Been a bit since I responded to reviews, sorry 'bout that.
Thank you all for the reviews!
Bluesnowman: Thank you for the reviews. I am glad you are enjoying things so far!
Mikle Silver: I have done a number of chapter re-writes at this point. All the chapters should be caught up editing-wise. Have no editor for my works, so it is slow going for me to review everything I missed and fix things. x.x
: Thank you for the many many reviews as I have been writing this and thank you as well for your kindness. I'm glad too that most of my family are recovering and that my hubby is gonan be okay ^.^ I am especially glad that you are enjoying the interactions between Darren and Morrigan. I am trying to keep these two from hooking up TOO fast yet have them build the relationship in a realistic manner especially considering how prickly Morrigan's personality is. She WANTS to believe in 'love' but has long believed that love is an illusion. 'Affection' perhaps, but 'love'? 'Pah!' as she would say. At this point they both know that the attraction is there, and Darren knows he has his work cut out for him trying to win her heart. I hope things are reflected as such thus far.
Incendie de Glace: Hmmmm, one has to wonder, yes?
TheliteraryJourneyman: Thank you so much for the kind review. I especially love the long ones. :D. To answer your questions, I have not forgotten the chest Darren found but with everything that has been going on, DARREN has forgotten it. It will actually be something key for him later on, that little box of memories for a widowed woman. As for your concern regarding Salacity/Ike... hehehe... Pay attention to the eyes of the Desire demon's from last chapter and this one and then Salacity/Ike's eyes the next time Darren sees her/him. HE wont see it. You should :D
To those of you who watch Dr. Who, this chapter is going to have some reference to the latest Christmas special. Because dreams!
Edits as of 08/19/2017 as to add Alistair into the group. Had left him behind on the other end of the shore in a previous chapter. Please count that as still happening but Alistair being the brave dunderhead that he is, he raced in after them as soon as he could. IE; he managed to send a signal across for the boat and Gregoir sent someone to let him over. Too much in a later scene needs to stay for things to work. Thank you for baring with me
-==**-/**=-
Chapter Twenty: What Dreams May Come
-==**-/**=-
Though all before me is shadow,
Yet shall the Maker be my guide.
I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond.
For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light
And nothing that He has wrought shall be lost.
-Trials 1:14[38]
-==**-/**=-
I jerked up and suddenly the world seemed to spin heavily before I landed roughly on my side onto stone ground. My breath flew from me in a whoosh of air, the side of my head clonked hard against the stone and I blinked blearily at the hammock that was swinging back and forth above me, connected securely between two pillars. I frowned up at the hammock rocking above my head, rolled onto my back and sat up slowly as I rubbed the now-pounding side of my head. I felt dizzy... disconnected...
"Darren my boy!" came a voice filled with amusement. A familiar voice that... when had I last heard that voice? "Are you alright? That was quite the tumble. You're lucky none of the other Warden's were around to see that. Here, up you go."
I turned my head and blinked at the hand that was now being held out to me. A hand that was connected to... Duncan. My... mentor...? I blinked again, still feeling disjointed, out of place even due to the pounding in my skull, and took his hand. He tugged me to my feet easily despite my being the taller individual.
"Duncan...? How...? Where are we?" I asked as I shook my head again and blinked rapidly at the increased dizziness.
"We're at Headquarters making our report. You remember? The Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels?" Duncan's face suddenly looked concerned. "My boy are you alright? How hard did you hit your head?"
"I... well, it does hurt quite a bit," I blinked rapidly and cast a bit of healing magic on myself. It helped, but a dull ache remained. "Mmmph. Little better, but things are still... blurry? Why are... why are we here? I thought you were... and I was... gathering allies...?"
"We were gathering allies to defeat the Archdemon. Don't you remember? We did it! We won!" Duncan smiled broadly.
"We... did? How?" I asked with another blink. Why did things still feel so strange despite my casting? Shouldn't the pain have faded in full?
"It's a long story," Duncan said with a laugh as he patted my back. "Besides! You were there! Give it some time and you'll remember. In the mean time, let's go see our other healer. I think you hit your head a little harder then either of us thought!"
