165 réponses à ce sujet

[Ken555]

Amazing! Make a book, a bestseller!

[Maximus741000]

As interesting as the idea is to turn it into a novel, I'm sure that idea has sprung up in the minds of many fanfic writers, and they've overcome it, but I do appreciate the sentiment. Now back to Fergus and Alsitair.

The Stowaway

“You can't honestly think I'm going to be stowed away inside a barrel, Fergus. And I think my bum's started itching” Alistair complained as he squeezed himself into the barrel in little other than than a set of silverite chainmail armour, his grey warden armour safely stored in a crate. The barrel itself was two and a half feet in diameter, and it took all of Alistair's upper body strength to wedge himself in, with a little help from Fergus. The rains had cleared and it was midnight, but every soul in Denerim who answered to Arl Eamon's call to war was working tirelessly under the moonlight. By Fergus' ship, the voyage could take six hours. There was little time. The signal message arrived from Val Royeaux to Denerim within an hour, but Eamon's order to begin a forced sail needed more time to prepare; roughly two hours. The fleet was almost ready to set sail and the soldiers were boarding. Fergus' ship needed the least time to prepare, but to stall the other ships, that was the problem.
“You said you were willing to help Aldanon if he was alive.” Fergus explained to him adamantly as placed the barrel lid over him, blocking his vision completely. “This is the best way you can get out without being stopped.”
“Right, yeah. Um, couldn't we just take away the base and I creep silently across the pier onto the ship?” his muffled voice echoed from inside the barrel. Fergus chuckled and opened the lid and spoke into the barrel.
“Because the nobles are familiar with your usual glibness and quirks. They would recognise it was you. Now allow me to explain the plan.” before he could take the lid off, Alistair's head popped up, balancing it on his head
“I will explain to Eamon and the other nobles in the city setting ships out to sea that I need to make a fast return to Highever with my soldiers. But to ensure the other nobles are distracted; that's where you come in.”

                                                                                    +++++++++++

“Trapped in a barrel! As in me! As in 'OW!'!” a barrel floated across the bay as he voice echoed out from within across the quiet docks. The calls were enough to draw the attention of a handful of guards and Arl Wulff. The man was usually quick to anger, especially late at night, but this curious sight drew his attention.
“What's going on?!” he addressed the guards roughly and then turned to the barrel. “Is there someone in there?”
“Please help me! Get me out!” Alistair called out, “I got stuck in a barrel and when I tried to get out I fell over.”
“Well, why did you put yourself inside?!” Wulff called out incredulously and with exasperation to the barrel.
“I don't know, it was just a bet. I said I could fit inside a barrel but I got stuck.” he replied from within the barrel.
“You're not supposed to get yourself trapped in barrels, young man! You're an Arl and a Grey Warden!” he huffed grumpily, fearing what the nobility could become with more Alistair antics in the future. “Just how old are you?”
“Stop yelling at me, and help me out before the current takes me away.” Alistair called out to Wulff, and in response the barrel started floating out towards the sea. Arl Wulff considered his next action with a hint of hesitation, he was ordered to oversee the ships be put out to sea; but with the rough currents of the Amaranthine Ocean, the barrel could be lost. He also considered that Alistair would still be upset about Aldanon's death.
“Send a few men out in a longboat before the barrel gets out to sea! Alert Eamon!” he ordered to the other men who bustled into action while Wulff strode off calling out in alarm. From inside the barrel, Alistair privately smiled but quickly wince then nursed the crick in his back and numb bottom. From a tiny hole in the barrel, Alistair was able to get a view of men hurrying about to get the longboat into the bay. He could see a hint of red in the star illuminated docks; Eamon had arrived. As the barrel started to float more outwards, a whole crowd of other nobles arrived. Wulff explained the situation to Eamon who groaned in stressed irritation and disapproval.
“I don't know what the lad hopes to achieve by behaving so foolishly,” he said heavily, “I hope he can explain himself when we catch him. Send more boats after him, just in case.” To Eamon's word, more soldiers entered the longboats. The sight of soldiers on a bizarre rescue mission was starting to draw crowds, even in the dead of night; even some of the Landsmeet nobles who were busying themselves to prepare the ships were becoming drawn to the odd event. This was the diversion Fergus wanted. After five minutes, it seemed the barrel was going to go out to sea, when Fergus ship unexpectedly came into view, what was strange wasn't the fact that it was leaving, but the fact one of it's ropes were loose. Just as a boat full of soldiers was getting close enough to pull the barrel out of the water, a ballista shot sounded from the departing ship and at the same time the barrel to ricochet out from the waves with a rope for a lead towards Fergus' ship. Alistair, who was resisting the urge to vomit, he was so seasick, and wet from seawater seeping into the barrel from his viewing hole, now had to endure flying through the air. The iron sheet at the bottom of the barrel held a strong rope that could snap at any second. Meanwhile Fergus, who was aboard the departing ship, Westward Warden,waited carefully for the barrel to project towards him, drew his word, and with a powerful strike the rope severed as the barrel landed roughly on deck. Fergus opened the barrel lid and Alistair half fell out and half clawed angrily out to take down Fergus only to be restrained by his partner-in-crime and his men before collapsing from exhaustion.

                                                                                    +++++++++++

On the docks, Eamon and the nobles stared in wondered as the barrel leapt from the waves unto the Westward Warden's deck. He was used to Alistair doing extraordinarily odd things when he was a boy, but he'd thought that years among the templars in teh chantry would have lessened that, but then again he'd also remember just how naughty Fergus was as a young boy whenever the Cousland family visited Redcliffe castle.
"That has got to be Fergus' most cunning plan since he let the mabari hounds out of their pen to steal Isolde's good dress." Eamon mumbled to himself, and the other nobles looked about, half impressed by this surge of imagination from the young nobles and frustration at their rash decision.
"I only did what I thought was the intelligent thing to do." Wulff growled indignantly at the other nobles witnessing the event, but Eamon gestured him to calm down. And instead set about to preparing the fleet, knowing that though it would take longer, the intentions were to find and possibly save Aldanon and stop Orlais invading. He also trusted that Alistair's actions were also directed towards the greater good

                                                                                    +++++++++++

As soon as Alistair go himself into a set of clean clothes, and a chance to throw up, he confronted Fergus.
“That 'escape plan' was more like an elaborate plot to kill me, couldn't you just stow me aboard the traditional way?!” he shouted at Fergus with an annoyed, relieved and winded tone,“You know, just put the barrel containing me onto the ship and me being very quiet?” Fergus rolled his eyes at Alistair's frightened tirade.
“Your being stuck in the barrel was just a diversionary method to draw the nobles' attention.” Fergus explained sincerely as he seated Alistair in the main chair of his cabin, his tone serious and matter of factly. “While Eamon's men were trying to take you out of the bay, several of my men were stationed at the docks where ships that would set sail would leave. There, they disabled the rudder chains of the ships, meaning they would not be able to set sail and Eamon will need to give time to repair the ships. With the fleet grounded, we can get to Val Royeaux by morning, try to find Aldanon and try to uncover the situation in Val Royeaux.”
“Why couldn't you have just told me about that before I gave myself a free pain in the back?” Alistair groaned, but then allowed his mind to focus on the present, “At least we will be able to find Aldanon, if he's still alive.”
“He is, Alistair.” Fergus said in a firm and reassuring voice, gripping his friend's shoulder, “For almost a whole year, I endured the fear that Aldanon may indeed have been dead, during the Blight. I never imagined he would survive, but he did. I have faith that he has survived this disaster.”

Modifié par Maximus741000, 03 avril 2010 - 05:10 .

[MireliA]

Your Alistair character sounds so much like I thought he would! Really enjoyed that chapter. After the last few chapters, I think a dose of fun was needed .

[bob-san]

True Mirelaia. This was a nice bit of injected humor, and very Alistair-like. Well done.

[Maximus741000]

Another Entrance

The anderfel warriors carrying Aldanon's body were still being tracked. Elanea and Zevran ran and leapt across the rooftops, watching their movement, while Osecar led the group on the ground. Behind him was Geoffrey, Wynne, Durin, Argeles, and covering the rear was Oghren. As Osecar said, the anderfel soldiers were indeed heading back towards the back alleys, and they were moving at an increased speed despite their heavy and delicate cargo. Like a cat after a valuable prize, Zevran dropped noiselessly onto the ground, spying the anderfels with deductive eyes through the darkness. It was easier to follow them through the filthy alleyways of the slums and the warehouses than in the paved roads of the main city. Eventually, the two mercenaries bearing Aldanon stopped before a rotting wooden door, giving time for the rest of the group to catch up with them as quickly as possible. Elanea and Zevran reached the door first, but remained in the shadows to observe their actions and wait for the others, knowing that trying to attack them this close to the enemy would alert the entire complex. By the time the ground group had caught up, the mercenaries had disappeared through the doorway. Oghren caught up.

