It was the sound of birds chirping that stirred me from my slumber. I didn't open my eyes, opting instead to enjoy the last tendrils of sleep that remained. I stretched languidly, delighting in the warm feel of my pillow and blanket. Wow, that had been the most lucid dream I had ever had. I've never experienced something so vividly real in my sleep ever! Quite frankly, I hoped to never go through that again because that had been just too unsettling and real. I'd stick to the regular, fleeting dreams that I was used to, thank you very much.
As I made to turn in my bed to get further comfortable, my knees protested the movement when they ached painfully... as if I had bruised them badly... rather recently...
I shot up when realization smacked me hard in the proverbial teeth. My wide eyes darted wildly from one unfamiliar object to the next, realizing that I wasn't in my bedroom, nor in my apartment for that matter. I was alone in some sort of... wooden hut? There was a large fireplace burning in the far off wall, the soft crackling of the wood the only other noise besides my harsh breathing. There were only bare essentials filling the space such as tables, some chairs and a massive chest with some random clothes placed on it.
Carefully, I swung my long legs over the foreign bed I occupied, half expecting for further bullshit to rain down upon me from the sky. I slowly tiptoed until I was standing in the middle of the open room all the while looking around to make sure I was truly alone. Once I had confirmed that all was well, I looked down and noticed that I was not wearing my regular clothes but instead some beige linen pants and shirt. I immediately crossed my arms over my chest self-consciously trying not to think of who had undressed me. Slowly, I approached the folded clothes as if they would pounce on me at any second. I was being paranoid, I knew, but that didn't deter me from acting like a weirdo. With one hand, I picked up the clothes very carefully. When nothing seemed to happen, I got closer to the chest and saw that it was just a simple white long sleeve shirt and dark brown pants. I guess these were my spare clothes? It was then that I noticed some socks and ankle high boots on the floor next to the chest.
I gathered that I was expected to change into this prepared outfit. Shrugging, for I had no energy to get angry at whatever this was, I slipped off my loose pajamas and put on the prepared garments. Surprisingly, they were comfortable and actually fit. Now what? I looked around some more and noticed that there was a small mirror hanging near the main door. I grimaced slightly. It was time to assess the damage my time in a dungeon had taken on me. Taking a calming breath, I walked over to my reflection and immediately looked away, my body going as rigid as stone.
"No! Nope! Did not just see that, not possible, not happening!" I said trying to convince the empty room, furiously shaking my head in utter denial. My eyes remained rigidly fixated at a point just above the mirror. It must be my tired mind playing tricks on me, that was it, it had to be. The intense tension in my body didn't disperse at my encouraging words. Eventually, I couldn't take the not knowing and with a lot of trepidation, I forced myself to look once more and just stared numbly at my reflection.
The haunted, wild eyes looking back at me were not mine. My eyes had been a normal, pretty blue shade that I had been actually quite proud of. Now it had been replaced with a pale violet color, not quite lavender nor fully violet, but somewhere in between. If that wasn't bad enough, my pupils were surrounded by a bright golden yellow. It was like a case of heterochromia on acid. I stared wide-eyed at my reflection as I slowly moved my head this way and that, praying that somehow it was a horrible trick of the light. To my utter dismay, it was not.
Thankfully, everything else remained the same. My mousy long brown hair hung loose, cascading down to reach slightly below my breasts, as it usually did. I've never been so happy to see my boring haircut in my entire life. My continued inspection assured me that there were no extra limbs or tail for which I was beyond grateful. Eye color change might be explained scientifically but if I had a tail right now, I'd be rocking back and forth inconsolably in a corner somewhere.
My thoughts returned to the weird eyes staring at me. I couldn't understand how this could have happened. Was it a side-effect of some drug or was I coming down with a serious illness? My eyes kept darting back and forth between mirror and wall because I couldn't find the courage to hold my own gaze. They were so unnatural and eerie that it even made me uncomfortable to look at them. Finally, I spun around, putting my back to the mirror and tried to keep as calm as I could. It didn't work.
I felt the incoming panicked screech forming in the middle of my chest, spreading cold in my veins along its wake. I had the presence of mind to clasp both my hands to stop it from breaking free. A miserable muffled moan was all that could escape between my tightly clasped fingers. I couldn't stay in here any longer! It suddenly felt like the walls were closing in, suffocating me with their nearness. I wrenched the door open with more vigor than was necessary, fully prepared to bolt god knows where but once I saw what was outside I wished I had never opened that damn door!