"Right," I blinked again and stumbled after him.
Moments later and I was sitting down at a table. A healer was busy casting over me as she made me drink from a large skin of water. I felt a little more stable but still... I shook my head and looked up at the woman who was wearing a hooded Grey Warden outfit.
"I feel better but everything is still a bit woozy," I told her. "Like the world is just a little off kilter."
"That'll pass in a few hours," she said with a smile. "You hit your head pretty good. Right on the temple. Any harder and you wouldn't have been walking under your own power. It's no wonder your memory is a bit off. Just take it easy and drink plenty of water. You healed the worst of the injury yourself, but no exerting yourself for the next twenty-four hours. If you feel tired at all, you come to me."
"Got it," I said with a smile. "No falling asleep with a head injury. I know, ma'am."
"Hmph, I believe that you KNOW," she smiled suddenly, "but if you're anything like the others you'll ignore it 'til the last possible minute. Don't be foolish, I don't need you collapsing on us."
"Aye, ma'am," I said with a smile as I nursed my skin of water.
Duncan wandered back over at that point and gave my shoulder a pat.
"Doing better my boy?" he asked.
"Somewhat," I responded. I stood up and started for the door. "I'm heading out to get some fresh air."
"I'll join you," Duncan said as he moved after me.
After a few companionable minutes of silence in the rather large garden, I turned to look at Duncan.
"So we gathered up allies to defeat the Archdemon? How?" I asked. "I'm sorry but things are still fuzzy."
"It's a long story my boy," he said with a shake of his head and a laugh. "And right now I'll need you to excuse me, I need to talk to Marcus."
He broke off from me at that point and wandered over to stand by, and talk to, another Warden. I blinked a bit and then moved to sit down on a stone bench. What felt like only a minute later, but from the change of the angle of the shadows was actually an hour later, Alistair plopped down on the bench beside me with a wide smile.
"Hey now! Heard about your little tumble!" he patted me on the back. "Nice one Darren!"
"Seriously?" I asked in a dry voice. "Does everyone know about that now?"
"Just about," he said with a nod of his head. "No worries though, just makes you look normal. The big 'Hero of Fereldan' can't even get out of a hammock."
"'Hero of Ferldan'?" I asked incredulously in a higher then normal tone. "I get that we beat the Archdemon but what the heck?! I thought Duncan was leading us?"
"It's a long story," Alistair said with a laugh. "Suffice to say, Duncan was down for the count and you took up the slack. You won the day! The big hero!"
He reached over and mussed up my hair before he stood and started for the garden's exit as he indicated for me to follow. I stood up and moved after him after a seconds worth of pause.
"Come on man, this way," he said. "Got someone here to visit you!"
"Who?" I asked with a blink as I tried to think of who would be visiting me. "Morrigan?"
"Nah, she's out in the Wilds at the moment. Something about her Mother, long story that I soooo don't want to go over again," Alistair said with a shuddering shrug. "I do not know how you can be around her Darren, but it's obvious the two of you are head over heels for each other."
"Really?" I asked with a grin.
"Yeah, in as much as her threats of physical violence always seem to make you smile and then she always turns away and hides a quirk of her lips when you call her 'My Lady'," he shrugged and grinned. "Leliana pointed it out to me. Would have missed it otherwise."
"Yeah," I snorted, "that sounds like something you'd miss."
"Heeeey!" he said as he pouted at me. "Meanie. And here I am taking you to meet important people!"
"Yeah? Who?" I asked with another blink. I rubbed at the side of my head again, the dull throb of pain was becoming stronger again.
"Your family!" he said. "Aren't you excited to see them? I know I would be!"
I came to a dead halt. The world that had been slightly off kilter suddenly spun a full circle and then seemed to twist into a knot. I blinked rapidly and could see both 'reality' and the Fade. Alistair's form shifted in front of me; Desire demon, to Alistair to Desire before everything suddenly Snapped around me and the Fade solidified as the Dream faded around the edges of my sight. The Desire demon in front of me twisted around in shock and her dark-purple eyes widened as she looked at my now enraged countenance.
