Into The Fade

Green filled her vision, then everything went white. She was falling, blinded. Finally, something began to form in her sights... Rock? It was ground! Solid ground. And she approached it at a high speed!

Bandit Adaar appeared to be falling and as she braced herself to hit the ground, she stopped. Her eyes fluttered open at the lack of impact before she began to fall once more. However, she fell... upward. She hit the ground hard, grunting in pain. Shifting, she looked to the skies.

"Am I dead?" She had to ask herself, her heart thud deep in her chest. Her eyebrows upturned as her eyes flitted side to side in a panic. There was ground, then more ground, then suddenly skies. Death was surely the only explanation. She stood up, rotating her shoulders a bit as they popped. Suddenly, another voice appeared.

"Where are we?"

She turned quickly to see Stroud. Didn't think this would be her afterlife; with some Grey Warden standing on a rock, but he was sideways. He spun around to see her there, they made eye contact. It wasn't the afterlife she asked for, however, there was comfort in a familiar face.

"We were falling..." A Fereldan accent sounded. They both turned to see the raven-haired Rosamund Hawke standing upon the underside of a low hanging cliff. She paced around. Gravity didn't seem to be affecting her properly as her bangs framed her face as they always would. Her wooden staff clanked against her armour.

"Wait... Are we dead?" Bandit finally had to ask aloud, it was the only thing she could sputter in disbelief.

"No... No." Stroud slowly began to say after a moment's thought. "The Inquisitor had opened a rift after that dragon had broken the bridge. We must have fallen through. If that is the case, then we are in The Fade."

"No, no-no-no-no--!!" A panicked voice cried. Cole paced around, his vision dodging about in disbelief. "This is The Fade, but I'm stuck! I can't--! Why can't I--?!" His breathing was so fast. Bandit could picture the look of panic beneath his large brimmed hat and messy blond hair. He stumbled over a large stone, stopping his antsy pacing.

"This place is wrong." The spirit gravely stated. "I made myself forget when I made myself real, but I know it wasn't like this." He looked up to the three before him, his blue eyes locking onto Bandit. She peered back into him.

"This isn't at all how I remember The Fade either." Rosamund mused, pacing forward a few steps. She tapped her chin in thought. "Do you think... perhaps it's because we're here... physically?" Bandit looked mortified at the thought.

"You're correct." Solas piped in. He stepped forward, looking about. "We are most certainly here physically. Adaar saved us by opening that Rift." The elven mage nodded in her direction. Continuing level-headedly, he looked to the skies, walking past the Vashoth.

"I never thought that I would find myself here physically..." The smallest smile upturned his lips. Awe clouded his grey eyes. "Look," he breathed. "The Black City, almost close enough to touch." He peered off in the distance toward the floating fortress where The Old Gods once lived.

Bandit grunted, having to look away from the sky. She was uneasy about this whole thing, and the more everyone spoke... the more unreal she felt. It made her sick. She wanted to throw up.

"Inquisitor," Rosamund asked after a moment too long of silence. "Was this what it was like when you've walked from The Fade back in Haven?"

"I don't know." Bandit snapped, placing her hands on her hips as she shifted her feet a bit. "And it doesn't matter either way." She mumbled.

"Well, I guess you're right." The Champion sounded a bit put off at her response. "You know... that demon that bastard Erimond summoned came from the other side of a rift." She said, walking forward until she eventually was level with Bandit. "If it came from here... there are definitely others."

"Oh, this is shitty!" A deep voice called, throwing his hands up as he scowled. "I'll fight whatever you give me, Bandit, but nobody said anything about getting dragged through the ass end of demon town!" The Iron Bull grumbled. The Tal-Vashoth looked around, ill at ease. In truth, the red-head was glad. Her three men survived, and she was thankful... despite the frustrated look on her face suggesting otherwise.

"In our world, the Rift the demons came through was nearby, in the main hall." The Orlesian Warden began. "Can we escape the same way?" He questioned. Solas looked intrigued by the suggestion.

"It's worth a shot..." She spoke, turning to look at The Rift into the skies, looming... Just like they were back at Haven, back when they thought their biggest problem was just sealing The Rift itself. Stroud walked until he was level with the rest of the group, as they began to press into The Raw Fade.

