Chapter Thirteen
"Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls.
From these emerald waters doth life begin anew.
Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you.
In my arms lies Eternity."
-Canticle of Andraste 14:11
As we travelled down the Highway, I noticed how much colder the wind was today. Winter was fast approaching; before we knew it, we'd have to be trekking through snow. I wondered if the darkspawn taint was capable of corrupting snow like it did plants, animals, and land. I imagine it could. It probably turned the snow black and malodorous.
About halfway through the day, I came across a lone man who was cussing like a sailor. His hair was greyed with age and he had an Orlesian accent. His clothing alone told me that he was a foreigner.
I approached the harried man, who was startled by my sudden arrival.
"Er, you'll have to forgive me if I seem a bit nervous. Not many people travelling in this part of Ferelden. Of course, that's part of my problem, isn't it? Mule got spooked by a wisp and ran off into the woods. Now what do I do?" The man said.
"Just what are you doing out here?" I asked.
"Waiting for my helper to find the damned mule, of course. It's freezing!" The man exclaimed. "Oh, I suppose you meant why am I out here? As in this part of the country? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Felix de Grosbois, merchant and entrepreneur, at your service."
That is an Orlesian name, so he's definitely not native to Ferelden. I thought. I'm certainly not about to tell him who I am. He doesn't need to know.
"A merchant? Out here?" Alistair said, raising his eyebrow.
"I don't normally take this route, but with the war I was hoping for a bit of luck and good weather in the mountains. Sadly, I've had neither. This trip has been one miserable disaster after another. I don't suppose you'd consider helping a fellow out?" Felix said.
"What do you need?" I asked.
"Of all the other things that went wrong, the worst is this artifact I bought in Jader. It's a 'control rod' I'm told. For a golem," He said. "No point in me keeping it though, it's not as if I'll ever get to use it. But maybe you could?"
"Yes, I think I could." I replied.
"Just as well. You'll find the golem in a village named Honnleath, in the Hinterlands. Here, I'll mark it on your map," He said. "I've heard it might be dangerous there with all the darkspawn about, but I'll wager that's not an issue for someone like you. Anyways, just hold up the rod and say 'dulef gar'. That will wake the golem up, so I'm told. I hope it works."
"If not, I'll be back." I said.
"I…well…then I really hope it works. Best of luck to you then! Now I guess it's up to me to find that mule myself…." He said.
He quickly scurried away. I hoped that he was right about the golem; it would be an invaluable tool against the Blight for sure. As a child, I had heard many tales of the dwarven golems of old who fought against the darkspawn back when the dwarves were trying to save their cities. Unfortunately for them, the darkspawn had still managed to overrun them.
"Let me guess, we're going to Honnleath now?" Alistair asked.
"You read my mind." I chuckled.
However, wasn't amused. He heaved a sigh. "You know, all this side-tracking is wasting time…the precious little time that we have." He said.
"We're not wasting time," I remarked. "We need all the allies we can get, yes? Now unless you decide you want to be the leader, I suggest we get going."
I gave him a few seconds to respond, but he didn't, so I turned away from him and began heading south. Wynne, Zevran, and Zeke followed me. Alistair dropped to the back of the group, looking quite stung. I sort of felt bad, but I didn't have time to console him. He was too old to be coddled anyways.
XXXXX
Trekking south to Honnleath was arduous. The town was off the Imperial Highway so we had to journey through forest and skirt farmsteads. A couple times we were assailed by blighted creatures; hideous animals that had been corrupted by darkspawn. They were as repulsive and bloodthirsty as the darkspawn themselves.
As the third day came to a close, I could faintly sense darkspawn. Alistair must have as well, because he looked tense.
"I suppose we should set up camp. It'll be sundown soon." I said.
"I think we should be extra vigilant tonight. I don't think we're alone." Alistair said.
We set up camp in a secluded clearing in the woods behind a farmstead. I didn't dare trespass on the property; I doubted that the farmers would be welcoming of us anyways. Most of the populace was hostile towards us because of Loghain's malicious lies.
I took my pack off and began to take my bedroll out; my companions doing the same. When I started to set my tent up, I heard Wynne make a sharp, gasping sound.
"Alistair, what's this?" Wynne asked, holding up a dirty sock.
"It's a sock?" Alistair said, looking a bit bemused.
"It's a filthy sock. How did it find its way to my bedroll?" She said.
"Maybe it likes you? Socks are sneaky like that. Anyway, it's not mine." He replied.
"It has your name stitched on it." She said, pointing to the initials "A.T." stitched into the sock.
"Oh. Ha, ha. Part of templar training, back at the Chantry. The men were... always getting their socks mixed up. Anyway, uh, sorry about that," He said, blushing. "I'll take it from you right now. One of my socks is feeling a little damp anyway. A change would be nice."
Her eyes widened when she saw Alistair take his damp sock off and replace it with the dirty one she had just given him.
"You're going to put it on? It's filthy!" She exclaimed.
