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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere	By : TheStarvingArtist Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 7184 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE. This is a work of fiction, and I make no money from it. This fic contains dialogue from the game.

Chapter List
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Author’s Note: So, this thought came to me once when I was debating what I would do if someone from Earth were to fall into Thedas at the time of Inquisition. A few doodles and a lot of scribbling later, this story started to form. It is sounding like it’s going to be kind of long, so I’m sorry about that, but it is what it is. I don’t entirely know where I’m going with this, I just have a few ideas in mind, and I’m running with them. She's from a generic city, because I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, and I couldn't really think of a place around here that she would be at that made sense. I picture some place like New York or Chicago, but am unfamiliar with those places, so I kept it pretty general.
(I really need to draw Rio…)
Rio isn't her real name, of course, but that will come later. No, I haven't actually pinned down a pairing that I'd like, and Rio is pretty open to a lot of things. Currently, I'm taking bets on what the potions of the game would taste like in Earth-terms. Feel free to speak up if you have a suggestion!
Enjoy!

**This fic contains many quotes and much dialogue straight from the game. I will try to indicate all of these instances, but Maker's tears, be understanding, nearly ALL of the dialogue in these first few chapters from everyone but Rio is from the game. (* will be used to indicate when dialogue was used in a paragraph)**
Chapter One
Waking Up
Rio groaned when she came to. All she could seem to feel was how frigid the air was, and how everything seemed to hurt. Her limbs ached, alternating between a biting numbness and a sharp pain. It radiated up her left arm, across her chest, and all the way to the tips of her toes with each pulse. Every time she took a breath, the jabs of pain slowed, and the next breath got easier. Slowly, she became aware of her twisted ankle, a headache, and even the gnawing of her empty stomach. It took even longer to get the strength enough to open her eyes and look around her.
Looking down at the floor blearily, she took in stock of her surroundings. Blue eyes glittered in the torchlight, gold reflected in their centers. Noting the cold stone and general damp, Rio shivered, becoming more and more aware. Frowning, she wondered if she'd collapsed on the street somewhere. It wouldn't have been the first time, of course, but it was definitely a bad time for it. She was going to be late for work, and if she kept Johnny waiting, he was going to be angry. She tried to lift her head, blinking at the stone walls around her and frowning again. The near-silence of the room was broken only by her soft groan as pain lanced through her. She couldn't hear any traffic sounds, so not in an alley somewhere... Walls... Had she stumbled in somewhere when the fit came over her? Did someone grab her when she was out? Blackness faded in at the edges of her vision before she slowly willed it back, taking deep, steadying breaths. She couldn't let herself slip back under--she needed to keep awake and find out what was going on.
Groggily, she rolled from her side onto her back, feeling her head spinning as she moved. Looking about the poorly lit room, she spotted the shadowy figures around her and the flash of steel in the torchlight. Panic pushing back the foggy clouds in her mind as she tried to sit up hastily. Three men guarded her, each with a wicked-looking blade trained on her. These weren't some thugs, gang-members looking for quick cash. They had a harder look to them, all grim lines and somber expressions. Most importantly, she noted, none of them carried any guns. For a moment, she didn't know if she should be more worried about that, or relieved. Looking at the grey stone walls, wooden beams, and iron gates, she couldn’t help wondering where they were. It looked like a dungeon, which wasn't comforting at all. Shifting again, she frowned as she looked down, finding her hands shackled in heavy irons with a long spacer bar between.
She was a prisoner, then. She looked up at the men, narrowing her eyes at them. They wouldn't get much of a ransom for her, but they had the look that they might be after something... else. Whatever it was, she hoped to find out fast, or get out to safety.
Pain shot up her arm, ripping a surprised shout from her as a brilliant green light cut through the gloom. A crackling sound broke the silence, almost sizzling in the air as she fought to keep awake. Just as the pain faded, a heavy wooden door slammed open before her. Her heart jumped when she realized someone entered the room and was now circling her. She shifted nervously on her knees, keeping her head down. She knew she looked bad, makeup smeared on her face and dirt smudging her face... Her light blue leggings were definitely ruined, her rocker t-shirt half-torn and threadbare. She had no idea where her coat or boots were, trying to shift on numb feet.
Despite how she wanted to panic, she kept herself still for as long as she dared. She didn't know what she was doing here, and she couldn't afford to panic.
She wanted to shrink back from the new person, biting her lip as she watched them from the corner of her eye. She struggled to keep calm, looking up at the stranger with new fears rising inside. Had she been kidnapped? Did they expect someone would come looking for her? What were they going to do with her if they found out she was really nobody? That she didn't have anything of value, or that no one would give them what they wanted? She swallowed heavily, trying to shrink away from everyone as another woman entered the room. What if they didn't care about ransom? Anxiety rose again as she tried to keep herself still, trying to stop fidgeting, panic peaking once more as she tried to keep breathing.
