Prologue: Betrayal
Chapter 1: The Shadow Warden and the Dalish Huntress
Lyna Mahariel, a Dalish Hunter of the Sabrae clan watched as Tamlen, her friend from childhood stood with his bow ready. As if on cue three humans came rushing down the hill and straight into his line of sight, nothing standing between them and the hunter. The first of them fell down in fear, quickly rushing backwards before stopping. The second arrived and both he and his comrade who had fallen looked around, confused. As the third man rushed to the scene, the man sitting down pointed at Tamlen.
"It's a Dalish!" He said aloud, Tamlen briefly passing aim around the three of them before focusing on the man who spoke.
Closing one eye to focus on his targets, he gave a frown to the men, "And you three are somewhere you shouldn't be." He responded with irritation in his voice. Lyna kept watching the conversation between the four, slowly and quietly readying her own bow.
"Let us pass, elf. You have no right to stop us!" The second man demanded. Funny how even the lowest looking of humans thought they could command any and all of the elves. Judging from their rather poor clothes they were mere villagers, no doubt calling home that human settlement not too far from their current location in the Brecillian Forest.
"No? We will see about that, won't we?" Tamlen threatened, sounding confident. Too confident. Nevertheless, Lyna appeared from the bushes and had her bow at the ready, taking aim at the second human. Though her weapon was aimed at him, she watched the others with caution. Tamlen let his bow down for a mere second with a smile on his face, "You're just in time. I found these... humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt."
One look at the dark haired elf made the humans seem jittery. "We aren't bandits, I swear! Please don't hurt us!" The second man pleaded as Tamlen raised his bow once more at them.
The two elves began slowly stepping towards the humans. "You shemlen are pathetic. It's hard to believe you ever drove us from our homeland." Tamlen taunted. Lyna silently took note of her friend's taunts. Whilst she didn't like humans or those of her own kind that decided to live in shem cities, she did not like boasting or taunting. She was much more direct and thought of those things as needless wastes of breath.
"W-we've never done nothing to you Dalish! We didn't even know this forest was yours!" The third man said, his voice hurt both Tamlen and Lyna's ears. It was high pitched and made him sound more like a teenage boy going through puberty than the man he appeared to be. His words disgusted the two elves, they were humans and just seconds ago they tried to 'assert their dominance' over Tamlen.
Tamlen let out a sigh and Lyna simply shook her head. "This forest isn't ours, fool. You've stumbled too close to our camp. You shems are like vermin—we can't trust you not to make mischief." Tamlen corrected them before insulting them yet again. He was not going to enjoy Lyna's famous lectures when this ordeal was over. Tamlen looked at Lyna before asking, "What do you say, lethallin? What should we do with them?"
Lyna thought for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "We kill them. No one will know, nor care about two dead shems." She responded, enjoying the sight of the three men looking at each other with fear.
"I like the sound of that. Anything to say in your defense, shems?" Asked Tamlen as both he and Lyna prepared to release their arrows.
"L-look... we didn't come here to be trouble. We just found a cave..." The first and most silent man said, surely they were desperate.
"Yes, a cave! With ruins like I've never seen! We thought there might be, uh..." The second man piped in. That confirmed her suspicions. The elves had been in this location for quite some time, not once had they discovered any ruins.
"Treasure. So you're more akin to thieves than actual bandits." Tamlen finished for the man, more disgust than before being located within his voice. Lyna chuckled before shaking her head, "I'd like to see these ruins for myself." Tamlen nodded, "So would I! I have never seen any ruins in these parts."
The second man stepped forward cautiously. "I... I have proof! Here... we found this just inside the entrance." He said as he slowly handed Tamlen a stone. The elf put away his bow an arrow, taking the relic whilst leaving Lyna to watch the men.
His eyes grew wide as he saw it. "This stone has carvings... is this elvish? Written elvish?" He asked with confusion in his voice. "There's more in the ruins! We didn't get very far in, though..." The man stammered. Tamlen pocketed the stone before readying his bow again.
"Why not? Surely you shems would want more treasure to go home with, for your beloved gold. A stone won't get you far in that regard." Hissed Lyna, tempted to just release her arrow now rather than later.
"There was a demon! It was huge... it's eyes black! Thank the Maker we were able to out-run it!" The man exclaimed, causing both Lyna and Tamlen to laugh.
