9:31 August 7th Vigil Keep
I felt overjoyed that a part of our group came together. If Eren was here we would have a complete set. Jowan was outside tending to the wounded. It was Alistair, Derek, Talen, Mhairi and I. We ran up the stairs passing the gates into the Keep. There were bodies all over the ground as we ran in.
"The keep has been overrun!" Mhairi said.
"That isn't good." Derek said.
"Weren't there Wardens here? How did the darkspawn even do a sneak attack if every one of them can sense them?" Talen wondered.
"Stranger things have happened to us but if Wardens can't sense darkspawn, we're effed." I said.
"I didn't even know that darkspawn were capable of such a thing!" Mhairi said, fear in her voice.
"Don't worry Mhairi, we will defeat them."
"Of course Commander. We'll make these heartless bastards pay!" Derek guffawed.
"I like this one!" I heard the cries of Shrieks coming in front of us. They came out of the shadows. Derek roared and flung one against the wall. Alistair got one in the face with his shield. Talen managed to use his staff. He twirled it around and slashed the shriek with the blade at the end of his staff.
"That is awesome!" I shouted, kicking down the shriek that Derek flung before he came over and finished it with a hammer blow to its chest.
"It's something I got custom made back in Soldier's Peak." Talen said proudly.
"Wow, it's like you're a battlemage or something. You are so awesome Talen!"
"…Go on."
"Stop making him feel pretty missy."
"Hey!"
"Are they always like this?" Mhairi wondered.
"It's a part of us. You'll get used to it." Alistair chuckled. We tried one of the doors but it wouldn't budge.
"There another door here on the side!" I shouted. I opened the door to a flame blast that was killing a darkspawn. In the room was Anders. He looked over his shoulder as everyone came in with me.
"Oh it looks like my luck is getting better already."
"Anders!?"
"Talen!?"
"What the-what happened to the Templars?!" Alistair shouted.
"Oh um…I…that…I didn't do it?" Talen face palmed. "Truthfully I didn't feel anything when they died and actually, one gave out the funniest death gurgle I've ever heard." Even I face palmed. Alistair's face got red with rage.
"Hey, hey, Templar, don't lose it now."
"Oh another Templar, hmm, I probably shouldn't have said all that huh?"
"You think? What are you doing here Anders?" Talen asked.
"Well they brought me in here to send me back to the Circle in Ferelden when these darkspawn came pouring out in from the door. Sadly the Templars didn't do well against corrupted monsters."
"Intro Talen so we're not in the black here?" I asked.
"His name is Anders. He's a mage obviously and wanted for being an apostate."
"Another apostate. It seems that the world is filled with them." Alistair mumbled.
"An apostate?" Mhairi wondered.
"Oh well I wouldn't have minded the stay if I was being guarded by a lovely lady like yourself."
"Ugh! There's no time for flirting Anders. Come with us, kill some darkspawn, and we'll get you out here."
"Sounds like a plan. You look weird, what's with these robes?"
"Battlemage, we'll talk later." We went through the door and we found two more Hurlocks trying to tear down a barricade toward a survivor. I ran and rolled, knocking both of them down. I set myself between the survivors and the darkspawn. They didn't stand a chance against our small army. Derek flung his hammer upward, catching the chin of one and breaking its neck. The other was stabbed by Talen's modified staff and burned from the inside out.
"Go and get out the Keep!" I shouted to the survivor. They ran out of the door.
"Let's keep moving!" Derek shouted. We went up some stairs and came out to the catwalks leading to another part of the keep. We saw three Hurlocks. Talen didn't waste time and threw a fireball at them. I ran toward and crushed their skulls for added effect. Two genlocks didn't die from the fire. Derek went and threw one off the catwalk. The other got face full of shield from Alistair. We came in and found the door that was barricaded. Alistair went ahead and opened the gate with the lever on our side. A darkspawn horde came through the gates when a dwarf came out from the opposite side.
"Oh look darkspawn what's a scared dwarf like me going to do?" They tried to go to him but the ground exploded from underneath them.
"Whoa!" I said.
"Ha! You weren't even trying! Beasties like you can't kill none of us. You want some more, then come and get it!" He laughed while going in deeper into the Keep.
