*IMPORTANT NOTE:
1)For my readers on , there was a problem on the site alerting readers that the previous chapter was out. Please make sure that you've read that before starting this one. I can only hope that the notice goes out properly on this one.
Also: I have included a cameo by a well-known character in this chapter but this is my version of them and not in line at all with what happened in the game.*
You Don't Have To Stand Alone
Chapter 36 – Dream Warrior
Allison remained seated by Anders' side as he lay in bed. She felt hollow and useless. At that moment she would have given anything to have a useful ability that could help Anders.
Rune stones were of no use now.
Allison rested her head on their joined hands and listened to Anders' shallow breathing.
Did the Maker exist? Were the gods that the people of Thedas worshipped real? Would they listen to an outsider who asked for help to save a man who put the wellbeing of others ahead of his own to the point of exhaustion?
Did they care?
Allison's throat closed up as the tears that she had been fighting for hours tried to break through the wall she had built to prevent herself from going insane.
She couldn't lose Anders, she just couldn't!
Allison heard the clinic door open and she grabbed her dagger from the dresser.
Isabela called out to her as she rushed into the bedroom.
"Is he alright?" Isabela asked, short of breath from running the whole way.
"He's alive but his breathing doesn't sound good and he's still running a fever." Allison answered, looking over Isabela's shoulder for the others.
"Where are Varric and Cullen?" Allison demanded, a bubble of hysteria seeping through her calm.
Isabela heard it and put a hand on Allison's shoulder.
"It's fine. Cullen and Varric are with First Enchanter Orsino. Orsino says he can figure out the antidote to the poison." Isabela reassured her.
Allison blew out a breath and tried to make her muscles relax.
"How long will it take?" she asked.
Isabela put a hand on Anders' forehead and frowned at the heat emanating from his skin.
"When I left he said to give him an hour so it should be soon now." Isabela replied.
"Ok." Allison closed her eyes for a moment and tried to hold on to hope. "Can you help me get some fluids down him?"
Isabela was quick to help. She propped Anders up and let him lean against her while Allison spooned warm soup down his throat. They also managed to get him to swallow some water which was good.
After making sure that Anders was comfortable Isabela eyed Allison next.
"You need to get some sleep yourself. I'll watch him until the boys get back." Isabela said.
Allison shook her head. "No, I don't want to leave him."
Isabela grabbed Allison by the arm and took her out into the main room to a cot and pushed her down.
"You can't help him if you keel over from fatigue." Isabela snapped. "Lay down and close your eyes. Even if you can't sleep it will still do you some good."
Allison's eyes felt like they had grit in them and her body was sore from sitting so long.
"I'll lay down for a few minutes, that's it. Wake me if Anders stirs or anything." Allison ordered before obeying Isabela's command.
Satisfied, Isabela returned to the bedroom and took over watching Anders.
"If you die on us I'll find a way to the Maker's side and kick your ass!" Isabela whispered in Anders' ear.
He didn't respond but Isabela hoped that a part of him would hear her and keep fighting.
It was almost an hour later when Allison was awakened by knocking at the door.
She sat up confused and bleary-eyed for a moment before reality rushed back into her consciousness.
She hopped up from the cot and saw Isabela already cautiously approaching the door.
They bother heard Varric call out on the other side.
Allison hurried over eager to administer whatever cure Orsino had come up with.
Isabela let Varric and Cullen in but both women saw the grim looks on their faces.
Allison's knees threatened to buckle so she grabbed the back of a chair to hold herself up.
Cullen stepped forward and bowed. "Allison. How does Anders fare?"
"He's not good. Why do you and Varric look like you brought bad news?" Allison said in a dull voice. She couldn't feel anything; the fear had taken everything.
Varric took her hand. "It's not bad news. It's just that the antidote is going to take a bit longer to make."
"Why?" Allison asked.
"We have to find the ingredients first and they're not exactly laying around waiting to be picked." Varric explained.
"They're plants?" Allison asked, feeling like her brain was running on molasses.
Cullen nodded. "Yes, various kinds of herbs and flowers. The good thing is that Alrik adapted a Tevinter poison by using ingredients found in and around Kirkwall so Orsino was able to create an antidote recipe using ingredients here as well."
Allison rubbed her forehead and made her way back to the bedroom. She took her seat again, by Anders' side.
"So you basically have to go on a scavenger hunt and hope that you can find everything before Anders dies?" she said, her tone despondent.
The others had followed her and now stood huddled around Anders.
Cullen was alarmed at how badly the mage looked but his heart broke when he saw how it was affecting Allison.
She may not be his, but he cared for her and it pained him to see her hurting.
He knelt next to her chair and she looked at him with crestfallen eyes that carried the sheen of unshed tears.
