Chapter 6: Alt J
As the months went on, I could tell that there were shadows on the horizon. Alistair's mood grew more serious and dark each day: He kept mentioning a dragon of some sort, leading all of the monsters that riddled the land, and the war became a very real thing in our lives. Both he and Zevran seemed to be distancing themselves from me, and I began to feel an acute loneliness. Not even mine and Alistair's relationship, which once was so pure and happy, seemed to escape the darkness.
One night, when I thought the two of them were asleep, I sat on the edge of our camp, clutching a woolen blanket against my frame. I stared up at the full moon, which seemed to give a mystic air to the land around me. I closed my eyes, bathing in its ivory glow. Something was lingering at the edge of my consciousness, a broken memory of some sort. I clenched my fists against the blanket, but I couldn't touch the thought. I felt a pair of eyes focusing on my back, so I opened mine and turned, scanning the area behind me. My eyes met those of Alistair's: His azure eyes reflected the light of the moon, making them look almost white. I saw something in that gaze, something that reached deep inside my soul, and grasped its core tightly. But before I could react, Alistair turned away and went back inside his tent, leaving me lost in the ocean of my thoughts.
Chapter 7: Justice
The following morning, I was shocked awake by all-too-familiar shrieking. The intense and numerous sounds rattled my skull, and I covered my ears to instinctively protect my delicate hearing. I heard someone calling my name, and I was pulled to my feet by Zevran, who dragged me out of my tent as soon as I had collected my weapons. He parried an immediate strike from the left as we exited, and I stood with my back to his, protecting his rear. As soon as the area around my tent was clear, Zevran nodded to me to let me know I was on my own, and then he disappeared into the swarm of beasts. I grimaced and adjusted my grip on my blades, then swiftly darted into the heart of the horde, severing limbs and lacerating torsos until none were left.
As I stood there, surrounded by the corpses of the enemy, I had a flash of the memory that had been lingering the night before. I recalled going to sleep in a warm, safe bed, not knowing anything about this strange country until I wound up in the clutches of a monster. I realized that there was a reason I was here, and that it seemed awfully coincidental for Alistair to simply stumble upon me at that hut. I felt a warm, bubbling anger fill my blood, and I sheathed my weapons, marching off to confront the man who may know why I was here.
Chapter 8: Pigeon
It took me several hours to locate Alistair, as he had been chasing down the beasts' dragon-leader, and I had thought he would be far from our original camp. After exhausting my energy, I returned to camp and was surprised to see him, kneeling and, it seemed, praying. Somewhat humbled by the innocent action, my anger dissipated and I gently touched his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He leapt to his feet, reaching behind his head to remove his sword, ready for battle: But it was only my exhausted face he saw. He exhaled sharply in relief and wrapped me in a tight embrace, his armor cool against my hot, tired flesh. He looked into my eyes and brushed a strand of hair from my face with one large hand: He opened his mouth to say something, but his gaze turned to an object behind me. Before I could turn to see what it was, a ground-shattering roar pulsed through the air, and the dragon was upon us. Alistair pushed me away, assuming that the creature would attack him as he took up arms, but that was not the case. The dragon swooped down upon us, picking me up in its talons and carrying me off as Alistair watched, bewildered and, for once, frightened.
Chapter 9: Pulp
I struggled against the might of the dragon's paw, wrenching a dagger from my belt and stabbing at its armor-like hide viciously. It simply grasped me tighter, making it so that I was unable to move. It flew over what seemed to be a forgotten village, blackened by fire and collapsed by time. Higher and higher it flew, until it reached the top of a massive fortress: It released its hold on me and I fell to the stone roof, rolling to minimize the damage that I would sustain. A wildfire in my eyes, I unsheathed both of my blades and staggered at the landed dragon, gaining momentum and running at full speed. I lunged at its eyes and neck, trying to strike a critical point, but to no avail. It screeched and whipped around, flinging me aside with its massive tail. I went flying and my head struck a wall, instantly rendering me unconscious.
Chapter 10: Arcade
In the black of unconsciousness, I was lost. I could not remember anything for the life of me; I just felt a dull pain on the edge of my awareness. My body seemed to be missing, but I still clenched my imaginary eyes tight, trying to sink into the pleasant dark. In the midst of this un-ending night, a sound, so light and airy, made me open my eyes: All I saw was the unforgiving dark. Still, the sound persisted, and it began to grow in volume and clarity. It turned into a voice: no, two voices! They were calling my name⦠My name? Who am I?
With a sudden flash of light I was revived, and I groaned in pain as it made my head pound. I tried to stand, but I was bound by thick rope that scratched my tender flesh. Panicked, I yelled out in surprise and struggled, trying to liberate myself: The voices grew in urgency, and I realized that they were my two favorite boys, and that they were searching for me. I arched my neck back and forth, and I could see them in the distance. They had just seen me, and they were both sprinting in my direction, both of their bodies clad in heavy battle armor. Desperate to protect them, I screamed for the two of them to leave me, to get themselves to safety: they ignored my cries. Alistair staggered to my side and sliced the ropes open with a knife, his hands shaking with concern. Before I could tell him to leave again, he clutched my body to his, his breath labored from running in the heavy armor. He kissed my hair softly, and for a brief breath I felt like I did when we had first met; innocently happy. I smiled, despite the terror, and wrapped my arms around him weakly. He lifted me up and cradled me to his chest, beginning to carry me away from the fortress's rooftop. I glanced over his shoulder to see Zevran looking on despondently. I felt part of my heart break with that look: he had lost the battle.
Chapter 11: Refused
I looked away from Zevran's anguished face and closed my eyes, feeling as though I would be safe in Alistair's embrace: It was a foolish thought. I felt the temperature cool as a shadow loomed over us, and Alistair's muscles stiffened underneath me. He quickly set me down and ushered me to Zevran, who grabbed a hold of my arm and held me close. Alistair's expression grew grim, and he withdrew his blade, readying his stance. The dragon was upon us.
My friend roared and lunged with all the power he could muster, making a straight line for the monster's head. Oh, how mighty an anger he had shown! His blue eyes blazed with the fury of star-fire, and he made several attacks against the dragon. The dragon snarled and bore its teeth, making a snap at him from his right side. Instinctively, Alistair leapt to the left, falling for the creature's trap. It clutched him in its paw and roared terribly, throwing him to the edge of the roof. His body slid as he scrambled to regain his footing, but his inertia was too powerful to overcome. I screamed as I saw him drift over the edge, certain that he was gone. I clung to Zevran and sobbed, wanting the ordeal to end, one way or another. Zevran squeezed my hand and gently kissed my forehead, giving me that flirtatious smile that I had come to admire so much. He then pushed me aside and sprinted at the monster, revealing his two deadly daggers. He leapt at its eye and slashed, drawing blood and blinding it partially. It screeched in agony and swept him aside as well. I heard the sickening crash as Zevran struck the stone wall, then felt burning tears prick my eyes as I saw his limp body collapse.
