In war, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death Sacrifice. –Grey Warden motto.
Alistair spoke these words as he looked out on the familiar faces. Oghren, Nathaniel, Carver, Anders and Sigrun were also here, here for the last great venture into the deep. The opening they had found hadn't been used in some time, they were venturing down there to meet their destiny, but before that they had agreed to try and take out Branka's fortress, kill her golems and destroy the Anvil of the void. They all ranged from within four years of recruitment, Alistair being the first 32 and a half year ago and Carver being recruited by Strout about 29 years ago. Oghren should ideally as the oldest already had have gone down about five years time ago, but he had demanded from his body to last until the day he could walk down there with his commander. Nathaniel, Anders and Sigrun could also still keep up with the taint for another year but demanded, like Oghren, to go with the one who recruited them. Carver had over the years found a deep respect from the Fereldan commander and even though he had been asked to be the new commander of the country for a few years he had also asked to join the last mission of his commander.
Kodin Aeducan looked over the gathered people. Many associates were here. Oghren's son, Kodin, and his wife Felsi were with him. The young man tried to hold in his tears as his father gently – well gently for Oghren – stroke his back. For once he had managed to stay sober for this occasion.
"This funeral feels stranger commander." Sigrun stated and looked over the gathered people, "it feels more real than my joining in the Legion…"
"This is one way Sigrun, many from the Legion get to live to see Orzammar once or twice after recruitment, you know that." Kodin looked at his youngest recruit with mild eyes, she had not been in the Legion for so long when they met by Kal Hirol. "Are you okay?" He asked her.
Sigrun pushed forward her chest and grinned to look tougher, "I'm always okay commander!" She released her breath end looked around once more. "Though I have to admit that I'm a bid sad I don't have anyone to say good bye to me with wet puppy eyes."
"You do have someone." A voice sounded.
"Micha!" Sigrun laughed when her oldest… Acquaintance… Appeared behind them.
Kodin looked about again. Nathaniel was with Delilah and her husband Albert. Their son, Nathaniel's nephew, Marcus was hugging him a last good bye. He was about the same age as both Oghren- and Kodin's children. He had been given name after the dead Cousland brother Delilah had been supposed to marry.
Anders and Carver were with Carvers Sister, Cecilia who was also Anders wife. They also had a daughter called Bethany, but she was but 18 years old. Kodin had never quite figured out how exactly they had come about the same formula that Morrigan had used for the dark ritual so many years ago.
"Father!" A deep voice sounded behind him. He turned around and was greeted by his son, King Trian Aeducan. Harrowmont had lived long enough to ensure Trian's succession of the throne, and Trian who had studied the surface and dwarven traditions thoroughly was the right king to lead Orzammar into its new golden stage. By his side stood Leliana who had become somewhat of a second mother to him in the few years she had lived in Orzammar with Kodin, before she was offered the position with the Divine in Orlais.
"So, you are here son," Kodin grinned and embraced him.
"Of course father. The surface is only bad in the old tales, nowadays I just get a little seasick when I exit our city." He held his crown under his arm as a respect to his father, placing Kodin above him in rank.
"I will miss you…" Leliana wept, she had not had so many tears stream down her cheeks since she watched Kodin make the final blow on the Archdemon.
"I know, but you are everything I can leave in this world, I would not take you with me, even if you asked. Besides your job is pretty important too."
The seekers had become somewhat of a center for the public to rely on. The rogue templars attacked anyone they deemed corrupted and everyone was fearful of rogue mages too. Plus the Qunari wars in Tevinter were brewing at their highest. Kirkwall and Starkhaven had also been in a terrifying war ever since the mage rebellion twenty years ago, the mage controlled Kirkwall against the Templar supported extremist Sebastian Vael. Not to mention Orzammar and Fereldens war against Orlais trying to take over again. The golems had helped, but now that Orlais was defeated they had become more of a problem, obeying Branka's will only…
Carver and Anders hugged Cecilia and Bethany good bye a last time before joining the rest of the group by the entrance. "Dad…" Bethany quietly cried while she turned around and sought comfort in her mother's shoulder. As the daughter of two mages she was quite special in that she had not received the gift herself. She was a living example that Magic was not entirely a potent curse that would last until a line was dead.
