Chapter 3: Keep calling me that, I dare you

Location: The Fade

Year: Unknown

Lisa

I pressed myself up against the rocky wall, my breaths coming in short gasps. I stared wide-eyed at the Shade that was rearing back, readying its attack. A Shade? Here? They don't exist, they are not real. Ok, so I have finally lost it, great.

I close my eyes and turned my head away, tears running down my face. I heard a shout in the distance and the sickening sound of steel slicing through flesh. The Shade let out a screeching cry and then there was silence.

I cracked open my eyes and stared at the ground where the Shade once was, now having dissolved into a mass of sticky black mess.

My body was shaking uncontrollably and I slowly lifted my eyes to look at my saviour. A guy about the same age as me was dressed in full medieval style armour, with a freaking sword and shield. He sheathed his sword and took off his helmet.

"Are you hurt, my lady?" I gaped at him.

"The fuck?" I cringed, the words just kind of fell out. "I mean uhh, thank you?"

I examined the guy closer, his accent sounded, old. English, but old, archaic even. He had dark brown eyes set in a weathered face, he ran a gauntleted hand through his brown hair and looked at me warily.

"My lady, do you know where this place is? I must get back to my town, the other Knight's will be waiting for some news," he said cautiously.

I shook my head dumbly, and looked around our surroundings. I gasped and my legs nearly gave out. "The fade," I whispered. Of course I would recognise it, it was my favourite quest on that game. It looks different, less swampy water and more rock and sand. It can't be, I looked up at the sky. Rocks floated around like nobody's business, occasionally bumping into an upside-down island. But I was too focused on the big castle like construction that seemed so far away and yet just close enough. The Black City. I shook my head and looked back to the guy who was staring at me, a question in his eyes.

"What is the fade?" He finally asked.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" I ignored his question.

He sighed, "I am Triston, Squire to Knight Hughes. I am from England, serving to withhold the treaty between France and England."

"The Hundred Year War?" I gasped, realisation dawning on me. He was from the past?

"My lady?" He looked confused, no surprise there if he really is from the past. I ignored him again, lost in my own thoughts. If I am actually in the fade, then who is to say he is not from the past?

"I am Lisa, not 'My lady'. Don't call me that again," I said, my temper faring up.

"My lad-," I punched him in the face. He looked more shocked than hurt, but then he is in freaking armour so I am sure he has taken a few hits in his time.

"We need to get out of here," she mused, "how did you get in here?"

"A mirror. One we believed to be cursed. It was in an old ruin with strange markings on the walls, that of beasts, small creatures and lithe ones with pointed ears. Once I touched the surface of the mirror I found myself in this place, my mentor and the other Knights followed me in. They should not have, a spawn of the devil himself has taken their lives," his face changed into a mask of fury and grief.

"I am sorry," my words sounded awkward. "Maybe if we can find another mirror we can get out of this place."

We walked away from where he came from, apparently that demon was still going to be there. I stared around in wonder, torn between screaming and jumping up and down in excitement from actually being in the freaking fade.

A high pitched squeak and skittering on the floor had me squealing and hiding behind Triston, he shoved his helmet on, raised up his shield, readied his sword and took a few more steps in front of me. As I had hoped it would not be, tiny, black, icky spiders had come charging towards us. I know they are easy to kill but I have nothing in the form of a weapon at my disposal right now. I looked around and picked up a rock, instant protection I'm sure.

I watched Triston hack and slash at the tiny spiders. I threw my rock, and missed. Damn, need another rock.

My jaw dropped as the creatures were hit with fire. I blinked a few times and looked to where it had come from.

"A witch," Triston hissed, placing himself in front of me. Definitely from a few hundred years ago.

I squealed and jumped up and down. It's Dorian! Like actually Dorian! He was currently staring at me with great concern. I stopped bouncing and stared at him with a massive grin.

"Well it seems I have a fan," he joked, putting his staff away. "Where did you two come from exactly?"

"That is none of your concer-," Triston started.

"A different world, not yours, not Thedas anyway. We are from the same world just different times," The words pretty much fell out all at once, the excitement getting to me.

"Different times?" Triston asked.

"I was born about 300 years after you," he reeled back slightly, processing that information.

"So then how do you know of me," Dorian asked, his eyes calculating.

"I…" I tailed off. How do you explain a video game? "Visions," I finished lamely.

"Visions," he repeated dubiously. I nodded. "Like what?"

"The Inquisitor has a thing for elfroot," I cringed, of all the things I could have said. Dorian laughed, "that he does."

"How did you get in here?" I asked the mage, Triston stood silently at my side.

"I found an Eluvian in Minrathous. Politics bore me greatly you see, and after the traipsing around the fade after an old acquaintance, I thought it best not to leave it," he explained.

"So you walked through it?" I queried.

"Ah, yes," he examined his gauntlets, brushing away some imaginary dirt.

"Now, if you two would follow me, we can get out of this dreary place," he turned and walked away.

"My lady," I smacked his helmet. "Lisa, do you truly think we can trust him?"

"Do we have much choice? It is better than sitting here with a lot of demons, waiting for them to find us," I commented, turning to follow Dorian. Triston took off his helmet and walked with me.

After about 10 minutes, my legs felt like they were going to fall off.

"Here we are," Dorian said cheerfully as he approached the Eluvian.

"That is like the one I found," Triston commented.

"Yes but this one will take us back to a more civilised environment," Dorian sniffed, looking around our surroundings critically.

He turned and stepped through the mirror, Triston and I followed him.

I blinked at the darkness. I am beginning to miss the sun.

"Well, this is certainly not Mintrathous," Dorian commented as two armoured guards come running down the steps towards us. Elves?

Dammit, now where are we?