"Let's cross the bridge and get to the Tower of Ishal!"
The Grey Warden Alistair seemed eager to proceed with our task.
"Maker preserve us," I muttered under my breath, this was not how I imagined I would be spending the summer.
"Temperance?"
He was looking at me expectantly, as though waiting to follow my lead. I should my head, he was the senior Warden here, he probably just thought I was off in the Fade. I looked across the bridge, the rain hammered down and made chiming sounds off our armour. We could see the Darkspawn horde approaching.
Just as I took a step onto the bridge a large fiery boulder catapaulted into the wall, causing the structure to shake. Alistair grabbed my arm as I fell and pulled me along roughly, running as fast as he could to the other side. My heart was in my mouth the whole time and I half expected to be hit by flaming debris or knocked off the bridge into the void below.
It was the longest minute of my life.
Breathing heavily we made it to the other side just as another projectile crashed into the bridge right behind us. My faithful Mabari hound Dax seemed unfazed by the drama and stood waiting for me not ten feet away. I could hear the screaming of soldiers behind us as the sound of fighting from below.
"Come," said Alistair, "We don't have much time."
Just as we approached the ramp that lead to the Tower two men came rushing down it, the armoured guard approached us, visibly out of breath.
"You...you're Grey Warden's aren't you? The Tower..it's been taken!"
"Taken?" my companion seemed incredulous, "What are you talking about man?"
"The darkspawn, they've infiltrated the Tower, they're everywhere?"
Alistair clenched his jaw, "Then we are just going to have to take it back."
I looked at him surprised, his personality had totally changed from the man I had met not a day ago. The easy going, jokey man had been replaced by a battle hardened warrior.
I was impressed.
Nothing could have prepared me for what was to come next. The Darkspawn were the ugliest, dirtiest, smelliest creatures I had ever seen in my life. They were covered in grime and blood and when they roared the smell of their breath nearly knocked me out cold. I remember Alistair saying he had seen the creatures before but had never actually killed one personally, he certainly seemed to be making up for that now. Don't get me wrong, I am not a squeamish person by any means and had had my fair share of fights in the past, but I had never fought anything so ferociously hellbent on crushing me to a pulp.
I admit it, I was scared. We had fought the dark spawn in the Kocari Wilds just hours ago, but they were stragglers, nothing near the scale that faced us now. It seemed they would overwhelm us. I tried not to show my fear, Alistair had the most determined look on his face and I did not want him to think me weak, I was now a Grey Warden after all.
Without warning my weapon began to glow in my hand, then the blade burst into flames. In my shock I nearly dropped the sword but to my surprise it did not feel hot to the touch. I looked up to see a blood splattered mage waving us towards the Tower door.
"Thought you could use a little help, that'll sting like nothing they've ever felt before."
He held open the doors as Dax, Alistair and I entered and sealed them shut behind us.
Of course the Darkspawn were in the Tower as well. We fought our way to the third floor before I had to take a small break, my energy was starting to wane and the events of the past week had drained me insurmountably.
"Maker's breath!" Alistair exclaimed as we barred the door behind us, "What are all these Darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here."
"You could always try telling them they are in the wrong place," I offered.
How ironic that not two hours before he had been complaining that he would not get to see any fighting.
"Right...Because clearly this is all just a misunderstanding."
"Ah there he is," I exclaimed to myself as he replied sarcastically.
"At any rate," he continued, "We need to hurry, We need to get up to the top of the Tower and light the signal fire in time. Teyrn Loghain is waiting for the signal."
I looked ahead and the staircase seemed to twist on forever, I could not suppress my groan.
When we finally reached the top room of the Tower I nearly collapsed, lugging a tonne of heavy armour on your back plus shield and sword up ten flights of stairs is no easy task.
"Take a moment to rest," smiled Alistair, patting me on the back, "I just hope Teyrn Loghain is ready to charge, the King is counting on us."
It only took me a moment to recover and it made me thankful for my warrior training. Remembering home though felt like a punch in the stomach and right at that moment I needed to focus. I stood and rushed into the room, trying to leave my pain behind me....
It worked, but only because in front of me stood a monster I had never encountered before, I was dumbfounded.
"Ogre!" cried the mage who had accompanied us.
The creature roared and literally knocked me off my feet, I was so surprised I nearly didn't move in time to avoid being crushed by a giant fist. As I turned the floor where I had fallen was collapsed in from the strength of the blow.
"Temperance! Pay attention!"
These words drew me from my stupor and I was able to regain my thoughts.
Dax danced around the Ogre, biting at its ankles and keeping it distracted. It roared in frustration as it tried to catch my nimble warhound and crush it with a mighty fist. The mage sent lighting and fire at it and only when it's back was turned did Alistair or myself dare approach it. Without warning my companion clambered up onto the Ogre's back, digging a small blade into the side of its neck. As it cried out in pain and reached for him he pulled it across the creatures throat, opening up its jugular and pouring pints of dark crimson blood onto the floor. The creature collapsed with a gasp and Alistair sat breathing heavily on its back.
"Well what are you waiting for?" he asked me, "Light the signal."
"Right," I nodded and took a sconce from the wall, lighting the dry kindling in the fire. It burst into flame so suddenly I had to step back for fear of being burnt.
"It is done, Now all we can do is wait."
I walked to one of the windows and looked down, I could not see much but the sound of the fighting reached us. Banging began on the door that we had barred, I turned and drew my sword as the horde burst forth but felt tremendous stabs of pain as arrows pierced my body. I drew in a gasp of breath as splotches of light clouded my vision. Dax stood over me, ripping and tearing at the darkspawn. I tried to move but the pain was unbearable.
"Father, I'm sorry..."
The blackness overwhelmed me, and then I felt no pain.