Dissonance Arc 2

Chapter 5: Trace

A/N: Hello everyone. Yes, it has been many moons since I last updated this story. I apologize for the readers for my inactivity. A long time ago, I hit a major writer's block and I couldn't get passed it no matter what. It sucked since I use writing as an outlet for the stress in my life but I guess this wall created more stress. So I had put it off, which I feel guilty of because I started other stories. I will not give up this series. There's just so much in store I want to share. I don't want my complex plots, other OCs and everything go to waste. If you have any comments, please feel free to leave a review. I don't mind constructive criticism, it's all for my benefit.

Anyways, I hope to keep working more on this series a bit more since it's summer for me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Dragon Age or their characters or their stories. Bioware is to thank for bestowing us such amazing work. I only claim my own original character and any other made up character that I have created.

Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

"I won't."

Sin again began to pursue her outside of the hut. His footsteps were even now, thanks to good rest and medicine. Katarina ignored the boy as she continued to march on. He tried catching up with her but she had long legs versus his child legs to bear with. But even though, the boy persisted, "Please Katarina! I can learn if you teach me."

The woman turned sharply to the boy and he stopped. She grew flustered and said, "Your leg is fine now. You should have been gone a long time ago."

The boy looked up and into her blue eyes and he tilted his head to the right as if he was a confused hound. His eyes then moved to the ground, "I would but I do not know where to go…"

It was a fact that he didn't have a place to go if he left, but the main reason he wanted to stay was he didn't want to leave Katarina. He was here with her all these months spending time with her, getting to know a little about her. He felt close to her, and he didn't want to part with her. He didn't want to admit it to her because he wanted to prove to her that he wasn't a child.

Then he uttered the words unconsciously, "I do not know how to survive."

He looked up to the armored woman whose nose was in the air and her eyes looking down at him. This was a familiar expression to Sin.

"Very well. Your training begins tomorrow at dawn."

A whiff of pine stroked Sin's nose as a breeze transitioned the sky to twilight. The forest road forked from the path to the agricultural quarters and was a more scenic route to take when approaching the border of the village. The dirt road stretched to a small incline with towering dark pine trees alongside the dilapidated wooden fences bordering the dirt roads. The fences looked like it was originally placed to keep out any forest creatures for villagers making their way to the farm. But based on the condition, many animals have scurried through here over the years.

The two made their way up the smoothed terrain to see a building the size of a river rock in the distance. Their destination was not far out of their reach. After walking down the straight road for few paces, a tall wooden pole with a rusted lantern hanging at the top stuck out of the ground beside the fence. After stepping foot on the farm, it was clear that this place was long neglected and displayed no signs of residency. The farm was just like it was in his dreams. There was a pen off to his right and a well in between him and the farm-house. Strangely, the only life he could see were about a dozen sheep in the pen. He wondered how these sheep were able to survive. That aside, the farm's condition was not something he pictured.

His focus was on the stone house, invaded by vines and dirt. This little cottage perhaps once belonged to a home to a loving family, now it was deserted and forgotten by the world. It was the speck on a map people didn't believe existed. The memories long forgotten were inside this little, insignificant house. Sin extended his arm to the doorknob and opened the door. He took gentle steps inside while Marea followed behind him. The first thing he could smell was the overpowering scent of dust occupying the room. He accidentally inhaled some through his nose and promptly sneezed into his arm.

In response, he heard something move and scratch around in the back of the house and he stood still. He unsheathed his sword and brought it out in front of him. The scratches continued, but grew closer. Whatever the creature was, it wasn't running but it was slowly creeping, cautiously. That is the demeanor of an animal, not a human. Nonetheless, Sin was still combat ready.

His eyes could see the creature finally shift down the dark hall. Its brown, orange eyes glinted in the darkness. They were definitely animal eyes watching them. It's a shame they would be occupying its home. A paw stretched out at the edge of the hall and it stopped. Sin kept his weapon in front of him, but the animal emitted no verbal noise. He could hear the subtle whiff across from him. The animal hesitantly walked out of the darkness and into the light with its head cocked to the side as if it was confused. It was a dog, not a mabari but a large shaggy sheep dog with splotches of dark brown spots over its face and body. It wasn't in a hostile position so Sin lowered his weapon while the creature kept looking at him bewildered.

"I guess this was his home while you were away." Marea commented.

The dog cautiously walked closer to Sin as he kneeled down. The canine was close enough to smell around his legs and hand. Sin reached out and scratched behind its ears and stroked behind its head. The dog wagged its long fluffy tail against the wooden floor in happiness. Sin brought both hands to its face, it was enjoying the affection it was possibly receiving for the first time in its young life. By the look of the dog, its fur was never kempt and it was malnourished. Its eyes showed great determination and resilience. One orange eye and the other a foggy gray eye. He felt pity for the dog, but it must have been the one to herd the sheep while no human was here to take care of it or them. At least that is what Sin hypothesized.

Once Sin relinquished his hands from its face, he stood up while the dog stood in place with its tongue dangling from its jaw and its one good eye on him as if it was waiting for more affection. He turned to Marea, "I think he wouldn't mind if we stayed here for a while." He said while his eyes searched the room.

A part of his mind felt like he remembered this house from his memories, like he was reliving every moment he walked in and out of this room. But he couldn't remember what happened here. It was familiar to him like he was reliving a constant déjà vu. But yet, he wasn't sure if any of it happened.

