Anders ran down the corridor. He nearly fell trying to turn the corner, and only his staff kept him from landing in a heap. He continued running, grabbing hold of the door frame to bring himself to a halt. Loghain blinked up at him, and rose from where he'd been looking at a map. "Anders?"

"Darkspawn. An army of darkspawn." Anders gasped. "Marching on the Vigil."

Loghain grabbed his sword as he went to sound the alarm. "Get the other remaining Wardens and meet me in the hall."

"Yes, ser." Anders started running again.

#

Varel was talking to the few nobles that had remained. They'd already sent many of the available men on to help the city. What remained was a token force, and the barely trained recruits. Loghain kept his head up, and his walk confident. If the men thought he didn't believe in them, they'd never believe in themselves.

"Report," he ordered.

No argument came from Varel. He immediately laid out what the scouts had reported. Loghain turned his gaze to Voldrik. "The repairs?"

"All but complete," the dwarf said. "There will be no ogres bursting through the walls any time soon."

Herren spoke up. "Master Wade has been working day and night. The remaining men are properly geared."

"Our reserves?"

It was Lord Eddelbrek that spoke. "The men I brought for the war council are still assembled here." He gave a small nod. "We've not forgotten what the wardens have done for us and our people."

That gave him another fifty, in addition to the remaining Vigil guards and the trainees. He looked around the rest of the people in the room. "Sergeant Maverlies, gather the rest of the archers and take positions on the towers. They have little choice but a front approach, so keep your people focused on the gates."

"Yes, Ser."

"Voldrik, you and the Commander were working on something with the trebuchets. How close to ready is it?"

"The trebuchets aren't ready. But with the lyrium sand the Commander found me, I've got some real surprises for the catapult. Just point and hollar if you want a whole mess of beasties to meet their maker."

Loghain smiled. "Grab what assistants you need, and take your position."

"As you command," Varel said.

#

Ser Pounce-a-lot was in his quarters, safely tucked away. He really hoped he'd get to see his pet again.

Anders heard Loghain call his name. "Yes?"

"I want you on top of that tower there." He gestured at four men clutching swords. "You four, hold the stairs."

"What do you want me to do?" Anders asked.

"I want you to show these darkspawn why mages are feared," Loghain replied.

Anders blinked, and then nodded. "I can do that." Slowly he smiled. "I can definitely do that."

"Good man."

He grabbed a few lyrium potions, tucked them into his beltpouch, then grabbed his staff and started for the stairs.

#

"So why do they call this valley the Dragonbone Wastes?" Sigrun asked. She came around the corner, and her eyes widened. "Oh." She drew her knives. "Darkspawn ahead... fighting each other."

Jerath shook his head. "We don't have time to wait for them to kill each other off. Down the middle, cut a path through anything that gets in our way."

"Yes, Ser."

#

After climbing over so many dead dragons, he really wasn't at all surprised when the live one landed. Surprised at how large it was, but not that it was there. The beast reared back, and kicked out with its back leg, sending the Messenger sprawling. A sweep of the tail did the same to Justice. The first of his arrows bounced off its scaly hide, and he switched to the enchanted ones.

He heard Sigrun actually laughing as she and Jerath closed on the beast. Velanna began casting, and Nathaniel felt additional strength seeping into his muscles as the mage chanted. His next arrow caught the dragon in the shoulder.

Then he had to grab Velanna and roll them both out of the way as the beast retaliated with a gout of fire. He helped her back to her feet, and she started to resume the chant.

The dragon tried to catch hold of Sigrun in its jaws, but the dwarf danced backwards just in time. Jerath took the opening to catch hold of the dragon's horns and pull himself onto the back of the dragon's neck. The dragon bunched its legs to take off, and Jerath jammed his sword in behind its eye. It twisted, and then collapsed. The commander yanked his sword free, and rejoined them.

"We're still alive," Sigrun said. "Funny how that keeps happening."

#

Oghren stood in front of the recruits as the children invaded. For a moment, Anders was sure they were going to break and run. The dwarf charged, and a half a heartbeat later, the men followed. He pulled as much power as he dared, and began sending to summon an ice storm in the middle of the darkspawn lines. He heard Loghain give an order, and the men on the ground began driving the darkspawn into the storm. He gritted his teeth, and held the spell.