“Well, what are we waiting for?!” he shouted out to the others, “Lets burst through those doors, destroy those bleedin' blighters, get Aldanon out of there and defeat the darkspawn! Here we come!” before he could charge off and break the doors down with his axe, Durin grabbed his shoulder and pinned his foot on Oghren's.
“Oggers, this mission isn't going to be as simple as that. They could kill him any moment, that they kept his spirit intact and thus alive is beyond me. As much as we may not like it, we need to employ a craftier plan.”
“Couldn't have said it better myself, my black-clad friend.” Zevran complimented, out of partiality to furtive plans. “We may need to scout the entire building for a way in which we could penetrate it and launch an attack.”
“I agree with Zevran,” Osecar joined in, his logical mind at hand, “Optimally, if we could take them by surprise or get to Aldanon before they do anything to him, we could stand a chance of curing him.” Before the others could come to agreement, a harsh scream pierced the still night. By the Maker, how they jumped. Wynne nearly had a small heart attack, Geoffrey, Zevran and Argeles turned about in fear, both dwarves drew their axes, Osecar dived between the warriors, and Elanea let out a slight cry. Once it was believed the sound had died away and they pulled themselves together, they grouped together with that fell scream still piercing their ears.
“What in the name of the Maker was that?!” Wynne cryed in a fearful voice that detracted from her usual calm.
“It sounded like a...a woman's scream. In which case, whoever was behind Aldanon's poisoning is a greater threat than we realized if they're going out of their way to torture innocents.” Osecar deduced to himself as he dusted his robes off. “If there are any other people being held in that terrible place, we must free them.” Behind him a gurgling groan came from behind him. Trudging out of the alleyways around them were several shadowy shapes with distinctly foul odours of rotting flesh but with humanoid features. Undead.

                                                                                 +++++++++++

In an instant, Osecar drew his staff, incanted loudly, and to his words his allies' weapons were coated in flame. Recognising this to be their moment to attack, the walking corpses struck out. Osecar raised his staff and unleashed a fireball at one of the undead groups, reducing them to burnt shells. But the others pressed the attack. Durin and Elanea took charge of one of the hordes, Geoffrey and Zevran assaulted other, leaving Argeles and Oghren to whittle down the others and Wynne in the middle casting her healing spells. Osecar's burning blades were a welcome addition to the battle, with them the warriors were able to finish them more quickly, and if one sustained injury, Wynne would not be far away. But the ferocity and number of the undead was overpowering, and Zevran found himself isolated from Geoffrey and a powerful corpse struck him down and caught him in it's clawed grip. Before it completely break his neck, it's grip loosened and it dropped to the ground, Zevran got up to find one of Elanea's arrows in it's neck. The brutality of the undead was not a full match for the skill and ability of Aldanon's companions, and were quickly defeated. Wynne analysed the situation of the group.
“We seemed to have sustained little injury other than scratches and bruises,” she announced to the group, but turned to Zevran, who lay quietly on his back breathing lightly. “But Zevran has sustained scratches to his neck as well as strangling, he may even have undead poisoning in his blood. It's nothing I can't heal.”
“It may also endanger our time trying to heal him, the enemy could launch an ambush.” Geoffrey said grimly. “Perhaps if we were to split up, one group could locate a way into the warehouse, the other stayed behind while Zevran recuperates.” This was their best solution; Durin, Oghren, Osecar and Elanea volunteered to locate a way into the  lair of the enemy. They searched around the perimeter of the warehouse, but nothing was turned up.
“Look over here! There's a hole!” Elanea called out.

                                                                                      ++++++++++++

Elanea had found a hole in the ground that led to a series of caves. She could tell it was the source of the undead because of Osecar's tests, another group of undead, and her hunting instinct. She had left a trail of arrows for Zevran to find her, to lead him to the cave. The tunnel wend down deep at first, but it started shifting into a more horizontal level. Osecar held his ignited sword out ahead of him, illuminating the path, but eventually Elanea insisted that they travelled without light. Both dwarves were remarkably sombre in this darkness, though they had been since d'Aubrac's coup, being this close to dark arts and an unknown enemy kept them even more subdued. In time, they came to the exit of the cave. The sight that awaited them was disturbing. It led to a much larger cave which must have been beneath the building, lit by torchlight and forges, racks of weapons lined along the walls of the cave. Magical humming rung through the cave, emanating from what seemed to be racks and racks of corpses, surrounded by black-robed, chanting mages. The advance group stepped back in horror, but they needed to see whatever was happening. A blast of red magic blinded their eyes, and when it resided, the corpses moved. They shifted off their racks and onto the ground, baleful eyes boring the world around them. The corpses walked. Loud footsteps came down the stairs, the two anderfels carrying Aldanon's body came down and lifting him onto the rack. Elanea was two steps ahead of Marjolaine's forces. Just as Aldanon was laid down on the rack to await the malificarum, two arrows tore through the air and annihilated the first two mages. Osecar, who had been preparing for a few seconds, raised a towering inferno and it rasped at the undead, in their confusion they collapsed. Unrelenting, Osecar barraged them until they were reduced to ash or picked off by Elanea's arrows. The two other malificarum caught in the flames, one fell from the heat; the other escaped, but only to be cut to pieces by Durin and Oghren.

                                                                                       +++++++++++

Wynne, Geoffrey, Zevran, Argeles and Maximus came behind them. The loyal mabari bounded across the cave onto Aldanon, and broke into fevered whining, but instinctively did not lick his face. The look on Wynne's face upon seeing Aldanon was one of grief, relief and self-reproach, but firm words from Zevran affirmed her to calm down. After relating what they saw to Geoffrey, the warden-lieutenant posted himself and the warriors, while Elanea and Zevran slipped into the shadows. Osecar and Wynne started examining his body.
“Based on what my tests seem to be showing,” Wynne conferred with her old apprentice, “Aldanon's poison was a demonic poison, and must be countered using natural ingredients, the best ingredients would be the ones naturally used as poisons found in nature.” they searched their packets for the appropriate ingredients.
“It seems we have all the appropriate ones,” Osecar said studiously, “But the poison must have been enhanced through other means, more potent ingredients. Perhaps Zevran and Elanea can turn something up.”

[bob-san]

Tween you and Silimka, I've been inspired to try my hand once more at writing. And with the beautiful and detailed world of Thedas in front of me, how could I resist.



Keep up the inspiring work you guys!

[Sisimka]

Caught up today, looking forward to more!

[bob-san]

I mean you and Sisimka (not Silimka). My bad



Bloody iPhone doesn't like the Edit Post function of this site apparently.

[Sisimka]

You know, I didn't even noticed you had misspelled my name until you posted this... yes, I am THAT oblivious!

[bob-san]

*lol*



I didn't even realize I mispelled it until sometime after I looked at the post. If you're the president of Club Oblivious, can I be a member too?

[Sisimka]

*hands you a t-shirt* Welcome aboard!



It seems I have started derailing yet another thread! Sorry, Max!

[bob-san]

Ooooo You have t-shirts!



And sorry Max. Don't mean to contribute to thread derailment.



Nothing to see here now. Carry on.

[MireliA]

Well I suppose someone should be responsible for getting this thread back on track *plays sensible adult for awhile*.

Glad you got Aldanon back . Looking forward to the next chapter.

Now can I stop playing the responsible adult please? Thank you

Modifié par MireliA, 04 avril 2010 - 09:50 .

[Maximus741000]

I'm not at all bothered by a little derailment ; ). Now due to the relatively short installations, I've made up for that with two chapters of massive size, and to compensate for what may be a long time preparing the next few. The larger chapter deals with exploits taking place on the other side of the Veil.

Disaster

“Would you kill me?” these words had an unusual effect on Marjolaine, it wasn't certain whether they were pleasing or undramatic. She almost didn't believe it, it sounded so unusual to surrender so quickly. But when she turned around and asked Leliana to repeat those words, the nastiest grin creased across her face.
“Would you kill me,” Leliana repeated stonily and bitterly, gazing at her enemy without remorse “if it meant that you were satisfied and that Val Royeaux would no longer suffer by your destruction, would you kill me?”
“I haven't given in to your demands to die, so why should I do so now?” Marjolaine asked in her slow toxic way.
“You've hunted me down across two nations,” she cursed in a crushed, broken voice “you've murdered the only man I've ever been close to loving, and you've destroyed hundreds of innocent lives in the city just to get at me!”
“And you want me to end it all by simply killing you?” Marjolaine turned to her. “You believe that I will simply end my vengeance on you by killing you here when I decided that our suffering would be so? You are wrong.”
“I am suffering!!!” she shrieked out hysterically, pulling on the chains on each word. “All this has happened because you want me to suffer, I am suffering, and the people in the city are suffering, and I want it all to end!!” her voice broke and sobs took over her again, threatening to choke her. She had endured a full hour of torture from Marjolaine and her minions from spell, sword and machine. She was stretched on the rack, had daggers plunged into her, hexing spells claw into her, and was healed only to suffer the same punishments again just for Marjolaine's contentment. But that wasn't the worst part; she had gone to great lengths to destroy the world around her to harm her. It needed to end. It needed to end before she harmed more Orlais and Ferelden and everything good about Orlais was destroyed.
“Are you willing to endure a slow, painful death in the knowledge the city's destruction ends?” her foe asked.
“I am.” she said through the sobs and heavy breathing. Marjolaine turned into the shadows and smiled privately. This was not what she had hoped for, but it seemed as if the last remnant of mercy was having it's final say in her conscience. Leliana's voice came through to her, “I'm willing to sacrifice myself knowing that it will end there.”
“Very well.” Marjolaine turned to her, eyeing her with look akin to sizing up an animal for laughter, “Since I cannot have one of my pleasures without loosing another, I will deal with you as I see fit. I will grant that wish. Gather the rest of our forces, tell them that we have achieved victory.” the mercenary she addressed took out a brass horn, François drew his staff and applied it to the horn. It's great blast echoed through the ruined building.