He got that sarcastic, judging, look in his eyes again before he spoke, "A demon. Where is this cave?" The men looked at each other once again before the second responded, "Just off to the west, I think. There's a cave in the rock face, and a huge hole just inside."
"Well, do you trust them? Shall we let them go?" Tamlen questioned Lyna who already made up her mind minutes ago.
"No. Why would we do that? So they can bring more to drive us out? Kill them all." She answered bitterly. "Yes, one could expect no less from a shem. This will not take long..." Tamlen responded and before the humans could do anything, Lyna let her arrow fly through the air and plant itself in the third man's throat. Tamlen let his arrow go and it planted itself in the chest of the second man. The huntress drew another arrow quickly and released it straight into the back of the man running away, sending him falling down with a yelp of pain.
Putting their weapons away victoriously, Tamlen took a few steps forward before turning to Lyna. "Well, shall we see if there's any truth to their story? These carvings make me curious." The woman shrugged with a smirk, "Sounds good to me if it sounds good to you." He returned the smile as they both walked down the forest path.
Lyna gazed down at the water and vegetation at the bottom of the small crater the path led around. As she turned to look forward, she caught Tamlen looking at her and couldn't help but smirk and give him a wink. He stopped which forced her to stop and turn around to face him.
"Tamlen?" She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at her friend. He looked at his feet, then to an insect scurrying away from the two-legged behemoths near it. She approached him slowly, cautiously placing her hand on his cheek. "Are you okay?" She questioned before he looked up and stared into her ice-blue eyes with his silver ones.
"Lyna, I..." He started to say before he sighed and shook his head, pulling away from her. "Nothing, let's go." Lyna frowned and followed him. They only came across two wolves, and they dispatched them with ease.
Silence, for five minutes that was all that was heard between the two elves. Before they entered the cave, Lyna stopped their advance. "Tamlen, what's on your mind? Just tell me. Please." He turned to her and sighed before his eyebrows raised. "It's just that... weren't you supposed to be assisting Master Varathorn today? How did you end up coming with me? If you sneaked away again, he'll kill us both!"
She smiled and shrugged, he was a bad liar and was even worse when trying to cover something up. "I wanted to be with you, of course." She said sweetly. He smiled gently at her, looking into her eyes again. "I... thought that might be the case. I'm glad." He responded with a small hint of nervousness in his voice. "Let's just see what's in the cave and get out of here. We can talk later."
With that, they turned and walked into the cave. Neither of them had noticed the man clad in plate armor atop the ridge overlooking the cave. It was exactly like the common Grey Warden plate armor, but instead was pure black. None who gazed upon him would expect him a mage, as he was wearing plate armor and had weaponry not magical in nature. Two swords, three daggers, and a shield. Occasionally he'd used a bow and arrow, but those occasions were rare and only when a situation called for it, so he never carried them. Duncan, a fellow Grey Warden and Warden-Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens walked up to him, eyeing the cave with interest. They were drawn here, sensing the Darkspawn. Despite their main goal to recruit, Darkspawn were a threat always demanding immediate attention.
"Two elves have entered that cave. No doubt Marethari's bunch." The man in black growled to Duncan who nodded slowly. "You stay out here and wait, my friend. I am going inside to observe them. We may have potential recruits if we are lucky." The Warden simply took a few steps forward, "as you wish," he said before jumping off of the ledge and down onto the path the two elves had been on. With a loud thud, he stood up straight and rolled his shoulders.
Duncan did the same, though rather than stand there he headed inside the cave.
"Tamlen! Don't touch that-!" Lyna shouted before a blast sent her flying backwards. A white light blinded her and she lost consciousness. She knew coming to this cave was a mistake, she knew that mirror was bad news just by the looks of it. Now had she and her friend perished because of her foolishness and his curiosity? She felt something tug at her shoulders and weakly opened her eyes to see a human man. His hair was black but slightly greying and pulled back into a pony tail. He had a thick beard and truly looked like a man who had seen many battles and struggles. "Are you okay? I am sorry." He said in a calm voice that didn't sit well with the elf. She could not keep her eyes open any longer and fell back to unconsciousness again.
Hearing the screams from inside the cave, the Black Warden drew his sword and almost instantaneously it was covered in flames. In his open hand was an orb of electricity as he watched his surroundings closely. It did not take him long to spot Duncan coming out of the cave with an elf being carried over his shoulder. He turned his head slightly, curious, but everything was interrupted before he could speak as they sensed Darkspawn coming out from the cave as well as the forest around them.
