Welcome to Chapter 6. I do not Teen Titans and Dragon Age. If I did I would be making money off this story. XD Enjoy. Please be sure to review and let me know what you think.
"And that is pretty much my tale of woe. Due to the actions of one of my teammates, I arrived here in your world." Raven says while wrapping up her story of how she arrived in Thedas, all the while being careful to keep her demonic nature hidden from the Warden. The reason for this being, she didn't know what the popular attitude towards demons was in Thedas and wanted to avoid a lynching if she could help it.
"So it was a Fade demon that cast you into our world. You're lucky to be alive, much less having your individuality intact." The Warden says after hearing about Raven's encounter with Pride demon who cast her down into Thedas.
"What exactly do you mean by that? These demons do not only use people as portals into the mortal world?" Raven says while sounding a little on edge.
"The demons of the Fade not only use mortals as portals but they also possess your mind and body. Playing on a person's strongest emotions they are able to bend a person to their will. This comes at its worst among weak-willed magic users, who are turned into powerful creatures known as Abominations."
"That certainly sounds like a fate worse than death itself. I am just glade it did not happen this particular time." Raven says in a more deadpan manner.
"Well the explanation you gave me doesn't quite make sense but I am willing to accept it for now. My guess is your will proved to be stronger than his and he could not possess you."
"That must have been it. I mean, why bother trying to capture something that is only going to put up a stiffer resistance. Raven says with a nervous chuckle.
"I still feel you aren't telling me everything, but I will let the matter be for now. Everyone has secrets they do not want to share and I will let you keep yours. However, if you ever need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to ask me."
"I might try that sometime. But given my somewhat distant personality, I don't tend to socialize with people very much. Most of the time I just prefer to lock myself in my room and curl up with a good book or work on my meditation." Raven says' wishing she had a book right about now.
"If that works for you then I am fine with that. Suffice it to say Raven, now that you seem to be on the road to recovery, I wanted to ask if you would join me and my fellow adventurers in our quest. We are trying to save Fereldan from a hoard of unspeakable evil called the Darkspawn. Your magic would be of great assistance in combating them.
"Normally I would say no to such a proposal given how slow I am to trust someone I just met. However, I guess I can't afford to be picky at a time like this. Count me Warden." Raven says while extending her hand, the images from her dream still lingering in the back of her mind.
"Welcome aboard then. Meet me and the rest of the team by the Chantry door." The Warden says while shaking Raven's hand before departing to link back up with his troop, which has grown by two. The newest members being a giant of a man named Sten and a former lay sister by the name of Leliana.
While the Warden put things in order with the rest of his group, Raven slowly slides out of bed and tests her injured leg. Finding no pain coming from her wound, she slowly stands up and encompasses her form within her cloak. She then proceeds to meet up with the mage Warden and follow him through the Chantry's front doors.
"So Raven, will there be any extra equipment you need? This will be the last chance to get some before we leave town." Raelis says as the group proceeds towards the Imperial Way.
"Just a tent and something to sleep on. I do not require any extra gear when it comes to casting magical spells." Raven says while eyeing the staves on Raelis and Morrigan's backs.
"We can provide those for you. I already purchased all the provision we will need for the first leg of this journey. We can get more when we reach the nearest major town." Raelis says as the group climbs the stairs towards the Imperial Way road.
At the top of the stairs the group encounters two dwarves under attack by Darkspawn. The group quickly springs into action to save them while Raven hangs back for the moment to observe the fighting abilities of her new traveling companions. The fight is over rather quickly as the Warden, Alistair and Sten prove more than capable of dealing with a few Darkspawn soldiers.
When the fight is over, the two dwarves step forward to introduce themselves. The dwarf with the beard introduces himself as Bodahn Feddic while his companion was his son Sandal. After a short conversion, Bodahn is convinced by Raelis that traveling with Grey Wardens would not be in his best interest. As such, the dwarven merchant hands out his final thank yous before turning to his inventory scattered on the road.
With this little distraction dealt with, the group soon returns to the Imperial Way, continuing on towards the first of four destinations.
"So now that we have left Lothering behind Raelis, would you mind filling me in on your mission? I can't exactly work with you if I don't know your objective." Raven says while walking side by side with the Warden.
"We will fill you in on that when we stop for the night. Suffice it to say, beyond fighting the Darkspawn we are journeying across Fereldan to gather allies to fight them and defeat their leader, The Archdemon."
"I…I see." Raven says while hesitating for a moment. From the mere mention of that name, Raven flashes back to the images sent to her by her father. Included among them was a great demonic beast that looked like a twisted form of a dragon. As that image had flashed through her mind during her dream sequence, she thought she had heard a voice whisper, The Archdemon has risen.
"Is something the matter Raven? You look like you have seen a ghost." Raelis says while catching Raven's gaze after mentioning the leader of the enemy he now fought.
"It's nothing Raelis. Just an old memory deciding to resurface at an inconvenient time." Raven says in a defensive tone.