"And dry. We're not exactly traveling in the lap of luxury here." He said.
"What hideous habits you've picked up." She said.
Neither Zevran nor I made a comment about the conversation between Alistair and Wynne. I wasn't in the mood to contribute to the conversation and it seemed that Zevran wasn't paying attention to begin with. He was knelt down over a pile of sticks, trying to get a fire going.
Within a few more minutes, Zevran got a fire started. Alistair and I then began cooking beef stew with carrots and peas.
"Tell me a little about yourself." I said.
"You first," Alistair said. "Did you want to become a Grey Warden?"
"Yes, I did." I replied.
"I was conscripted. Not that I didn't want to join...I was training as a templar for the Chantry before Duncan recruited me. That was about six months before you were recruited." He said.
"A templar? So you were a mage-hunter?" I asked.
"That's right, but it wasn't my idea. I was raised in the Chantry. They decided my fate a long time ago. Duncan saw that I wasn't happy and figured my training against mages could double for fighting darkspawn. Now, here I stand a proud Grey Warden," He said. "The grand cleric wouldn't have let me go if Duncan hadn't forced the issue. I'll always be grateful to him."
"You speak fondly of Duncan." I murmured.
"I spent years in that chantry, hopelessly resigned to my fate. Duncan was the first who cared what I wanted. He risked a lot of trouble with the grand cleric to help me." He said.
"You didn't want to join the Chantry?" I inquired.
"It just...wasn't for me. I believe in the Maker well enough, but I never wanted to devote my life to the Chantry." He sighed.
I didn't have anything to say, so an awkward silence fell over us. It remained that way until the food was done. I was ravenous tonight, so as soon as supper was finished, I scarfed mine down.
XXXXX
As soon as dawn broke, we packed up and continued travelling to Honnleath. We arrived at midday.
I could sense darkspawn strongly as we approached the town. I could hear screaming and I saw smoke billowing into the sky. There was no doubt in my mind that the darkspawn were terrorizing the townsfolk.
Two terrified people came running past us with three genlocks hot on their heels. I was about to engage the first genlock in combat until I saw a small, round glass ball come flying into the group of darkspawn. As soon as the glass ball hit the ground it exploded, shooting fire and glass shards pelted the genlocks. They shrieked in pain and surprise. I was close enough to feel the heat, but not close enough to feel its effects.
One genlock, blinded from the fire bomb, stumbled into me. I stabbed my twin daggers into its shoulders, causing black ichor to spurt out. I put my foot on its back and jerked my blades out, and savagely kicked it away. It tripped over the body of its fallen comrade, who Zevran had just dispatched, and went crashing into the nearby fence. Before it had the chance to get up, Alistair brutally smacked it in the head with his shield. The wet sound of crunching bone was audible, even from where I stood. The genlock plopped into the blood soaked grass and didn't rise again.
"There are plenty more ahead," Alistair said. "Stay wary."
We proceeded into town prudently. I nearly heaved when I saw a couple of townsfolk hung up on makeshift gallows. They must have been freshly killed, because blood was still streaming from multiple lacerations across their abdomens. Part of their entrails was dangling down from their abdomens as well.
Not too far away, a townsman was impaled on a post. He had been impaled right below his heart and was still twitching. He was alive enough to be conscious but was unable to speak. My stomach churned painfully. What was I to do? Try to help him, causing him further agony and possibly killing him, or leave him there to die? He was hemorrhaging so severely that I wasn't certain he'd be able to survive, even if I did manage to free him.
I wasn't given enough time to contemplate; a fresh wave of darkspawn was upon us. There were five of them, five genlocks and three hurlocks. One of the genlocks was an archer, and if it wasn't for my shield, its arrow would've shot me in the back. Fortunately for me, the arrow harmlessly bounced off my shield.
Times like these make me grateful that I decided to keep the shield, despite the fact I don't often use it in combat. I thought. It protects my back!
Zeke charged into the advancing group of darkspawn, barking furiously. He tackled one of the genlocks and sank his teeth into its face, savagely tearing it to ribbons. The genlock shrieked, desperately calling to its companions.
A nearby hurlock answered its companion's cries for aid. It snuck up behind Zeke and raised its battle axe, preparing to sever Zeke's spine. Quickly, I unsheathed my longsword and plunged it in the hurlock's back, all the way up to the hilt. When I tried to remove my blade, I struggled to do so. The hurlock howled in agony as I tried to wrest my blade free. Before I was able to free it, it rounded on me, swinging its axe at me. I sidestepped it and unsheathed my dagger, and then jammed it into the creature's throat. It reeled back, black blood spraying like a fountain. It clawed frantically at its throat, trying to remove my dagger. It collapsed in the grass and bled out before it could dislodge my blade.