From within François chamber, Zevran was able to find the ingredients based on Osecar's deduction; three lifestones, a fire crystal, three distillation agents, two concentrator agents, a corrupter agent, five toxin extracts and five deathroots. This was no trivial poison. While searching for these components, Zevran and Elanea saw a disturbing number of elves forced to work in slave labour, which was no short source of disgust to both of them. Elanea had to fight the urge to liberate them once and for all, remembering Aldanon's plight before the sound of screaming drew her towards the source of the noise, Zevran was right behind her. She spotted the two women.
“Zev, someone's up there!” she whispered, “Looks like a girl and a much older woman. Zevran? Zevran!”
“Well shoot me in the back and take me for an urchin!” he exclaimed in a rapt yet terrified voice, “It's Leliana!”
“Who?!” Elanea shot back at him, but before she could get answers he was already gone. A few minutes later, he had returned with Wynne and Oghren. Both were just as shocked as he'd expected them to be.
“Maker, Andraste, and all  things holy before us!” she exclaimed, “Leliana! We have to do something at once!”
“Do what?” the hard-headed dwarf butted in, “As much as I may be glad to see her again, isn't Al the priority?”
“He is, but he would be heartbroken if he learned that Leliana was here but couldn't be saved because of us.”
“It's true, Oggers, before this night all he could think about was her.”Zevran said in a considering voice. The rest of Aldanon's old group thought quietly for a moment and Elanea remained focused on them. “I think the obvious point is this; Osecar and Wynne will prepare the antidote and will join the battle eventually, I will take the antidote to him to him and revive him, the warriors will try to fight back any and every foe that gets in their way, and Elanea you have to try and free Leliana.” Elanea opened her mouth to speak, but Zevran held up his arm and in an insistent manner, “Please, there is no time for questions, Leliana is an archer like you, with both of them at our side we can stand a very good chance.” she nodded understandably, her closeness to the wily ex-assassin had given her a measure of trust towards her peers. They had a plan, they needed to enact it.

The horn had mustered all of Marjolaine's barbarous minions, contentment brazen across their faces and actions, now they had an air of cruel anticipation of what their mistress might do next. Shambling from the other tunnels, the undead had assembled in the darker reaches of the warehouse. The elven slaves that were taken from the Alienage were assembled in the corner and guarded by the two mages and a few mercenaries, their numbers whittled down, but miraculously the mother and her child were still alive. Aundar Jürgen, François, Benoit and Iurups had assembled as her first witnesses; they all seemed just as satisfied at their mistress for they knew that soon they would revel in their mistress's victory. Marjolaine had assembled on a table a series of cruel weapons of torture and battle, and an assortment of poisoned, barbed, and enchanted arrows. Of Leliana there was nothing left; just a tormented, broken, deceased young woman with nothing left in life other than death and hateful anger towards her enemy which continued to tear her apart.
“My warriors, rogues, mages, and servants,” she addressed her mustered army, “Tonight is the night you have all suffered and waited for; the reason for my vengeance lies tied to this rack. Ever since she proclaimed to hunt me down from Ferelden to Orlais, I have went to great depths to protect myself from her, even if it meant destroying the beloved Hero of Ferelden.” this was met by cheers and victorious displays of volume, “Starting with her death, we take our place in the Orlesian Empire and emerge from this place. I will join with Duke Claude d'Aubrac as his empress once Celene has been removed. Remove him from control and that will leave me in mastery of the Orlesian Empire!” war cries and brandished weapons filled the air, “We will expand our Empire by crushing Ferelden beneath the mailed fist that is Orlais and purge the land of it's people, making way for us!!” riotous cheers lifted the ceiling of that place. “You will all be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues and revenge deliciously served. First, your new Empress exacts her revenge.” she took up her bow and selected a... poisoned arrow. She pulled on the bow and aimed to fire. Suddenly the floorboards gave way. Osecar's stonefist spell hit it's target. Her arrow had lost her mark and she was hanging by her fingers.

Beneath her chaos unfolded; Geoffrey had come up from behind a pillar and his wide arcs and stabs had completely felled one of her men and sought another. Argeles was a whirling dervish of cutting blades that carved a path through the undead. The dwarves fought in competition, Oghren with his great swipes and Durin with his heavy shield bashes and keen axe strikes. Elanea had ascended one of the beams and with fiery precision shot every foe close to her or threatened to overwhelm her allies. The two mages worked in turn to heal allies and strike enemies, and returning to the mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients, extract their essences and combine them in the correct way. Zevran remained close to the mages, partly in defence and partly to be able to run to Aldanon when the potion was ready. To Leliana, the action was neither a relief nor a discomfort. She had lost everything to Marjolaine, but she was glad that outside forces could afflict a measure of damage on her. Aundar engaged Geoffrey in battle, and Geoffrey was able to cut through his armour, but the anderfel's strength was unprepared for and the warden's shield was shattered. Benoit took up his hammer and breasted the dwarf back but the dwarf resisted the smith, and Iurups snuck behind Argeles, attempted to back-stab him but Argeles turned and riposted his dagger and sword strikes. After a few minutes, the warrior's efforts were exhausting them and they were forced into a corner. To protect themselves, Osecar had ignited a spill of grease to burn any foe who tried to attack. Wynne had finished the potion. Zevran had pinned Iurups to a beam, and heeded Osecar's signal and ran to receive the potion; a fluid, glowing blue liquid. Osecar dispelled the fire and called out.
“Fall back! Fall back to the cave!!” The warriors heeded his amplified voice, unified to form a line and retreated.

Zevran had nearly reached the cave where Aldanon lay. Suddenly he slipped. Grease. He caught the vial before it fell. But before he could lift his arm, a foot came down on him. François had him pinned, he raised his staff to ignite the grease. All of the sudden he was sprawling on the ground trying to take grease out of his eyes. Zevran's trick had worked, he got back onto his feet, now he needed to get to bring Aldanon back, who was just a few metres away. Just as he ran down the stairs, a hot blast knocked him over and the vial spiralled into the air. He must have shouted out in rage as it went into the air, because he was wearing Wade's drakeskin leathers and did not feel the heat. The vial was flying over to Aldanon, but the strength from the heat of the fireball had destroyed the vial, reduced it's contents to vapours over him. Before he could get up, a wave of ice trapped him. François had succeeded in springing the trap. Behind him, the rest of the attackers came up behind him but stopped in their tracks, they knew what this meant. That was their moment of complete compromise; behind them the mercenaries came holding them to crossbow and bow point.

“Well done, my mage.” Marjolaine congratulated François, who accepted it with swelling arrogance. “I can always rely on you to be my hidden dagger.” Leliana had screwed her face in an attempt to dispel a headache, but she had not noticed Wynne, Zevran and Oghren until they were brought up to the elevated floorboards.
“Wynne! Oghren! Zevran! Oh Maker have mercy!” her shocked and pained expression as she called to them pushed Wynne to tears, even Oghren's face softened to absurd proportions. She returned to fighting her cries.
“I take it that these individuals are friends, Leliana?” Marjolaine hissed to her victim. Leliana ignored her and focused on Wynne. “Then they will become part of my revenge; they will die before you and I reverse my agreement to kill you, you will live to see it all.” Leliana's face transfixed on her in horror. She screamed in defiance and tried to lash out, and Aundar put his axe pommel to her stomach, winding her. Wynne darted out.
“You leave her alone, you monstrous brute!!” she shouted at the giant, but he glowered and growled her down.
“You will all die.” Marjolaine announced to them. “You will join my army of walking corpses and -”
“Mistress,” François interrupted her tentatively, “The mages have been trying to work on the corpses, we haven't been able to draw any demons to raise them. It's as though the rip in the Veil has been mended.” The captives looked about in confusion, the Veil must have been connected to the undead, but why was the rip sealed?
“Then open it again! Don't fail me!” she snarled viciously at her mage, who bowed and retreated from sight. “Aundar, bring the old one before me.” Aundar raised Wynne to her feet and propped her before Leliana. “Once the Veil is torn again, we will send them all to the caves to be worked on. And Aldanon, he will take his place as the champion of my armies when we summon a demon to inhabit his body and turn him into a Revenant!!” Leliana's horrified look chilled all around her except Marjolaine. She said nothing, but sank back into torpor. Dissatisfied, Marjolaine took her dagger and drew it towards Wynne's frail neck. Before the neck could be severed, loud groaning erupted from one of the caves, and everything stilled.

