Faded Nightmares

Stroud's voice was the first thing I heard when I came to"Where are we?"

'We were falling If this is the afterlife the chantry owes me an apology this looks nothing like the makers bosom." Hawke said

I looked at what I thought was up to see Hawke standing upside down on one of the rocky spires to my right. "I will Second that, Though I don't think we are dead."

"No. The inquisitor must have opened another rift, we fell through. I believe we're in The Fade." Stroud's voice was so stoic that I couldn't tell if he was frightened, annoyed, or bored. The fact that he was standing on a wall to my left didn't help, either.

"The Fade looked much different the last time I was here," Hawke said looking around.

"The first time I entered the fade, it looked like a lovely castle filled with gold and silks. I met a marvelous desire demon, as I recall. We chatted and ate grapes before he attempted to possess me." Dorian said cheerfully " Perhaps the difference is that we are here physically. This is no one's dream." he pondered. That would explain a bit if his theory is true.

"Is this really what's it's like when you dream? How do you people ever sleep? " Varric asked. It was always a bit sad to me that dwarves could not dream.

Dorian replied " Well I don't know about theirs but, my visits to The Fade are usually more pleasant. I don't usually wake up with the need to bathe. Usually. Sometimes. Well never mind that."

I was trying to figure out; to remember, if it was the same when Hawke asked: "The stories say you walked out of the fade at haven, was it like this?"

"How should I know I am not exactly an authority on the subject," I replied, where is Solas when you need him.

"What was it like last time?" Hawke asked.

"I don't remember last time." I shook my head and stepped forward to see where the others had landed.

Hawke walked down off the spire "Whatever it was like at haven we cannot assume that it was what it's like now, that huge demon was right on the other side of that rift Erimond was using, and there could be others."

Varric chimed in "Remember last time we ended up in the fade, Hawke?"

"Oh how could I forget?" she replied " My closest friends showed such loyalty in the face of a demon's temptations," she said knowingly. I wanted to laugh but I kept it to myself.

Varric scratched the back of his head "Well, we got better. Sort of."

I couldn't help it I let out a small chuckle and looked back to sera who was not taking this well. Not well at all.

Sera was fearful. This was the first time I had seen her ever like this. "Shitballs, Fuck, Shit Crap, Fade, Shit, Arse, Demons, Crap!" she swore.
"Full agreement here Sera, I don't like the Idea of being on the Arse end of Demon Town" I told her as fingered my blade ready for any demon that even thought to take one of us. Varric's diversion over we have to get out of here before some demon finds us.

Stroud broke in "in our world the Rift that the demons came through was nearby. In the main hall. Can we escape the same way?"

"it beats waiting around for demons to find us." I looked up to the puce green sky to see a swirling vortex. "There let's go"

" So this is the true face of The Fade, behind the dreams and visions. Don't linger my dear. I think the spirits dislike being unmasked."Vivienne commented coolly as we moved along the path.

I understood the danger here.
If only my brother Darian could see me now.
Not a mage but still in the Fade.

"I agree. This place is dangerous. I will gladly fight demons, but I have no desire to see where they come from." Blackwall said as he kept vigilance.
that's where my brother would differ as a templar he always wanted to know more about those he was tasked to fight or guard.

Cassandra was in awe" Just Imagine it! To walk in The Fade and survive…"

"So we survive? Good to know." the usual smart comment came from Varric of course.

"We haven't survived yet." Iron Bull Replied looking towards the mess before us as demons spawned around us.

"'Hey chief let's join the inquisition! Good Fights For a Good Cause!" he said imitating Krem. he swung his ax through one of the demons skulls. "I don't know krem, I hear there are demons. Ah, Don't worry about the demons chief! I'm Sure we won't see many!" he continued as I cut down one of the shades that had spawned. He grumbled "Asshole!" as one of the nightmare demons popped up.
"Everyone if I get possessed, feint on my blind side, Then go low. Cullen says I leave myself open." He charged the beast leaving a huge gaping hole in its skull.

"I'll Bear that in mind" Varric replied firing a bolt into the last shade.

"Noted," I said cleaning off my saber. Solas was still looking around in wonder.