"Being able to see my family," I said slowly. "To be with them, to be openly acknowledged by them, yes. This is one of my greatest dreams. One of my most powerful desires."
The Desire demon started to look hopeful and opened her mouth. My hand flew up and she fell silent as she realized that my rage had not abated one bit.
"It is also something that can NEVER HAPPEN," I hissed out angrily as I remembered my initial snap at Morrigan about this same subject. Unlike the woman I was coming to love, I did not have to restrain my anger at this THING'S attempt to play on one of my deepest wishes. "I know that, and accept that, down to the very marrow of my soul. You overplayed your hand Demon."
I focused and in the next moment a spiritual copy of my glaive, Starfang, was hovering in the air in front of me. I grabbed the haft tight in my hand and then let my arm fall to rest at my side.
"One chance," I hissed out as I forced the anger down, as I forced myself to calm. "Leave now if you please."
"Hmm, let me think.." she tapped at her chin and then smiled darkly as she let her hands drop to trail down her sides. Several smaller Shade demons rose up behind her. "No."
"As you wish," I said coldly.
I lashed out swiftly with my magic and hit several of the smaller Shade demons with a burst of chain lightning. I darted forward before the Desire demon could finish her shout of outrage at my attack and lashed out with the blade of my glaive. She hissed and jumped back as she held a hand over the new wound on her arm. Using her undamaged hand, she lashed out with a Cone of Cold. I rolled to the side swiftly and dodged out of the way of the blast and behind two of her Shades. As she turned to follow me with the blast of icy magic I rolled again. As planned, she ended up turning the two Shades into 'Shade-cicles'. She let up on her magic as she realized what she had done and I rolled back to lash out with my glaive to shatter the two now frozen Shades.
I grinned at her darkly and she let out another screech of anger.
I took out the rest of the Shades swiftly before I turned my attention fully on the Desire demon in front of me. Somehow she seemed weaker then the other demons I had faced, and as such I was easily able to fell her.
Once more the world, the Fade, around me seemed to tilt and a small pedestal appeared in front of me. There was a small bowl filled with blue fluid that was almost like lyrium. I moved over to it slowly and peeked inside the bowl with a raised brow.
I saw the image of another pedestal with a young man walking in circles around it. He turned to look into the bowl and his eyes widened just as mine did when I realized who the young man was.
It was Niall!
I reached to touch the bowl just as he backed away frantically. Once more the Fade shifted around me as I appeared in a new place. Niall was backing away from me and held his staff pointed at me warily. It would have helped if his hand wasn't shaking.
"Y-you... stay over there! This is supposed to be a safe place!" he cried out.
"Safe?" I looked around and saw all the different runes that surrounded the pedestal.
I let out a soft sigh of relief as I recognized the protective runes that prevented a demon from entering the circle. It helped that both this particular bowl and pedestal combination was also marked with charged runes.
"Oh, perfect," I said softly. "If I need to rest or escape this will be a good spot."
I turned to face Niall and saw that his hands were no longer shaking as bad as they had been. I offered a faint smile before I frowned.
"Owain said that you grabbed the Litany of Adralla?" I asked.
"Yes, it's... on my belt," he said as he lowered his staff. "Darren, not to look a gift horse in the mouth but why are you here? I know how... of course I know how... damned Sloth."
"Yeah..." I said slowly. "He... kinda got the drop on me."
"How did you get out of your dream?" Niall asked carefully.
"I was offered something that I knew I could never have. Something that I have long accepted," I said calmly.
"Yeah," Niall said with a soft sigh. "I get ya there."
"You?" I asked.
"Whenever I asked, 'So what happened?' I kept getting the response..."
We both finished at the same time. "...'It's a long story'."
"Yeah, that really was odd," I said with a laugh. "The demon's were able to spin things to the point where I didn't really notice it though. Played it off like I hit my head hard and kept having me relax to 'recover from the blow' or if they couldn't play it off then there was suddenly something that the person I was talking to needed to do."
