I do not own Dragon Age Origins in any way shape or form. This is a work of fanfiction only… please don't sue!
Beauty
Demons come to her in her dreams. They are ugly things, creatures that cannot imagine, and who look across the veil and envy something they cannot understand. They are like exotic birds, ratting off the sounds they hear, but with no knowledge of what those sounds could ever mean. It is a waste, she thinks. These beings have the power to mold their world into whatever they want it to be, yet all they are capable of doing with that power is coping the images they see in the minds of the dreaming.
So when they come for her, she laughs at them. Mocks their pathetic existence, even as they swarm her in a vain attempt to cross into a place they do not belong. Every night they come, and every night she defeats them.
They are pitiful.
Father teaches her magic. He shows her how to don the form of wild animals and how to make the blood boil in someone's body. He teaches her how to turn her magic inwards, to make herself stronger and faster. He tells her how she can heal the sick, and curse the healthy. He demonstrates how fire can be brought forth without a spark, how she can make the water freeze in the summer, and how lighting could come from her hands as well as the clouds.
He teaches her how to do things without magic as well. He explains how one can deceive without a single lie leaving their mouths, and how one can manipulate others without them realizing they are being manipulated. He shows her how to mix poisons that can stop the heart, and potions that can start it again. He tells her where to strike in order to bring down an ogre, and what powders can muddle the noses of tracking hounds.
He is wise and intelligent. He is the man who taught her how to roast a templar in their own armor, and who put her to sleep with fantastic tales of the elves of the past, and the heroes of the present. He is the one who stole a mabari pup for her when she said she wanted a dog, and who hugged her tight when she was scared. He is the one that took Mother's magic away, and kept her here, so that she would have a mother.
He is like a masterpiece written on a rag. His body tainted by the darkspawn, and his mind is edged with madness, yet his cold intelligence is as sharp as ever. She knows that one day his taint will become too much for him, and he will leave for the deep roads in order to take as many darkspawn to the beyond with him as he can. It will be a glorious thing she knows.
He is her father. He is brilliant.
Mother both fears and hates Father. She was once a powerful witch, until Father put the lyrium brand to her skin and cut her off from the Fade. But even without her magic, she is still a strong woman. She teaches her just where to stab to make a man squeal like a rat, and just what to do to make him bend to your whim. She tells her of shadows many do not know exist, and dark secrets that only the witches knew. Sometimes her teachings are more mundane, such as the fact that skulls make rather lovely pots for the night-shade, and that giving birth will be the most painful experience in her life.
She tells her how even the one closest to you can betray you in the worst ways, and if ever the look a man gives you makes you feel more frightened then you have ever felt in your life; you get away from him, and give him no reason to find you.
She is like a cracked vase which can no longer hold water. The Fade is lost to her, and fire no longer bursts from her fingers. But, a blaze still smolders in her soul. She can slit a templar's throat with a kitchen knife, and can bring that fear to the eyes of any soul that stumbles upon their sanctuary.
She is her Mother. She is magnificent.
Her faithful hound accompanies her whenever she ventures into the forest. The mabari ripples with muscle, and is capable of crushing a man's skull between its teeth. According to Father, the breed is one of the most sought after in all of Fereldan, and if she even walks in the towns of men, the dog will mark her instantly as a person worthy of respect.
She knows that should she ask it, the hound will throw itself off a cliff without hesitation. It sees something in her that makes her worthy of the respect it gives her. Even father, who once owned a hound himself, is not afforded the same respect shown to her. It is the picture of might, so much so that even the most fanatical templars are shaken when the baying hound charges them. It doesn't last long of course; if the mabari hasn't taken them down, then either her or Father has blasted them with magic.
She has never really understood why she should fear the templars. They are merely men after all. No matter how many times they invoke the Maker's name, he has not reached out to aid them, and so she strikes them down like flies. Fire melts their armor like wax, and ice allows them to be shattered like glass. The occasional squad that finds their hideaway does wonders to break the monotony. Watching them run around in panic while on fire always makes her laugh, and the mabari always appreciates the extra meat. They are at least more eye-pleasing than the dark-spawn at least.
She hates the darkspawn with a passion. The first time she had seen them, was when she had encountered a group of glenlocks in the woods. Several had run off screaming in terror when they saw her and the rest had thrown themselves at her feet pleading for mercy. They were absolutely repulsive, and she burned them all to ash without a second thought. It was the same with a group of hurlocks she encountered next.
Whenever she thinks of them, hate burns within her body, and she wants nothing better then to see those repulsive beasts dead. But for the life of her, she cannot understand why they do not fight her. They are deathly afraid of her, for reasons she does not know. In any case she utterly destroys them every time she encounters them, not even leaving carcasses behind for her dog to feast on.
What really bugs her, is that they always call her Urthemiel whenever they see her.
Authors Note: A late conclusion to my dark fics Reunion, Shadows, and Regret. This is mostly speculation on my part… but I found this on my hard drive and thought I might as well post it… so what do you think?
Please note this was also written before Awakening.