He caught her chin in his hand. "You love him very much don't you?" he asked quietly.
He felt the shudder that rippled through her as she tried to hold back the emotions that wanted to overtake her.
She couldn't speak so she simply nodded and one wayward tear splashed onto Cullen's hand.
"Then I swear to you that we will find every plant, every herb, every sapling needed and we will cure him." Cullen promised solemnly.
He stood and kissed her hand, allowing the friends to say their goodbyes before they began their search.
Isabela kissed Allison's cheek. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll be back soon."
Varric raised her chin with his hand. "Have faith Denim. I don't believe that fate brought you here just to have you lose each other."
Allison stood and hugged Isabela and Varric fiercely. "Thank you. Thank you for being my friends. Whatever happens…"
Varric stepped back and shook his head. "No whatever; he's going to be fine. You can't have an epic love story if the hero dies."
Allison's lips trembled. "Isn't that what always happens in epic love stories?"
Varric snorted. "Not when I write them."
"C'mon, let's go." Isabela urged and she and Varric went out to join Cullen.
Allison sat back down and held Anders' hand.
"Well, we have an epic love story to live up to so you'd better get your ass back to the land of the living."
The Wounded Coast…
After two hours on the Wounded Coast the three companions had only managed to find two of the twelve ingredients.
With every minute they failed, they knew that Anders was closer to death.
"What the hell does Honey Bell look like?" Varric asked impatiently.
They had been trudging around the brush for ages and the worry was eating at him.
"It looks like a bell Varric!" Isabela snapped. She was worrying as well and it was whittling away at her temper.
Cullen had left his Templar armor at the clinic and he was glad because the heat was already rising from the sea and it wasn't even fully light yet.
They had lit torches and stuck them in the sand for light but it was still difficult to see.
"I found it!" he called and Isabela came over with the sack they were using to collect the samples.
"Three down and nine to go." Varric sighed. "Hang in there Blondie."
Back at the clinic…
Allison checked Anders' temperature again and despaired. His skin was like fire and she couldn't think of anything to do to get it down.
A knock sounded at the door and she wanted to throw a chair across the room.
She marched to the door and called out, "The clinic is closed!"
She wanted bang her head against the door until unconsciousness claimed her but the voice on the other side had her opening it quickly.
Bodhan stood there with Sandal by his side.
"Hello Miss Allison." Bodhan said gravely. "We heard about Anders and we've come to help."
Allison fell to her knees and hugged the air right out of the two dwarfs.
"I'm so glad you're here! I don't know what to do to help him." Allison said, grateful to not be alone anymore.
Bodhan patted her back in a fatherly way and she felt marginally better.
"Let's take a look at him shall we?" Bodhan said marching into the bedroom like he knew the place.
Sandal took Allison's hand and smiled up at her. It was so innocent and so full of optimism that Allison found her lips curving in a smile. She hadn't smiled in a long time it felt like.
Allison watched Bodhan examine Anders, biting her nails nervously.
He glanced around the room and snapped his fingers.
"I know one thing we can do. We can get him into the tub with some nice cold water." Bodhan suggested.
"To help his fever go down?" Allison asked. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"
"Well, you wouldn't have been able to do it on your own Miss, but Sandal and I are here and the three of us can manage together." Bodhan said in reassurance.
Allison thought that "together" was the most beautiful word she'd ever heard.
And it was easy for the three of them to lift Anders from the bed and get him into the deep dwarven tub. Allison drew up water from the well and poured it bucket by bucket into the tub.
Bodhan stood back and stroked his chin. "Now, if there was only a way to get the water colder…"
This time Allison could do something helpful.
"I can fix that!" she said and started digging around in the draw where she kept some of her rune stones.
Sandal clapped as he caught on and Bodhan nodded in satisfaction.
Allison pulled out several ice runes that could be used the way the heating runes were used to warm the bathwater up.
She placed them at the foot of the tub and kept her hand in the water.
Sure enough the temperature of the water dropped like the tub was filled with ice cubes.
She and Sandal and Bodhan grinned at each other.
Allison took a cloth and wet it with the cold water and dabbed Anders' face with it.
"We know you can cook but Sandal and I brought over some ingredients for an old dwarven soup that mothers have used to fight fever for ages." Bodhan announced. "I'll get it started."
"Thank you Bodhan, thank you Sandal. It means so much to me that you're both here." she said earnestly.
"Well we consider you and Anders family so there's no question of where we'd be is there?" Bodhan said with a firm nod before he and Sandal went out front.
Once the soup was cooking, Allison, Bodhan and Sandal got Anders out of the tub.
The two dwarves held him upright on the bed while Allison dried him off and then they tucked him back in. Allison didn't want to get her hopes up but she thought Anders' skin seemed much cooler even an hour after the bath.
