Within the darkness of a cave amidst the sandy dunes, a crone sat cross-legged as she moved her pieces upon the board. Her opponent was a raven with feathers which constantly shifted shape and color, sometimes it wore the form of a man, sometimes it wore the form of a beast, or a mix. Sometimes it was as small as her hands and sometimes was larger than even she. The raven which was for now, just a simple bird had moved another piece with its beak and it patiently awaited its turn, the crone moved another piece in the great game they played.
As the raven which now changed its feathers to a variety of red shades finished its next turn, the crone was ready to move one of her other pieces, she noted that a few were missing; she could have sworn that they were there in her last turn. With a shrug, the crone moved a different piece; it would not be the first time one of her pieces mysteriously disappeared when she played against the raven. It was inconsequential anyway, the loss of those pieces, she still had so many more. Besides, the crone still had many tricks to play, ones which even the raven could not see.
ACT II: WILDE JAGD
'Sorry elf, but no one is getting in and out of the Alienage' sternly said the garrison sergeant as his arms were crossed.
Behind him were four other men, each one wearing a full set of steel heavy chain armor which bore a single large pauldron, each man wore a pointy steel soldier's helmet with a visor which concealed most of the upper part of the face, and leaving the man's lower jaw and eyes exposed. The soldiers were also accompanied by a pair of Mabari who eyed her warily
'But I need to get home! Where will I stay for the night?' Kallian begged as she tried to sound as pitiful as she could while giving the man big pleading eyes.
She was currently dressed in a light brown dress which had "acquired" after noticing that, said clothes were left hanging out upon a clothing line and left to dry, it was actually a bit too big for her. At the least she would look like any other elf returning from work, she had left her weapons and armor in the care of Khorieus, who still rested at the slum house in the Poor Quarter.
Standing at Alienage's south gate, Kallian as well as a five other elves of whom had been out of the Alienage on their own affairs before the soldiers came and began barring people from entering. She was glad that none of the soldiers seemed to recognize her; it gave her hope that perhaps she could lie low and wait for the search to die down. The other elves around her were complaining or begging to the guards to let them in, their pleas were much like Kallian's and just like hers, it went ignored.
'No one gets in or out!' the garrison sergeant said more loudly with a clear edge of threat, she saw that the man was slowly reaching for his mace and the men around him soon followed while their mabaris began growling loudly.
Kallian was forced to back away and the crowd of elves did so as well, they muttered to each other, several profanities and angry words to the guards.
At first many of the other elves had been relieved to see Kallian, they asked her what happened (away from the ears of the soldiers of course) at the Arl's Estate for it was only this morning that her wedding had been ruined. Kallian of course answered as truthfully as she could, but left out certain details to the other elves, specifically regarding her run in with the Templars and the name of Khorieus. She told them about how she came to with Soris and Nelaros to rescue them, Kallian also told them that it was a stranger who saved them all, and that it was the stranger who had killed the Arl's son.
Kallian herself was relieved to hear from the other elves that her two cousins, husband and friends made it back to the Alienage safely. One of the elves stuck outside with her, a friend of Soris named Taeodor of whom she had spoken to earlier, said that the returning elves told them all that it was thanks to the "Silverite Knight" (as the Alienage elves had quickly begun calling Khorieus for they did not know his name) of whom as far as Kallian was aware, only her family, the Elder and Alarith knew of. The veracity of the stories was quickly supported by the accounts of the elven servants who had been working at the Estate but had fled during the assault of Khorieus.
It seemed that stories which were beginning to spread in the Alienage, stories of a mysterious knight in silverite armor and a white fur cloak, the one the City Watch had been begun chasing, was the savior of the bridesmaids and becoming a hero of sorts to the elves of the Alienage. No doubt by tomorrow the stories will involve the "Silverite Knight" shooting lightning bolts from his eyes, being twelve feet tall and various other exaggerated feats.
With no way into the Alienage for now, Kallian guessed that she should head back to the Slum House. Looking to Taeodor she asked him to please pass the message to her family that she herself was all right, to which of course he agreed to. As Kallian turned away and left, he called to her and asked where she was going, Kallian looked back to him and replied.
'It's not like we are getting in anytime soon' she said with a shrug as she looked to the others 'No point in standing around as well so, I should go' she added before running off to the slum house in the Poor Quarter.
Khorieus knelt down upon the creaking wooden floor boards of the abandoned house; he was alone inside the structure as Kallian had left on some personal errand. The grimy window provided the only light into the building. His eyes were closed as he whispered a mantra with his axe upon his lap; it was similar to the meditative techniques used by the Swordmasters of Hoeth. Although the burns he had received during the fight at the estate still stung, the medicinal "poultice" he had drunk as well as the power of his amulet which currently worked its magic, had left the burn as nothing but an annoyance. With his eyes closed and his mind cleared, his other senses were soon heightened like that of the blind.
He could hear the faint bustle of life outside the dilapidated structure where he had interrogated a man a few days earlier. His sense of smell heightened as he could smell the rot and stink from the city but also the musty decay of wood and the faint lingering smell of blood from the basement as well as the fresh blood upon his own armor which he did not yet have the proper time to clean. After the battle from earlier this morning at the Estate, he truly needed this moment for now was not the time to charge headlong into the fray, it was a time for silence and shadows.
While Kallian's idea to lay low and hide until the efforts of the local guardsman lessened was a sound one, it would be more difficult for the Chracian to follow. Unlike Kallian who could easily blend in with the crowds with a simple change of clothes, Khorieus himself was more noticeable. The magic upon his Lion Cloak was depleted and would need more time to recover, without it he would be unable to conceal himself from mortal sight. It seemed that for now, he would need to find a better place to hide and remain unnoticed; it was good that at the least he had stocked up on supplies during the last few days.
He quietly continued his meditation for several minutes, his breath was calm and steady from the exercise. As minutes passed he heard the distant but faint barking of hounds, it was the now familiarly deep sound of the attack breed of hounds the people of this world seemed to favor. His eyes slowly opened, a look of grim determination came upon his face, his gauntleted hands tightened around the shaft of his axe.
