AN: Yay 500 views! I'm releasing this chapter early since, with its release schedule, I don't think people would want to read this on Christmas Day itself. I won't be releasing a new one next week so see you all next year.
"We're not fighting in the battle?" Alistair asked Duncan, disappointed. They were on the ramparts, watching as the army practice drills on the field below before the big battle.
"This is the king's personal decision, Alistair," Duncan answered then explained that the king and his army would be down in the plains with him and the other senior wardens. Alistair and the grunts would light a beacon on top of the Tower of Ishal and signal Loghain's army to launch a surprise attack behind enemy lines.
"So he needs eight Grey Wardens holding up a torch, just in case?"
Neria spoke up. "Yeah, why do we need to all go? It's just lighting a beacon. It's too easy unless if he's doing it" she said, with a look at Alistair.
"Are you always mean or is it just me?"
Thorin chided Neira. "You shouldn't be so eager to go. This is an army of darkspawn, not the rogue packs we've encountered back in the Wilds. Fighting them feels like killing again and again, knowing that there'll be no end to them until you wouldn't know up from down."
"Yeah but eight wardens? Really? And why are you not with them if you know all that?"
"He's babysitting, obviously," Tabris grinned.
"Aye. We've got a dwarf nanny. Waaah!" Brosca threw up his hands.
"Alistair will need help since most of you can't act like adults," Thorin replied through gritted teeth. People as new as these will not only get themselves killed, but get in the way of their allies, getting them killed.
Duncan cut short the banter. "If King Cailan wishes the Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there."
Alistair conceded. "I get it, I get it. But just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance on a Remigold, I'm drawing the line, darkspawn or no."
"That could be a great distraction," Tabris suggested
"Ye. That gonna be a good sight. With him doin a shimmy, dem darkspawns' gonna be watchin still."
"And then we kill them when they keel over laughing!" Alistair capped it off triumphantly.
"That's your plan? No wonder the king don't what us near," Amadeus said as they laughed.
"I gotta tell ye, it's a great plan," the dwarf answered.
Duncan made a loud sigh over the chuckling Grey Wardens. Then Thorin asked him about when to light it, what should they expect. Duncan assured him that Loghain's men have prepared everything and were at the tower to assist them.
"I feel like this is a beginning of a great joke," Tabris said, as they went to prepare. "Like how many wardens does it take to light a beacon? One to light it and seven to-
"-clear the tower!" Thorin shouted over the storm raging overhead as they try to reach the Tower of Ishal. The battle had been joined and only their signal for Loghain's troops is missing. As usual, he took charge since Alistair seems to prefer being with the others at the back.
"I don't understand! Darkspawn shouldn't be here!" Alistair shouted back at him.
It was their bad luck the night had been windy and rainy, making it hard to see where they're going, but it has also protected them from arrows. Still, some do get lucky so he pulled Neria close underneath his shield. Alistair and Elissa are huddled under one while the two rogues used Amadeus' shield to step in or out to dodge the arrows, much to his annoyance. Brosca just swatted those with his greatsword, or tried to. He ends up looking like a pincushion.
"We'll think about that when we're out of this soddin rain! And where's Loghain's men?"
They've managed to reach the first level when some soldiers came running out. '"The tower is overrun!" said one before an arrow cut off whatever he's going to say next.
Thorin readied his shield and ax. "Alright, get to work," he said to them. They've hacked and slashed and shot and froze and ignite darkspawn. Rinse and repeat. For about three levels. Sodding tower. The person who made this should be set on fire and launched from a catapult.
By then they're run out poultices and lyrium potions. The mages were out of mana by the time they reached the last floor.
"I hope that's the last of them," Thorin muttered, as he opened the door.
Of course not.
At the center of the room stood a monster, with massive horns and over 8 feet tall. Its back was turned and it seems to be chewing something. When it turned towards them, they finally knew where Loghain's men had gone.
"OOOGREEE!"
The beast responded with a roar. That was a cue to for them to fan out.
"Neria, Mahariel hit it with the strongest thing you've got. The rest of you, surround it. Watch for the hands!"
They did as Thorin asked, but as its legs were covered in armor and underneath is a tough hide, they didn't do much damage. Then the ogre slammed its fists on the ground and all of those near it went sprawling. Tabris was first to stand but unfortunately, the ogre started sweeping the room with its massive hands and he was caught. He landed a few feet away with a sickening crack.
