Everyone settled in once they had set up a comfortable yet easily defendable camp. Elisa took the first watch since she was the least exhausted among the group. Her gaze was fixed on the flames even as a figure loomed over her from behind before that figure moved to sit beside her. "You should be resting, Second," she muttered curtly.
"So should you, Commander," Loghain responded.
The two remained silent as the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of fire as it burned the firewood. Finally, after several minutes, she spoke. "My order still stands."
He snorted derisively. "Why don't I just simply slit yours and that dwarf's throat now? It'll save us the trouble later on." The sound of metal hitting the ground made him look away from the fire and towards her. She had unsheathed her daggers and threw them aside before her bow and quiver followed.
"Go ahead then." She opened her arms wide as a challenge for him to strike her. "If that means it'll save us from the horrifying alternative."
His eyes narrowed as they glared at her sharply. "You're being a child."
"It is not childish nor is it insane." She snapped then sighed heavily before her gaze returned to watching the flames dance. "At least Oghren would grant me such mercy."
"You asked a drunk to kill you," he stated dryly, "ask him to push you off the cliff and he would have done so immediately." He stared at her as he waited for her response, yet she remained quiet while pondering on what to tell him next.
"I suppose I shouldn't expect you, Anders or Nathaniel to understand," she finally muttered after several minutes, "unlike Oghren, you three have never seen a Broodmother before. No words are adequate to explain how disgusting those creatures are." Her head turned towards him as her eyes met his. "All I can say though, is that I would rather die than become those… things whose only purpose is to give birth to monsters that destroy everything they touch."
Loghain pondered on his Commander's words. Such creatures must truly be horrific for her to resort to ordering for her and the female dwarf's execution if necessity dictates such. Were he in her position, he might ask for death as well. Reluctantly, he gave in. "I… will do as you order, Commander, should the need arise."
Her features softened as she gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you."
As she went over to where she tossed her weapons, she heard him add, "But such situation will never present itself, I assure you." She turned around and saw the fierce determination in his eyes as he continued, "Neither I nor the others will allow that to happen."
For a moment, she merely stared at him. Then the corners of her lips twitched up. "Is that optimism… from you? My, my, such a rare occasion! Truly, I should mark this on my calendar!"
He scoffed. "Such simple things already amuse you? And you wonder why I call you a child."
The two suddenly halted their banter and became guarded when their senses picked up something moving in the shadows. Warily, their narrowed eyes watched their surroundings as the number of tainted creatures gradually increased. Loghain stood in a defensive stance once he unsheathed his blade and readied his shield.
With her bow drawn out, Elisa's gaze flickered over to one side of the camp when she heard something move. It was Nathaniel who suddenly bolted up from his bedroll, shaking his grogginess away as his eyes darted from one side to another. He was no doubt sensing them as well as he felt that familiar tingle in his blood. Glancing towards the campfire, he saw his Commander's hand beckoning him to come over. He grabbed his bow before cautiously approaching the two senior Wardens.
"Why aren't they attacking yet?" he whispered once he was back-to-back with her, both having arrows ready to shoot at the first creature that steps out of the shadowy corners of the dimly lit area.
"They're still gathering their friends, more or less," she murmured as her gaze fell on Anders and Sigrun's sleeping forms. She could understand the female dwarf not sensing the darkspawn, but, Maker's breath! Anders should be stirring up by now!
"Oghren.." she called out the sleeping redhead in a hushed but urgent tone a few times. Oghren remained asleep though he was beginning to stir so she guessed and hoped that he was sensing them already. Nathaniel called Sigrun in a similar tone and she began to wake up, though still slightly groggy. "Loghain," Elisa called her Second who stepped back a bit until he was closer to where the archers stood. "The moment they come out, kick Oghren where it hurts the most."
Loghain raised a brow but failed to ask her further questions for worm-like creatures emerged from the shadows, approaching their camp with haste. While his Commander's arrows kept the enemies from flanking him, he rushed over to the drunken dwarf, kicking him hard enough to wake him up abruptly with series of colorful words coming out of his mouth. "Wake up dwarf," he said through gritted teeth just as his sword pierced through a creature that nearly jumped on the shorter man, "unless you want to be these creatures' meal." Oghren was really pissed. Good, he thought as the dwarf charged to the main group while swinging his battleaxe wildly.
