DA:I | Simply Solavellan: A Timeline ✔️

A Banquet for Newlyweds

[Soundtrack: At the Summertide Feast by Adrian von Ziegler]

The water was clear as crystal, and the sunlight glinted off its surface. Beautiful hallas drank from the pond with gentleness, barely making a ripple. This dream was the most vivid, realistic dream I ever had. Ever since I lost the Mark, my lucid dreams had lost their "magic touch," and just weren't the same. Now, I could hear the leaves rustling in the wind, and the warmth of the sunlight was a welcome comfort against my skin. 

The halla stared up at me with innocent eyes. I wanted to walk over and pet it, feel its soft fur.

"Focus," echoed a voice, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked around for its source and found Solas peering at me from behind one of the trees. He made his way toward me.

"Remember that this is a dream," he said. "This is your first night exploring the Fade in its raw form; it will be whatever you dream it to be. But be wary of the spirits."

The halla grinned an unnatural grin and pranced away.

When I realized that this was the Fade and not simply a lucid dream, all I thought of was what happened at Adamant Fortress. Suddenly, my hallas turned to sneering spirits, and the trees turned to tall, jagged black rocks with glowing grey veins. The pond turned into bubbling pools of acid and stench. 

My heart began to race. My mind was panicked. This wasn't what I wanted. This wasn't the world I wanted to explore in my dreams. Why was everything suddenly going wrong?

"Vhenan," said Solas, taking my shoulders in his hands. "Listen to me. Breathe. Yes, this is the Fade, but you are not physically here. This is not like Adamant."

"H-How do I make this stop, Solas?"

"Think of where you want to go, what you want to see. Steady your mind and your heart. Be calm and dream something more pleasant. Your dream is whatever you wish it to be. I have no control over your dreams anymore. You must take control for yourself."

I tried to steady my nerves, but the spirits were changing before my very eyes. They were shifting and contorting into demons.

"Solas, I can't --"

"You can. You must. The nature of these spirits will change for the worse if you do not." He took my face in his hands. "Think of Haven."

I tried to remember. I shut out everything except Solas's face and thought of our first kiss in my dream of Haven. That is all I wanted -- for me and Solas to be alone.

From my peripheral vision, I noticed the sun start to shine, the demons start to become harmless little wisps that floated to and fro without a care, the rocks transform into trees, and chubby little nugs running through the snow. I looked over Solas's shoulder and saw the chantry building in the background.

"You're doing well," said Solas. He smiled and turned away, walking toward the chantry. "It is just as I remember it."

"Solas, why did the world change? My lucid dreams have never done that."

"I'll gladly explain. Since you weren't a mage, the Mark and I had some influence over your dreams. We were your anchor, so to speak. You could be fully aware of your dreams and experience things as if you were awake. Demons would have a harder time tempting you due to your non-magical abilities, but you had no real control over what was happening. Now, however, you are a mage for all intents and purposes, and your dreams are your own to control. You are fully connected to the Fade, and you have a great deal of power within you now. The more powerful the mage, the more out of control one's dreams can become."