****PLEASE READ****

So Inquisition is okay.

JUST KIDDING. INQUISITION IS FREAKING AMAZING!

Sorry...

Since I started playing Inquisition, I've gotten some really great ideas for this story, and I've been able to tweak a few details in Invictus to fit the official canon better.

I had a general idea of how I wanted to make Samantha and her story, and Inquisition only refined and solidified that idea. To be honest, I'm a little worried about the reactions to the revelation of who/what she is in this chapter. I went through several rewrites of this chapter because of that worry. I've settled on this final draft, and I hope you all enjoy the twist. If any of you have any concerns about it, please send me a message and tell me about them. I love constructive criticism, so don't hold back.

Anyway! Now that that's over, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Dragon Age. Just Samantha.

Chapter 5

I wish I could say I did anything particularly interesting in the week that followed Azriel's 'little' revelation. Azriel had assigned Selena as my 24/7 babysitter and instructor. The girl almost never spoke unless forced to and she couldn't read, but, from the little she did speak, I could tell that she was very knowledgeable about Tevinter society and culture.

Azriel had decided that I would be locked in my room. Apparently he believed I'd try to run away, which I most certainly would have if given the chance. By the second day of room arrest, I was bored out of my mind, so I peppered Selena with questions every time she entered my room. She was shocked at first by my curiosity, but she soon answered my questions in that soft, halting manner of hers.

I soon learned that the Tevinter Imperium was the oldest surviving nation in this world, which was called Thedas. Tevinter was forever at war with the Qunari, a race of grey, horned giants. Crazy. The main religion was Andrastianism, and country was governed by an assembly of highly powerful, elite mage nobles, called Magisters. That was about as far as I got before I started to ask about slavery. Selena shut down immediately when I asked, and she scampered out of the room with my empty tray of food as if I had threatened to hit her. Apparently slavery wasn't talked about.

Azriel had several language books sent to me during that week. They were all written in the common language, which just so happened to be English. (Go figure.) I spent the rest of the week studying the tevene language, asking Selena as many questions as possible when she came by, and watching the slaves putter about the grounds outside, all working dutifully. Sometimes I caught the sight of Leto in slave attire, working alongside the other slaves.

The second week rolled by in much the same way, and I was starting to go stir-crazy. I learned a few basic bits of tevene. Just enough so that I could identify a few words in the children's books that Azriel sent me. (You know, the kind of books you first learn to read with.) It wasn't much to keep me occupied with, but it was all I had.

By the end of the second week, I caught some sort of flu, and I could barely stand getting out of bed. And that's when the dreams began. Now, just for clarification, I don't dream. Ever. I have never had a single dream my entire life up until this point, unless you count pitch black nothingness. People back home used to say that I just don't remember my dreams, but I knew better.

The first dream was nothing more than flashes. Colors, lights, faces. They flickered back and forth across my unconscious and fevered eyes, too blurry for me to really see. Just as some of the images began to come slower and clearer, I woke up sweating and shaking.

I tried to focus on the children's books that Azriel had sent me. I had become much better at translating the words, to the point where I could read through most of the tiny books without too much trouble. But that day, I couldn't focus at all. My mind wandered back to the blurry faces in my dream. Deep in my gut, I knew that I had seen those faces before.

I dreamed again that night. This time, everything was crystal clear.

Blood. Blood everywhere. It seeped into the dirt around my bare feet, painting the green grass and brown earth a deep crimson. Hordes of bodies lay hewn and mangled about the hillside, some slaves, other masters. It didn't matter. In the end, they were nothing but corpses, a physical reminder of just how much we had failed the People.

The familiar rusty, metallic scent overpowered my senses, and I fought the urge to bend over and be sick. Now was not the time.

A lone figure on the hilltop caught my eye as he surveyed the evidence of the bloody massacre at his feet. I recognized him instantly, and I made my way to him, mindful of the dead around me.

Fen'harel's sharp features were hard and without emotion, but his eyes told another tale. A fire burned in his blue eyes, a righteous and mighty flame that could not be quenched. I had seen that look many times before, and too often they had preceded long, exhausting arguments between us that never ended well. I had long since learned to despise that look, but I couldn't bring myself to do so this time.