More of the creatures appeared, this time rushing towards the sleeping mage. Sigrun fortunately had fully woken up and dealt with them though with so many enemies grouping around her, she couldn't get the chance to shake Anders' body. The latter only woke up when the dwarf protecting him stumbled back on his body, and the first thing he saw was a hideous creature ready to eat him. With eyes widening like saucers, his arms instinctively stretched forward with a cone of flame erupting through his hands. The creature screeched in agony as it staggered back before three arrows from Nathaniel caused it to drop dead on the ground.
"Not exactly what I want to see first when waking up," Anders commented once the last of the creatures was killed.
"It probably wouldn't have been if you weren't sleeping like a baby," Elisa responded, "sleeping soundly like that; one would think you used a sleep spell on yourself."
The mage's sheepish grin indicated that she hit the mark. "Y-yeah… kinda had to do that to get some proper sleep around here. The constant urge to throw up is making it hard for me to rest."
"Well, since you've slept so well already, then you take the next watch." Elisa ignored Anders' protests as she walked to one of the creatures and crouched down to examine it. Sigrun approached her and stared at it with disgust. "These were probably what Jukka called the Children."
Elisa nodded, her lips curling into a deep frown. "They do match the abominations even amongst the darkspawn' description." Her gaze shifted towards Loghain and Oghren who was still very pissed. The latter was holding up his battleaxe while series of curses flew out of his mouth. The former, though his sword still unsheathed, looked at the dwarf indifferently. If she knew better, she would have thought that her Second had been dying to do that to Oghren. Shaking her head, she stood up and went to the two warriors to break up the argument before she went to an empty bedroll to get some rest.
While Anders, Nathaniel and Loghain began packing up camp, Elisa, Oghren and Sigrun searched the nearby walls for a possible side entrance. It was Oghren who found the switch by accident when he leaned against a statue while trying one of his disturbing innuendos on the other dwarf again. The wall started to lower itself down, revealing a hidden passageway.
The other three Wardens then approached them when they heard the rumbling sound of the stone wall was making. "You know," Anders began, grinning at a memory, "I once started a rumor about secret passages in the tower."
Elisa raised a brow. "Really? What did the templars do?"
He laughed mirthfully. "They had their noses pressed to the walls for months! It was hilarious! And, not to mention, the perfect source of entertainment for everyone in that gloomy tower."
She masked her laugh with coughing but found it difficult to stop herself from grinning. She was about to enter the passage but a hand on her shoulder halted her from moving further. "This is a little too convenient," Loghain said while staring at the passage suspiciously.
"It could be a trap," Nathaniel added.
"Between the front entrance with deadly traps and darkspawn waiting for us, or the side entrance where it has a higher probability to lead us in somewhere safer. Hmm…" She gave a mocking thoughtful look. When both men sighed in exasperation, she merely smiled at their approval before leading the group down the passageway.
As they descended, Elisa suddenly raised a hand to stop the group before they entered the next room. It was easier for her to sense them now; perhaps it had something to do with their prolonged exposure to such darkspawn. Loghain seemed to be in the same condition as he stood next to her while staring at the door.
"There's an Emissary," he muttered.
Elisa added, "and an Alpha… There are others… Drones… four? Five?"
"More than that I think." Both senior Wardens turned their attention to Nathaniel who had his eyes shut tight as he grimaced, most likely trying hold himself from throwing up. "I don't know… They feel scattered… but definitely more than our group."
"Can you tell exactly how many?" Elisa asked as she moved closer. When he shook his head and took a deep breath, she looked at the other members of their group. "Aim at the Emissary first before dealing with the rest. Oghren, keep the Alpha distracted." She took the arrows coated with magebane before nodding to her Second who opened the door before he and Oghren charged in.
Darkspawn were both on the top and lower area of the room. The Wardens quickly dispatched those from above once the Emissary and Alpha were dealt with. Those coming up the stairs from below were frozen by Anders as his hands released a cone of frost before Sigrun shattered them with the pommel of her blade. Loghain was about to head down on one of the stairs while Oghren on the one at the other side, but Sigrun stopped them.
"Don't. Pressure plates everywhere," she warned.
Hurlock archers from below began shooting arrows at them. Loghain had used his shield to block the arrows aimed at both he and Sigrun while the two of them backed away. The more aggressive enemies took out wicked looking daggers and blades before charging towards Oghren. The dwarf, fortunately, seemed to handle them on his own.
Elisa and Nathaniel were now positioned at the balcony and aimed at the archers below; however with so many of the darkspawn shooting at them all at once, it was difficult to get a good shot. From behind the two, Anders began casting a powerful spell. The darkspawn saw this and started aiming at the mage, interrupting his casting a couple of times as he ducked and avoided the arrows that nearly hit him.
