Dragon Age: Inquisition: Behind the Scenes

The Tale of the Champion

She was greeted by a very ironic sight that afternoon.

Things were mostly quiet the past few days, no word about Corypheus's plans beyond what he had already told Vida directly, and the Inquisitor had no plans to ask him for clarification.

Her sister, Serena, was out on assignment in the Hinterlands at the moment, so she had decided to spend some time reading. She had been so close to finishing the book she had started before heading out to the Conclave. She couldn't even tell how long ago that was. It felt like centuries. The Lady Trevelyan had chosen an empty watchtower to reside for the rest of the day, dropping to the floor in the meeting point of two, stone walls. She grinned like a small child who had sneaked away with the cookie jar, flipping through the pages as she attempted to find her place.

"What'cha doing?"

Vida nearly jumped a foot in the air. The book fell to the floor in her panic, and the Champion started laughing as Vida struggled frantically to regain her place in the book with as much grace as possible.

"Sorry about that. I just couldn't help but scaring you." She was standing on the opposite end of the square room, leaning into the opposite corner with a similar book in her hands. "You looked like my sister when I caught her trying to sneak a baby mouse into our home. I never saw her eyes get so big ever again." She motioned to the object of interest in the Inquisitor's hands. "Good read?"

"I..." She could feel her face heating as Liyata grinned knowingly. She knew exactly what the Inquisitor was reading.

"Don't freak out. I'm as curious as you are." She held up the book in her own hands. Sure enough, in fancy, golden typography, read Tale of the Champion. "I wanted to see how much Varric exaggerated in his retelling. So far, things are ok, though there are some...personal details about me I'm not sure how he figured out... How far are you?"

Vida had risen to her feet now, most of the awkwardness dissipating.

"You confronted Meredith and Orsino in Lowtown," she answered carefully. "The Chantry is destroyed, and now you're deciding what to do with Anders."

It surprised Vida how sad the Champion looked now. It was like the face of a small child when her heart was broken by something awful.

"Damn it, Anders..." She pressed her fingers into the bridge of her nose. "He said he was removing the possibility of compromise because there could be no compromise. I know he cared about the Mages, and believe me, so did I, but that was..." She sighed. "I half-expected Justice to pop out halfway through his speech, it was so noble, so violent. It tore me apart how he had ignored everything I had tried to tell him, everything we had actually seen. And then he stood there on that damn little crate, much too small for his ass to fit properly on it, insisting I take my knife and end it right there. 'I deserve it,' he said."

Neither woman spoke right away, letting Liyata's words sink in. After a while, the Champion walked across the room.

"But I really shouldn't talk about this just yet. You need to finish the book before I can say anything more to you. I'm sure the last thing you want right now are spoilers."

Vida stopped her.

"Why did you come back? I mean that seriously. Even knowing about Corypheus, you had every reason to stay in the shadows with Anders. Why put yourself back in the fire?"

Liyata's eyes were firm then. Not fiery, not sad, they stood stoically, displaying the courage and fear she had buried all these years. Despite their lack of intensity, the look inspired fear in the Inquisitor all the same.

"A true hero can never escape, Inquisitor. I have come to realize the world will never truly know peace like we wish to achieve. There will always be a conquering nation, a dissatisfied or oppressed minority group, a political rival. I spent years trying to protect my family, and I failed all three times. Sometimes I wonder if leaving Anders behind really was the best idea. I'm a lousy guardian."

"That's not true," Vida insisted. "Bethany's fine, and if Corypheus really can corrupt the Wardens, then keeping Anders away is the best idea."

"And what if it's not?" Liyata snapped. "He already has problems controlling Justice, even to this day. Without me being there, he's liable to blow up another Chantry, or perhaps something far worse." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know you hold these idealistic expectations of me, of the Champion of Kirkwall, whose biting wit kept the Qunari at bay and saved countless lives in Kirkwall during the rebellion. Honestly, I jest to conceal the pain. I crack jokes instead of freaking out. We like to say we relate to our leaders on a personal level, but we don't. We'd much rather dedicate our lives to otherworldly leaders. Too real, and your emotions become suspect." Her shoulders sagged, energy lost. "All of my friends saw me as this tough, likable girl, but every other night, I'd go out to the docks, where no one else could see me, and just...cry. What else was left? I'd sob through all my fears and doubts, wasting away the night. I didn't even drink myself into a stupor like you're supposed to. How is that smart?"

Suddenly, Vida knew exactly what to say.

"I can relate." She walked slowly to the square opening in the wall, staring down at the people as they mingled in the courtyard below. "I can feel it as they live their lives. They count on me as their sole foundation. Me, the runt of my family who couldn't do one thing her mother wanted because her daughter was too stubborn. How can I be the one they depend on? Yet, I have to believe I can do this, just like you need to continue to rely on your past victories."

"Focusing too heavily on the past gets you killed in an instant," Liyata replied. "Haven't you read a history book?"

"That's not what I mean. You have made some incredible victories. You must have the faith in yourself necessary to claim more for yourself. We are going to fix this, and once it's all done, you can see Anders again, and you can live the life of your own choosing. I promise."

The Champion met Vida's eyes, reading as deeply as she dared. She slowly stopped blinking.

"I have not seen a fire like that in years..." she muttered. "No wonder people call you a prophet." Slowly, a smile crossed the Champion's face. It was small, nothing noteworthy to the average observer. However, for the two heroes of Thedas who stood in that watchtower, the world had changed for the better. It was a smile of hope.