Chapter 35:
The sun's warmth felt wonderful as it shined down on her face. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the cool grass soaking up the sunlight. She smiled. Maker, it felt good to relax. Wait, why hadn't she been relaxing before?
"You look beautiful." Sylina opened her eyes and saw Cullen smiling down at her. He was seated next to her and she had almost forgotten he was there. Why had she forgotten he was there? Of course he was there. She smiled up at him and he smiled wider. His hand came up and touched her cheek gently. "I am glad you came back for me."
Sylina blinked and frowned. "Why would I not?"
He chuckled and leaned in, kissing her lightly. His hand stroked her face as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. He looked so happy, happier than she had ever seen him. "I just figured, you being a hero and all, that you would forget about me. Move on to bigger and better things." He frowned slightly and went to pull away, but Sylina caught his cheek, pulling him back toward her.
"I would never forget you," she whispered, pulling him back down and meeting his lips with eagerness. The kiss grew passionate and when Cullen's tongue flickered out across her bottom lip she opened for him, moaning softly. She heard him growl low in his throat, possessively, and a shudder ran through her.
His tongue explored her mouth and she writhed slightly against him heat pulsing down between her legs. One hand ran through his hair while the other slid down his back, feeling the flexing muscles. He lightly bit her lip and kissed up her jaw to her ear. His hand moved down to stroke her hipbone and she felt a need growing in her. She reached up to kiss him again and he pulled back, a teasing smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. His hand wandered down slowly pulling up the hem of her dress until his fingers ran across her thigh. She shivered and tried to kiss him again. This time he relented and he pushed her head back to the ground as he kissed her with fervor. His fingers trailed up the inside of her thigh and she thought surely a fire would start. She felt wetness pool between her legs and she opened them ever so slightly as his finger brushed against her small clothes. Sylina moaned into his mouth and he moved back a bit. His mouth inched up her jaw to her ear again.
"Hero," he whispered and she shivered from the heat of his breath. Sylina stopped and blinked as she felt as if she had been doused in cold water. Her hand came down from his hair and pushed slightly on his chest. He growled. "What?" He sat up and stared into her eyes.
Sylina sat up, confused. She glanced at Cullen, then around at the clearing they were in. The sun was still shining brightly and the clearing had the greenest grass she had ever seen. It had tall pine trees surrounding them and she couldn't quite see between the trunks. She looked quizzically back at Cullen. "How did I become a hero?" she asked, putting a hand on her forehead. She couldn't remember.
Cullen smirked at her – had Cullen ever smirked at her in her life? Was smirking in his nature? "You single-handedly defeated the Blight. I think that calls for celebration, don't you?" He pulled her back into her arms and covered her mouth with his. She squeaked in protest and shoved him off. A flash of anger crossed his eyes and Sylina couldn't help but wonder when Cullen had become so cocky.
She blinked, trying to collect her thoughts. She was a hero? When had that happened? "But...but I couldn't have defeated the Blight by myself. What about Alistair?" As thoughts of her fellow Warden filled her head she felt a pang of guilt. Maker, if the Blight was over...she had promised to help him rebuild the Wardens. What was she doing here, with Cullen? She should be with Alistair.
"Alistair," Cullen growled and Sylina looked up at him in surprise. Had she heard jealousy in his voice? Why would he be jealous of Alistair? "Is that who you think of when you are with me?" Cullen got up and strode across the clearing. She stared at him. What had gotten into him?
She shook her head and tried to think of the last time she saw Alistair. Maybe he had told her to go see Cullen. Surely he would have, if they had defeated the Blight? Sylina blinked and stared at her hands. Why in Andraste's name could she not remember anything? Something wasn't right. She glanced around. No, this wasn't right at all. She stood up, smoothed out her dress, and stared at the spirit Cullen. Now she remembered what had happened. Now she remembered the Sloth demon. "Stay away from me, spirit. I want nothing you have to offer."