"Cover me!" he called out and Loghain was immediately in front the mage and blocked the arrows aimed at them.
Finally, the lower area was engulfed by a huge column of swirling flames just as Anders finished casting his spell. Taking a flask of lyrium from his pack, he drank it in one gulp while the remaining darkspawn were burned to crisp. "Always wanted to try that spell." He grinned to Elisa who approached him as she shouldered her bow.
"You alright?" she asked, searching her pack for bandages.
She stopped when he waved his hand dismissively before wiping the sweat from his forehead with his forearm. "A bit drained but, hey, that's why I have lyrium right?" He winked at her as a reassurance, and she shook her head before patting his shoulder.
"Good job," she muttered with a small smile before continuing to move further in the fortress.
The lower the group the descended, the more corruption oozed into the walls and floor, coating everything with black fungus as a rancid stench filled the air. When they reached a large room, ghostly images of dwarves fighting darkspawn popped to life. Everyone drew their weapons but they quickly relaxed when they realized that those ghosts were harmless.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Sigrun mumbled as Anders waved his hand through one of the ghostly bodies.
"Are these some kind of Fade spirits?" Elisa asked, swatting the mage's hand away once she stood next to him.
"Dunno…" Sigrun shrugged. "They say the memories of the Stone are forever. This is probably what they meant." They watched the ghosts standing on a platform and addressing the dwarves below. From the looks of it, the ghosts were casteless left by the nobility to their terrible fate. The scene replayed endlessly, and after a few times of seeing it, the group moved on.
Eventually, they reached the trade quarters of the thaig. As they reached the bottom of the long stairs, they noticed darkspawn fighting amongst themselves. It was probably a good thing since it made it easier for them to dispatch those monsters; nonetheless, Elisa found it ominous. She walked beside Loghain who seemed bothered by how strange the darkspawn were acting.
"I should be relieved that they decided to kill each other. Makes the Wardens' job a lot easier," she began, catching his attention as he turned his head to look at her, "but this just troubles me more instead."
He grunted in response. First talking darkspawn now this? Maker, what's next? The Archdemon singing the Chant of Light? He snorted at the last thought which made the woman beside him raise a brow. He waved a hand dismissively. "Did the archives at Weisshaupt say any phenomenon similar as this?"
She shook her head. "Nothing even close."
Both the Warden-Commander and her Second stopped when Anders halted and stared up. Elisa and Loghain followed his gaze and saw a giant lyrium bomb dangling above a pit.
"Ooh, lyrium," Anders mumbled, a thought passing in his mind that he couldn't help but share, "the Chantry has a monopoly on all lyrium the dwarves mine. They'd kill anyone who tries to get around it."
"So I heard." Elisa moved beside the mage, her eyes never leaving it. She wondered how much the would cost, or at least the cost of the information of its existence. The money could be beneficial for the arling. "You're thinking of, what, going into business or something?" The question was not meant to be spoken out loud, but she was too focused on her thoughts that it didn't matter to her when she realized what she had voiced out.
Anders chuckled then quipped. "Sure, why not? I always fancied life as a lyrium smuggler." His hand rubbed his chin as he stared back at the lyrium bomb. "Maybe I'll even wear a dashing chapeau!"
With her Second in front leading them to the next room, she and the mage continued to walk up a set of stairs with the latter telling her about his other options if he wasn't a Grey Warden – some were being made tranquil, being a saarebas, or being dead. They suddenly stopped when Loghain ground to a halt.
Elisa raised a brow as she and Anders approached him. "Loghain, what-" She was silenced when she saw larger versions of the Children they fought earlier devoured a Hurlock corpse. Anders quickly covered his mouth, willing himself to hold his urge to vomit as the creatures began to grow spindly little legs as they made clicking noises.
"Andraste's blood…" Nathaniel muttered in mortification, drawing out his bow and aiming an arrow at the creatures just as they took notice of their presence.
The hideous worm-like creatures swarmed the group with several others bursting out of their cocoons. Loghain and Oghren charged forward, the former knocking some back with his shield before stabbing them with his blade, while the latter wildly swung his battle axe in wide arcs. Sigrun dealt with the grubs trying to attack the warriors from behind. Her weapons moved with quick precision as they hit the enemies' weak points. At the back, Elisa and Nathaniel aimed their arrows at those trying to flank Sigrun while Anders consciously casted protection spells before freezing a few that got past the warriors and legionnaire. The three remained within the glyph on the floor which kept the creatures from getting too close.
