Dragon Age Inquisition: The Legacy of Dorian Pavus

15: Old Gods

Nathaniel

Having calmed myself with friendly conversation, I took the stairs down to the library to speak to Dorian. I could hear him muttering to himself as I entered the room, his voice growing more angry as he heard me approach.

"You have remarkably little here on early Tevinter history." He said as I stepped closer. "All these gifts to the Inquisition and the best they can do is the Maleficar Imperio. Trite propaganda. But if you want twenty volumes on whether Divine Galatea took a shit on Sunday, this is evidently the place to find it."

"That's the Dorian I know." I said, interrupting his tirade. "Criticizing every book in my library."

"I wouldn't have to!" He snapped, turning to face me. "If you could find some rebellious heretical archivist to join the cause."

"Are there rebellious archivists? Other than you, that is?"

"If Corypheus starts burning masterworks of literature, I'm sure a few will pop up." He retorted, his tone returning to normal. "Did I see something by Genitivi here? I could've sworn..."

I frowned at him. "What is this about Dorian?"

He turned away from me then, his voice trembling. "When we fell into the chasm, into the Fade... I thought you were done for. I don't know if I can forgive you for that moment."

"I... I'm sorry you had to go through it with me." I said, stunned by his words.

"I'm not sorry I was there with you." He said, turning to face me again. "I thought I'd lost you. You sent me ahead and then didn't follow. For just a moment, I was certain you wouldn't. I thought - this is it, this is where I lose him forever."

"I'm sorry Dorian." I repeated. I didn't know what else to say. I wanted to reach for him but was afraid he'd push me away.

"We went into the Fade. Physically went in." He paused, his eyes giving away how upset he was. "Are you... all right?"

"It was horrible. Like walking in a nightmare, but nothing was real. I couldn't..."

"Ah. It's as I thought." He sighed. "The Fade is an ordeal even under normal circumstances. To be the only real thing there... beyond description. That any of us made it out alive is difficult to believe. That you made it out... a miracle."

"You think my survival was a miracle?"

He frowned at me. "I realize you don't see how truly remarkable you are." He said, taking a step toward me. "But you are. You survived the explosion at the Temple when everyone else died. You closed the Breach. You forged an alliance with the apostate mages without starting a war."

I felt my heart pound as he spoke. It was more emotion than he'd shown for me to date and I was overwhelmed. He stepped closer, gripping me by my upper arms as he pulled me to him.

"But most of all, you are remarkable to me. You are the most beautiful, most kind, most patient man I have ever met. I don't want to lose you amatus." He said, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

He released me and stepped back, his brow furrowing in anger. "So don't ever do that to me again."

I frowned back at him, confused by how quickly his tone had changed.

"You made me think you were dead!"

I reached for him then, his body stiff with fear as I pulled him into my arms.

"I'm sorry Dorian. I didn't realize."

He blinked furiously to stem the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. "I'm sorry too." He said, his arms slipping around my waist to pull me closer.