"It seems we have stranger people in here don't it?" Anders said. That was the first wave though. More darkspawn came through and Talen did another fireball at them. There were only three. They writhed in pain before falling to the ground, dead. I jumped and rolled into the courtyard.
"Let's go!"
"Keep your armor on missy, some of us has shorter legs than most!" Derek said. I went ahead and opened a side door.
"Get to safety." I said to the survivor.
"Maker bless you!" She said running out.
"Do you think there's more inside?" Talen wondered.
"One way to find out." Alistair said, opening the next door. We had five darkspawn with an emissary. It tried to do a fireball but Talen shielded us with magic. Anders did a flame blast to the darkspawn approaching us. Alistair and I broke from our group, heading toward the emissary. Alistair did his Templar skill and reinforced reality. The emissary growled and he froze. I came in and shattered it. Alistair continued toward the Hurlock that was right behind it. He rammed it with his shield and it went down. He slashed at its throat and it did a death gurgle.
"There are two doors." Talen said.
"Derek, take Mhairi and Anders through that side door. Nia, Talen, at my back." We went through the hallway and opened the door. I heard a slash of a darkspawn and saw Oghren. He waved at us with a silly grin.
"Oghren!" I shouted and ran up to meet him.
"Ain't you a sight for sore eyes girly!"
"I didn't expect you here!" Alistair said, tackling a Hurlock to the ground.
"I heard Amaranthine had good liquor!" Oghren said, chopping a darkspawn in half.
"I'll take your word for it." I laughed, busting another Hurlock's skull. Alistair went head to head with an alpha that came with three Genlocks behind it. Talen did a flame blast at the Genlocks and I stabbed their skulls or crushed them. The darkspawn were all dead.
"When did you even get here Oghren?" Alistair asked.
"Just through I dropped by then the darkspawn started to come out. I thought, 'Well if you knew that the Warden Commander was coming, you'd all be pissing your pants right now!' So I decided to stay." The other door opened and our other half of the group came in.
"Thunder humper!"
"Stone licker!"
"What in Andraste's name are you doing here?" Mhairi said.
"Well if it isn't the recruit with the great rack?"
"It's good to see you Oghren." Talen said.
"I have a hard time believing in that." Mhairi said, looking the other way.
"So what are we doing around standing here when we could be killing things!?" Oghren said with glee.
"You read my mind bronto rider!"
"Why you-!"
"Ah it's good to have some sort of the team back, isn't it?" I laughed.
"He's been here for over a week. I'm surprised they didn't kick him out when I left." Mhairi explained.
"Here to join the order then?" Derek asked.
"Aye, wanted to become a bona fide Grey Warden, see where that takes me."
"You're welcome to the club, don't we have shirts now?" Alistair said.
"In blue and white, sure." I joked.
"Let's go and clean this Keep up shall we?" Alistair said. We went through the door in front of us and the good mood went away when we saw Mhairi's friend Rowland on the ground bleeding to death.
"Commander, Rowland was a knight that was chosen in Denerim just like me, we must do something!" Talen came forward and used his magic to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry but even if I healed the wound, you've already lost too much blood." Talen explained.
"No there has to be something we can do!"
"Maybe a shot of whiskey for the pain?" Anders suggested.
"Heh, a mage with a taste for liquor."
"This isn't funny!"
"Co…Commander?"
"I'm here Rowland and I am sorry that I couldn't come sooner." Alistair said kneeling next to him.
"We…only had a moment's warning before they were upon us. The Seneschal order a counter attack as soon…as he could but they came from everywhere! In their ranks, there was a talking darkspawn and the magic it wields…is powerful."
"A talking darkspawn?" Derek wondered.
"He's delirious and doesn't know what he's saying." Oghren said.
"Ah! My blood…it's burning!"
"The taint is spreading inside him. Either he dies from blood loss or he suffers through it." Talen said.
"Wait, where is the Seneschal?" Alistair asked.
"He…he went down the hall that way…the darkspawn…followed him…" Rowland said before slumping against the wall.
"I will avenge you Rowland."