When the last of the Children fell, Elisa turned to regard the others. Sigrun was wounded by one that bit on her left leg. Sitting on a nearby anvil, she allowed Anders to heal her wounds while she drank a healing flask for good measure. Once the wounds had closed and were bandaged, she nodded a thanks to the mage before she went over to Elisa and Loghain who began examining the open cocoons.
"Looks like we found the nursery," Elisa muttered, her lips curling down in disgust.
Others that had not hatched yet suddenly began to twitch. "Shit," Sigrun cursed as Loghain called the others to make haste. As the cocoons began to open and the monsters within began to struggle out, the group rushed down the stairs that led to another chamber.
"Hurry!" Elisa shouted, nearly shoving everyone inside the next room as worm-like bodies quickly advanced towards their direction.
Taking out two flasks of firebombs from her satchel, she tossed them at the creatures to hold them off before following the group to the next room and slamming the door shut behind them. Even through the thick stony door, the wails of the Children on the other side as they burn could still be heard. Sighing heavily, she slumped down against the door. That was close.
Anders joined her, panting a bit as he tried to force his heart to calm down. "So," he began, trying to calm everyone's nerves with a more light-hearted topic, "what do Grey Wardens do when there are no darkspawn running amok or chasing them down the Deep Roads?"
Elisa turned her head to the side and stared at the mage with an arched brow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, do we have parties or travel the world?" The mage thought for a moment then added, "maybe take over small kingdoms?"
Elisa laughed lightly. "I don't know about the last part, but I do have a decade-long vacation already planned once we get out of this place." She glanced over to Loghain, grinning as she stretched an arm out towards him. "What about you? Planning to take over Orlais as revenge?"
Loghain snorted as he pulled her up. "The term is 'small kingdom'. And I wouldn't even conquer that nation even if it's handed to me on a silver platter."
Brushing some of the dirt off her bum, Elisa moved the group along a bridge that seemed to go on forever while being surrounded by lyrium veins and streams of running water. The suspense of what they would find at the end was unsettling everyone. Anders began to hum just to keep himself from jumping back. Nathaniel seemed a bit twitchy as well despite the stoic mask he wore. Every once in a while, those two men would glance back at the door where their group just came from as though the Children would burst in at any moment.
As they neared a large area which appeared to be an audience hall, the group halted as they heard someone talking. Elisa's brows furrowed as she and Sigrun carefully eased over behind a wall and observed what was happening. Spouts that poured the water coming from above lined the audience chamber. In the center, an enormous golem that glowed red clutched a darkspawn that looked similar to the one who led the attack at Vigil's Keep. On the floor stood another darkspawn with a staff on his back and looked much similar to the former who he mocked.
"The Architect sends many, but does not come himself! He is a coward! I will kill you, and then he will know he has failed to destroy the Lost! He will know that the Mother will tear him apart!" Raising his hand which held a control rod, he ordered the golem to destroy its captive.
The two women flinched at the sight of the captive darkspawn ripped in half by the golem before the dismembered parts were thrown aside. They hid back behind the wall, panting a bit as their hearts beat rapidly. Yet, it was too late for the darkspawn sensed her though the pull of the Taint.
"Who goes there!?" The Lost hissed as it glared towards the hall where he sensed another presence of tainted blood.
No point in hiding. Elisa scowled as she showed herself, her bow draw out and an arrow aimed at the darkspawn. "Be a good little darkspawn and drop the control rod." The others quickly moved behind her, weapons at the ready.
"Do not be making me laugh!" The Lost spat. "What trickery is he planning now?"
'He' who? Elisa's eyes narrowed as the darkspawn continued, "It does not matter. You will be dying now, as all who serve the Architect!" Before further inquiries could be made the golem began stomping towards them. "Disable its joints!" she ordered Sigrun and the two warriors while the group ran away from the stone monstrosity. "Anders! Keep healing and protection spells! Freeze it if you can!" Her eyes flickered towards the Lost that began chanting. The red glow on his hand was similar to when Anders casted that infernal flames earlier. "Andraste's knickers!" She quickly shot an arrow, interrupting the darkspawn before he could finish casting. She then turned to Nathaniel. "Keep aiming at the Lost!"
Anders casted healing and ice spells tortuously, chugging a flask of lyrium every now and then. He managed to freeze the golem for a few seconds as the body heat it was releasing quickly melted the ice. Swinging its arm, it knocked Loghain back against the wall.
"Loghain!" Elisa shouted, causing her to be distracted for a moment, which the Lost took advantage of and sent a hurling rock towards her.