#

He watched Dworkin load a rock into the catapult, then pour something into a hole that had been drilled in the rock. He stuck in a plug, jumped back, and yelled "fire".

The rock hit, downing several hurlocks. It was impressive, but not... The rock exploded in a blaze of white light, sending bits of rock and fire everywhere and clearing a thirty foot radius of darkspawn. Loghain blinked. Maker's breath, if they'd had that during the rebellion, or at Ostagar...

"Dworkin, focus your fire on the ogres."

The dwarf cackled manically in reply.

On the heights, Keenan was calling targets for the archers, keeping them focused on the emissaries and other threats. The darkspawn were gaining ground, but slowly. They might take the Vigil, but damned if he was going to let it go without a fight.

#

Velanna let out a gasp as a woman stepped from the shadows. Jerath could feel the taint within her, but it had that same strange feeling. And oddly had not seemed to progress any further than it had the last time they spoke.

"I am glad to see that you are well, sister," Seranni said.

"Seranni! Oh, thank Mythal you're still alive." She rushed to her sister. "What has the Architect done to you? Why are you with him?"

"The Architect is kind to me, and tender, and he has told me his plan. The darkspawn are just like us." Listening to the woman speak was disturbing on several levels. "The Architect has freed them, and they search for a place in this world, just like the Dalish are searching." Seranni smiled, and set a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Everything he's done, he's done to help his people. You can respect that, can't you, sister?"

Jerath shook his head. "This is crazy. Talk some sense into her." Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Nathaniel. Was Seranni's current state what the Architect had been trying to do to his Warden? No. This had a different odor to it. Maybe Seranni was just insane.

"Seranni, they killed our friends, and so many others. Don't you remember?"

"I do, and this is why I must help them. They are like children - come into the world with no understanding of what is good and fair." Seranni smiled gently. "They have a bestial nature, but I've seen them overcome it. They just need to be shown how."

"Then come with us so that you can tell others," Jerath said. Perhaps, away from the influence of the Architect, they could help her.

Seranni stepped away. "No, I have work to do." She smiled. "The Architect is waiting for me, and for you. He will explain everything. You will see as I have seen." She dashed off.

"No," Velanna cried out. "Don't go!"

#

The mage was slumped with exhaustion. Loghain ordered the men to let him rest for an hour. Thanks to the commander's forethought, they had an ample supply of healing draughts. The walls were holding.

Dworkin had three men drilling holes in the discarded stone from Voldrik's repairs. "How many more of those do you have?"

Dworkin sighed. "The Commander brought me back a fair supply of the sand, but I'm guessing we've a dozen shots left at most."

"Save your fire," Loghain said. "Reserve for creatures the archers can't take down."

Several brave servants had taken the initiative to gather the arrows the darkspawn had fired, and used those to resupply the archers. Their faces were just as determined as those of the soldiers.

He found Varel at the inner gate. Varel met his eyes, and gave a small shake of his head. "We've lost a quarter of our forces, and half of those remaining are wounded. All are tired. I fear we will be taking tomorrow's supper with the Maker."

Loghain nodded. "I wonder if we could get a good roast boar."

Varel met his eyes, and two old soldiers shared a small laugh before returning to their grim work.

#

They'd fought their way down to the second level when he sensed the strange emissary, and his ghouled warden. The Architect held a hand, forestalling the ghoul from attacking, before looking down at them. "I owe you an apology, Commander. When last we met, I intended to explain myself. Fate, however, intervened."

Jerath's eyes narrowed. "You took us prisoner."

"I restrained you only to prevent the misunderstanding that occurred with the rest of your order."

"You experimented on us."

"Yes." The Architect held his hands out to his sides, then floated down to stand only a few feet from them.

"A 'misunderstanding'?" Velanna scoffed. "Did you not attack the Grey Wardens?"

"I sent the Withered to ask for the Grey Wardens help. I should have anticipated that you might view our approach as an attack."

It took some level of courage to approach them this way. "You wanted our help? What for?"

