Sereda found herself standing in a fortress of white stone. It felt comfortable. Like home. And yet… She looked up to see Duncan approaching, and smiled.
"Ah, there you are. I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Duncan said.
"I can't quite remember what I was doing." Sereda said numbly. She felt as if she had forgotten to do something very important.
Duncan smiled at her. "I'm sure you were simply deep in thought. You've been at Weisshaupt for some time now. Do you like it here?"
Sereda shook her head. She couldn't help but feel like something was off. "I don't know. Something doesn't seem right."
"Everything is as it should be. We have eradicated the darkspawn, and the world is at peace."
Sereda narrowed her eyes. Something was certainly wrong. "That's not right. The world is never utterly at peace."
"But now it is, for the first time in history. And you played a part in the making of that history. Do you not remember?"
Sereda shook her head. "No, I thought the darkspawn would always be a threat."
Duncan blinked. "It was a triumph for all of us, bringing down the archdemon and setting the underground lairs ablaze."
Sereda shook her head. "That's not possible. You're hiding something from me."
Duncan narrowed her eyes. "Foolish child. I have given you so much and you cast it back in my face. Can you not be content with a peace I offer?" He held out his hand to her.
Suddenly, Sereda realized that this was an illusion as she remembered the sloth demon. Somehow, it had trapped them in some kind of a dream.
Sereda reached for her sword. "You offer complacency, not peace."
Duncan narrowed his eyes. "It seems only war and death will satisfy you. So be it! Have your war and your darkspawn! May they be your doom!"
Duncan attacked with his sword but Sereda blocked with her own before blocking an arrow as one of the archers fired at her. She hit Duncan in the leg, forcing him on his knees and dodged another arrow before she cut Duncan's head off. Before the archers could defend themselves, she stabbed one of with her sword. She quickly raised her shield blocking the arrow from the other archer and stabbed him with her sword.
She looked at Duncan's corpse and then to a portal far away. She decided it was better than staying here and walked right through it.
She then found herself in a completely different place. It looked like that she was on a floating island, but everything felt strange and unnatural.
"Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you a demon?" he asked. However, seem to know the answer to a question already. "No… I see that you're not. You're like me. Congratulations on getting out of that trap."
"Trap?" she asked.
"The demons traps everything that comes here in a dream it thinks they can't—or won't—try to leave. I thought I'd escape, too, but I've been wondering these empty, grey spaces for a lifetime."
Sereda frowned. "Who are you?"
"My name is Niall. I was trying to save the Circle when I encountered the sloth demon. I expect our experiences were similar."
She then remembered what Owen the tranquil had mentioned. "You have the Litany of Adralla, don't you?"
"The Litany was our weapon against the blood mages' domination. But it's too late. Everyone's dead..."
Sereda shook her head. "There is still hope, isn't there?"
"This place drains you of everything… hope, feeling, life..."
"We'll find a way out." she said firmly.
Niall shook his head. "No, there is no way out of here. You think there might be, but you'd be wrong." He then pointed over to a pedestal nearby. "You see that pedestal there? I've studied the runes on it—runes that signify different islands of the sloth demon's domain. The sloth demon itself is on the center island, but you can't get there. The other islands around the center somehow form a protective ward. I thought I was getting somewhere when I figure that out, and I went to each island in turn only to have my hopes dashed."
Her eyes widened. "Could my companions be on one of these islands?"
"I… I don't know. There are many dreamers. You might find a way to reach them through the islands… if you're lucky."
Sereda looked at the pedestal with a determined look. "If we work together we can escape."
Niall chuckled. "Nothing dampens your spirits, does it? I don't know whether to admire or pity you."
"I'll be back." she said as she approached the pedestal.
Niall crossed his arms. "Don't mind me then."
Theron jumped the fallen log and scrambled up the short incline before ducking behind a tree. He held his breath and waited for the darkspawn to pass. Tamlen crouched behind a rock, his eyes wide as he carefully knocked an arrow. Between the trees, Theron could make out the landships fleeing to safety.
A twig snapped, and both elves whirled, firing arrows at the sound. A dwarf in battered armor dodged Tamlen's arrow, but Theron's grazed her in the arm, as she hissed in pain. Theron lowered his bow as he gestured at Tamlen. "Easy, lethallan. That's not a darkspawn."
"What's it matter, that dwarf can be just as dangerous!" Tamlen responded.
Theron frowned.
"Doesn't sound like something Tamlen would say, does it?" The newcomer asked.
"Who are you? We don't see many dwarfs here." Theron said.
Sereda closed her eyes. "It's not real, Theron."
"How can you say that!" Theron yelled. "My clan… they are safe."