The ground was mucky. There were tons of shallow, cold pools of water stretching far. Crags of rock, shiny from the moisture in the air was just about most of what they saw. Some rocks had openings, revealing candles with a comforting warmth. Rosamund looked about, finding some piles of skulls in the corners. Surely, those were only memories of those who have passed.

Kirkwall's Champion hated being here, it reminded her of awful times... When her friends readily betrayed her at the first offering a desire demon made them. She forgave them, but she never could forget. The bitterness crawled back up her throat. She swallowed it down.

"Hey, Chief! Let's join The Inquisition! Good fights for a good cause!" The Iron Bull mockingly attempted Cremisius' voice, breaking the silence. "I don't know, Krem. I hear there are demons." He spoke back in his normal tone. "Ah, don't worry about the demons, Chief! I'm sure we won't see any." He grumbled something under his breath to himself. "Asshole." He scoffed aloud. "Everyone, if I get possessed, feint on my blind side, then go low. Cullen says I leave myself open."

With a roll of her eyes, Bandit shifted her gaze to him. "Yeah, we know." The Iron Bull looked to her as they walked. "You won't get possessed with me around." Her voice sounded warm toward him, her green eyes trying to send reassurance to him. She looked around. "None of you will." She sounded assertive once again before pressing onward. Bull looked back forward, taking a breath to ease his nerves.

She watched as Solas took it all in with amazement. He was eating this experience up, she could tell. "I wonder what mysteries there may be." He mused aloud.

"Solas," The Herald interrupted his thoughts. "You are the expert here, and frequent The Fade a lot. Any advice?"

"The Fade is shaped by intent and emotion. Remain focused, and it will lead you where you wish to go." He informed her as he looked upward. "The demon that controls this area is extremely powerful. It's some variety of Fear, I would guess. I suggest you remain wary of its manipulations and prepare for what is certain to be a fascinating experience." He gave a subtle smile. The Iron Bull shook his head in disgust with a scoff. He was tense and looked like he was ready to swing his greataxe at a moment's notice if anything moved too suddenly.

Soon, they reached a small clearing. The green haze in the air shifted, forming some wisps. Cole, already on edge, quickly grabbed his daggers, moving to flank the spirits. Rosamund and Solas twirled their staves, summoning spirit energy, bolts of lightning and force onto them. Cole tore through them just in time for Bull to swing and crush the spirit into a poof of green smoke, and Bandit tore through the last one with her claymore. It, too, vanished.

"Ugh..." Bandit's lip curled, disgusted with the appearance of the small pests. Solas slipped his staff onto his back as he approached a large, flat rock. Candles and a letter were set upon it neatly. He picked it up, slipping his gaze over the words.

"What is it, Solas?" Rosamund approached him, curious.

"It is an unsigned letter. It reads of someone who fought in The Blight. They have also lost many at Haven. And, they were sent to attack Adamant. There is regret, and a great deal of pain in this letter." He said as he read it, his eyebrows upturning. Cole approached, touching the paper. Solas let him have it as he looked it over.

"So much hurt..." He mused. When focused on others, at least he wasn't panicking about their predicament. "Screams, the smell of burning flesh. He keeps fighting, hearing the song. The song beckons him, he is afraid. Fear drives him, but no longer... He has passed. He no longer hurts physically... But his spirit..." Cole sounded saddened before setting the paper down.

This weighed heavily on the party as they stood in silence.

"Come, let us press onward." Stroud said. Everyone slowly looked away from the Letter by a Burning Candle, the moved onward until they reached a large bulk of Red Lyrium, then a dead end. There were statues placed perfectly spaced apart. They looked bestial, and like they had their tongues jutting from their maws. Before they could take in the scenery, more wisps formed and blasted Bandit with spirit energy. She grit her teeth, hissing in pain and biting back the cry she wanted to let out before gripping her great sword.

Quickly, the party dispatched the green spirits, just as they always have. As weapons were sheathed, Rosamund walked toward a giant mirror, an Eluvian. She reached her hand out, her brown eyes staring at it. She hesitated before touching it ever so carefully with the tips of her fingers.

