I'm back from my Spring Break vacation with another update! (I went to see Titanic the Experience in Orlando, Florida for the 100th year anniversary)

Thank you to everyone who added this to their alerts, favorites, and reviewed! I'm stoked that you all like this. It makes me want to write more and make it even better!

So here you go, the second chapter!

Chapter 2: Welcome to Thedas

Falling.

Thrashing.

Struggling to keep my breath.

Screaming but no sound.

Distorted images gush out of the blackness that encases my body as I tumble down, down, down.

Black demon like figures snatch and hold on, pulling at my clothing and body.

Dangerous roars of something not human or animalistic surges fear though every nerve ending in my body.

Tumbling faster and further down, red thick liquid splashes across my face.

White hot and stark naked is that eye. That eye with the sun like rays follows my every move, watching me tumble and cry and soon it's becoming blurry.

All things are becoming blurry and then it stops.

Slamming against a hard surface, my eyes shoot open to see fire. They lick and burn at the space around the room and my body freezes. My dorm is on fire and I'm paralyzed! I can't feel my legs or move my fingers to get up and run. Nothing is working as the flames dance closer, closer to me.

"HAWKE," Someone screams, grabbing at my arm and hoists me up, away from the fire, away from the danger that I know was going to kill me.

"Camilla," I cry out, hugging her around the waist as she pulls me away, out of the room or rather out of the small house that is now crashing down to the ground from the flames eating at the wood, destroying everything in its path.

"Ca…?" I start to say but the words leave my mouth as I take in the environment that's covered in flame. People running and grabbing at my body, telling me to "RUN" "GET OUT OF HERE" "IT'S THE DARKSPAWN" but nothing..nothing reaches my brain as I realize, I'm not in Kansas anymore.

"Hawke, get a move on! Mom and Bethany are already waiting on us!" That same person who saved me grabs at my arm and tugs me away from the destruction and death. Arrows rain down in the sky, sticking the natives in the back as they run from death to only become its next victim.

I let this person, whoever the hell they are, take me, drag me away. Tears streak down my face I watch the horror take place in front of me. Steeling myself to finally get the hell out of here, I turn around and see a black haired man who is much taller by comparison pulling at my arm.

"What?" He snaps, stopping momentarily to thrust a staff of some sort into my hands, "Why are you staring at me? We have to run."

"Who..are you?" I whisper, taken aback by him when he pulls a two handed sword out of its sheath and slashes at something behind me.

Spinning around, I scream as a monster with black skin and receding gums that harbor teeth as sharp as knives splits in half, blood spurting out, covering me. I swear I'm about to faint but my hands glow blue and lightening like Jedi powers jut out of my fingers, attacking the next creature that ran its way over to us.

"Hawke, we need to find Mom!" He screams at me, skirting around and slashing the next few monsters, creating a pathway for us to escape. Deciding that I should follow more than anything, I grip the staff in a vice like grip, feeling a pulse run through the wood, binding me and the staff together.

What the hell is going on here? I must be having a dream. I must be. I read that freaking book and probably passed out and now…I'm dreaming about it?

Running behind the muscled man with a permanent scowl on his face, I rub the blood off of my face and help carve our way out, thrusting the blue lightening like power at the monsters, Darkspawn, at least that's what he keeps calling them.

We soon reach an outcropping of rocks and I see blood encircling them. Somewhere deep inside of me, I fear that it's human blood and its blood of someone I know and care about.

"Mom!" He yells out and I can see fear take over his features and I pray that someone answers.

"Carver!" A woman with light grey hair and striking features rushes out and embraces the man, sobs ruining her features. Another person runs out, another woman who is also holding a staff. Her shoulder length black hair and deep hazel eyes stares and bum rushes me, enveloping me in a hug.

My heart skips and I wrap my arms around her and I don't know why but something inside me just…needed me to.

"Hawke!" The older woman cries, running up to me and cupping my cheeks and searching my eyes. "Are you okay?"

A warm smile and a quick touch to her hands, I nod and glance over her shoulder, seeing Carver huff. He seems on edge. Well, duh, Lara. We are all about to die from these creatures.