"Learned from me then," Niall said with a nod of his head. "No sense of subtly from them for me when I asked them questions."
"Do you know if the others are here? I came into the tower with a group of people," I said.
"Yes, look here," he indicated the pedestal and had me look.
A moment later the image within changed to a kind of map shaped almost like an upside down shield formed out of stars. A kind of constellation. Niall pointed to each one and an image popped up of a person within each save for the one at the very center. I recognized my team, but the others within seemed to shift into other forms before I could recognize their faces. Each turned into something different; a mouse, a man on fire, a golem and what looked like... an arcane horror?!
"What in the blazes?" I asked at the last one took shape.
"It's clever actually, hiding in plain sight as a demon like that," Niall answered with a shrug.
"I suppose but... well I suppose it's not that different from dreaming that you're a bird or something like that," I said with a tilt of my head. "We are pretty much just.. dreaming right now."
"Exactly," Niall suddenly looked around nervously before he turned back to me. "You... probably haven't been here long. You need to hurry. The only way out of here is to beat Sloth and the only way to do that is to free each of the dreamers. I tried myself but I'm not that strong."
"I'll go," I said with a frown as I looked over the map in the bowl. "The mouse seems to be with us here?"
"The Raw Fade, yes," Niall indicated the door beside us that glowed with a purple light. "Go through there and you'll find him trapped and hiding from a demon. I tried to fight it but was too weak."
"Rune magic," I said knowingly as I flashed him a reassuring smile before turning back to the liquid map. "You've always been skilled with Rune magic more then anything else. I've got this Niall, no worries. Now let's see, after the mouse there's a Templar here in the place labelled 'Darkspawn invasion', he turned into the Arcane horror. The guy on fire is in this Burning Tower, makes sense that. Lastly the Golem in this 'Mage Asunder' section."
"Defeating the demons in each section should unlock the other areas," Niall said hesitantly. "But I cannot say that for certain."
"Wont know until we try," I said with a shrug. "With this situation it's best to assume that would be the course to take. I'm not going to believe that there ISN'T a way out of here."
With that I gave Niall's shoulder a pat and moved for the door that he indicated would take me to the one hiding as a mouse. The Rage demon within was digging at what looked to be a mouse hole and I moved quickly, hoping to dispatch the thing before it could notice me. Niall, with his skills lying only in Runes, would have had to try to make several rune traps to lure the demon into without it noticing what he had been doing. That would have been just about impossible as the creature looked up at me before I'd taken more then a few steps in its' direction.
Despite the realization that I was in the 'room', the demon wasn't as fast as many of the previous enemies I had faced and I was able to defeat it only within a few minutes of fighting. Having heard the demon's death cry a small button nose peaked out of the nearby mouse hole. Seeing my relaxed stance and, perhaps recognizing me, the mouse scurried out of the hole quickly and turned back into a mage; Auron the Drunk. As his nickname alluded to, Auron was always sneaking a drink when he could, normally something he'd had on special order through Godwin's contacts.
"Darren? You're here too?" Auron asked sadly.
"I just got here really," I answered with a shrug.
"Oh good," he said as his expression brightened. "You might be able to survive this mess."
"I might?" I frowned at him. "I'm here to rescue you too, you know."
"No, no," Auron shook his head. "Too late for me Darren. My bodies dead, felt it die a while ago. I'm just trying to keep my soul from being consumed as well. Too bad really, just got a rare bottle of Warden vintage. Supposed to be a mix of different alcohols that they couldn't finish when at different Taverns during their travels."
"Auron..." I said mournfully, though I couldn't fight the smile that turned the corner of my lips. "You and your damned drinks. You got caught behind one of the book cases didn't you?"
"Yeah, just about to open up the bottle too," he sighed. "Ah well, grab the bottle and drink it for me will ya? You're a Warden now, so it's right for it to go to you."
"Idiot," I muttered, touched. Auron never shared his alcohol, the fact that he was giving me a bottle instead of asking to be bloody buried with it...
