was white and brittle, and his face was lined and spotted with age. Eruestan could barely believe that the wizened old man in front of them was the young man he had almost shared a room with. "The—the Sloth demon's feeding off me," Niall said, struggling to stay upright. "You have to hurry, I don't have much energy left."

Eruestan and Rowena looked at each other in concern. "Keep fighting it, Niall!" Rowena said. "We'll get you out of here!"

He nodded weakly, groaning from the effort. "You will…I know you will."

The two of them plunged their hands back into the basin, ready to end their dream. They immediately found themselves back at Flemeth's hut.

"Only Morrigan left," Rowena said, looking visibly paler. "I was hoping we wouldn't come back here."

"Don't worry," Eruestan said, seeing the look on her face. "Remember, it's just a dream and a demon. It's not the real Flemeth."

As he said it, the door to the hut flew open and Morrigan stormed out, looking angrily over her shoulder. "Leave me be, demon!" she snapped. "You are most annoying!"

"Morrigan, dear, do come inside," Flemeth said, hobbling into the doorframe. "Your dinner is getting cold!"

Morrigan gasped in frustration. "My mother is not this pleasant, demon! Either release me from this illusion or make a great deal better!"

"Morrigan!" Rowena said, running up to her. "Are you all right?"

The witch started and looked over at them. "There you two are!" she snapped, her face flushed. "Help me get rid of this demon once and for all!"

"Wait, I don't understand," Eruestan said. "How do you already know you're in a dream?"

"Morrigan, here," Flemeth said, walking up to them. "I knitted you this scarf, you'll catch your death of cold."

Morrigan looked back at Eruestan flatly. "If you think my mother knits, you're stupider than Alistair."

"No, it's just, normally the demons fight us once we figure it out," Rowena said, watching as Morrigan knocked the scarf out of Flemeth's hands in irritation.

"I know nothing more than either of you about how this works!" Morrigan said, glaring at the demon. "I have been stuck here for ages, trying to find a way out, and all this idiot does is keep acting like a real mother!"

"You all just must be hungry," Flemeth said, shaking her head. "That must be it. Here, I think I have some cookies in the house…"

"My mother does not even know what cookies are!" Morrigan shouted at her. She turned back to Eruestan and Rowena, her eyes flashing in anger. "Get me out of here, I cannot take much more of this!"

Eruestan hesitated, not sure of what to do. "I mean…have you tried attacking her yourself?"

The witch shot him a scathing look. "No, Eruestan, I am a complete and total idiot and barely have the brain capacity to keep breathing every morning. Of course I have! She just blocks everything I try!"

"Look, we've spent too much time talking already," Rowena said, drawing her sword. "Game's over, demon! We're taking Morrigan with us!"

The demon turned towards her slowly, a odd look on its face. "Strange," it croaked, its eyes gleaming. "And here I thought I gave my daughter to you once already, Wardens."

Eruestan's eyes went wide. "Rowena, put your sword away."

"What? Why?" She looked over and, seeing the look on his face, instantly jumped back a few feet. "Shite," she whispered. "Is that…?"

"Mother?" Morrigan asked in disbelief. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it's me, you dolt of a girl!" Flemeth said sharply. "Do you really think I'd let my only daughter fall prey to some lowly Sloth demon? Shameful!"

Morrigan huffed in frustration, her cheeks flushing. "Then what was the point of all this charade? Why torment me?"

Flemeth cackled, her laughter ringing out into the Fade. "Even old women like to have their fun, dearie. You of all people should know that."

"So, wait, how are we getting out of here?" Rowena asked nervously, her sword still held out in front of her. "We don't have to fight you, do we?"

"Not yet," Flemeth said mysteriously, grinning at her wickedly. "Rest easy, Wardens, I was merely keeping an eye on my Morrigan until someone showed up to take her back. You will face no resistance from me – the fight ahead of you will be hard enough."

"Fight?" Eruestan asked sharply. "What fight?"

Flemeth didn't answer him. Instead, she started whistling again, looking to the sky as she retreated back into her hut, slamming the door behind her.

Morrigan gasped, her face white. "She is extremely annoying!" she hissed, clutching her arms so tightly it turned her knuckles white. "Well, we shall see who's laughing when she discovers what I have found!"

"What's that?" Eruestan asked.

He blinked, and they were back on Niall's island. "That was everyone, wasn't it?" Rowena asked excitedly. "Are we free?"

"There's just the Sloth demon left," Eruestan said, looking around. "Where's Niall, though?"

There was a quiet, weak moan from the other side of the boulder. Cormac bounded around it and began to whine. Rowena and Eruestan looked at each in apprehension and walked around to the other side as well.

Niall lay sprawled out on the ground, a shriveled shell of what he had once been. Clumps of his white hair had fallen out, and his face was wrinkled beyond recognition. Eruestan cried out and dropped to his knees beside him. "Niall!" he said, propping his head up on his lap. "Here, Rowena, help me, I'm going to try to revive him—"

"Not worth it," Niall gasped, barely able to look up at them. "Too…too late for me."

"Don't say that!" Rowena said, crouching down at his other side. "We'll kill this demon and we'll get you out of here!"

Eruestan bit his lip. Looking down at Niall's withered face, he could tell that the mage was slipping, barely able to keep his eyes open. "I'm so sorry, Niall," he said quietly. Rowena looked up at him sharply and closed her eyes in resignation. "We took too long."