"Let's go." I said. We went into the next room and there were two Genlock archers. I ran in a zig zag pattern, up the stairs and tackled one to the ground. I busted its face and the other one got its back slashed by Oghren's axe. There was another Hurlock and Genlock archer at the end of room. Anders froze the archer and Mhairi ran to shatter it. Alistair and Derek right behind her. There were more darkspawn hiding in the rooms and they came out. I rolled and got two Hurlocks on the ground. One got decapitated by Oghren. The other I broke its neck with a hard punch.
"There are more up ahead!" Talen shouted. He opened a door that had three more darkspawn and hurled a fireball before closing the door. The Hurlock archer got tackled by Mhairi and Derek smashed its skull. The last Hurlock got a mighty swing from Oghren and we went up the stairs to where the Seneschal was. The rain poured heavier as we saw the talking darkspawn kick off a Keep's soldier off the defensive post.
"The Blight has ended just as he foretold. Be taking this one gentle. There are no more death than necessary."
"Necessary? Heh, as if your kind never did anything else!"
"You think you know of our kind human? That is understandable but soon that will change."
"It does not matter if you succeed here, others will come and they will stop you!"
"Andraste's flaming sword, it really is a talking darkspawn!" Alistair said.
"Your words speak true than more of what you were guessing."
"That's too many words for a darkspawn already, let's kill it!" Oghren said.
"Commander!"
"Capture only the Grey Wardens, the others may be killed."
"Not on your life!" Talen shouted. There were two Hurlocks and the Genlock with the Withered. Mhairi locked blades with a Hurlock and Talen did a flame blast at the Withered. It shouldered the flames though but Derek was quick to ram it with his hammer. I ran to the side and got the Genlock in the back of the head. It fell and I grabbed its skull and pounded it against the floor. The other two Hurlocks were cut down by Mhairi and Alistair. All that was left was the talking Darkspawn. Ander's spell froze it but it shook it off like it was nothing. It clocked Alistair in the face and tried stabbing at Mhairi. She evaded it with a ding on her armor. Derek went behind and pounded its back, the Withered stumbled and Oghren slashed at its chest.
Alistair did a battle cry and tackled the Withered, finally getting it down. Oghren and Derek gave it a double whammy with their hammer and axe. Alistair did a double tap by beheading it just to make sure.
"Talking darkspawn, what's next? Flying nugs?" Talen wondered.
"Seneschal, are you alright?" Alistair said, helping him up.
"Yes, thank you Commander, I owe you my life." The Seneschal looked over to the road and I did as well. There was a group out in the distance coming toward the Keep.
"Looks like Eren's bandwagon has come." I said.
"Eren? He was coming too?" Talen asked.
"Said that he'd be right behind us after taking care of some work back in Denerim."
"We can't keep the King waiting." The Seneschal said.
"And now the group is all here." Alistair said as we walked through the hallways and rooms back to the gate of Vigil's Keep.
"I can't believe I'm about to meet the new King." Anders said sarcastically.
"King or not he's still the Hero of Ferelden." Oghren said respectfully. We got the gates. Seneschal Varel and Alistair knelt to Eren who came with a Templar and an order of soldiers.
"I was expecting a grand entrance or a formal welcome but from the state of Vigil's Keep, I assume that something went wrong?" Eren asked.
"The Darkspawn made an attack on the Keep though the remaining stragglers have all but fled your majesty. The Grey Wardens that were stationed here in Orlais are either dead or have gone missing." Seneschal Varel explained.
"Do you think that the Darkspawn took the Wardens? That'd be highly unlikely. No darkspawn takes anyone unless they're female." Eren wondered. I shuddered when I thought back to the Broodmother.
"It is a question your Majesty but all I know is that all the Grey Wardens are not accounted for." Eren nodded at the news and at everyone.
"Everyone good to see you. I trust that you are all well."
"We're fine Eren." Talen said.
"Nothing to it boss."
"Just a few dings and bruises here and there." I said.
"It takes a few more darkspawn like that to kill us." Alistair said, shaking Eren's hand.
"I would offer more aid to your cause but my hands are tied at the moment. I will stay to oversee what can be done but I will need to return to Denerim quickly enough. Anora has gotten…moody since her pregnancy." I snorted and Eren gave me a small glare. "For the most part you'll be on your own Alistair."
"Hey aren't you forgetting someone!? I might be short but I can still kick the arse of a darkspawn until its dead!"
