3Chapter Eight, The point where I start to make a single word or edge title names because that seems easier for chapter titles that I never use to label any given chapter on the websites I post these chapters to.
I don't have a beta so this is bound to have several grammatical screw-ups, maybe Grammarly will hopefully rectify this.
Also, I like to do the swearing of words.
"... Heads" Alistair said as he sneered at the coin, a tone of disappointment in his voice at the fact his witchy companion was right.
Said witch just smiled smugly at the young templar before turning to the only elf in the group, "Now, are you going to explain why we had to do that?"
Alim took a deep breath, "Alright, how do I put this…" The elf mumbled into his clenched hands.
"I'm not… from around… here..." He said slowly as he held his hands up to his face, as if prayer, and lowed them to where his fingers were pointing between his two compatriots. Who shared a look of confusion, for once in agreement.
"The only one of us who's from around here is Morrigan," Alistair said severely confused by the elf's actions.
"Your right but that's not what I meant…" Alim massaged the bridge of his nose as he struggled to put the right words to his thoughts, before spitting out, "I mean Thedas, I'm not from Thedas."
"What, like a spirit?" Morrigan said in mocking disbelief, "Your a little too plump for that to work."
"Unless he's an abomination," Alistair suggested before realizing the implications of his words and slowly turning to look at the elf cautiously.
"No Alistair, I'm not an abomination," Alim turned to Morrigan, "And trust me, spirits can manifest without the need of possession, it's just a very difficult process that tends to fuck the spirit over."
"Alright if your not an abomination, then what are you?" Morrigan leaned back and crossed her arms, leveling her questioning glare at the elf.
'Outside of deeply attracted to you?' The elf shook the thought from his head, "Do either of you know what reincarnation is?"
"No," The two humans said at the same time.
"Basically its when a soul is reborn into a new body after death, to grossly summarize the subject." Alim briefly explained.
"So are you saying your someone else, reborn?" Alistair hesitantly asked.
"Bingo," Alim said snapping his finger and pointing at the blonde.
"I find that hard to believe," Morrigan said just as skeptical as the start of the conversation.
"Trust me, it'll get more bat-shit in a minute." Alim rolled his eyes.
"Go on then," Morrigan said with a wave of her hand after a moment.
"I'm the reincarnation of a human from another world, a world where all of this," He made a sweeping gesture to everything around them, "Is fantasy, a game."
"How are you going to prove that?" Morrigan asked as Alistair tried to grapple with the subject.
"Simple, I'm just going to tell each of you some rather personal information that I have no right to know." Alim said, gaining some confidence, "Who's tea will be spilled first?"
"Me," Morrigan volunteered, "You two could've planned this while I was preparing." Morrigan reasoned.
"Alright, you grew up practically alone, only raised by Flemeth," The elf started out with more obvious facts, "You're able to navigate human society pretty well on the most part, except when it comes to bargaining, table manners, eye contact, handshaking baffles you, you used to lure people into the wilds just to question you, Your mother used you as bait for Templars that followed you, your able to shapeshift and learned it from your mum and spending so much time in nature, You like pretty little 'baubles', you have a massive distrust for the Chantry, you think love is bullshit, do I need to go on?"
Morrigan opened her mouth, "Oh and when you were younger you stole a golden hand mirror from a noblewoman and Flemeth smashed it right in front of you because you tempted danger and you still wonder what would have become of the girl who kept that mirror." Morrigan closed her mouth with a sharp click as her eyes widened.
"And now to be fair," Alim turned back to Alistair who was too busy staring at the witches shock. "Your next Alistair, or should I say… My prince?"
Alistair's neck audibly cracked as he whipped his head to look at the elf with wide eyes.
"So the both of you seem to believe me now," Alim said with a smile as he looked at Alistair, "Thoughts?"
The two where silent for several minutes, the only sound coming from the panting dog next to Alim, who was getting a constant supply of head scritches.
"So, our world is… A story?" Alistair said slowly.
"Well, it's very real at the moment, I just come from a place where it wasn't so real." Alim tried to explain.
"How much do you know about it?" Alistair asked.
"A lot, not as much as some people, but more than enough to be dangerous in this world." Alim vaguely explained, "I have several hard facts about the past and twice as many vague ones, I also know about certain events coming in the next thirteen to fourteen years."