She held Anders' head while Bodhan ladled soup into his mouth and then they all sat down, not sure what to do next.
Everything seemed fine for the next two hours until they were all startled by Anders' cries.
Allison thought that he was waking so she called to him.
"Anders? Anders can you hear me? Wake up!"
He was murmuring something and he was sweating profusely.
Bodhan strained to catch the words. "What's he saying?"
Allison shook her head. "I don't know. I can't quite understand him."
She clasped his face in her hands and tried to talk to him again.
"Anders! Wake up it's Allison."
He just kept mumbling unintelligibly.
"Stay away…no!...please…Desire…help me!"
"What does that mean?" Allison asked Bodhan who shook his head.
"I don't know. It sounds like he's having a nightmare."
The answer came from Sandal.
"Demon." The boy said.
"What?" both Bodhan and Allison said at the same time.
"Bad place. Bad things." Sandal said and he looked troubled.
Bodhan understood. "Of course! We should have expected this to happen."
"Expected what? Bodhan explain!" Allison urged him.
"Anders is a mage and demons prey on mages when they're in vulnerable states. Sometimes it's out here in the real world but sometimes it's inside the Fade." he explained.
"Wait a minute. Are you saying that some demon is attacking Anders while he's unconscious?" Allison asked in amazement and fear.
"What better time?" Bodhan confirmed. "He's very ill and the demon might offer him a way out. With strings attached of course."
Allison again felt that odd disconnect that came from not being from this world. Sometimes things were so normal that she could put it aside but then at times like this her mind had to come to terms with concepts that were outside of her realm of possibilities.
But none of that mattered now.
"How can I help him?" Allison asked.
Bodhan thought it through. "Well, dwarves aren't ones for magic and the Fade. We don't go there when we sleep. What we need is an expert on these matters."
They all looked at Anders who would normally be the expert.
"Who can we go to?" Allison pressed. "There has to be someone."
Bodhan paced. "We have to be careful. We can't just let anybody know that we have an apostate mage here."
Allison agreed. "We need someone who has no loyalty to the Circle. Someone who wouldn't care that Anders is an apostate."
Sandal pulled on Allison's shirt. "Elves." he said.
"Huh?" Allison had no clue what Sandal meant by that.
Bodhan did. "That's brilliant my boy!" he cried. "The Dalish know more about magic than the Circle's forgotten. And they're encamped outside Kirkwall right now."
"The Dalish?" Allison tried to think back to the many books she had read when she first arrived in Thedas.
She knew that the Dalish were elves but they were different from the city elves. They considered themselves "purebloods" compared to city elves and they were nomads, wondering throughout the land and making camp in various places.
Allison also remembered that the Dalish made a point of trying to preserve their history and that included magic.
That decided it.
"How do we contact them?" Allison asked, watching Anders out of the corner of her eye. He was still moaning and now he was beginning to toss and turn.
Sandal raised his hand. "Me, me!"
"No Sandal honey." Allison said kindly. "I know you want to help but we can't send you out to God knows where."
Bodhan cleared his throat and smiled a little. "Don't let him fool you. If you remember the first time we all met, Sandal was knee-deep in darkspawn. My boy can handle himself. Besides we have a relationship with Dalish. We've traded with them before and the Keeper took a shine to Sandal."
Allison smiled. "He does have a way about him."
"Then it's settled." Bodhan exclaimed. "Sandal, I'm going to write a letter to the Keeper and you deliver for me alright?
Sandal nodded enthusiastically and Allison had another moment of understanding with the boy. He wanted to be of use too, just like her.
Bodhan used the quill and parchment on the desk to write his request to the Dalish.
"I'm going to walk him out of the city boundary and then return." Bodhan said, patting Sandal on the back.
"We'll be waiting." Allison said and she hoped that Anders could fight two battles at once.
"You're strong. I know you can do this." she whispered to him. "Fight."
Bodhan returned after a while and there was nothing they could do but wait.
They kept Anders hydrated as best they could but what they needed was the antidote.
"Shouldn't they be back by now Bodhan?" Allison said pacing back and forth.
"I'm sure they're hurrying as fast as they can. Don't you worry, this will all turn out right." Bodhan soothed.
Anders continued to talk in his sleep and his words made Allison think that the demon might be making a good argument.
"No…I can't do that…tired…so tired…perhaps…"
"Oh no you don't!" Allison said angrily and grabbed Anders' face again with more force. "Fight damn you! Don't listen to them!"
A new voice spoke from the door.
"He needs your help."
Allison gasped and spun around in surprise as did Bodhan.
Next to Sandal stood a young elven woman with large moss green eyes and intricate tattoos decorating her face.
"What the…? Who the hell are you?" Allison asked, her hand over her thumping heart.
