Dawn Will Come

Chapter Eleven

"This Templar, his name is Samson, we've been trying to find him with little luck. He is the one seeing to the red lyrium supplies, something we need to stop," said Cullen as he approached with a letter in hand.

"I don't know if I'll be able too, most of the time, these things just happen by accident"

"What do you do normally before it happens?"

"Well, when I saw your past, it was when you caught me,"

"Then maybe if you touch the letter and focus, you may see something?" He suggested as he picked up the letter and approached me.

"Like I said, I'll try," I mumbled. Hesitantly, I took the letter from him and closed my eyes, trying my hardest to focus on the man who had written it yet what seemed to catch the attention of the unusual magic that seemed to control me far more than I wished for it too, sent shivers of fear rolling down my spine in an uncontrollable fashion.

A man sat on his knees in the centre of a dark, dank room lit only by a few candles scattered here and there, his shining silver armour speaking of the order he had once dedicated his life too. In front of him lay a bowel that glowed in an unusual fashion, sinister whispers rising from within it as the unusual song seemed to engulf the man. His dark hair fell in front of his face, clinging to his skin due to the beads of sweat that hung upon his forehead, his eyes remaining wide with fear and anxiety as he stared into the bowel.

Hesitantly, I stepped forward, my heart remaining unusually calm in my chest as I approached the young man and knelt to peer into what it was he stared at. An unusual red liquid glowed in the bowel with strange shadows moving within it, almost as though they were swimming in a terrifyingly graceful manner far beyond that of anything human.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat and I fell backwards before scrambling away as I realised as to what it was I was looking at and I seemed to grow aware of the figures in the room, hiding within the shadows.

"A liquid version of red lyrium," I blurted in disgust

"Drink," said a deep male voice emanating from within the darkness and without any further hesitation, the templar did exactly as he was commanded. My eyes widened with both fear and shock as I scrambled towards the table and lifted myself up before briefly glimpsing at the map that lay upon it. The map indicating something though I was uncertain as to what.

In a swift movement, the young man threw himself onto the floor, his body convulsing and writhing in sheer agony, screams escaped his lips as the crystals rose from within his skin, breaking through his muscles and armour as they revealed themselves to the world.

No longer could I bare witness to any of it as I forced myself to gaze upon the map, memorising each part of it before I felt the warmth of his hands touching my upper arms, pulling me back from the petrifying scene.

Icy tears rolled down my cheeks, my heart hammering in my chest and yet I remained completely still, unable to move, frozen with despair and fear. Hesitantly, I gazed upon his face, his handsome dark eyes watching me with worry as he attempted to bring me back from what I'd seen.

Please... let it not happen to him... please... he's too nice... too kind... gentle... my thoughts were fractured as I attempted to collect them and myself from the stain that had rooted itself into this world. It didn't belong here and yet, here it was.

"Dawn?" he continued to call, "Fuck! I need Solas, this is well out of my-"

"I'm fine," I mumbled, my body remaining as still as stone, "give me a map"

"Shit! What happened? We-"

"Give me a map now!" I interrupted, my voice firm and commanding as it boomed through the room like thunder. It seemed to have caught Cullen by surprise as he quickly rushed over to his desk and retrieved a map before giving it me. Swiftly, I took a quill and began to mark the areas that I'd seen on the map, "I don't entirely know what it means but they were marked off on a map so I think it's something important,"

"What did you see?"

"I saw a Templar drinking red lyrium, in the room were figures, I couldn't quite see them to make them out but there was a table and on it was a map with these areas marked on it,"

"Any indication as to what they mean at all?"

"No but I think it's something to do with the red lyrium or the templars, it has to be"

"I'll have it investigated," replied Cullen as he returned the map to his desk

"Thank you,"

"What?"

"I said thank you,"

"For?"

"Since being here, everyone has treated me like a child even though I am clearly not so. Though I have no memory before falling from the rift, I am physically matured, I am an adult... I just have much to learn or remember, but even so, you're the first person who has let me help in some way, made me feel useful,"

Slowly he approached and with a gentle stroke of my cheek, seemed to sooth me for a moment, washing away all of my worries and concerns

"You could have left at any point, you didn't have to stay here. If you wanted to kill us, you could have done so already. I believe we need to give you a chance of some sort, not lock you away, let you prove yourself"

"And for that, I thank you," I muttered with a smile before turning away from him, "I hear Varric likes to tell stories"

"He does"

"Could you ask him, if he'd be willing to come and tell me a story or maybe let me read something he's written? It gets very lonely and very boring in that room,"

"I'm sure he'd be very willing,"

"Thank you," I said, my lips twitching even further until my grin reached both of my ears, "I'll leave you to your work,"

"I can always bring you some more books later? Or maybe a game?"

"That'd be good, thank you," I replied before lifting my hand and allowing the rift to open once more before leaving and returning to my room where I was supposed to remain captive, my smile barely containable as I lay on my bed, deep in thoughts and fantasies.