"Get her to her people. I will keep them off of you for as long as I can before vanishing into the shadows." The Black Warden said before blasting a Hurlock with the built up electricity in his hand. The creature let out a shriek of pain before falling over, dead.
Duncan nodded before he rushed off. The Darkspawn couldn't see him running because the Black Warden let out a loud roar that gained their attention. They all closed in on the lone Warden, wanting nothing more than to tear him apart.
The Warden narrowed his eyes as he looked around at the circle of Darkspawn hissing in laughter at him. He was surrounded, but he felt no fear. "Come, dance with death for awhile. After all, I get lonely." He taunted before the group of Darkspawn closed in on him.
And so they clashed together, metal against metal. Before they could surround him completely, a circle of fire erupted around him, igniting two of them on fire. They ran away screeching in pain. The fire barrier faded and he quickly stabbed one of the creatures straight through the face with his sword, ripping it out just in time to block an attack by yet another Hurlock. He expertly retaliated and slashed the throat of the creature, causing it to fall to the ground choking on its own blood. Now that the Hurlocks seemed to be dealt with, their smaller kin were left. Genlocks, though small were fierce and could deal some serious damage, especially in numbers.
To keep the distance between him and the Genlocks, he used a wave of fire to push them back. He counted four remaining Genlocks yet knew there would be more on their way. Two of them closed in on him and he quickly stabbed one in the shoulder, using his other hand to grasp the bald head of the other Genlock. Both creatures let out shouts of pain, one getting his head and brain engulfed in flames whilst the other ripped the sword from the Warden's hands and retreated in order to remove it from his shoulder.
Soaked in sweat on the inside, soaked with black blood on the outside, the Warden knew he had to act fast. Three Genlocks now angrily closed in on him and he had mere seconds to react. He quickly drew two daggers, sliding them so the blades were in his hands. With quick and expert aim he tossed them into the heads of two Genlocks, killing the one he had merely stabbed and another that was closest to him. The remaining Darkspawn let out a loud roar before rushing towards the Warden, who quickly kicked the creature in the gut. It growled as it fell backwards and got its weapon torn from its hands.
The Warden tossed the corrupted axe to the ground and readied himself to deal with the Genlock hand-to-hand. As the creature charged him, he grabbed it by the arms and slammed it into the ground. Unsheathing his final dagger, he knelt on the back of the Genlock and caused it to squirm. For a creature of corruption, it made him smile when he saw such a thing squirm underneath him. Taking the dagger, he quickly plunged it into the back of its neck, twisting until the creature stopped moving.
He wiped the blade on the back of the Darkspawn before standing up and sheathing it. He did the same for the other weapons he had unsheathed. Looking around at the bodies, he let loose a loud sigh.
"Times are going dark. I can feel it." He muttered under his breath, looking up at the treetops. Hearing hissing from within the cave, he turned around and rushed down the path. With luck he could get there before the Dalish awoke. If she awoke.
Lyna twisted and turned in her slumber. Her sleep had brought her a strange dream that she did not know what to think of. It was almost as if it was a vision.
"Girl, I have been training you ever since we left your camp. Have you learned nothing?" A strange man clad in black plate taunted at her.
She growled back, slamming both of her Dar'Misu against his Dwarvish Longsword. She could tell he was smiling under that helmet of his. Without warning, the man delivered a harsh punch to her stomach and then swiped her feet out from under, ending his maneuver by putting the tip of his sword to her throat.
"You're dead." He stated with a grim tone, pointing at the river. "Get up and clean yourself for supper. Duncan should be arriving shortly with firewood. You've a long day tomorrow, we will be arriving at Ostagar and there will be no time for rest once there." He ordered. To her surprise she followed his commands without complaint and walked over to the running water.
She dipped her slender, pale fingers into the cool water and shivered before cupping her hands and splashing her face with the cool liquid. Something about the man in Black worried her. He seemed to be disconnected with the world around him, to the point she doubted anything could get to him. He was dangerous, that much she knew.
Once she finished cleaning the sweat and dirt off of herself, she got up and walked over to him again. "So, how many of you are there?" She asked, hoping to start a conversation with him. "One." He responded and she instantly knew the error of her question.
