9:29 Justinian 18th
"Ugh this sweltering heat is maddening." Eren laid on the beach. I came back from the sea with Alfred to find him under the shade of a tree. I panted while Alfred pounced on him, knocking out Eren's breath. "Alfred, heel!"
"Oh come on Eren. You said you wanted a day off and I suggested the beach. The least you could do is actually get up and get some sun. You're frigging pale." I sighed. Eren scowled.
"And how do you expect me to have some fun when you're trotting around half-naked!" Eren pointed at me. I looked at my attire that consisted of a sleeveless tunic and some comfortable shorts that I made myself.
"I'm not half naked. I'm reasonably clothed in my opinion." I shrugged. Eren scoffed and laid back down.
"Why do I ever listen to you?" Eren moaned.
"Because you love me." I said flatly. "Come on Alfred, leave your master to roast in his own juices while we go off and have some fun. I'll toss you a stick." I offered. Alfred barked and followed me back to the coast. Alfred and I played together on the beach while Eren was still sulking around. I was surprised when he took up my offer to go to the beach. It was a rest day for both of us.
Eventually Alfred went off to take a nap by Eren and I stayed close, picking up seashells and pretty stones. The waves were very calm but the water was extremely cold. I stayed in the shallows, trying to find whatever I could find. I stood up and looked how the sun was shining in the waves of the sea. I took a deep breath and relished the salty air.
It was amazing to see the deep blueish green water, unsoiled by human footprints. I sat in the water and felt the weird sensation of the water pulling me in. My face was burning unfortunately. I knew I was going to be peeling some skin tomorrow but for now I relaxed. I was so relaxed, I started to sing. Being near the water always made me happy.
I got heated and happy. I stood up and started to sing at the top of my lungs. All the songs I remembered, some sad, some happy, some that were all over the place. Eventually Alfred danced around my legs and I stopped. I had enough fun and Eren stared at me.
"What was that for? It sounded like a dying chicken." Eren said and I flicked sand at him.
"I was happy. Come on, let's go back." I said. Eren got up from his shady tree and stretched. "Hey Eren, I was wondering something."
"Oh you have a thought? Ring the Chantry bells…" He chuckled. I stomped on his foot and he grunted in pain.
"You spend so much time with me and work but I never see you with friends. Do you have them?" I wondered as I took off as much sand as I could and put on my boots.
"I have no need of them. They tend to use me for my money and status anyway. There's no point." Eren shrugged.
"That…is kind of sad." I mumbled.
"It's a natural occurrence. I wouldn't be surprised if you did it as well if you weren't forced in this position." Eren said and I punched him in the gut.
"I would never use someone like that." I said lowly. Eren glared at me and I glared back. "Sheesh, I thought you knew me more than that."
"I know that you are a violent, emotional, and stubborn woman." Eren slapped the back of my head while leading us back on the path to the castle.
"I'm not just that." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.
"Is there anything else you have shown me that makes me think otherwise?" Eren looked back at me. Now that I thought about it, there really wasn't much that I showed him. None of my favorite things were here except I was in my favorite thing, or now place. "Just know this; you are my confidant and my most trusted friend. There's no one else I can have at my side." Eren said seriously. I got a goofy smile on my face.
"Thanks Eren. That means a lot." I giggled. Eren huffed.
"Now let's go back home. I'd rather get out of the sun." Eren nodded. Alfred barked.
"Yes."
9:29 Solace 8th
It was time. Eren and I walked through the city as we usually do. There was something off though. Eren was uncharacteristically distracted and I didn't know why. He had a very somber face and I wasn't sure why. It wasn't until I was sorting out his paperwork in his room when he sat down and sighed.
"So why the long face?" I asked. Eren gave me a glance before rubbing his face. I realized that whenever he did this, he was stressed. He sighed.
"There's no point in keeping this from you…" He mumbled. "You remember the reports of the attacks down in the Korcari Wilds?" He asked. I felt my stomach drop and nodded slowly. "It's darkspawn. They found them on the surface."
