Chapter 4

Adamant Resolve

Part 1:

The night sky was alight with fire, from both catapult and mage, as the Inquisition's siege engineers and allied apostates launched an endless barrage into Adamant Fortress. The ancient Grey Warden stronghold was a maze like series of walls and gates better built to hold off Darkspawn hordes then siege weaponry. As such the fortress wasn't coping well with the aerial strikes.

Ford, along with all twelve of his agents that accompanied him on this mission, watched from a vantage point up on a rocky plateau that served as the forward base of operations for Commander Cullen and Inquisitor Lavellan to coordinate their forces.

"Quite an impressive display they got going on boss," Thornton spoke alongside Ford, the leader of the Agents.

"Mhm," was Ford's only response.

"I just hope they stop the bombardment once we get inside," Collins said worryingly with his eyes following the trajectories of the blazing artilleries.

"This is all just to soften them up, then we charge in and finish them off," Oumaan, the Kossith archer, assured as he idly tested the strength of his bowstring.

"Hmph," Tamar, the reaver, grunted, "I was promised a tough fight, not a bunch of dying warden pussies to aimlessly slaughter,"

"Say what you will about Grey Wardens," Zairsel, one of the trio of new elves to join their ranks spoke up, "They know how to fight,"

"You say it with the confidence of one who has the experience to back it up," The Katari spoke, Zairsel gave the giant brute a suspicious look before he elaborated, "At fighting that is, I saw your ring match with Bull, quite impressive I must say,"

"Thanks," Zairsel said in a tone that suggested that he didn't care for the praise.

"Pardon Zairsel, he gets like this just before a fight," Sylnaia explained calmly to Katari.

"Know what our objective is boss?" Caedmon asked as he wringed his fingers nervously, a habit he seems to do often. Given that he's possessed by a demon of wrath, it's understandable to be nervous of losing control.

"The fortress is divided into several segments connected by many large gates, so that if they got attacked by darkspawn, they could cordon off the overrun parts of the fortress and rain arrows upon them while trapped, our mission is to make sure all the gates get opened," Ford stated to his agents, "Once we break through, we'll split up throughout the fortress and open the gates, while taking out any opposition along the way. Keep in mind that the non-mage wardens might be under control of the blood mages within the fortress, those must be killed or captured with extreme prejudice. And be thorough in sweeping out the rooms, we work our way to the back of the fortress to where the ritual to summon a demon army should be held, and stop them from completing the ritual.

"Sounds simple enough," Hatse spoke up.

"Will there be demons?" Heraclian questioned.

"Most likely," Ford grimly assured everyone, "So be on your guard, this will be a real test of our strength gentleman,"

"Well," Luka said as she readied her dagger and poison stiletto, "Who's ready for a Grey warden walloping!"

V

Ten minutes later the thirteen agents, along with the entire force of Inquisition soldiers, charged the fortress walls as the large battering ram finally crumpled the main gates to the fortress. Caedmon, Hatse, Oumaan, Thornton, Heraclian, and Bas hung back and returned fire at the warden archers and wraiths putting down suppressing fire upon the advancing forces. While Ford, Collins, the Katari, Sylnaia, Zairsel, Tamar, and Luka charged at the front.

As the seven more melee focused agents charged through the threshold with several soldiers, it quickly became a fierce and bloody battle as they met the wardens and the demons. Collins quickly dodged a warden's attempt to bash his brains in with a maul, got within his guard and ran him through with his sword. He then made for another warden only for Tamar to charge bodily into the armored foe and stomp in his chest plate with her metal boot, the warden gurgling blood as he suffocated to death on the ground.

"COME ON!" Tamar shouted at the wardens as she bifurcated another with her two-handed great sword, "PUT UP A CHALLENGE!"