The spirit Cullen chuckled and turned back towards her with a smile on his face. "Don't be foolish, Sylina. Can't you see it's me?" He took a step toward her.
Sylina put up her hands and fire danced between them. "I'm warning you."
"Oh, good. Seems I won't have to convince another they are in the Fade." Sylina turned quickly to see Morrigan, Sten, and Zevran coming toward her. Morrigan was smirking and had her staff out, while Zevran unsheathed his daggers. Sten frowned from her to the templar.
"Fool!" Cullen growled. "You could have been happy! I could have made you happy!" He suddenly wore his templar armor and his sword appeared in his hand. Sylina gasped as he ran toward her, but she was already prepared. The fireball took him down without effort and the dream Cullen disappeared showing a desire demon in its place.
Sylina shook her head. "Maker, what in the blazes happened?" She looked up at her companions.
"Well, if you recall, my fair Warden, we entered a room and were so handsomely greeted by a demon of Sloth?" Zevran smiled sweetly up at her and kicked the dead desire demon.
Morrigan tsked. "We need to defeat the demons in each person's dream. Then we will gain access to the Sloth demon." She turned her back and raised both hands in the air. Sylina saw the air tremble and then a door was visible. "Come. The next dreamer is through this door."
Sylina found out that Morrigan had been the first to realize she was in the Fade. "My mother trained me well. I would never fall prey to such a simple guise." Once Morrigan had killed the demon in her dream she had found Sten, who also was aware he was in the Fade. The two of them had then gone to Zevran's dream. Upon Zevran seeing them, the assassin had known he was dreaming and they had dispatched the demon.
"So that leaves...Wynne, Alistair, Oghren, and Leliana," Sylina said as they walked through what appeared to be Orzammar. "And I have a feeling this is where we will find Oghren." As they walked through Orzammar, Sylina saw that Tapsters seemed to be a bit lit up. "Over here." She made her way over to the tavern and pushed open the door.
The place looked much as she remembered it from the little she had seen on her trip to Orzammar. The barmaids were still walking around serving drinks and there was even the drunk man singing in the corner. Sylina looked around until she spotted Oghren sitting alone at a table in the corner downing a pint. She smiled and walked over to him, her companions in tow. "Hello Oghren." She beamed at the red bearded dwarf.
He looked up at her his face splitting into a grin. "Warden! Pull up a seat and join me for a drink."
Sylina shook her head and saw Morrigan push off a drunk dwarf who had tried to feel her up. She suppressed a giggle. "Come on Oghren. We ha-."
"Ugh, let's move to a different table. Don't want to sit too close to smelly, disgusting, fat Oghren," a dwarf woman said to the man sitting at the table next to Oghren. Sylina furrowed her brow and frowned at the couple.
Oghren's face turned a beet red and he shouted after the couple. "I don't smell, you little fart! And this is all muscle, baby! All muscle!" Oghren frowned and took a swig of his drink. Sylina felt a pang of pity. Was this a dream, or a nightmare, or perhaps this happened regularly to Oghren? She had, after all, seen the way the dwarves in Orzammar had treated him the few days they were there before they left.
"Let's go Ogh—"
"He's a disgrace to his caste," one of the patrons said, coming closer to the table. "A warrior forbidden to carry weapons!" The patron laughed cruelly and Sylina saw a crowd gather.
"Sod off!" Oghren said – though his heart wasn't in it. She saw the pain in his eyes as he drowned himself in his drink again.
"Aw, poor dwarf. No weapons huh?" Zevran said, smirking at the drunken dwarf. Sylina glared at him and Zev chuckled and shook his head.
"Who you going to fight now Oghren, baby nugs?" the same patron said eliciting laughs from around the room.
"Lay off him!" Sylina said pointing a finger at the dwarf. She could already tell this was the one in charge. This was the demon. He would only manifest himself this strongly if he feared Oghren was beginning to doubt.
"Oh, come on Warden. What's he going to do? Slosh me? Oh, no Oghren, don't get me wet," the demon said mockingly, pretending to be frightened. More laughter erupted, louder than last time. Sylina scowled and her hands exploded in fire.
