Too Much Pride

"Uldred!" Riley shouted as she entered the room distracting the blood mage from the ritual he was performing on a mage of the circle tower.

"My, my, Irving. It appears that we have guests here today who seemed to have made it past my pet," Uldred smirked at his reference to the sloth demon that they had just escaped from, "whatever could it be that you've decided to pay me, old Uldred, a visit this evening?"
"We're here to put a stop to your antics, Uldred. You will not enslave these mages any longer."

"Oh, but why would you ask something like that of me? I'm sure you will understand it quite well, Riley. I have felt a weight lift from my shoulders after taking over this tower only to watch it crumble once we're finished with it."
"I don't care what your reason for doing this might be, but you have involved innocent mages who wanted no part of this in the first place."
"I know who you are, Riley. I know that you hated your time here in the circle tower. The only reason that you weren't made tranquil was because of your father's role in providing this tower with funds that it wouldn't be able to live without," Uldred cackled at the look of surprise that overcame Riley's face, "oh, you didn't know? Any other mage that has managed to escape this tower has been immediately executed or made tranquil. I'm surprised by your reaction to say the least."

"I— I had no idea that, that…" Riley was at a loss of words as she tried to gather a reasonable comeback to Uldred's remarks about her family.

"Come now, child. Doesn't this aggravate you? Don't you wish to watch this place burn with those who ridiculed you for what you are? You were born powerful and the people here wish to just lock all of this power away! We could start an uprising of the mages, and we could one day free ourselves from the chantry and be free just as the mages are in Tevinter!"

"No," Riley's fists clenched at her side to the point of drawing blood that trickled down her fingers and pooled on the floor, "I will listen to you no longer! I had friends in this tower, friends that you've butchered and I will hear no more!"

With Riley's final words she unleashed a barrage of fireballs from the head of her staff in Uldred's direction. He was able to evade most of the attacks thrown at him, but the fire still singed the robes that he wore. He cursed under his breath knowing that this wasn't going to be an easy fight against three mages and a bloody templar to say the least. Uldred knew that there was going to be only one way out of the situation he put himself in.

Uldred lifted a barrier, shielding himself from any attacks thrown at him while he prepared a ritual. He was allowing a demon into his body in order to save his own skin. Riley and her comrades began attacking Uldred's lackeys who were attempting to use their blood magic to transform the surviving mages into abominations to increase their numbers. For a moment Riley wasn't sure what she was to do, but then she remembered the Litany of Adralla that she had obtained from her friend.

Riley pulled out the Litany and began chanting the words it contained. In an instant the blood mages fell to the ground with their powers bound. She grinned when she realized that it had worked and began helping the mages in danger to safety. Riley knew that there wasn't going to be a way to get to Uldred through the barrier he put up and that they were going to have to wait for an opening to attack. Irving had collapsed from the exhaustion of having to keep his mind guarded from the foul thoughts that Uldred had tried to pour into his mind. Alistair quickly pulled the First Enchanter off to the side out of harm's way before readying himself to attack Uldred.

With a bellowing laugh Uldred began to morph into a new form that Riley had seen before. She watched as his legs grew three times in height and size as well as his arms that drug on the ground until he reached his full height. His skin became a dark shade of purple as his head grew larger and larger until his face was no longer recognizable. The whites of his eyes became clouded in a deep black as multiple eyes began sprouting out all across his forehead. Riley trembled as she recognized the demon that stood before her. Uldred had become a demon of pride in an instant and she knew that this wasn't going to be an easily won battle.

"Stand back everyone!" Riley shouted as she let the distance between herself and Uldred grow, "this type of demon attacks up close and at a distance! Lighting is the main attack type that you can expect from this beast!"