He heard the barking come closer to his position and he could hear the jingling of chain armor. Rising up and shouldering his loaded pack which now also contained Kallian's belongings, the High Elf moved away from window and surveyed the house to find a place where he could conceal himself in the shadows. Invoking the name of the Pale Queen, there was none to be found, if these guardsmen looked through the window, then they would most definitely see him. Well, so much for trying to stay hidden, he thought.
Shifting to an aggressive stance, watched the window as for any passing. His breathing remained controlled and steady, he heard the voices of men talking in the common language of this world.
'What is it boy?' came the muffled voice of one man outside, his movements were followed by the jingling of mail links. Khorieus then heard the loud sound of barking from the hound and the beast began scratching at the wooden door.
'Sir!' the man outside shouted 'I think we found him!'
Keeping his silence and now watching the door, he heard the barking, steps and jingling of several more men advance towards the front door, he saw three armored men clad in a different type of chain mail which seemed to be of a heavier variant pass by the window and one man looked inside.
The guardsman caught sight of Khorieus in his blood stained armor and shouted 'It's him sir! the fugitive is here!'
As the wooden door which did not have lock quickly swung open, a trio of barking hounds came charging through, and they were followed by several armored men. Already roaring prayer to Khaine, with his axe held low Khorieus knew that surrendering and capture was out of the question, it would only end either in death or glory.
Standing under the bough of the great tree within the Alienage, Templar Jacob Darius watched with steely eyes and arms crossed as his remaining Templars and the soldiers from the local garrison searched the ghetto for the fugitive in silverite who was now wanted with the murder of the Arl's son added to his black deeds. Frustrated that after more than an hour of searching, they found nothing, the mabaris they brought had sniffed out the scent of the fugitive thanks to some of the strange arrows they had recovered; they followed the scent to a house where an old elf claimed that he knew nothing.
Although Darius could not quite believe the owner, one Cyrion Tabris, they did not find any hard evidence to convict the old elf of aiding a criminal. Even in hard times like this, Darius was not the kind of man to allow his anger to get the better of his judgment; he would not have someone innocent of a crime executed or jailed until he sure of their guilt. He had asked the other elves in the Alienage about the fugitive, many claimed to only have seen him today and he went off without causing an incident.
Either these elves were lying or perhaps the fugitive did have some sort of magic with him. It was possible that even if the fugitive was not a mage, he might have some ensorcelled artifacts which would conceal him from sight or that he could affect the minds of others in a similar manner as how Blood Mages could control people. It was possible, for the Templar had dealt with apostates and demons in the past that could use such powers and it was not much of stretch that such power could be placed into objects.
Leading their search was Elena who seemed to have recovered fairly well thanks to the poultices they had given her. She questioned the elves as well, but somehow they seemed more inclined to talk to her than the rest of the Templars or the garrison. He supposed that he should be glad that she somehow had a way with words when it came to non-humans and that no violence had come during their investigation.
After hearing the testimonies of the elves a clear picture of what happened came into Darius head. It seemed that two weddings were taking place this morning of which was confirmed by a Mother Boann at the local chapel at the Market District. It was interrupted by Lord Vaughan and his fellows; they left and came back later with armed guards to abduct the brides-to-be and the bridesmaids.
Disgust welled up in the Templar, he had heard some vile stories as well about the Arl's son, but he was a Templar, it would only be under his jurisdiction if the Arl's son was hiding the presence of a Maleficar or if he himself had shown any magical abilities. The knowledge of what had happened had visibly angered Elena who said that it was because of people in power like Vaughan, relations between men and elves would often remain fractious.
He did not entirely share Elena's sympathies for the elves who seemed to spawn too many beggars or thieves in the cities or were nothing more than apostate harboring highwaymen in the wilds. Still there were more than a few he had met who were decent enough and not entirely of a bad sort who lived pious and honest lives. He quickly reminded himself that what mattered now anyway was that the death of Arl's son which could not go unpunished, justice was need to be met and the law upheld.
Interestingly they had also encountered the elves who were abducted by the Arl's son within the Alienage. According to their testimonies, they had escaped in the confusion of the fugitive's assault, none of them claimed to have seen anyone working with the fugitive. While Darius did not quite believe their story and wanted to press further questions, he was halted by Elena who felt that they were too traumatized to be reliable witnesses. He felt her sympathy for them might be getting in the way of the investigation.
Darius was curious though as of why this fugitive would attack the Arl's Estate? Was he some sort of elf-blooded vigilante? No that did not seem right, he had seen what resulted from such mixed race relations and found the off-spring to physically be no different from other humans. Was it possible that the fugitive had some prior vendetta with the Arl or his son? Could this have just been a random act of violence?
He had gotten a good look at the fugitive's face earlier and the more he thought about it as he stood within the Alienage, the more he was starting to think the fugitive was an elf. But how was that possible? Could it be that perhaps the fugitive was an elf who was altered with alchemy like the creatures around the Mage Tower in Lake Calenhad? Could it be that this fugitive was some unknown breed of elf they had never encountered? Again, the Templar was flooded with more questions but no answer to who or what they were dealing with.
All the Templar could tell was that they were dealing with someone who was extremely dangerous. He had already requisitioned for more support from the Circle, and the Chantry, soon he hoped that they would be given access to some potent stores of alchemical concoctions and enchanted gear which would greatly aid them in dealing with the fugitive.
Kallian cautiously walked down the wide muddy streets as she headed back to the slum house. While she did carry a small knife which she concealed next to her right thigh, under her skirt, she would have felt more confident with a proper pair of daggers next to her. She had passed by a few gang members, who made some cat calls to her which she responded with feigned interest and teases of perhaps coming back later. Fortunately the men of that gang just shared a laugh and left her alone.
Hearing a human's scream in the distance, she stopped and realized it was coming from the direction of the slum house.
'Oh Maker's breath' Kallian muttered with alarm and she picked up her pace.