I tried to extricate both my blades from the hurlock. The dagger came out smoothly, but the longsword was still lodged in its torso. I put my foot on its chest and tugged at the sword with all my might.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hurlock charging at me, brandishing a crude yet wicked looking scimitar and shield. It swung its scimitar at me, snarling viciously. I tried to dodge its blow but there wasn't enough space to completely evade the attack. The tip of its blade caught me across the arm, creating a nasty gash. Hot blood streamed from the wound and raced down my arm.
The pain only increased my fury. We briefly traded blows until I was able to deliver the death blow. Once I dispatched the hurlock, I was able to catch my breath. My companions had defeated the other five darkspawn.
Wynne noticed my injured arm and tried to heal it, but I didn't allow her. I could sense more darkspawn and she'd need her strength to fight. My gash wasn't as serious as it looked; the blood only made it seem so.
I applied a poultice to my wound and bandaged it up, and we headed further into the village. At the top of a hill, we encountered another group of darkspawn. There was even more this time; there was five genlocks and six hurlocks. Two of the genlocks and two of the hurlocks wielded bows. The lead darkspawn was a hurlock wielding a massive broadsword, and was dressed in heavy plate armor. To my dismay, I saw it going straight for Alistair, who was already engaging two genlocks in combat.
I crept up on the hurlock's flank, while it was raising its broadsword in preparation to strike down Alistair. I raised my own blades to sink them into its back, until I saw an odd boulder-like projectile hurtling towards the hurlock. It struck the hurlock in the face and sent it flying a couple feet sideways. The impact of the boulder had shattered its skull, leaving its head and brain as a bloody, pulpy mess.
The boulder-like projective had come from Wynne, who was now summoning a different spell on one of the genlocks that was assaulting Alistair. It seemed that Alistair and Wynne were handling themselves just fine, so I turned to engage the genlock archer who was hiding behind a pile of rubble. I caught it unawares; it had its focus on Zevran, who was fighting alongside Zeke. I snuck up behind the genlock and slit its throat swiftly. I kicked its body aside and crouched down behind the rubble to scan the battlefield. One genlock archer and one hurlock archer were directly across from me, hiding behind a fallen windmill. I sheathed my longsword and dagger, and wielded my crossbow. I shot the hurlock in the eye and shot the genlock in the back when it tried to flee. I stabbed them in the heart to ensure that they were dead.
Once we finished off the darkspawn, he were finally had a moment to catch our breath.
"We are ridiculously awesome." Zevran said, wiping sweat and blood from his brow.
I glanced around at the carnage. The bodies of villagers and darkspawn alike were strewn everywhere. Most of the houses were demolished and some were on fire. Several feet away, right in the center of town, I saw what appeared to be a golem. It was inert, arms raised and had a fierce scowl on its face.
I approached it warily and examined it. It had to be the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen in my life. Odd runes were etched into it and there were shimmering crystals jutting out from its shoulders and forearms, and it appeared to be made of stone. I had seen pictures of golems in books, but it was vastly different to see one in real life.
"This is a golem, I believe. Damaged…perhaps beyond repair," Wynne said. "There may be a way to reactive it, though that's not necessarily wise."
I took a step closer to the golem and spoke the command that Felix had told me. I held my breath and waiting for the golem to stir. It remained inactive, to my disappointment. Either the control rod was defective or the command code was incorrect.
Damn you Felix. I'll slit your lying throat! I thought.
"We ought to look around and flush the rest of the darkspawn holed up here. I can sense quite a few in that windmill over there," I said. "If we're lucky, we can find some survivors to help us activate the golem."
"It's worth a try, I suppose." Alistair said, half to himself.
I walked away from the golem and approached the town windmill. There was a door at the base and it looked quite similar to the one in Redcliffe. I had to carefully pick my way around the burning rubble that was strewn near the windmill.
It sounds like there's quite a few darkspawn in this windmill. I thought, listening to the unearthly humming sound of the darkspawn. They know we're here, it seems. They're waiting to surprise us. I imagine Alistair knows this as well.
I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. When I did, the stench of liquor, old straw, and darkspawn flooded my nostrils, causing me to cough a bit. The scent of old straw reminded me of the scents of the dog kennels of Highever. I then thought of the first time I had met Zeke; he had been a small pup at the time, still being nursed by his mother. He had been the runt of the litter, but looking at him now, it was impossible to tell. He was just as lively and robust as any other mabari.
It seemed that Zeke had been thinking the same thing, because I felt his wet nose muzzle my hand and he licked it. I scratched his ears and he started wagging his tail happily.
I never would've guessed that this hound would end up being my best friend and only friend. I thought. It's not such a bad thing, I suppose. Animals are by far more loyal and compassionate than humans. At least I know I can trust him with my life.
I grabbed a torch from the wall and headed down a long, dimly lit hallway. Dead bodies and trails of congealed blood lined the hall. Towards the end of the hallway was a small flight of stairs and a doorway. As soon as we went through the doorway, we encountered more darkspawn. I shoved my torch in the face of the first genlock that dared attack me. It shrieked in pain and surprise, and reeled back. It slipped on one of the books that were strewn across the floor and went skidding into one of the bookshelves. Several heavy tomes came crashing down on the hapless creature. Before it was able to get up, I delivered the death blow.