He shook his head. "Don't…be stupid. You did…so much…" He coughed violently and laid back on Eruestan's lap. "More than me," he said. "My mother…when she found out about my magic, she told me I was going to do something great. Guess…guess she was wrong…"

"Don't be silly, Niall," Eruestan said gently. "You fought so long for so many days, you defended the Circle."

"The C-Circle…" He looked up at Eruestan. "Never…never did much for the C-Circle…your robes are still in my room…I should have helped you…" He took a deep breath and steadied his voice. "You two are going to get out of here. I know you are. When you do, take the Litany of Adralla off my body. Save the Circle and stop that bastard Uldred."

"Niall…" Eruestan said, deeply moved. "We…we will."

"We should go," Rowena murmured, bowing her head. "I don't know if we have much more time."

Eruestan looked down at Niall's ancient face and shivered. "I'm sorry, Niall. I don't want to leave you here all alone."

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I'm…fine," he murmured. "Find the Litany…make Mam proud…"

"Let's get out of here," Rowena whispered, rising to her feet as she quietly drew the Circle of Sacred Flame on her forehead. Niall had fallen asleep, struggling to breathe. Eruestan gently nudged his head off of his lap and traced the Circle on Niall's forehead, too. Then he stood up and followed her to the pedestal. One rune in the center was left glowing.

"Are you ready?" Rowena asked, looking over at him.

He grabbed her hand. "Let's finish this."

They were standing in a rugged valley, the ground dry and cracked beneath their feet. The sky was boiling, and a strong wind pelted their faces with sand and small stones. In the center of the valley stood a hooded figure, its shoulders hunched against the wind.

"So active, so determined," it drawled, turning towards them. "I invited you into my realm so you could rest, and this is how you repay me? How rude."

"Back off, you monster," Rowena snapped, drawing her sword. "You've already tried to trap us in here once, you won't succeed again!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong," the demon said, chuckling slowly from underneath its hood. "You belong to me now, don't you see? You'll sleep with me forever."

Eruestan felt his eyelids droop. In a burst of anger, he shook his head and forced himself to stay awake. "That won't work, demon!" he yelled. "We came here to kill you!"

"Kill me?" the demon said softly. "That's not true, is it? You came here to kill each other, didn't you?"

There was a young woman standing in front of him. She had red hair and a long sword, and for some reason he hated her. He had no idea who she was, but he knew that she had hurt him. She was evil, she would kill him – that is, if he didn't kill her, first.

She was already swinging her sword at him, slashing at the air between them in a frenzy. He dove back and tried to encase her in ice, but she was able to dodge the spell and keep charging at him. Gritting his teeth, he blasted her back with a wave of magic. She rolled to her feet and with a terrible battle cry rushed at him, ready to cut him in two. Holding out a hand, he started to summon a ball of lightning, ready to blast her to ash. That was when a dog jumped in between them, howling at them both. Dog. He knew that dog, didn't he? Where did he…

"Cormac," Eruestan whispered. "Rowena, stop!"

Her sword was inches from his face. She stood completely still for a moment, then dropped her arm, horrified. "Eruestan!"

"Fools!" the demon bellowed, its voice rippling through the air. "I would have given you everything!" It began to rise up above them, storms clouds swirling in the sky. "Why would you resist me?"

The ground was shaking beneath. Cracks began to widen under their feet, spreading down the length of the valley and forcing them back against the rock wall. Lightning struck at the mountain wall, raining down boulders large enough to crush them into paste. The valley itself was shifting around them, threatening to throw them into the gaping void that had opened up before them. They pressed themselves further against the cliff wall and suddenly Eruestan was afraid, very afraid, more afraid than he had ever been.

Yes, a voice inside his head said. You are weak and afraid. Embrace your fear. Stay with me…forever…

Eruestan began to nod, hands clutching the rock behind him frantically. Then, he touched Rowena's hand. The two looked over at each other, and suddenly a surge of courage ripped through both of them.

No! the voice screamed. Eruestan didn't listen. Where fear had been was only anger and confidence. He was filled with power, more power than he had ever known. He thrust out his arms, catching the boulders with one hand and channeling the lightning with the other. With a scream of rage, he thrust his hands forward, blasting the demon with the power of the skies and the land.

Rowena was already flying towards the demon as the spell crashed into its body, growing to twice, three times her size. She knocked the demon aside with a shield the size of a door. It hissed and threw her back with a wave of magic as down below Cormac howled, his call echoing in the emptiness of the Fade.

Eruestan brought lightning down from the sky again and thrust it at the demon. For a moment he felt Wynne and Morrigan beside him, channeling energy into his spell. They disappeared as the demon's body lit up with electricity, its shrieks splitting Eruestan's ears. Leliana broke into the dream, shooting arrows at the demon, and suddenly Sten and Alistair had joined Rowena in the fight, ducking and weaving around the waves of magic blasting out from the spirit's body. Then Eruestan blinked and everyone except Rowena had vanished, her sword shining and flashing through the air. The demon swiped and clawed at her, but she was a blur, too fast to hold back.

The Fade was tearing itself apart around them; the sky itself was shattering. People were flying in and out of the fight, stripping more and more of the demon's power away from it. Magic was pouring out of Eruestan as he began to absorb parts of the Fade itself. He was glowing now – the demon shrieked from the light and thrust a bony hand out to him, attempting to bath him in darkness. The others disappeared, and all he could see were shadows, crashing down on him as the ground crumbled to pieces beneath his feet.

You will obey!

"Enough!" he screamed, throwing back his head. There was a blinding flash of light…