As she ran towards the house, she soon saw a soldier in heavy chain mail armor like the ones guarding the Alienage entrance, he was running towards her, having dropped his weapon and shield.
'Run! He is a madman!' shouted the soldier with panic in his voice, Kallian stepped aside to her right to let the human pass but suddenly heard the distant clack of a crossbow and soon the man jerked as a crossbow bolt was lodged between his shoulders.
For a moment the human stood there trying to grasp the bolt, he then fell down on his knees and ceased to move. Looking to the direction of where the bolt came, sure enough she saw Khorieus spattered in more gore and breathing heavily; a cold and fierce look was upon his face as his bloody axe was held in his right hand and the crossbow he had given her was in his left. Behind him she saw a trail of blood and four dead men outside the slum house along with two mabari.
'Really!?' Kallian said in disbelief with arms raised up 'I leave you for just a moment and you go out and start killing people already!?'
Khorieus calmly straightened up and squared his shoulder, his icy blue eyes regarded her aloofly. He then replied in a neutral tone 'If it is any consolation mornah' he said 'they found me first and I was forced to defend myself'
He then tossed the now unloaded crossbow towards Kallian who easily caught it with both her hands. Grunting in annoyance because they should be trying to lay low, she looked around to see if anyone was watching them, she gestured for him to follow her and they went into an alleyway between two other slum houses, she hoped that no one else was watching. Navigating through a maze of pathways and hoping that they would be able to avoid any patrols or gangs, they quietly made it to another abandoned home which was even more dilapidated than the previous one, it was a place Kallian had used a few times in the past after heists.
The house itself probably used to be a two-story home with a collapsed staircase to the second floor and the ceiling on the first had holes where sunlight came in. It was dark and musty and it quite obviously looked as if the place had been untouched for years. The last time Kallian had used the house was two years ago when she had broken into the home of a noble and stolen a few pieces of jewelry and had stashed it underneath the floorboards. It had taken her a few weeks to let the heat die down and find a fence that was willing to purchase the jewels.
Settling inside the house for now, Khorieus set down his axe by the crumbling wall next to the entrance. He then set down his pack and began rummaging through it. Removing and handing her the neatly folded leather armor he had brought to her a few days earlier, he broke the silence and asked 'How goes your search at the Alienage?'
'They're not letting anyone in or out' Kallian said as she took the armor 'I don't think they know that I was with you' she added. 'Could you turn around please? I am going to change' she asked.
Turning his back towards her, Khorieus then replied 'That is good to hear, I suppose there would be no need for you to leave the city after all then'.
'I guess so' Kallian said as she began removing her stolen dress and began putting on the leather armor. She felt a strange tingle again as she put it on, she was really curious as of where Khorieus had gotten it from, especially due to whatever magic it had. Kallian herself had some experience with using magic items, she had stolen more than a few and had noticed its swift effects once worn or held, often such items fetched a high price from the fences.
After changing into her armor which was light and yet had felt quite sturdy, she went to Khorieus who handed her the two daggers which she attached to her belt. Thanking the warrior, he gave her a hint of a smile and went towards a ruined hearth; he knelt down in front of the hearth and placed his axe upon his lap. She heard him whisper softly in his lilting tongue once more and wondered if he was praying, there was something strangely calming about the words he spoke as she tried to listen to it.
Again, Kallian found herself so full of questions of where Khorieus had come from despite their current situation, what was this Ulthuan like? Was it a land ruled by elves like he? The idea seemed to be preposterous to Kallian that there was any place in the world where elves reigned. She had been skeptical at first at his claim about coming from some other world, but after their time together and seeing just how… different he was, she was not quite sure anymore. Taking a seat by the wall to Khorieus right, she quietly listened to his words and felt that perhaps when he was done; it would be a good time to ask as any other.
'All of them dead?' asked Jacob Darius a bit angrily as he heard the report from a guardsman named William of whom had been one of the first men to alert the Watch, the garrison and the Templars of the fugitive's assault on the Arl's Estate.
The two were currently upon the bridge leading out of the Alienage and towards the Market; he had been on his way to the local chapel to pick up his regular dosage of Lyrium as Elena had volunteered to lead the investigation in the Alienage, after he got midway through the bridge that the guardsman arrived and delivered the report.
'Yes sir!' saluted the guardsman a bit fearfully 'one of the men looked like he had been able to get away but was shot in the back' said the guardsman.
Darius could see it in the eyes of the guardsmen and several of the fresh garrison soldiers; they were telling stories of how this "Chevalier" (as many of them still believed the fugitive was an Orlesian) had killed so many of their men in such a short time. Morale among the garrison and the watch had plummeted and he would not be surprised of desertions of posts would follow by tonight, it would mean anarchy for the streets.
'Have the area searched then, you are dismissed' Darius said with a formal salute.
The guardsman then left and Darius sighed in frustration, the patrol which had been killed were each a professional soldier, while local street gangs were a possibility, he had doubts about that. Already by his totaled estimates that would make the death count little more than hundred men and women dead over a week. Word was already spreading among the populace about the death of the Arl's son and his killer; panic was rising about Orlesian agents and saboteurs seeking to re-invade Ferelden.
Just perfect he thought, not only did they have a dangerous killer on the loose but soon enough it looked like there will be civil unrest and riots breaking out. He was a bit glad that he himself was not Orlesian, because at the rate things were going, any Orlesian would be the target of angry mobs soon. It was not just angry mobs too; the deaths of so many watchmen and soldiers would mean that many criminal gangs would take advantage of the weakness of the guards. While Darius was a Templar and his duty was towards the Chantry and the rooting out of Apostates, he would be hard pressed as well in trying to keep the peace.
Pinching the bridge of his nose with his gauntleted index finger and thumb, he felt as if a greater weight had just been put upon him. He should not have taken that sleeping elixir this morning he thought, he could have acted sooner and been able to catch this fugitive. He thought of the mage girl, Olivia, he had begun taking a liking to the girl, which was a rare thing for him to feel towards a mage, and then she was dead.