"What is it?" The Iron Bull asked, wondering her fixation on it. Everyone turned to her. Hawke turned, withdrawing her hand before turning towards them, then her gaze hit the ground. 

"Please, let us turn back... It reminds me of an old friend, and much pain she brought." Even speaking of it made her sound pained.

Cole stared into her. "Merrill." He said aloud. Rosamund flinched at the name as she hurried past everyone, getting away from the dead end. The entire place reeked of despair. And again, it weighed down on everyone. They felt tension in their shoulders.

There appeared to be a large, open staircase. It was lit by stone torches along either side. Wordlessly, everyone went there, as if that were their only option. The silence was deafening. The only sound was the sound of their feet, and the sound of water moving. Finally, Cole broke the silence once more.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! Wringing me out! Wrought right and rigid. Can't relax...! Can't release...!" He began to panic once more, his breathing quickening. Bandit stepped back from leading the group, and placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him back from his thoughts.

"Cole," She looked into his eyes. "You'll be alright... I'm here..." She whispered that last bit, so nobody would hear. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "We'll get you out of here."

"Thank you." He simply said as Bandit withdrew. She avoided eye contact as they reached the top of the stairs. The Inquisitor peered about the skies once more before bumping into Stroud. She knit her brows together as she looked down, about to snap before she saw what everyone else halted for.

"By The Maker, could that be...?" He breathed in awe, looking at the woman before them in disbelief. An elderly white-haired woman, clothed from head to toe in white, red, and gold adornments stood before them. Her hat tall, concealing her hair.

"I greet you, Warden. And you, Champion." She smiled warmly as she looked to Stroud and Hawke. Adaar stood at the human before them, a sense of familiarity about her, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it...

"The Divine...!" The Orlesian's eyes portrayed surprise. He wanted to believe. "But, she is dead..." He crushed his own hope. "So, it is likely we face a spirit... or a demon." He sounded disappointed.

"You think my survival impossible, yet here you stand alive in The Fade yourselves." The figure who appeared as Divine Justinia V spoke levelly. "In truth, proving my existence, either way, would require time we do not have." She dismissed the debate.

"Surely, you can understand our concerns and explain what you are." Rosamund tried to pry once more, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I am here to help you." Divine Justinia turned her attention to Andraste's Herald. "You do not remember what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, do you, Inquisitor?" She gently asked.

Bandit's eyes narrowed, frowning further. Slowly, she spoke, "Divine Justinia would have had no way of knowing that I've become Inquisitor... You-- She died."

"I know because I have examined memories like yours, stolen by the demon that serves Corypheus." The Divine spoke, taking a step toward them, lacing her hands together in front of her. "It is The Nightmare you forget upon waking. It feeds off memories of fear and darkness, growing fat upon the terror."

Everyone remained silent as they took it in. The Iron Bull peered about, twitchy from the thought of a massive demon feeding off of their fears. Just what he needed.

"The false Calling that terrified the Wardens into making such grave mistakes? Its work." She peered to the group of misfits before her through the ashes and dust that began to fly before them.

"I would gladly avenge the insult this Nightmare dealt my brethren!" The Grey Warden declared, angry and disgusted.

"You will have your chance, Brave Warden... This place of darkness is its lair." She lifted a hand, gesturing to the place in which they resided.

"Well, if you are here to help... How the hell do we get out of here?" Bandit asked snappily, crossing her arms as she peered down toward the Divine.

"That is why I found you. When you entered The Fade at Haven, the demon took a part of you, Inquisitor." She gestured towards the red-headed Vashoth with her head. "Before you do anything else, you must recover it." Looking to her right, wisps yet again appeared from forming blasts of green energy. "These are your memories, Inquisitor." She looked back at Bandit.

Bandit pulled the sword from her back, eyeing the wisps down. She heard the unsheathing of weapons behind her as the groups moved to take down the wisps once more. This group was of a heartier batch. They fought back, blasting everyone with the painful burn of spirit energy tearing at their essence. Once a wisp was felled by one of them, a whisper of Corypheus' voice filled their ears. Another one destroyed, and cries of Divine Justinia V was heard.