"Another gift for you though," Auron suddenly held out his hands toward me and a tingle ran through my body.
I stiffened, but nothing happened. I was unharmed. Seconds later images flashed through my mind of HOW to change my form into a mouse here in the dream scape. I blinked rapidly and followed the strange pull. The next moment I was looking up at a very tall and smiling Auron. I felt my nose twitch and all the strange sensations that came along with being a bloody mouse and longed for my normal form. A second later I was on my hands and knees, human once more. I took a few moments to try to catch my breath and regain my equilibrium.
"It's a rush isn't it?" Auron said with a laugh. "Dunno if it can be repeated in the real world. I imagine it's not so easy as all that but still."
"By the Maker," I let out a laugh as I stood. "Everything was so.. BIG!"
"I know right?" Auron laughed again then stopped with a sudden gasp.
"Auron?" I asked with concern.
He had started to glow with an ethereal light that seemed to originate from within his own body. He smiled and closed his eyes.
"Oh... this is niiice," he said as he disappeared from my sight.
I blinked blankly at where he had just been standing. My mind didn't quite want to register the fact that.. I think I'd just watched someone 'pass on' to whatever was beyond the Veil... or maybe he had been reborn? I didn't know and... really I didn't have time to try to contemplate the ramifications of what I had just witnessed. I needed to help the others. Sten, Zev, Leliana and Wynne were all caught up in this dream scape that Sloth had forged around us. Later... things like this could be thought about later with book, quill and parchment in hand.
It was no easy matter to fight through the ranks of demons in the various 'rooms' within this part of the Fade. Each of the individuals I found Disappeared in the same maner as Auron. Korin, a Templar who had long had anger management issues but had never once taken his rage out on anything but a training dummy gave me the ability to surround myself with the fire of my rage without being consumed by it. He disappeared with an expression of calm and serenity that I had never before seen on his face. Mathias, another templar who had been known for his laid back nature and his habit of daydreaming while on the job, gave me the ability to change into an arcane horror and then disappeared with a wistful and hopeful comment of 'what will I dream of now? I hope it's something nice' and lastly Henry, a young man who worked in the kitchens and had long been fascinated with dwarven history gave me the ability to turn into a Golem. He too disappeared, only with a cheeky grin flashed my way and a simple, passing 'good luck'.
With the multiple shapes locked into my mind I moved to open the remaining doors in order to push through to my allies. I could only hope that they weren't dead as well.
-==**-/**=-
I found Alistair first... which shouldn't have been possible... I eyed the dream suspiciously but it seemed he had actually managed to get himself stuck with us. Felt like him at anyrate. I decided to watch things for a few minutes before moving forward.
Much like myself his dream was housed at the Weisshaupt Fortress. Duncan was alive and... so was King Cailan...
Both were talking to Alistair happily and I even heard Cailan openly call Alistair his brother...
I winced sadly as I watched the demons cajole him into staying for another drink, another tale... another lie. I walked over to Alistair and he looked up at me with a wide grin.
"Darren! I wasn't expecting to see you! The others said you were busy with clean up at Denerim! Big Hero and all!" he cried out as he stood and clapped both my shoulders.
"Ah? You didn't want to be the Hero then?" I asked with a faint smile, still feeling off-kilter at seeing him.
"Me? The Hero?" he flashed me a confused look. "No, Maker no. Let me sit on the sidelines or help fight at someone's side but I know I'm no Hero."
"Ah," I said as I nodded. "Alistair, haven't you noticed something odd?"
"Like what?" he asked in confusion.
I shook my head and looked at 'Duncan'.
"How did you survive the Ogre at Ostagar?" I asked bluntly.
Alistair's face clouded over with confusion and suppressed grief as he looked at the image of his mentor.
"It's a long and dark story my boy, not suited for the victory table. Come now, pull up a chair and share a drink with us!" Duncan held up a tankard and I shook my head and turned to Cailan.
"How did you come to acknowledge Alistair openly as your brother with others around you?" I asked. "People would use him as political clout against you if they came to know the truth."