My initial frenzy evaporated when my eyes made contact with the massive -hole?- in the sky. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight, all my jumbled thoughts now fully focused on the physical impossibility I was currently witnessing. There, before me, was an angry green vortex. Sporadic lightning like tendrils escaped and surged around to intertwine with the dark grey clouds around it. I gaped at the unnatural sight, suddenly feeling very small in comparison. A shiver of fear instinctively ran down my back even though I had no idea what I was staring at.
I eventually managed to tear my eyes away from the horrifying sight and began to notice where I stood. What greeted me was a small village with people going on casually about their day not really paying attention to the hole in the sky as if they were accustomed to it. I saw injured people and soldiers milling about, some people in robes while others fully armored to the teeth. And all of this in the middle of fucking nowhere! There wasn't a single skyscraper in sight, no paved roads, no cars and no one on their cell phones! Where was I? There were just trees and mountains as far as the eye could see. I shivered and automatically wrapped my arms around me when the wind picked up, blowing my unkempt hair into my face. And of course it was winter!
Before I could put my chaotic thoughts in order, I saw that I was beginning to be noticed by the people walking around. Some slowed down and even came to a halt as they stared at me without reservation. More and more joined in on the staring. It was like I was standing naked in the middle of a busy highway by the way they were openly gawking at me. I felt absolutely exposed and vulnerable. Not knowing what to say or do so, I simply waved in what I hoped was a friendly fashion. No one waved back.
The awkwardness of this stare-off was becoming too much. No one said anything out loud but I could hear random whispering starting up which only brought back some bad high school memories. Finally, an accented voice I was beginning to recognize commanded loudly from behind somewhere, "Stand aside."
The crowd parted obediently and I saw the short haired woman from before approach me with two men following her, albeit at a distance. She was the only one to reach me.
"You are finally awake," she said dispassionately, as if she were merely commenting on the dreadful state of the weather. She crossed her arms as she stood before me, her rigid posture barely concealing her disdain. I just stared at her in silence for I was scared anything else would turn her contempt on me. In the light of day she resembled someone I had seen before but couldn't put my finger on it. Was it a student from one of my classes? She had her sword strapped to her hip and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person carried one around in this day and age. Was I in a Renaissance fair?
She deliberately ignored my stunned expression as she continued in a harsher tone, "If it had been solely up to me, you would be locked up in the dungeon until we can properly establish your role at the Conclave. However," the armed woman made a noise either in frustration or disgust. "It is not. Know that I will have my eye on you at all times. If you so much as blink wrong, I will have you chained and thrown back in that cell." My mouth went dry as I felt her threat sink in all the way down to my bones. She meant every word, of that I had no doubt.
"That being said, your presence is requested at the Chantry." Although her mouth said requested, her tone most definitely implied demanded. If she thought she was making sense to me then she was going to be sorely disappointed. But I nodded nervously regardless and watched her as she strode towards the big church looking building in the distance. By now, the crowd had dispersed, their curiosity seemingly satiated for now. It was finally then that the two men approached me. Again, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. But that was quickly replaced with complete and utter shock because one seemed to be a dwarf and the other an elf, pointy ears and all. I dug my fingernails painfully into my arms hoping that was finally the nudge I needed to wake up seeing that I had just realized where I was: Haven from Dragon Age. That meant that that huge hole in the sky was the Breach. Ladies and gentlemen, my mind had officially left the building.
Varric and Solas stopped in front of me, each eyeing me in their own way. Varric was more open in his scrutiny of me whereas Solas remained impassive but relatively relaxed. Varric's short stocky stature was indeed impressive. I couldn't help but stare as he crossed his huge arms over his chest. Compared to mine, his were like tree trunks. Height wise, he came to below my chest which is already taller than I had thought he was in the game.
In stark contrast to Varric's stocky form, Solas was tall and lean but in a surprisingly muscular way. Not bulky like Varric but still in better shape than I had ever been. Once again, I was surprised that with my height the top of my head only reached up to the elf's eyes. And what eyes! His were a dark steely grey with an intense quality to them that I have seldom encountered before. Maybe it was because of what I already knew about him thanks to the game, but those eyes silently spoke to me of all they had seen throughout their long, painful lifetime. Solas noticed my unabashed staring at him as he coked an eyebrow. Embarrassed, I tore my eyes away and focused on Varric.
