Hero of Ferelden. Brother of the Teyrn of Highever. Arl of Amaranthine. Commander of the Grey. King of Ferelden. Aedan Cousland was known across Thedas. After returning from Grey Warden duties across Ferelden, he takes his place beside his wife in court, as the rulers of Ferelden.
Several years after the Blight, his "regular" life is shattered and he finds himself trapped between a mysterious individual that wants him dead, and a terrifying secret of which only Grey Wardens are aware.
A/N: Incredibly short 'intro' chapter. Others will most certainly be longer. I can assure you. ;)
He approached the forest's edge. The trees were motionless, the air cold. It was as if they were holding their breath. Silent. Something was in there, waiting for him. He could feel it. But he had to press on. The forest grew darker, the light from the sun being blocked out as he pressed deeper into the woods. The trees morphed and became gnarled and mangled in the low light. Branches twisted around each other, and their leaves appeared to drop away. He hesitated. The air around him was growing colder as he moved towards the forest's centre. Pale white clouds left his mouth with every exhale. Scanning his surroundings the best he could, he continued.
The silence that was looming over him was shattered by the sound of flowing water. A river. He pressed forward, running towards the source of the sound. He pushed low branches and gnarled bushes aside. The river was close, the sound growing louder and more defined. Breaking through into a clearing, he came to what appeared to be a riverbed. The trees around him appeared burnt and the ground was dry and barren. Silence returned to the forest. Something clearly wasn't right. As he looked around, faint voices began whispering in the back of his mind. Flashes of fire entered his vision. The burning forest. Children playing by the river running in terror as the flames costumed the trees, and dark figures spewed from the fiery maw. He winced at the pain, clenching his forehead and falling onto his knees. The images returned and subsided, each more painful and vivid than the last. The sound of screaming, coughing and spluttering echoed in his ears, and at the back of his mind... the whispering...
He looked from side to side, the images flashed more rapidly, the whispering growing louder. He swung himself a round and fell backwards. A creature stood directly in front of him. Watching him struggle. He knew what it was. It's withered flesh, bulging eyes and twisted teeth gave it away.
Darkspawn.
He looked upon the fiend in horror. As it filled his vision, the whispering is all he could hear. He couldn't decipher the words, but he felt it was calling to him. The creature remained still, gazing into him. Those eyes staring right through him. The fire was burning around it, and the ground blackened beneath it's feet. The whispering continued... he was drawn to this creature. He stood to his feet, slowly walked forward and reached out to touch it. As the tip of his fingers touched it's flesh, it lunged forward and grabbed him. He attempted to scream, but nothing but a gasp escaped his lips. The ground ripped open beneath them, revealing a chasm below. They fell into the abyss and the darkness swallowed him whole...