Chapter 11: The Assault on Vigil's Keep pt2

Vigil's Keep

Another group of darkspawn fell, as one of the survivors ran out of the fortress to safety. Jenra went to Ciel and Derack's bodies and closed their lifeless eyes, he sighed…two more recruits lost. Shortly after meeting Anders, they were ambushed by darkspawn archers…Ciel was struck in the clavicle before the party could get into cover, the elf died slowly choking on his own blood. Derack was struck down when Mhairi was surrounded by Hurlocks…when the darkspawn was about to go for the kill, Derack used his own body to shield her from their blows. Derack was more fortunate than poor Ciel, he was dead by the time the third sword struck his body. As much as they wanted to mourn, they still had to free the keep from this horde.

The party continued on into the training area where found an old dwarf on the other side of the room. Down below the gates were open and several darkspawn ran in looking for more victims. The old dwarf got their attention, and taunted them. "What does that old fool thinks he's doing?" Anders asked. Jenra had to agree, he was without weapons and armor…the darkspawn had a clear way to get to the dwarfs unless…

"Oh, we're scared now. Don't come over here. Ha!" The darkspawn fell for the ruse and ran into an explosive trap. The party was knocked back by the force of the blast as the sky lit up with flames. When they got up the training area was in flames and the darkspawn was charred black. The old dwarf laughed in glee to see his trap work. "Oh I love the smell of the burnt darkspawn in the morning…come again if you dare, you bastards!" The dwarf ran away, possibly to set up more traps.

"Well, well…I take back what I said about him" Anders said. "That little trick of his may come in handy one day"

"Are you mad? That dwarf could have destroyed the keep"

"Desperate times, Taelon" Jenra said. "Prepare yourselves, the blast didn't kill all of the darkspawn" Hurlocks ran towards them, Anders casts a debilitating hex to slow down the darkspawn. Byron cleaved one of them in half with his large axe and Taelon swiftly came in to cut them down with his daggers. When they fell, the party went into the keep where they heard sounds of fighting….inside another dwarf was fighting off genlocks and the Hurlock alpha that was leading them. He cut them down, laughing all the way…a laugh that Jenra recognized. "What is he doing here?"

Mhairi looked at Jenra and tilted her head. "Warden?" When the dwarf cut down the alpha, he turned and wave at Jenra. It was Oghren, his old traveling companion from the Blight days…but what was he doing here? Last he remembered, the dwarf headed back to Southern Bannorn to rekindle his old romance with Felsi, the tavern maid back at Lake Calenhad. Whatever question Jenra had would have to wait as the darkspawn kept coming. Anders rained down fire around the darkspawn while Jenra and Byron mowed down the genlocks in the way. Mhairi and Taelon assisted Oghren with the darkspawn surrounding him. When the fighting finished, Oghren came to the ledge with hardy laughter.

"Ha! That was some battle; I thought was going to die there!" Oghren said gleefully. "Glad to see the darkspawn still has some bite to them"

"He's insane…who is actually happy to fight darkspawn" Mhairi said taken aback. Oghren jumped down off the ledge, the smell of strong ale permeated from him which made the warrior gag. "It looks like someone helped themselves to the alcohol here"

"Well I needed something to do while waiting for this nug-legged bastard to show up" the dwarf said. He then playfully punched Jenra in the stomach. "Took you long enough, by the way"

"Oghren, what are you doing here?" Jenra asked.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here to try my hand at becoming a bone fide Grey Warden"

"Huh, so he's still here…" Anders said. "Would've thought the Wardens would have kicked him out after all that ruckus he was making"

"Blondie, you're still here? Heh, I guess Templars aren't as tough as I thought" Oghren said. The dwarf then looked at Mhairi up and down as he gave lecherous smirk. "Nice rack, if all of the recruits are like you I think I will enjoy my stay"

"Ugh, such a vulgar man…how in the Maker's name do you know him, Commander?"

"He's an old friend of mine, who should be in South Bannorn" Jenra said. "Oghren, does Felsi knows you're here?" Oghren went silent, something must have happened between them…again. Jenra sighed, it was best not to get into that headache that would sure to comeback and bit him in the rear. "You do know that being a Warden comes with some risks, right?"

Oghren scoffed. "There are risk to getting up in the morning…I piss on risk"

Anders crossed his arms. "I'm sure risk appreciates it"

"I'm sure the Wardens will welcome such a…prize" Taelon said dryly.

"Yes, yes I know, too good to be true we can talk later" the dwarf said. "Right now, there's more darkspawn around in sore need of a beheading!" The party continued on their way; fight off more darkspawn and saving some survivors. In the hallways past the kitchen, a man was sitting against the wall. He was in heavy blood red armor, like Mhairi…he was alive but bleeding quite heavily. Mhairi gasped and ran towards him, the man groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Mhairi?"

"Rowland!" she said. "Commander, Rowland was knight recruited to help you like I was; we must do something for him!" Mhairi looked at Anders but the mage held his hand up.

"Don't look at me; those wounds are beyond my magic to help…maybe a shot of whiskey for the pain?"

Oghren burped. "Yeah, about that…" Rowland groaned and looked at Jenra.

