Leliana knelt in front of an altar, an elder woman wearing Chantry robes standing over her.
"Blessed are thou who exist in the sight of the Maker. Blessed are thou who seeks His forgiveness." The red head prayed.
"Leliana?" I cautiously took a step toward her.
"Blessed are- What? Who are you?" She gazed at me in confusion.
"I beg you," the Chantry woman chastised me, "do not disturb the girl's meditations."
Leliana turned her attention to the other woman, "Revered Mother, I do not know this person."
"What? I'm Anastasia. We're friends. We met in Lothering." I blinked, taken aback.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about."
"Please do not vex her. She needs quiet and solitude to calm her mind and heal her heart." The Revered Mother insisted, her tone gaining urgency.
Of course. This was just like with me.
"You're not the Revered Mother. You're a demon. Release Leliana, now."
"Why are you saying these things about the Revered Mother? Please go away." Leli's voice trembled.
"I need you to think really hard, Leli." The nickname sharpened her focus, "Do you remember what happened, how we met?"
After a few moments of concentration, "I remember… there was a sign."
"Leliana, we have discussed this sign of yours. The Maker does not care to interfere in the affairs of mortals. This 'vision' was likely the work of demons."
"Does that sound like the Revered Mother you know?" I was bluffing. I hadn't met the woman, so I had absolutely no idea how she felt on the matter.
"The Maker cares for us. I believe He misses His wayward children, as much as we miss Him. My vision may not be from Him, but it guides me to do what is right. My Revered Mother knew this. I don't know who you are, but you are not her."
"This is your home, your refuge. Do you truly wish to leave the comfort of this place behind? Stay, and know peace."
"There is no need." The rogue's voice was filled with content, "I carry the peace of the Chantry in my heart."
"You are going nowhere, girl!" the old woman growled, "I will not permit it."
"Step aside, demon." I glared from under my lashes, "Leliana is coming with me."
"No…. She is ours. Now, and forever!"
With that, the woman quickly switched forms, revealing her demonic face.
Leliana pulled her bow from her back and notched an arrow, "This is for lying to me. You could never take the place of the Revered Mother!"
The arrow pierced her the demon's heart, and the two of us watched as it evaporated, a look of anguish on its face.
"Holy Maker! She…she was a…." a horrified gasp escaped her.
"It's alright. How are you feeling?"
"Ugh… My head feels heavy. Like I've just woken up from a terrible nightmare. I believe we had some…task to accomplish. Let us be on our way. Wait!" She cried out, sounding panicked, "What's happening to me?"
Leliana faded away before my eyes, disappearing altogether. I hoped that meant good things and not bad.
A glowing fountain suddenly sprang up in her place. What the…?
Without thinking, I reached out and touched it. And was teleported to another scene. Another dream.
It was Sten kneeling, this time. In front of me.
"Shanedan." His voice rumbled through his chest.
"Who are you talking to?" two male Qunari sat off to the side, eyeing Sten.
"Don't bother the sten. Isn't it your turn to cook?" one said to the other.
"Cook what? There's no food in this miserable, frozen country." A grumbled reply.
"Parshaara! We have a guest. Make room at the fire." Sten stood abruptly.
"Why do they call you 'the sten?'" I asked quietly.
"The same reason they call you 'the Warden.'" He answered with a bored look.
"We've been days in this place. There's no sign of any threat. The arishok's report was wrong. Can we not go home?" one of them whined.
"No." Sten's voice was cutting, the other Qunari sighing.
"So, this is what Qunari are like?" I looked them over.
"Not really. This is a dream. I'm not a fool, Warden. I remember seeing the karashok there have his head torn off." He growled, annoyed. By me or the demons, I wasn't sure.
"Well, at least it's not a great loss." A taunt from the peanut gallery.
"You are so entertaining, kadan, you should perform in the square with the other trained monkeys. We could throw you peanuts."
My blood started to boil. Who were these foolish demons, to make fun of one of my friends?
They all turned their attention to me. Had I said that aloud?
"It's a dream, but it's a good dream." The warrior's voice and tone were soft.
"This is a cage, Sten, just like Lothering." My teeth grinding, I pointed at the others.
"Here, or Lothering, or Orlais, it's all the same. Far from home. One place is no better than any other."
"Don't you want to avenge these men?'
"Revenge… what good does that do them? Their corpses will not taste it, or share in the victory."
"Ugh. I wish we didn't have to taste this…. What is this, anyway? Stew?" a groan from the others earned a glare from me.
"It's bread." The sarcastic one deadpanned.
"Of course it is." Sigh, "Rational men would call this 'despair.'"
"Look, if you stay here, they died for nothing." I forced myself to look at my companion.
"For once, you are right, Warden. I owe them a victory."
"You can't abandon your post." One called out as they both made their way to their feet.
"Stand aside. I would hate to see you all die again."
Chills washed over me at his tone.
"No! We won't let you leave us again!" they reached for their weapons.
The two Qunari melted away, leaving demons in their wake. I pulled out my daggers, but Sten halted me with a hand.
"I must do this."
Taking a step back, I left everything to him. They were his demons, after all.
The fight was quick, really. He stabbed one, kicked the other. The blow from the blade was enough to kill the first. The remaining demon was easily pinned to the ground with a boot and run through.
When it was over, Sten righted himself and sheathed his greatsword.
"Yet, this gives me no peace. I wish to leave this place. No!" he became panicked, just like Leliana, "More trickery? What is happening?"
He, too, disappeared without a trace.
