Last Dance
They were coming in waves. The darkspawn surged towards the platform where Leliana was operating one of the ballista's, Wynne by her side casting spells rapidly. The Wardens stood together at the base, waiting to meet the creatures, swords drawn. Elissa nodded once at Alistair, who returned it grimly, and both took up fighting stances, readying their weapons.
The remaining Dalish archers targeted the enemy from their scattered positions, dispatching many of them before they reached the pair;but still they came. A mass of snarling terror, and all that stood between them and Leliana's constant firing at the Archdemon were two Wardens. They stood, filthy and blood smeared, dark shadows under their eyes.
"Are you ready?" Alistair hissed and risked a quick look at the woman by his side.
Elissa tossed her head in defiance, a wild and dangerous look in her eyes. Her face and hair sweaty and streaked with the blood of their enemy. She smiled in affirmation and Alistair's heart swelled. She had never looked more beautiful to him. "Together then." Alistair told her and they moved in unison towards the beasts before them.
Alistair's heart started to pound in a rhythmic and primitive drum beat, adrenaline flooding his senses and driving him onwards. He could feel Elissa tensing in anticipation beside him as the creatures came at them in a frenzy of hate. The darkspawn ran closer, their faces twisted into furious sneers until they smashed into the Wardens with a strength and intensity that shook the rooftop.
Alistair's shield connected with the nearest hurlock, knocking it sideways in a spray of blood, his sword followed and effortlessly sliced through the creature's throat. He felt Elissa beside him, her sword and dagger moving in a steady flow of slashes and stabs.
They moved in a graceful dance around each other, every movement executed with precision. After months of battles they fought as one, without having to look at each other, just knowing and trusting where the other would be. Elissa felt Alistair's arm swing and knew he had sent the edge of his shield into a darkspawn's jaw. A shift in Elissa's stance and Alistair understood that she'd kicked out at a foe, sweeping her sword across its back, cleaving through its armour.
Alistair heard Elissa's laugh bubble hysterically in the back of her throat and knew she'd lost herself in the moment. The sound sent him spiralling after her and he felt his face twist into a frantic grin. Energized he allowed his instincts to take control; the drumming in his heart pounding faster.
His senses afire, Alistair drove his sword through one of the creatures, almost slicing it in twoon withdrawing the weapon, spilling its guts all over an already felled genlock. The next foe he deflected towards Elissa, who swept her blade across its face beforefinishing it with a dagger to the stomach. Wrenchingher blade free she crouched low to meet her next opponent.
As it came at her, sword raised and mouth open wide in a howl, herbloodied dagger plunged into its groin, drawing a pig-like squeal from it. Standing up she pushed it over…and let Alistair finish it off with a steel-shod boot, crushing its skull to paste.
The remaining darkspawn kept advancing, appearing from the bowels of the Fort and heading directly for the Wardens. They pressed forward howling their defiance only to be met by a flurry of steel and determination.
Back-to-back the Wardens stood in the bloody foam of the dead and the dying. Twirling and spiralling in brutal tandem they moved together in a perfect dance of butchery and carnage. Fuelled by anger and hatred, loyalty and love they danced until only two genlock archers remained between them and a weakened Archdemon.
Glancing at each other in silent agreement the two Wardens charged. Alistair felt an arrow glance off his armour and hurtled at the nearest creature, bashing its head with his now bloody and dripping shield. He spun behind it and drove his sword through its back, feeling the crunch of bone as his sword carved through the creature's spine and out through its chest. With a yell of triumph he turned to see Elissa, pale and bloody, fall to her knees, an arrow through her chest and the remaining genlock looming above her with a wicked looking blade in its hand.
Time seemed to slow…the pounding of the drums decelerated, returning Alistair to himself. His heart froze as the genlock's arm swept up in a high arc and started to fall towards the woman's unprotected face. His arms dropped to his sides and without thinking his sword and shield slipped from his hands as he sprinted across the small gap to reach Elissa.
Alistair grappled the sword arm of the genlock with one hand and smashed his other mailed fist into the creature's face, breaking its nose and spraying his own face with blood. With a sneer he struck out again, knocking the darkspawn to the floor, leaping onto its chestand pinning it down. Blow after blow he struck, venting his anger and panic into the creature. He felt its fear, could taste the bitterness of its blood in his mouth until it ceased its thrashing.
Covered in the blood and gore of the fallen, Alistair stood and stared frantically back at Elissa, her face a mask of confusion and pain. Wynne had run to her side and was assessing her quickly, running her hands over the woman and muttering something unintelligible. Alistair started to move towards her but a growl behind him made him turn as he remembered the Archdemon.
The dragon was slumped on the floor now, body pitted with ballista bolts and its eyes heavy lidded; it's breathing ragged. Alistair turned slowly back to Elissa, his heart heavy with the duty they both knew was coming. His eyes met hers in silent apology and he saw her try to raise herself to stand. "No…." He saw her lips move rather than hear her voice. They both knew there was no time left. Elissa's eyes flickered from Alistair to the Archdemon and back again. She battled weakly against Wynne, blood flowing between the fingers of the hand she held over her wounded chest before he saw her resign herself to despair.
For a moment Alistair's resolve faltered. But he was a Grey Warden and Ferelden's King, and he had an obligation to see this through to the end. Wynne's healing spell was beginning to take effect and Alistair knew he would have to move quickly if he wanted to stop Elissa from trying to take his place. He held her gaze, pouring an eternity into this final moment. He smiled at her, filling his memory with as much of her as he could before wrenching himself away.
Spotting a sword protruding from one of the fallen he grasped it mid-stride with both hands and ran at the dragon. "Don't think, Alistair. Just do this quickly." He thought to himself as he darted past the Archdemon's snapping jaws and slid on his knees beneath the creature, slicing the sword through its underbelly. The Archdemon howled in terrified dread as it understood what was coming next. Alistair sensed its fear and panic as its soul frantically searched for an outlet…anywhere to flee to but him.
Standing, Alistair refused to give in to the compulsion to look back at Elissa as he plunged the sword through the Archdemon's skull, feeling the point crunch through bone and then slide effortlessly through its brain.
He heard Elissa scream his name. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" he whispered over and over to her as he battled to keep hold of the sword, driving it deeper. And then there was a rushing of silence as he felt the spirit of the Archdemon grasp hold of him. Alistair smiled and surrendered as his body became the final battleground. Sure now of victory, he finally allowed himself to look again towards Elissa. His final thought of how proud he was of her as she bravely met his eyes, her lips trembling as they tried to smile back at him. Then the drum beat slowed...before finally stopping completely as darkness took him.
XXX
Thaks to S. for helping and for almost completely re-writing the "skull to paste" paragraph and also the paragraph preceding it….can't take credit/blame for whatever images are left with anyone for that