Everyone in the party followed suit just in time to avoid the lightning whip that Uldred had unleashed. Uldred's comrades were executed as the lighting grazed over them, electrocuting them instantly. The lightning singed the ground that it had hovered over and clashed with the wall, shattering the stone brick. The wall began to crumble to pieces as a hole gaped open revealing the storm that was raging outside. The floor became drenched as the wind forced the rain into the tower. A grin overcame the pride demons face as he knew that he was going to win this battle with water to conduct his electricity through.

Riley's mind became clouded with thoughts on what to do about the situation that she was in. She had her friends and the mages of this tower to protect at this moment, and she damned herself for thinking she could do it all alone. She knew that she was going to have to sacrifice herself in order to protect those she cared for if the rest were to make it out alive in this fight. When Riley was about to step forward to use herself as a human shield against the attack, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Wynne smiled down to her as she moved to stand between the demon and her comrades. With a nod of her head she clapped her hands with her staff in the center and she drove her staff into the ground and formed a barrier separating themselves from the demon.

"Attack the demon, now!" Wynne shouted with all of her being as she struggled to hold her staff in place when the demon began attacking the barrier she had formed, "his attacks cannot reach us from this side, but yours will reach him!"

Morrigan and Riley nodded to one another, firing attack after attack on the demon. Uldred began to slow his movements as his mana slowly began to run dry. Riley noticed that his right side was open.

"Alistair! He's weakened on his right side," Riley shouted to the templar who stood there unsure of what to do as he wasn't trained at long distance fighting, "I will shield you from his attacks, but you'll need to act quick!"

Alistair nodded his head as he charged the barrier that Wynne had made. She opened her barrier for him to step through. A white light encased the templar as he charged the demons right side. Fear ran through his bones as he watched the demon launch lightning attacks at him left and right, but not a single attack landed on him. A smile overcame his face when he realized that he was safe to attack this demon so long as it didn't land a physical blow on him.

He dodged the demon's arm that swung to knock him into the nearby wall, and made his way to the demons right side. He drew his blade as far back as he could and plunged it into the demons ribcage. Uldred howled in pain as blood seeped from the wound that Alistair caused. Alistair dropped his shield and placed both hands on the hilt of his sword and pulled the blade down, tearing the demon's side to shreds. He quickly withdrew his blade and ran for cover once he realized that the demon was going to attack him again. Screams of pain echoed through the tower walls as Uldred collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Slowly Uldred began to morph back into his human self as the demon withdrew from his body in time to save its own life.

Wynne dropped her barrier as Riley made her way to ensure that Uldred had in fact been finished once and for all. When she approached the man she could see his eyes clouded over almost as if he was at peace with what he had done to the tower. Riley cursed under her breath and kicked the man one last time out of spite. Once she realized that the fighting was done she turned to her friends with relief washing throughout her. Her knees gave way as she landed on the floor with a smile on her face. They were able to take the demon down without losing anyone.

"Irving!" Wynne gasped as she rushed to the first enchanter's side, "Irving! Are you alright?"

"I will be alright, Wynne," Irving croaked as he attempted to pull himself off the ground, "what of the other mages in the tower? Are they alright?"

"Many didn't make it out alive, I'm afraid."
"What a tragedy that has befallen the circle. Though I am glad to see that so many have managed to make it through this horror that has overcome us all."
"I'm relieved to see you're well, Irving," Riley nodded in Irving's direction.

"As am I, child. As am I," Irving warmly smiled, "what of Gregior? I'm sure he's sent for the Right of Annulment at this point."
"Yes, but he agreed to halt it if he were to see you alive, Irving," Wynne smiled from ear to ear, "the circle is saved because of you."

"No," Irving shook his head side to side in denial, "it is because of all of you that the tower is saved. Without your assistance I would've eventually caved and become an abomination in Uldred's army of demons."
Wynne opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced when she watched Irving make his way over to the other mages who had collapsed out of fear. He shook them awake and assisted them in finding their ground when they pulled themselves together enough to stand. The rest of the group helped as well, and they began making their way for the staircase. This was going to be the longest set of stairs that they've ever journeyed on.