AN: I am dedicating this chapter to the families who were affected by the Boston MA bombings on April fifteenth. This chapter is also dedicated to Officer Sean C of the Boston PD, who lost his life selflessly protecting citizens from two suspected terrorists. "You're in the arms of the Angels, may you find comfort there." (Arms of the Angels, Sara McLachlan)
Chapter 7
Loghain's Withdrawal
I led the four of us towards the tower, yet even though I drew further away from the bridge, I could still feel the heat of the fireballs as they slammed against the bridge. The earth trembled with each successful blow, and I was still amazed that Gaara's sand had transported us so easily across the bridge.
I laid my hand on Thor's thick neck as he trotted along beside me, more for comfort that anything else. I was trained in battle, yet I hadn't ever been in anything like this. I was nervous, yet exhilarated with the challenge that lay ahead. Lighting the beacon on time was crucial, and we had lingered on the bridge for just a tad too long.
We finally made it to the base of the tower, and as we approached, a warrior and mage scrambled towards us, looking exhausted and harried. "You… you're Grey Wardens aren't you? The tower has been taken!" the mage says as he runs towards us.
"What do you mean, taken?" Naruto asks worriedly, his brow scrunched with concern.
"Taken how?" Alistair jumps in, his face just as worried as Naruto's.
"The darkspawn came up from the lower chambers; they're everywhere! Most of our men are dead!" the warrior pants as he stops next to the mage.
"Then we have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves!" Alistair shouts as another fireball thunders loudly against the bridge. The roar of the thunder and the pounding rain were doing nothing to help matters either.
"Don't worry Alistair; we'll get there on time." I say, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Now was so not the time for a freak out.
"We had best hurry though. The fight has long since gotten under way." Gaara points out as he paces forward, sand siphoning from his gourd.
"Yes, let's go." I say, charging forward. Thor barks at my heels, and then he shoots off ahead of me, luring the first darkspawn out into the open. I go for the first one I can find, which appears to be a Hurlock. I slash with the Cousland blade, opening a gash on the creature's arm as it tries to wield a two-handed sword. A blue light distracts me, and I see Naruto leaping through the air at an impossible height, that blue ball of energy in his palm. I'm quickly brought back to my own fight as I see the Hurlock's sword hurtling for me just in time to dodge, earning myself a nick on the arm in the process.
I growl at the thing, and leap forwards, bringing my curved dagger across its throat. Blood gushes forth, a warm spray splashing across my face. I immediately turn and face the next one, but Thor already has it pinned to the ground and he is literally tearing it apart.
I see Gaara in the distance, taking on another large group closer to the base of the tower. I watch in awe as his sand comes crashing down like a wave, before it crushes our foe. I watch as the sand retreats, and Gaara stands with his arms crossed. I hurry over to him, whistling for Thor before calling for Naruto and Alistair.
Once we've all joined together, I lead them on, entering the Tower of Ishal itself. As we make our way through the entryway, I can't help but notice the barricades that circulate the main part of the room, all aflame. Thor runs ahead, charging through the only opening meant to funnel us towards the enemy.
"Thor, no!" I yell, but he has already stumbled over what I saw, a tripwire. An explosion rocks the hall as I look at where Thor had been standing seconds ago. The hall fills with a black, acrid smoke that makes my eyes water. My heart beats frantically as I cautiously move forward; searching for any signs that Thor is alive, or worse.
I reach my arms out, blindly feeling for anything as I walk deeper into the smoke. I feel something curl around my waist and I bat at it with a fist, only to have my efforts thwarted as I'm yanked backwards. I make a startled "eep" before landing softly on my feet, and I turn to see Gaara on my right.
"It is not wise to blindly go into dense smoke." He scolds as his sand retreats from around my waist.
"But Thor!" I say worriedly, my eyes focusing on the smoke again.
"He's okay, I promise." Gaara says, sounding so sure of himself. I glare at him in response, and move to walk back into the still dense smoke. I feel his sand grab me again, holding me in place.
"Gaara, let go! He's my best friend, the only thing I have left from my parents other than my blade!" I yell, as tears spring up into my eyes.