We swept through the chamber, cleaning out every last darkspawn. Once all the darkspawn were disposed of, I looked around the chamber. It appeared to be a research library. There were bookshelves lining the walls and a few desks. Most of the bookshelves were empty; their books had been thrown into a pile on the floor. My heart ached at the sight of the mangled tomes. I wanted to pick them up and place them back on their shelves, but unfortunately, I had more pressing matters to attend to. Perhaps when the darkspawn were taken care of, I could come back and sift through them.
On the opposite end of the library was another flight of stairs, which led into a brewery of some sort. Kegs of liquor were stacked up neatly, with their spouts accessible. I was quite parched, but I was uncertain as to whether it was to partake of the alcohol or not.
How long has this been here? I wondered. Months? Years?
I passed by the kegs, trying to ignore the random mutilated and impaled corpses of the villagers that were sprawled down the hallway. More darkspawn appeared at the top of a flight of stairs that was beyond the cellar.
A handful of frightened villagers witnessed our clash with the darkspawn. They were huddled in the far corner of the chamber, hidden behind a shimmering magical barrier. I imagined they were the only survivors of the darkspawn attack, save for the couple that had been fleeing when we first arrived.
After we eliminated the darkspawn from the chamber, I took a quick survey of my surroundings. It seemed that many experimentations had taken place in here. There were metal cages, large enough to fit humans inside, lined up against the walls. There were a couple desks and more bookshelves. A strange cluster of crystals sat on the desk.
"By the Maker, we're saved! You...you weren't set by the bann to save us, were you?" A man said. He had long blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.
I turned and looked at the terrified villagers, who were staring at me with huge, piteous eyes.
"I doubt anyone thought you were still alive." I said.
"I suppose I should be grateful that you came at all, then. But if you weren't sent by someone, why are you here? If you don't mind my asking." The blonde man said.
"A merchant told me about this place." I said.
"A merchant? Why would a merchant—oh, I think I know. This is about Shale, isn't it? I should've known. That damnable golem brought us nothing but trouble. My mother sold the rod years ago, after it killed my father, and good riddance!" The man spat.
"The golem is defective?" I asked.
"How should I know? It must be. My father was its master and it still killed him. Surely that's not normal behavior?" The man said.
"So, it killed its master? How?" I said.
"I am Matthias, son of Wilhelm, mage to the arls of Redcliffe and a hero in the war against Orlais. And what did he get? One day my mother found him outside the tower, with so many broken bones she could barely recognize him, and Shale standing over him just like it is now. My father deserved better than that. But if you want to wake Shale up...well it's yours now." He said.
"Except the rod doesn't work. Nothing happens." I replied.
The man dissolved the magical barrier, and as soon as he did, his companions took off running. Matthias remained where he was.
"My mother might have passed along the wrong command phrase when she sold the rod. She said she never wanted to see it active again," He said. "Look, I'll tell you the command phrase, but I need your help first. I know you already saved my life, and I'm grateful, but my daughter is inside the laboratory! She was afraid and ran too far in before I could stop her. I don't know how she made it past my father's defenses. One of the men tried to go after her, but he was killed. You could find her, couldn't you?"
Really? You want to send a stranger to find your daughter? I could easily go down there and slit her throat if I had the mind to. I thought. Or are you trying to send me to my death by going down trap laden tunnels? Yes, that sounds lovely. Send me down there to test out some traps to clear the path for you.
"What killed this man who went after her?" I asked.
"There are defenses my father put down there to keep strangers out. I knew about the barrier, I had the key for that, but the rest of it? We never went down there. Ever." He said.
"How do you know she's even still alive?" I said.
"I don't. I'm terrified that something's happened to her, and she's lying down there injured! I can't leave here until I know for certain. Surely you understand that?" He said.
Going down there seems like a terrible idea. I have a feeling that there are dangerous entities lurking about, not darkspawn, but supernatural beings such as demons. I thought. Well, if there are demons, I know how to dispose of them. I've fought more demons than darkspawn since becoming a Grey Warden. It makes me wonder why people want to behave asininely in times of national crisis. A Blight is hardly the time to be assassinating powerful people and loosing demons!
"Alright. I'll see if I can find her." I said.
"You will? Thank the Maker! My father's laboratory is just past the next area, I think. She has to be there!" He said.
We went through the doorway that was a several feet behind Matthias. The hallway contained large cobwebs that hung from the ceilings and walls. Occasionally, they brushed my shoulders and got caught in my hair. I shrieked on the top of my lungs when I accidentally walked into one. I desperately writhed, trying to free myself before a massive spider decided to appear.
I heard Alistair and Zevran chuckling behind me. Zeke barked angrily at them.
"Do you need some help there, Grey Warden?" Zevran asked.
"Yes, you dunce," I hissed. "I'd rather not meet my demise in a spider's web!"
