"How…did you even get here?" Izarre asked as he took a step towards the walking dead out of sheer curiosity. Grumbling, the Spirit began to pace back and forth before replying.

"The Witch sundered the Veil in her haste. We must have been all drawn through. You returned to your original bodies, but I…"

"Then you are rather fortunate." Justice looked shocked at the revelation.

"Fortunate? How so?"

"If not for a body already being here, what would have happened to you otherwise? Dispersed? Dead?" Pressing his lips together, the trapped entity took a moment to consider what would have been far less favorable alternatives.

"I…suppose you are correct, but we have no time to ponder. She has returned to this realm as well. Can you not feel it? The Baroness is nearby."

"How did she return?" Anders asked as he put a protective hand on his apprentice's shoulder to pull the younger mage away from the possessed corpse out of fear and uncertainty. "Isn't she dead, just like all the others?" Shaking his head, Justice turned to look off at the manor in the distance.

"You misunderstand, she is not mortal as you are or as the villagers she kept trapped. There was such a mortal, once, but now? That is a demon of pride. She assumed that role long ago to feed from the mortals she trapped. But here," he paused to look back at the Wardens. "In your world, here she will be quite something else."

"Then she would need to possess a body," Anders frowned as he squeezed Izarre's shoulder even more. "Demons need to possess other mages in order to crossover unless they are summoned. I still don't understand why you are in that one…As I can tell, Kristoff was not one of us."

"I do not know why I am in this body. It was not by choice, I assure you." Still, a protective grip which kept Izarre at a distance remained as Justice was looked upon in disbelief. "The Veil is sundered, and the tears must be closed lest they continue to spill demons out into this world. That may explain as to why I am here, but I do not have any further answers for you. I can alter your weapons for a time, allowing them to drive back the Fade's magic…but if we are to deal with the Baroness, we must move swiftly."

"Then we need to leave," Izarre nodded in agreement as he pulled away from Anders' grasp and removed his weapons from holding. "And bless Nathaniel's bow as well as Oghren's axe."

"It's not a blessing, but a modification," corrected Justice as his face twisted at the thought of his skills somehow being holy. With a held out hand, he caused the weapons to glow with a soft white light which tingled the bearer's hands. As Nathaniel plunked the string of his bow, he could hear a new, almost musical, sound coming from it even as it started to rain. While the splashes of cool water felt soothing to the Wardens, Justice had a difficult time concentrating at first as the water danced along his newfound flesh. It was pleasurable, a sensation he smiled uncontrollably in feeling for the first time.

"So, this is the world of mortals," the Baroness could be heard from near the gates. "How very dull it seems, so immutable and unchanging. Yet, I am here! I have crossed the Veil! The spirits will watch in envy as the mortals of this realm will bow down before me!"

"Think she's talking about you, Justice?" Anders teased, but was stared at flatly. Coming out from hiding, Justice approached Pride with his companions behind him.

"That will not happen, demon."

"Ah," the woman turned around with a devious smirk. "It seems I was not the only one to be drawn here. How very tiresome."

"How are you even here without a body?" Izarre asked as he tried to piece together the phenomenon.

"Why does that even matter?" Nathanial asked, but was shushed by his Commander.

"Simple," the demon spoke up as if happy to explain her magnificent plan. "I have harnessed the power of those fools trapped in our realm for an eon! My true from has substance here! I had no idea I could enter the mortal world this way. Had I know…Ah, but I am here now, yes?"

"So, demons can drain the remaining life force of souls trapped in the Fade?" Anders pondered out loud. "Meaning the reverse could also occur. A living being could steal powers from demons and spirits to eventually manifest themselves as a whole in the Fade without dreaming…"

"A disturbing thought, though we should focus on the task at hand," Justice interrupted.

"Soon, I will be queen as this world deserves! And you…You will be the first of my subjects!"

"Ah, we already have a queen, thank you very much!" Anders shouted back. "And he's standing right her, so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you!" A finger pointed at Izarre who, in return, rolled his green eyes as he readied his blades.

"Shut up and cast something big."

"Ha, as you wish, your Majesty." Pulling his hands back, a fireball was manifested and flung towards the mocking demon, engulfing it in flames which were the size of her human form, at first, but began to grow as green light from her eyes pierced the dense fog of the marsh. As the spell cleared, it Pride's true form of a massive, armor-clad creature of horns and claws was revealed.

