9:31 Wintermarch 21st
"Exactly why do we need to find this out? Is this spirit going to go crazy? Because then I'd be able to get on board on that." Alistair said.
"It is because she's an anomaly that we need to find out why this is happening." Wynne countered.
"Does no one care what I think?" I huffed.
"Nia this is extremely rare. I have never heard of your abilities from a person who wasn't a mage. The sooner we can solve this, the sooner I can let you go." Wynne crossed her arms. I groaned while face palming.
"Why can't you accept that it happened ok? Not everything can be explained away by magic or science." I said. Either way, they wouldn't accept the truth.
"I'm good for that. Nia doesn't seem like she's going to be all spooky and possessed." Alistair shrugged.
"If you are not going to help us young man, then it's best if you left." Wynne ordered. Alistair gave me a surprised look.
"Alright, alright. How about I tell you the truth?" I said. They both looked at me expectantly. "I was on a burning ship and, near death, my spirit managed to save my life." Alistair looked like he believed it. Wynne, however, didn't buy it.
"Young lady it is best to tell the truth than an outrageous lie." She said.
"The burning ship part wasn't a lie though but…" I bit my lip a few times. "I can't tell you the truth because even that's unbelievable."
"Trust me, being a Grey Warden has made me immune to many unbelievable things." Alistair assured me. Wynne only looked at me expectantly. I fidgeted with my fingers as I felt the cold nervousness go through my body.
"I'm…" I let out a long and loud exhale. "I'm not from Thedas."
"You're from across the ocean? That's a very long trip." Alistair chuckled. I shook my head.
"No I…Ok we have a sorta fade back in my world. I was able to collide with a large…machine. I think I died or maybe I didn't, I'm not sure. All I know is that my spirit took me from certain death, transported me through the fade, and I ended up in Denerim. That's all I can remember at least." I ended.
"Ok that's a bit of a stretch." Alistair rubbed his neck.
"I believe you." Wynne said.
"Huh!?" Alistair and I both turned to look at her.
"But why?" I wondered.
"The fade is a wondrous and grand thing. We can't even begin to understand it let alone the workings of a spirit. Although it might seem like nonsense, something like this may very well have happened to you but I must know more. I must ask, how much have you traveled in the fade?" Wynne asked.
"Not much." I shook my head. Wynne nodded.
"Has your spirit ever answered any of your questions pertaining to how you came here?" Wynne asked. I shook my head. "Then might I suggest we both go into the fade and ask this spirit directly?"
"Go into the fade? We just got out." Alistair huffed.
"Not you. There is a way to go into the fade and be in control." Wynne mentioned.
"No." I declined.
"No?" Wynne stared hard.
"You might want to figure this out because it's new to you but Halo isn't new to me. Halo saved my life. He helped me escape the dream world of the nightmare and probably other things. Halo has been my only friend since I came to Ferelden and I'm not going to let someone who thinks they know better mess with him." I put my foot down.
"I have worked with spirits and-" Wynne started.
"And so what!? I have been with Halo for the past almost 3 years and all he has ever done was try to help me get back home. He saved me from demons in the fade, protected me when I couldn't. He was there for me after the massacre." My voice broke. I cleared my throat when the lump came back. "He is my closest friend and I'm not going to let you hurt him or do anything to taint him! If you want to figure this out, then read a book or something. Halo, and I, aren't your things to dissect." I turned around and stomped my way out.
"Whoa, whoa." Alistair caught up to me and ran in front.
"Get out of my way." I glared.
"Now, now, let's not start fighting and please don't look at me like that. She wants to understand. I think we both deserve that." Alistair said. I glared at him some more.
"The thing is, you don't understand. Dealing with spirits requires an open mind. Even demons are spirits. There's no point in generalizing them as good or bad. They're grey and that means you have to look at them that way. Spirits mold into our expectations of them. The reason why Halo has remained a spirit that protects me is because I'm the only one interacting with him. If Wynne expects something horrific, then Halo might change. I'm not going to risk my only friend like that." I explained.
"It's only a spirit though. Either way, it's dangerous for being with you." Alistair started.