"Hold still." Alistair said, struggling to suppress his mirth.
"Stop laughing!" I snapped.
"Cut her down, please. We don't have time to play around." Wynne said.
I could still see Alistair and Zevran's lips twitching at the corners as they slashed at the web that restrained me. Alistair caught me before I plopped down into the floor. I pushed him away and proceeded to remove the rest of the web from my hair, face, and body, refusing to allow anyone to help me. The fact that they found my misfortune hilarious left me feeling sour and embarrassed.
I got up and tied my hair back in a ponytail, avoiding the gazes of my companions, so that I could maintain at least a scrap of dignity.
At the end of the hallway, there was a spacious chamber with an unlit hearth. At the center of the chamber was a large oak desk that had a couple books and a few papers on top of it.
Three demons popped up from the floor just in front of the hearth, scaring me half to death. We had relatively little trouble dispatching them, but their sudden appearance had startled me.
On the desk, I found an old journal. I picked it up and opened it. The pages were yellowing and becoming brittle from age, but the print was still legible. I read a few of the entries aloud to my companions.
13 Pluitanis: The interrogation of the demon is going well, and is rather fascinating-provided that what it is saying is true. I have sent all my research so far to First Enchanter Arden, and while he is concerned about my safety he does not think there is a reason to stop just yet. All I hope is that the templars do not discover what I am doing. How will we ever find another way to deal with demonic possession if the Chantry does not let us research it?
20 Eluviesta: Young Matthias nearly wandered down here again today, and this time I forgot to leave the barrier up. I believe I will key the defenses to ignore anyone of my blood. I would rather have the boy stumble into the laboratory than have him killed by my forgetfulness. Poor lad, all he wants is to know why his father spends so much time beneath the tower. I will spend more time with him soon, I swear it.
28 Eluviesta: Shale is acting strangely. I wonder if I should discontinue my experiments upon it. I am so near a breakthrough, I am certain! Ahhh, perhaps it is best if I focus on the demon.
2 Matrinalis: The demon almost managed to get away again. Tricky. I shall have to be more careful. Young Eamon sent a letter asking me to return to Redcliffe. I shall have to consider it. Soon.
11 Matrinalis: Could it be? What an intriguing discovery, especially considering that the demon was attempting to keep me from it at all costs. Or did it lead me to that information by seeming to deny it from me? I must discover the truth.
19 Umbralia: I think it is time to dismiss this demon. It is too dangerous for me to continue holding it, and I cannot discount the possibility that it is having some influence over the golem. Or is it my experiments? I will try to deactivate Shale for the time being and then deal with the demon once and for all. Let it end here.
After I read the last entry, I closed the journal and placed it back on the desk.
"I wonder what it was that Wilhelm was trying to learn from the demon." Alistair murmured.
"No sane individual would toy with a demon," Wynne said. "There are reasons why the Chantry forbids such things; it's simply too dangerous."
"Could the demon have done something to the golem? Perhaps it isn't wise to activate it after all." Alistair said.
"We've already come this far, we may as well finish what we started. We made a promise to Matthias, after all. Grey Wardens keep their promises." I replied.
I ignored Alistair's sour expression and headed into the passageway located on the right side of the chamber. There was a chasm between the chamber that we had just left and the one up ahead. A rickety wooden bridge of sorts was all that allowed passage between the two chambers.
I slowly made my way across with Zeke at my side. I wasn't necessarily afraid to die, but falling down into a dark chasm certainly wasn't the way I'd like to perish.
Matthias's father's laboratory was just beyond the rickety bridge. However, it was nothing like I had expected it to be. I had expected the laboratory to be similar to Avernus's, but it wasn't. The chamber had a massive stone puzzle in the center, surrounded by several massive columns.
Standing before the puzzle was a young blonde girl and an orange cat. I assumed the girl was Matthias's daughter, Amalia. The girl and the cat turned and looked at us when we entered their chamber. When they looked at us, I noticed that the cat had violet eyes that glowed malevolently. This was no average cat, no doubt. I'd seen plenty of cats around my parent's castle and not a single one had such demonic eyes.
"Oh, look! Someone's come to play!" The little girl said.
"Good, you're safe. Your father was worried." I said.
"Father…? Oh! You can tell him I'm fine. Maybe he'll come and stay with us too," She said. "Anyway, you should go if you're not going to play. Kitty kinds you distracting."
"The cat...finds me distracting?" I asked.
"Kitty is clever. She says you'll want to take me back to my father, but I'm not going. She would be so lonely!" She said.
"You are so kind, Amalia. I would miss you dearly if you left." Kitty said.
I glared at the cat. It was glaring at me with a malevolence. And its voice...it was fiendish. I knew there was no way that this thing was a real cat; it was a bloody demon in disguise! How clever it was to use the guise of a cat to get close to a small child.
"That's not really a cat, is it?" I said.
"Of course she's a cat! She just talks, is all." Amalia replied.
"Talking is simple enough, once you know how." Kitty said.
