Title: Ghosts
Author: May Chang
Warnings: general, adventure, AU
Pairings: M!Shepard + Ashley, M!Cousland x Zevran
Disclaimers: Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect are the property of BioWare.
Author's Note: Shepard is a Paragon/Earthborn/War Hero/Infiltrator.
Ghosts
Part Ten
Shepard wasn't quite sure what to do in this situation. On one hand Shepard would be well within his rights to kill them, but on the other hand that would set every single Dalish elf out to hunt him. As he tried to figure out the best way to get out of the situation he noticed that one of the elves faltered. The elf looked at the other two, said something in another language before he gave Shepard a hard look.
"You, shem, drop your weapon and stand up," the Dalish ordered. Seeing as it was probably a good idea not to piss off the people in the forest, Shepard unloaded the crossbow and dropped it to the ground. He stood up and was immediately shoved against the tree, a blade to his neck.
"That's some greeting," Shepard said, frowning slightly as he raised both his hands. The Dalish said nothing as he quickly patted the commander over, pulling out the knife. He then studied Shepard's face for a moment.
"Cousland?" the Dalish asked finally. Shepard blinked, surprised that the elf knew Aedan. Lachlan had said that humans were usually driven out or outright killed if they were found in the Brecilian Forest.
"No, my name is John Shepard," he replied. The elf tilted his head, frowning before he let Shepard go and picked up the dropped crossbow.
"You will come to camp with us. Keep your hands at your side, John Shepard," the elf said in a clipped tone. "If you try anything, Idris and Anwen will shoot you dead."
"Rhys, what are you doing?" the female elf asked. "Why are we bringing this shemlen back to camp?"
"Because the Grey Warden's companion is in the camp and I'd rather not upset her if we killed him," Rhys retorted. He looked at Shepard and his frown grew more pronounced. "Your eyes glow."
"It does that a lot," Shepard replied with a shrug. Rhys looked at Shepard suspiciously before he turned and led the way back to the camp. The commander followed after the Dalish, glancing over his shoulder at the other two elves before looking forward. As soon as Shepard stepped into camp, he felt eyes falling upon him as he walked over to the person who was most likely in charge of the camp. The woman looked up from her conversation with the redhead and her eyes widened in surprised before she turned to the other. The redhead looked at him and did a double-take in surprise.
"Shepard!" Leliana exclaimed.
"Uh... hi," Shepard greeted with a smile. "Sorry to drop in unannounced." Leliana just stared at him before she shook her head and turned back to the Dalish leader.
"Lanaya, this is John Shepard," the bard introduced. "He is a friend." Lanaya looked from her to Shepard, her eyes narrowing before she looked at Leliana.
"His eyes glow," Lanaya said slowly. "Are you sure he's not some demon using Cousland's form?"
"The templars confirmed he was human," Leliana explained. "Shepard's face only looks like Aedan's, that is all. He's more of a rogue than a warrior." Lanaya looked back at Shepard with a frown.
"Lanaya, he is a friend," the bard insisted. "I vouch for him."
"Alright," Lanaya said after a moment. She looked at Shepard's guards. "Return his weapons, he is with Leliana." She then looked at Shepard and her gaze narrowed.
"Be warn though, shem, we will be watching you," she said.
"Of course," Shepard said with a nod. Rhys turned around and handed over Shepard's weapons before he and the others gave Lanaya a nod and left. Shepard slung the crossbow onto his back and sheathed the knife before he looked up at Leliana.
"What are you doing here, Shepard?" she asked. Shepard looked up at the bard and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well... it's kind of complicated," Shepard said slowly, "but I'm looking for a beacon that's located somewhere nearby." He crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly as Shepard gave Leliana a smile.
"So. What brings you here?"
"Looking for an old... hm, perhaps acquaintance would be the best word to describe her," Leliana replied thoughtfully. "A beacon is nearby? What beacon? And how do you know?"
"It's kind of calling me," Shepard answered with a sigh. "This is kind of a first for me, just so you know. It's a Prothean beacon from my world though the last time I encountered one, I found it through luck. I've never had a beacon call out for me." Leliana crossed her arms, a thoughtful look on her face.
"I only need to pass through the camp," he continued with a shrug. "I hadn't planned to get captured, but then I saw you and, well, here I am."
"What are you going to do when you find this beacon, Shepard?" Leliana asked.
Well, first I'm going to have a fit when the beacon uploads a ton of information into my brain, and then I may black out for a few hours after that, Shepard thought.
"Hopefully I'll be able to get some answer about how they got here and if there's a way back," he replied instead. Shepard uncrossed his arms, glancing around the camp before he looked towards the direction of the beacon. "It feels like the beacon is coming from over there."
"I'll join you then." Shepard started at that, giving the bard a surprised look before he frowned.
"I thought you were looking for someone?" he asked. "I mean, I don't mind the company, especially with a beautiful lady as yourself, but I don't want to—"
"It's okay," Leliana said with a smile. "She's not here anymore so I'm pretty free now. You are quite the charmer, Shepard." Shepard smiled back at her; she really was a beautiful woman and the accent made Leliana quite exotic to the commander. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.
