This is what happens when you have Dragon Age on the brain and The Dark Knight on the big screen. Sorry in advance.
Grey
Elissa Cousland knew the second they came into sight of the village that they were too late. Nathaniel and Anders gave her a curious stare as she swore. Sigrun was too busy picking at a newly bandaged wound to notice.
"Commander, we need to hurry, there could be survivors."
"There won't be. Fuck."
She could feel the eyes of her Wardens on her and knew they had to move. Shit. It wasn't going to be pretty. She glanced with tight anger at her little group one more time before setting off. She hated what she had to do to them.
The village had been small; only twenty or so families had lived here. Elissa glanced around bleakly at the blackened homes and gray fields before marching through the one little street that ran through the town. She stopped when she reached the body of a farmer lying face down in the dust.
"Check every building," she commanded tersely. Elissa stared down at the fallen man. No matter what anyone said, no part of being a Grey Warden was worse than this. She'd fought an archdemon; that didn't come close.
"Commander!"
Elissa sighed angrily. She walked up the little wooden steps and into the simple wooden house to find a woman clutching her child in the corner of the room. She had bite marks on her neck and arms. Her skin was already beginning to fester. From what little of the child Elissa could see, he had been tainted too.
She held out her hand to the woman, who simply shrunk further into her hiding spot. Elissa could see the madness in her eyes already. Lines of black were creeping up her neck.
"This," Elissa said without turning to her Wardens, "is our duty as Grey Wardens." Her boot knife arced across the woman's neck, splitting the jugular cleanly. The child screamed, its throaty growl like nothing human.
"What—what are you doing?"
Elissa stood and slowly faced them. There was revulsion on all of their faces.
"That was an innocent woman!" Nathaniel advanced on her, as she knew he would. She met his eyes with a dead stare.
"It is a Grey Warden's duty to protect mankind from the taint. What I just showed you was mercy. A mercy that you all are bound by your blood to grant."
She held out the knife. Nathaniel whipped violently away. Sigrun looked decidedly sick.
The child in the corner gasped and gave a chilling rattle. Elissa didn't have to turn to know how far gone he was. She swept her gaze over them, needing to know who could make the hard choice. Anders was gazing thoughtfully at the child, his lighthearted quips for once far from his lips.
"Why?" the mage finally asked.
"Why?" Elissa reined in the hysteria, grasping for the chilly visage of the Commander. "Because Grey Wardens will do whatever is necessary to combat the Blight. There's a good reason we're not called the 'White Wardens'. We are not heroes. We will do what must be done, even murder innocents, because that is what it takes to fight this evil."
The entire house shuddered as Nathaniel slammed his fist into the wall.
"Give it here," he growled, and ripped the knife from her hand. He crossed to the child in two steps and, without hesitation, buried it in the child's chest. It died with a rattle, reaching with blackened hands towards the new Warden, the mad ghoulish light fading from its eyes.
Elissa nodded. "Come on. We have work to do."
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