Dragon Age II
Game Moment
Great Dragon
The pit was exactly as its name suggested and more. The mines stood above on a rocky ridge that ended abruptly at the edge of the pit. Teetering over the edge were stones and trees, ripped and broken by age. Skeletons lined the edges of the circular pit below, leading to large white piles of the remains of those who were killed by the dragons roaming in the den.
Hawke and her team stood at the edge of the cliff, surveying the area. It was vast, the ground barren, scorched, and empty. A cave was at the opposite end, wide and gaping like a hungry mouth waiting for food. She assumed the Great Dragon was inside, waiting for another ill-informed traveller or would-be warrior to venture across and add to the collection of bones.
Their current quest was to slay the dragon and ensure the safety of the mines on the cliff where she stood. The miners were afraid to go to work there because of the danger, and she would sooner convince them with action rather than words. She would not kill the dragon for glory, but for the knowledge that these workers would be safe and her expedition partner would be satisfied.
There was one trail that led down into the pit. It swayed unevenly like a snake, and it ran steep as though desperate to get rid of whoever descended into the pit. Hawke led them all down, Anders unusually quiet, Merril glancing about nervously, and Aveline watching her surroundings like a hawk. They knew what they were there for.
Hawke had just reached the bottom of the trail, her companions shadowing behind her, when an almighty roar split the silence. Hawke glanced over her shoulder to see a mighty dragon tearing though the air only metres above her. Its wings flapped deafeningly and it opened its mouth to release a torrent of flame behind the group. The flames erupting from its mouth formed a burning wall before it snapped its jaws shut and tore over the adventurers. It landed on the ground in a cloud of dust as dirt spewed into the air under its weight. The entire world seemed to shake and the companions struggled to keep their footing. Hawke stood stead-fast, gripped the hilt of her sword and pulled it from her back, hoisting it defensively before her.
All the while the dragon watched, snapping its teeth, lashing its tail. Every inch of it was alive and pumping with the blood of an angry beast ready to tear asunder.
But Hawke was ready and prepared. With the smear of blood across her nose a sign of victory and triumph, she rushed at the dragon with her sword hanging in the air.
The battle was beginning.