Brosca yelled and charged. Unfortunately, so did the ogre. The dwarf was caught between its horns and he went flying to a pillar, where it shattered and buried him. Crying with dismay, his other companions sank their blades on it.
"Hand!"
The ogre swiped its massive hand around. Elissa and Thorin managed to get out of the way in time, but not Alistair. The ogre lifted him to only to smash him to the ground. Yelling, the others hit its legs through the armor covering it, trying to hamstring it but their blades are no match for its tough hide. It was about to pummel Alistair again, when Elissa climbed up to the monster's back and buried her dagger at the junction of neck and collarbone. It jerked violently, throwing her off balance and she landed, badly. She screamed as her ankle broke and her dagger went cluttering on the stone floor.
"Someone get them away!" Thorin shouted as he tried to get the beast's attention away from the wounded. Mahariel ran and dodged her way to Elissa and half dragged, half carried her away. She left her leaning on a pillar to go and help Amadeus, who had difficulty dragging the fallen Alistair. Elissa was crying from pain, but she grabbed a discarded bow and arrows and started shooting at the monster.
Thorin dodged and rolled while the ogre swiped its massive hands to get him. Alistair was already down, gravely injured when the ogre grabbed him and pummeled him to unconciousness while Tabris sat dazed at a corner, blood dripping from his head. Flying is good but landing is brutal. Brosca is nowhere to be seen among the pile of rubble.
With a curse, he swung around and was about to face the ogre, when Amadeus shouted "Run! We'll wear him down!" while making a swishing motion with his hands. He was clustered with Neria and Mahariel at the center, firing spell and arrow at the ogre. Trusting that they know what they're doing, he did as he was asked. He started running around them.
That's…an odd way to fight. He looked and saw the ogre chasing him, roaring with pain when spells and arrows hit it, but ignoring the source. He concentrated in dodging and rolling, careful not to get too close to the trio.
Neria was about to hurl a fireball when Amadeus stopped her. "Save it till it stops chasing him." She snarled at him but she fired another spell instead. When the ogre finally figured out the pain is not caused by the dwarf, he turned and started to charge the three.
"Now!"
"Eat this!"
Thorin rolled just in time when the fireball exploded on the ogre and knocked it off its feet. Finally, they're of the same height. Thorin buried his axe on the massive neck, once, twice thrice, many times while the others continued to hit it until the thing stopped moving. He picked up Alistair's fallen sword and drove it in its heart, to be sure.
"Is it dead?" Neria asked, her face covered in soot and fear.
Thorin sat down, too exhausted to move. "Yes it's dead. But if you want to make sure, you can use it as kindling to light the beacon."
Neria smiled then she turned to shoot a fire spell at the wood for the beacon. It caught easily and was blazing merrily while the others tended to their companions. Amadeus used what little mana he had on Alistair, while Neria and Mahariel can do no more than wrap bandages or make splints for the others. Limping, Thorin went to the rubble pile and managed to dig out Brosca. The dwarf was unconcious, but he is alive though his breath is shallow.
When their companions are more or less conscious, Neria moved towards Thorin, who was making some sort of makeshift stretcher for Brosca using ropes he found. "Is it over? I hope it's over. I don't want to be doing this again" she said as she sat beside him.
Thorin threaded the rope between the poles. "We're done. We lit the beacon. It's up to the others to do the rest."
"Do you think Duncan and the others are winning?"
He was about to say something about believing in your allies because that's the only thing you can do for them now, when the door burst open and darkspawn came pouring forth. Too late, he realized someone should have watched the door. He stood up and was about to raise his ax, but a bunch of arrows sprouting from his chest. His ax fell from his hand, suddenly becoming too heavy. And the ground went up to meet him as he heared Neria scream in fury and saw Mahariel trying to drag Tabris away from the incoming horde. She gave up, and began shooting at those who had surrounded Elissa. The noble was screaming, her blades glinting, when one of the fallen got hold of her swollen foot and pulled. She went down among the blighted mass. Genlocks surrounded Amadeus, hacking at his shield. Behind him, Alistair was slashing away, but with the injuries from earlier, his swings weren't as strong as before and he was getting wounded again. Neria was backing away and firing spell after spell, cursing. Then a great explosion rocked the tower and that was the last he knew, as darkness took him.