"So," Varric said crossing his arms over his hairy chest, eyeing me up and down, "You're the other one who physically walked the Fade and lived to tell the tale."
His voice snapped me out of my inner musings and I returned my unblinking stare to Varric. I just moved my head up and down in a very slow nod. My brain was furiously trying to catch up to current events and was having a slow time comprehending how video game characters were talking to me. It was only now that I realized that we weren't speaking English. In fact, I was able to fluently converse in some unknown language I knew I had never learned. My right eye twitched visibly.
One of Varric's eyebrows lifted up slightly but my lack of response didn't deter him. "My name is Varric, rogue and storyteller extraordinaire. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Solas took this as a cue to introduce himself as well. With a slight bow of his head, he simply said, "am Solas."
I wanted to say something but I couldn't for the life of me form any words. I was too busy crazily screaming 'I'm in Thedas' over and over in my head to hear anything else they could have been saying! I just kept switching my glassy gaze between Varric' and Solas' faces. Although I had my mouth tightly shut, they must have seen the barely contained insanity in my eyes. A high pitched squeal suddenly began, softly at first and then rising in intensity and I realized too late that it came from me. I saw Solas frown and open his mouth to say something but I cut him off with a raised index finger. He frowned at the rude gesture but I really couldn't care right now.
"If you'll excuse me," I blurted out quickly, a frozen semi-crazed smile plastered on my face. If I tensed up anymore, I would crack under the pressure like ice. I didn't wait for their response as I swiftly turned and marched back to where I had come from, closing the door shut behind me with my one of my feet. Without hesitation I went to the bed, grabbed the lonely pillow nestled there and screamed with all my might into it. I only momentarily worried if this was doing a good enough job of muffling the sound. When I was relatively satisfied that some of the hysteria was exorcised, I tucked the strands of hair that had gotten loose behind my ears and calmly walked back out.
Both Varric and Solas were exchanging a bewildered look when I came to join them. They had probably heard that little meltdown. Great. Well, nothing I could do about that now. Hopefully the next impression they got of me would be better.
"Nice to meet you," I said a little breathlessly as I stopped to stand in front of both with a more relaxed smile this time around. Screaming one's lungs out did wonders apparently. Since everything was out of my control at the moment, I was going to ignore the loud and obvious fact that this whole situation made no sense until I could properly think things through. I could not spend the day screaming into unsuspecting pillows after all. So until such a time, I was just going to go with it. Long live compartmentalization.
"My name is Evelyn. My friends call me Evey for short."
Varric and Solas were looking at me with obvious concern but Varric was the first to break the silence. "I guess Cassandra's dungeon special took its toll on you," he commented with a slight snicker. "Don't take it personally, she threatens everyone with imprisonment the first time she meets them. Hell, she mentions it to me at least once a day." Ah yes, Varric and Cassandra's love hate relationship, well mostly hate.
"If that was her special treatment than I would hate to be on the receiving end of her unwelcome party," I said nervously.
Varric chuckled softly and nodded. "Unfortunately, that's the only side I'm acquainted with."
Having the Seeker's anger directed at me personally was something my gaming experience did not prepare me for. That woman had an intense dislike of me and she could not care less that I knew it. I think she rather preferred me knowing.
"I do not mean to interrupt, but they are expecting you at the Chantry, Evelyn. You wouldn't want to keep the Seeker waiting," Solas reminded me politely.
Right. I looked in the direction Cassandra had gone and felt suddenly very nervous. It must have shown because Varric said to me, "You'll do fine. Just give Cassandra a wide berth in case she lunges for you if you tell her something she doesn't want to hear."
"That actually does not make me feel any better Varric," I said with a barely restrained groan as I shivered as another gust of wind went through my clothes. They, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind the cold.
At those very encouraging words, I began walking towards Haven's Chantry, feeling an invisible noose tightening around my neck at every step. The closer I got to the formidable building, the more nauseous I became as the uncertainty of what awaited me behind those massive closed doors sunk in. My gut told me that once I went through, things were probably not going to get any better.