She gave an irritated sigh and shook her head, "How many Wardens, I mean." He crossed his arms and for a brief moment she could see his blood-red glowing eyes. "Not enough." He responded and she threw her arms up. "I give up!" She declared before her expression fell silent with her words.
The man appeared alarmed and before she could turn around to see what at, he grabbed her and turned around so she was standing where he once was. With his arms around her protecting her, she could feel his body jerk four times. Each time accompanied by a grunt of pain. It was then she saw six Darkspawn with corrupted bows and arrows.
Lyna's eyes fluttered open and she was greeted by the black armored man looking directly at her. Panic set in as she saw his red eyes, causing her to jump up from the bedroll she was laying on.
"Hamin, child. There is no need for alarm." He growled as the Keeper walked up beside him.
"This is Shadow, da'len. He is a Grey Warden and has come here with Duncan, they are both good friends of mine. He requested to stay by your side until you recovered." Marethari spoke calmly, her voice managing to soothe the panicking Lyna.
Her brief period of calm turned into confusion and rising anger. "Keeper! He sounds like a shem!" She said a bit louder than she originally intended, causing several others turn their gazes towards them.
Before Marethari could speak, the Warden took her place quickly. "Emma. I kn-" He began to explain before Lyna rushed up and tried to punch him.
His reflexes kicked in before she could land her attack and he quickly grabbed her fist. Twisting her hand, pulling it behind her and grabbing the other before she could use it. She found her back against his front, one of her arms stretched tightly behind her back and the other stretched diagonally in front of her, his arm tight against her neck. He pulled both arms and what would send her twirling away like a top, merely tripped her as he placed his foot in front of her path. She landed with a grunt before looking up at him with anger in her eyes.
"You really are weak, you didn't even hurt me!" Lyna taunted him, but he did nothing but shake his head. "If I wanted to hurt you, girl, I would have. Now get up, Keeper Marethari wishes to speak with you and I really must be off now that I know you are well."
Lyna disregarded his order, jumping up to her feet and letting loose a long lasting growl as she rushed towards him. He simply outstretched his arms, giving her an open chest for a target. She took it, rage clouding her mind as she slammed her fist against his armored chest. She let out a shrill shriek of pain, causing her 'foe' to laugh. Marethari sighed and shook her head, approaching the both of them.
"Are you two done? Please behave yourselves in my camp." The Keeper spoke, sounding highly annoyed.
Shadow gave a respectful and apologizing bow. "My apologies, Keeper Marethari. Do you wish anything of me or may I go?" He asked with an apologetic tone still in his voice.
She nodded. "Please stay. Da'len, I want you to seek out Merrill, I am sending you to look for Tamlen. I also find myself curious about this mirror I have heard about, and wish for Merrill to examine it for me. As for you, Warden, if it is true that Darkspawn are roaming around the area I would feel much better knowing you are with the two of them." She told the two and both gave a respectful bow.
"Ma nuvenin, Keeper." Both Shadow and Lyna said, resulting in two different reactions from them. Lyna growled at the Warden whilst he shook his head at her anger.
"Ma serannas. Return to us well, and hopefully with Tamlen." Marethari said before walking away.
As the Keeper's back was turned on them, Lyna gave Shadow a death glare. "I will wait for you near the way out. Meet me there when you are ready to go." He said to her before turning and walking away.
The walk was long and silent. Merrill and Lyna talked occasionally with each other but Shadow kept true to what his name implies. He was walking a few feet behind the two, not wanting to interrupt them. Not wanting to be noticed. They were on the path to the cave now and everything seemed quiet.
He sensed them before they could make their first move. He drew both his blades quickly just as six Genlocks jumped from the cliff to their right. Four Genlock archers appeared further down the path as well as their guard of two Genlock grunts.
Merrill let out a surprised yelp at the sudden appearance of the horrid monsters, not realizing one would have impaled her on his blade had Shadow not interrupted him with cutting his arms off.
Shadow parried one of the Genlock's attacks, "You two focus on the archers and their guards. Do not let their blood so much as touch you." He ordered the two women before riposting the parried Genlock. Whilst his blade was stuck in the chest of the creature, another one tried to attack him, but he blocked it with his other blade.
Merrill took cover behind a thin tree so the archers couldn't hit her whilst she aided Shadow, making sure the other Darkspawn couldn't get to him whilst he was busy. She shot one with an electric bolt that caused the creature to shriek and convulse, ultimately ending in it falling to its death.
