Kaine
All I could hear were my heavy footsteps, my gasping breaths, as I ran for my life with my sister Kira just behind me. We both knew neither could stand for long against the horde that approached behind us, even though Kira could use magic, and I was a heavily armed and armored soldier. The fact was, we had to keep running or we were dead, magic and weapons or no.
The horde of darkspawn wasn't right behind us, but some of them were faster. Even these few would pose a threat to us and possibly stall us until the others showed.
We were in the hills outside of our hometown now, with some protection from the darkspawn advance. Enough to stop for a few seconds and look back at the burning wreck we had once lived in, now only a memory. Screams echoed from the people who hadn't escaped in time.
"We should have stayed behind!" Kira said accusingly. I shook my head.
"There was nothing we could do. The guards all knew what would happen to those who stayed and fought." I said. "We can honor them best by moving on before their sacrifice is in vain." Kira looked down.
"I understand, brother..." With this, she turned to the town. "You will not be forgotten." she said softly.
We hurried away from the town as quickly as we could manage on the treacherous hills. I saw a pale, humanoid figure crawl, spiderlike, up and over the hills. It was followed by several more. I almost gagged at the sight of them. Hurlocks. They were twisted, false versions of humans like Kira and I.
As they rose to their feet and charged, I lifted my heavy sword with both hands and brought its blade around in a bright arc, stopping three of them dead in their tracks. I took care to avoid the black blood that sprayed toward me; I refused to die after fighting them off.
More approached warily, screaming their hatred as they formed a semicircle around me, staying out of my sword's reach. Unfortunately for them, at that moment a fireball roared from behind me, incinerating them. I smiled back at Kira, who still looked grave.
"Did they catch us?!" she asked. I shook my head.
"No. That was part of the advance unit. They're supposed to stop any fleeing victims." I stabbed my blade into a twitching hurlock's body, just to make sure it was dead.
It occurred to me what I might have to do.
"Kira, do you trust me?" I asked. She gave me a wild look. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do, brother." she said, looking worried. "Why're you asking now?"
"I want you to run. Get to Kirkwall. I'll meet up with you there." I said desperately as a much larger group of hurlocks charged over the hills from behind us. She shook her head.
"I won't leave you behind!" she said, launching another fireball into the group's midst. It exploded, scorching at least ten of them. More kept coming toward us.
"Sist- Kira. Please! I'll make it back to you. I promise." I said, and she turned, running as fast as she could. I saw her look over her shoulder, then had to devote my attention to stopping a hurlock from shoving a sword between my ribs.