"Gaara is right, it's too dangerous." Alistair says, placing a hand on my shoulder.
My retort is lost as I watch a figure slowly emerge from the smoke, which is now beginning to thin. It bounds towards me and I swoop down and throw myself over Thor, who licks my face happily. "Oh Thor, don't scare me like that!" I cry as I rub my face in his neck fur. He woofs once, apologetically, before turning and licking one of Gaara's hands. He looks at the dog curiously, who wags his tail happily. I watch as Gaara reaches out a hand and pats Thor's head once, before crossing his arms in his usual broody manner.
"Thank you Gaara." I say warmly, before giving him a hug. He stiffens underneath me and I immediately step back. "Sorry…" I mumble at Gaara's dark look.
"Don't take it personally. Gaara's not much of a physical person." Naruto says, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Come on, we need to get to the top of the tower, right?" Naruto charges off, and I have to laugh at his carefree manner.
"Don't trip over any more traps." I scold Thor, before charging after Naruto. I find him on the other side of the smoke, locked in combat with more darkspawn at the base of the stairs that lead up further into the tower.
I pull out my blades and jump into the fray, hacking and slashing at every darkspawn I can get a hold of. I feel sand brush by my face and then warmth across the back of my neck. I know Gaara has just saved me from an enemy that was after my unprotected back. I nod at him in thanks before leaping off again.
After what seems like forever, but in actuality is only a minute or two, all the darkspawn guarding the door to the upper levels is slain. I wipe the blood and sweat from my brow. The only one not covered in blood is Gaara, his sand protecting him from everything.
"Let's hurry." Alistair says, and I charge up the stairs and through the door to the next level of the tower.
We're assaulted by another round of darkspawn, which Gaara easily dispatches, giving the rest of us hand-to-hand combat types a chance to rest. "What the hell? They weren't kidding when they said the tower was taken." I pant, leaning down and grasping my knees as I catch my breath.
"What I'd like to know is what these darkspawn are doing ahead of the horde. There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here." Alistair replies, staring at the blood that now cakes the walls.
"You could try telling them that they're in the wrong place." Naruto says, grinning like an idiot. I can't help but to chuckle as I grin at the blonde.
"Right. Because clearly there's been a misunderstanding." Alistair quips, before scowling at Naruto. "We can laugh about it later; we need to keep pressing forward. Teyrn Loghain is waiting for the signal."
"Alright, alright, sheesh." I say, before straitening up and taking the lead again. The second level of Tower Ishal was even more gruesome than the floor below. A bonfire stood in the very center and it was ringed with a barricade. The barricade itself had organs strewn about it, and several dead soldier bodies were littered across the floor. Almost all of them had been gutted. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I realized that the "ornaments" on the barricade had been donated by the dead bodies spilling across the floor.
"Disgusting…" I mutter, as I trudge off across the room, both my blades drawn and ready. Thor growls low beside me, and I turn my attention to the object he's growling at, a closed door. I close my eyes and gather my courage, then throw the door open. Thor immediately charges through and pounces, biting at a Genlock before it can raise its bow to fire an arrow.
Naruto charges by from behind me, and engages the only other darkspawn in the little room. I turn around as a door behind me flies open and several more darkspawn filter out. An arrow tip embeds itself in my armor, and I glare at the darkspawn that had dared to shoot at me. A war cry escapes my lips as I dash forward, slashing with my dagger before the darkspawn has time to ready his own blade. I grin in triumph as I lodge my dagger deep into the creature's eye.
I turn to look behind me and see that the rest of the group has also finished dispatching their own opponents. After pulling my dagger out with a wet squelch, I join the rest of my company, patting each on the back as I go by. As my hand reaches to pat Gaara on the back, I hesitate, then let my arm fall, and grin at him instead. Remember what Naruto said, not a physical person…
"Sorry, I almost forgot that you prefer not to be touched." I say to the redhead, who just stares at me in his creepy way. My smile falters for a second and then, finally, Gaara offers a small smile in return.
"Let's keep moving." Alistair says urgently. "We're running out of time."
"Okay, okay." I say, before leading them on into the next hallway-like room that houses a pair of ballistae. "Oooh!" I say excitedly, trailing my hand on the weathered wood.