"Right, what are you really?" Alistair asked.
"I am a cat. Really," Kitty said. "Nothing you say will convince Amalia to go with you. She loves only me now. I am her friend, while you are just strangers."
"I'm not leaving without the girl." I said through gritted teeth.
"It seems we're at an impasse, so let me propose a compromise. Release me, mortal, and let me have the girl. Let us return to her father and leave this place forever." Kitty said.
"Let you have her? You mean possess her?" I said.
"That's such a crude way of putting it. I don't wish to harm her. I merely want to see your world through her eyes. Is that so wrong?" Kitty responded.
I narrowed my eyes. There was absolutely no way that I was going to agree to this creature's terms. Why in the name of Andraste would I allow a demon to possess a young child, simply because it wished to see the world through mortal eyes? It was already in the body of a cat, so it could see the world just fine. It wanted more than just to experience the mortal world. I wasn't about to fall for its trick.
"Alright, I'll free you." I said.
Alistair and Wynne looked at me incredulously. I wanted to explain myself, but I was unable to. If I did, I'd expose my plan to the demon and it would probably possess Amalia right then and there. They'd just have to keep their mouths shut and wait.
"Thank you. You are very gracious," Kitty said. "The mage's wards hold me within this chamber, and only a mortal may approach them."
"Oh, this is so exciting! Kitty is going to be free!" Amalia exclaimed.
This must be the demon Wilhelm mentioned in his journal. If it is the same one…that means that it hasn't possessed or damaged Shale. I thought. Perhaps we can still revive the golem after all.
I approached the immense stone puzzle in the center of the chamber. It was nothing like I'd ever seen before. There were odd sunburst designs on each puzzle piece, along with a peculiar torches. I noticed that where the torches touched one another, the fire was transferred.
So it seems that the torches need to touch each other and pass the fire along. I thought as I examined the puzzle. The puzzle begins at the upper left corner and connects where?
My companions approached the puzzle and studied it. Each of us examined it closely. Within about an hour, we managed to solve it. As soon as we did, the force field that had been blocking the only entrance and exit dissolved.
Kitty sighed happily and stretched when it saw that the barrier was gone.
"Yes...I can feel the magic fading. Oh, I had forgotten how it feels to not be caged!" Kitty said.
"Kitty? What's happening?" Amalia asked.
"A wonderful thing, my dear, for both of us." Kitty replied.
"I said I'd free you, but I didn't say I'd let you live." I said.
"Betrayal! You will not take the girl! She's mine!" Kitty snarled.
"Kitty, you're scaring me! I won't let you inside me! I won't!" Amalia shrieked.
When Kitty began to shed its cat form, Amalia took off running as fast as she could. I unsheathed my longsword and swiftly decapitated the demon before it was able to assume its true form.
Apparently while it had been trying to change forms, it had summoned undead. Four of them charged at us, brandishing their weapons. Between the five of us, we were able to cut them down swiftly. Once they were dealt with, we returned to Matthias. He was ecstatic to have his daughter returned to him in one piece.
"You did it! You freed her! Thank you so much!" Matthias, Amalia's father, exclaimed.
"I'm sorry I ran away, Daddy. I was so scared!" Amalia said.
"It's all right, butterfly. You're safe now. All the bad creatures are gone." Matthias said, and then turned to me. "The phrase to activate Shale is 'dulen harn," if you still want that bloody thing. I wouldn't if I were you."
"Thank you." I said.
"Now we should go, and quickly. Thank you folks again. We owe you our lives." He said.
Matthias and Amalia departed using a ladder that was beside the cages. We used the same exit that they did to return to the surface. Once we were back on the surface, I took a deep breath of fresh air. Being underground was suffocating and unnerving. I preferred the surface world; the dwarves were in no danger of losing their underground world to the likes of me.
The sun was hanging low in the sky now and a chilly breeze whipped my hair from my shoulders. The fires that had been raging earlier were all but burnt out. Seeing all this carnage and destruction made me feel bad for the villagers that would have to clean it up. I hoped that they would survive the Blight that would arrive on their doorstep before long.
I returned to the center of the village where the golem stood inert. I spoke the phrase Matthias had given me. When I did, the crystals and runes on the golem began to glow brightly. It slowly began to move, seeming to struggle to do so.
The golem fixed me in its gaze. Somehow, there was scorn and displeasure on its stone features. How was it possible for a construct to have emotions?
"I knew the day would come when someone would find the control rod," Shale sighed. "And not even a mage this time. Probably stumbled across the rod by accident, I suppose. Typical."
"Well hello to you to." I said.
It ignored my response and glanced around at its surroundings. It didn't hold my companions in any higher regard than it held me.
"I stood here in this spot and watched the wretched little villagers scurry around me for, oh I have no idea. Many, many years." Shale said.
"And the villagers had no idea they were being watched? Creepy." Alistair said.
"I was just beginning to get used to the quiet. Tell me, are all the villagers dead?" Shale said.