Lyna quickly performed a wall-run, readying three throwing knives before launching herself off of the natural stone wall and towards the Darkspawn archers. She threw the three daggers, killing their targets quickly. Now there were only three archers and they were in unfavorable conditions. They dropped their bows and unsheathed their swords, engaging in close combat with Lyna.
Having retrieved his blades he continued fighting the remaining three Genlocks, imbuing his swords with electricity, quickly tapping them together to cause the swords to hiss at the contact confirming their voltage. As the Darkspawn closed in on him he slammed his swords into the ground, sending electric bolts crackling up at the creatures as well as forming a rune-like circle around him. The Darkspawn screamed loudly, several seconds later they fell over, smoking and convulsing due to their electrified bodies.
Merrill was surprised by what she had just witnessed, but both her and Shadow turned to see Lyna finishing off her final opponent. The elf huntress slammed the Genlock against the stone wall before quickly penetrating the back of its neck with her Dar'misu. The creature gurgled before she ripped out her blade sideways, forcing her foe's head to fall to that side before its corpse fell to the ground.
Hands, chest, and bottom of her feet were covered in black blood. There were now two large pools of tainted blood on the path. The one she made and the one Shadow and Merrill made together. The two of them rejoined Lyna and Shadow nodded at her.
"Impressive." He said before he took the lead, heading towards the cave.
The rest of their mission was uneventful. They fought more Darkspawn with relative ease, found Duncan, destroyed the mirror, and returned to the Dalish camp, sad to learn Tamlen was gone for good. Now, Lyna, Marethari, and the Wardens discussed the young elf's cure.
"Our order is in need of help. You are in need of a cure. When we leave, I hope you will join us. You would make an excellent Grey Warden." Duncan said, crossing his arms. He meant his words, and Lyna know that, but something was off. It seemed rather one-sided.
"Me? A Grey Warden? No. No way. I am not leaving my clan!" Lyna protested, earning a growl from Shadow. She ignored it, as did the others.
"This is not madness, da'len. It means curing you." Marethari spoke softly and Lyna couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed.
"The Darkspawn blood courses through your veins, and you have survived due to your Keeper's healing and your own will. But eventually, the taint will sicken and kill you, or worse. The Grey Wardens can prevent that, but it means joining us." Duncan informed her with a hint of nothing but seriousness in his voice.
Lyna sighed, "Will I be able to rejoin my clan?" She asked curiously.
"That is doubtful, girl. Once we leave here, we go to fight the Darkspawn and it is highly unlikely you will be able to return." Shadow spoke up, the rough grim and quiet tone of his voice only deepening.
She shook her head, "No. I would rather take my chances, I will not go." She stated with anger and defiance in her voice.
A few more minutes of trying to persuade her occurred, each time however, she rejected it.
"This is all I've ever known! This is my home!" She desperately cried out to the Keeper and Duncan. "I do not want to leave it, I will not. If there is no guarantee I will return, I'd rather die with my people than away from them!" That phrase reminded Shadow of a younger version of himself. He frowned behind the safety of his helmet.
"A home the Darkspawn will tear apart. You can help us prevent that from ever happening." Duncan said with growing annoyance in his voice.
The Keeper broke out in a tone that indicated she was on the verge of tears. "You do not know how hard it is to send one of our daughters out on a journey such as this. But if that is what the Creators intend for you, da'len, meet your destiny with your head held high. No matter where you go, you are Dalish. Remember that."
"I refuse to listen to this! I will not go!" She shouted as she turned around to walk away.
Before she could take a step Shadow put his arm in front of her, pressing it against her chest so she may not move in any direction but backwards. She faintly blushed with embarrassment as she realized where his arm was before shaking her head and letting her anger take over again. This was no time for her to worry about such matters, especially since he was a shem.
"Then you leave me no choice. I hereby invoke the Rite of Conscription." Duncan stated with an apologetic tone in his voice. Marethari looked at him and nodded. "I witness and acknowledge your invocation, Duncan of the Grey Wardens."
"I am sorry this was not your choice, but the Darkspawn threat is simply too great." He said with his dark tone returning. "I will have Shadow drag you kicking and screaming to Ostagar, if I must. Would you rather die here, and sicken your own people?" He asked.