The Champion stunned the final wisp with a bolt of lightning, Stroud finishing it with a clean slice of his blade. He moved to place his shield and sword upon his back before Bandit staggered. She held her head as it began to throb. She was being pulled into her mind, reliving the recovered memory.

The Grey Wardens stood around Divine Justinia V, ebbing an ominous red power into binding her as if held on a cross. She looked terrified as they emptily stared at her.

"Now is the hour of our victory..." A deep voice from the distance spoke, sounding pleased.

"Why are you doing this? You of all people?!" She looked around to the cold Wardens, hurt by their betrayal; these people who have pledged their lives into saving the people from evil and harm. She looked forward to see the hideous deformed Corypheus approaching her with his emaciated arm outstretched. He clutched a round object in his palm, his slender fingers curled around it. She could hear his flesh as he walked. He was more disgusting than any Darkspawn.

"Keep the sacrifice still." He told the Wardens. The orb pulsed then began to glow a bright green, power shifting about its surface.

"Someone help me!" The Divine cried out in fear as the aura of the orb spread to her body, igniting her with its glow. She appeared to be dissolving slowly. Corypheus' scarred lips gave a crooked, wicked grin as he locked eyes with her. She gasped in pain as she felt herself dying slowly.

The heavy, wooden doors that this all went on behind burst open. A lone Qunari stood, looking angrily about, she shoved the doors the rest of the way open. "What's going on here?!" She demanded as she looked to the sight before her. Then the abomination of a creature before her. She reeled in disgust. "What the--?!"

Corypheus turned toward the interruption, as did the Wardens and Justinia. Seizing the momentary diversion, Justinia used all the strength she had left within her to smack the orb from the foul creature's clutches. Bandit moved, not having any time to think of the consequences. She scrambled to quickly retrieve whatever the object was, and as soon as she touched it, she grasped her arm in pain as she cried out. It felt as if it fused to her flesh, a burning sensation coursing up her arm then through her core.

The demonic looking creature looked stunned at what was happening before he came to realisation. "No!!" He bellowed as he began to run toward the red-headed Qunari. Bandit couldn't take her eyes off of the object that she couldn't drop. She stared, in horror as it continued to send shockwaves of pain through her. As Corypheus was mere inches from her, about to do Maker knows what, the orb exploded in energy, knocking them both back.

Bandit gasped for air as she staggered, then shook her head violently as she snapped out of her trance. She subtly winced in her eyes as she bit down on her lip before turning toward the others. They looked just as affected as she, they had seen it all.

"So," The Warden placed his hands on his hips as he gasped in pain. "Your mark did not come from Andraste. It came from that orb Corypheus used in his ritual."

"Corypheus intended to rip open The Veil, use The Anchor to enter The Fade, and throw open the doors of The Black City. Not for the Old Gods, but for himself..." Justinia walked towards them with her hands folded in front of her once more. "When you disrupted his plan, the orb bestowed you with The Anchor instead."

Bandit looked to this... whatever she was and seethed. "That's it?!"

"Yes."

"That tells me nothing! Nothing about Corypheus or a weakness for this Nightmare! Not even any help in finding a way out of here!" She snarled. "All this tells me is that I should break his damned orb next time it starts glowing!"

The Divine waited for her to finish before calmly speaking. "Yet, even that information may one day help you... You cannot escape the lair of The Nightmare until you regain all that it took from you. You have recovered some of yourself, but now it knows you are here."

The Iron Bull grunted. "Great!"

"You must make haste. I will prepare the way ahead." She gestured towards their next destination. As they looked, she vanished before they could notice. Bandit looked back at where she once stood then narrowed her eyes, peering about suspiciously.

Stroud looked as if he had something to say to The Inquisitor before feeling someone glaring daggers into his back, straight through his heavy plated armour. He turned, seeing The Champion being the source.

"Something troubles you, Hawke?"

"Those were Grey Wardens holding The Divine in that vision." She pointed to him with anger plastered upon her face. "Their actions led to her death!" She yelled at him.

"Rosamund!" Stroud defensively shouted back. "He must have taken ahold of their minds! You have seen him do so before! Come, we can argue after we escape this dark place."

The mage narrowed her eyes, frowning at him. "Oh, I intend to." She threatened him.