"They are not safe. Not yet. The darkspawn are still coming. You left to keep them safe."
"I… I wouldn't leave my clan."
"Do you remember the mirror, Theron? Duncan saving you? Zathrian? Werewolves?"
"Duncan… the Grey Warden... werewolves…" Theron shook his head, trying to make sense of the conflicting memories. "You… Where were you when this happened?! The darkspawn came and you Wardens were nowhere to be found!"
"How did you know I am a Warden?" Sereda gave him a pointed look.
"I..." Theron hesitated.
"We took our joining together, Theron. It saved your life." She reminded.
"Lethallan… kill this dwarf. We must protect our clan." Tamlen ordered.
Slowly, Theron turned. "No, the dwarf is right."
"What?" Tamlen growled.
"You aren't a real."
Slowly, the forest began to fade. Theron turned to Sereda, his eyes bleak. "I… I shot you."
"It's just a scratch."
Theron laughed, then his vision began to blur. "What the..." Suddenly, he faded away like a mist.
Sereda didn't know what just happened, but she knew that Theron was safe. She then turned aside upon the pedestal nearby and wondered where you were taken next.
Daylen was in the library reading a fascinating book on the Fade, some strange reason he had a twitch in the back of his head as if he forgotten something. Those thoughts noted his mind when Jowan and Lily walked in.
"Still studying, are we?" Jowan teased.
Daylen smiled. "I've got a lot of students to teach."
"You should put that book down find a nice girl and marry her just like we did." said Lily.
"I thought mages weren't allowed to marry." A voice interrupted.
Daylen turned, startled. Sereda had just entered the room. "Ah, Sereda. It's nice to see you again."
"No, Daylen, this isn't real." Sereda said.
"That's not..." Daylen frowned.
"The dwarf is trying to trick you." Jowan said.
"Don't listen to her." Lily said.
Sereda ignored the two of them, not keeping her eyes off Daylen. "Do you remember why you left the tower, Daylen?"
Daylen tried to focus. "We… to fight the darkspawn."
"And fight them you did. After you killed the archdemon, Irving stepped down so you could take his place. Don't you remember?" Lily asked.
"Yes. I remember." Daylen nodded.
"She is obviously confused." Jowan added. "Perhaps her mind is addled."
Lily turned back to the Sereda. "Come, let me heal you, and perhaps we can see about getting you a meal."
"Be careful. She could be dangerous." Jowan warned.
"We're old friends, Jowan." Daylen assured. "She won't do us any harm."
Sereda sighed. "Daylen. Whatever this is, it's not real. Werewolves, us helping Greagoir and other mages, fighting demons a few moments ago." She grabbed Daylen and shook him. "This is not real! The mages in the Circle need our help or Greagoir will use the Right of Annulment to kill everyone you know!"
"The Right of…" Daylen's eyes widened as he turned to Jowan and Lily and then his face hardened. "I'm in the Fade, am I?" He realized. "You're not them. You're just some demons or spirits…"
The apparitions of Jowan and Lily suddenly warped and turned into some shade-like monsters before Daylen threw a fireball and the demons burned, vanishing in the smoke.
"So it was the Fade after all." Daylen realized as he turned to Sereda. "Thank the Maker you came along when you did." Then suddenly his vision began to blur. "What's happening?"
Sereda watched as he began to fade away like Theron. She knew she must be doing something right and decided to carry on pressing forward as she walked up to the pedestal.
Sereda found herself on the next island and found Faren standing on a podium. Though there are a lot of dead bodies around, he smiled when he saw her.
"About bloody time you showed up." He said.
Sereda stare of the dead body that his feet and then looked at him. "What happened here?"
"Oh, just took down some demons." he shrugged.
"Wait, you know where in the Fade?" She looked at him in amazement. "How did you figure it out?"
"The demon that was posing as my mother didn't smell of booze." he said. "Well, I think it's time that we start looking for the others." Suddenly he began to fade. "Wait, what's happening?"
Then before Sereda could explain he vanished into thin air. She then made her way to the next pedestal went over to the next island.
Kallian was standing on the platform with her arms around Nelaros. Today was their wedding day and the Chantry cleric in front of them was about to complete their vows when a dwarf appeared are nowhere.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Kallian asked.
"Saving you." Sereda said.
Kallian blinked. "I don't need saving."
"That's right my dear were about to be married." Nelaros assured.
"Kallian, Nelaros is dead. Vaughan kidnapped you on your wedding day." Sereda reminded. "Please. You have to remember."
Kallian blinked and it was as though a fog was lifting in her mind. She remembered that fateful day and Nelaros dying in front of her.
At one she pulled away from Nelaros. "You're not Nelaros."