The Fade

Aldanon’s eyes opened. At first he thought he received a blow to the head because his vision was blurry and all around him seemed shapeless, cold, and out of place. He wasn’t in Val Royeaux. He recognised the shapeless landscape to be the Fade once again. He got up onto his feet and tried to clear his mind and work out where he was, but it was difficult to focus. His memories of that battle were becoming vaguer. He felt incomplete where he was, as if part of him was absent and wanted to rejoin his spirit, and there was a deathly feeling about him. But he thanked the Maker his arms and armour were still on him, in fact they seemed to be in good condition as opposed to broken and battered. He paced around trying to remember what happened, and tried to make sense of the situation. He finally deduced that his spirit left his now unconscious, if not dead body and is now trapped. He needed to somehow find a way out; perhaps a dreamer or a benign spirit could help.

Suddenly something came across the hill; a hunched, amorphous form of moving magma that radiated a scorching madness, the creature had sinister eyes and clawed hands; a Demon. Aldanon recognised it as a Rage Demon, spirits of pure wrath and fire. Though powerful in their own respect, they were deadly vulnerable to ice. Aldanon searched for his royal arms and found, to his shock, that Maric’s sword was not on him, it must have been taken off his body as the spoils of his enemy’s victory. Instead he drew his frost-enchanted sword Starfang and his Redcliffe shield. In an instant, another slithered over the hill, and then two more, three more, four, and then double that. He looked around and saw more of them, and to his rear to find just as many on all sides. There must have been twenty of them all around him. He was standing in the middle of a Fade gorge. He was surrounded. And trapped. The first one, the largest, laughed in a deep, rasping voice.
“Soon, we will have possession of the Grey Warden, once his spirit is slain.” it announced to its kind. Aldanon dropped into his defensive stance and awaited the enemy’s action. Then, with a roar from the first, the demons advanced. The monsters dived in for the kill, slowly at first, but soon they became a fiery-red flowing torrent of blazing fire descending upon him like a river of lava. Their bright scorching forms nearly blinded him, and instinct took over. The first came down upon him, but had not anticipated Starfang’s frosty bite. With a single fell bow, it bled flame and collapsed in a cooled pile crumbled lava. Three more met him, their clawed hands thrashing at his armour, and the heat of their forms created trickles of sweat down his skin. Some of them used their fire attacks but they were not enough to weaken him, yet. Aldanon had to conquer their blind rages with tactical skill. With a batter to one, and a shield pummel to another, he finished the knocked out ones quickly and efficiently. As they grew in number, Aldanon roared a fearsome cry that sent them recoiling in fear, giving Aldanon a chance to weaken their numbers. A few strikes from his sword finished demon after demon slowly but surely, his access to health poultices were a welcome gift. But larger ones came crashing past, their fiery forms more potent. He began to apply more stamina to each attack, and kept his shield up at every inch. The tougher ones needed more force to put them down, but it soon paid off. He could glimpse the largest one sliding closer and closer, the wrath in its eyes showed a hint of fear. Fear and rage were a dangerous combination.  Right behind it, even more of the monsters followed behind their leader. After felling more of them, he realised the leader was right up against him, it called forth a bolt of fire that knocked him back and he saw in his blurred vision of the advancing demons. The heat of the demonic fire was so intense that his dragonbone armour could not protect him from all of it. He could see the leader preparing to use his fire against him when suddenly a burst of ice froze the powerful demon; he turned to see an elegant woman with pitch black hair and a staff that emanated cold energies; Morrigan. His strength was renewed.
“Arise, my Warden! The enemy comes!” she called out to him, raising her staff to attack.

Aldanon sprung into action, thinning the demonic horde with every blow of his blade, his mighty battle rage giving him a strength that sprung fear into his foes. Just as Morrigan was preparing a swirling, growing cloud of snow, the other demons were alerted. They struck out for her but too late, the spell was cast and they fell on their faces as cold winds dampened their powers and their strength. She called forth more frost jets and cones of cold that froze them in their place, giving Aldanon the chance to splinter them into shards. The lesser demons began to fall back and more fell to the blizzard spell. The cold that had trapped the leader had melted; it roared in wrath and struck for Morrigan. Aldanon, seeing this sank Starfang into its molten, fluid hide. The demon roared in pain and slammed Aldanon back. But his guard was divided. Morrigan unleashed a crushing force cage that trapped the demon. Spell after spell she flung against it, until finally with a jet of cold it sank into nothingness.

“Morrigan, thank the Maker.” Aldanon panted, his strength mostly spent, limping towards her, arms open.
“Don’t thank your Maker; thank me for being there to save you.” She replied in an indignant tone, but softened, “I am glad you were able to overcome that situation, and I’m just as glad to see you again.” Her hand crossed over to Aldanon’s, for a moment all that was happening did not matter, but only for a moment.
“I don’t understand, though,” Aldanon began tensely, remembering the demons, “I’ve never seen so many demons in one small space before, I remember Wynne saying that it normally happens because the Veil is -”
“Thin, yes” Morrigan completed for him, “Yes, someone has been using magic to weaken the Veil, and with the recent death that’s been happening in the city, the demons have been massing to find bodies to occupy.”
“That means they will start possessing bodies and creating undead!” his voice rose to a shout, and began pacing around away from Morrigan, trying to mull it over but still struggling, for many things were alive in his head.
“I need to get back to the city,” he turned to her “How did I get here? Can I get back?” he asked pressingly.
“The only way for you to get back is if your body’s been purged of what’s inhibited it” she spoke clinically, “In your case, your body has been afflicted with a strange demonic-based poison that’s shut your body down, you cannot return to it as it is. The only way for you to return is if an antidote is used, but until then you’re stuck.”
“So until then I can’t do anything to help the others, and I could die any moment?” he asked frantically.
“Yes.” she said simply. “But there is a way in which you can help the others. There’s a point in the Fade, a point in which more demons are congregating to, there’s necromancy at work here which has weakened the veil and called demons and spirits to inhabit bodies.” Aldanon blinked hard, confused, shocked and nervous all at once.
“Undead, are you serious, Morrigan? If so then we need to move quickly and stop the demons before the undead rise. We also need to try and do something to delay the darkspawn horde.” He said half to himself.
“T’is true indeed,” Morrigan nodded, impressed by his logic “there may be a way we can achieve both. Stopping the undead first, then slowing down the horde, but that would require a powerful force to do that.”
“What do you have in mind?” he asked her, Morrigan gestured down the trail and he followed.
“There are many dreamers in the Fade at the moment,” she explained whilst on the move, “If a particularly powerful dreamer was awoken by us, it would seek us in a vengeance, but first it would have to work its way past the dakspawn horde, and when it does, the horde will be whittled down or the creature retreats or both.”
“I can't think of anything large or powerful enough to attack a whole darkspawn horde.” he said hopelessly
“The prospect is not as grim as you make it out to be,” she said in a strangely encouraging voice that leaned towards cunning. “I happen to know of a rather powerful dreamer that can be enraged enough to attack them.”
“Like what?” Aldanon asked her sceptically, still not certain over her word, but did well to hide most of it.
“Follow me and I promise we will seal the Veil and stop the horde.” Morrigan said coolly, seemingly trying to dispel any fears Aldanon had. “I cannot be certain how you will react to it, but all I ask is your trust in the matter.” Aldanon's uncertainty redoubled, he did not trust all this secrecy, it put his trust for Morrigan in jeopardy, much like she told him of her plan to capture the Old God's soul. Perhaps it was his original trust in Morrigan which gave her confidence in him and other individuals. He chose to continue that trust.

After an hour, Aldanon's original fears of the Fade were being put to rest, he had braved the Fade once and he  wanted to avoid it then on afterwards. Occasional counsels from Morrigan were instrumental in that, but ultimately she didn't seem interested in making prolonged conversations of matters other than the Veil. There were also the recent surge of feelings about Leliana which Aldanon had to keep quiet, as well. When she returned to his thoughts, Morrigan could tell that this was one thing which she classified as a hindrance.
“Stop thinking about her.” she said in a sudden, brusque tone. Aldanon's low-lying head jerked up in surprise.
“What do you mean 'stop thinking about her'?” he said in an almost offended yet absent voice.
“Aldanon, you know me to be an exceptionally smart woman,” she said casually at first, “don't you think that if a man's head was in the clouds because of her, I'd know?” her tone sharpened, enough to cut into him.
“If you're referring to Leliana, then could we please keep her out of this?” he insisted firmly.
“I will if you would.” she said simply. Aldanon sighed in exasperation, he forgot how difficult she was around Leliana. A low roar echoed over the slopes; a demon. Morrigan ducked down low and gestured silently to Aldanon to do the same. They could hear the sound of magical energies emanating from a nearby plain and demons assembling. With her lead, they crept along the hillsides and found a potential vantage point to see it. At the bottom of a wide Fade-plain, a massive column of magical pale blue energies was spiralling up into the endless sky, and around it were the demons. There must have been over a hundred of them, each desperate to taste the mortal world. These ones seemed to be a common rage demons and amongst their ilk; the Hunger Demons. Aldanon had never seen the demon forms of these monsters before, and they were truly horrific, for they resembled pale-green humanoids with skeletal bodies, like ghouls, but with scaly skin that opened up in small points like miniature jaws as if to consume the smallest morsel that came by. Their sallow faces held deep, black, lightless eyes and multiple mouths that held lines of sharp jagged teeth. He swallowed hard.