"That seems like an amusing sight." Anders quipped.
"Where's the big cup? I'm going to join the Wardens to give you a set of extra hands! I'll gargle and spit!" Eren chuckled at that.
"Well we don't necessarily gargle and spit but I can't say no to any help given right?" Alistair said.
"You won't regret this kid! I'm in!"
"About time too. Not that we needed a nug wrangler like you."
"You-!"
"Well…we do need all the help we can get." Mhairi said.
"Joining the Wardens? Heh, good luck."
"King Eren get back! This man is a dangerous criminal!" The Templar said, finally noticing Anders and drawing her sword.
"Criminal?"
"Anders." Talen said, pointing at him.
"This is an apostate that we were bringing back to the Circle to face justice."
"Hey I'm a Senior Enchanter and I didn't know about any of this." Talen shrugged.
"You're barely there Talen." I said.
"What justice? The sort of justice you talk about barely qualifies as it. Besides, knowing me, I'd just escape again."
"No. I will see you hang for what you have done here murderer."
"Murderer? But the Templars were-"
"Anders is a good escape mage, not bad with freezing and healing spells, but I know that he can't murder someone. At least not without good cause." Talen explained.
"Well he is an apostate but I wouldn't know of him. Commander do you have something to say?"
"Hmm he did kill Templars…"
"Shut up Alistair. I hereby conscript this mage into the Grey Wardens." Talen demanded.
"Yes go ahead and do my job for me Talen." Alistair said flatly.
"What!?" Eren laughed at the Templar.
"The Grey Wardens have the right to conscript anyone they like. I'll allow it."
"If…if your Majesty has decided…" I smirked when I saw the surprise in Anders face.
"Welcome to the Club. Ritual beheadings are on Tuesdays." Talen chuckled.
"Another mage? You think he's flame happy like yourself priss?" Derek guffawed.
"Welcome Ser Mage, I look forward to fighting at your side in the future." I grimaced. Poor Mhairi.
"Then we might as well start to clean this Keep up. I believe we also found your carriage and will be retrieving your things. Seneschal Varel, if you wish to escort my party?"
"Of course your Majesty. Late time for introductions but I am Varel, Seneschal of Vigil's Keep. Thank you again for your rescue Commander. I am here to aid you in your rule of Amaranthine."
"Oh it's nothing, really. You're quite welcome." Alistair chuckled.
"Then how about we get out of this rain and head to dryer conditions?" I suggested.
"That would be well recommended." Eren said.
"Soo, I have a question, who are you? I understand she's a recruit, Talen, the dwarf with the amazing beard, are Grey Wardens. I've seen you fight, are you a recruit as well?" Anders asked.
"Me? No, I'm just a meddler that has too much time on her hands." I said.
"She is Nia Cousland, Princess of Ferelden." Eren answered.
"What!?" I laughed.
"Oh that never gets old. Yeah, Eren is my brother."
"Is there anyone that didn't react that way when you first said it?" Talen asked.
"Nope, everyone did and it continues to be priceless!" I chuckled.
"Oh you're back. The wounded have been taken care of. I was able to close as many wounds as possible…Anders?" Jowan said, coming to our group.
"Jowan?"
"It seems that we are having a lot of those reactions aren't we?" I said.
"You're a Grey Warden?"
"I'm guess that you conscripted him as well Talen?"
"Against my wishes…" Alistair mumbled.
"You have nothing to complain for and you haven't heard his side of the story." I argued.
"Thank you!" Anders said sincerely. We went into the Keep where the soldiers that were still alive were dragging all the dead out to be cremated.
"Now that we are all here, I guess we should do the joining straight away. Talen, Jowan, go ahead and make your preparations." Eren suggested. They both nodded and went away to do their work. "Derek have your men arrived yet?"
"Not until tomorrow boss. I went ahead to make things get ready then this happened."
"I'll make sure to let Talen know about that." Eren said. We went into the main hall were Seneschal Varel was already waiting for us.
"Seneschal Varel. I assume you are ready to get the joining underway?"
"I am your Majesty. This is an urgent matter that needs to be rectified. Not counting the Keepers of Orzammar who are their own group, we only have five Grey Wardens assigned to Ferelden."
"Amazing that we stopped the Blight with just four anyway." I said.