She had almost dredged up the courage to ask what was going on when she caught the dark look that the woman shot her, her words dying in her throat. Whoever she was, this woman was strong. She knew that without looking at her sword or armor. Her stance, her face, everything about this woman screamed of inner strength and determination. She had a scar on her left cheek, and it did nothing to take away from her beauty. Rio's hands twitched for a moment with the want to draw this person before she looked away. Sharp cheekbones and a regal face looked down at her with such intensity that it left her shaken. She didn't dare risk more than a brief glance up, feeling her face get hot as the blush crawled there. She had definitely been staring... Rather than try to face the stronger woman, Rio tried to shift away from her, not meeting her gaze again.
“Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now!” the woman barked as she leaned in close to her. The accent was rich and bright, almost like Russian, but different. Rio flinched inwardly, keeping her head bowed. When she stepped closer, she threw her hands up, palms out as she turned her face away. That’s how she got Johnny to stop when he came at her looking for a fight, whenever she made him angry, right? She noted with a little bit of relief that the woman took a step back, though she was no less angry it seemed. “The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you,” she spat, her words angry as she looked down at her. When Rio didn't answer, she lifted her wrist by its shackle, lifting it up as the spark and pain shot up her arm again. “Explain this!” she cried angrily, brown eyes hard as steel, shoving Rio's hand back into her lap.*
“I... I can’t,” Rio squeaked, looking up at her as she tried to huddle back away from her again.*
“What do you mean, you can’t?!” the woman cried, the anger rising up again as she circled.*
“I don’t know what that is!” she answered, shrinking back at the dark look she received. “I don’t know h-how it got there, or what’s going on!”
“You’re lying!” she half-shouted, reaching for her again. Before Rio could try to get away, a red-haired woman stepped forward, placing herself between Rio and the angry warrior. With little more than a gesture, she calmly pushed her back to put distance between them.*
“We need her, Cassandra!” she said insistently, looking back at Rio as she huddled in the corner. Rio looked at this woman, worry crossing her face. What had she fallen into this time?*
“Please,” she said softly, trying to look as small and harmless as she could. “I don’t understand... Where am I?”
Softer eyes watched her curiously. “Do you remember what happened? How this began?” she asked, voice lilting with an almost French accent. Rio looked nervously at the dark haired woman behind her, not sure if she should answer her. *
Blinking tiredly, Rio tried to think, dredging through her memory. “I remember... leaving my apartment... I was walking down the hall... Johnny called, and he... he wanted to see me before work. I was worried he w-was angry, so I took a shortcut, to try to get there faster, and... I... ...” she said with a wince, the pain shooting through her face again as she clumsily reached up to touch her face. There was definitely a bruise there, over her brow and cheek. She had to have fallen somewhere. She remembered feeling a little dizzy, but that wasn't abnormal...
She shuddered as a memory flashed through her head. Running... away from something... no... toward something... Towards someone? "Someone... reached out to me..." she murmured, shaking her head a little, trying to make the image clearer in her head, even as she felt it slip away with a frustrated groan.
"A woman?" the red-head said, turning to her companion. Both women exchanged looks, sighing softly, drawing Rio’s attention again as the pain faded. Looking up at them, she watched the angry woman nod a little to the other. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”*
The red-haired woman nodded a little, giving Rio one final look of sympathy before turning to leave the room. The angry woman approached again, kneeling before her. Rio could see the brown of her hair, seeing the braid that circled the crown of her head and wondering how she got her hair to do that. She almost asked, blinking as she realized that she was unshackled. Shaking herself a little out of her reverie, she found her arms quickly tied back together again with tightly-looped rope and hauled to her feet. Finally finding her voice again, she asked, “... What happened?”*
A sadness flickered into those eyes for just a moment before a wall slid into place, shutting her back out. “It... will be easier to show you,” she said, making sure Rio was steady on her feet before leading her through the door. It was closed behind them, and Rio found herself nudged down a hallway and up a long flight of stairs.*
At the top, she found herself in what looked like a church, with vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. It looked old, though, nothing like the modern churches she used to go to with her family. Pushing the memory aside, she looked around, noticing how the benches had been cleared away. Underfoot, the carpet was dotted with holes, worn through by the soles of many feet, revealing the stone underneath. Here and there, her feet caught in the fabric as she was nudged forward. She didn’t have much time to study the change as she was led out a pair of large double doors, the cold hitting her hard. Shivering, she felt herself tremble a little at the sight before her, eyes glinting in the light. While the cold made her shiver, the sight before her froze the pit of her stomach. She took in what appeared to be a green cloud that coiled and twisted, its funneled base disappearing between two peaks in the distance. It shone with an unnatural, green-tinged light, and made her head throb as she looked at it.