"Now Darren, you know that is a long story full of boring political intrigue!" 'Cailan's' face twisted into a 'ick' expression as he all but stuck out his tongue before he smiled again. "Now is a time for celebration, not politics!"
I shook my head and turned to Alistair.
"How did you get here?" I asked.
"I... horse I suppose?" he said with a questioning lilt. He blinked rapidly at me in confusion as he looked around the room. "I...No... boat. I was able to... I lit a signal fire and got someone to row back over with the boat? Why was I signalling for a boat?"
Well, that makes a bit more sense, I thought with a soft sigh.
Alistair had to have signalled Gregoir to send the boat back over and then came over by himself. Given that we had cleared the floors up to where Sloth was skulking about, he would have caught up to us quickly and had likely been trapped just as swiftly by Sloth's trap. Damn it. I shook my head and then looked around. I'd deal with Alistair's bout of foolishness later.
The demons masquerading as those closest to Alistair started to stand and I pointed at them. They froze warily. Alistair took note of the now blank expressions on their faces but did nothing in his continued confusion.
"What do they say when you ask questions about what happened during the Blight," I asked. When he didn't respond I snapped out loudly in my 'Commander' tone. "Answer me Soldier!"
Alistair jumped and turned to face me. The demons winced as he did so, each holding a hand to their heads. Good, if they felt pain because I was pulling Alistair's mind from their grasp then that was all the better.
"'It's a long story'," Alistair said slowly with a frown. "They keep repeating that... Darren? What is going on?"
"Remember the Tower? The Sloth demon we ran into?" I asked as I carefully pulled him away from the demons as they finished standing.
He turned his attention to the two as they did so and noted the suddenly hostile expressions on their faces. He pulled his sword slowly from its' scabbard as he followed my tugging.
"I'm starting to," he said grimly. I saw the beginnings of tears in his eyes. "This is a dream?"
"Worse," I said darkly as I readied my glaive. "They're trying to eat us mind, body and soul."
"We're not going to let them right?" Alistair asked.
I snorted softly. "Of course not."
With that we charged the demons just as their shapes flickered into their normal forms and the Fortress around us shifted into a raw Fade state. Alistair stumbled due to the change of his surroundings and I covered him as he recovered his bearings.
Despite the previous forms the demons, a Desire and a smaller Sloth demon, had taken, their skills at fighting were not really on parr with our own if you just counted physical prowess. However, the two made a good enough team magic wise that they were able to watch each other's backs when it came to fighting myself and Alistair. Desire would use her Cone of Cold to keep us away from them, which forced Alistair to shield me as I cast my spells from behind him and the smaller Sloth demon lashed out with draining magics that sapped our strength. Only my own ability to cast Rejuvenation kept our energy up enough to keep fighting.
Alistair finally swore and shot me a frustrated look. I felt the faintest tug of energy from him and realized he wanted to cast Smite. I had no idea what affect that might have with us in the Fade but I knew that our reserves were running low while the demons looked to still have plenty of energy.
I nodded and quickly ran in the opposite direction. The demons started to cackle at the move and began to taunt Alistair for having a cowardly companion. Their expressions darkened however when the tug of his Smite began to fill the air. The Fade itself seemed to ripple with energy, becoming more real and less real all at the same time. I could literally see a bubble of energy expanding out from where Alistair stood and I put on a burst of speed and leapt forward in an attempt to outrun the 'bubbles' edge. I just managed to avoid the rippling power.
As I rolled back to my feet and spun around I saw that the two demons had been laid out on the ground due to the Smite's power. The Fade in the area around Alistair looked more real then it had, the ground looked more like ground then glittering sand. The stones no longer shimmered with ethereal light and instead looked almost like normal stone.
Alistair and I moved swiftly then to take out the demons as they were disabled, I from a distance with my lightning magic and he with his sword. Once they perished I moved over to his side and examined the area around him.
"This is... fascinating," I said as I poked at a small stone that was starting to shimmer faintly. "It's almost like you brought a part of reality into the Fade, only the effects are... well, fading."
