Dragon-Born
"I'm sorry, but I must do this, Alistair. Give Leliana… give her my love."
With this I turned away from my fellow Grey Warden and Friend. I had made him King. I could let him die for me. He was the eldest now, as Riordan was dead, and technically he should be the one to die, but I could not let him. I had shed too much blood, made too many wrong decisions. No one else can die today."
Turning away from him, I ran towards the Archdemon, pulling a greatsword stamped with the mark of the legion from the body of a Hurlock alpha.
Damnit, this thing is heavy I thought. How does Oghren, of all people, lug something like this around all day? The elfish frame isn't designed for this, especially the female elfish frame.
Really? Self-Sexism at a time like now?
Please shut up.
Quick, here it is. Long Cut one the underside of the belly, turn the slip on that blood patch into a slide, clamber onto it's back, keep footing, climb to head, sticking sword in to use as handhold… the skull! No time to think, to consider… STRIKE!
Oh Creators… I can feel it; I can feel it inside of me! It's trying to take over… No, I won't let it! I can't! I must die with it! I must! Oh why didn't accept the ritual? I could have saved myself… No, it's a plot. The Demon is using my doubts against me. I must keep control! I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong… NO! It's shut down my senses, my nerves; I have no body that I can use. Just my mind and soul!
God-Damnit I can't just die! I CAN'T JUST DIE LIKE THIS!
I must draw power from somewhere… My Gods? Their enemies? No, they are trapped in the underworld and Heaven, locked in by Fen'Herel. Him? Him? But how?
No, No, No, I cannot use him…
Wait, but what is this? Magic? I have no magic, I am no Mage! This is no healing Spell… This is from Within… My Magic?
I have no Magic!
But, I do…
It is often said that near death experiences unlock new powers… But this is death.
Is it?
It's… It's Soul… It's being pushed back… how? This… Magic? What is this? How is this happening? What is happening?
"I…
Yield."
What? Whose Voice is this? Who is this?
"Who do you Think, Warden?"
The Archdemon? But How? When the Archdemon dies, the Grey Warden dies too.
"You are more than a Grey Warden."
Then What am I?
"We know not"
We?
"Every 'Blight' is stronger than the last. When each Blight was ended, the Soul was not destroyed; it fled the surface world back into the tombs that the make made for us, into the body of next God. No Longer a soul, as that would kill both. But it made the beacon stronger, drew more dark ones to us.
Do you think the Old Gods enjoy the Taint? It burns, it aches, it wallows and stings and festers and infects until nothing is left but it. You have given me an opportunity. There is still me left. You have merely destroyed the taint, and transferred my soul to you. With my help, you were able to destroy the taint without your life-force I have learned to share my body with four others. I can remain in you, make you stronger. Thedas is on the brink of collapse. I have foreseeing powers far beyond as magister or mage. Thedas will need you. You Cannot die here. You Cannot die now, And now, you cannot die ever."
"Rise, Dragon-Born!"
I opened my eyes.