The girl looked chagrined. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Fancy that, an elf frightening a shemlen."
The girl grimaced. "Not that I liked frightening you. I'm mucking it up aren't I?"
The girl walked forward and put her hand out. "Let's start over. I'm Merrill, First to the Keeper. I've come to help."
Allison slowly reached out her hand and they shook. "You're Dalish?"
"Yes. Don't I look it?" Merrill asked seriously.
Allison smiled and shrugged. "I don't know, I've never seen a Dalish before."
"Well I've never seen a woman wearing trousers like that before so isn't this fun!" Merrill laughed.
She sobered quickly though looking at Anders. "I'm sorry. This is no time for laughing is it?"
The elf put down the bag she was carrying and went over to Anders. She put her hands on his face and closed her eyes, going still.
Allison, Bodhan and Sandal watched while the minutes ticked by.
It seemed the girl would never move again when finally she stirred. She patted Anders hairs in a motherly fashion and stepped back.
"You were right Bodhan. There is a struggle going on and this mage may lose if we don't act quickly." she said.
"What do we do?" Allison asked as she watched Merrill take foreign looking items from her bag.
"We must go in after him." Merrill said. "Well, not we, but you."
"Me?" Allison pointed to herself. "I'm going into the Fade? Again?"
Merrill perked up. "Oh! You've been before! Well that makes this easier doesn't it?"
"Um, not really but that doesn't matter. Shouldn't you go Merrill since you know what you're doing?" Allison asked.
Merrill shook her head. "No. In cases like this it's best if someone close to the person goes in. Only someone with a strong connection can reason with them and hopefully make them remember what they have back home. You know, give them a reason to turn down what's being offered. Besides, I must make the bridge linking your minds together so that you can travel in the Fade."
Allison swallowed and her stomach flipped, then flopped. "Ok. Knock me out."
Merrill smiled kindly. "Not quite yet. First we need to discuss what you'll face inside the Veil."
Allison sat and listened intently. She remembered what had happened when she and Justice had travelled through the Fade together. It had been an eye-opening and terrifying experience.
"The shape of the Fade takes on whatever the dreamer is familiar with. That means that you may not recognize where you are or the people you'll see. It would be parts of Anders' past and present mixed together." Merrill explained.
"Don't trust anyone except Anders." she continued. "You'll know him because he'll look more substantial than the others. You must also accept that it may be too late. I sensed a dual presence when I touched his mind and that's not good."
Allison and Bodhan shared a look and Allison decided that sharing the secret was important if it made a difference in how she could help Anders.
"Actually, Anders shares his body with a spirit of Justice from the Fade. So that's probably what you felt."
Merrill's mouth formed a perfect O. "Well, isn't that amazing! I wonder what that's like? Maybe he can tell me when he wakes up."
Allison liked the girl's attitude. "Ok. So don't trust anyone. What else?"
"The demons will try to lure you in as well so be on guard. Never take anything they offer, even if it's a glass of water. They will always exact a heavy price." Merrill continued.
"And how do I get out?" Allison asked nervously.
"When you're ready just think of a door and it will appear. Walk through it and you'll wake up." Merrill replied.
"And if you're not possessed then we won't have to kill you." The elf added cheerily.
"Swell." Allison said, drawing the word out.
"Ready?" Merrill asked, handing Allison a glass with a murky liquid in it.
Allison sighed. "Will I ever stop drinking mysterious beverages?"
She tilted the cup and drank the contents. Almost immediately a warm drowsiness came over her.
She laid her head next to Anders' and Merrill put her hands over both of their faces.
"Dorund halla, dorund meketh, dorund und halla, saybet."
The Dalish words lulled Allison to sleep and into the Fade.
….
Allison awoke on the cold ground with rocks digging into her back.
For a moment, when the forest swam before her eyes, she thought she was back home in Seattle. The odd lighting and strange shapes dancing in the air made that idea less likely.
Allison slowly stood up and dusted her jeans off, looking around to get her bearings.
She definitely wasn't home.
There were wobbly trees around her but on top of one of them was a wooden boat. It made no sense for a boat to be sitting on top of a tree and that's when Allison remembered where she was.
"Get a grip girl." she told herself. "I've got a job to do."
She was at a dead end so Allison turned and took a rickety path out of the woods.
The scenery got even weirder. Parts of Kirkwall loomed in the distance but the stairs were broken and some of the buildings were upside down.
On one side of the path a pale horse stood on dead grass, looking at her with baleful eyes. On the other she saw a Templar guarding cages full of mewing cats.
"Anders, what the hell is going on in your head?" Allison said aloud.
The sun was gray in the sky and was moving at an odd speed; much too fast, making night and day appear in quick succession.
The poison must be playing with Anders' mind. It would explain the odd content of his dreams.