There it was. The truth of the matter and the thing that's going to dropkick Ferelden in its figurative face. I bit my lip. It was still too early for the blight to begin but seeing a few darkspawn doesn't mean Blight automatically. Still I already knew what's going to be happening.
"But it's just a few attacks right?" I wondered. Eren leaned back in his seat.
"For now but darkspawn haven't been seen on the surface for the past 400 years. Many think that the Blight will never happen again. My father said that the few Grey Wardens of Ferelden are already investigating it. I pray for all our sakes that this is merely something abnormal and not a precursor to something worse." Eren cringed.
I remember reading the diary of a Grey Warden who fought in the fourth Blight. How her brother was about to sacrifice himself to kill the Archdemon and the blood magic that killed the remaining griffons. The blight wasn't pretty and, with Eren around, I was going to witness it firsthand. It wasn't something I was looking forward to.
"Eren, what are you going to do if it is a Blight?" I asked, putting all his papers away. Eren stroked his goatee and thought.
"Do whatever it takes to stop it. There isn't much information on the Blight or Darkspawn themselves. That is taken care of by Grey Wardens but, what I do understand, it's going to take the collective effort of the entire country itself. We can't always rely on Grey Wardens, especially what with the coup they tried to do and all…" Eren shook his head.
"Grey Wardens are heroes though right?" I tried to perk him up. Eren scoffed.
"Please. Grey Wardens are a mishmash of thieves, barbarians, and murderers. There's nothing good in there. They only come during the worst of times and then call themselves heroes." Eren rolled his eyes. That made me wilt a bit. Even when Inquisition time rolled around, I still found myself a staunch support of Grey Wardens. No matter what, through all my playthroughs, I loved being a Grey Warden. "Either way, all we can do is wait and don't panic." Eren continued. I put the paperwork in front of him.
"I'm going to my room. You can handle reading and writing your signature right?" I chuckled.
"Yes. You can leave now." Eren said gruffly. I nodded and went back to my room. I knew what was coming but a low person who was only as a bodyguard can't notify the king of the upcoming disaster. Not only that, Cailan isn't much of a king, but would jump at the chance to fight an Archdemon. Loghain wasn't kidding when he was a child playing war.
Even if I was able to convince some people; unless I convince the people in power, there would be no point in trying. Most likely everyone would only take me as a rambling mad woman. There was no way out and nothing I could do. If there's one thing I hate, it's being useless. That's all I can do now right? Just ramble in this stupid little diary about things I can't even change while people will die!
I hate it. I hate this and I hate myself for not even having the power to change it.
9:29 August 9th
There's been more darkspawn attacks recently. The farmers around the surrounding area are frightened and Bann Wulff, who's in charge of those lands, is trying to make sure no one was panicking. Apparently we've already had a few Grey Wardens look over the area. I'm pretty sure Duncan was a part of their group. They won't tell anything to the populace besides that there is a crack in the earth and darkspawn are coming out. No more, no less.
Of course that's complete bullshit. Duncan would have sensed it but we can't have the country go into full blown panic. That won't happen for another year now anyway. Besides that, I got problems on my end too.
I was in the fade. Halo and I were traversing my old memories again, this time of my childhood home. Halo can only make a secure place for me every once in a while. As such, he's on high alert. I understood but at the same time, paranoia will only make things worse.
"Halo, you really need to learn how to relax. You're being too tense. Things will get worse unless you get used to the fade." I kicked some gravel in front of me. It floated for a second before it came down. Halo pouted.
'Not safe. Demons.' Halo replied.
"Demons will only come because you expect them to come. Come here Halo." I said, reaching out my hand. Halo grew smaller to fit in my hand. "Look at the landscape Halo. The fade took my memories and shaped it. The reason why it's so stable every single time we come here is because I'm open minded about all of it. I go with the flow, it's how I am." I shrugged. "Just relax" Halo settled into my hand.
'I will try.' Halo mumbled. I nodded and continued past the reservoir and into the old city.
"I'm surprised! Wow, a human with such a deep knowledge of the fade!" I quickly turned around from the way I came from and Halo immediately came in front of me. I sighed in aggravation and pulled him on my shoulder. A young looking mage with ashy brown hair and well looking robes sauntered over me.