"Maybe but Halo is watching out for me. I'm not going to go back on his trust." I said, sidestepping him and walking away. After that talk, I went back to my bunk bed and decided to make a flow chart on what has happened so far and what could happen later on. I even cleaned up some of my entries with my quill. Can't anyone figure out the fountain pen? It would save me much cleaning, please and thank you.
The tranquil gave me back the clothes they cleaned for me. There was a huge part of me that felt extremely guilty for this. I was used to doing everything myself and sometimes for Eren. Having monotone forced maids was wrong. I went over to where they were washing the laundry.
"So um do any of you need help?" I asked.
"No." They both said.
"Oh." I wilted.
"Is there anything specific you require?" One asked.
"No. I wanted to talk if that was ok." I said.
"We have work we must do." The other said. I gave up. I was bad at small talk. I walked to my bunk when I saw Wynne standing by it. I got irritated.
"Is there something you need Wynne?" I crossed my arms.
"I am here to apologize." Wynne said sincerely.
"What?" I blinked.
"I have assumed that your spirit was causing you harm and that not all spirits are like that." Wynne sighed while her hand hovered over her chest. "I understand why you wouldn't want me to meet it."
"His name is Halo." I corrected.
"Halo then. If you'd like, the next time you encounter him perhaps you can ask him whether or not he would like us to intrude." Wynne suggested.
"We'll see. Even I don't know how or when I get to the fade when I got to sleep. It's either regular dreams or fade walking so I can't promise you anything." I said.
"Fair enough." Wynne said while walking out. I huffed in annoyance.
"Well now, it seems that you are not as pure as I thought you were." Morrigan came strolling in. The grimoire was full with vellums and she carried an inkwell and quill in the other hand.
"I didn't say I'm pure." I eyed her.
"Ah but you are, you just have not realized it yet." Morrigan chuckled. I rolled my eyes.
"How's the grimoire coming along?" I asked. Morrigan scoffed.
"The language mother used is old and archaic. Not only that, tis written in cipher. I have been able to deduce the language but tis tricky to decipher. I have been using the resources in this tower which have not been completely useless." Morrigan said, sitting down on a cracked bunk with a flat chest as her table. I sat on a bunk bed.
"I would help you but I'm shit at figuring out word puzzles." I shrugged.
"I do not need your help. I only need time." Morrigan snapped.
"Ok." I shrugged.
"There is something I am curious about." Morrigan smirked. My eyebrow raised.
"You were eavesdropping weren't you?" I stared at her.
"The walls in this tower are surprisingly thin." She explained.
"It's stone, you can't hear through it but the door was open so you caught something." I rested my elbow on my knee and put my chin in the palm of my hand. "So, what did you hear?"
"You have a spirit under your control. Twould explain a few things." Morrigan drawled.
"Like what?" I wondered.
"You broke blood control. Only mages are able to do so. You broke out of your dream, most likely with the aid of your spirit. Then the pride demon called you an irregularity. Instead of killing you, it wanted your body. It had already possessed the body of a powerful mage, what makes you so different I wonder?" Morrigan's golden eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
"If you know then please tell me. I've been called that before and I'm not sure why." I furrowed my brows.
"You mean you do not know?" Morrigan wondered.
"No and Halo won't tell me anything. The only thing I got was that I'm a beacon of sorts but I'm not sure what that means either. Wynne said that spells are easier to cast around me and Halo protects me from spirits inside the fade because they're curious about me." I explained.
"How odd." Morrigan hummed as she went through her papers.
"I don't control magic either." I added.
"I was able to discern that much." Morrigan chuckled. "Irregularity…Mother mentioned something along those lines before I set off with the Grey Wardens. Perhaps you might learn more from her should you ever meet her."
"Your mother?" I wondered even though I already knew the answer.
"Yes. She saved the Grey Wardens from the Tower of Ishal and also encouraged me to go with them." Morrigan explained. "She explained to watch for an irregularity. I thought it might have been a spirit but I would never have guessed it would be a regular woman."
"Not that regular considering that I have a spirit for a friend." I lightly chuckled.
"That is…true." Morrigan furrowed her eyebrows as she began to look through the grimoire. I figured out what was happening. She found something that had to do with how Flemeth doesn't die. I took my journal out to write down the first part when I heard all the things from Morrigan's chest clatter on the floor. I looked up and Morrigan was paler than usual and that was saying something.