"Alright, we need to leave Lothering. We can't stay here or else we will die by the hands of the Darkspawn," Carver almost snaps, pulling us, apart and pointing to a path that seems clear for the time being, "it is the quickest path for us to escape."

Bethany nods and quickly rushes to her mother who seems about to bust at the seams. "Mom, don't cry. Everything will be alright. We will be save and find a new home."

"We lost everything," she whispered, rubbing her eyes clear of the tears that begged to be released, "Everything we had of your father. It's all gone and now..we have nothing."

Biting my lip hard, I sighed and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a quick but warm hug and quickly releasing her. "Everything is going to be fine," I assure her, cupping her cheek like she did a few seconds ago.

Her eyes seem to brighten and her red lips pull into a smile, "We.., watch out!" I cried, spotting Darkspawn running towards us with their weapons drawn.

Throwing her hand up in the air, Bethany created a burst of hot flame that boiled them alive. "I'm hoping that was the last of them!"

"It won't be," Carver hissed, grabbing his sword out again, ready for anything, "they took over Lothering. They will be everywhere. We have to run. Now."

"Come on, we need to leave before more come," I reasoned, taking off and biting my lip, not wanting anymore death around us. That however was quickly pushed aside as more Darkspawn rushed down the sides of the rock outcroppings, beating their chests.

"Oh maker," the woman they called mom cried, making an easy target to which the Darkspawn took notice of. Growling as rage fueled inside of me, I rushed over and stood in front of her. I don't know what came over me but…I had to protect her. I just had to.

Carver and Bethany were both holding off most of rush but a few stragglers made their way over to us and my vision burned red when they swiped and slashed their blades, trying to get closer. Purple waves of hate washed over me and I screamed out as they rolled off, thrusting them towards the fiends, eradicating their existence from the earth.

My knees wobbled and I panted hard, exhausted from the energy I forced out. Bethany ran over, her hands glowing green as she touched my shoulder and a warm heat seeped through my body. "Thanks," I smiled, standing up and brushing the blood and my bangs off my face, "Come on, let's get out of here."

After what seemed like hours of walking and fighting our way through this mess, Leandra, or mother as she kindly asked me to call her, leaned against a rock to catch her breath.

"We will never get out of here," Bethany sighed, healing us once again for the millionth time, "we can't escape this mess and will probably die while trying."

Plopping my butt on the ground to rest my head in my hands to at least try and think something out, Leandra piped up with a somewhat well off smile, "We can go to Kirkwall."

"Where?" I asked confused beyond my imagination as to what the hell this Kirkwall was.

"It's part of the Free Marches in Thedas," Leandra answered, pacing back and forth between the three of us, "We have an estate there; a home. We can get on a ship in Gwaren and make our way home."

Our morale seemed to jump through the roof when we all began to picture a new home. I don't know why I began to picture a home for me seeing as how this is all a dream but…hell, if it means helping these people out and getting them there then I'll do it.

Carver let out a rude snort as he walked away, shrugging past us, "I just want to get out here."

Man, I was starting to get pissed off at Carver. I really was starting to hate him. He was always so freaking rude and pissy and just all around negative. Why was he acting like this when the rest of us were trying to figure out how the hell to get out?

My heart dropped to the floor when I heard metal clashing against metal. Were there refuges that got out of Lothering with us? I just hoped they were winning instead of feeding the Darkspawn.

Taking off down the path at a quicker pace, my hands began to glow blue when I saw a man and woman fighting off the Darkspawn and winning. The ginger haired woman sliced and cut her way through the horde of fiends as they surrounded the other man. Dressed in a silver and red armor, he bashed a few of the Darkspawn skulls in, gasping when he was knocked to the ground and the shield ripped from his sword arm by the creatures.

The woman quickly turned around and took a running start to knock the Darkspawn to ground and punch it in the face a few times to only slice its head off with a resounding, "You will not have him," She stood up as the horde became increasingly resilient to her efforts and began to surround them. Picking up the man, she smiled softly before she pulled the shield up. "They will not have you. Not while I breathe."

Deciding to help them before it was too late; I gripped my staff with white knuckles and rushed forward, throwing my hand out to create a rock like fist and propelling it into several Darkspawn. Spinning around as I sensed something behind me, I pushed out a mental barrier, knocking it over and abruptly stabbing it through the chest with the blunt end of my staff.