He fell to his knees, not minding the blood and filth that ruined his robes, and he closed the wide, unseeing eyes of a young boy bearing my markings. He met my gaze with a dark, accusing glare that made me wince.

"Are you proud now, Elgar'nan?" Fen'harel hissed in an undertone. I could see the traces of tears in his eyes. "Look at the handiwork of your inaction, then look me in the eye and tell me there was nothing you could have done to prevent this!"

His words ripped through my chest like no dagger could. I stepped forward and crouched down beside him. I reached out and brushed the boy's long, shaggy hair out of his face. I needed to remember his face, the face of all I had failed to save that day.

Flash.

Spires of white crystal reached from the mountaintop far into the heavens, glittering in the morning sun. The People milled about in the city at the mountain's base, going about their charmed lives. There was no rush. There was no need to. The People were safe under our watch.

She stood alone on the marble balcony overlooking the city, arms crossed and body tense as a taut rope. She faced away from me, but I didn't need to see her face to know that she was troubled. Her burgundy robes fluttered about her tall, still form in the summer breeze.

"What ails you?" I murmured to her.

Mythal turned to face me, her long black hair danced around her solemn face as she met my gaze. Her golden eyes were more troubled than I had ever seen them be. Mythal was the calm one, the wise one. Nothing ever shook her. Until today.

"The Dark Ones are growing stronger with each passing year, Elgar'nan," she replied softly, turning back to the view. "I am wary of this fight, brother."

I wanted to laugh, but I knew my laughter would only serve to upset her further. I clamped my lips together tightly to stop the chuckle that wanted to escape, but my lips still curved into an amused smirk.

"Anaris and his litter of idiots would have to descend to another level of foolishness to consider warring with us," I said confidently, crossing my arms. "We have the loyalty of the People. They do not."

Mythal hummed softly. "A loyalty that I fear has begun to fade and flicker, Elgar'nan."

I sent her a questioning stare.

"You should speak to Fen'harel," she said finally. "He knows many things that we have not dared to learn."

"He is also a compulsive liar and a malcontent," I growled in response. "The day I listen to the Dread Wolf's advice will be the day I have lost my mind. Why that disrespectful mutt still has the love of so many, I will never know."

A smile came to Mythal's darkened face. She laughed.

"You may change that attitude soon enough, Elgar'nan. The two of you were once as close as brothers."

"Well, that was before I learned of his true nature." I eyed her suspiciously. "Why? What knowledge has your foresight uncovered?"

Her smile turned mischievous, as it always did when I pressed her for clues to the future. But this time it was different. If I had not known her for so long, I might have missed the sadness and fear that flickered across the depths of those ageless amber eyes. She knew something terrible was coming, something that she didn't believe I could stop.

Flash.

Rage. Blinding, burning rage flooded my mind. Bursts of white fire burst from my palms, creating a whirling firestorm of pure fury. How dare he! That little wretch, how dare he!

Flash.

Her eyes burn a dark emerald green as she levels her sword at my chest, daring to challenge me. I smirk at her and laugh to myself. So young, so bold. Fen'harel would be proud of the rebellious little wolf that stood before me, but she still needed to learn her place.

I lift my hand and summon the ties to bind her. She became a blur as she pushed through the bonds that threatened to entrap her. The girl lunges forward and attacks, the edge of her blade slicing through the skin of my cheek.

I flinch in surprise before I blast her back into the stone wall, making sure to bind her this time. She struggles desperately against the bonds. She snarls at me while I lightly touch the small cut on my face. I pull my hand away, revealing blood on my fingers.

She made me bleed.

Flash.

Dead. How can the best of us be dead?

I hold Mythal's lifeless body in my arms, too stunned to move or make a sound. Sylaise kneels beside me and closes Mythal's empty, frozen eyes. I watch her carefully, waiting for a twitch or smile, anything to show she was not dead. She would open her eyes and laugh and say it was all a trick. She has done it before.

But this time, she does not smile. She does not laugh and say it was all an act. She lies in my arms and grows colder with each passing minute.

Flash.

A hand grips mine as I hang over the abyss. I look into Fen'harel's terrified blue eyes as he keeps me from falling. You have to let me go, old friend. Let me go.

I smile at him reassuringly. I am not afraid.

We both let go at the same time.

Flash.