"With loads and loads of help." Alistair said.
"Talen and Jowan are already making their own form of the Joining potion Varel. The chances of someone dying from the joining are slim with the way they have created it."
"Blood magic…" Alistair mumbled and I shoved him slightly.
"Shush."
"I see. Mhairi, Oghren, Anders, you three will be the first to undertake the Joining for the Grey Wardens of Ferelden."
"Doesn't that make you feel all warm inside?" Anders said.
"And what of yourself my lady?"
"Hm? Oh I'm not joining."
"She's an honorary Grey Warden." Eren explained.
"Name only." I said.
"Just like your title." Alistair said before I lightly stomped his foot. "Ow!"
"Then are you supposed to be here?"
"She knows everything Seneschal Varel. Even if she didn't, she would make me talk one way or another." Eren mumbled and I chuckled darkly.
"I have my ways."
"You are one scary strange woman." Anders said.
"Thank you!" I hummed lightly as we stood around waiting for Jowan and Talen. I twirled my ring around my finger in the meantime. "Derek, how goes the farms?"
"We're doing good missy. We were able to gain some more land now that we have retaken the Aeducan Thaig. Bhelen has already been sending people to clean the place and get ready to rebuild it."
"And the tourists?"
"Bringing us gold by the mouthful! Good thing Bhelen listened to me on that one! Merchants by the cartload!" One of the side doors opened with Jowan and Talen coming in. The joining cup carried in along with a small chest that Talen had.
"We got the slurry. This chest contains the vials of Archdemon blood and Darkspawn blood along with the special lyrium used for the higher rate of joining. In case you want to join more in the future. If you run out of the lyrium, just write to me or Jowan. Probably to Jowan since he works exclusively in Soldier's Peak." Talen said, setting the cup down and having Jowan pour out the stuff. I stood next to Eren, Talen moving at my side. Jowan moved to Seneschal Varel's side. All the five Grey Wardens stood in a semi-circle overlooking Anders, Mhairi, and Oghren.
"Let's begin the joining. We only have a few words to speak before the joining but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you please?" Eren said. It was a weird echo from what Duncan first said.
"Join us brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be foresworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day we shall join you." Alistair recited. Eren nodded along with Talen and Derek. Varel grabbed the cup and moved toward Oghren.
"From this moment forth, Oghren, you are a Grey Warden."
"Puh what is this? The kid size!? You don't think I can handle the big one?"
"Shut up you lyrium addled nug! This is the cup we've always used now shut up and drink!" Derek shouted at him. If there was one thing Derek was, it was that he saw the Grey Wardens with a lot of respect. Don't badmouth the Grey Wardens or he'll run you through. Oghren grunted and took a long swig before Varel took it back. His eyes rolled into the back of his head before he let out a belch. I caught myself from laughing.
"Hmm, not bad." Oghren smacked his lips. Varel groaned and all of us laughed. "If you need me, I'll be at the barrels over there."
"That…is the first time I've seen someone walk away from their joining." Alistair said.
"Oghren's a monster and his liver is too. I should know, I felt it when I had to heal him a couple of times." Talen said. Derek guffawed. Varel moved on to Anders.
"From this moment forth, Anders, you are now a Grey Warden." Anders looked at the slurry with a disgusted face.
"Ugh darkspawn blood? This is really it to make me a Grey Warden?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that." Jowan shrugged at the side.
"Talen if this is some kind of trick from all the times I stole the sweet roll from you and I end up with a tattoo on my face heading to Antiva, I'm blaming you." I looked at Talen but he looked away with a smirk on his face. Anders took a sip. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body wavered before falling down, unconscious. Varel knelt to him.
"He lives, Commander, your Majesty and will awaken in time."
"Jowan go sit him against the wall." Eren said. Jowan nodded and dragged Anders' body away. Varel stood in front of Mhairi and I let out a small sigh.
"From this moment forth, Mhairi, you are now a Grey Warden." There was a big smile on her face as she grabbed the cup.
"I have waited long for this moment." She said and took a sip. The change was different in her than the others. She coughed and hacked out small bits of blood before falling on the ground.
"I thought you said this had a slim chance of killing anyone." Alistair asked.
"There's still a chance." Talen said somberly.