Darting around the dead body, not wanting to touch the dark red blood, I swept my staff in front of me, pushing a cold cone of air towards several Darkspawn and freezing them so Carver could slice them in half.

After we finished off the rest of the Darkspawn and healed ourselves, we walked over to the two refuges.

"Wesley, stop moving. You will only make it worse," The woman sighed, leaning down and pressing her hands to the wound to stop the bleeding. Wesley hissed at the touch as he stood up and glared at Bethany and me.

"Apostates, keep your distance from me," He hissed, holding his arm as he backed up.

All Bethany did was scoff with a hated grimace, "Lovely, Darkspawn and now a Templar. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to stop both Darkspawn and you mages. I must…I must," He groaned but was stopped by the woman standing beside him when she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wesley," she urged, with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry but you two are apostates and I must take you in," he spoke, walking closer to Bethany. Oh no you don't, I hissed to myself, stepping up and blocking him with a scowl upon my bloody face.

"Wesley, they saved us. You don't have to do this right now. The Maker will understand this time."

"Right."

"I'm Aveline Vallen and this is my husband, Wesley," She revealed, "we can either hate each other or help each other by getting out of here."

Aveline? I've heard that name before at Pentaghast. There was a sword and shield hung up in the Dining Hall with the name Ser Aveline underneath. I've always wondered who this Ser Aveline was because it didn't have a description, just a name.

I remember sitting down in front one day and staring at it, making up stories in my head on who this person, this Ser Aveline was. There was one story about a knight in blinding white armor who fought his way to the center of the earth to save his love or the one where a woman donned the armor to save her family and thus save the world but was rejected when found out the knight was a woman and was ultimately killed.

"Hawke?" I hear, pulling me out of my thoughts and dragging me to the surface. "Hmm?"

"This is Aveline Vallen with her husband Wesley, a templar, an apostate hunting templar," Bethany whispers, side stepping next to me with a worrisome look in her eyes.

"Why are you here, Templar?" I almost hiss, standing in front of Bethany and gripping my staff tighter, showing him that I won't go down without a fight.

"I'm here because I was backtracked into Ostagar when I made my way into Denerim," he declared, also standing his way.

Bethany tugged at the back of my tunic, which I was still not getting use to, "He isn't hunting Apostates right now, Hawke."

"We need another blade between the Darkspawn and us," Carver piped up, crossing his arms over his chest and staring me down with an unfriendly scowl.

Staring back at Wesley and Aveline, I bit my lip and nodded, watching their expressions but not loosening my grip on the wood staff, "We do need more help. Can I trust you?" I asked out loud, keeping my eyes on Wesley, already trusting Aveline but not as near as her husband.

"Yes, you can," She answered, stepping up with a thin lipped smile and a firm grip on the shield and sword.

"And you?"

"Even with healing, I'm no use to you," He sighed, staring down at the dangling arm but a soft smile came to his face when Aveline stepped up and touched the wound, a soft smile on her pale and freckled face that matched her husband's. "I will be your arm."

"Alright, lets head out then," I spoke, staring to walk but Aveline's next few words caught me off guard and froze me in place.

"The north is cut off. We have to make our way south to the Korcari Wilds."

"No, that is not a way out," Carver growled, forcing his way to stand in front of us, trying to stop us from making the journey.

"We have no other way," I finalize, giving him a stern warning and pushing past him.

As we made our way South, a blood curling scream filled the air and a nose burning scent permeated the area.

"What is that?" I try to cover my nose as we make our way to the scream to only see a vast expanse. We all stop and stare as we filled the area, wondering what exactly made that scream. The ground begins to shake and my heart stops as a monstrous thing with multiple horns that curve and curl on top of its head makes its way towards us with thundering steps. It carries a body, a bleeding carcass. Its claws are dug in deep but it hurls it towards us and we all take a leap, flinging ourselves out of the way before we are pinned down by a stiff.