"I'm guessing you're a spirit then?" I asked. He snapped his fingers.
"Exactly. I have never seen someone with your mind and with a strong spirit next to you!" He laughed. Out of all the ones I've met, this one was like Ardor very humanlike. "Now how did you control it? Well I guess not really control it. Protection protects but usually they are small things not this towering behemoth before me." He crossed his arms and gave me a confused looked. I looked at the tiny Halo perched on my shoulder.
"Behemoth?" I wonder.
'Don't listen.' Halo said. The spirit tsked.
"You see this is the behavior that makes us stupid and ugly. Don't try to feed nonsense into this smart girl's head." The spirit came closer.
"Oh thank you." I nodded.
"You're welcome. So you are the irregularity? How interesting. You know it's really hard to pin point your location since that one keeps on moving in the fade." It pointed at Halo. Halo glared at him.
"I'm confused, irregularity? I heard something else call me that." I asked. He stepped on the road and knocked the wall of another house before measuring a wire fence.
"Oh sorry. For the fade naturally housing beings made of figurative ideas, they sure love to gossip. You, my dear, are the subject of many of their thoughts. The fade suddenly being ripped, a hole the size of this height and size." He pointed at a door. "Then you coming in with that along with you." He pointed at Halo. "Not only that, finding you traversing the fade with absolute no magical talent…You, my dear, are what we call an impossibility, an irregularity. Something that can't and should not exist in any shape or form."
"…That's concerning." I gulped.
"Oh not at all. You see, you have an exceptional talent of moving in the fade and remembering as well. I don't know where you got your information but it's very spot on in how to deal with folks like us." The mage leaned against a wall not even three steps away from where I was standing. Halo started to bristle but I patted him to calm him down.
"They're just things I read up really. Nothing special." I shrugged, patting Halo that settled into my hand.
"But you are special and, uh pup!" I was going to say no but he did a shushing motion. "Now, now. You really need to learn how to take a compliment. You have much knowledge not of your own but of this one. I can see it in you! The way you carry yourself and explore this world is so much more different than anyone else." He laughed and sat down on a stone fence. "Where did you get this knowledge?"
"Like I said, I read." I said. He laughed.
"Well whatever you read it led you to too much information. I could also grant you more knowledge, something that will keep pesky demons away from you." He offered. That sent up warning signs in my head.
"No. I think I'm good but thank you for the offer." I declined. There was a spark in his eyes before he laughed.
"You…are much more cunning than you appear. I enjoyed this game. Perhaps this might be the last time we ever speak to each other. The fade is a grand place and since that one keeps moving, I will say my farewells. Do take care though. There are others not as benevolent as I am." He said, about to leave. "OH! And if you are looking for purpose then you should stay where you are. You have a destiny, I assure you. Follow your road and you will find what you seek." He looked back and nodded toward me. Halo was confused considering that he gave us a pile of information without seeking anything. Besides offering me knowledge, but nothing comes without a price. Halo looked at me and I smirked.
"You see? A clear mind does a lot." After I said that, I woke up. I rubbed my face in my pillow. The only downside to the dreams? I feel like I've been awake all night. "Ugh…a few more hours please…" I moaned but the things the spirit told me rang in my head. A destiny? Me? I'm just a simple cook and wife that found herself stuck in a place against her will.
Find what I seek? I already knew that staying with Eren was the best course but now I'm certain. I need to stay with him. I need to find the Grey Wardens and then get to Flemeth. At this point, it's a waiting game…God, I hate waiting.
Beta'd by FearaNightmare!
Do you feel it coming? I sure do. The darkspawn! The Blight! :D
Shout out to Warden Anders, Narliea (welcome back!), and Golderik for favoriting/following!
Chimera Spyke: Nah, Eren is too controlled for that to happen. Love your continued support!
Kansara: Yes there will be multiple wardens :3
Syutaku: I'm glad you liked his turmoil. I also love your support :3
HellaRose: I'm glad to see you back and enjoying the rewrite!
Narliea: Welcome back! And I hope you liked my response!
Please review!