"Well, uh, did you need anything else here? I would like to...," Shepard started, gesturing towards the edge of the camp.
"No, we might as well get going then, Shepard," she replied. "This will be fun!"
Lanaya had wanted to send a couple of warriors with Shepard and Leliana when they were leaving, but Leliana had charmingly declined the offer and that Shepard knew where he was going. Truthfully Shepard sort of knew where he was going in a vague sort of sense, but there was no need to tell the Dalish leader. Still Lanaya was worried and gave them some health poultices and supplies – and a suspicious glance at Shepard – before seeing them off.
It was the second day after they left the Dalish camp when Shepard came upon the entrance. It would have been easily missed by anybody as it looked like a burrow for some of the smaller woodland creatures. Shepard knelt down, pulled out his knife and dug at the hole, clearing it away to expose what looked like a door. He'd seen this door before on Ilos and knew they had arrived.
"It's down here," Shepard announced as he sheathed his blade. The bard frowned as she crouched down next to him and looked at the door.
"I have never seen a door such as this before," Leliana said before she took out her bow and an arrow. Shepard slid down and started to search for a switch to open the door. He found it near the base of the door on the right and, brushing off the dirt, flipped it. Only one side of the door slid halfway open, but it was enough for Shepard to peer in.
"It's too dark to see anything," he said after a moment, looking up at Leliana. "I'm going to open the door now." She nodded, readying her bow as Shepard shifted and pushed the door all the way open now. It was eerily quiet and dark to the commander and he sighed.
"I don't suppose you have a lantern or something," he called out to Leliana. She shook her head and Shepard rubbed the back of his neck before he climbed up again.
A sudden rustle behind them caused Shepard to whip out his crossbow as Leliana took aim. Two Dalish appeared out of the brush, weapons lowered. Shepard recognized one of the elves as Rhys, the one who had captured him before. The other elf he didn't recognize but the suspicious looks she was shooting at him and Leliana told him that she didn't trust them at all.
"Rhys. Mithra. What are you two doing here?" Leliana asked as she lowered her own weapon slightly.
"We followed you two," Rhys answered, looking at Shepard. Shepard sighed at that and lowered his weapon. "While the Keeper trusts your words, I do not." Leliana looked over at Shepard who just shrugged in response before she looked back at the two.
"Then do either of you have torches?" she asked. Rhys exchanged look with the other elf before he shook his head. Shepard nodded and he started to put together a few torches, handing them to Leliana. The bard put away her bow and took the torches from Shepard, handing a couple to the Dalish.
"Sorry, Leliana, you're going to have to use your knife until I can find the light," Shepard said.
"Find the light?" Shepard nodded absently as he took out the flint and lit the torches before he took one.
"You'll see," Shepard said. "I just ask that none of you shoot me full of arrows when I turn them on." He slid back down, turned and helped Mithra down. The elf gave Shepard a suspicious look as Rhys slid down on his own. Shepard just gave a shrug before he entered the ruins.
Garrus once asked Shepard how he knew where he was going while they were under fire. Shepard had replied in a deadpan tone that a map really helped. To be honest Shepard wasn't sure how he was able to get anywhere when his adrenaline was running high and gunfire was everywhere. The corridors of the place made Shepard wonder about the Protheans who had come and if this place had been part of a city of theirs before they came. It was also strangely familiar to the commander as he instinctively had an idea of where the control room was.
The commander was thankful that Leliana and the two Dalish elves had come with him, seeing as the idea of going through another moment with a Prothean beacon without someone to watch his back was daunting. Still Shepard kind of wished that his companions had a pistol or an assault rifle on them and not a knife.
And then they stepped into the first opened area of the place. Eerily illuminated by some vegetation of sorts, they stopped at the sight of Prothean sculptures and architecture.
It was Ilos all over again.
Shepard closed his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. No, it wasn't Ilos, but the atmosphere was like Ilos. He started forward again, knife at the ready and feeling like he was treading on the graves of the dead.
"Maker..." Leliana looked ashen as she followed after him. "What is this place?" Rhys muttered something under his breath as both he and the other elf scanned the area nervously.
"A tomb," Shepard replied quietly. "A tomb for a people long gone." He was quiet for a moment and began to talk.
"My people called them the Protheans," he started. "They were a technologically-advanced race from my world, but about fifty-thousand years ago they simply vanished. It was when I was on Ilos that I learned that they were systematically wiped out."
"Genocide?" Mithra asked in a horrified tone. Shepard nodded as he scanned into the darkness.
"Yeah. The race that wiped out the Protheans are known as the Reapers," he continued. "Who they are... well, I suppose the best way to describe them would be a race even more superior than the Prothean and a penchant with playing god on those inferior to them."
"How did these Protheans come here then?" Leliana asked.