Collins hardly had time to watch Tamar behead another warden before he was locking swords with another. He deftly shoved the warden back and into the blades of Luka; who quickly nodded in approval at Collins. The half crazed dwarf then fired a dart from her wrist mounted crossbow into the eye of a warden about to stab Sylnaia In the back as she finished off her own opponent.

At this point the ranged fighters of the agents had made their way in. Heraclian and Hatse quickly cast some protective barriers upon the Inquisition agents and soldiers while Caedmon summoned a swarm of red bee like creatures that flew up to the tops of the walls where grey warden archers were hold up and started stinging and biting them. Thornton tossed his grappling hook up to the top of the wall and proceeded to climb the very wall face up to the archers. While Oumaan and Bas provided him with cover fire from their own arrows and spells.

Back in the courtyard, Ford was taking on two wardens at once, one with a shield and axe, the other with a giant maul hammer. He took a swing at the shielded one, who blocked the strike with his axe before bashing his shield into Ford's chest, knocking the wind out of him and staggering him, leaving him open to the maul wielder who went for a downward blow.

Ford barely regained his senses long enough for him to dodge the strike. At which point Zairsel arrived and cleaved the mauler's head off with his long sword. The two agents then planned to strike at the shield barer only to find that the Katari had embedded his own axe into the foe's skull.

Ford looked to Zairsel and Katari and shouted, "We need to-"

"ARGH!" Ford's order was interrupted by the sound of Zairsel crying out in pain, the elf had received an arrow in his upper thigh. He quickly ripped out the arrow from his leg as Ford ordered to get down and take cover.

"Caedmon!" Ford shouted to the mage who was a few yards off, "Take out those archers!"

Caedmon nodded in agreement and twirled his staff before launching a massive fireball from the tip of the magical implement at a group of archers, the fire exploding and engulfing everyone caught in its radius.

At this point Thornton reached the top of the wall and climbed up over and stabbed a warden with his arrow before drawing his bow and firing said arrow at another archer. He had to quickly drop his bow for his dagger as a warden charged him with a short sword. Thornton quickly stabbed the warden just under his chest plate, killing him instantly, Thornton then grabbed the fallen enemy's sword and fought off other wardens.

Hatse saw Thornton from the courtyard and summoned a blast of lighting up to an archer overlooking the battlefield from the top of the wall, the lighting electrocuting him and chaining to other wardens and some wraiths, killing the lot. Caedmon then summoned his demonic claws and used them to climb the wall and reach Thornton to back him up.

Back in the courtyard, Collins kicked a warden in the chest to stagger him, allowing Tamar to finish him off. A group of wardens then quickly started to charge the two agents, but Bas stepped forward from between Tamar and Collins, he opened his mutilated mouth and unleashed a horrid scream that somehow magically caused immense pain upon the wardens. Tamar and Collins charged in and made quick work of a dozen staggered wardens easily.

"HERETICS!" a booming voice sounded as a large man, a full head above everyone else and dressed in Venatori armor, stepped forward with a large great axe and charged the two agents.

Collins ducked under a swing from the brute, and tried to get a strike in but was kicked to the ground by the opponent. Bas inhaled, ready to do another deafening scream, but had to fade step away to avoid a vicious bow. Tamar delivered a downward strike upon the brute, who blocked it with his axe's pummel, splitting it in two. The brute then swung the bladed half to knock Tamar's blade to the side, and then hit her really hard in the head with the blunt half of the broken axe to stagger her. The brute would have embedded his axe into her shoulder had a large arrow not impale the brute though his chest plate. Collins looked to see Oumaan with his large custom longbow ready another large arrow, and launched it into the center of the brute's collarbone, killing him.

What little warden resistance remained within the courtyard surrendered after that. Inquisition soldiers took them hostage as Ford gave out the orders.

"Okay, Hatse, Tamar, Luka," Ford pointed to the mage, reaver, and alchemist, "Take the west side with Captain Forrest' regiment. Collins, Heraclian, Katari, you guys will go with Captain Northrup's regiment to take the eastern side. Thornton and Caedmon will move along the ramparts and assist from above. Oumaan, Sylnaia, Bas and Zairsel you're with me straight on,"

With that the agents went their separate ways to take Adamant Fortress.