"I know you'll do your clan proud, da'len. Take this ring. It is your heritage and will protect you against the Darkspawn to come." Marethari said as she handed Lyna a ring. The young elf took the ring and put it on quickly. "A valuable gift," Duncan stated, "Very well. Are you ready to g-" She raised her hand briefly to silence him before she began pulling Shadow by the arm towards the exit of the camp.
She had to go, it would be easier to do so in silence. The Warden let her drag him a few feet before ripping himself from her grasp. "That was rude, girl." He growled at her and she simply shook her head, an angered expression dominating her rather young and beautiful face.
"You of all people know silence. It is easier to leave with silence than to see their faces and have your heart broken more than it already is." She told him, knowing that he was a man of silence because of the sound of his voice and just his personality that she had picked up on so far.
He nodded before quietly speaking, "Come then. Duncan has a few things to clear up here. We can meet him on the West Road where he'll be departing for his final potential recruit in Highever. You and I will head to Ostagar." With those words spoken they left the camp together, leaving Duncan to talk with Marethari.
They had been walking for half an hour in silence. Occasionally she'd speak for what Shadow thought was just to remove the lonely feeling silence caused. "So is that shem always like that?" She asked him with anger in her voice as she thought of Duncan.
He simply nodded in response. Her lips slowly curved into a small frown. Before she took another step forward, he grabbed her roughly and pulled her back placing his shield in front of her face. With three thuds she saw three arrowheads sticking through it.
"You need to watch where you are going, girl." He said in his growl before he whipped the shield at one of the bandits attacking them.
It spun in the air clockwise until it hit the man straight in the face, with a nasty crack it broke not only the bandit's face, but the shield as well. The Warden rushed towards the group, wielding his two swords once more. They stood two against at least twenty.
What bandits were doing in such a large number and in the forest, they did not know. Often bandits were nothing but a small group consisting of five to ten men with armor that wouldn't stop a pin going through. These men were equipped with armor forged within one of the cities, as it was efficient enough to be used in battle. Such a thing was uncommon among normal bandits as those who tried to attack soldiers often found their fates swift and brutal.
The men surrounded them with their weapons ready, Lyna and Shadow both saw several archers positioned within the trees. One of the bandits walked forward, pointing his sword directly at Shadow.
"What you did to my friend? That was really rude. He probably won't have a face anymore. Why did you do that?" The man with a strange accent not familiar to either of them spoke. He had a tone of insanity in his voice.
"Let us go and you will not be harmed. You may even live to see another day. I can not say the same about your friend. He's gone." Shadow taunted as he dropped his swords to the ground.
The man chuckled, "What's this? Tough guy is surrendering? You know you just threatened us, right? Whatever, we decline your offer any-" Before he could finish his sentence he found an ice spike sticking through his chest.
The archers fired in a petty attempt to avenge what Shadow thought was their leader, but their arrows simply got shredded when they hit the blue magic shield that surrounding both of their targets. Two mages rushed up to the front and cut their hands. Blood Magic.
"Girl, focus on the archers. I'll take care of our mage friends and keep the others off of you for as long as I possibly can." Shadow ordered before rushing towards the blood mages.
Quickly drawing her bow, Lyna gave him covering fire. Whoever had trained these archers were good as the archers were hopping from branch to branch trying to avoid getting shot down by Lyna. As Shadow reached the two blood mages, he quickly delivered punches to their faces, his fists surrounded by fire. They screamed loudly as their faces got scorched and torn by what would have felt like metal fresh from the forge's fires.
As the mages fell to their knees grabbing at their faces only making the wounds worse, Shadow soon felt himself surrounded by an inferno. Abominations made their way through the ranks of the bandits. A magic barrier forming around him, he held out his arm in front of his face and the fiery wind went around him. He snarled, feeling the intense heat against his face as he slowly made his way closer to the abominations. The two blood mages who failed at killing him in time were now charred corpses on the forest floor.
Lyna readied two arrows and let them loose, expertly taking down two of the archers as they were in the air. The men shouted as the arrows penetrated their legs, causing them to lose focus and smash their chests into the branches before falling down to the forest floor with loud thuds.
Shadow frowned, the abominations still attempting to scorch him. He knew there was little point in trying to fend off these bandits, or what ever they really were. Sure, fighting until they died would make it safer for the people around this area to move around, however, he and Lyna would surely perish if they kept on fighting. Was he willing to risk that?