"The…the Commander?" Jenra walked forward and kneeled down. "Heh…I was looking to meeting you, I regret that you have to see me in such a sorry state"

"I should be the one apologizing….I should've come sooner"

"We had little warning before they were on us, Commander" Rowland said. "The seneschal ordered a counter-attack, but they came out of nowhere! There's one with them, a darkspawn who talks; his magic is powerful" The party was taken aback by this; in all of recorded history about the darkspawn…there have never been one that could talk. Only the Archdemon could talk, but even then it could only talk using its dark songs.

"A talking darkspawn? The lad's wounds are making him delirious" Oghren said.

"I don't know, we've seen many strange things on our journey a talking darkspawn would not be out of the ordinary…but this is troubling…" All of the sudden, Rowland gasped in pain. "What's happening?"

"There's something in my blood! It hurts!"

"Wha…what's happening to him, Commander?"

Jenra sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Mhairi but Rowland has the Taint…he is done for" Rowland looked at Jenra, trying to keep a strong face but the Warden could tell…he was afraid of dying in such agony.

"It was an honor to meet you, Commander. I wish I could have fought at your side just once…" With one final gasp, the Taint took him…Jenra closed his lifeless eyes. Mhairi stood there to give her fallen friend a prayer of safe travels with the Maker. She then stood up with a determined look on her face.

"I will avenge you, Rowland…I swear it" The party fought through the hordes of darkspawn in their way, the way the hurlocks were positioned they were not trying to kill them but keep them busy. Stall tactics…a very advance strategy for such mindless creatures, Rowland's story of talking darkspawn was not such a story after all. But the question was…what is it after? The party made it to the top of Vigil's Keep, around the corner was a lone soldier backing away from a Hurlock or at least they thought it was a Hurlock. It was less monstrous than the others, it walked with the intelligence of man but the killing intent was unmistakable. The soldier backed away and saw that had no more floors to back away, he looked at the darkspawn with fear in his eyes.

"Just as he foretold, it has ended" The darkspawn kicks the soldier down, and the poor soul is impaled on the barricades below. He turns back to his fellow darkspawn who has the captain on his knees at sword point. "Be taking this one, gently…we are wishing no more death than is necessary"

"Necessary? As if your kind has ever done anything else!" The captain said defiantly.

"You think you know our kind so well, human? Understandable, but that will change soon"

"Others will hear of this, monster! And when they do, they will stop you no matter the cost!" Footsteps approached, the party arrived…the talking darkspawn faced them in an unnervingly calm manner.

"It seems your words be true"

Anders eyes went wide. "It is talking!"

Oghren took out his axe. "It's creepy, let's shut up already!"

"Commander!" The captain struggled but his captor held him still with the sword firmly held at his neck. The darkspawn looked at its leader waiting for an order.

"The Grey Warden is what we want, the others are nothing" The darkspawn nodded and slammed the hilt of its sword to back of the captain's head. The talking darkspawn and its cabal attacked the party. The talking darkspawn chanted in dark whispers as fleshy tendril wrapped around its body and hardened, it then charged Jenra at full speed. Byron pushed the warden out of the way and took the full brunt of the charge. They crashed against the wall and Bryon fell to his knees coughing up blood. "Loyal to the end, I admire that…a pity you must die" It grasped Byron's head and lifted him clear off his feet. Byron struggled to get away from the darkspawn's grasp but its strength dwarfed his own. The darkspawn then slammed the warrior against the wall repeatedly against the wall until his head cracked like an egg. The darkspawn then threw Bryon's body away like trash and locked its gaze upon Jenra.

Jenra gave a hateful gaze back at the darkspawn and glows a brilliant reddish-purple aura. Anders took notice at Jenra's powers. "What's this, magic?"

"Nope, this is Jenra pissed off…best stay clear lad" Oghren said slicing down the genlock. Jenra charged the talking darkspawn and their swords clashed. The talking darkspawn wasn't just intelligent, it was fact and strong with powers the warden has never seen before. The darkspawn backswings, Jenra blocks and is slammed into the wall…cratering it, it raises its sword and slashes at Jenra. The warden rolls out the way and swing Night-fang at the darkspawn's mid-section the tendrils moves to the darkspawn's side and hardens. The darkspawn grabs Jenra by the neck and drags him along the wall until tossing him like a ragdoll. Before Jenra could get off the floor, the darkspawn was all over him with wild swings that the young lord could barely block.

Jenra ducked on the floor and swept the darkspawn to the ground with his legs. Night-fang erupted in flames as the runes on the blade glowed; Jenra slammed his blade down to the ground hoping to finish the fight quickly. The darkspawn blocked the blade with its own, a twisted grin appeared on its face…the darkspawn was enjoying this battle; it was enjoying it a lot. The darkspawn kicked Jenra's sword upwards and rolled backwards on its feet to lunge forward with its sword pointed at Jenra's stomach. Jenra quickly glowed and discharged spiritual energy to blow them both back…while Jenra was getting up, he heard a hellish laugh.

"Such fight in you, Warden…you will be a fine prize"

Next Time! As always Review and Comment!