"Ha!" Oghren laughed. "Looks like you just pissed her off! My turn!" Running ahead, the Dwarf swung his axe at the demon's leg as if it were a tree and successfully managed to crack its armor there. Over and over again, the blade struck as black liquid sputtered out from the wound. In an attempt to turn the tides, vortexes were opened by the Baroness to overrun the Wardens with lesser demons as it ran for better cover within the confines of the abandoned courtyard.

"Close those portals!" Justice yelled as he charged at one with his enchanted sword. Nathaniel also attacked the voids with shining arrows as Izarre and Anders continued to slay whatever came out of them to clear a path as Oghren remained chopping at Pride's heels. With the last doorway to the Fade closed, Justice rushed the monster with his sword extended. "Return to your dark hole, villain!" The steel pierced through where the heart of the Baroness would have been if some portion of the original remained and the shallow shell of what was left exploded into millions of disintegrating pieces. "And so, it is done," he sighed in relief as he turned to the others. "You are all quite brave. For mortals," he complimented. "And for what it is worth, thank you. I have fulfilled my vow. May the victims of that woman's madness rest in peace, wherever they have gone."

"You mean, you don't know?" Izarre frowned. Shaking his head, Justice answered in an almost apologetic tone.

"No. The spirits believe there is a place beyond the Fade, but…we have no more answers to such things than you mortals."

"So, we believe in the Fade as the great beyond, but you're saying even spirits believe in a place beyond that? I suppose no one actually knows the Maker, do they?" Anders shrugged as he stood close by. Turning to look at the Mage, Izarre shot yet another look to quiet his mentor down as Justice walked away to look around.

"It seems I cannot return to the Fade. I am trapped here, in the body of this…Grey Warden?" The words caught the Commander's attention as he raised an eyebrow. "There are memories within this poor man's mind. They are difficult to see, but…he was a Grey Warden? He was…slain by the darkspawn, the one called the First?"

"Indeed," Izarre nodded. "The darkspawn are who we fight. Who the Grey Wardens fight. They're the reason why we were sent to the Fade in the first place and why that man died."

"Mortals come into the Fade all the time, but no spirit who has left to come to this world ever returns. Only the darker spirits, the one you call demons, desire to come here. My kind has no such desires. Yet, here I am…" The solemn voice trailed off as he thought of his home as a distant memory. "It seems I am at a loss. I know nothing of this world, and have only a few memories of this Grey Warden to draw from." He paused to look at his new leader. "I do not wish to die. What shall I do, mortal? You seem to be a creature of good character, and you are of this world. Can you advise me?" Thoughtfully, Izarre reached out to tuck a stray piece of skin from a wound on Justice's face back into place and the touch caused the pale body to shiver in reaction.

"You know nothing of this world? Not a bit?" the Commander asked as he retracted his hand.

"The demons seek out the dreamers, those mortals that come to the Fade, and they draw sustenance from their memories."

"The mages, you mean? Not all mortals sleep and dream themselves into such a place."

"Such as they are, but my kind has no compulsion. We feel sorry for you mortals, trapped as you are in this dismal place."

"It's not all that bad," Anders grumbled as he looked disapprovingly upon at Izarre's hand which touched Justice.

"However it is, I am trapped as well, alas. I…have no purpose here, no goal."

"That's not true," Izarre shook his head and moved away from his magical tutor to stand as an equal, despite their noticeable size different. "You are inside the body of a Grey Warden, and as it so happens, I was…am…that body's Commander. Thus, you should stay by my side to complete our mission…That is to say, the mission of the Grey Wardens and your own. It was the darkspawn who set in course the motion of events to have you trapped here and are you not the embodiment of justice? Do you not wish to seek your own as well?"

"You cannot be serious, Commander!" Nathanial and Anders said together, one of the few times they agreed on something, but Izarre held up his hand to shush them both.

"What say you then, Spirit?"

"…It was a darkspawn who murdered this mortal most ignobly, and the ones that commanded it yet live. To avenge his death…yes, that would be a purpose. Very well. I will join you, Grey Warden, if you will allow it."

"Commander," Izarre corrected with a polite smile. "Commander Izarre Cousland-Theirin. Prince-Consort to the King of Ferelden…Though Commander is just fine, but what shall I call you? The body you inhabit belonged to a man by the name of Kristoff…"

"That is not my name," Justice vehemently disagreed. "I have no name, only a virtue to which I aspire. If I am to need a name, then use that. I am Justice. And for now, I am pleased to travel at your side, Commander."

"Wait," Nathaniel spoke up as they turned to leave Blackmarsh. "I have a question."

"Of course," Justice nodded as he turned to give his undivided attention. Nervously, the Rogue cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

"What happens when this body of yours…expires?"