"This cannot be!" She harshly whispered.
"I'm guessing you found something you weren't prepared for." I said. Morrigan gave me a horrified look.
"I-I must tell the others." Morrigan gathered her things quickly and went out the door. I was left alone in the room. I thought it out. Either we go to Orzammar, Redcliffe, or visit Flemeth.
The fact that Flemeth knew about me was worrying yet, at the same time, making me hopeful. It was just like I thought. Flemeth must have some answers for me. Here's to hoping I might be able to get some.
9:30 Wintermarch 22nd
We were going back to Ostagar and also Flemeth. The Ostagar thing surprised me. After I helped with some more cleaning, I went to sleep earlier than the rest. I rose up today with a Tranquil already preparing another bath for me which I eagerly took. As everyone started to rise, the Tranquil had prepared our own separate table in the first floor. Apparently, Greagoir didn't want the Templars to fight with us.
It was after breakfast that Derek, Sten, and Leliana went out to look for some game to replenish the food we all went through. It was a lot with four Grey Wardens. I was helping sort out the books in the second level when Alistair called me.
"We're having an impromptu meeting right now." Alistair said and I nodded. I followed him to the first level. "You're not mad at me anymore are you?"
"I wasn't ever mad at you." I said.
"Oh good! At first with all the talk with Wynne and everything I thought that maybe you were mad at me for trying to take her side." Alistair weakly chuckled.
"Well it's not your fault. The Chantry teaches you that the fade is a scary place filled with demons. They never say there are good spirits there." I said with disappointment.
"You really dislike the Chantry don't you?" Alistair said.
"I do and I'm not trying to hide it. The Chant is pretty though." I remarked.
"But why? Andraste and her followers stopped Tevinter, she freed the elves, she freed the world." Alistair explained.
"And for what? Mages are stuck in almost literal prisons, the elves are only second hand citizens which is not that far from slavery, and freed the world? If you haven't read up on your history Alistair, she may have freed the countries but we're still having wars. The world is not perfect all because she freed everyone." I shook my head. "Besides, every religious power eventually becomes corrupt." I mumbled.
"Wow, very introspective." Alistair chuckled. "Though I admit the Chantry has had its moments it still tries to bring everyone together." I gave him a flat stare.
"If you actually believe that I might have to start listening to Morrigan's opinion of you." I shook my head.
"Hey!" Alistair whined before we saw everyone else gathered around. I saw that Derek, Sten and Leliana came back.
"Good, we're all here." Derek grumbled. Sitting on a bunk with his arm in a sling and his eye bandaged, was a soldier.
"Now that you've all gathered, I would like to introduce a deserter of the royal guard." Eren said.
"You didn't have to say it like that." The man grumbled.
"Most of you aren't going to recognize him but his name is Elric Maraigne. He was part of Cailan's guard. He was supposed to die at Ostagar but ran when the fighting got tough." Derek explained.
"I had an important item. It would have been lost if I had died!" Elric explained. All the Grey Wardens glared at him.
"What's the item?" Talen wondered.
"A key." Elric took it out. "It's supposed to unlock a chest that was in Cailan's tent. He regarded it as special documents and ordered to give it to the Grey Wardens or his successor should he not survive."
"And since Loghain is a piece of duster crap, we'll be the ones to get that chest." Derek swiped the key away.
"This brings us to our next objective apparently." Eren said as he took a look at Morrigan.
"Yes. In the grimoire that I obtained, it has detailed instructions on my Mother's unnatural lifespan. She adopts a daughter with magic and, once she has been trained enough, she enters the body and takes it from within." Morrigan detailed with a disturbed look on her face.
"That is disturbing." Talen said.
"Of course, which is why one of our objectives must be to slay Flemeth before she is able to take over my body." Morrigan nodded.
"You're talking about the Witch of the Wilds! We can't just stroll into her swamp and kill her!" Alistair said. "If she can retrieve four Grey Wardens off the top of a tower with darkspawn about, how do you think we'll have a chance against her?"
"I will not have my body taken over by an old crone who is too afraid to die!" Morrigan snapped.