"Yes, very nice." Alistair says, rolling his eyes at me.
A flash of green catches my eye, and I whirl around just in time to be blasted by a spell. The world starts spinning as I fall to my knees on the floor, clutching my spinning head. "Oh, I don't like this spell…" I mutter. "I think I'm gonna be sick…" I trail off, as the spinning starts to become worse.
I try and fail to pull out my blades, my head spinning too much for even basic motor control. "Gaara's going after the mage with his sand. Hold on Rayne." Naruto says, and I feel a steadying hand on my shoulder. "Thor, guard her!" Naruto barks before leaping off into battle. I can hear the clang of metal and I know that Alistair must be locked in combat. I close my eyes against the spinning, trying to regain my sense of balance. A wet tongue licks me and I thrust my hand into Thor's warm fur, finding solace in the one steady thing that is by me.
Finally my sense of balance and equilibrium begins to restore itself. Either the spell is wearing off, or Gaara got the emissary that cursed me. I sigh in relief and open my eyes to a room that is no longer spinning like a top. I wearily get to my feet, staggering about as I try to find my balance. A strong hand steadies me, and I smile at Alistair. "Thanks… Let's not get hit by a hex like that again." I mutter as I take a tentative step forward.
"Hey! I didn't even get to use one of the ballista…" I pout, staring longingly at the huge crossbows. I walk over and fire one off anyway, getting satisfaction as it sails through the air and embeds itself in the stone wall. "That's better." I mutter.
"Are you done now? We need to light the beacon!" Alistair says, giving me an angry look.
"Yes, yes. Let's go." I say, rolling my eyes. With Gaara with us we had made up the time we had spent at the bridge, and then some. "Thanks for getting that mage." I say, smiling at Gaara.
"No problem." He says, shrugging his shoulders and walking on.
The door at the end of the hallway opens up to a room without a ceiling, leaving it open to the elements. Lightning flashes above us as a crack of thunder nearly deafens me. I scowl at the sky as fat rain droplets leave me soaked in seconds. I pull out my sword and dagger as more darkspawn attack. The slick cobblestones make it hard for any of us to keep good traction, and I nearly fall more than once. I glance back to see Gaara scowling from the doorway, looking up at the rain.
"Come one Gaara!" I shout as I parry a blow from a Hurlock.
"My sand looses its efficiency when it gets wet." He grumbles, glaring as another bolt of lightning streaks across the sky. "We were already outside once, and I used it then on the group waiting to ambush us. It would not be suitable for me to use it now."
"Well grab a sword then!" I shout, cleaving through my enemy's sword arm. I kick the remains of the arm (which is still clutching the sword) over to Gaara who looks at me incredulously. He stares for only a moment before stooping down and shaking the hand off his new sword. He tests its weight before slowly advancing out into the rain. It has become very obvious to me he has not trained with anything other than his sand.
"Don't hurt yourself." I warn, before finishing off my adversary.
"I won't." Gaara says quietly facing off with a Genlock.
"Hey, Gaara's using a sword!" Naruto shouts proudly as he soars through the air, another one of those weird diamond shaped knives in his hand.
I roll my eyes at the rambunctious blonde, before helping Alistair with his own enemy. We work together to dispatch the Hurlock, and I survey the area as Alistair gives the finishing blow. Gaara is splattered with blood, and is panting heavily, a concerned Naruto at his side. I quickly walk over with Alistair on my heels.
"You alright?" I ask, giving him a critical once over.
"Yes." Gaara pants, looking tired.
"The first thing I'm going to teach you after this battle is how to use a blade." I state, grabbing his left arm, which is particularly bloody. He flinches as I touch him but I ignore it, finally finding what I was looking for. A dent has been cleaved in the metal of his armor, and I'm pretty sure the blow will have left a nasty bruise.
"As soon as we light the beacon, I'm going to examine this arm more thoroughly, got it?" I say, letting his arm fall.
"Is there something wrong?" Naruto asks worriedly, glancing from me to Gaara and back again.
