Dragon Age Inquisition: The Legacy of Dorian Pavus

25: Andraste

Dorian

When Nathaniel showed no further signs of exhaustion or pain from the mark, he began to relax his worry over it. He was still waiting on more research, but had made some interesting discoveries with what he had found.

He was just finishing up his notes when Sera appeared before him, looking cross.

"Arse-biscuit." She said.

He sighed and put aside his notes. "What have I done now?"

"It's been freaking ages since I talked to you and you still haven't answered my bloody question! I brought arrows this time."

Getting to his feet, he turned his palms toward her trying to look as non-threatening as possible. "Sera my dear girl, there's no need for violence. It takes time to do research you know."

"Pfft." She snorted. "Time my arse. I know what you've been doing and it's not "research." At least not the kind to do with books."

To his horror, he felt his cheeks flush. "Now, now that's not fair. I have been doing research. I've just finished up my notes. See?" He said, showing her his parchment. "It's not complete, but I'd be more than happy to share what I've learned so far."

She frowned. "You're just saying that cuz you don't want me to stick arrows in you."

Dorian chuckled. "Yes, well arrows would be unpleasant, but that doesn't make it any less true. Now, do you want to go somewhere private so I can tell you what I learned or do you want to continue arguing?"

"Fine." She said, taking a step toward him, an arrow appearing in her hand as she waved it under his nose. "But you better be telling the truth, yeah? Or I'll use this."

"Well, we can't have that can we?" He teased. "Lead the way, dear girl."

Casting him a scathing look, she stomped off toward the stairs, not looking back to see if he followed. They crossed the great hall and through the first door leading to Josephine's office before Sera turned left and took the stairs down to the cellar and the kitchen.

At the bottom, she crossed a large open room which was empty, heading for another door on the far side. Once inside, Dorian felt his fingers itch.

They were in what must have been Skyhold's first library. A long, narrow, book-lined passage led to a small circular area containing a desk and chair. It too was surrounded by shelves, filled to almost bursting with dust-covered tomes.

She parked her butt on the desk and turned to face him, arms crossed. "Talk." She said.

"Sera. How long have you known about this room?" He asked, running his fingers over the spines of a shelf of books.

"Since we first got here and them noble-pants cleared away the rubble. Why?"

"Why?" He couldn't believe she had to ask. "Because this is a library, a very old library I might add. And the answer to your question could very well be hidden in one of these books!"

She snorted at him. "I don't care about answers! I want opinions. Mag-ey opinions. And since Coryph-enus is one of yours, who's going to have a better opinion than you?"

He frowned. "I can't have an opinion if I don't know the whole story."

"Like the Chant of Light is just oh so accurate? Please. No one tells the truth in stories. Why would Andraste's story or the elf story be any different? Meant to be scary yeah? Give orders, make people do things like always tell the truth or hate magic."

Dorian smiled. "You... have a point. Very well, let me get comfortable." He crossed the room and took a seat in the dusty chair

"Waiting." She reminded him, twirling the arrow through her fingers.

"Getting to it." He retorted. "So you know Andraste's story yes?" At her nod, he continued. "Very good. And you know about the Dread Wolf?"

"'Course"

"Just checking. His elvhen name is Fen'Harel. Back when elves were gods there were two groups of them. One they called the Creators, the others the Old Gods. They were constantly fighting as people tend to do and this Fen'Harel got tired of it. Apparently, he was like a middle-man, neutral I suppose since both sides trusted him."

"Big mistake, right?" She said, interrupting.

"Quite. So one day, he's so fed up he tricks both sides into searching their parts of their personal lands for a weapon he said would destroy the other."

"He tricked them." Sera said. "I bet there was no weapon."

"Right again. No weapon. So while they're off searching, he springs his trap, locking both sides away forever. They have their magical realms, but can no longer use their magic to affect anything in the world."

"Smart. Pretty sneaky too."

"Perhaps." Dorian agreed. "The next part I haven't gotten to yet, so I don't really know what happened next, but something went wrong."

"Like everything does eventually."

"True enough. Anyway, this Fen'Harel did something to ensure neither group could escape, but whatever he did, it hurt him too. Diminished his power or something and he went into some kind of magical sleep and no one knows what happened next. I couldn't find any records or mention of when all this took place, but it seems to coincide around the same time as when the magisters allegedly entered the Black City."

"Andraste's arse." Sear swore. "So you're saying both stories are true? Just mixed up and confused because of the war and the blight that was happening at the same time?"

Dorian frowned. He hadn't actually thought that far ahead, but it made sense. "Seems like a logical conclusion, yes."

"Bloody stupid immortals." She fumed. "So doesn't matter who I pray to then since none of them are around to do anything with it."

"They're still there Sera." Dorian reminded her gently. "But you're right. If the story is true, the gods are locked away where they can't do anything for us."

"But Andraste was real and she wasn't a god."

"Also true."

"Well good. I'll keep praying to her then. At least she wasn't part of that whole immortal bullshit. But I guess that means the Maker wasn't really the Maker then."

"It's possible he could have just been wishful thinking. But it's just as possible he was real and the Dread Wolf impersonated him for Andraste."

"Well thanks Dorian." She said, hopping off the desk, a wide grin on her face. "Knew you were good people."

"I try my best."

"Andraste it is then. Sure hope we don't run into this Dread Wolf though. I might have to stick him with arrows if we do."

"Why?"

"Because if any of it's true, then he's the one who broke the world right? Caused the blights and the archdemons and all of it. If not for him, the gods would still be here. No demons, no undead, none of it."

"I'm not sure about that." He said, frowning. "Maybe the gods were going to do something equally bad and the Dread Wolf stopped them."

"Maybe. But he was probably a mage and no one does all that work just to be nice with nothing in it for them. Probably wanted more power for himself. Like you're always saying about your magey people back home - every mage wants more power once they have a taste for it. Don't care who it hurts either and this wolfy guy hurt his own people. Can't trust someone like that to be good yeah?"

"You... have another point."

"Right. Well I'm off to the little Andraste statue. Gonna light a candle for her. Least she's what the Chant says she is. Thanks Dorian."

"You're welcome Sera. Glad to have been of help."