Allison stayed on the path, trying to ignore the unsettling imagery and focused on her task. She was tempted to call out for Anders but knowing that demons were plaguing him made her stop.
There was no telling who would respond to her call.
Over a rise Allison spotted a house resting in a cozy nook off the path.
It was stone and there was a chimney with smoke rising into the sky. Roses bloomed in the small yard and Allison could smell fresh bread baking.
Her mouth watered even though none of it was real.
Perhaps Anders had found a safe place to hide?
Allison knocked on the wood door which was painted white and trimmed in a cheerful yellow.
A woman answered the door and Allison gaped at her.
There was no question that the woman was Anders' mother. There just wasn't. The resemblance was striking except for her hair color which Allison remembered Anders' saying he got from his father. As he had told her, he got his nose from his mother.
For some reason Allison felt a rush of affection swell up but she reminded herself that this person wasn't real.
The woman smiled warmly at her.
"May I help you?" she asked.
Allison felt like an idiot.
"Um, hi. I was looking for Anders?" Allison said lamely.
The woman's eyes, the same shade as her son's, sparkled with happiness as she waved Allison in.
"Please come in, we were just sitting down to supper." the woman invited.
Allison stepped inside the house but the hairs on the back of her neck rose as she crossed the threshold.
Something was not right here.
Allison felt an irrational desire to run but the door had been closed behind her.
"Who is it mother?" the voice that called out belonged to Anders.
Allison grinned and ran into the adjoining room, relieved that she had found him.
"Anders!" she said joyously and flung herself at him.
He chuckled but pushed her away gently.
"Do I know you?" he asked looking at her in puzzlement.
Allison blinked and stepped back. Her throat closed for a moment and she had to swallow twice before she could speak.
"Anders…it's me. Allison? Are you ok?"
His brow furrowed as if he were trying to figure out what she was talking about.
"I'm sorry but I don't know you. Have we met before? Perhaps at a party at the Viscount's home?" he asked politely.
"I…what? The Viscount? Anders you're not making any sense." Allison said, anxiety curling in her stomach. "We live at the clinic. You know me!"
Anders' mother stepped forward and put an arm around Allison.
"Anders don't be rude." she admonished mildly. "Come dear, you're obviously tired and confused. Come and sit and eat with us."
Allison was pushed into a chair but her head was spinning.
Anders didn't remember her.
Was it the poison or was it being in this place?
Anders smiled at his mother, then at her.
"I apologize. Of course you are welcome here." Anders said happily. "You are dressed quite strangely. What land do you hail from?"
"Seattle" Allison mumbled numbly.
Merrill hadn't prepared her for the possibility of Anders forgetting her. Allison didn't know what to do to bring him back to himself.
Anders' mother returned with large bowls filled with beef stew and placed the bread that Allison had smelled in the center of the table.
It looked real but Allison knew better.
"Mother this looks wonderful!" Anders exclaimed, giving the woman a look so full of love that Allison felt her heart break a little.
She knew he missed his mother very much; so much that he couldn't talk about her very often.
Since this was his dream, it made sense that he would bring her back.
Allison felt doubt creep into her mind.
If Anders was choosing his surroundings, why did he bring his mother back but choose to forget about them?
In his deepest wishes was Allison not a part of his life if he could have something better?
Allison shook those thoughts off because it didn't matter. Whatever desires Anders had, he couldn't stay here.
Desires…
Allison's head snapped up and she looked at the house with a scrutinizing eye.
Desires were the key. If a demon was trying to entice him then they would try to give him what he wants.
Anders wanted his family back and that's exactly what he had.
The house was perfect, the food was perfect, his mother was perfect.
Too perfect.
One way to wake Anders up was to bring him back to reality. Allison aimed a hard look at his "mother".
"Where have you been all these years?" Allison asked pointedly.
Anders' mother looked startled and gave a quick sidelong look at Anders.
"Why what do you mean my dear? I've been here all along." the woman replied sweetly.
"Really?" Allison returned harshly. "You've been in Kirkwall while Anders has been in hiding from the Circle?"
Anders looked up from his bowl, confusion flitting across his face before it became blank.
However, Allison saw the glint in his mother's eye change to hatred directed right at her.
"You're a very ill-mannered child aren't you?" the woman snarled.
Again Anders looked up, surprised at the venom in his mother's voice.
"Are you alright mother?" he asked, sounding like a child who was becoming afraid.
The woman smiled swiftly and ran her hands over his hair in a loving gesture.
Allison wanted to bitch slap her for touching him.
The woman turned glowing red eyes towards Allison.
"You're not doing him any favors dear; trying to take him back with you." she said. "He's happier here. Aren't you darling?"
Anders barely looked up from his food. "Yes mother."