"That's what I'm hoping to find out," Shepard answered. "They shouldn't be here. Somehow they must have come here through the same way I did. I hope the beacon will give me the answer." He turned down into another corridor, still wary and feeling like an enemy geth was going to pop up out of nowhere. Another turn down another corridor and Shepard stopped in front of a door.
"What is it, Shepard?" Leliana asked. Shepard knocked on the door as he looked back at the others.
"The control room," he said before sheathing the knife. He knelt down and hit a switch on the base of the door on the right to switch the doors to manual. Getting up Shepard handed his torch to Leliana who sheathed her own blade before taking the torch. Taking out his knife again Shepard pried the doors apart and pushed the door opened.
There was a console before him and Shepard frowned as he took the torch from Leliana before stepping into the room. There was no sound at all, merely the same glowing vegetation growing in the room and decaying walls. Stepping up to the console Shepard, hoping that there was still some power left, pressed a button. Lights flickered on in the room, causing surprised gasps from his companions. Shepard pulled up a screen, surprised to be able to read some of the words and started to browse through. He was able to locate the exact position of the beacon and then, pulling up another screen, he turned on the lights to the rest of the ruins.
"We won't need our torches for now," Shepard said, kneeling down to put out the torch. Leliana nodded and did the same before putting it in her pack. Rhys and Mithra didn't move from their positions by the door, looking up at the ceiling in surprise at the lights before putting away their own torches. Both Shepard and Leliana switched their weapons to their bows and Shepard once again took the lead, this time through lighted corridors.
"Maker," Leliana breathed quietly. "This place, it's so... so strange."
"Is it?" Shepard looked around, comparing it to what he'd seen of Ferelden thus far. "Well, I suppose it's a bit strange, though I think it kind of reminds me of the Tower."
"I wouldn't know," Leliana replied. "Last time I was there, the Tower was in chaos – blood mages, demons and abominations running everywhere."
"Ah. Wynne told me about that," Shepard said. "Well, after this foray into the unknown I'll be heading back to the Tower. If you like, you could come along."
"A tempting offer, but I'm afraid that I will be heading north to Denerim after this," the bard answered. "I have some news for the king." Shepard nodded and for a moment there was silence between them before he spoke again.
"So, this king of yours," Shepard started slowly. "He's a friend?"
"Alistair? Oh yes, I traveled with him during the Blight," Leliana answered. "Sweet, a little silly, likes to hit people with his shield." Shepard gave an amused snort at that as he paused to glance down the corridors. Deeming it eerily safe he continued forward. He threw a curious look over at the two Dalish, wondering why neither of them had said anything. The nervous looks on their faces told the commander that they were a little too freaked out to really talk and suppressed the urge to snicker as he looked forward again.
"Was he also a Grey Warden?" Shepard asked.
"Oh, yes. In a way I'm glad that we all traveled with Aedan. He was..." She trailed off, going quiet for a moment before she cleared her throat and continued. "Aedan was a positive influence on Alistair, and I suppose also to both myself and Zevran. I think he was getting somewhere with Morrigan but... well, we're not sure why she disappeared the night before the battle. Aedan was rather... evasive about it." Shepard nodded as he looked around another corner before continuing on. The corridor suddenly tapered off to looking more like a cave and the two of them stopped, peering into the dimly lit corridor.
"Huh. This is new," Shepard declared, studying the sight before him. The walls seemed to have melded with the cave walls so while it looks like they were entering a cave, the lights were still shining dimly from above. Absently he wondered how that could have happened.
"Are you sure you want to continue further in, Shepard?" Leliana asked. "While I'm sure that two archers and two warriors are enough for anything, this place is..." Shepard glanced back before he looked forward again.
"Yeah, I know," he replied, "but... I have to go."
"Have to?" Shepard didn't say anything as he started down the corridor. He could tell that he was getting close to the beacon now, the call sounding louder with each step he took. The corridor/cave had no other routes, leading the two straight ahead to what Shepard hoped was the beacon.
"I need answers, Leliana," he explained. "I need to know how the Protheans came here and if they have some information on how to get back, though I doubt the latter if all of these things are still here. Besides we're almost to the beacon." A few minutes later the corridor ended in a room with the beacon, still lit and glowing faintly. They all stopped at the entryway and studied the beacon in silence.
"This is the beacon?" Leliana asked, sounding rather breathless. "I've... Maker, I've never seen anything like this before. This is something from your world?" Shepard nodded in response as both Rhys and Mithra murmured something under their breaths with awed expression on their faces before he took a deep breath.
"Leliana?"
"Hm?"
"Don't panic," Shepard said and walked up to the beacon. There was a flash of light, causing Shepard to stagger back before he was pulled into the air. Information streamed into his mind and Shepard saw the attack of the Reapers once more, but this time there was even more information in the beacon. Already Shepard's head felt like it was going to explode as more and more information poured into his mind, relating to the Reaper attack, what the Protheans were trying to do and finally a last message.
It was too much.
Shepard let out a pained scream before everything went black.