"I am sorry Mhairi. May the Maker watch over you." Seneschal Varel said. "The Joining is done your Majesty, Commander."
"Derek, take Mhairi out with the rest." Eren said. Derek nodded and lifted her up. I nodded toward her. Talen used his talent to clean off the blood from the carpet.
"I'm guessing that we're done here now?" Jowan asked.
"You're not staying Talen? You were the one who conscripted Anders." Alistair said.
"I only came to make my slurry. I have to get back at the Circle to make sure it doesn't crash in on itself. Greagoir has gone to Denerim and Irving has his work cut out for him since the freeing of the Circle. Jowan, go back to Soldier's Peak, figure out more of Avernus' notes." Talen said, cracking his knuckles.
"It's going to be quiet without you here Talen." I said.
"No it won't. You have Anders to deal with, he'll annoy you." Talen smirked. "Tell him to write to me. As annoying he was at Kinloch Hold, I do consider him a friend. For the most part at least."
"I'll send you a token of my forces to join you." Eren said.
"Thanks. Hey Alistair, congratulations." Talen said, shaking his hand.
"Thank you Talen. Hopefully we won't die without your amazing fire skills."
"They are amazing aren't they?"
"And there goes his ego." I mumbled. Talen chuckled. He gave us a last wave before he and Jowan went out.
"And then there were three." I said.
So I completely forgot that I did drawings of Talen, Derek, and Eren. You can find them at my deviant art, which is yamiayala . deviantart. com :3
Wow a lot of my old readers came back! Yay! I love you guys so much! :D
Shout out to PhaseShiftX, PFCDontKnow, R3d0X, Grey Blazar, Buggy300, manosad, Airchampion, Luna-Zeta, Phobophobia, FearaNightmare, , naturaetsophia, Narliea, White Story, Chimera Spyke, Shattered Soul 2021, kali yugah, Anemone Iris Sidera, Doombug, heartlessangel124, PetalOfSin, Hirdas, Aimee Wolv, Starlight and Moonbeams, chaosrin, and Catann985, for favoriting/following!
Buggy300: Yeah Mhairi never stood a chance. Even on the Volume 2 of Thedas confirms that Mhairi never survived her joining although she really wanted to become one. Unfortunately Jowan and Talen are busy people now so no interactions, sorry! Oh and can't say anything about the Hawke thing but I have to say that Templars don't know that people are mages unless they use magic because they can sense that. As long as a mage wears normal clothes and doesn't carry a staff, then they're like normal people.
White Story: Yeah I went through both of my volumes of Thedas, watched a few cutscenes, read a few codexes, and overall went to the timeline thing on the Wiki and it's kinda all over the place. The reason why I made my timeline the way it is, is because Lothering falls very early on in the game of DA:O so it falls near the beginning of the Grey Warden's quest. Then I read somewhere that the Fifth Blight ended in a half a year so I took that for my story. If I read further and saw that it ended in a year, I would try to fix everything. Unfortunately it's a bit too late to change everything in my first story. The timeline will be fixed once DA2 arrives though!
Chimera Spyke: Thanks :3 the timeline will make more sense down the line. Witch Hunt will be in the DA2 story but not the way you'd expect it.
Shattered Soul 2021: Actually no, I took that out of the final chapter. I was going to edit that out but I was so excited that I forgot about it! No Eren adopted her right before his coronation. Fergus and him both signed on it. The title just came to me. I never knew that that Days of Our Lives was actually a soap opera until WAY later but it still fits with all the misfits gathering together, so it was the adventures of everyone "Our Lives" is where it comes in. Day of "Our Time" signifies the passage of time that Nia has gone through and the fact that it takes TIME to rebuild the Grey Wardens and Vigil's Keep. See where I'm going with this?
Dforce76: No, Yes, Yes, and Yes. :3
EG: No Nialistair either. This one does not have much romance lol
Narliea: The timeline will get better. The banter is what makes this story, from what you'll read further on.
ThelonewolfNT: Oh no! I hope you feel better, maybe this chapter will make the pain go away!
Thank you and PetalsOfSin for your reviews!
Welcome back all my old readers and here to the new ones as well! If I keep on getting a lot of reviews like this, i'll switch to the messaging system. Please Review!