"This is fascinating! It is not the area I would have chosen, of course. But to physically walk within the fade…" he sighed. Solas examined the area.
I swear I think I saw him take some samples.

Varric holstered Bianca "Right. You like it here." he adjusted his gloves" Isn't that wonderful."

"Yes. Literally." Solas replied too distracted to hear the cynical tone in Varric's voice.

I walked over to Solas to get his attention " Solas, you are the expert on this place. Anything helpful?" I asked; hoping it would get him to come back to Thedas.

Solas continued taking his samples "The Fade is shaped by intent and emotion. Remain focused, and it will lead you where you wish to go." He got up and placed the samples in one of his pouches. "The demon that controls the area is extremely powerful. Some variety of fear, I would guess. I suggest you remain wary of its manipulations and prepare for what is certain to be a fascinating experience." He finished with what sounded like cheer in his voice.

Only he would be excited by the possibility of being devoured by a fear demon.

Sera cringed trying not to touch anything she didn't have to" shite, piss, stupid" she tripped on one of the many bodies that remained from our fight. " I hate this!" She wined. She was not alone with that as I looked at cole who was talking fervently to himself. "Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. Wringing me out. Wrought right and rigid. Can't Relax. Can't release…"

"You doing alright kid?" Varric looked towards him. We both were concerned. This had to be tough for him a spirit in The Fade trying to keep his form. We must get out of here.

"It's alright, Cole. we will get you out of here soon." I told him as we started forward on the path. "Thank you. It should be like home. It's not. This isn't me, not this part." he said calmly. I hoped we could get him out of here soon. He was unique as Solas told me once before, and the fact he wanted to be human made me want to help him. We came to a clearing with the path blocked before us.

It was then I heard Stroud gasp behind me "By the maker, could that be…?"

I looked around and then I saw her.

"I greet you, warden. And you, champion." It was the divine, was she alive?

Cassandra moved closer in shock "Divine justinia? Most Holy?"

"Cassandra" the divine replied, she looked like she had last time I saw her. I moved closer hard to tell if this was real or a trick of the fade.

"Cassandra, you knew the divine. Is this really her?" I asked her.

"I… I don't know. It is said that the souls of the dead pass through the fade and sometimes linger but… we know the spirits lie. Be wary, inquisitor." Cassandra said as she looked to me.

"I fear the divine is indeed dead. It is likely we face a spirit… or a demon." stroud said to her.

"you think my survival impossible, yet here you stand alive in The Fade yourselves. In truth, proving my existence, either way, would require time we do not have." the spirit said as the others moved in around me.

"Spirit most likely. if she was a demon we would be hearing her trying to bargain with us." I assumed keeping my eyes on the spirit.

"Really how hard is it to answer a question? I'm a human, and you are…" Hawke was trying to get it riled.

"I am here to help you. you do not remember what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes Inquisitor?" she said plainly.

"Did you take my memories?" I asked her

"No. You lost them to the demon that serves Corypheus. It is the nightmare you forget upon waking. It feeds off memories of fear and darkness, growing fat upon the terror. The false calling that terrified the wardens into making such grave mistakes? It's work." her voice was with no emotion.

It has to be a spirit.

"I would gladly avenge the insult this nightmare dealt my brethren," Stroud said to her.

"You will have your chance, brave warden. This place of darkness is its lair." She said.

"You mean the big demon Erimond was trying to bring through?" I asked hoping it didn't mean what I thought it did.

"Yes," she said just standing there

"It's nearby." still trying to deny it.

" Yes" still standing there.

"Well. Shit" I said aloud

Just what we needed one big bad demon to fight.

"When you entered the fade at haven, the demon took a part of you. Before you do anything else, you must recover it. These are your memories inquisitor." the divine said.

It was then I saw it.

the warden blood mages were holding the divine in the air to be sacrificed by Corypheus, I had saved her and had taken the orb he had been planning to use. it was what made the mark on my hand and us fall through the fade.

And I couldn't save her.

"I see," I said drowning out the small riot behind me. The thoughts were shared with more than myself. I followed her to the barrier."This is the path" the divine said opening the way ahead of us. She was now this glowing ethereal being. "Follow it to the rift but know you must confront the demon, to leave." We started forward on the path, Cassandra looked unsure.