"How long does such a process take?"

"Well, you're already peeling a bit, but I don't know. Can you still walk around once you're simply bones?"

"So I'm led to believe, yes."

"That…is incredibly disturbing."

"We can find a way to preserve the flesh once we return to the keep. I'm sure someone knows how to keep him…together," Izarre shrugged with a bit of jest. For some reason, he found it incredibly amusing even if his minions did not. Anders especially continued to disapprove in fear of the spirit suddenly attempting to possess himself or his apprentice and maintained a noticeable distance with his own body always acting as a buffer between Izarre and misplaced zombie, though Justice didn't seem to notice as he was too busy enthralled by his surroundings while calling out the misdeeds of Nathaniel's shady past. Izarre found a bit of pleasant distraction as well in an abandoned summoning circle which called upon the spirit of a trapped dragon he was more than happy to cleanse from his world by stabbing it repeatedly until it finally dispersed back into whatever tear in the Fade it came out from before gathering up his trophy dragon skull and convinced Oghren into carrying it back to Vigil's Keep for him.

Little did the Grey Wardens know that somewhere in the Deep Roads, a formerly human broodmother spoke to one of her spawn in a raspy voice which dripped with insanity. "Mother…?" a Genlock whispered as he came to her.

"It comes with sweet news, I hope?" she replied as her head lifted and red eyes opened. The tentacles of her lower half flicked in wait causing her multiple breasts to sway back and forth.

"The First, it is dead," the creature below her said timidly. "The Grey Wardens are gone from the marsh."

"Wicked, wicked Wardens!" she screamed as she began to sob into her leathery black hands. "They killed the First! Killed him! Cut out the Mother's heart!"

"But…Was it not the Mother who wished him dead?"

"Dead!" she cried out with dark, thick tears still leaking even as she maniacal laughed. "No…Peace! I wished him peace! To find the song again…to hear the sweet call…" The large grey tendrils of hers wiggled once again as she lowered her voice. "We are all lost. But the day will come when the silence ends, even for me…"

At Vigil's Keep, a young woman stood by the well near the gates as she patiently waited for her husband to return. As Izarre and the rest of the Wardens reentered the fortress, her heavy heart lifted and fluttered in her chest. "Kristoff!" she called out. "Kristoff! Oh, thank the Maker!" Justice looked surprised at first before pensively pressing his lips together.

"I fear you are mistake, mortal." With arms extended, the woman stumbled forward to reach out for the man she loved, but he quickly moved away from the would-be embrace. Watching carefully, the Prince attempted to understand the situation.

"You…were his wife?" he asked gently as Justice looked upon him.

"I am his wife!" the grieving widow insisted.

"Your husband is…gone," Justice tried to explain as best he could. "And I inhabit this body now. His death will be avenged, I assure you." Anders groaned at such a cold statement along with the other mage.

"Avenged?" the wife of the deceased Warden began to shout. "You've desecrated his body! How dare you!"

"It was not intentional," Justice stammered. "There was…"

"Get away from me!" With that, she ran off with tears in her eyes beyond the gates to the caravan which ran between coastal city and the Keep. For a moment, the Spirit seemed speechless as his own thoughts blended with the corpse's he had taken control of.

"This…body…has memories of this woman. Aura is her name. I did not know she would come."

"Even if you don't understand, us mortals have complicated lives. For a moment, she thought her husband was alive…only to find out he's not, yet his form still walks and talks. It would be difficult for anyone to process," Izarre said to him.

"…You…are correct. I must rectify this, somehow. Intentionally or not, I have done this woman a great disservice."

"You may just make her angrier," his leader then warned. "Do you remember anything such as Kristoff's last thought of her? Where she might have gone?"

"My memories suggest her home is in Amaranthine. It will prey on me if we do not seek her out." Grumbling, Justice held his head and rubbed the throbbing sensation there. "There must be something that can be done to assuage her pain! Something! I know the darkspawn call our attention, but should we get the chance to seek her out, I would be grateful, Commander." Nodding in agreement, Izarre dismissed his party so he could spend some time alone and wander around the Keep as merchants gathered to buy and sell supplies, dwarves worked on the defenses, and the lively blacksmith tinkered away at new sets of armor. After settling the debt for a new wall to be built and scaring the messenger nearly to death with the face he made about not receiving a letter from Alistair yet, the worn-out Noble made his way back inside of the Keep to claim a bed for the night.

Before retiring however, he was stopped by Oghren. Not nearly an intoxicated as he should have been, the Dwarf pulled Izarre into a corner and began to whisper. "Hey, Commander. We need to talk."