"Not all of them, no." I replied.
"Some of them got away, then? How unfortunate," Shale said. "It does have the control rod, doesn't it? I am awake, so it must."
"It certainly does. Right in its hand." I said, presenting the control rod.
"I see the rod yet I feel…go on, order me to do something." Shale said.
"All right. Walk over there." I commanded.
Shale stood still for a few seconds, waiting. It seemed surprised that nothing happened.
"And…nothing? I feel nothing. I feel no compulsion to carry out its command. I suppose this means the rod is broken?" Shale said.
"So…what now?" I said.
"I suppose if I can't be commanded, that means…I have free will, yes? It is simply…what should I do? I have no memories beyond watching this village. I have no purpose…I find myself at a bit of a loss," Shale said. "What about it? It must have woken me up for some reason, no? What did it intend to do with me?"
"I hadn't given it much thought." I replied.
"Then I suppose I have two options: either go with it or go elsewhere. I…do not even know what lies beyond this village." Shale said.
"You're welcome to come with me." I said.
"Are you certain you want that thing following us? It's large and could be dangerous." Alistair said.
"Think of it as a personal battering ram." I said quietly.
"Good point. Better it than me anyhow." He remarked.
"I will follow it about then…for now," Shale said. "By the way, I am called Shale."
"I am Aveline. Pleased to meet you." I said.
"This should be interesting." Shale said.
XXXXX
As I had originally promised, before getting sidetracked with our trip to Honnleath, I turned north and trekked to Orzammar. The closer we drew to the immense Frostback Mountains, the colder the weather became. Within a couple days of leaving Honnleath, I began to see snow falling on the jagged peaks.
Zevran, of all of us, seemed to be the most miserable. For most of the day, I could hear his teeth chattering and he shivered frequently. I offered him a cloak twice; the first time he rejected the offer and the second time he accepted. I had a feeling that he was still sour about his failed attempt to murder me and was secretly plotting another attempt. Having any sort of emotional connection to me would only hinder future assassination attempts.
"I've a question for you, Shale. How does it feel to be a giant statue?" Zevran asked.
"What a bizarre question. How else would it feel?" Shale said.
"Well, let's see... Does it hurt? Do you feel like you've been buried under a pile of rock? Or do you feel nothing at all?" He said.
"I have nothing to compare it to. How does it feel to be considered an inferior race when compared to others who are just as soft and weak as you?" Shale responded.
"Ah...fine?" He said.
"How very fragile it must be. One touch and its kind crumples, spilling liquid everywhere," Shale scoffed. "No wonder they clad themselves in metal."
"It takes more than just a touch, I'm sure..." He said.
"I feel very solid and immortal. No putrid liquids to squirt out of me." Shale said.
"Hmm…now that you mention it, I...I suddenly rather feel like a delicate mushroom..." He muttered.
It was clear that Shale's words had stung Zevran. As hard as he tried to hide his emotions, I could see them when he thought no one was looking. There was grief and loneliness usually, but occasionally, a small glimmer of hope could be seen in the topaz depths of his eyes. Hope for what, I was uncertain.
As the third day was drawing to a close, I could see the outskirts of Orzammar just on the horizon. A pair of immense stone statues of dwarves brandishing war hammers marked the entrance. The city itself was underground; I knew that what lied ahead would only be a small portion of the grand dwarven capital. From what I understood, it was the only dwarven city left here in Ferelden.
"Are we going to enter Orzammar? I don't believe they allow non-dwarves within." Zevran said.
"Be that as it may," I said, digging a shallow pit for a campfire. "We are Grey Wardens. Our treaties allow us to request aid from anyone during a Blight."
"Grey Wardens or not, I don't know if they'll be welcoming of us. You and I aren't distinguished Wardens; it's unlikely that we'll receive the same reverence as someone like Duncan would have." Alistair replied.
"They make golems here, do they not?" Shale asked, before I had the chance to respond.
"There used to be a golem deactivated one stored in the tower's vault. I wonder what became of it." Wynne said.
"Why was it deactivated? Did it crush some arrogant mage's head after one too many commands?" Shale asked.
"I do not know, Shale. Perhaps it is just irreparably broken. I think it stayed in the tower because no one could move it. It is very, very old. I believe it came from Tevinter, a long time ago. Perhaps someone bought it so it would guard the tower." She replied.
"Its people do enjoy their slaves, don't they?" Shale scoffed.
"It... it was not a slave! It was... it is a..." She stammered.
"A tool? As I thought," Shale grunted. "No, don't deny it. No."
While Shale and Wynne had been chatting, I had started a campfire. Alistair and Zevran had pitched their tents, and knelt down near the fire. Zevran was still shivering a bit, despite the fact he was wearing the wool cloak I had given him.
It must be pretty warm where he is from. I thought as I set my tent up. He said he was from Antiva, I believe. I wonder what it's like there. Well, besides the assassins of course. I'm sure there's more to the country than the Crows, though they do seem to be important, or so people say.