His anger and hate towards the fugitive, this "Chevalier" or whatever people wish to call him was such that he could not even find the words to describe it. Sighing again and keeping his composure, he carried on towards the chapel at the Market, how odd it was that a mere two days earlier; he had been praying there and waiting for Bernard Marquand. There were times he had half-expected to see the man appear out of nowhere and help give them a lead or information. He then remembered the horrid state he had found his old comrade the following morning; he remembered the faces and names of all his brothers and sisters he had lost.
Although he had sworn many times over to bring this murderer to justice, he could not help but quietly renew his vow.
'Do you think maybe you can tell me now?' Kallian asked as silence filled the abandoned home 'about your homeland?'
'What would you like to know mornah?' Khorieus replied coolly with his eyes still closed, he seemed so serene and peaceful now, despite all the blood on him.
Where to begin? Kallian thought. With a shrug she started 'I guess, what is Ulthuan like?' The warrior's eyes slowly opened he fixed her a warm fatherly expression.
'My homeland of Ulthuan lies upon the Great Ocean, between the Old World and the New' he said with a faint hint of nostalgia.
'Old World and New World?' Kallian asked with confusion, what did he mean by between The Old World and the New? Was it some sort of place in the Fade? Voicing her further curiosity, the warrior responded
'It is not a place between the metaphysical if that is what you are asking' Khorieus clarified 'it is a place between two physical continents. To the east of Ulthuan lies Elthin Arvan or the Old World where men, dwarfs and the wayward kin of my people vie for dominance against the savage races. To the west of Ulthuan lies the New world, of Lustria, home to the servants of the Old ones… and Naggaroth.'
Kallian noted the hateful and disquieting tone in his voice as his expression grew more aloof when he mentioned this Naggaroth, its name seemed to send a chill down Kallian's spine, she wondered if it had something to do with the place he had mentioned before called Nagarthye, the Shadowlands.
'What is Naggaroth?' Kallian asked, Khorieus gave her a cold look. His expression was now that of a quite anger, it seemed like something he did not wish to discuss. A tense moment of silence passed and he replied.
'A dark land of cold and cruelty' he said in a foreboding manner 'a place ruled by tyranny and torture, a realm where all of your greatest fears are magnified a thousand fold, the nation of the Druchii.'
Kallian could now see the distant but intense cold fury in his visage increased, mixed with the blood which still spattered his armor, she found him to be terrifying. She could see that he was now reminiscing about whatever these Druchii are, she was even more curious to know about them.
She had seen Khorieus when he was furious with battle-lust, he had become like a raging inferno, but now she saw a fundamentally deep-seated hatred she had never seen the like of before. What was it that about these Druchii which could drive one to such hate? She wanted to ask more but felt that perhaps she should save it for another day. Quickly deciding to change the topic, she quickly asked
'What else can you tell me about Ulthuan? About your people?' she said.
Khorieus maintained his cold hard look for a moment, she could see it in his eyes that the hatred briefly intensified and his hands tightly gripped his axe's shaft before loosening and with his expression softening. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the musty air of the abandoned house before exhaling, as he opened his eyes, he looked to her with a neutral expression once more.
'Ulthuan' he said 'is inhabited by my people, the Asur, or the High Elves as we called in foreign tongues, for thousands of years we have ruled our island continent' Kallian could see his mood slightly softening and becoming one which was more reverent.
She imagined a land of magnificent castles inhabited by tall elves like Khorieus, clad in shining white robes and armor like the one he had worn; once more she tried to remember what meager legends she knew of ancient Arlathan when her people were supposedly immortal and powerful.
'The lands of Ulthuan' he continued with gravitas 'are divided into the ten kingdoms, each goverened by the Noble Princes who rule the city states, each Prince, swears fealty to the Phoenix King, the Chosen of Asuryan'
'Which kingdom are you from then?' Kallian asked as more and more questions began to occupy her thoughts.
'I hail from the northern kingdom of Chrace' Khorieus replied 'a land of many mountains and forests where great beasts both natural and monstrous dwell, a land which lives under the constant shadow of war.'
'War against what?' Kallian asked once more, she had a feeling she knew what his answer would be.
'The Druchii' he said coldly 'My homeland is the one of the main kingdoms where the Druchii launch their invasions, it is because of them that every Asur from Chrace must spend every moment in preparation for war'.
'Why would you live in such a place then?' Kallian asked, she could not imagine why anyone would want to live somewhere where monsters and war are a constant, she then added 'why not move elsewhere?'
Khorieus then gave her a strange questioning look, his head slightly tilted; she was not sure what he was thinking. 'Because we do what we must, mornah' he said with weariness in his voice. 'It is the burden which all of the Asur must bear, for without our vigil and protection, our world would perish in blood and fire'
Kallian was not quite sure if she could believe him, how was it possible that one people was all that stood between life and the end of the world? She remembered the tales she had heard of the Grey Wardens, of the battles they fought against the Blights and the Darkspawn. She remembered hearing that it took the combined might of many nations and races to defeat the Darkspawn. Could it be that Khorieus entire race were like the Grey Wardens? Surely it must have been an exaggeration?
As she was about to further question him, Khorieus swiftly brought his gauntleted hand up and hushed for silence. She could see that he was holding on to his axe and it looked like he was listening for something. She tried to strain her hearing as well, her eyes widened as she heard the distant barking of mabari and the clatter and jingling of plate and chain armor, the soldiers and Templar were on the way!
Khorieus swiftly rose up and picked up his pack before moving towards the entrance of the abandoned house. Kallian called to him with a loud whisper and said with alarm 'Where are you going!?'
Khorieus looked to her and replied 'Away from here, it is I that they are after.' He then gave her a solemn look and said 'Farewell Kallian'.
Before she could say anything he darted off outside, she quickly rose up and took a step forwards, was she really going to go and help him? He was not very happy about the last time at the Estate. She stood there for a moment in silence, indecision ate at her, and she bit her lip and knew that she wanted to help him.
His words from only a few hours earlier echoed in her mind "You have a family and a life here, do not throw away what you have".
Clenching her fists, she could not stand idly by and let him do this alone. Despite what he had said, she owed it to him and not just for her, but for Shianni and the other women as well. Had he not been there, they would have been raped and likely murdered by now.
Hearing the barking and clatter get closer, she muttered a profanity and ran out of the house.
Swiftly passing through the tight alleyways, Khorieus was going north towards the river. He actually didn't have a concrete plan right now, he was just trying to get away from his pursuers. He remembered that according to a map of the city the Elder had shown him a few days earlier, there are docks on the eastern part of the city, indeed he had picked up the faint smell of the sea from the east. He also remembered from the map that to the west from the market was the City Gate.
As he ran, he was quickly faced with two choices, either he try to get to the gates which were likely sealed shut or go to the docks and try to steal a boat. While the boat idea seemed like a good one, there was a strong possibility that either he would be unable to find a ship he could use use or that if he escaped upon one, he may end up going off to Morai-Heg knows where. There was also the threat that if he fell, his armour would only drag him down to a watery grave.
The gate idea on the other hand seemed to have more merit; all he would need to do was open it from the inside. Then again it may be the type of gate which used a mechanism which required many people to operate it. He cursed knowing that he just did not have enough information to make a final decision. As he continued to run, he soon found a way out of the labyrinth of the many slums; he emerged into a wide busy street where his presence was quickly noted by several citizens.
Surveying the crowd, he saw a well decorated carriage of black and gold being pulled by a pair of white horses. Making his way to the carriage, he heard someone shout and something about a Chevalier or whatever and soon a number of people converged upon him angrily. Quickly hissing the command word for his axe, the weapon ignited in white fire and was forced to take more than a few warning swings at the crowd. Soon enough many people ran away in a stampede which caused much chaos upon the streets, the driver of the carriage quickly lashed with the reins upon his horses and they started to pick up their pace across the street and going where he believed was west.
Already nearing the carriage, Khorieus leapt forward with a roar, his axe raised high in his right hand. The flaming axe descended upon the roof and it deeply lodged into the carriage, hearing a loud high-pitched shriek from inside, he swiftly climbed to the roof and he saw the driver. An elderly human looked back towards Khorieus with a mix of shock and terror, the man quickly leapt out of the driver seat and landed upon the cobbled road 'Isha's Tears!' shouted Khorieus as he quickly went towards the driver's seat.
Leaving his axe upon the roof and maintaining his balance, he grabbed the reins and began directing the carriage around a bend in time before it collided with a series of wooden stall. Hoping that it would be as easy as driving a Chariot, he began trying to slow down the using the yoke and soon enough they did. Looking around to see if any of his pursuers were near, he quickly got off the driver seat and went to the side of the carriage where his axe was still lodged into the roof.
Placing a foot upon the step on the side and reaching for his weapon with his right hand, he looked inside and saw a corpulent human male clad in a garish outfit cowering at the other end with another garishly dressed man held on to a steel long sword defensively. 'Get out!' roared Khorieus and the swordsman quickly rushed forwards. Swinging to the right side and opening the side door, the swordsman soon fell out of the carriage into the muddy street.
Khorieus then leapt down from the carriage and delivered a swift kick to the swordsman's ribs before he got up, he felt the satisfying crack of bones as the man groaned in pain. He then delivered another kick to the side of the man's head. Not really bothering with finishing the swordsman off, the High Elf looked back to the carriage to see the other man disembark and run away. The Chracian then went back to his axe and he pulled it out, as soon as his axe was free, he quickly went to the front of the carriage with a fire now spreading.
Dispelling his axe's flames he quickly cut the leather harnesses which bound the horses to the carriage. As he cut the bindings of the horses, he began to sing an Ellyrian melody he had learned in his time as a Silver Helm Knight and the song quickly calmed both the horses. He then swiftly mounted one of the now freed horses and he was about to kick it into a gallop before suddenly hearing the familiar voice of Kallian shouting his name.
Eyes widened in surprise as his song lapsed he looked over his left shoulder to see Kallian covered in blood and running out of an alley, behind her were a pair of barking painted hounds which were quickly closing in on her. Lord of Murder! he mentally shouted, he quickly directed the white horse towards Kallian.
A bit earlier...
Navigating through the narrow alleyways of the Poor Quarter slums, Kallian continuously looked behind her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. She was not quite sure on where to go, but there were probably some flophouses she could go to for the night and lay low. Looking about and trying to listen for more mabari or the clatter of plate armor which rang across the narrow streets. As she took a right, her eyes widened in surprise to see a group of men wearing the leather armored uniforms of the city's official local militia at the other end, one of them pointed at her and shouted
'Oi! That elf's got a weapon!' one of the militia men shouted for it was illegal for any elf to carry one. 'Drop the weapons knife ears!'
'Oh sod!' hissed Kallian and she turned and ran. The shouts of the militiamen were behind and they were quickly in pursuit.
Running in the opposite direction she began taking several twists and turns trying to lose them, but it quickly became obvious that these men knew these streets well because they seemed to know which directions to take to intercept her. There were not too many people about now; most were either still at work or getting ready for work come nightfall.
Taking a left around the corner of an intersection by a tavern, she saw two panting militiamen were in her way. She looked to the north and saw three more militiamen and to the east end she saw a trio of chain mailed men with a pair of painted mabari.
'Oh come on!' Kallian shouted and she ran to the left.
The two men on the left side of the street quickly charged towards Kallian with wood cutter's hatchets in hand. The elf woman quickly ripped out the daggers from her scabbards and held them in a reverse grip. One militiaman got ahead of his comrade and threw his left fist forwards with a gloved hand with several metal studs upon the knuckles. Kallian ducked under the punch and she quickly slashed the man across the belly with her right hand red steel dagger.
The blade which lightly glowed cut through the man's leather armor and into the soft flesh of his belly, blood gushed out from the wound and onto Kallian's right leg and the ground. She quickly raised her left dagger to block the second man's hatchet by the axe blade, she quickly delivered a left knee kick into the man's groin and she switched the grip of her bloody right dagger and plunged the blade across the man's neck and spilling blood all over her. Quickly pulling her dagger out, she darted past the bodies.
As she ran onwards while trying to escape the hounds and the men, she soon came to an open area where a group of men were cheering around something. Hearing the barks of the mabari getting closer she quickly ran into the press off bodies, she shoved and pushed her way forwards and got elbowed in the face for her trouble. Pain shot up through her face and stars appeared in her vision as she forced her way through, she eventually managed to make it to the front where she saw a red-bearded dwarf with an eye patch shouting at something, in front of the dwarf were two weird pink skinned creatures with long rabbit like ears, whiskers and small eyes, they looked like some sort of cross between a rabbit and a pig.
The two creatures looked to be trying to bite each other, but Kallian had no time to wonder what they were. Vaulting over the surprisingly sturdy fence, she heard shouts from the men behind her as the mabari barreled into the crowd. Anarchy erupted as several men tried to get away from the hounds, some tried scaling the fence as well while others fought and brawled as they tried to get clear.
Kallian's feet landed upon the muddy ground of the animal fighting ring, the rabbit…pig…things quickly looked at her but she was already passed them and over the opposite side of the fence with the dwarf shouting profanities at her. She made her way through the crowd on the other side which was already dispersing due to the hounds. Stepping over the head of an unlucky man who had tripped and had been trampled by his fellows, Kallian went down another alley while the hounds were forced to go around the fences.
Looking back and thinking she got away, she soon heard the barks of the painted mabari again and she swore once more. Already her legs were painful and demanding rest but she knew that to stop now was a death sentence. Turning her head to see what was in front of her, she saw a wide open street ahead.
Emerging into the later afternoon light, she saw people fleeing to her left and right. She saw a burning carriage painted with black with a golden trim, to her great surprise she saw Khorieus mounting a white horse. Calling to his name, she heard the barking of the hounds and ran towards him. Soon enough, the warrior was galloping towards her, he was leaning to the his right with his axe trailing close to the ground, she saw his lips moving and could hear that he was singing.
Leaping to her left, Kallian rolled upon the filthy ground as she barely dodged the horse, she heard the thunder of hooves and song of the warrior as he raised his axe blade in an upwards arc as he caught one of the painted mabari in the chest. The mabari whined in pain as it flew up with blood gushing out from a lethal wound, the other mabari leapt away from the path of the horse and avoided getting trampled. It lunged forwards with its teeth and snapped at the hind legs of the horse, the horse reacted with surprising swiftness and its hind legs kicked the mabari in the face.
The mabari whined in pain as the iron shod hooves struck its face, it wobbled about in a daze as Khorieus turned the horse around with the now dead other mabari falling off of his axe. Khorieus galloped towards the now dazed mabari and his song reached a crescendo as the axe blade cleaved into the mabari's face. Without stopping, he quickly turned the horse towards her direction; his left hand was soon held out towards Kallian.
As the horse slowed down, Kallian grabbed Khorieus hand; he helped pull her up to the back of the horse. With both legs now on the horse's side and her arms holding on to the warrior's waist with his fur cloak, his bow of white and silver and an empty quiver made from soft leather was near her face. She realized that this was the first time she ever actually got to ride a horse. Looking to Khorieus back and feeling the surprisingly luxurious white pelt upon her finger as she held on to him, she heard him continue to sing something in his language, she tried to ask him something but he ignored her as he focused upon his song.
They were quickly passing over the bridge by the Amaranthine Ocean and over the Drakon River which, she looked to her left and saw the bridge leading to the Alienage. Well so much for staying out of sight she thought.
Inside the chapel at the Market District again, Darius raised the Lyrium potion to his lips, eagerly gulping down the alchemical fluid; he soon felt its effects coursing through him. He closed his eyes and for a moment he enjoyed the bliss for getting back to work. Mentally reviewing what he had so far from the investigation seemed to mostly be a dead-end again.
The fugitive had proven to be a surprising elusive target, either the elves at the Alienage were either helping him or that they were being charmed through magic. He had tried to see if he could dispel any magical effects upon the elves but had gotten nothing and was inclined on the former. He then sat down by a scribe's lectern and he began writing a series of formal requests for other the Chapters to send what Templars could be spared to replace their losses in Denerim.
He should have joined the men which were searching the labyrinthine slums of the Poor Quarter. But when he had begun to feel that slight tingling of when he needed his Lyrium dose earlier at the Alienage, he had quickly decided to deal with that first. This task was also important; he needed these letters sent because they also contained the description of the fugitive in the event that he escaped. This way the other Chapters at the least would know. As he finished writing the letters, he stamped them with a wax seal of the flaming sword.
Handing the letters to one of the priestesses who would make sure that the message was sent by carrier pigeons, he then made his way out of the chapel. Quietly making his way across the hall, he exited through the double doors and into the late afternoon light. Deciding that he should check up with the investigation at the Alienage, his patience was already running thin and he knew that he should be more "assertive" in his questionings.
As he made it past the gates, he heard the familiar clatter of plate mail and saw one of the other Templars coming towards him. The Templar saluted Darius and he soon realized that it was Brant with his lightning imbued axe, his mind raced with questions as he hoped that they had found the fugitive.
'Anything to report?' Darius asked
'We've spotted them sir!' Brant shouted under his helmet 'The fugitive and his accomplice are on the way to the City Gate!' Darius eyes widened at this, the City Gate was not far off!
'Are the others on the way!?' Darius asked
'Yes sir, Ser Elena is leading them to the gate, come on sir!' Brant said and he ran off towards the Market Gate. Putting his helmet on, Darius quickly went after Brant; he hoped by today, this hunt will end.
As the white horse galloped closer towards the gate, Khorieus saw the gatehouse with green pennants fluttering in the wind. He gently ended the Ellyrian song and he had the horse slow down. As they stopped near the gate, he quickly dismounted and helped Kallian down, while he was not pleased that somehow she was needlessly stuck with him again, he knew that now was not the time to argue. He saw several human guards at the gate as well as a number of wagons, carriages and people crowding around it.
He guessed that the humans had shut the gates to make sure no one was getting in or out. Hardly caring about how this would affect commerce and travel within the city, what mattered to him right now was getting out. As it seemed that most of the guards were dealing with the complaints of the merchants and travelers, this could give him the element of surprise.
Looking to Kallian, Khorieus had yet to ask her about exactly how she came out of the slums chased by those hounds. He then spoke 'You should leave now Kallian'
With shrug an embarrassed smile she said 'Too late now, I will likely soon be wanted for murder of local lawmen, aiding a known criminal, horse theft, and disturbing the peace.'
Isha's Tears! Khorieus thought as suppressed the urge to plant his face upon the palm of his hand. It seemed that fate has conspired to have her beside him. With a quick survey he saw the entrance to the gatehouse from the right; it was guarded by only two men in the lighter type of chain mail armor and helmets he had seen before.
'You take the one on the left' he quietly said as he handed his knife to Kallian who nodded in affirmation.
Moving towards the side entrance with his axe and bow upon his back. He gently weaved his way passed the carts, animals and people, Khorieus called upon what little remaining power his cloak had; it would likely only last for a minute at most but more likely, even less. As he drew closer to the guardsmen, he saw their heads turn towards Kallian, one of the men said 'Hey where did you get a weapon, elf!?'
Before Kallian could say anything, Khorieus hands swiftly reached out and grabbed the head of the man to the right and the High Elf snapped the guardsman's neck. The other man looked in surprised to Khorieus and before he could grab his weapons or shout for an alarm, Kallian threw the hunting knife which struck the man in the throat. Their actions quickly drew the stunned attentions of a number people in the crowd, already though, Kallian pulled out the knife and Khorieus pushed opened the door and the two entered the gate house.
'I suppose you have a plan, right?' Kallian asked as Khorieus lifted a heavy wooden slab upon the hooks by the door. She then handed him his knife back and he took it with a nod.
'Due to circumstances, it seems that making things up as they happen has been my grand strategy for today' he said in a serious tone.
With a quick look around the place, they saw it was a square room and at the other end of their position there was a stairway leading up. Khorieus walked ahead with his knife held in hand, Kallian supposed that in an enclosed space like this, his battle-axe may not be the best of choices.
She heard the poundings and thuds from the door behind them and thought, I guess no going out that way. From the stairs, she heard the footsteps of several men and soon Khorieus picked up his pace. Pulling her daggers out and following him, she saw a trio of armed men in regular chain mail armor descend the stairs with weapons at the ready. One of the men ordered for his comrades to attack and the closest one thrust his sword towards Khorieus face as the warrior ascended.
The warrior quickly grabbed the lead human's sword arm and he quickly lifted it up before driving his knife up the man's jaw. The man behind the first one swung his mace towards Khorieus from the side, the warrior easily ducked underneath it and pulled out the knife and proceeded to slit the second man's throat. As he second man held his bleeding throat, Khorieus was already upon the third who wielded an axe, the axe man brought his weapon down upon the warrior who caught the weapon by handle, with sharp twist and cry of pain from the third man, Khorieus then stabbed him with a reverse grip in the left eye.
The man died instantly as the warrior pushed the blade deep enough to puncture the guard's brain. He then picked up the dead man's axe and wielded it with his left hand while his knife was in his right. Soon the sounds of descending footsteps from above became more active along with the jingling of chain armor and the voices of men giving orders. Khorieus began to ascend the stairs more swiftly, and she tried to keep up with him.
Soon enough more men descended from the stairs and Khorieus practically began running upwards. Kallian briefly lost sight of Khorieus before she heard a cry of pain and the body of another chain mail armored man began rolling down the stairs with a deep bloody red gash over cutting diagonally over his right eye. Quickly hearing the clash of steel upon steel, she continued to ascend with her heart pounding and adrenaline rushing. She saw another man roll down she barely managed to avoid and another man was slumped by the curving wall as he tried to pull out a war axe which was tightly lodged into his chest which bled heavily.
They soon arrived at the top into a circular room where several men armed with weapons and shields were waiting for them, Khorieus of whom had brought out his battle-axe, roared in his language and the weapon ignited. The warrior quickly crashed into the press of men and soon the elf woman was with him, her enchanted red steel daggers proved surprisingly effective at cutting through the mail links of the guards. Fighting beside Khorieus, she aided him by guarding his flanks as he swung his fiery axe in deadly arcs and dizzying pattern which cleaved opponents and parried weapons.
Blocking the downwards slash of a swordsman with her right dagger and stabbing him the gut with her left. Kallian took a mace strike to her left shoulder and she shrieked in pain as she felt her left arm go numb and the bones broke. Through sheer effort of will, she held on to her left dagger and delivered a kick to the mace wielder's groin, as the man clutched his manhood, Kallian brought down her right dagger and she stabbed him in the back of the neck.
Cutting down the last of the men with two having attempted to flee through a door way which led towards the top of the ramparts itself, she could feel the wind blowing from it and she could smell for the first time in her life, the scent of the forest. Khorieus quickly crossed the bloody floor and towards the ramparts, Kallian followed him and she emerged outside to see to her left, Denerim, the city of her birth. To her right she saw the forest which lay outside the city, the section of the wall facing outside had many thick stone parapets with holes in the center, she guessed that it was used for archers to shoot at attackers.
Khorieus was soon looking down from one of the open spaces between the parapets; she hoped that he was not planning to jump. He looked to her and said 'Keep a look out for more', Kallian nodded quite unsure on what he was planning to do, and she sheathed her daggers and brought up her crossbow.
He then turned back to the circular room, she saw him set down his axe by the doorway and he began dragging a headless corpse near the wall. Setting the corpse down, he retrieved his axe and he quickly brought its blade down upon the corpse's chest, she heard the crack of bones as the axe blade broke through the ribcage along with sound of flesh being torn, he then set his axe down beside him and he plunged his gauntleted hands in the wounds. To her horror and disgust, she saw Khorieus tearing the wound open with his hands, although she had killed people before; she would never have done such defilement.