"Don't go away my love, we can be together forever." Nelaros said.
Then Nelaros and Chantry cleric turn into a pair of shades and before she had time to think, she stabbed the two of them with her blades. She then took several steps back looking at the remains of the two demons.
"I can't believe I was about to get married to a demon." Kallian said, horrified. She then looked at Sereda and suddenly she began to fade away. "Sereda, you're disappearing—"
Sereda watched as Kallian vanished just like the others. She then turned and looked at the last portal.
"…and there was poor Ser Garlan, with no weapon to be had but a dinner fork!"
Elissa laughed as Fergus finished the tale. Their father Bryce pounded the table as their mother Eleanor gave an exasperated sigh, one that didn't quite hide the smile playing on her own lips. Across the table, Oriana rolled her eyes and cooed at the infant in her arms. Oren sat next to her, feeding bits of vegetables to Barkspawn whenever his mother was distracted by the infant. Behind her father, she saw the door of the hall open, a dwarf slipped inside. The dwarf was armed and bleeding. Her mother followed her gaze, and her eyes widened as she too, noticed the newcomer. The table fell silent as one by one they turned to face the dwarf.
"Can we help you or something?" Bryce asked.
The dwarf looked at them. "I'm looking for your daughter, Elissa Cousland."
Elissa frowned. "And why are you looking for me, dwarf?"
"This isn't real, Elissa." Sereda said.
"What are you talking about?" Elissa frowned. "Of course this is real."
"Do you remember the night you were conscripted?"
"I..."
Bryce stood up. "I would never allow my daughter to be conscripted, no matter what so-called rights the Grey Wardens invoke!"
"Remember, Elissa. Don't you remember Arl Howe betraying your parents? Your family is in their graves, with none to avenge them but you."
"Don't listen to this dwarf." Eleanor glared.
However, Elissa began to remember that dreadful night and the fate of her parents. Then, as soon as the apparitions dropped their act, Elissa and Sereda killed the demons that were posing as her family and look down on their bodies.
"I'll make all those demons pay." Elissa growled before she suddenly everything began to fade. "What's going on?"
Sereda watched as Elissa fade and made her worry to the last pedestal preparing to face the sloth demon once and for all.
She landed on the last island and found the demon flowed around the center of the small valley. "What do we have here? A rebellious minion? And escaped slave?" It laughed. "My, my… but you do have some gall. But playtime is over. You all have to go back now."
Sereda glanced around and realized the others had also appeared around her.
"Oh, here I am! And there you are!" Alistair said, pulling out both his sword and shield. "You just disappeared. Well, no matter!"
Wynne's voice rang out. "You will not hold us, demon. We found each other in this place and you cannot stand against us."
"You made a dangerous enemy, demon, by toying with my mind." Morrigan practically sneered as she readied her staff.
"It is time to finish this." Sten drew his sword. "I have had enough of cages."
"You try to keep us apart. You led us from each other because you fear us. Don't you?" said Leliana as she drew her bow.
"If you go back quietly, I'll do better this time. I'll make you much happier." The demon's voice was mocking.
"We don't want anything you offer." Theron said, his voice raw.
"I made you happy and safe. I gave you peace. I did my best for you and you say you want to leave? Can't you think about someone other than yourself? I'm hurt, so very, very hurt." It sounded annoyed.
"Sorry, but I'd rather just be rid of your evil right now." Sereda readied her shield as she started towards it.
"You wish to battle me? So be it… you will learn to bow to your betters, mortal!"
The demon shifted into the form of an ogre, batting Kallian and Faren aside effortlessly. It lowered its head and charged. Theron and Daylen managed to get out of its way but it knocked down Wynne and Elissa. Leliana tried to come at it from behind, slashing at its legs. The ogre grabbed him and threw her at Sten, who just barely managed to lower his sword in time to not skewer the bard as they were down on the ground.
The ogre roared at Sereda, and started to lower its head again, when Theron jumped on its back, burying both daggers into its shoulders. It threw back its head, and Sereda took the opening, driving her blade into its now-exposed throat. It reared back, yanking her sword out of her hand, and twisted as Theron lost his grip and fell down on the ground.
The ogre roared again, and Daylen fired a bolt of electricity straight in its open mouth. The ogre staggered a moment, then, collapsed. As it fell, the world around them began to break apart.
"You defeated the demon. I never thought..." Sereda turned to see a Niall speaking. His face was overjoyed. "I never expected you to get free, to free us all." He looked towards them. "When you return… take the Litany of Adralla from my..." He hesitated a moment. "Body. It will protect you from the worst of the blood magic."
Sereda nodded as the dream faded away.