"My kind has ever been driven to seek out the Old Gods. This is our nature. When we find one, a Blight is begun." His eyes were hidden behind the strange mask. Something about the creature's appearance seemed to dance at the edges of his memory. "To break the cycle, my brethren must be freed of their compulsion. For that, I need Grey Warden blood."

"You're trying to stop the Blights?" Jerath shook his head in disbelief.

"Hundreds of thousands of my kind are killed before each Blight is ended. It is a plague on our race. We do not begin a Blight because we crave power or destruction. We obey the call of the Old Gods - without choice."

"How would you free the darkspawn?"

"In order to become what you are, you drink the blood of my kind. To transform. That is how my brethren are freed. In your blood lies the key to their immunity against the call of the Old Gods." He looked down at his hands. "Once they are freed, the darkspawn think for themselves, they speak, they act. Some, however, have reacted poorly."

Justice readied his shield. "Kill this creature now, lest I make things worse than they already are. Do what is right and do not waver."

Nathaniel's voice came from behind him. "Darkspawn or no, he has a good point. Do we really want to keep killing each other forever?"

"This is what my sister saw. An ally! Amongst the darkspawn. This is an opportunity we cannot pass up."

The Architect seemed emboldened by her words. "Help me kill the Mother, and after it is done, I will leave to continue my work."

"How did you become freed?" The memory wouldn't come to him. He couldn't shake that it was important.

"I was born as I am, an outsider amongst my kind. Why? I do not know. Why do some of your kind become Grey Wardens? Why do some possess magic? I have no answers."

The creature wasn't lying. And yet somehow, he knew with utter certainty that it was wrong. "What is this 'Mother', exactly?"

"My most flawed creation. Freedom drove her mad, and she has poisoned the minds of others." He sighed. "She has influence with the ones who have not been freed, and she gathers them as an army. I do not seek to rule my brethren. I only seek to release them from their chains."

He considered for a long moment. Perhaps if he'd not encountered Skyhunter again, so recently... "Very well. You have an ally."

"This is the right thing to do. Seranni believed it, and I do too."

Sigrun and Justice both protested, as he'd known they would. He shouldn't have been able to sway either. And yet, he did."

"Thank you commander." The Architect gave a slight bow. "I realize what a leap of faith this is for you. I hope that I prove worthy of your trust." He turned, and pointed. "The Mother lies ahead, Warden. I cannot approach her physically - her Children protect her from my power. But when you reach her, I will do whatever I can to help you. You have my promise."

The Architect turned to leave. Jerath gestured for the Messenger to follow. To his surprise, the creature visible hesitated before obeying the command.

"Come. We've a broodmother to kill."

#

"Now the pieces fall into place! The Grey Warden comes, the instrument of the Father!" The horrific creature laughed. "Oh, and the Father, he is but a shadow! Oh, how my children protect me! How they love me!"

An image of the Architect appeared beside them. "I have told you many times, Mother, I am not 'the Father'. I am simply the Architect."

The broodmother waved a clawed hand. "It does not change what you are! You took away that beautiful music! Left us with nothing!"

Sorrow was audible in the Architect's voice. "It was a mistake to free you. It has left you with madness. I am truly sorry."

"What's done is done," Jerath said. He drew his weapons.

"Ah, but perhaps the Warden would like to hear how it was that the Father began the Blight?" The Mother pointed an accusatory finger. "You want the source of the archdemon, the one who brought all our kind to the surface? Here he is!"

Justice made a snarling noise. "I was correct. All of these creatures are irredeemable fiends."

The Architect gave them an apologetic look. "Ah. There it is, then. Unfortunate. I did find the Old God, Urthemiel. But I did not wish another Blight. I attempted my Joining Ritual. My hope was that this would free all darkspawn, unravel the curse from its source. Alas, I was unlucky. I-"

"Enough," Jerath said. His quiet voice cut off the Architect's next words. "I have heard all I need to." A swamp witch's words, long ago. 'This Blight's threat is greater than they realize'.

"However you feel about what I have done, the Mother is mad. She cannot be allowed to -"

"Begone, shadow!" The Mother gestured, and the Architect's image disappeared. "You cannot harm the Mother any more than you already have!" She laughed. "And now the heroes are alone." She shook her entire upper body. "Oh, the Mother knows your ways. You will not let her be, no... not after what she's done." She raised her hands. "So it must end, it all must come crashing down!" She laughed again. "Perhaps we will hear the song again when we die. Oh, let it come! Let it come!" Her face seemed to open up as she roared at them.