"Enough!" Eren shouted. Alistair and Morrigan both huffed. "We are going to Ostagar to retrieve those documents before Loghain finds them. Morrigan, can you explain why we need to slay her in the first place?"
"In order to protect myself from any further attempts from her, I will need her true grimoire. With that, I know I will be able to truly live peacefully at least if for a few years until she comes back." Morrigan explained.
"Until she comes back? She's not immortal." Talen chuckled.
"Perhaps not but I will not take my chances. Please, this is the only thing I would ask of you." Morrigan pleaded. I was kinda surprised that she was so adamant about it. I side glanced at Eren. He exhaled loudly.
"Please don't make me regret this." Eren rubbed his face.
"What? Are we actually going to kill the same person that saved us?" Alistair asked.
"A mage like her mother is dangerous if left alone." Leliana said.
"But she-" Alistair started before Eren held up his hand.
"If I really am the de facto leader then my word is final. Besides, we already have two gifted mages and I'm not going to lose one of them. We're killing Flemeth, Alistair." Eren said. Leliana had a look as Morrigan was surprised from the support.
"Since we've made that decision, I'm guessing we're about to roll out?" Derek laughed.
"Yes. Everyone, make your packs and gather your things. We're moving out. Nia, would you like to join me in saying our farewells to Oren?" Eren asked. I nodded. We both left the others to their packing. I could already sense the awkwardness as we went upstairs to the mage quarters. That's where the other kids were at too and where Oren stayed at.
Solana was there too. Her mood dropped as of recently. Word from the vine said that she tried talking to Cullen. It didn't exactly work out. I did warn her but it fell on deaf ears. Oren laughed as he came up and hugged us both.
"They've been teaching me and showing me magic! Maybe I can be a mage too!" Oren said excitedly.
"Well if you did then we wouldn't be able to see you like this." Eren said, lifting Oren up onto his shoulders.
"I wouldn't like that." Oren pouted. Eren chuckled before putting him down again. He knelt down to Oren's level.
"Oren, I know you're a young boy but you're a brave one. I've seen it in you since we left home. I don't want to make you go through another adult situation but I have to. Nia and I need to leave but we can't bring you. A battlefield is no place for a young boy like you. I have talked to Greagoir and he has given his permission to let you stay." Eren explained. Oren was nodding quietly.
"I'm sorry we have to do this Oren." I knelt down as well.
"You have to save Ferelden right?" Oren mumbled. "I can be good. Maybe you can find papa!" We both gave him reassuring smiles.
"You be good ok Oren. Make sure you eat your vegetables, to also ask for extra sheets when you're cold, and try to clean up after yourself." I listed off before Eren started laughing at me.
"Yes mama." Oren blurted out. He realized his mistake.
"It's ok Oren." I patted his head as his tears began to fall. I hugged him tightly.
"We'll see each other again ok?" My voice nearly broke and I cleared my throat. Oren was lightly sobbing by the time he went to hug Eren.
"Don't worry. He'll be safe here." Solana reassured us. We went back downstairs and I wiped my eyes.
"He'll be fine." Eren said while patting my shoulder.
"I know but." I cleared my throat. "That doesn't mean I won't miss him."
"I know." Eren sighed.
Beta'd by FearaNightmare!
Wow, didn't expect all the reviews! Nice to see a few of you guys come back! It made me all nice and fuzzy inside, internet cookies for everyone! Also another breather chapter until we get going.
Shout out to roon0 for following! Thank you tsohg-a-ma-i, Syutaku, WindBear7, and wolfzero7 (it was a breather chapter) for reviewing!
HellaRose: I'm glad you're liking the rewrite! Yes, I have always tried to picture a regular person who has to fight for their lives. Welcome back!
Undeadhero143: Who said I won't? I covered Rael and Solana so far.
Zomgirl47: Yay! I'm glad I was able to make you feel better :3
Chimera Spyke: When I talked to my friends about it, they say that mages would destroy the world but who really knows. Truthfully, even though Solas betrays you, I really did enjoy his teachings on spirits. Puts things in perspective. Talen will become an every greater progressive teacher later on :3
Please Review! :D