“Have courage, Aldanon.” Morrigan said calmly, in an almost soothing voice “These demons are the weaker of their kind and you have my spells at your side. But only for a short time, for I'm the only one who can seal the rip in the Veil, but that requires you to draw their attention away from me while I perform the incantations.”
“How long do you think we have before they all come through, Morrigan?”Aldanon asked her.
“A few minutes, perhaps five.” She estimated in a calculating voice, but quickly turned urgent. “They're beginning to file into the rift, you need to go down now.” At first Aldanon did not respond immediately, with a frustrated groan she prodded him in the breastplate with her staff, sending him careering down the hill. Once he regained his footing, he turned about to the rift in the Veil and froze in fear. The demons had noticed him. He drew Starfang and dropped into a defensive stance, he glanced behind him to see Morrigan preparing a spell of chain lightning. The demons stood their ground at first, studying him, then the ones closest to him struck out. He had not anticipated the ravenous power of the hunger demons, their ability to fight was like that of a rage demon; all-consumingly wrathful, these ones were wrathfully all-consuming. It seemed that the more damage they dealt on him the more their health would be replenished. With their long claws, they would slice into his armour and expose him to their many jaws, or try to latch onto him and overwhelm him. But his valour had to triumph over them. From time to time he would see Morrigan's ice spells reduce a rage demon to broken crumpled carcasses. After a short while, Morrigan seemed to have disappeared from the battle. Typical,  Aldanon thought cynically. Some of the demons realised their fight was of no use and started retreating through the Veil. Demons continued to fall around him, but his stamina was depleting quickly. A sharp, crackling noise pierced the echoing air; the energies which marked the rip in the Veil were thinning. Morrigan was doing her job. Realising their chance to enter the mortal world was slipping, the demons darted for the rift. Aldanon's chance had come, drawing on his war rage, he drew his sword to the retreating demons, cutting them down as he went. The skirmishes against them were brief, for his armour and weaponry gave him the edge in combat. Within a short while the demons were retreating, stealing back into the never-ending wastelands.

Aldanon looked up at the rip in the Veil, it was no longer rejuvenating, the winding threads of energy were lashing out around it; where was Morrigan? He heard a strange laugh, a woman's voice, behind him.
“Well done, Warden.” the source of the voice, Morrigan, praised him enticingly, “The demons are gone, and now the Veil is almost repaired, I would suggest you go through it and return to the mortal world.” Aldanon stared at her in confusion, there was something very clearly wrong about this. Yet he felt inclined to believe her. Everything about her seemed so...welcoming, so agreeable, so faultless. But he had to see through it.
“I thought you said I could not return to the real world due to the poison.” he said warily, but the woman smiled.
“I did, but it occurred to me that you could simply return to the real world through this rip in the Veil. The poison merely traps you here, provided the Veil remains intact, but now there's a way out. Once you return, you will be able to return to your body and continue your battle against the darkspawn.” The idea was tempting, so tempting that Aldanon could not see no flaw in it. He longed to return, but he was not about to forsake Morrigan's words.
“Begone, Demon of Desire!” he called out to her, who stepped back in disgust, “I will not be subject to your games!” he drew his sword and advanced, only to be caught in a cage of collapsing energies. His body was breaking down. The desire demon unmasked herself and glided towards him, a venomous glare on her face. Just as she raised her hands to produce another curse, Morrigan appeared behind her. A magical shockwave broke Aldanon's cage, freeing him to send his sword through her slender body while Morrigan send lightning surges through her body. As Aldanon fought to regain his breath, Morrigan uttered one more spell to seal the Veil and as if to her command the energies dissolved into nothing.
“You did well, Aldanon,” Morrigan said in a complimentary voice, “It seems experiences with demons were not  wasted on you.” Aldanon looked over the defeated forms of the demons, in his deep breaths he smiled wryly.
“Now we need to stop the darkspawn from doing more damage to the city.” he said after a while.
“Indeed, we do.” she said plainly, pacing as she went, which soon turned into a fast stride. Aldanon looked at her in confusion and followed behind her, looking back at where the rip in the Veil was, the desire demon's temptation still ringing in his ears and after a moment's thought he fought his fatigue and followed her.
 
They continued to travel the wastelands. The journey must have been an hour's length, and the silence was just as painful ad the journey, he was only glad that Morrigan's actions conveyed conviction to his cause. A great, ear-splitting roar penetrated the dead atmosphere. Aldanon ducked to the ground in surprise and drew his sword. Morrigan beckoned him to follow. He crept along beside her, trying to pinpoint the source of what seemed to be loud breathing. Nothing could have prepared him for what he found. A great creature lay in deep sleep in the valley. It's massive bulk consisted of a wide body and heavily muscled and clawed legs which did not lift it far off the ground and opposable claws on it's forearms, a sweeping tail and a broad yet snakelike neck which lead to a broad-snouted reptilian head with long fangs bared in it's sleep and a crown of three horns along it's head. It was covered in hard, green scales, like tenfold shields folded over and over, with high bony ridges along it's back running from it's head, down it's tail.
“Maker's breath!” Aldanon said weakly in terror, finding his voice at last. Morrigan grinned smugly at him as though she were proudly showing the creature of as her newest weapon of war. “What is it?” he asked in fear.
“T'is a Great Wyrm; a male dragon.” she said whilst taking it the incredible might of the new monster. “It was once a drake. No bigger than that. But once in every brood of drakes, there are a few who are able to continue their growth until they become as large as their High Dragon counterparts, and just as powerful. At that size, they can copulate with the female after her first clutch of eggs, thus allowing more dragons to be born. They are largely nomadic and rarely meet High Dragons; while they don't fly, their fighting strength is unmatched.”
“This is incredible,” he said stepping gently towards the sleeping dragon, “But what has this got to do with our plan to hinder the darkspawn?” He asked sceptically and looked about, only noticing the cunning look on Morrigan’s face, “Wait, you’re not actually suggesting that we... No, no we can’t!” he burst in shock, “You want to draw that monster to attack the horde? Morrigan, even by your standards, it’s insane!!” he fumed, infuriated, Morrigan glared at his staunch refusal, the same look she gave him when he nearly refused the ritual. “There are maybe up to a million lives in Val Royeaux, they’ll all be at risk if it turns its attention to the city.”
“If you wish to refuse the only chance you may have to hinder the advancing darkspawn, then I shall leave you to the mercies of the demons. But if you are wise, then you’ll give into this choice. You've ensured no more undead rise, now take this chance to deal with the darkspawn. Take this chance and I promise I will find you a way back.” Aldanon’s face froze in thought, he did not want to risk Val Royeaux, but he had little other choice
“Very well.” he said in a dejected, broken voice. “But what do you want in return? How does this further your own advancement?” he questioned her roughly. Strangely, her face seemed to show a hurt emotion.
“Because you are more important to this world alive than dead.” she said bitterly, she was hurt by Aldanon's brusque questioning. “What I want in return is to continue with my original agenda to raise the baby, I gain nothing by helping you, other than knowing that the darkspawn will no longer pose a danger to me.”
“Strange,” he said quietly, staring down at the ground, completely taken aback by her and ashamed of his words. “I thought I knew you. Yet you continue to surprise me in ways I'm scarcely prepared for. I am sorry.”
“Warden, I assure you,” she said lightly with a slight chuckle, “few know me well as all, let alone as well as you. Now come, listen to my plan and be prepared to accept that what will happen will be to your long-term benefit.”