Allison stood up, slapping her palms on the table.
"And you're not helping him by offering him lies in lieu of his life!"
Anders' mother grinned and her teeth were very sharp. Her body rolled like there were pieces moving beneath her plain dress.
Allison wanted to step back but she knew that she was facing a demon. Backing down was not an option.
"Let him go!" Allison ordered.
The demon smirked and then pouted.
"Anders? Our guest has hurt my feelings." she purred.
That got his attention and Anders stopped eating, glaring at Allison.
"You're not being very nice after my mother went to the trouble of feeding you." he accused angrily.
Allison watched the demon smile in approval as Anders turned on her.
"Anders none of this is real." Allison said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You haven't seen your mother since you were a boy and your father sent you away to the Circle."
The demon feigned a hurt look.
"Anders, she's making up lies! She's trying to take me away from you!"
Anders rose and his eyes were as hard as amber as he came towards Allison.
"You won't take my mother away. I'll kill you first!" he spat.
Allison did back away then, her hands raised in front of her.
"Anders don't you remember? The Circle? You escaped seven times! You joined the Gray Wardens and you came to Kirkwall!" Allison said quickly.
His mother looked wounded. "Why would you say such terrible things to him? Anders has always been with me like a good son, and I take care of him."
"Shut up you stupid demon! Stop talking to him." Allison tripped as she walked backwards and changed her direction to go towards the front door.
Anders paused at the word "demon". His face went blank again and he shook his head.
The demon wasn't having that.
"Anders my son, don't listen to her. You have to protect me. Cast her out!"
Anders' face showed no hesitation as magical energy swirled around his hands.
Allison felt fear freeze her in place. "Anders…don't." she pleaded.
"Anders do it!" the demon shouted.
Anders pushed the magic into the air towards Allison and she felt the air sucked from her lungs as she flew through the front door.
She landed in a heap in the front yard and Anders stalked outside after her.
Allison coughed, trying to drag in oxygen. She felt like a horse had kicked her in the chest but she had no time to rest because Anders was still coming for her.
Allison crawled backwards, her eyes watering from the pain.
"Please stop." she pleaded.
"We don't want you here anymore." Anders said cruelly.
"This isn't you." Allison said her back coming against a tree. "Just think for a minute! Think about your life in Kirkwall…about the clinic."
Anders stopped, his lips repeating her words. "The…clinic?"
"Yes! The clinic, all those people who need you, all the patients you've saved." Allison cried, clinging to hope as disbelief crossed Anders' face.
"I have a clinic?" he asked.
"Yes and we can go back." Allison assured him.
The demon stepped outside, anger making her ugly.
"Anders, don't you want to want to be with me? Don't you love me?" it asked.
Anders shook his head. "Yes…of course mother."
It smiled evilly. "Then kill her."
Allison glared at the monster. "You can't actually kill me so nice try. If you do I'll just wake up."
The demon raised a brow on its human face. "Are you sure? You are not from this place girl. How will your outsider's body react to a death in the Fade?"
Anders straightened and turned to face his mother.
"The Fade? But I thought…you said that we were home." he said, dazed and still muddled.
The demon glanced at Anders frantically.
"We are my darling. This woman is confusing me with her dark magic. Kill her!"
Anders bent down and grabbed Allison by the throat, holding her against the tree.
Allison grabbed his wrist, trying to pry his hands away but he was as strong in the Fade as he was in reality.
"Anders…"Allison choked out.
"Don't let her speak to you." the demon ordered.
Allison saw Anders hesitate for a split second before his resolve strengthened and she knew that her life could be over.
She called for help.
"Justice!"
Anders was knocked aside as the spirit wavered into view and shoved him.
Allison collapsed to her knees, weakened from Anders' attack.
Justice helped her to her feet and then staggered. Allison caught him, helping him to sit down.
"What's wrong? Justice are you hurt?" she asked checking him for injuries.
"I will mend but you must get out of this place." Justice replied trying to keep both the demon and Anders in his sight.
Anders lunged at them and Justice pushed Allison aside. The spirit's hand reached into Anders' chest causing him to cry out.
Anders' body shook like he was being electrocuted.
"What are you doing to him!" Allison screamed but Justice didn't answer.
She couldn't believe that Justice would kill Anders here because he would awaken Tranquil.
Anders jerked once more and then crumpled to the ground lying very still. Justice sighed wearily and laid his head against the tree.
Allison crawled over to Anders and brushed his tangled hair back.
His eyes opened and realization flooded them.
"Allison?" Anders said, bewildered.
She smiled triumphantly because it was really him and not some empty reflection being manipulated anymore.
A scream sounded behind them and they all watched in shock as the Desire Demon who had been masquerading as Anders' mother was crushed by another demon.