Kodin joined his fellows. Alistair had already said his goodbyes a long time ago. He had been working in Weisshaupt a few years. A few years that had seemed to have hardened him a bit.
"Ready Wardens?" He called out. None of them answered him.
"Ready Wardens!" Kodin screamed the second after, they all repeated with a shout and without looking back they charged into the tunnels, to meet their end.
The deep roads were very quiet. Of course, Cadash and Ortan Thaigs were reclaimed many years ago and the roads from them to Orzammar were clean, but the dead trenches were supposed to still be flooding with Spawn. Oghren, Alistair and Kodin all three looked out on the deep cliffs and the bridge where they had seen the Archdemon for the first time.
"Déjà vu…" Oghren mumbled, but Alistair and Kodin both thought the same. "Burp." That they didn't think, they both looked over at Oghren who hadn't wasted a second after the sadness had ended to open up another bottle. "Want some?" He growled and handed the flask to Alistiar.
"You never change do you?" Alistair asked but took the bottle and a deep sip with it.
"Too late now anyway!" Anders added and smiled. But he was right, now was the end, but Oghren seemed to be fine with who he was.
They crossed the bridge where the three of them had battled a horde of darkspawn and an ogre thirty years ago. It was strange how it was all abandoned, even the deep cliff were cleaned of any spawn.
"This is unusual, why aren't there any mosters down here?" Nate broke the question.
"Perhaps they decided to go home?" Carver replied with a smile. Him and Nathaniel had worked together many times.
The tension was leaving them as they wandered further into the deep.
"I'm surprised you didn't want to go out in a blaze of glory against the templars rather than the Darkspawn." Carver commented Anders.
"Your sister's fault, I think she softened Justice too much up, he never visits my head these days." He replied in a tone like Carvers. Both their smiles faded as they turned around the corner.
"Ugh, not what I needed." Sigrun frowned as she also caught sight of the dead brood mother.
"Why isn't this thing rottened away yet!" Kodin asked. This was the Brood Mother they had killed those many years ago. "I don't like this, my only suggestion to the quiet would be that Branka herself cleaned this whole place up…"
"What you think she's expanding?" Alistair laughed.
" I wouldn't put it past her, woman always seemed to find the most violent solution to anything really." Oghren grinned too.
"You don't need to be a mad hog to know darkspawn only deserve a sword through the middle!" Carver stated. "Come on commander, we won't die staring at the past."
"No. No we won't Carver, let's go."
As they finally got to the place with the Anvil, a whole line of Golems stood ready to attack. Oghren knelt and coughed up some blood, these kind of moments had been more common as the taint had begun to quicken in him. "I'm fine!" He yelled, and stood up again.
"So, the fearsome commander who handed me the anvil returns to get back at me for keeping it's legacy alive!" Brankas voice sounded from top of the same plateau she had greeted them from thirty years ago. "I cleaned the battlefield for you! Let's see what my army really can do!" She shrieked as the golems charged at them.
Anders and Nathaniel quickly ran for cover and started doing what they did best, while Nathaniel covered them with arrows the warriors and Sigrun charged with elemental enhanced blades towards the golems. Before clashing Anders supported them with shields to prevent any incoming damage and Nathaniel crippled the first row of enemies, this made them able to break the golem's ranks. It was a big group, but nothing any of them hadn't dealt with before.
"Ah, finally some action!" Carver shouted as he slashed the arm off one of the metal monsters. Oghren's blunt hammer was great versus the golems and smashed those of stone to pieces. Sigrun was not a great help against the same rock golems, her armor penetration was however useful against those of steel. Kodin himself bashed one of the bigger ones down with the Aeducan family shield, this shield had been his faithful companion since he got it from Gorim. "This is for my son!" He yelled, "and this is for Brontow! My faithful hound!" He continued, Brontow had died in a big battle near Kal Sharok's entrance thirteen years ago, Kodin hadn't tried to acquire another hound since.
They fought their wave through the first line of golems and ran towards the Anvil, when they entered the room that had contained the final trap they could see that Branka almost had stripped it from its lyrium recourses.