Morrigan, I hate you! Aldanon raged inside his mind as the Great Wyrm's massive jaws came down to snag him once more. She had told him to directly engage the dragon by himself while she went in search for a powerful demon which would weaken the dragon and cause it to wake up from the Fade. The battle would have ended all too soon, where it not for the the veins of lyrium to replenish his health. In it's tired state, the male dragon was not nearly as vigorous as Aldanon had anticipated, but was becoming more determined to finish him. As it became more lively, it's great claws hitting the ground sent rock and dust into the air. He ducked the spiked tail and sank Starfang into it's left hind leg. Before he could wrench it free, it huge clawed forearm came down on him, it's claws breaking into his resilient armour. He gritted his teeth as it's deafening roar crashed down on his ears and lifted him towards it's jaws. A bolt of fire hit the side of the dragon's face, as he roared in rage and pain, he released Aldanon from his grip. Aldanon looked to where the magical strike had come from. The beast was dark grey with a long horn-crowned head with sharp, jagged scales for skin, long arms with great claws and carried itself on two legs, a Pride Demon. The only times he came across this nightmare among the demons of the Fade was in the Circle Tower and a chance encounter in the Deep Roads. It's roar echoed across the Fade, and strode across the hills towards the Wyrm, which met the demon with open jaws and a thundering roar. The two titans clashed. The demon's claws wrapped around the dragon's long neck, applying magical damage to each swipe, it's clawed feet sunk into the dragon's hide as it clawed up it's challenger. But the dragon was not without ability; for it was three times the size of the demon, and with a massive lunge it's claws send the demon back onto the ground. The demon called a surge of ice and the dragon froze on the spot. With all it's magic, the demon sent billowing spirit energy upon it, refreeze it and assault it again. According to Morrigan's plan, this was the moment to intervene. She called on the same spell of ice and froze the Pride Demon in place, barraged it with lightning, and Aldanon swiped his sword through it's legs and plunged Starfang into it's back. The spell broke and the demon was free to strike. Aldanon fought the demon till all his might was spent, but as soon as Morrigan had used her mana she turned to a lyrium vein and sent her spell might upon the arrogant demon. At the last moment, the Wyrm broke free, heaved it's weight up, and fire cascaded onto the demon. Too late it realised it's arrogance to face all three foes spelled it's downfall as it crashed to the ground, fire coursing through it's body.

This wasn't the end of the battle, they now had to send the dragon back. The dragon was visibly weakened, but more than a match for two human opponents. Aldanon charged into the dragon's view, withstanding a bolt of fire as he rushed on. Raising his sword and evading the Wyrm's bite, he plunged his sword below it's neck, it's ice enchantment freezing it's blood. The enraged dragon took him in his claws and gaped wide to bite down, only to be frozen in place. Spending all her magic again, the maddened Wyrm came down upon her, but Aldanon had already ascended it's neck and head and plunged his sword into it's head. In one of rage and pain, it roared it's way out of the Fade. The Wyrm would soon be out of it's nightmare. Aldanon caught up with Morrigan.
“We did it.” he panted, victorious relief rising in his voice, “I would never have believed that two humans could defeat a Dragon and a Pride demon. Not at the same time of course, but we could not have been more amazing!”
“T'was a glowing victory indeed.” Morrigan said, “Now I must warn you; the Wyrm will seek you out, but it will also have to battle the darkspawn horde. The only thing that could divert it's hunt from you is a High Dragon.” Aldanon's insides froze, if the dragon was anywhere near the city, the dragon could kill him while he was still in the Fade. He had been warned that this was the price he had to pay, but the reality of it hit him hard.
“What of getting out of here?!” he said urgently, “You said you would help me get out, will you live up to that?” but before Morrigan could answer, he felt energies coursing around his body. The obscurity of the Fade was darkening, as if he were passing into a tunnel. He tried to fight it but the draw of that other place was too strong.
“I think someone has already taken care of that for you, Warden.” Morrigan said in a tone that betrayed amazement as well as slight humour. Aldanon tried to speak but she held up her hand in silence. “I fear this may be the last time we meet, Aldanon. Live your life any way you choose as long as you live it. If Leliana is indeed in the city, come to her. Our time is over. But your time with her may be beginning. I've sensed how much she feels for you. Farewell... my love.” as the energies swept around him and numbed his consciousness she took his face in her hands and kissed him. With that last vestige of her affection, Aldanon was gone from the Fade.

Modifié par Maximus741000, 05 avril 2010 - 04:21 .

[bob-san]

Hmmm, I'm sensing a sudden heroic return that shifts the scene in favor of the heroes.



Nicely done!

[MireliA]

Damnit I'll have to come back to this when I have a spare afternoon to read it so for now I'll just bump the thread

[Awildawn]

Hi, I've just begun reading your fanfic, it's great ! I've still got a lot of chapters to read so I will return later to comment on the story.

[Awildawn]

Now that I've read everything, I just want to say that I enjoyed it a great read and that it keeps gettng better and better.

[Sisimka]

Mammoth chapter, so much going on! Phew.

[MireliA]

Enjoyed the chapter in the fade but I agree with Sisimka - huge amount going on

[Maximus741000]

@ bob-san, I'm glad you liked it, even if the flicker of hope was unintentional.

@ Awildawn, a new fan is always welcome! Stay tuned for the next few chapters

@ Sisimka, it was certainly a gargantuan chapter, one which perhaps may have had too much, but did you enjoy it?

@ Mireli, I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if it was a bit of a huge read.

[bob-san]

Huge read? bah!



I've been fishing through all of Sisi's work all day (And checking yours for more updates) and it makes the tedium of my employ all the more bearable.



Write on good man! Write on!

[Maximus741000]

(edit complete)

The Grey Warden Rises

Even as Wynne, Zevran and Oghren were being held by Marjolaine's minions, hope was not ended. The Sun had risen; though the clouds continued to darken the sky, the pitch black of that night was ended. Though it wasn't enough to raise the spirits of men, it was enough to spark the first flicker of hope that victory was not beyond likelihood. In that cave where Aldanon lay, where the potion was destroyed; the chamber had cooled. The vapours of potion that survived the fireball had grouped together and formed condensation over Aldanon's pale face. His dry mouth was open, and in the coolness of the cave, droplets formed in his mouth and in his throat. For a long time, nothing happened. His armour shook as he inhaled.

The sound of groaning from within the caves was growing stronger. Marjolaine ordered her mercenary forces to form a defensive line and prepare to face whatever was coming, she could tell it wasn't undead. François used a sleep spell on Leliana but kept her strapped to the device and the prisoners were forced along with the elves.
“Be prepared to destroy whatever comes this way.” she hissed to Aundar, who nodded and jumped down the platform to join the mercenaries. Their wild eyes attempted to pierce the shadowy cloak but to no avail.
“Whatever is coming, we should get a better look at it.” François said, he sent a wisp down the tunnel, what he saw gave him a heart attack. He lurched back in horror and spontaneously ordered the warriors to attack. From their corner of the building, Wynne, Zevran, Oghren and the Wardens could not see anything, but the sound of battle and screaming sent their hearts racing. The mercenaries retreated; the shadowy cloak was cast off.
“I see I best you even while unconscious. I am that amazing.” announced Aldanon Cousland. Despite his bold statement, he looked a mess. His scar across his head was still red, bruises and dirt stains covered his face, which was rough and grizzly, and his hair was matted and stringy. His armour was in a worse state; it was scratched, battered and dented, and coppery from wear and tear. Entire parts of his armour were missing; to prevent them from falling off and to allow full mobility in battle, he'd taken the loose bits in a sack slung across his shoulder.
“YOU!! You're dead!” Marjolaine shouted breathlessly, sounding as if she just had a heart attack and cowered.
Wynne burst into jubilant laughing, Zevran's eyes widened and exclaimed “That is ridiculously awesome!” Oghren laughed out and called out to Aldanon, and Maximus, who had been hiding in the shadows bounded to Aldanon, panting, slobbering and barking happily. As soon as master and hound reunited, they turned towards their foes. In panic and confusion, the mercenaries struck out for Aldanon; but he roared out to them and his hound howled to the heavens, breaking their morale, leaving them powerless before the risen Aldanon's blade and Max's fangs. Marjolaine attempted to gain control of the situation, but she too was shocked by Aldanon's fiery ire. Aldanon turned towards his chained companions, raised Starfang and smote Geoffrey's shackles, then Osecar's. The elven mage ignited their blades, reducing the effort needed to free the others while Maximus held back the enemy. Once they were all free, Aldanon drew his Cousland war horn and it's blast shook the rafters and beam's of Marjolaine's lair. And now, Aldanon had a special mission; Leliana.

The Battle was joined. Osecar had conjured another flow of ignited grease to hold back enemy advance while the others went for their weapons. They needed to move quickly, Marjolaine had mustered all her forces; mages and undead. With unified speed, strength, and purpose they attacked. Geoffrey cut though the anderfel warriors with unparalleled wrath, making his way to duel Aundar. Argeles leapt across the beams, giving short bursts of strikes and moving onto the next, letting his foes bleed to death. Wynne set her staff to the ground, sending earth tremors at the undead and beating them to the ground, she successfully petrified a maleficar and with a single stonefist blast, he was reduced to rubble. Guided by magic and will, Osecar put his ignited blade to the innards of every freelance elf that could not be persuaded to back down. Elanea liberated the chained elves, but one only ran deeper into the caves; she took to higher ground and with marksman grace and precision, felled everything in her path. Benoit was expert with the hammer and thus with the mace, and he found himself challenging Oghren, he beat the dwarf over the head several times and dented his armour, but Oghren pummelled him down with his pommel and his axe crashed down on his neck and through his mace, killing him in a bloody mess. Suddenly he was beset by anderfel warriors, but Durin was right behind them; his axe would cut right through them or his shield would crush them. Iurups and Zevran were locked in mortal combat across the upper levels in intense dagger-to-dagger combat, both rogues stabbed as the other stabbed, both parried as the other parried; they were trained bys similar circles of assassins, but a stroke of luck turned in favour for Zevran. A loose floorboard gave way; with satisfaction, Zevran drew both his daggers and swiped every vein in the tevinter's neck Iurups dropped to the ground like a limp rat. François tried to subdue the overpowering enemy with a sleep spell, only to be paralysed by Osecar. With the mage neutralized, Aldanon made his move. He sprung through the mercenaries and towards the stairs leading to the platform where Marjolaine was holding Leliana. The platform itself was heavily guarded by archers, of whom Marjolaine was one of them, many who were able to pin him to the ground or prevent his advance by rapid fire, and his damaged armour was no contribution. He needed a distraction.