V

Hatse, Tamar, and Luka

Hatse heated the gate leading to the western side of the fortress with her magic before Tamar smashed it open with her immense strength. Upon the gate opening a volley of arrows flew into five of Captain Forrest' soldiers. Hatse quickly cast a protective barrier over everyone so they could charge in safely.

"Take the fortress lads! Leave none still holding a weapon breathing!" Captain Forrest, an older veteran of the Fereldan-Orlesian war shouted at his men as Hatse charged in as well to burn, freeze, and electrocute as many wardens as possible.

"What is that!" shouted a soldier by Hatse, who looked to where the soldier was pointing to see a large, spindly, and green monster that easily stood twice the height of any human.

"It's a terror demon! Watch out!" Hatse shouted, but it was too late. The creature tilted its head back and unleashed a horrifying scream that sent chills down Hatse' spine despite being twenty yards away from it. Those closer weren't so lucky.

Everyone within a few yards of the towering demon, soldiers and wardens alike, dropped their weapons and clutched their heads to scream in agony. Hatse knew that whatever horrors they saw seemed far more real to them then the fight that was going on around them. The demon than proceeded to eviscerate the affected with its claws at an unnatural speed.

Hatse quickly casted an ice spell to encase the terror demon's feet in ice so that it wouldn't go for other victims. Tamar than charged blindly into the terror's range and beheaded it swiftly.

Hatse looked to the far end of the courtyard to see a half dozen mages, some in warden armor, others in Venatori robes, casting spells and summoning demons. The young mage quickly fought off a Venatori thrall that charged her before summoning a localized firestorm upon the mages. The mages started screaming and burning in the falling fire. Hatse noticed a Venatori mage cast an ice spell on the fire burning his arm and proceeded to retreat. Much to Luka's protest to wait up, Hatse gave chase.

Watching the Venatori run through the door into the nearby mess hall; Hatse followed suit. Upon entering through the threshold she quickly dodged out of the way as the mage cast a stone projectile at the ceiling above her. Causing a blockage upon the door she came through, cutting her off from the rest of Forrest' regiment.

"Get away!" Shouted the Venatori as he cast a few basic magic projectiles at Hatse, who summoned a protective barrier to block them. He than used a telekinetic spell to throw a bunch of pots and pans that were on the tables of the mess hall at Hatse. She used fade step to evade the metal implements and charge at him. She then summoned a series of ice spears from the ground and impaled the mage through the stomach. Causing him to bleed out profusely. Hatse then wacked him in the face with her staff to knocking to the ground and stabbed him with the blade attached to her staff.

"Nicely done, Hatsepsut, nicely done indeed," Hatse froze at the sound of the uncomfortably familiar voice behind her. She quickly recovered from her shock before spinning around to attack the threat, only for her staff to be telekinetically ripped from her hands and flew into the hands of the mage standing before her, "You always had good power, but not much technique,"

Hatse took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but couldn't at the sight before her, "What are you doing here, Father,"

The old man with a long grey beard stained with blood and greased hair pulled back into an equally long ponytail smiled calmly with a blood soaked mouth as he said, "To serve our God, remember?"

Hatse made to flee, to where, she didn't care, as long as it was away from her father. She hadn't taken a step before her left thigh had burst into searing hot pain over the scar her father left her. This caused her to kneel to the ground.

"We're not done here my dear child," Cerojus Alvort said casually, as though a full scale war wasn't happening around them, "We're not done, until you accept your birth-given destiny!"

V

Collins, Heraclian, and Katari

The fighting was fierce as Collins and Katari fought alongside Captain Northrup's regiment. The demons summoned proved dangerous opponents. Most of them were shades, but among them was a pride demon, a massive giant of a demon covered with a blueish-purple chitin like hide and was quite adept with electrical based attacks. Namely a shock whip.