"Get down!" Nathaniel yelled as he lunged himself towards her, pushing her down on the ground just as the rock knocked him back instead towards the waterfall.
Elisa's eyes widened as the Lost attempted to cast a powerful spell again as his hands began to glow red. Her hands began to feel the ground for her bow only to realize that it flew a few feet away from her. Damnit! She took out her daggers and rushed towards the darkspawn as it was close to finish casting the spell. Move faster! I can make it! Almost there! Her mind screamed, and then it was like an internal switch was suddenly flicked up within her. Before anyone could react, she fell on the darkspawn, continuously stabbing its chest with her daggers. Even after the Inferno Golem was deactivated, she continued with her relentless attacks, tearing the dead corpse below her piece by piece.
"Commander! Enough!" Loghain called out as he limped towards her with one arm around his ribs. "It's dead!" In a blink of an eye, the tip of her dagger was pointed close to his neck. He stared at her in shock. Her chest heaved heavily as she gritted her teeth. The others around them couldn't get themselves to move from where they stood as all they could do was stare at their Commander with eyes wide.
Finally, after a few agonizing seconds, she dropped her daggers on the ground and closed her eyes. "My apologies… I thought…" She sighed deeply as she pushed her hair back. "I thought you were another darkspawn."
Loghain stared at her incredulously. Is she expecting me to buy that bullcrap!?
However, Elisa didn't give him the opportunity to argue as she quickly picked up her discarded weapons before ordering a still shocked Anders, her expression turning into its usual passiveness. "Check on their wounds and other broken bones. Make sure they are well enough. We might have to fight another battle soon. I'll scout the next room but be back quickly." When, the mage responded with a small nod, she turned around and left the group.
Loghain wanted to follow her but his injuries prevented him. The sharp pain in his ribs made it difficult to move further, so he just sat down and allowed the mage to treat his injuries. He swore to the Maker, however, that he was going to find out what his Commander was hiding.
Once everyone's injuries were tended to, they approached Elisa who had been waiting for them just outside the audience chamber. No one spoke of what transpired earlier between the Warden-Commander and their Second for all were too focused on the tentacles that threatened to knock them off their feet or toss someone against the wall. The slimy extremities they were hacking was ominous enough for the three men to know that something disturbing was waiting at the end of the hall. As they got closer to the central chamber, labored breathing got louder.
"Broodmothers," Sigrun muttered as she made a disgusted face, her entire body shuddering.
There was a pit at the center of the room, and everyone cautiously peered over the edge. Anders rushed to the nearest wall, vomiting what remained in his stomach at the sight of the disgusting monstrosities below. Both Nathaniel and Loghain immediately looked away from the bloated creatures that greedily ate darkspawn flesh as their stomach churned violently. Their Commander was right when she said that no words were enough to describe how horrendous Broodmothers were. They now understood why the she had preferred death. Loghain glanced over to Elisa who examined the chains while Oghren and Sigrun swatted away some tentacles with their weapons.
He approached cautiously, the memory of her dagger close to his neck still fresh in his mind. "How do we deal with these?"
His Commander looked at him, eyes widening briefly before they darted back to the chain. "Chains are keeping that above the pit." Her finger pointed at a massive lyrium container similar to the one they saw at the trade quarters. "Hack this off while I find the other one." She then ordered Oghren to watch Loghain's back while she searched for the other chain with Sigrun watching her back.
"Over here!" The two women turn their attention to Nathaniel positioned near the chain while he defended himself from the tentacles with his daggers. Anders was beside the archer, freezing the chain.
"Perfect!" Elisa exclaimed as she took out her dagger and used its pommel to shatter the only chain holding the lyrium, Everyone moved as far away from the pit as possible just as the bomb dropped on the bloated beasts. The entire area shook from the intensity of the explosion causing the ceiling to slowly crumble.
"This place is going down!" Sigrun shouted a several large rocks from the ceiling dropped nearby.
Elisa frantically searched for an exit and found a passageway sloping up. She could see an opening from the top which emitted a faint light. It was possible that it led to the surface. "This way!" she ordered as the group sprinted up. The sound of crumbling stone and something big and heavy crashing down echoed from below. They hastened their pace as the walls behind them began to crack.
With each step, the light grew brighter. They were close – so close! And as they reached the last step, they were back on the surface.
End of Chapter 10
A/N: This chapter just went on and on and on. I only realized how long it was once I typed 'end of chapter 10". Anyway, thank you again for rosemallo for the editing. =D