Wynne knelt down beside of me and began to open her backpack. As soon as she began to unravel her tent, I heard footsteps approaching us. I immediately put my hand on the hilt of my longsword and scanned our surroundings. I spotted a group of people, three heavily armed warriors, one archer and an elven mage, just a few yards away. They clearly weren't knights; they were mercenaries. By the gleam in their eyes, it appeared that they had found their targets: us.
"It's about time the Grey Wardens came along," The leader, a burly man wielding a wicked battle axe, said. "Loghain sends his regards!"
Instantly, the fight was on. Shale was the closest one to the mercenaries, so it delivered the first strike. The golem punched the man with the battle axe in the face, crushing his skull. Brains, blood, and shattered bone fragments was all that was left of his head.
Maker's breath! I'm glad that wasn't me! I thought.
Unfortunately for the mercenaries, we were more than a match for them. There were six of us and five of them. Shale pulverized the leader, Alistair and Wynne killed the mage, Zeke and I overwhelmed the two warriors, while Zevran killed the archer. The placid hillside path was coated in gore now.
With the help of Alistair, Shale, and Zevran, I rolled the corpses off the side of the cliff. I didn't want people who came by after us to be frightened by the mangled corpses of the mercenaries.
Once the bodies were disposed of, we returned to our campsite. We were a little ways off the path, so that we wouldn't be in the way of incoming people and so that we wouldn't attract any more attention to ourselves.
We huddled around the fire and ate dinner quietly, except for Shale. The golem stood with its back turned to us, watching our surroundings.
I wonder if it was once a dwarf from Orzammar. I thought. Or perhaps it's much older than that. Perhaps it came from the time where dwarves flourished and had numerous underground cities? It said that it didn't have any memories prior to life in Honnleath, but perhaps there's a way to uncover its ancient memories?
My musing was interrupted when I heard Zeke growl angrily, followed by a pained gasp from Alistair.
"Argh! Why you little—" Alistair said.
"Are you harassing my dog?" I asked.
"Harassing your dog? I should say it's the other way around! Your furry little friend here took offense at me getting near his food. Snapped at me! Look!" He exclaimed.
He held out his arm for me to see the damage that Zeke caused. Sure enough, there was a bite mark on his forearm. It wasn't too deep, fortunately for him. At least hadn't gotten his arm torn off or shredded to ribbons. I had seen plenty of Zeke's victims from skirmishes and battles, and needless to say, Alistair was lucky he wasn't an enemy.
"There's hardly any blood drawn. You must remember, he's a war dog." I replied.
Zeke laid his ears back and growled angrily at Alistair.
"Sometimes I forget that," He sighed. "That'll teach me."
Alistair finished his food and went into his tent. Not too long after, Wynne went in her tent and Zeke fell asleep by the fire. Shale was standing motionless by the edge of our camp, looking very much like a statue. Zevran and I were alone now.
"Why did you want to leave the Crows exactly?" I asked.
"Well now, I imagine that is a very fair question. Being an assassin, after all, is a living at least as far as such things go. I was simply never given the opportunity to choose another way. So if that choice presents itself, why should I not seize upon it?" He replied.
"Did you really not have the choice to become a Crow in the first place?" I inquired.
He was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. It seemed that he was trying to come up with a good answer for my question. Either that or he was trying to decide how honest he was going to be with me.
"To be truthful, I didn't know the Crows existed when I joined them. I was but a boy of seven when I was purchased. For three sovereigns I'm told. It was a good price, considering that I was just ribs and bone, and didn't know the pommel of a dagger from the pointy end," He said. "The Crows buy all their assassins that way. Buy them young, raise them to know nothing but murder and if you do poorly in your training, you die."
I stared at him in astonishment. "And that system works?" I said.
"Of course! You compete against your fellow assassins and those who survive are rightfully proud of it. In Antiva, being a Crow gets you respect and it gets you wealth. It gets you women and men, or whatever it is you might fancy," He said. "But that does mean doing what is expected of you, always. And it means being expendable. It's a cage, if a gilded cage. Pretty, but confining."
"What is it you fancy, exactly?" I asked.
"I fancy many things. I fancy things that are beautiful and strong. I fancy things that are dangerous and exciting," He replied. "Would you be offended if I said I fancied you?"
"No, not at all." I said, trying to sound nonchalant as possible. I didn't want him to think I was head over heels in love with him. He could easily manipulate me if he thought I had any sort of feelings for him.
He chuckled and grinned mischievously. "This is good to know," He said. "As for what I'll do in the future, presuming that there is one, I truly can't imagine. It might be interesting to go into business for myself for a change. Far away from Antiva, of course…but for now, naturally, I go where you go."
"I'm happy to have you along, Zevran." I said.
"And here I am, happy to be had. Isn't it wonderful how things work out that way? Anyways, enough chit-chat…talking about the Crows summons them, you know. Any Antivan fishwife could tell you so." He said.