Collins ducked under the swing of the whip and hacked at the fade-spawns legs. But his sword barely cut through the monsters hide. Katari embedded his axe into the belly of the pride demon and sliced its guts out. But the demon seemed unfazed by this. It then swung its massive arm to knock Collins and Katari on the ground.

Collins watched as the pride demon raised its fist, prepared to smash Collins into pulp. But two soldiers charged in to distract the demon. One was swiftly kicked by the large demon and sent flying into a hall. The sickening crunch and the stillness of the soldier after landing told Collins he was gone. But the other ducked and rolled underneath the beast and behind it; hamstringed its legs, and climbed up its back before slitting its throat. The demon, not of the natural world, was not all that affected by this and grabbed him from over its shoulder and slammed him to the ground. The soldier moaning in pain as the creature righted himself.

At this point, Collins and Katari had gotten back up and charged to fight the demon once more. Heraclian cast a protective spell upon the two as they hacked at the creature. The quiet mage then started throwing many powerful fire and spirit based spells at the pride demon. Collins suddenly realized that he never saw Heraclian battle so aggressively during a fight before. He usually hangs back and provides protection and healing for the other agents.

But Collins couldn't linger on these thoughts as he was fighting a dangerous demon. Soon the demon made to swipe at Collins, only for him to swing his blade at the monsters wrist, severing its hand. This caused the pride demon to roar in hatred. As it was expressing its anger, Katari leapt into the beast and buried his axe into the beast's collarbone. Using his immense strength, Katari pulled the pride demon into a kneeling stance, removed his axe from its neck and wedged it into the demons forehead, finally killing it.

"Courtyard secured Capt," Katari said to Captain Northrup, who finished killing a shade with his mace before looking around at the field.

"We've lost a lot of men," Northrup said solemnly, he then turned to one of his soldiers, "Jacobson! Run back and tell anyone with the authority to send reinforcements,"

Once the runner saluted and headed off, Northrup then turned to the mages, Heraclian among them, "Mages, I need you to heal up any wounded while we hold down this courtyard for reinfor- 'agh'"

An arrow embedded itself into Northrup's throat, causing him to fall to the ground and bleed out. Everyone looked to the ramparts to see a large number of warden archers firing down upon them.

"Take cover!" someone shouted, Collins didn't know who, but he wasn't going to argue with the order. He and Katari took cover behind the decaying corpse of the pride demon along with three soldiers.

"We need a plan of attack!" Collins shouted over the sound of arrows whizzing by. He then noticed one of the soldiers, the one that had been slammed by the pride demon, was exposed and crying out for help. Before Collins could make a move to save the man, he saw Heraclian run over to the wounded soldier and began casting a healing spell.

"Heraclian get out of there!" Collins shouted at the mage right before an arrow pierced itself right into Heraclian's chest.

Everything seemed to become silent for Collins and Katari as the old mage looked down at the shaft sticking out of his chest. He then looked at his hands that were still glowing from the charged spell, seemingly in thought. Then he placed his hands upon the wounded soldier, healing him of his wounds. The man jolted upright as he felt feeling in his body again. He then turned to thank Heraclian only to see the old mage's body laying still on the ground.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long, even though this chapter (And the next part(s)) take place in one location. It has proven to be a very difficult chapter to write do to the complexity of the scenes. Also, I wasn't entirely sure if I should have ended the chapter as I did, as this was the first death of a character that isn't mine. Remember, no one is safe in war, war doesn't care about the significance or insignificance of an individual. War will take whoever it pleases. And I must play the role of war in this scenario.

Also, to the six people still reading this story, I posted a poll on my profile asking a simple question, who's your favorite of the agents. It will have no effect on the story whatsoever. I'm just curious.

Please review. I'M BACK!