I woke up gasping for breath. The first thing I noticed was that I wasn't in my room, but in what looked like a dungeon. The second thing I noticed was that it was unbearably hot in there. The stones I lay on were probably hot enough to cook an egg, and the air surrounding me was like the inside of a furnace. The whole cell smelled like something had been burning.

Where was I? What had happened?

I pulled myself to my feet, surprised that I no longer felt sick. I was dressed in only a nightgown, which stuck to my sweaty form. God it was uncomfortable. I hopped over to the door, wincing when I let my bare feet linger for too long on the hot stone floor. It was like stepping on hot sand at the beach.

"Hey! Where am I?!" I yelled, rattling the bars of the door. "Let me out! Please!"

Wolf-Eyes appeared in front of the cell a moment later, fully clad in his black leather armor. He removed the helmet and stared at me, wariness in his vibrant green eyes.

"Thank god!" I exclaimed in relief. I was still hopping from foot to foot to keep my f from burning, so I must have looked strange. "What's going on? Actually, never mind! Let me out, will you! It's burning in here!"

Leto hesitated, and for one scary second I thought he would leave me in there. But then he nodded and unlocked the cell door. I rushed out of the cell as soon as he opened the door, still hopping from one foot to the other.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" I hissed, expecting the stones outside the cell to be cooler. They weren't.

I heard Leto give an exasperated sigh from behind me. Suddenly, my legs were swept out from underneath me, and Leto picked me up bridal style. I yelped in surprise, but I stopped myself from lashing out at him. He was helping me.

"Better, Lady Samantha?" he asked respectfully, and I nodded. Without another word, he set off down the stone corridor, hopefully towards an exit.

"What the hell happened?" I said finally. "Why was I in there?"

He glanced down at me and cleared his throat.

"You don't remember any of it?" I shook my head. "I suppose you wouldn't, would you? You were unconscious for the whole ordeal." He paused, as though uncertain.

"Well?"

Leto shifted my weight in his arms before opening his mouth to speak. I was surprised he was able to carry me for so long. I was almost as tall as he was, and I wasn't exactly light.

"You were ill and had fallen into a small coma. Your maid, Selena, said you weren't waking up, and that you had a high fever and were thrashing about in your sleep," he explained. "Master Azriel healed your ailment, but you still would not wake. The moment you had been healed, you lashed out and set the room on fire."

I blinked and my mouth fell open in surprise. What?

"Like… like magic?" I interrupted.

Leto nodded. "He had me bring you here so that you would not hurt yourself. Or set anything else of value on fire," he added, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards in amusement. I was too stunned to share his amusement.

"How long was I out?" I asked after a few minutes, finally able to gather my thoughts.

"Three days," he responded promptly. I fell silent for several long minutes, processing what I just heard.

At this point, I realized that we were travelling up a long set of stairs, and that the air was getting progressively cooler as we went up. I shifted uncomfortably in Leto's arms. No doubt it was cool enough for me to walk again.

"Um, you don't have to carry me anymore, Leto," I reminded him. "I think I can walk on my own now."

Leto nodded and set me down on my feet gently. The stones beneath my feet were warm, but they no longer scorched my soles. I frowned as a thought occurred to me.

"Wait, why is it so hot down here?" I was a little annoyed that I hadn't asked that question earlier.

Leto's eyes grew guarded and wary. He eyed me with caution, as though I were a venomous snake about to bite him. Why was he looking at me like that? Had I done something else while I slept?

"While you were sleeping," he began slowly. "You summoned a firestorm that filled the entire dungeon. It raged on for several hours and shook the manor."

My eyes grew wide with shock and I took a step back, stunned. I had done that? Impossible. No one person should be able to do something like that! I knew that I was a mage, but come on! That was just insane!

"How…" I cleared my throat and changed my question to something that seemed a little more pressing. "How did I survive… that?"

Leto shifted slightly. "I won't lie. You shouldn't have lived through that. Until I heard you calling, I believed that you had died. We all did."

"Azriel included?"

He nodded. "He will want to see that you are well."

I sucked in an irritated breath. Of course he did.

"Well," I said brusquely and started up the stairs. "Let's not keep him waiting."

"As you wish, Lady Samantha," Leto replied from behind me. "I will find your maid and tell her to get you something to wear."

"No," I replied firmly. "He'll see me as I am."

I knew I looked like a train wreck, but I didn't care. My hair was no doubt matted, and wet, and smelling like a campfire, but it was the furthest thing from my mind then. I wore nothing but a long, thin nightgown that was stained grey with soot, and it clung to my sweaty body, leaving little to the imagination now. How it had survived along with me, I didn't know and didn't care. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

I strode through the passageways of the manor with purpose, with Leto trailing behind me, occasionally offering directions. Before long, we reached the library, and I, knowing full well that Azriel was in there, pushed open the doors and strode inside, my bare feet slapping against the cool, black marble floor.

Azriel was pacing in the length of the library, arms crossed and brows furrowed in concentration. He glanced up immediately, and a look of intense relief passed over his face. Azriel smiled broadly at me.

"You're alive!" he exclaimed in a pleased sort of awe. "How marvelous! I thought you had perished. Extraordinary!"

"Yes, yes!" I snapped. "'I'm amazing and wonderful, bla bla bla!' What I want to know is what the hell is going on!"

Azriel raised a thin, questioning eyebrow at me, which only egged me on.

"You look me up in my room by myself for weeks! I fall into a weird coma and dream for the first time in my life! Then I set the house on fire in my sleep, and then I wake up and I find out that I made a firestorm as well.

"So I'll ask you again, what the hell is going on?! And don't you dare give me anymore vague non-answers. You've held back way too much this time."

"There's no need for shouting, Samantha," he said soothingly. "I'll tell you what you wish to know."

I crossed my arms over chest and stood there, waiting.

"You needed to be kept in isolation in order for you to discover your powers," he explained cautiously, as though worried I'd blast him to pieces. It was a satisfying change. "In isolation, the mind turns inward and uncovers things that have long been locked away. You said that you had begun to dream for the first time. That was your mind clearing through your mental barriers and delving into the secrets you had forgotten."

What? "Secrets?! What secrets? What are you talking about?" This was getting weird really fast, and that was saying something.

"It's a very long and complex story. Many of the pieces have been lost to time," Azriel said, almost hesitant. "Many thousands of years ago, there was a brotherhood of nine immortal, all-powerful beings that ruled over the world as gods. According to legend, many of them were sealed away in a realm that was then called the Beyond. There, they wandered the realm, formless and powerless. Until almost twenty years ago."

"I'm going to regret saying this," I muttered to myself, "But what happened twenty years ago, and how does this relate to anything?"

"I do not truly know what happened then," he replied, a little put out at the idea. "The closest I have come to the truth is that something very old and very powerful… awoke."

I rubbed my temples, blinking slowly at him. "Like what?"

"Like a god," replied Azriel. "A very powerful one. I felt it awaken. Every mage in Thedas felt it awaken. However, none of them have any idea what happened."

"Again, how does this relate to anything?" I snapped, not really caring about what he just said.

Azriel paused and eyed me carefully. "The awakening triggered the rebirth of the gods. It broke the spell that kept them powerless.

"Six years after, I sensed one of the gods re-enter this realm to the north in Seheron. Then another arrived in Orlais six years after that. And then a few weeks ago, you arrived."

That got my attention. I stiffened in surprise and disbelief. Surely he couldn't mean what I thought he meant. That would be crazy, even for this world. Or would it? I didn't know. But still, there was no way.

Azriel stood across from me, watching me carefully as though I might spontaneously explode. I didn't exactly blame him for thinking that way. After a few, long moments of utter silence, I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to speak.

"Are you saying that I am a god?" I said with forced calmness. I flinched at how ridiculous it all sounded.

"I am, Samantha," he replied, still watching me closely. "The only mystery that remains is which one you are. Did your dreams, by any chance, offer any clue as to the answer?"

I inhaled shakily, feeling my calm exterior crumble and slowly dissolve into hysteria. I closed my eyes and shook my head. My fingernails raked across my scalp as I tangled my fingers in my matted curls. The world was becoming fuzzy, and my head began to spin slightly.

"I need to sit," I whispered, not trusting myself to speak louder. If I did, I might start screaming.

A hand firmly grasped my elbow and led my to the chair in front of the desk. The same chair I had sat in when I first came here. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that it was Leto who was leading me, except now he had put his helmet back one, making him Wolf-Eyes once again. As I plopped down on the chair, I thought vaguely that this was the second time I was filthy while sitting in that chair.

Still dizzy, I leaned back against the head cushion and willed myself to get a grip. It was easier said than done, however, and it was several minutes before my head was clear enough for me to look up at Azriel, who had been trying to ask me questions the whole time. He didn't seem pleased by my lack of response.

"Elgar'nan," I said finally, not truly believing what I was saying. "The name was Elgar'nan."

An expression eerily similar to glee passed over Azriel's face, and he reined it in quickly before it became too obvious. But I still noticed it.

"Elgar'nan, the god of vengeance," said Azriel, smirking triumphantly. "My dear girl, you are perfect."

I fell back into silence while Azriel continued his excited ramblings, more to himself than to me. I wasn't paying any attention to him. I was stuck on the absurdity of it all. It was ridiculous, every single bit of it. It had to be a lie. Some kind of joke. I was a human, not a god. A regular, red-blooded human girl, born and raised in the good old US of A. I was not a god, much less a god of vengeance.

When Azriel realized that I wasn't listening anymore, he scoffed at me and motioned for Wolf-Eyes. He gripped my arm and pulled me to my feet, leading me gently out of the library and probably back to my room. My room. After a few steps, I dug in my heels, stopping us both.

"You're not going to lock me up again, are you?" I asked, turning back to Azriel.

He smiled lightly. "No, I do not believe that would be wise this time. Isolation is no longer necessary. You are free to wander my humble abode. Tomorrow I shall begin your training. You have much to learn before you are fit for high Tevinter society."

I snorted at "humble abode", but I did not resist when Wolf-Eyes began to lead me out of the library again. At least I wouldn't be locked up again. The moment we left the library and the doors closed behind us, Wolf-Eyes let go of my arm, and we walked side by side in silence. I could practically feel him side-eying me from time, as though I were about to explode. I didn't blame him.

When we rounded a turn that took us away from my original room, Wolf-Eyes removed his helmet, becoming Leto once more. He stopped at a door and opened it for me, bowing his head respectfully. I glanced inside to see a beautiful bedroom, decorated in colors of white and gold with a roaring fire in its fireplace.

"I'm guessing that this is my new room, since I torched the old one?" I asked.

Leto nodded, not quite meeting my eyes. I chuckled.

"Good," I said, trying to make the serious elf crack a smile. "The old one was unbearably dark."

Nothing. He bowed and slowly began to back away, taking his leave. I frowned. Something had changed. He seemed almost afraid of me. Granted, Azriel had just revealed that I was the god of vengeance, but still! It wasn't right.

"Your maid, Selena, will be here soon to prepare your bath, Lady Samantha," Leto said stiffly. "If there is nothing else, I must return to my duties."

I nodded in response, not entirely certain as to how I should respond. Leto put his helmet back on and left the way we came. His face, body language, and tone were completely closed off to me. It shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but, among the few people I had talked to since coming here, Leto had seemed to be the kindest.

Frowning, I shook myself and stepped inside my new bedroom. It shouldn't matter. I was only going to stay for a few months, right? What's the point of making friends if I'm only going to leave them soon after? No. It's better this way.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked around the room. My last room had been gorgeous in its own dark way, but this room made the last one seem almost stuffy and gloomy in comparison. The room itself was about twice the size of my last one, and the sight of a doorway in the wall next to the bed promised other rooms in addition to this one. Unlike the last room, which had only one window, covered up with thick, dark velvet curtains, there were two massive window doors that led to a white marble balcony.

The sun was streaming in through the windows, and it lit up the gold accents on the walls. I stepped into the sunlight, smiling when the warm rays hit my skin. This was nice. Yes, I could be almost happy here, even if it was only for a little while.

A/N: So here it is, folks! Sam's got a bit of a way before she can convince Leto to trust her. I don't really blame him for being wary. I would be too. Yikes. Hopefully she doesn't set this room on fire as well.

Special thanks to EgyptianAssassin, SNicole25, ArisuTamaZuki, Wheezer, and Secret Companion for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much!

Anyway, next chapter Sam will have her training session with Azriel (can't imagine that'll go well), and she'll get to explore the estate's grounds and learn more about... well... you'll just have to tune in next time to find out! ;)