#

Anders leaned against the statue of Andraste as he downed another of the lyrium potions and went back to healing the soldiers. He tried to take some of their fatigue away. He was heading towards the next group when his vision blurred and he started to fall. Someone caught him, and carried him to a sheltered area. He blinked, then looked up at Loghain. "I just need to..."

"Rest, mage. We'll wake you when they come again."

He nodded, and let himself fall into an exhausted sleep.

#

"Justice, fall back. Protect Velanna."

The spirit turned, and placed himself between the mage and the incoming darkspawn. Velanna turned, directing her fire at the invaders. Nathaniel placed arrows into the Broodmother, but he was unable to get a clear shot at her head due to the waving tentacles. The arrows he put into her bloated body didn't seem to pierce deeply enough to do any real damage.

Another wave of darkspawn entered, and then a massive fireball struck them, turning them to cinders before they had a chance to close with the Wardens. The Architect had joined the battle. From his vantage point, he added his magic to Velanna's.

Jerath glanced at the Sigrun. "Get me an opening."

She saluted him with one of her long knives, and charged in, bellowing a dwarven warcry. The broodmother started to direct her attention at the dwarf, and then Jerath was airborne. He landed just below her shoulders, and stabbed deep. She tried to shake him off, and the tentacles attempted to grab hold. He crouched, and stabbed again. The brood mother suddenly tried to swipe at something in front of her, and Jerath realized that Sigrun had taken advantage of his distraction to drive her own blades into it. A tentacle struck the dwarf, tossing her aside, and then the creature seemed to rise up before slamming herself to the ground.

He slid, catching himself on one of Sigrun's knives. He rolled to his feet, grabbed the knife, and as the creature bent to attack, shoved the knife into her open mouth and up through the back of her head.

He move backwards as she shook, her death throes shaking the very ground. Rocks tumbled. Justice brought his shield up just in time to protect Velanna from crumbling stone. Jerath caught a blow to the shoulder as he dragged Sigrun to safety.

The Mother went still, slumping down in death. Jerath stood, and looked up at the Architect. It gazed at him for a moment, and then touched one of his oddly shaped hands to one of the crystal pillars. Healing energy suddenly suffused the area they were standing, cleansing them of both wound and fatigue. Then the Architect turned, and walked away.

Jerath glanced at his companions. "Let's go. We are needed at the Vigil."

#

Loghain looked over the men. Between the brief reprieve and the efforts of the mage, they were in better shape than he had any right to expect.

In the field came another wave. And this one was led by ogres in full armor. "Dworkin."

"I see them." The dwarf adjusted the aim of the catapult, and fired.

There were twelve ogres.

Nine shots remained.

Loghain looked over at the Oghren, and the man nodded, hands on his axe. "With me," he yelled to the soldiers. "To the gates."

#

They stood. He could see the next two ogres coming, and he knew they weren't going to hold. And then... one of the ogres pitched forward and fell, courtesy of an elf that had just hamstrung the thing.

Oghren threw back his head and let out a triumphant yell before falling over backwards. The mage immediately went to the dwarf's side. Loghain shook his head and readied his shield.

With the darkspawn caught between two forces, they shattered on the Vigil's walls.

#

"Loghain, if you can't take better care of my fort, I'm going to stop letting you play with it," Jerath said. He shook his head. "Look at this. You got darkspawn pieces everywhere."

"If you children would learn to pick up after yourselves, we wouldn't have this problem," Loghain replied.

Jerath smiled, then looked over at Anders. "How's Oghren?"

"I'm not sure if he passed out from blood loss or alcohol consumption, but he'll be fine." Anders started to stand up, then staggered. Velanna moved to him, and wove her own healing spell. He smiled at her. "I could so kiss you right now."

"Try it, and the darkspawn will be the least of your worries."

"Amaranthine?" Loghain asked.

"Safe," Garevel replied. "I don't know how, but... they saved the city."

"We've got a mess on our hands," Varel said. "But we have survived this."