"Could that have been the most holy?" she asked

"Justinia was unarmed and unprepared. She could not have defended herself against the creatures of the Fade." Vivienne was on guard, I could tell she did not want to be here, despite her solidarity. "Whether this is a kindly spirit or a demon fighting its rival for territory remains to be seen."

"So she's not real? Then the Nightmare's fake, too, right? Right? " Sera was trembling as we moved forward, following the divine.

"I have no idea if it's a spirit it is not acting like one. No demon would have been so helpful without asking for something in return" Dorian chimed in

Iron Bull grunted, "That's great and all, But the nightmare is the thing currently scaring the shit outta me."

Solas just stayed silent, was it out of wonder or contemplation I could not tell.

Blackwall nodded in agreement with iron bull " From what she said I don't look forward to meeting it."

We ran into another pack of demons with more of my memories.

"This is not so bad, it's not so bad Right!?" Sera asked loudly trying to keep calm.

"Yeah could be worse... We could have two massive demons wanting us for chow," I replied

"Not helpin'" she grunted firing an arrow at a shade.

Blackwall was taking down one of the nightmares "Hard to outrun anything in this swamp."

We took down the last of them and I had another flashback to trying to save the Divine in The Fade. She pushed me through the rift sacrificing herself to the nightmares chasing us.I looked ahead at the glowing spirit now. I knew that this could only be a spirit who took her form. We started forward again after we got the barrier down.

"Ground should be down, Sky should be high. Figure it out fade!" Sera yelled trying to make sense of the place.

"As much as I want this place to conform Sera. I doubt yelling at it will change anything." She needed to calm down her fear will only draw more to us. But We were close to the end I could feel it, even the nightmare demons avoided this place.

Stroud was next to me " A demon that steals fears from the minds of men… after what it did to my fellow wardens, I pray we find some way to strike it down."

"Yes, I do as well stroud" that's when I saw it. huge and grotesque, it's all the time I had before its voice entered my thoughts "You will never strike me down" It hissed."Get out of my head demon," I thought back no need to scare my companions more than they already are. They were fighting it and it's minions while I crouched in pain. "Why? your memories are so delicious, especially this one." in a flash I was forced into my nightmare.

My hands were bound to the post.

I knew what was going to happen.

It was then I heard Arwen's voice behind me. Echoing in my head, "I am sorry for this, But I will get the same if I defy him. I will try to make this light as I can."

I couldn't help it then, I felt fear. Not this one anything but this.

I closed my eyes trying to be ready for what was to come but it did not help. The strikes and the pain. It made my eyes water.

I felt them like I was there again. And It didn't stop. I was trapped by the fear of what was to come.

The pain continued the echoes of my cries,"No... no... arrête!" the burning, "Père! Faites-l'arrêter!" and him there stone-faced even though he understood every word.
It was then I heard Coles voice. "Fight it." I moved forward to where the demon was standing before us. I thought of those days in Kirkwall. If it likes fear, then anything other than that… It will not eat tonight! "No, What is this." it said.

I knew it was gone after the fight. I had no time to rest with, My companions moving to the rift. The huge Demon was coming up behind us.

Stroud stayed behind to Save Us. More heroic Self-Sacrifice, that I wish wasn't necessary.

And the gray wardens were our allies. We needed them regardless of my feelings. Blights Need to be fought.
Jamais sacrifier un atout, as mother would say.

Hawke told me she was going to Weishaupt to tell the other wardens of this.

Everything after was like a dream. Ironic considering where we had come from. The Fade; And I gained new memories, new pains, and fears. Why Did it have to pick that one, If not for Cole I don't think I could have broken out. if the spirit ever needed my help I would give it. I owed him that.

When we finally reached Skyhold all I wanted was Hector, some wine, and a bath.

A non-judgemental friend and the others to wash the nightmares away.

Cullen, Didn't need to see me like this.


Notes:


Translations
Non... non... arrête: no,no,stop
Père! Faites-l'arrêter: Father! Make it stop!
Jamais sacrifier un atout - never sacrifice an asset.