"I'm pretty sure it's just going to be one hell of a bruise, but I want to make sure there's no fracture." I say. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine."
Naruto nods his head once, concern still etched into his baby blue eyes.
"If everyone's fine, then let's get a move on." Alistair says, starting to trot off towards the steps and the door leading up to the third floor. He was really getting worried.
The third floor was much like the second floor, minus the bloodied barricades and bonfire in the middle of the room. Instead there was a long torch in the middle of the room, and pikes topped with heads were spaced at intervals throughout the room. The headless bodies were piled around the outskirts of the room, and I shook my head in disgust. I walked cautiously, heading for the door across the way.
As soon as we entered the room, we were attacked by darkspawn, but this time, Gaara had his sand. It flew up and around us, circling the enemies before crushing them all at once in an explosion of blood. "There we go, that's what I'm talking about!" I say happily, trotting through the now empty room, giving Gaara a smile as I walked by him.
The next room we enter is again home to darkspawn, I charge at the first one, my dagger held high.
"The lever for the cage release!" Alistair shouts.
It's then that I notice that there are mabari in the cages that are spaced evenly about the room. In a no nonsense manner, I finish off my enemy and run to the lever, opening the cage doors. The mabari immediately charge out, throwing themselves into the thick of battle. More darkspawn come pouring out of the hall, and I curse under my breath. Why the hell are there so many darkspawn up here? It's like they knew we were going to use the beacon…
I leap forward, thrusting my dagger deep into a Genlock's neck, before swinging my sword with all my strength and lodging my blade deep into a Hurlock's skull. Sand flies by me, and I see an emissary thrown across the room. It smashes against the wall with a sickening thud. The emissary falls to the ground and doesn't move. I walk over and stab it through the chest, making sure that it's dead.
Finally the battle ends, and I sit down heavily, completely worn out by all the fighting. Naruto sits next to me, a smile lighting up his face. "We're almost there, right? You can do it!" He says, cheering me on.
"Thanks Naruto." I smile, forcing myself to stand. "Just one more floor to go I think." I say heavily, trudging up the stairs to the fourth floor.
I throw the door open, and all of us charge into the room, only to stop in our tracks. A giant ogre is huddled in the corner, stooped over. I watch it carefully, trying to discern what the hell it's doing. And then it turns, a soldier's body clutched in its hands. A spray of blood bursts forth from its mouth as it chews on the soldier, before dropping it to face us. I gulp, and notice that even Gaara's face has paled as he looks at the monster in front of us. It advances on us, before roaring, spittle flying from its mouth. Then it charges, and we scatter like ants. It goes after Gaara first, and I manage to get the courage to hack at the ogre's legs. It takes no notice of me as it slams its fists into the ground, sending out shockwaves that knock all but Thor to the ground. He leaps up, teeth flashing at the ogre, before chomping down on one of the brute's hands. The ogre roars, shaking his hand back and forth until Thor is flung across the room.
"No!" I shout, getting up and charging again. Naruto is on my left, another whirling blue ball in his palm. He launches through the air, and pushes his hand against the ogre's back. I watch as flesh is stripped away, leaving bone exposed. The ogre roars in pain, before rounding on me and Naruto. It takes no notice of Alistair as he hacks at its legs.
Sand billows out in front of us, hardening into a wall. The ogre screams in frustration, pounding on the wall of sand with all his might. "How long will the sand hold?" I ask Naruto as we slip into the shadows at the edge of the room to double back on the ogre.
"I'm not sure." Naruto says, looking worriedly at Gaara, who is sweating profusely from the amount of effort needed to keep the sand from giving way. The ogre leans down, intending to ram the wall with his shoulder. As he starts to run, the sand melts away, and the ogre crashes through to the other wall, his horns lodging into the stone.
"Gaara, can you bring me up to his neck on your sand? Alistair, Naruto, cover me." I say, leaping onto a pile of Gaara's sand. It solidifies under me, and Gaara somehow manages to get past the ogre's flailing arms. I pull out my sword, before thrusting it deep into the ogre's neck. He bellows in pain, as I wiggle my sword around in the wound, trying to create as much damage as possible. Finally, as if a damn had broken, blood starts flowing fast down the giants arm and chest.