The new visitor stretched its spiny body and considered them with seven dark eyes.
"Excuse my predecessor." It said, it's voice a deep rumble. "She obviously miscalculated the power my brother has over his host. I will not.
Anders sagged next to Allison on the ground and she quickly wrapped her arms around him.
"Watch out for him." Anders said weakly. "Pride."
"What's wrong?" Allison asked Anders as he slumped against her.
She looked to Justice but the spirit was flickering like a light that was going out.
"Justice! Hang on, I'm going to get you both out of here!" she cried. "What's happening?" she hurled the question at the demon.
"He's dying. They both are." the demon answered. "Would you like to save them?"
Allison glared hotly at the monster. "Of course I would! You know that!"
The creature tilted its hideous head and Allison could see it thinking of how to sway her.
"You believe that you can say to no to anything I offer don't you child?" it said in a tone that was almost sad.
"I can. I was warned about your kind and honestly I'm not all that impressed." Allison said with bravado.
The monster laughed and then quieted, staring at her for a long time while she held Anders and stroked his face.
"He always saves you doesn't he?" the demon commented. "He always comes to your rescue. Aren't you tired of being the damsel in distress as you would call it?"
Allison stiffened. The damned thing was reading her mind.
"I'm not a damsel in distress. I can take care of myself." Allison argued even as she remembered all the times Anders had helped her.
From her first day in Thedas Anders had been there for her; through seizures and assaults and by giving her a place to stay. By loving her.
"Yes, and what have you done for him?" the demon finished her thought. "The one time he needs you and all you could do was run to your friends for help. How pathetic."
"What was I supposed to do?" Allison said miserably. "I can't heal him."
The demon grinned. "Would you like to?"
"What?" she stared at the monster. "What are you talking about?"
"I could give you the gift, the gift that your lover has; the ability to truly help people. Wouldn't you like that?" it offered.
Allison's lips pressed together in anger. "Magic can't heal him!"
Another laugh.
"Do you think I would offer you such a common gift?" it chided. "No, I offer you something that no mortal has. A power that exceeds the magic of the Circle." It paused meaningfully.
"You could save him." it purred.
For a moment Allison imagined Anders waking up in the clinic and looking into his eyes, knowing that she had finally been able to repay him for what he'd done for her.
Then she imagined her body twisting and morphing into a creature that would be unrecognizable. A creature that Anders would be horrified by; one he'd have to destroy.
"No deal asshole." Allison said darkly. "Leave us alone. We don't need you."
"Really?" the creature said mockingly. "Why don't I do that and see how far you get?"
Suddenly the landscape disappeared along with the house , and Allison found them stranded on a jagged cliffside.
The ground was desolate and hard. The sky flashed with lightening and rumbled with thunder.
"Anders?" Allison shook him much as she had in the real world.
His eyes opened a bit but they were glazed and tired.
"Allison? I'm…I'm so sorry." Anders whispered.
He tried to lift a hand to her face but he didn't have the strength. Allison took it and kissed his palm, pressing his hand to her face.
"It's fine, everything's fine. We're going to get out here." Allison assured him.
She looked over at Justice. "All of us are getting out of here."
Allison closed her eyes and concentrated on the image of a door the way Merrill had told her.
It appeared a few yards away and the breath she had been holding rushed out in gratitude.
"Ok, we'll take this slow and I'll get you both over to the door." Allison said, trying to figure out how to drag both Anders and Justice out.
Justice reached out to her. "You only have to get Anders out, I will follow. It's his mind that must leave this place to save us both."
Allison squeezed Justice's flickering hand I comfort.
"Then you'll be home soon." she promised.
Allison put her hands under Anders' arms to get him up. He tried to help her as much as he could but he was very weak.
"Little steps." Allison encouraged. "We'll take it in little steps."
"I'm sorry I hurt you." he said weakly. "It felt so real…all of it…my mother."
"I know, and I'm so sorry that creature tricked you like that." Allison reassured him. "We'll get you home. Varric and Isabela and Cullen are finding the ingredients for your cure right now."
The mention of Cullen's name was enough to bring a little life back to Anders, in the form of a disbelieving frown.
"Cullen? The bloody Templar is trying to save me? Maker, what's next? Picnics on the seaside with mages?" he said sarcastically.
Allison laughed. "That's right. You let that thought make your feet move right on to the door."
Even though it wasn't far their progress was slow.
There was a rumble beneath their feet and a burst of heat knocked them down.
A creature that looked like it was made of molten lava stood between them and the door.
Anders groaned and tried to move in front of Allison. He put his hand out as if to fend the creature off.
She saw him trying to gather his magic in their defense but nothing happened.
"I can't. I'm too weak." he said. "Go, get out of here!"
"There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you!" Allison dissented. "We all go home or none of us do."