The fountain materialized again. I brushed my fingertips against it, feeling myself being teleported.
This time, it was Wynne.
We had met the older woman while in the Tower. The mage had erected a barrier to keep the demons out of the main hall on the first floor. Several apprentices, children and young adults alike, were all huddled in the center, cowering in fear.
She had taken the position of leader, being a Senior Enchanter and out ranking everyone gathered. When we'd told her we needed to venture further, she had made us agree to bring her along. Everyone accepted easily. After all, she was a mage who was raised here; there were probably all sorts of secrets she would know about this place that might aid us.
Here, though, she stood surrounded by dead mages. Her greatest nightmare come true; she couldn't save them.
"Maker, forgive me. I failed them all. They died and I did not stop it."
"But they're not dead yet. The circle can still be saved." I called out.
"What about all this? How can you say that when you are faced with this?" she moaned in sorrow, "Death. Can you not see it? It's all around us."
"I can see it. I just don't believe it." I countered.
"Why was I spared, if not to help them? What use is my life now that I have failed in the task that was given me? Leave me to my grief. I shall bury their bones, scatter their ashes to the four winds, and mourn their passing til I too am dead."
"This is getting rather morbid." I frowned.
"Your blatant disrespect for the souls of the dead strikes me as being utterly inappropriate."
"Please think about what you're doing here and why."
"I do not know what you are trying to tell me. Why must you make this more painful? And where were you when this happened? I trusted you as an ally, and you were nowhere to be found."
"I am the only thing that is real. Ignore everything else."
"I do not know what this will accomplish, but I will do this, if it will satisfy you. It is... difficult… to focus." She rubbed her temples, her expression strained, "It feels as though something is… stopping me from concentrating. I have never had so much trouble. Perhaps some time away from this place will help me think clearly."
"Being away from here should make you feel better."
One of the dead got to his feet, "Don't leave us, Wynne. We don't want to be alone."
She faced it, "Holy Maker! Stay away, foul creature!"
"More demons to kill, it seems." I muttered under my breath.
"Stay, Wynne. Sleep soundly in the comforting embrace of the earth. Do not fight it. You belong here, with us."
"N-no. Not yet. My task is not yet done…. It is not time yet." Her tone took on an anxious tone.
"Come…. Come away to your rest…."
The bodies rose, one by one, each taking on the appearances of demons.
I watched in fascination as the Senior Enchanter called forth an amazing amount of magic, sending bolts of light toward the enemies. Disintegrating them one by one, until there was nothing left.
"Is it over? Thank the Maker for you. Wait… what's happening? Where are you going?" the third to disappear, Wynne sounded just as worried as the two before her.
Another fountain appeared. I touched it, ready to be done with all of this. Alistair was the only one left, since we'd only entered the tower with Leliana and Sten beside us, Wynne joining shortly after.
"Hey! It's great to see you again. I was just thinking about you…. Isn't that a marvelous coincidence?" he called out as soon as he saw me, "This is my sister, Goldanna."
I glanced over at the strawberry blonde woman standing by a fire pit, stirring a pot that hung over it.
"These are her children, and there's more about somewhere. We're one big happy family, at long last!"
"You're very… content." I observed.
"I am. I'm happier than I've been my entire life. Isn't that strange? I thought being a Grey Warden would make me happy, but it didn't. This does."
"I'm overjoyed to have my little brother back. I'll never let him out of my sight again!" Goldanna purred.
"May I borrow him for a second? I need him somewhere." I asked politely.
"I… don't think I'll be coming. I don't want to spend my life fighting, only to end up dead in a pit along with rotting darkspawn corpses."
"Well, Alistair, is your friend staying for supper?" she stirred the pot again, her voice dripping with honey.
"Say you'll stay! Goldanna's a great cook! Maybe she'll make her mince pie. You can, can't you?"
"Of course, dear brother, anything for you."
I made a face. She was making me sick to my stomach with all of her nauseating fake sweetness.
"We have to leave…." I begged.
"You're acting really strangely." He commented, his eyes widening.
"Think about this and how you got here. Think carefully."
"All right, if it makes you happy. I… it's a little fuzzy. That's strange…."
"Alistair," Goldanna beckoned, as if he wasn't talking to me, "come and have some tea."
"No… wait…. I remember a… tower. The Circle… it was under attack… there were demons. That's all I really remember." Alistair struggled against the magic.
"That's all that happened, really."
"A-are you saying… this is all a-a dream?" his voice jumped an octave, "But it's so real…"
I nodded silently.
"Of course it's real! Now wash up before supper, and I-"
He cut her off, "Something doesn't feel quite right here. I… think I have to go." He gave me a confused yet determined look.
"This isn't really your sister." I tried.
"She is… but she isn't." he muttered.
"No!" I lunged in front of him, Goldanna's once lovely voice deep as a… well, demon's, "He is ours, and I'd rather see him dead than free!"
I pulled one of my many small knives from my right boot, throwing it. Nailed it. The tiny thing landed right between the eyes of the fake Goldanna, who had been in the process of shedding her human form.
She went up in a puff of mist.
Gone.
"G-Goldanna? I can't believe it. How did I not see this earlier?" Alistair moaned.
"You're in the Fade, which isn't like the real world." I touched his arm comfortingly.
"Yes…. Uh, well. Try not to tell everyone how easily fooled I was. Are we going now?" he looked around, still a bit dazed, "Wait, where are you going? What's happening to me? Hey!"
He disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I sighed. Hopefully, that was the last nightmare… dream… thing… I would have to suffer through.