Even as I spoke the ethereal glow from earlier flickered back full force and the ground regained its' glittering quality. I poked at a few more stones before I finally let out a huff and stood up. Alistair flashed me a bemused look.
"Now that you're done analyzing things, can we get back to the ritual dismemberment's. Oh wait, it's not Tuesday is it?"
I started to roll my eyes and snap out a comment but Alistair started to glow. I paled but calmed when I realized that this glow was originating from AROUND Alistair and not from within him. He looked at his hands and then around himself with a frown.
"Wait? Where are you going? Why is the room changing?" he asked as he disappeared from sight and his voice faded into a strange echo.
I blinked at the spot where he had stood and then let out a sigh. Hopefully this meant he was waking up and I wouldn't have to find him again.
-==**-/**=-
Next I found Zeveran. The former Crow was surrounded by the image of his former Crow Master and another Crow that I didn't recognize. The weird part was that he was tied to a rack and they kept turning it slowly. I blinked, a bit surprised to find the elf not in a dream of his greatest desires but in a nightmare memory of his past.
It took little to convince him that he was already a Crow and that he was bound to me by his own word. His memory was jarred mostly due to the last comment due to the fact that he prized 'his word' so very strongly. Despite this he was unable to fight the demons who had been holding him hostage, the mental wounds of his childhood chaining him to inaction against the faces of his tormentors.
Once the demons were taken care of and the dungeon faded away he turned to me, pale faced, and offered me a weak smile.
"If... if we must talk to the others about this, can we simply say that I was surrounded by a harem of ladies and men?" he asked in a shaky voice. "I would rather this... not be shared with the others, por favor."
"It's alright Zev, I wont say a word," I offered him a small smile.
"Ah... good," he sighed in relief. "Gracias dear Warden. Ah... wait where are you going?"
He disappeared much like Alistair had. I nodded to myself and moved to the now visible pedestal and flicked to the next room.
I recognized Sten's form right away and saw two other Kossith sitting with him around a fire pit. Sten eyes were closed yet he had a faint smile on his lips as he listened to the two in front of him spin tales he had likely heard before. I walked over and he turned his head and opened his eyes to look at me. He bowed his head slightly in my direction.
"Warden-Commander," he said simply.
"Hey Sten," I responded softly. I noticed that his eyes looked just as clear and focused as before. I indicated the others nonetheless. "This... isn't real."
"I know," came the simple response as he sipped from a tin. He let out a sigh a moment later.
"Ah," I looked at the two demons and eyed them just as warily as they eyed me. "Who are they supposed to be?"
Sten pointed at one, "Ashaad, a scout," and then the other, "Karashok, an Infantry private as you would say. They were my companions for over a decade."
"Ouch," I said with a wince. "Sorry again for your loss Sten... but we need to go."
The demons started to say something but Sten held up his hand to stop them. To keep with the illusion the demons remained silent, and their expressions hopeful. I frowned at that... and realized that they were expecting him to... stay?
"I have decided to remain here," Sten said simply.
I looked at him for several long minutes before I frowned and then growled at him. There was only one way to handle this safely and get my ally to come with me of his own will.
"On your feet Recruit!" I snapped out. "You swore to assist with fighting the Blight to regain your honor and agreed to the Rite of Conscription that I called upon to get you out of your cage. You may be a Sten amongst the Qunari but you are still MY Warden Recruit and must obey MY orders until such time as I release you from your duties or you die. Now on your feet or does your word and honor mean NOTHING?"
The last was said at a shout and Sten looked at me with wide and startled eyes. He had seem me handle things before more of a diplomatic air and me snapping out orders like I had just done had never happened before as it hadn't been needed before. He eyed me for several tense seconds before his eyes flashed with new-found respect and he set aside the tin in his hand and stood up. The demons stood as well.
"Where are you going Sten?" the one he had labeled as Ashaad asked. "You are not needed out there."
"If you were really Ashaad and Karashok," Sten started softly, coldly, "you would understand what it means to obey your superiors commands. The illusion was... pleasant... while it lasted. Begone."