“We call it 'the Breach',” the dark-haired woman, Cassandra, said, looking up at it. “It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour.” Turning to look back at Rio, she looked resolute, standing there in her armor. “It’s not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.”*
Rio frowned up at the rift, feeling an uneasiness settle in her stomach. “An explosion can do that?”*
“This one did,” she said with a slight nod, taking a step closer. “Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.”*
Looking at it, she saw and heard sparks, and before she could even react to what was happening, she fell to her knees in pain. Agonizing pulses shot up her arm again, making her cry out as she slumped into the snow in a crumpled heap, whimpering. Hot tears ran down her face as she clutched her arm to her, the pain slowly fading again. Looking up, she found the other woman kneeling before her, concern written on her face. Frowning deeper, Cassandra said, “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads. And it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time." Rio felt the urgency in her voice, worried what would be asked or expected of her as she looked up at the sky. Cassandra drew her attention again as she reached out a hand to help her steady herself. "We want to try to use your mark to close the Breach."*
Rio’s whole body shook from both the cold and the fear that began to niggle at the back of her mind. Part of her knew she should be asking questions, she should be demanding answers. She needed to find out how she got here, and, more importantly how to get home. Looking up that the Breach again, she swallowed hesitantly. Another pulse shot through her as she gritted her teeth and fought to think. She entertained the notion for a few seconds that she might wake up, that this might be some twisted dream. She might yet open her eyes and it would be gone and she would be at home in her bed.
It wasn't going to happen, a little voice said in the back of her mind, but it could.
Sighing a little, she nodded, just enough, “I’ll... I will try...”
Cassandra regarded her quietly for a few moments before nodding, lifting her to her feet. She stumbled as she walked, hissing as the cold bit through her feet, having to stop after a little ways. Cassandra frowned at her, looking confused as she sat down and tried to coax some warmth back into her feet. With a frown, Cassandra motioned to one of the soldiers dressed in some strange beige and brown get-up. Rio looked up as a pair of boots and a bundle of clothes was pushed into her hands, making her blink in confusion. Cassandra pulled her into a tent, closing the flap off to prying eyes. The rope around her wrists was quickly removed. Before she could react, her T-shirt was yanked over her head. Strong arms pulled another shirt around her, slipping her arms into the sleeves quickly. She didn't even have time to be self-conscious as it was pulled closed and secured by many tiny clasps all the way up to her neck. Expert fingers made sure the garment wasn’t too tight before motioning to her leggings next. “Get them off,” Cassandra said, grabbing a drab pair of pants and holding them up to her. “And put these on. You need to be dressed for the frigid mountain temperatures.”
Rio frowned for a moment and was going to argue when a draft cut through the tent, and she noticed that she was much warmer with the top. She debated arguing further before quickly tugging off the dirt-covered yoga pants. Yanking on the supple brown leather-like pants, she started to comment how soft they felt against her legs. Looking down at the ties, she blushed, trying to secure the ties to hold them closed before Cassandra gave a soft grunt. With a few quick yanks, the leggings were snuggly tied shut, hugging her hips tightly. A long jacket was yanked on next, and a sash wrapped and tied around her midsection. Last were knee-high boots that were shoved into her hands. Hopping haphazardly, Rio managed to yank them on, securing the little ties there. Straightening again, her wrists were grabbed, Cassandra quickly securing them with the rope before she was pushed back out into the bright light.
Stumbling, she managed to keep herself from falling as she was pulled back down the path, past rows of tents and through a large gate, Cassandra ever-present at her back. She couldn't help but notice the other people as they passed. Hard expressions and dark looks thrown her way, making her instinctively to recoil from them. Cassandra nodded to a couple of them as they passed, making their way down a flight of stairs. “They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry.” The hurt and anger in her voice rose as she roughly pushed Rio onward, almost making her fall. Someone gave an angry shout and the looks seemed to only grow darker as they passed. “The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together... now, they are dead. We lash out, like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves. As she did..."*
Along the path they walked, reaching another stone doorway, Rio felt her stomach drop as she realized that they were headed towards the Breach. She stopped when Cassandra placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around as she looked at the fierce woman in the eye. “Do you understand?”
Rio stared back for a few moments in silence before managing to finally say, “Just one question... What’s a conclave?"
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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere