Ch 5 The Joining

I am poorer warrior now then I was alive, sure I learned to wield multiple type of weapons, even learned Pyromancy, but I got hit more, by attack that would have never hit me when I was still mortal, I block less, take risk that no sane mortal man should, I even use death as a strategy. I would spend some of my life to figure out enemies attack rhythm, because even thought I feel pain, I can't die, and at some point, I become numb to death, and my survival instinct dull. It was not a problem before but now things are different.

I am sure the reason that I am here is because someone summon me, I do not know who but to be honest I don't care, I am free from the First Flame, I can't die here, if I die I might return to that dying world, or to the Flame, I don't want to go back.

We just find out what the Joining ritual might entail.

Darrian: "I don't like this any more than you do, but I don't have a no choice."

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way. If they had warned me… it just doesn't seen fair," said Jory as he shake his head.

Of course they didn't.

"Would you have come if they'd warned you? Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right? said Daveth defending the Grey Warden.

"Including sacrificing us?" ask Jory.

"Careful Jory, your cowardness is showing." said Aedan provoking Jory.

"I am no coward!"

Daveth: "I'd sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight."

"See, even a thief show more spine than you, ser knight." Aedan provoking Joky again.

"Aedan!" Jory walk toward Aedan.

I move in front a Jory.

"Don't, (whisper)he's provoking you because he is scared too."

I turn to Daveth.

"We don't know that."

Daveth: "Don't we? The Grey Wardens have saved the world from darkspawn before. I'd said they know better than anyone what it takes."

He turn to Jory "Wouldn't you die to protect your wife from them too? Maybe be you'll die, maybe we'll all die, but if nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll die for sure."

"Is not Grey Warden or doom here, there could be third or even fourth options."

"What third or fourth way? tell me!" ask Daveth desperately.

I wanted to said just because I don't know doesn't mean it don't exist, but is pointless, the Blight in already here, realistically we don't have time to find potentially non existence solution.

Jory: "I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade."

"At last we come to the Joining."

I turn and see Duncan and Alistair walk towards us with a sliver cup.

"The Grey Wardens were founded during the first blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

"We're… going to drink the blood of those… creatures?" Jory surprised.

Duncan put down the sliver cup on a stone table. "As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you. This is the source of our power and our victory."

Alistair: "Those who survive the Joining became immune to the taint. We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon."

"Those who survive?" ask Darrian.

Duncan: "Not all who drink the blood will survive and those who do are forever changed. This is way the Joining is a secret. It is the price we pay."

A price you didn't tell us.

Duncan: "Alistair, if you would?"

"Join us, brother and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn." Alistair said with his head down.

If the blood kills me, I will return to my dying world.

Alistair: "And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day we shall join you."

I don't even know if the blood will work on me.

Duncan pick up the sliver cup. "Daveth, step forward."

Daveth took the cup and drink, he's eyes rolled back as he choke in pain and fell forward.

Duncan: "I am sorry, Daveth."

He turn to Jory."Step forward, Jory."

Jory begin to walk backward and draw his sword. "But… I have a wife. A child! Had I know…"

Duncan ignore him and advance with the cup. "there is no turning back."

He continue to walk backward until he was back against a wall. "you ask too much! There is no glory in this!"

Is was never about about glory, is about survival.

Duncan put out a large knife and step forward.

Clunk!

They turn they attention toward me, I just throw my lucerne in between them.

Duncan: "what are you doing?"

I look at Jory and gestures my head toward the exit, "Go."

He immediately runs towards the exit.

"You!"

I turned and saw Aedan, his weapon drawn. I draw my sword and grab the shield from my back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aedan shouts.

"Aedan! Stop!" Darrian tries to talk some sense into him.

"It's one thing to risk you life on the battlefield, it's another to risk you life drinking poison."

"Then why didn't you stop Daveth?" Aedan shouts.

"Daveth chose to drink the blood, Jory didn't."

Another reason is that the reality of the situation didn't sink in until Daveth died in front of me.

Aedan attacked me with a horizontal slash but I parried it and kicked him to the ground. When he tried to get up, I pointed my sword at his face.

"AHHH!"

I turn and see Jory bleeding on the ground, dead, Duncan standing over him. He just killed an armored, experienced warrior with a knife.

"Did you really need to kill him?"I asked Duncan, looking at Jory.

Duncan: "Jory was warned that there was no turning back, as were you all."

Was he? Were we really warned?

Duncan: "When he went for his blade, however, he left me with no choice."

I look him in the eyes "Did you really not have a choice?"

Duncan: "I was defending myself."

"You said before you chose us because you thought we could survive the Joining. What was the condition for surviving the joining?" I asked.

".…."He says nothing, so he doesn't know.

"I'm not from this land and I know too little of the Blight. I don't have the right to judge your actions, for all I know, you might be right, The Grey Warden, the Joining, and Daveth and Jory's deaths are all necessary to beat the Blight…..." I look away from him. "But to me there's a difference between self-sacrifice and being sacrificed." I begin to walk away, "You might not be wrong, but I'm not joining you."

Never will I be a sacrificial offering again.

"All that speech, just to say that you're a coward? That you're scared of dying?" Aedan taunts.

I stopped and turned my head,"You're right, I am scared." and continue to walk away.

Duncan: "The joining isn't over yet."

I turn to look at Duncan, "You said you killed Jory because he attacked you," I sheathed my sword and put my shield back on my back. "You have no reason to kill me now, right?" I turned around and kept walking away.

Suddenly I feel a hand lifting my chin from behind and a blade on my throat, "I'm sorry."

My throat had been slit. The moment Duncan let go of me I immediately put my left hand on my throat and sprinted. I turned at the first corner and once I was out of their field of vision, I pulled off my helmet and took out my Estus Flask and took a sip, my wounds healed almost instantly. Good thing I have a lot of experience when it comes to dying.

I just realized in the heat of the moment, I had taken off my helmet. My hand shakes as I pull off my right glove. It was a normal hand, a normal human hand. I touched my head and found that I'm bald, I remember having dark hair before I turned undead. I touched my face, it's smooth, there's no facial hair at all. Did I lose all my hair when my body entered the first stage of hollowing? My face is also thinner than I remember.

I laughed, thanks to Duncan, I got over one of my fears.

Aedan POV

Darkspawn, thousands of them! A Black Dragon!

I awoke in a cold sweat, and saw Duncan standing over me. I looked around, and saw that the elf is sitting there with Alistair by his side.

"Welcome, new Wardens. How do you feel?" Asks Duncan. I drank the blood first, but it seems the elf and me woke up at the same time.

"I can't believe you killed Jory and Baldwin." Said the elf.

Duncan: "Like I told Baldwin, I had no choice. They made their choice when they drew their weapons... It brings me no pleasure to end their lives." He said with a level voice.

Darrian: "But Baldwin sheathed his sword…"

"Duncan did no wrong, the Grey Wardens must do what is necessary to stop the Blight." I interrupted him.

"Such is what it takes to be a Grey Warden." Duncan nodded.

"Before I forget, there is one last part to your joining." Said Alistair. "We take some of that blood and put it in a pendant. Something to remind us… of those who didn't make it this far."

Daveth was brave, Jory and Baldwin were not. But their deaths will not be in vain, my mother's sacrifice will not be in vain.

"Darling, go with Duncan. You have a batter chance to escape without me."

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself!"

"My place is with your father. At his side, to death and beyond."

Their deaths will have meaning, I will stop the Blight, I swear it.

To be continued