Bethany covers her mother and as she stands, her hands are on fire and her body in a rage. "Give me strength," she screams as she flings the fire towards the bulk of the creature, but she only draws its attention away from us. Flinging more fire its way, Bethany shrieks as the fiend snatches her up and digs the already bloody claws into her body, piercing her flesh. Giving off an eerie sort of laugh as it slams her into the ground and then chucks her away, the overgrown Darkspawn turns towards us and roars, sending spit and blood our way.

Leandra screams as she rushes to the body of her daughter and covers her like she did a few moments ago as she mourns the loss of her child.

Despite the urge, the brain scream appeal to run or stay frozen, I summon the strength Bethany did not have and lunge forward, dodging the swinging arms and slip under the legs to only roll up behind it and shoot off large fireballs and hexes.

Aveline draws its attention with her sword slashing and cutting the arms and chest. She stabs forward, gasping as she knocked to the ground from a blow of a quick swing of the arm.

Carver skirts around the battlefield, stabbing and dodging, stabbing and dodging and confusing the giant with his maneuvers.

Supporting Aveline with a pillar of green smoke and fire, I urge myself to advance on the mammoth of a Darkspawn and shower down lightening, striking it over and over again, forcing more, more, more energy to pass through the staff. I feel my body start to shake from exertion but I press on and send one last fireball as Aveline rears her arm back and pushes all her strength in the single stab over the heart that connects with the fireball, sending flames through the stab wound, torching him from the inside out.

As it tumbles to the ground, Aveline dodges the falling mass from landing on her and I drop to the ground, gasping for breath as I feel my blood pulse through my body.

"Hawke," Aveline warns, running as fast she can to get to me as I notice a shadow and turn around, pressing the end of my staff to the underside of a Darkspawn's throat, sending a purple pulse to the end of the wood to shatter the head of the fiend who wanted me dead.

Once Aveline helps me up, we stumble over to Leandra who is sobbing over the death of Bethany. As she shakes her body, Leandra screams her name, begging for an answer and not believing the horrible ending that befell her daughter.

"I'm so sorry, but she is dead," Aveline whispers, reaching down and touching the shoulder of the mourning woman to only have it shoved away.

My eyes are tearing and I even feel them streak down the blood stained cheeks, cleaning pathways and mixing with the blood. Carver reacts with just a single look before he bows his head and steps away, letting his mother mourn, leaving in peace.

Quickly wiping the red coloured tears from my chin, I leaned down on a shaking knee and cover Leandra's hand with mine, "She died saving and protecting you. She died bravely, more than anyone can ask for."

"I don't care if she died bravely," Leandra hissed, heaving my hand away and glaring at me like I killed her daughter. "You should have stopped her! Why didn't you stop her when she charged off? I want her back! Now!"

"Mother, we have to leave before the Darkspawn smell the blood or more will come," Carver finally spoke, staring at his mom with a sad but soft smile that changed his features and made him appear younger.

Wesley even stepped up behind Leandra; bowing his head as he whispered, "Let me send her soul to the maker, Mistress."

Leandra nodded, staring back at her daughter as Wesley began his prayer, "Ashes we were and ashes we become, Maker give this young woman a place at your side. Let us take comfort in the peace she has found in eternity," As he stepped away, Leandra leaned down close, touching the pale cheek one last time. "I will never forget you, Bethany."

Giving her a few more moments, I stood up and stared at the sky, hearing the thunder rip open the sky and the lightening pierce it with white hot flashes, "Leandra, we must leave. Bethany knows that our lives are more valuable than her prayers at the moment."

Leandra nodded once and then stood up with Carver's help, ignoring mine and following behind Aveline and the rest of us.

"We need to get out o…" "Dammit, more Darkspawn!" Aveline hissed, producing her sword from the sheath and pulling her shield up to her chest as she readied for the oncoming attack as I created a rock body like armor to encompass my body and protect me from the battle.

Because of my time in the hospital, I have gotten very behind in my college classes and that means..homework instead of writing. I also will be very busy this next weekend with babysitting five dogs, doing homework, and going to work so I may or may not update this weekend.

However, don't fear! Updates will be happening during the weekend since I don't have classes on a Friday. My classes end on May 5th which means more updates. I do know that during April, I will busy preparing for exams and projects for my classes.

If I don't update next weekend, then I will probably have a big update the week after that.

Thank you for reading this!