"Talk?" Izarre questioned bemused. "Am I in trouble now?"

"Is my axe buried in your chest? No? Then you're not in trouble," Oghren gruffed. "It's something else." The Firebeard was stared at with intrigued green eyes which waited for an explanation. "Dreams. You get them? Is this a Grey Warden thing? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"At least it's not a Blight anymore. You hear the archdemon then."

"…I can't imagine he has anything interesting to say."

"He really doesn't."

"And in my dream, I saw one of those bloated, vomit-smeared broodmothers, and it had Hespith's face… You remember her, don't you? Branka was there too and whispered 'It's time,' and Hespith screamed and a thousand darkspawn burst from her…"

"That's…strange."

"You're telling me! Then the darkspawn surrounded me and started talking…asking me if I would like lemon in my tea…And could I please teach them to read and write, and one of them kept repeating: 'Where's the baby?'" That's when I woke up!" Cocking an eyebrow, Izarre could only shake his head.

"I…believe you have too much on your mind…" Taking a moment to reflect, the Berzerker suddenly laughed.

"Usually, they accuse me of the opposite! Though…thanks for listening, Commander." With a farewell, Oghren left for the pantry as Izarre turned to walk towards his room again, but this time ran into a patiently waiting Justice accompanied by Anders outside of his door.

"A moment, if you would, Commander?" he was asked by the Spirit before he nodded to the request and beckoned them both to come in as he took the time to remove his armor.

"What is it?" As Anders took a seat on the bed, Izarre didn't see to pay the tipsy Mage any attention as he took off his weapons and gloves.

"It's just…this world is nothing like I thought it would be. Only demons lust to cross the Veil, but the rest of us scoff. We pity you mortals, we do not even them."

"Perhaps instead of pity, you should try to help us instead," Izarre suggested as he shooed Anders over to make room as he sat down on his bed as well to unstrap his boots.

"That's an issue as well," Justice continued. "The spirits consider mortals beyond their reach, and beyond help. They do not understand…but we are wrong about this world. There is beauty here…and the mortals, they are worth saving."

"You mean Aura? Kristoff's wife?"

"And you as well. You helped me in the Fade, and have proven yourself since. It is not right to judge all mortals the same." Smiling at them, Izarre stood once again as he unhooked his leather chest plate.

"Are you saying we're friends, now?" Moving his eyes down to the floor and briefly at Anders, Justice nodded as he considering the proposal.

"A friend," he answered. "That is an interesting concept. I do know how to respond to that. I wonder…may I make a request then?"

"Ha! Just started as a friend and he's already asking you for favors, Izarre," Anders laughed in his inebriated state only to be kicked in the shin by his Commander. "Ow…What was that for?"

"For being a moron. Shut up." Looking between the two, the Spirit seemed confused at the back and forth at first, then amused.

"I see you two are quite…close as to insult each other without feelings of resentment. I believe I am beginning to understand. My request however, is there is something in this world you call lyrium. Might you find me an object made from it?"

"Raw lyrium, you mean?" Anders asked while rubbing the sore spot on his leg. "That's dangerous to mortals. It will be difficult to locate."

"Dangerous to you perhaps, but not to a body that is already dead, surely."

"Hmm…fair point, but why would you want such a thing?"

"I desire only the smallest bit of pure rock. The version of lyrium that mortals dream of in the Fade…it is not the same. Here, it sings."

"..Sings?" Izarre asked as he looked concerned to Anders. The Blond shrugged as he had no idea what that was supposed to mean.

"The sound is something only a spirit could hear, but it summons an ache I didn't know I had. It is similar to the pain the memories this body gave me when his wife left. You are married as well, from what I understand. Perhaps you too know of such a feeling?" With his chest piece finally removed, Izarre placed it on the floor carefully.

"I…I understand," he admitted. "Without Alistair here, I…" There was a choke in his throat then that was immediately cleared, though Anders' playful mood noticeably lessened because of it. "I'll see what I can do for you."

"Thank you," Justice smiled genuinely. "That is most kind."

"Think nothing of it…Now if you do not mind, I wish to retire for the evening…and take this one with you. My chambers are not to be shared by an intoxicated, cat-loving fool."

"I'm not that drunk…and what's wrong with cats?" Anders pouted as he attempted to stretch out like one on the mattress only to fall off after an uncoordinated roll onto his back. Justice frowned at the behavior and moved to help the Mage up to escort him out.

"As you wish, Commander. Sleep well. Come along, Anders. I believe you were telling me about the injustices to other mages in this tower prison, yes?"