The two demons let out twin snarls and lunged for us. With Sten at my side, skilled as he was at killing effectively, we were able to dispatch the demons faster then when I had fought with Alistair and protected Zeveran. Once the pair was felled I turned to Sten with a raised brow.
"Ready to go?" I asked.
"As you command," Sten said simply. A moment later he looked around in annoyance as he disappeared from sight. "Parshaara! When will this end?"
I couldn't help the faint snicker that escaped me as his voice faded. I shook my head and moved to the pedestal for the next jump.
This time it was Leliana. Maker Damn it but she was a stubborn one and kept ignoring everything I said to her. The demon nearby didn't help things with her constant 'it is nothing but the wind', 'ignore it', 'pray and find forgiveness in the chant' comments. Finally I had enough and yelled at the red-headed woman.
"Seriously!? Nothing but food for a demon! Did you forget your dream? Your vision?" I yelled. "Do you want another city to fall like Lothering because you let yourself get eaten by a demon instead of standing and fighting!?"
"Maker, though your... though your..." Leliana's voice stuttered to a halt and she sobbed brokenly. "Gone... everyone gone and dead... even you..."
Leliana stood up slowly and the robes of a lay sister fell away from her in sparks as her leather armor was revealed. She turned a tearstreaked face to look at the demon wearing a Mother's face.
"Even you are dead, Revered Mother," she said sadly. "I wont fail again. I wont let the Blight win."
With that Leliana lunged with deadly skill at the demoness. It was all I could do to actually keep up with her movements, I didn't even dare get involved in the fight for fear of hitting Leliana in her grief-stricken rage as she attacked the demon. The close quarters fighting surprised me as Leliana rolled and struck with a long dagger that she normally never used. She lashed out with the blade, striking up from under the ribs and straight into the demons heart. The Revered Mother's visage fell away to reveal yet another Desire demon and Leliana hissed at the creatures face as tears streaked down her cheeks.
"A pretty lie, but like Marjolaine... a pretty lie is still just a lie," she said as the demon turned to dust.
She stood slowly and looked at me sadly.
"Thank you for letting me fight that fiend on my own," she said softly, her Orlesian accent more prominent in her grief. "Sometimes we need to face our demons by ourselves."
"That and I was a bit worried I'd hit you and not her," I responded just as softly. "I've... never seen you move like that."
"It is a style of fighting I have not had to use in years," she said with a shrug. "The style of a Bard."
I tilted my head as I looked at Leiliana critically. That kind of skill was useful in close quarters fighting, she overpowered her enemy swiftly and surely. I shook my head and sighed. It would not be a skill to use against the Darkspawn in close quarters, as I did not want her or any of my companions catching Blight-sickness, however...
"Leiliana, against the enemies we have faced so far to gain allies to combat the Blight," I shrugged and fell silent for a second before I continued. "We may need every skill we have. Think on it, please."
"I will Darren," she smiled tearfully. "Thank you... oh! Where...?"
She disappeared. I rubbed at the back of my neck for a moment before I let out a sigh and moved to the pedestal that had reappeared with the demon's defeat. Last was Wynne... and I worried about what I would be forced to see about one of my oldest friend's psyche.
-==**-/**=-
End of chappie!
I tried to expand on something Cassandra and Solas talk about in Inquisition during party banter. Specifically this;
Cassandra: What is it like when templars nullify magic, Solas?
Solas: It is as though you are drawing upon the world around us. Mages draw forth the essence of the fade, and use that essence to shape reality.
Cassandra: And our powers drive it back, making this world harder to affect?
Solas: In a manner of speaking. You reinforce reality so it's less mutable. The fade has nowhere to gain a foothold, and the magic disperses.
Cassandra: No one has ever accused me of reinforcing reality before.
Solas: You are a seeker of truth.
Even in the Fade with Alistair with you, he is able to use Smite. But how would a Smite REALLY affect the Fade? I try to expand on that in this chapter and I hope you all liked it!
Please read and review!