"Did you know about what was going to happen to Ostagar?" Alistair asked in a dangerously neutral tone.
Alim didn't notice "Yeah, I-" He was cut off by a metal gauntlet smashing into his face, knocking him to the ground.
"You could've done something!" Alistair accused Barkspawn growling at the man, trying to scare him off. Alistair didn't notice.
'Really glad for Stone Armor right now.' Alim thought as he rubbed his sore jaw.
He slowly pulled himself up, "Your right, but-" Alim was quickly reacquainted with the ground when Alistair slammed another armored fist into his fist. Barksapwn barked and was about to lunge at the man, but Alim put a hand on the dogs back causing it to stand down.
Alim stayed on the ground for a moment as he blinked the spots out of his vision, all the while muttering the beginnings of a spell.
"What do you have to say for yourself-" Alistair was cut off by Alim turning towards the templar and flinging a hand into his face, magic pouring out of the offending limb and freezing Alistair in place.
"Now listen here buddy," Alim said as he pulled himself up and got in the templar's face, "Don't think for a second that Duncan and Cailan's deaths don't way on my mind." Because he would be right, "I had to let them die, just like I'll have to let several others die." The elf said frustration building in his voice.
"My knowledge is only as good as long as things don't change more than needed, and I need that knowledge to be accurate for as long as possible for me to do as much good as possible." Alim leaned out of the man's face, calming down slightly, "My only goal is to help this world."
"Blink once if you're not going to attack me when I release the spell." Alistair glared at the elf for a moment, before making a very intentional blink. Alim released the spell, causing Alistair to stumble back.
"So if you are so set on things changing as little as possible, why let us in on your little secret?" Morrigan asked, seemingly having regained her composure.
"I don't plan to 'change as little as possible,'" Alim sighed, "I plan to change things whenever I can to better the world or when I think the choices that were made in the original story where stupid."
"And those choices are?" Morrigan prodded a little harder.
"Mainly about future companions, and certain decisions I want to have the chance to explain myself before I make certain… frustrating choices." Alim looked at Alistair out of the corner of his eye.
"Mainly minor things with you Morrigan, like helping the Chantry for coin or clout, and some major things for you Alistair." Alim danced around the topics of such choices so as not to frustrate the already angry man. Angry man with a sword was not a good equation in Alim's book.
"Like what?" Alistair all but demanded.
"As much as it's going to piss you off right now, I want to wait till your less likely to stab me over it." Alim eyed the blondes sword.
"Is it really that bad?"
"Considering the fact that this choice more often than not ends in the death of someone, yes," Alim said grimly.
Alistair didn't look convinced, "Alright, how about this, when the time comes if I am unable to convince you to side with me, I'll owe you a favor of equal value that you can use to make me do something I don't want to after the Blight."
Alistair thought for a moment, "I won't agree just yet, I want to know an example of what these 'choices' sound like."
"That's all I ask," Alim said, at least glad to know the blonde will consider it, "Morrigan, this system also applies to you."
"You'd really indebt yourself to her," Alistair asked incredulously.
"He'd let himself be indebted to the likes of you, is it really such a surprise." Morrigan mocked the templar.
"The both of you forget the fact that I already know you, I know what it's like to be on your bad side, and how to get on your good side. I'll be fine." Alim consoled the blonde.
"Did you just admit that you're going to manipulate us? Alistair gave the elf a sideways glare.
"Isn't that what all social interaction is, manipulation?"
"Not really," Alistair said hesitantly.
"Shame." Alim said, "I'll explain some more of my short term and long term goals when we get to Lothering, onwards!"
Alim spun on his heel and proceeded to march down the road, looting darkspawn corpses along the way.
"What a strange little fellow," Morrigan muttered before following the elf, Alistair following suit after a moment of contemplation, Barkspawn happily patted along the group.
Considering that the last chapter was somewhere in the length of three-to-four chapters I feel that this chapter being a bit short is justified, especially since its early.
So I thought this story would be my first to break One-thousand views, but that honor went to 'BreakDown,' which is also on the right path to being my first story to reach a hundred follows. Neat.
Please review if you enjoyed this, reviews are a great form of encouragement and can help me improve if anyone is willing to offer constructive criticism.
Have a good whatever now.