What could this house unlock?

"That'll teach him."

The little boy was curled up in a ball by the barrels with his parts of his flesh purple and his cheeks burning red while tears were smeared on its surface. The boy sobbed uncontrollably in his dirty hands. It made Sin cringe just watching him cry, he hated cry boy, about five minutes ago was talking down to him and Kjald as if he were a more valued child. It made Sin sick.

Lizbeth approached the boy and placed her foot on his face with her arms crossed over her chest, "So Terry, had enough yet or do my friends have to take care of you again?"

The boy yelped in response and cried harder. The girl turned to Sin and a Kjald and nodded toward her. She took her foot off of his face as the two muscles of the gang approached the weeping boy. The two pried away the young boy's hands from his face and brought him up to his feet facing the girl. Two others approached behind her, Theo and Rosa.

"So your kind friend Rocky gives you five coppers he was saving for his family out of the kindness of his heart to feed your own family and what do you spend it on? Some stupid toy sword. And you insult me and my crew here by berating us and being prejudiced to my elven friend." The girl with the black hair said.

Terry quivered and sobbed, "Just take it then! Take it!" He yelped, "Just leave me alone!"

The elf walked to the crying child with a cheap wooden bow and hits him with the end of his weapon. The boy grunts and hunches over, crying more than he did before. "Pfft, what kind of man cries? You are so pathetic." Theo judged before he slapped the boy across the face.

Lizbeth dug her hand into his pocket and retrieved a small pouch. She shook it, hearing the kindly clicks of coin to warm the heart of any merchant."Let him go." Lizbeth ordered.

Sin and Kjald followed their order, and let Terry crumble to the ground. He rested on his calves and yelled at the group, "You Stray Dogs are so mean! I'm telling Papa!"

Lizbeth chuckled, "And is your father going to beat up a bunch of kids or you?"

The boy only wept more at the truth.

The depths of the well appeared as if it was a pit to the void itself. He couldn't get rid of the image of those undead pouring out. He felt like any moment he would see them rising beneath like flooding water. He thought of what Vidar was warning him about his wariness. The Demon of Fear cannot fear, it is fear.

Sin removed his left gauntlet, seeing the black sun marking on his skin. He brought it close to his lips and whispered for his Custodian. With just that one word, the darkness inside in the well began to churn. He watched as the shadows crept up the stoned walls to the surface. The darkness rose like water until it ceased half way up. Beneath the dark substance, the white mask surfaced like a piece of wood on a body of water.

"Master has summoned Vidar. What does Master need?" echoed the distant whispers through the well in a voice that no longer carried a feminine tone.

Sin leaned in closer to the well, "I do not know where I need to look or what I need to do. I have no guidance. How do you expect me to remember everything if I do not know where to start?"

Vidar paused before he spoke, "The human villagers want Master's help."

"With what?"

"Liberation."

Talking to this entity was a difficult task, Sin learned. It was too vague for Sin to understand what it wants him to do. The lycan groaned, "From what?"

"Lautlos Hollow is a town of fear with the Templars at the root of the source."

However, Sin was always a little late to some obvious notions. The story spoke of the Templars in the village and their presence upon arrival proved that part of the tale was true. Even the villager's fear for the Maker's servants was real in their eyes.

"When the sun rises again, Master must go to the village and see the pain they are enduring."

For once, Sin understood what Vidar wanted him to do.

The candlelight flickered within the dark reaches of the small room. Night had put its children to sleep, except for one man. The Knight Commander sat at his polished wooden desk. It was nice but not ornate. The top was scratched from the times he would rub his gauntlet on the surface and tiny holes where he stabbed his knives into. In front of the man were documents he was going over before he would turn in.

Then a knock interrupted his diligence, but he knew it had to be important if it was this late at night. The Knight Commander put down his things, "You may enter." He ordered.

A Templar entered the room, approaching the Knight Commander's desk with a bow.

"Something to report?" He questioned while leaning back in his chair.

The Templar nodded, "Yes sir. A foreigner arrived here a few hours ago with a suspicious man wearing a mask, who she claimed she hired to escort her to see the Tree. The woman is familiar. "

The Knight Commander chuckled, "An old flame?" He jested to his comrade.

The Templar shook his head, "No, sir. I'm not sure why she's familiar. I will have to conduct research."

His superior tilted his head back while closing his eyes, "Is that all you had to say to me?" He asked. The Commander wanted to escape from his nightly work and push it for tomorrow, but he would rather get it done now so he wanted this distraction to be put to rest.

"No, sir. I know the man in the mask to be a mercenary named Sin. I saw some bounties on him in Denerim."

The Knight Commander's eyes slowly opened, "A man in a mask, you say?" he repeated.

"Yes, sir. Should I take care of him?"

The Commander raised his head from its resting position and leaned forward in his chair with his arms crossed onto the desk to give him support, "No. Men in masks are not to be underestimated. We will have to bring outside help for this task." He said, "And I know who."

The Templar's curiosity could not be seen behind his helmet. But he wondered what his commander had meant. The Knight Commander pulled out a blank parchment from one of his drawers and took a quill, dabbed it with ink and quickly wrote down a note. Once he was done, he folded it and handed it to the Templar. The helmeted man graciously took the note without any further questions to his commander. The problem would be dealt with efficiently he hoped.

Before the Templar walked out the door, the Knight Commander gave him one final instruction, "Find Serpentine."