"I can't fight it." Anders said painfully.
The creature was circling them, knowing that they had no way to fight.
Allison wished that she had a weapon, even her little dagger, but there was nothing around them except rocks and she was sure that throwing rocks at the demon wasn't going to have much of an impact.
The creature made a move towards them and Allison covered Anders with her body, throwing up her hand up in front of them.
There was a loud clang and the creature bellowed. Allison looked up and saw that strange translucent sword was in her hand. It looked like it wasn't completely real but she could feel the grip and the pommel in her hand.
She looked around in confusion as to where it had come from and Justice caught her eye. The spirit nodded at her and she realized that it was a gift from him. That explained it's appearance because it had the same makeup as Justice.
Taking lessons from all the movies she had watched, Allison stood up and held the sword in both hands.
"No, Allison, don't fight it, run!" Anders urged her.
"Be quiet, you're not helping and I have no idea what I'm doing." she muttered nervously.
The demon slid to her right and then to her left and Allison tried to figure out what it was doing. It didn't speak like the others and its movements reminded her more of an animal than an aware individual with a mind.
It watched her closely, shifting as she shifted.
It came at her and Allison instinctively blocked the swipe of it's arm. The blow reverberated down the hilt of the sword though, bringing Allison down on one knee.
She scrambled to get up again before the demon struck and felt the graze of heat sing along her bicep as the creature wounded her.
The demon came at her again and again and all she could was block and fight to stay out of it's way. It sunk beneath the ground and Allison turned around in quick circles trying to anticipate where it would rise again.
Too late, she heard the hiss as the demon appeared on her right side and knocked the sword out her hands.
The next blow was to her face and while the blood poured Allison crawled across the ground desperately trying to reach her weapon.
Her fingers closed on the grip as the demon slid in pursuit behind her.
"Leave her alone!" Anders yelled and the monster took an interest in him for the first time, turning to glide towards him.
Allison saw Anders preparing to die and nothing mattered anymore. It didn't matter that she was from another world. It didn't matter that she would never see home again. It didn't matter that this world was strange and dangerous and backwards.
What mattered was the man steeling himself for an attack a few feet away.
Allison lunged and shoved the blade of the sword into the demon's back.
It screamed an unearthly sound, it's arms flailing about wildly.
Allison ducked to avoid the blow as did Anders.
It's mouth opened wide and it's body erupted into a pool of liquid fire before being absorbed back into the ground.
Allison was frozen in shock for a moment before her brain kicked in and got her up.
Adrenaline apparently worked in the Fade too because she was able to help Anders to his feet and they both hurried towards the door.
She hesitated at the entryway, looking back at Justice.
Anders read her mind.
"He'll be fine. Once I wake up he'll be back with me again."
Allison gave Justice one last look before she and Anders went through the door.
Reality…
Allison awoke shivering with voices all around her talking at once.
"Are you alright?"
"What the hell happened?"
"Who are you anyway!"
They were the voices of her friends.
Allison blinked several times to clear her vision and started at the sight of blood on the sheets.
"What the…?" she said.
Merrill breathed in relief.
"Oh! Thank the Creators you woke up." the elf cried. "Your friends came back and then you started twitching and then you started bleeding. Then the lady shemlen threatened to strangle me with my own entrails."
Allison waved a tired hand to settle everyone down.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Everybody calm down."
Her other hand was squeezed by someone and Allison turned to see Anders looking at her. His skin was deathly pale and cold now.
"Oh my god!" Allison cried. "Did you get the antidote?"
Cullen stepped forward. "We did but we found this Dalish woman here and you bleeding. We didn't know what was going on."
"Screw that! Give him the medicine!" Allison shrieked.
Varric brought a bowl over to the bed and Allison held Anders' hand while Merrill supported his head.
They all watched as the herbal mixture went down Anders' throat.
The room was dead silent except for the sound of Anders' breathing.
He closed his eyes and Allison felt his hand go slack in hers.
"Anders!" she stood up and peered into his face and then looked at Merrill.
The elf put a small hand on Anders' forehead and closed her eyes as well.
"He's in a deep sleep." she said. "All we can do is wait."
The hours passed and Allison imagined a life without Anders.
It would be empty and sallow, devoid of all warmth and joy. She didn't want it.
She watched every breath that went through his body and every pulse that beat at his throat until she felt like her own heart was beating in time with his.
When the new morning dawned Anders opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"You saved me." he said, brushing her cheek with his fingers which were now warm and steady.
Allison kissed his hand and held it in her own.
"It was my turn." she said with a grin though her lips trembled.
Standing at the door Varric put an arm around Isabela.
"See? Epic love story. I told you."
*Please forgive any errors. I stayed up all night to finish this chapter because I was determined to get it out to you.*