He narrowed his eyes before letting his magic shield fall as he retaliated against the flames with a blizzard of ice blasting through to the abominations. He screamed in agony as the flames cooked him within his armor. The flames were so intense the metal on his arms had begun to melt, fusing with his clothing and some flesh underneath. The bandits charged when they saw he was still standing, hoping to kill him whilst he was distracted by pain.
Lyna's gaze quickly darted to Shadow as she heard him scream before quickly drawing an arrow and firing it into the head of one of the abominations. The creature let loose a guttural scream before erupting into a blast of fire. Like a chain reaction set off by the first one, the other abominations followed. This effectively took out a majority of the bandits, though seven of them closed in on Shadow. Four arrows zoomed passed her, causing her to shift her gaze from Shadow to the trees once more.
As the seven bandits got close, Shadow quickly unsheathed two daggers disregarding the intense pain he felt in his entire body. As the first man neared, he got his throat cut and the second man immediately found a dagger in his forehead. The third attempted to strike, but was quickly parried by Shadow's other arm before finding the dagger stuck in his chest several times. Ripping his right dagger from the forehead of the second man, he quickly charged it with electricity before throwing it at the fourth man. As it impacted into his heart several bolts traveled to two of his remaining allies' weapons as well as his own, causing them all to fall to the ground, convulsing as the electricity burned their flesh and continued to fry their insides. The seventh man slowly came to a stop as he reached Shadow, dropping his weapons and falling to his knees.
Lyna spotted the final archer trying to retreat, but shot him in the back so he fell down the long drop to the forest floor. Readying another arrow, she approached the man Shadow was standing over. The area seemed clear, all of the archers had been killed.
Shadow knelt down so he could look the man in the eyes, holding his dagger out close to the bandit so he could see the blood of his comrades drip from it. "Who are you lot? Where do you hail from? Who is your leader? Why were you with Maleficarum?" Shadow asked in a snarl, his tone so venomous it made the man whimper.
The man cried out desperately, "W-We are called t-the Awakeners... we are l-led by a mysterious man... he doesn't show his face or give his name! O-only our officers are allowed to be in his presence! We come from all around Thedas! A-Apostates are welcomed in our order!"
Shadow nodded, "Good. What do you... Awakeners do exactly?" He asked curiously.
"I... I can't tell you! They'll kill me! He is watching... he is always watching..." The man responded with fear in his voice.
Shadow got up to his feet and sighed, shaking his head. "Here I thought I'd be able to let you go. Rest well, scum." He snarled before planting his dagger in the top of the man's head, twisting it before ripping it out and sheathing it.
Lyna's eyes widened as she saw the slaughter of someone who surrendered, but said nothing. Shadow walked all around, gathering his other dagger and sheathing it. His shield and swords were no use, the flames had rendered them useless. Not to mention his shield shattered upon impact with the face of the bandit.
"Come. We've got to get to Lothering. We will stop there and stay to heal my wounds before continuing to Ostagar. We've a few days before the battle begins, anyway." He groaned as he continued down the path.
Lyna rushed to catch up with the limping man groaning in impatience, "I don't want to wait. I want to get this 'Joining' over and done with as soon as possible." The man shook his head, remaining silent.
They walked quietly for an hour, they were on main road by then. To the left was the Brecillian forest and to the right was the Bannorn, mostly known for being the backbone of Ferelden. It was mostly grassland save for a few trees here and there.
Much to Lyna's surprise, Shadow answered her demands from an hour ago. "Good. Then you can wait for the eve of battle. That is when the Joining Ritual will take place. I don't know if you have ever been in, or near the Bannorn, but welcome. This land is a land full of people more stubborn and prone to fighting with each other than the Dwarves. I exaggerate naught, the greed of these men got the point a war was fought just for an apple tree."
His elf companion sighed before looking at him with amusement. It was truly remarkable how quickly he seemed to dull the pain of his injuries. What would have crippled normal men seemed to merely wound him whilst at the same time seeming to make him stronger in an unknown way. She was a handful, but compared to the others who were ordered to stay at Lothering until Duncan claimed them, well... she was mild to say the least. This was going to be a long journey. Shadow could feel it.
Author's Note: Dear JustAnotherWriterLikeYou, this was submitted in less than 1 hours, smarty pants. :P In other news, I hope you, dear audience, enjoyed the first chapter of Dragon Age: Group of Exiles!