At Raven's words, Raelis wisely decides not to pursue the issue further. He figures that Raven should be left to deal with her inner demons in her own way. Thus, the remainder of the walk passes by quietly as the sun begins to grow dim in the sky. Seeing that night would reach them long before they could reach their destination, the Warden decides to pitch camp for the night.
The Warden selects a wide open clearing surrounded by trees just off the road. Soon the area is a buzz with activity. Each member of the troop pitches their tents while Raelis works on getting a fire going. Both Raven and Morrigan decided to pitch their tents at spots some distance from the others, giving both women a decree of solitude. With the action dying down for the day, Raven decides to spend the next few hours meditating in her tent before turning in for the night. Planting herself down on the floor of the tent, Raven crosses her legs and begins to clear her mind.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Raven begins to chant while attempting to focus her mind in the hope of correcting the magical imbalance left by her encounters with the Pride Demon and her father.
While silence reigns within Raven's tent, the rest of the camp is a flurry of activity as the Warden began sharing conversation with the rest of his group. Doing so allowed him to get to know each one better while also developing bonds of friendship. The Warden had to tread lightly however, as saying the wrong thing could just as easily destroy those bonds.
The Warden would remain at this for the next half hour before finally arriving at the tent of the grey-skinned sorceress. As Raelis neared, he could hear chanting coming from within. Deciding to investigate the sound, The Warden pulls back the tent flap ever so slightly till he came face to face with a levitating Raven. The elven mage had heard that such a power does exist but it takes great mental focus to be able to use it effectively.
"Enter Warden. I know you are there." Raven says, easily being able to sense the presence of Raelis long before he even reached her tent. This was mainly due to the fact that Raven possessed telepathic abilities, something that was very rare in Thedas.
"Err...right. If you don't mind me asking Raven, where did you learn to levitate like that?" The Warden asks while sitting down beside the young magic user.
"I learned it from my fellow magic users. I grew among a community of them before journeying out on my own." Raven says while intending to keep Azarath a secret from the Warden.
"I suppose that would make sense. But before I get off topic here, I just dropped by to pick up our conversation from earlier where you asked what our objectives were."
"Yes. Even though I agreed to join your group, I am still a little bit wary of your group's intentions." Raven says while opening her eyes and gently lowering herself onto the floor.
"Well, the primary mission of the Grey Wardens is the extermination of Darkspawn. We sometimes help people in need as well but tend to remain neutral in political conflicts. The need for Wardens right now is very important however, as the Darkspawn have recently risen to attack the surface world."
"So the Darkspawn usually live underground?"
"That is correct. They very rarely venture to the surface and never in a force the size we are seeing now unless they have an Archdemon behind them."
"And what exactly is an Archdemon?
"Basically they are beings with the form of dragons that have been tainted by the Darkspawn. They used to be worshipped as Gods during the days when the Tevinter Imperium ruled most of Thedas. It was them, according to legened, who taught man how to use magic. They were eventually cast down and forced underground where they slumber to this day. Based on my own readings from the Circle Tower, when the Darkspawn find one, they corrupt and start what we call a Blight, which is basically Armageddon. This is the Fifth such Blight to hit Thedas.
"And given you Grey Wardens are charged with fighting Darkspawn, I would assume you are the only ones who can stop it?
"That would be correct. Only a Warden can successfully kill an Archdemon. Don't ask me how as I am not sure how it works yet.
"Well thank you for filling me in about this Warden. I feel like I have a better understanding of your world. There is just one more thing. What is this journey of yours all about? I know gathering reinforcements is a prudent thing to do but how will you gain needed support when we arrive at your destinations?
"The Grey Wardens have treaties established with all the major players in Thedas. They are bound by this obligation to provide forces to the Grey Wardens during a Blight should we ask for it. In this particular instance we are to visit the Fereldan Circle Tower, the Dwarves of Orzammar, the local Dalish clans and Arl Eamon of Redwood. Arl Eamon is a special case however, as he is the only potential ally among the Bannorn we have at the moment. What happened was one Teryn Loghain has declared the Wardens outlaws for the death of King Cailan at Ostagar.
"Sounds like this Loghain was making a power play after a failed battle there. At any rate Warden, that should be sufficient for the moment. If I have any more questions I will let you now."
"Of course Raven. Have a pleasant night." The Warden says with a smile for departing from Raven's tent.
With the Warden having left, Raven lets out a large yawn and finally decides to settle down for the night. She proceeds to remove her cloak and places it in a bag provided by the Warden for carrying travel gear. Shen then huddles under the covers of her sleeping mat and drifts into a dream filled sleep. One she hopes will not be visited by her father.
And Chapter 6 is in the books. Sorry if this looked like nothing more than exposition but it was necessary to contribute to Raven's understanding of Thedas. I promise there will be more action in Chapter 7, which will bring us to the Circle Tower. Until then please leave any comment or concerns you might have in the review section. Ta Ta.