“Aldanon, here I come! FOR FERELDEN!!!” Anora roared as she charged into view. She was clad in Aldanon's silverite Armour of Diligence and carried her father's sword and shield. Behind her came Ser Perth and the remaining members of the Royal Regiment, they followed and echoed her as they charged. Her very presence caused the entire battle to still for the next few moments until she felled the first two mercenaries in her path and the knights followed her, roaring to the Maker as she charged down on them. Their hostility spawned immediate action from Marjolaine's forces, but it was not enough to challenge the wrath of the knights and the Wardens behind them. The battle turned to a rout and Marjolaine's archer's turned to face this new nemesis. This was the distraction Aldanon needed; he sheathed Starfang. He bore his shield up with his right and charged with all his might. As he ran behind the archers, he belted his shield into their backs, sending them down the the ground with stunned backs, one shield bash per enemy. Only Marjolaine stood in his way. She drew her two daggers and lunged to kill, but in vain for Aldanon had parried with both sword and shield. He waved his sword in a wide arc, temporarily knocking his foes daggers out of her hand, and moved to strike through her drakeskin leathers. The blade only grazed them, for she had dodged the cold blade. In an underhanded move, she flung a hard kick to Aldanon's codpiece that sent him stumbling back. Before his could strike back with renewed rage, she'd jumped off the platform. Why she abandoned her victim, Aldanon hardly knew; but this was the perfect opportunity to free Leli. He raised Starfang and thrusted it onto the manacles, breaking them instantly and without harming her. Being unconscious, she was not aware of her freedom, the battle, nor of Aldanon, and she dropped into his arms. Taking this as a priceless chance, he held her to linger within his arms, his heart racing for joy as he savoured his brief reunion with her, despite it's incomplete sentiment due to her unconsciousness. Out of the corner of his eye, Anora's critical eye froze him on the spot. He knew what she was thinking; it wasn't his momentary stillness in battle, but his rediscovery of a potential love. Suddenly, she doubled over; her side erupted with blood and she screamed in agony. A dagger had was buried in her left side. She collapsed to the ground in agony. Aldanon glanced past her left and found Marjolaine in a crouched position, a satisfied look on her face and one of her dagger missing. Rage fumed up inside him, and in blind anger he turned about to face his foe on open ground. However, the undead blocked his path and he was not armed, and bearing a precious passenger. Before the undead could swarm him, Zevran and Elanea jumped down and cut the corpses back. Elanea was convinced by Aldanon's pleading look and Zevran's serious nod that Leliana was important to their cause, and turned her attention the the undead. In a stroke of brilliant ingenuity, Zevran took of Aldanon's Redcliffe Shield and tossed it to the floor in front of them. Aldanon tried to stop him, but Zevran hopped on top of it and Elanea joined him, she thrusted the shield forward over the floorboards and down the stairs. As the shield sped down the stairs, the undead were cannoned off, cut down by Zevran's flurry of blows to the undead in the front and Elanea's arrows to any survivors. Gaining momentum and purpose, Aldanon rushed down the stairs with Leliana aboard his left shoulder, Zevran tossed him his shield, which he caught with his left and thus forming a perfect guard and giving him an arm to draw Starfang. With the two elves at his side, he sounded his Cousland horn, signalling all his allies to rally around him. One of the men with the knights was a man in what Aldanon recognised as chevalier armour, at first he raised his blade to attack the shocked orlesian but was stayed by Ser Perth.
“Stand down, Aldanon!” he called to him, “This is Chevalier General Tremir, the man who saved Anora from d'Aubrac, brought her here and found my knights.” Aldanon lowered his sword and acknowledged the new ally.

Though the enemy were now considerably thinned and his allies were now boosted, Aldanon knew that the only way to completely halt the tide of danger draw the enemy out of the building and fight them on their own terms. Wynne was tending to Anora now, who had sustained a lot of blood loss and was growing weaker. The knights, Geoffrey and Argeles formed a protective circle around Aldanon, Anora, his companions and the other wardens, halting the advances of Marjolaine's forces' advance, ignited blades from Osecar's magic were a welcome gift.
“We need to get out of the warehouse and get to safety.” Aldanon said to Geoffrey as he finished a mercenary.
“Agreed; once we get out we can call reinforcements to fight this Marjolaine.” he said firmly as he directed the knights towards the exit, and smiled briefly. “And Aldanon, it's good to see you back.” Aldanon returned the smile. Suddenly a loud rumble mixed with electrical crackling shook the building and stilled the battle again. Osecar could see white wisps materializing and buzzing around the building; soon whole clouds of them formed and started scattered around, disappearing into the corpses of felled mercenaries, anderfel warriors, turned elves and malificarum. The bodies shook and tensed; in a matter of seconds the corpses moved and rose. Osecar knew what this meant; if demons were possessing bodies then with the recent deaths and magic from the evil mage then the Veil was ripped again. They had already taken out five of the mages who were led by François, where there more? In answer another three clad in black tevinter robes emerged from the caverns, hordes of undead surrounding them. The malificarum raised their staffs, and in response the undead were under their control.
“Aldanon, the rip in the Veil has been torn open again!” Osecar shouted over the intensifying battle, “We need to seal it before more undead rise and spread across the city. Even Marjolaine can't control that many of them!”
“How can we seal it, Osecar?” Wynne said loudly to him, “There's no Circle-known spell that can do that!”
“And with the growing numbers of undead, the task borders impossibility.” Tremir said in recognition.
“Well, what do you propose?!” Aldanon called to Osecar as he engaged a group of walking corpses.
“There were some raw lyrium crystals in the caverns;” Osecar explained elaborately, “if they were destroyed, the energy released will disrupt and cancel out the energies maintained in keeping the rupture open will dissipate thus preventing more demons from possessing corpses. I suggest splitting up; one group gets out of here with Anora and Leliana, the other goes down to stop the undead and free any prisoners here.” Aldanon considered his friend's words carefully. They needed to get out as fast as possible, but at the same time they couldn't afford to let a single corpse out of the building to wreak havoc. They also needed to end Marjolaine's threat once and for all.
“I'll go down into the building with Osecar,” he announced to the assembled group, “Oghren, Max, Zevran, Argeles, Ser Perth – you will come with me. Geoffrey, take Wynne, Elanea, Tremir, Durin and the knights out of the building. Defend Anora and try to heal her.” he lunged to dart from the group but stopped and turned to Wynne. “And Wynne, maintain the sleep spell on Leliana, we can't have her waking up in the midst of battle in her weakened state.” he understood how much he was asking of her to heal and protect two people of great importance to him, but she already knew the gravity of the task and the situation. She nodded in response. Aldanon's hand-picked companions gathered around him. He nodded to them, and with tremendous purpose, they charged. The force of their breaking of their formation came as a winding blow to the enemy, but they could not afford to act on it, they would leave the shocked enemies to the knights. Following Osecar's lead, they darted for the caves.

Osecar held his staff ahead of the group, as if trying to detect the lyrium crystals, his speed enhanced by a potion of haste. Aldanon, Ser Perth, Oghren, Zevran, Maximus and Argeles followed behind him, and behind them were Marjolaine's undead and her soldiers. Suddenly the ground shook. Aldanon, Argeles and Osecar could sense what this meant. Around them them the ground and the walls gave way and out of the holes came the darkspawn. Their unrelenting savagery tore through the undead like a black torrent and many mercenaries fled before their sheer ferocity only to be cut down, become occupied by demons, and fight the darkspawn all over again. This was the diversion they needed, Osecar's staff was detecting crystals and they sped off. Before long, their lead guided them to a small cave filled with supplies. Aldanon, Osecar, Oghren and Max searched the room, leaving Ser Perth, Zevran and Argeles to guard the door. They searched about hurriedly but turned up nothing, until Max sniffed the crystal out and a strange curio: a rather cute looking nug in a cage. The dog sniffed the caged animal eagerly and started barking in joy, he recognised it's scent, the nug snuffled Max and squeaked frantically.
“Good work, boy!” Oghren applauded the dog, but focussed eagerly on the nug and broke it's cage. “You've found the crystal, and something to eat!” but before he could touch it, Max bit his gauntleted hand ferociously. “Ow! Why, you little...” he growled, threatening to knock the dog senseless before Aldanon stopped him.
“It's not Max's fault, he's just found Leli's pet nug, Smooch – um...” he struggled to say it. “Schmooples.”
“Never mind the nug, we have the crystal.” Osecar asserted imperatively. “Now, only Oghren and I can handle the crystal, but what we have to detonate it and the other crystals simultaneously; that will create the most energy at once which will disrupt the rupture in the Veil and cause the caves to collapse.” Aldanon's spine shivered.
“'Cause the caves to collapse', why didn't you mention this before?!” he pressured, but Osecar was undaunted.
“I'm afraid so, but if we are fast enough, we will get out before the energies cause the place to collapse.” he said quickly, and took out a pouch of black powder. “This is an explosive power; I will line it up to the lyrium and ignite it, the powder will react in a linear manner and give us time to get out. This is the plan.” Aldanon nodded understandably, recognising he had little choice and that though the risk was great, it was their best solution.