"I said lay off, demon!" She attacked. Suddenly, a rage demon appeared before her and all the patrons appeared as skeletons. She heard Oghren give a shout and saw Zevran and Sten arm themselves. Sylina backed away and fired an ice spell at the burning demon. He came to a complete stop. She smiled to herself. Her magic was truly becoming more powerful by the day. She cast fire on her companions weapons and shot spirit bolts at any who came close. The battle was over when Oghren took his axe to the frozen demon, shattering it into a million pieces.
Oghren turned around to her, his eyes wide with shock. "Did...did you see that? Those weren't people. They weren't people! That's not right. Not right." Oghren walked over to a corner and threw up. Sylina shook her head in disgust.
"Come on. We are in the Fade and we have a demon to kill," Sylina said reassuringly.
"The Fade?" Oghren stared at her. "That's your dream place, ain't it? Heard of it...but it isn't natural for a dwarf to be here." He growled. "Sodding demon. Just point me in the right direction."
Sylina laughed. "Good to have you back Oghren." She turned to see that Morrigan had already made the door and the five of them walked through it.
They appeared back in Lothering. Sylina sighed and walked toward the Chantry. This would be Leliana surely. As they entered the Chantry, Sylina saw Leliana, wearing her priest robes, and the Revered Mother up toward the altar. She walked toward them and heard Leliana reciting the Chant of Light. The Revered Mother frowned at her party as they approached.
"Leliana?" Sylina asked. She knew that it was often best to at least try and get the dreamer to realize they were dreaming first. It would be dangerous to kill the Revered Mother without Leliana's support or the sister might attack them as well. And if Leliana died in the Fade...
Leliana's head shot up and she looked at Sylina. "Wha-" She looked from the Revered Mother to Sylina and her party. "Who are you? Why do you disturb my prayer?"
Sylina blinked at the sister and glanced back at her party. She saw Morrigan roll her eyes. Sylina turned back to the laysister. "Leliana, it's me, Sylina. Don't you remember me?"
"Do not disturb the girl's meditations," the Revered Mother said, glaring at Sylina.
"I do not know you," Leliana said, shaking her head. "I have never seen you before in my life."
Sylina heard Morrigan scoff in the background. "Leliana. We're friends...remember? You are helping me defeat the Blight." Sylina said in a calm voice and smiling warmly at the laysister. She still felt a bit embarrassed about thinking Alistair and Leliana had been together and she had been trying to make it up to both of them. She wasn't about to let Leliana become prey to a demon.
Leliana frowned. "There is something familiar about you...I feel..." Leliana looked past Sylina to the other party members. "I find myself trusting you. That sounds odd, doesn't it?"
Sylina smiled, but the Revered Mother cut in. "This is your home, Leliana, your refuge. You cannot truly desire to leave? Stay and know peace."
Leliana turned her frown on the Revered Mother and looked at her curiously. "I will know peace wherever I am. I carry the peace of the Chantry in my heart." She heard Morrigan groan.
"You cannot leave! I will not permit it!" The Revered Mother growled at Leliana, her voice becoming darker. Leliana backed up, her eyes wide.
"And now the demon shows itself," Sylina said viciously, pulling out her staff. She didn't give the Revered Mother a chance to attack. She and Morrigan brought the demon down with the combined might of their spells. Sylina's fire ball and Morrigan's lightning bolt to the heart. The hunger demon tripped back and fell into the ground of the Fade.
Leliana was staring at Sylina and the others. She was now dressed in her leathers and had her bow on her back. "Holy Maker." Leliana glanced back at where the Revered Mother/demon had been standing, "She...she...was a-" The laysister turned her large eyes back on Sylina.
Sylina smiled reassuringly. "She was a demon. We are in the Fade. We need to fight a bigger demon to get out of here." Leliana gulped and nodded and Sylina turned to see the others filing through a new door in the Fade.