Feeling bile rise up to her throat, she did her best to keep it in as the warrior soon exposed the ribs and organs of the corpse. He then pulled out a long series of ropey entrails from the dead man, he handed it to her and said with a serious and commanding tone 'Hold this'. Grabbing on to the bloody organs and thinking that she was going to lose the battle with her stomach, she saw Khorieus lift up the corpse and carried it over the parapet. He then tossed the corpse over the wall and he quickly placed his right hand over Kallian's end of the organ 'You can let go now' he said.
Khorieus moved back to the parapets and with the organ in hand, he looked over the wall and nodded. He then let go of the organ and knelt down, he put down his pack and pulled out a long length of rope. Kallian looked at him incredulously and could not help but blurt out
'Why didn't you use that instead!?' she said as Khorieus soon went to one end of the stone blocks and he asked for Kallian to wait at the other end.
Following the warrior's orders, she obeyed and leaned over the space between the block and the one next to it. Khorieus then tossed her one end of the rope and she deftly caught it, he then went back to her, he took her end of the rope and began tying it around the block. Going back on watch with her question still unanswered, Khorieus soon replied as he worked with the rope.
'It would have been a waste of time to throw down the rope and pull it back up, I needed something else to measure the distance to the ground.' Kallian looked at Khorieus with shock
'You used a sodding dead man as a unit of measurement!?' she asked with disbelief.
As Khorieus finished tying the knots of the rope he then looked to her and nodded. He then went back into the circular room and soon he came back with a fresh quiver of arrows.
'More or less, yes' he said nonchalantly 'Now we descend'.
Panting with exhaustion as they arrived at the gate house, this was one of the times Darius regretted wearing such heavy armor. Sure it was usually excellent protection, but actually sprinting with it was just torture. Trying to catch his breath as he rested his hands on his knees, he looked up to see the crowd of merchants and travelers who were now stuck inside the city due to the lockdown.
Ahead of him, he saw a number of his fellow Templars speaking with some of the civilians. A man was frantically saying something as he pointed to the northern entrance to the gatehouse. Walking towards his fellows he saw them turn around they saluted Darius.
'The fugitive was here sir!' came the voice of one of the Templars named Edmund 'He and an accomplice killed two guardsmen and then they entered the gatehouse!'
'Any word from the men inside?' Darius asked with an uneasy feeling as he knew that the men inside would be dead
'No word sir' Edmund replied. It was all Darius needed to hear. 'I think the south tower is still open sir'
'Good, let's get in there' Darius ordered. Edmund saluted and Darius ordered for the Templars to form up, they pushed their way past the milling crowd which was growing more restless without any guards and only the gates to bar their way.
Descending from the rope with Kallian above him, Khorieus gently climbed down the city wall. As he looked down, he saw that the rope he had used fell a few feet short, nothing to worry about he supposed. Looking up, he was glad that at the least it looked as if Kallian had done something like this before. As they descended, he took a deep refreshing breath of the forest behind them, all he would need to do now was go west.
Of course there was still the problem of more of these Templars at the Mage Tower, and there was the possibility that the Mages in question would not be as inclined to aid him. It was a problem he would have to deal with later, but right now he needed to get as far away from the city as possible.
'Halt for now' he commanded, looking down towards the muddy ground below him, he climbed down a little more before he let go. After short drop, he grunted as his boots hit the ground, he then looked up and called to Kallian. 'You can let go! I will catch you!' he shouted
He heard Kallian sigh and mutter something, she then let go of the rope and she dropped while quickly shifting her position with her back facing the ground. After a brief of moment of falling, his strong arms caught Kallian from a little bellow the shoulder blades and the back of her thighs. With a grunt from the two of them, Khorieus looked down to see that Kallian was fine, her eyes were closed as she had landed and when she opened them, their gazes were locked on to one another for a moment.
'Good catch' she the said with relief. Khorieus then gently put her down, and he nodded towards her. She nodded back and without a word they sprinted towards the woods, the High Elf felt invigorated as he went towards the forest along with Kallian. At the least he thought, he would not be alone.
'All right, search the ramparts!' commanded Darius as his Templars finally made it to the top.
The Templars were exhausted as they had to climb the stairs in their armor as well, they found the doorway to the north side blocked but the one on the south side at the least was unlocked. The guardsmen who were supposed to be stationed here were likely dead as there was no one to greet them.
'Over there sir!' shouted Templar Margaret as she pointed over the wall and towards the forest.
Quickly going to the edge, he saw the silverite armored fugitive running towards the forest with another person. His fists clenched tightly and his teeth gritted as countless obscene profanities soon burst from his mouth. The Templars around him looked at Darius with shock as he verbally let loose his pent-up frustration.
Again the fugitive had escaped them! Searching for someone in the wilds was a completely different matter than in the city. He would need expert trackers and hunters for they had no phylactery which they could use to track the fugitive. Glaring angrily at the fugitive and his companion as they disappeared into the tree line, he knew that things just got more complicated.
As night fell across Thedas, Kallian panted heavily as she slumped down with her back to a tree. When her night vision set, she could see Khorieus moving about in the dark as he collected wood. Lifting a water skin the warrior had provided her, she deeply drank the refreshingly cool liquid which went down her parched throat. As sweat coated her flesh from underneath her leather armor, she removed her leather helmet and wiped the moisture from her brow with the back of her bloodied right hand.
She could hardly even hear Khorieus moving about in the dark amidst the cacophony of insects, birds and frogs. As she caught her breath she gently rolled around her left shoulder and she hissed as it still hurt a lot. After hearing a clatter of wooden twigs in front of her, she heard Khorieus whisper something and his axe ignited, suddenly seeing the warrior in the white light, she had almost thought him to be some sort of ghost. He then placed the axe upon the pile of sticks, the sticks ignited and he nodded with satisfaction.
'Get some rest Mornah' he said 'I will take the first watch' As Kallian was about to reply, she heard the distant howling of wolves in the forest. She had a feeling, that she would not get a lot of sleep this night.