Aldanon joined Ser Perth, Argeles, Max, and Zevran to halt the darkspawn advance and give time for Osecar and Oghren's search through the caves for the lyrium crystals. He had left a spill of ignited grease and fiery blades to aid them, but the intensity of battle from three foes from many sides was nearing overwhelming, for they were weary and had not rested since they were freed from their enemy's chains. The darkspawn seemed slightly daunted by the prospect of facing more than one foe, but their savagery forced them on. Everything depended on time, speed, and Osecar's own ability. Deep within the caves, Osecar had succeeded in locating another one of the crystals and Oghren managed to prevent another tunnel full of darkspawn from opening. Osecar was the only one who could handle the lyrium safely, and thus the only one who could carry it back in his pack. The caves spanned in an arc, and his staff was telling him that the remaining three crystals necessary were not far off. He struck luck, and enemy mages. Osecar blasted them back with a fireball whilst Oghren charged headlong, ignoring the heat. One of the mages was paralysed, leaving him to be dealt by Osecar and Oghren to dispatch the other with one sweep. Seeing the crystals, Osecar dived for them. There were animated corpses in the cave, but time dictated that they couldn't stay. The cave started trembling; more darkspawn were coming. The walls of the cave were starting to give in. There may have been more crystals where they hadn't searched. He gestured to Oghren to go on without him. Taking some strong lyrium potions, Osecar conjured a long spill of grease and ignited it with a blast of fire. The heat would with hope, ignite the crystals and slow the darkspawn, unless they had emissaries. And with all the death around them, more demons were taking bodies.

Oghren reached the cave where Aldanon and the others held defence. Zevran had been wounded and Argeles was spent. He dumped the crystals on the pile and prepared to strike them with his axe. Suddenly a frightened scream stilled his axe; a drawn, terrified elven woman recoiled in a corner, shielding what seemed to be a bundle in her arms. But she was losing blood from an open wound in her leg. Osecar arrived, followed by Aldanon and the others. They all halted in their place as well, unnerved by this deplorable sight. But Aldanon stepped forth.
“Come with us,” he beckoned warmly as she recoiled. “We won't harm you, we're here to end this evil place.” But the elf did not seem to be heed him at first, but softened when her eyes met his. She tensed in pain again.
“No...” the elf murmured hoarsely, and took the bundle to her forehead, and in lamentation, murmured what must have been an elvish song. Aldanon recognised it; the last verse of 'In Urthenera'. The elegance of that song captivated all within the room. When she finished, she looked up at him and gently laid the bundle in his hands. “Too late for me.” she said weakly, her eyes flitting closed. “Take my baby, human. I can see your soul is not evil. She cannot die here. Give her the love and freedom she deserves.” with her last breath, she passed to the Maker. Aldanon stepped back from her, he opened the wraps of cloth; the baby was healthy in spite of the terrible conditions; her mother really had given her everything. Gently he held the baby in his gauntleted hands, completely stunned for it all while she wrestled to be more comfortable. Snapping back to his senses, he carefully handed her over to Zevran. Suddenly, more roars erupted from deeper within the caves.
“Aldanon, the crystals are ready for ignition.” Osecar said firmly to him, he'd finished the preparations.

With the elven girl in Zevran's capable hands, they darted for freedom. Osecar turned around and ignited the powder. The explosives sparked into action; they would only have minutes. A guttural, gargling roar came right behind them. The darkspawn had caught up. In instinctive motion, the warriors wheeled about and smote them where they stood, they were too frightened to put up a fight. But they were just one of the many forerunners of an ominous vanguard; behind them was a horde of what seemed to be hundreds, bolstered by both hurlock and genlock emissaries and alphas and shrieks. They must have come from a passage way that lead from the Deep Roads to this part of the city, part of a strike force that the leader must have sent to flank the defenders.
“Keep moving! We can't let them get to the surface!!” Aldanon roared over the chaos, tearing through the tunnels ahead of his companions. Suddenly the dog stopped in his steps, the nug he was holding in his jaws slipped up, but before the others could be halted, he took the nug by the scruff of his neck. The nug's presence reminded Aldanon. Shlooples, Aldanon attempted to rehearse the nug's name in his head as they ran, or was is Schpooples? No,no Schmooples! The upward tunnel leading to the surface of the warehouse was just twenty yards away. Suddenly the earth shook, and the beams holding the ceiling of the tunnel started collapsing, one of the beams started to fall on top Zevran, but Argeles pushed the elf out of the path of the beam and it collapsed on his leg.
“Argeles!!” Aldanon turned about and tried to help his fallen comrade up, but the stoic warden shoved him away.
“Don't!” he urged him through gritted teeth, as he kept resisting Aldanon's efforts to lift him up. “I'm fit enough to fight, but not enough to run. Leave me, you've lost too much time.” They stared at him in a mixture of shock and reverence. He was prepared to die. “Just put me on my feet, and get out of here, Your Majesty.” Aldanon stood dumbfounded, the man rarely regarded him as a leading figure, much less as his assumed title. He was reluctant to leave at first and saluted him as Argeles rose, and he did the same. There was certainly little enough chance he could hold the darkspawn for long, and more were coming. But the others drew him away from Argeles, who had drawn both his daggers and engaged the coming darkspawn with full force, but still more pursued. Sunddenly a woman with strong features and dark hair tied back charged past them and against the darkspawn, she swung her greatsword in a wide arc and the enemy were sent reeling back. Aldanon recognised the aid he'd received; Ser Cauthrien.

As they ran, Osecar's mind knew how long it would have taken for the lyrium to completely ignite; the time was now, the energy would destroy every living thing in it's path for the entire width of the warehouse. Argeles' shouts could be heard from the now narrowing cavern, no explosions. Then they came. From out of the deep, the explosions came. They managed to make their way out of the caves and into the main building. The ground was littered with dead mercenary corpses and darkspawn that made it up. The ground started exhaling heavy rumbles, the ground shook and after a series of explosions from within the earth the entrance collapsed. From within, the rumbling continued as the tunnels gave in, after a while it subsided and with it, the sounds of battle and Argeles.
“This building could ignite very easily.” Osecar said, half to himself, “But a bit more grease could speed it up.”
“You want to ignite the building?!” Oghren queried him incredulously, “What, is the lyrium not enough?!”
“It is a worthy goal,” Ser Perth said ardently, “Let us eliminate both our enemies in full.” Aldanon nodded in consent, sheathed Starfang and drew his reforged Family Sword; Osecar ignited their weapons. Each set themselves to the beams of the building; they plunged and lashed at the beams, causing the feeble wood to catch fire, but not enough to lead to ignition; until Osecar played his part. Calling on another lyrium potion, he covered the entire building with grease. Calling on his last reserve of power, he ignited it. The fire lit up the entire region of the city, and almost blinded Aldanon and his companions, given enough time; it would completely collapse.
“NOO!! This is my vengeance, and I will not have anyone take it away” Marjolaine drew her dagger and lunged herself at Aldanon, Ser Perth grasped her by her collar and threw her to the ground and held his sword at her neck. “Aundar! François! I need you! Kill them!” but her two best allies were thirty feet up, breaking their way out of the warehouse and jumping onto a neighbouring roof. She struggled to free herself, but Aldanon struck her dagger through her leathers and into the ground; missing her flesh, but pinning her in place..
“Leave her! Just get out before the building gives in!!” Aldanon called to his companions, and turned to Marjolaine, his voice and expressions rumbled with thunder. “And you; you will die here.” a collapsing rafter came down behind him. He took it was his only warning and left her. Marjolaine looked at him in enraged terror as he darted towards the exit, screaming through the burning.

Modifié par Maximus741000, 08 avril 2010 - 06:10 .

[bob-san]

Not bad for a rough draft. The pace seemed to be pretty consistant (fast and energetic), but it did feel a little rough. Can't wait to re-read it once you're done

[Sisimka]

The part about Anora charging into battle came as a surprise and I really hope she doesn't die! (I don't think your Anora deserves to die! I wrote a nice little fic about a much sweeter Anora yesterday, seeing as I'm about to put her head in a box again in Zev's story!)