Gaara quickly makes the sand I'm on retreat, putting me on the ground a safe distance away. I watch the creature's movements become weaker, until finally it is still, and blood no longer pours from his neck. I smile at my team, before remembering Thor. I scan the room worriedly, and sigh in relief when I see my hound get up, shaking himself off in the process. He bounds over to me and I give him a loving pat.
"Alistair, go ahead and light the beacon." I say, as I leave my dog and go to peer over the waist high stone wall at the battle below.
Loghain watches the battle intently, when a flickering catches his eye. He glances up at the tower, the beacon lit and glowing. The signal for him to send out his troops. He curls his lip in disgust as he goes back to watch the battle for a second longer. He turns to the female warrior he had put in charge and she looks at him expectantly.
"Sound… the retreat." Loghain says, glancing back up at the lit beacon.
The woman looks worriedly at Loghain. "But… what about the King? Should we not—"
"Do as I command." Loghain growls, grabbing her arm and leaning in close, a glare scratched deep into his eyes.
The woman looks into Loghain's eyes for only a moment more, and as soon as he releases her she marches over to the troops, standing at the ready in battle formation. "Pull out! All of you, let's move!" The woman shouts to be heard over the roar of thunder and the sounds of battle. Loghain's men turn as one, and march away from the battlefield.
Duncan was on the battlefield, covered in the enemy's blood. He was busy facing four foes at once, but with a mighty sweep of his sword he killed each one. A flare of orange catches his attention, and he pauses in his fighting to look up. The beacon has finally been lit, but there are no signs of Loghain's men. Where are they? He wondered, slightly irritated at the delay.
A mighty ogre stalked by, and before Duncan realized it, the ogre grabbed the king up in his mighty hands. Cailan stared defiantly at the beast, who roared in his face, before crushing him, armor and all. The ogre tossed aside the king's body, about to move on to different pray.
Duncan charged at the ogre, death written on his face as he leapt up, forcing his sword to the hilt into the beast's chest. Blood flew as he stabbed with first one blade, then the other. When he was sure he was close to the heart, he twisted his blades inside his enemy, causing the ogre to roar in pain. It finally collapsed on the ground, and Duncan wrenched his blades from the body.
A previous wound stabs pain through his side violently as he stretches to pull his blades out, forcing him to double over in pain. He looks sadly at the kings bloodied body, which had landed in a heap, much like a ragdoll would. He glanced back at the beacon, and he knew. He knew that Loghain's men weren't coming. They were either ambushed, or they had retreated. A deep sadness welled inside him, for Alistair, Rayne, Naruto, and Gaara, the four recruits who were now going to be on their own. The darkspawn were winning, and they would take Ostagar. He could only hope that they got away in time.
He forces himself to stand and walk, forgetting his blades as he kneels by the King's broken body, his head hanging. He watches hopelessly as the King's men fall all around them, the darkspawn spilling more of the army's blood. He glances at the tower beacon once more, burning brightly against the dark, wet night sky. His vision started tunneling out from loss of blood. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was a darkspawn wielding a heavy battle-axe, aiming to behead him.
A flood of darkspawn filter into the tower, and Gaara quickly pulls everyone together, encasing them safely in a ball of sand. "I can't go on. I'm almost out of chakra." He pants, as the darkspawn pound on the sand shield.
I pat him on the back, completely forgetting his issues about physical contact. "We'll make it through, somehow." I say, just as something heavy crashes against the top of the shield. Grains of sand rain down around us.
"We need to fight our way out of here." Alistair says, as another thud shudders through the sand.
"I think that's going to be our only option." Naruto says as the sand shield begins cracking at the top.
"Gaara, save your energy." I say, pulling him behind me. "Just let me take care of this, ok? You've been saving my butt all night."
Gaara nods once as the sand shield begins to disintegrate around us. I look up in horror as another two ogres grin wickedly down at us.
AN: So reviews would be lovely. Let me know how I'm doing. Also, I'm still looking for someone to beta so let me know if you're interested. Any pairings that you are interested in seeing? Let me know, because even I don't know who I want to pair up yet…