"I don't like where this is headin' commander…" Oghren mentioned, he looked worried. He more than any knew what lengths Branka were willing to go.
As they entered the Anvil's room they saw pillars of the lyrium from the other room rising from the pedestal it was located on.
"What is this abomination?" Nathaniel gasped as he looked up at something that looked like a small harvester. "It feels like a darkspawn…"
"It is a darkspawn!" Branka yelled from up the anvil. "I have done the impossible, created a golem out of flesh, I have copied the finest elven magic! Hespith delivered so many good darkspawn for so long, I have the power!"
"She reminds me of Bartrand," Carver growled. Anders looked briefly and agreed; "yeah, you are right, she doesn't seem possessed, more like heavily obsessed. Is lyrium really this dangerous on its own?"
"Imma do something I should'a done a long time ago!" Oghren yelled as he ran towards the Anvil. As he did so, more of the fleshy darkspawn golems appeared and attacked the rest of the group.
"These are just spawn like any other! A little big, yes, but we can beat 'em!" Sigrun insured to the others and leapt onto the first one who reached them. And she was right, they tore apart as easily as any other creature of flesh, their hits were heavier, but slower and there were a lot of them. They heard Branka and Oghren scream in the background, they were having a furious showdown themselves, or just "the biggest couple fight of the century" as Varric no doubt would describe it. As the dust, thrown about by the heavy fighting, lifted and the last golem had been slain they all ran to aid Oghren. Before they could get him into sight a bright light flashed and Branka screamed out in pain.
"This is all Meredith over again!" Carver yelled, again Anders recognized it too.
"Oghren!" Kodin yelled and lead the team to aid their friend.
As they got on top of the Anvils peak the light dimmed and the lyrium pillars fell into the lava they could see the silhouette of a burned out husk.
"You were right…" Anders noted to carver as he touched the solid Branka.
"Oghren!" Sigrun gasped as she found him in the rubble of the Anvil. He coughed some last blood before grinning up at his commander who stood beside his fellow dwarfs.
"Heh, whata run! I thought I would'a just smash the thing and push her into the pit, hell how I was wrong!" He tried to keep his eyes open, his focus on the group surrounding him. "I'm sorry I only lasted this long commander, but this does seem a fitting tomb for me!"
"Don't say that Oghren, you are the toughest warrior I know! You ain't gonna go down because of a smashed lumb of lyrium!" Kodin took the hand of his almost oldest and most trusted friend.
"I'm sorry, but I think this really is the end of me. You are my best friend, my leader and the one who helped me find my path, I am thankful to have been a part of your life commander!" He gave his friend a last squeeze with his hand before fading into the unending slumber. "Return me to the stone Warden!"
Nobody said anything. Quietly Kodin placed Oghren's hands on his chest and started piling stones beside him and on top of him. Sigrun helped making the tomb, the rest just handed the dwarfs the best looking rocks they could find at let them do what needed to be done. Kodin went down to the Golem memorial wall and shattered it to pieces. He gathered the best looking letters he could find amidst the rubble left over and starting putting them down in front of the grave in order.
"Here lies Oghren of house Branka, born a warrior and died a Grey Warden, equal to the born prince, Kodin Aeducan, his commander and ever-to-be friend."
"In Death sacrifice, let this strong man return to the ancestors where he rightfully belongs."
They started to leave, first Carver who only briefly had worked with Oghren before, then Nathaniel and Anders. Sigrun left drying her tears off in a torn part of Oghren's clothes. Alistair grabbed one of Oghren's old bottles and placed it on the grave. "Here you go buddy," he whispered and returned to Kodin. "Let's go Kodin, he wouldn't want us wasting too many Darkspawn lifes on wheeping over him."
Kodin backed out of the anvil room, never turning his back on his most loyal companion and the only of his old friends to have stayed by his side from the moment they met. It felt wrong being the one who left him.
/So, isn't that sad? :'(
I actually feel a little sad writing this, but I think the Grey Wardens ultimate sacrifice needed to be shown.
This is a long term project for me, but I will return to continue it later.
Please read my other fics too!