Kara Trevelyan
The Inquisitor watched Briala and Alirna work the Eluvian. She tapping on the thing with her finger and he waving over it with his glowing staff.
"Come on Briala. We need to go." Kara pleaded. "I doubt we can hold off the Dalish forever and if they get a hold of the Orb…"
"I know!" She snapped. "But I just can't seem to work it. We'll get it done though."
Kara nodded, before running off back for the entrance.
"Inquisitor!" Iron Bull yelled from the top. "They are making their next push."
She sighed before breaking out into a dead run and rushing up the steps, chest pumping.
"Seems to be mostly infantry this time," Iron Bull reported as she joined him, "about three hundred of them total divided into columns."
Kara frowned. Three hundred against us, but then we do have the high ground.
Bishop came up to her. "Inquisitor. What shall we do? It seems they aren't advancing, they are just standing there."
Kara's lips pursed.
"They are trying to intimidate us." She murmured. "Well, let us not let them. To your places."
Bishop nodded before heading off.
Bull grinned next to her, quite feral. "They may be trying to intimidate us, but, it won't work."
"You think we can beat three hundred Dalish?" Kara aske brightly.
"Ma'am, I think you can do anything you put your mind to. Besides…all we have to do is buy our people time."
Kara nodded. "Right. Time."
"Inquisitor!"
Kara arched her eyebrow, the voice drifted out over to her from down the mountain. The voice of the Dalish Keeper.
"Last chance! Surrender now! This is your final warning!"
Kara glared down at the battlefield. Stretching right in front of the mountain were six columns of infantry, lined in rows of three by three. Archers in the back, and swordsmen in front.
No banners, no pomp, no circumstance. Just the feeling of the utter resolve to get the job done.
But yet, we too have that feeling. And the Inquisition have killed would be gods.
Glaring down at her opponent, across the yards, she locked eyes with her prey. And smiled. The smile of a predator. A Hawk.
"No." She mouthed at him.
Despite the odds the Elven Mage reacted as if being hit solidly in the forehead. Wincing away from her.
Her bow came up and around smoothly, the arrow coming out of its quiver with a whoosh of arrow. It was fired without barely being aimed, not really. Yet it still sailed through the air, and with a six count struck home into its target. The Elf in question jerked tautly, as the string in her bow, before falling face first.
The assembled Dalish glanced at him, and then glanced back up at their positions. Then they started advancing. By lines. The fallen Elf was quickly replaced by the next one in line. The archers began nocking arrows to bows, while trying to keep up. But they were having difficulty.
Not a trained military force. Kara remarked.
"So much for time." Iron Bull said in her ear. He didn't sound nervous, or eager, just the pure hard won experience to get the job done.
"Archers!" She shouted.
Several of the humans she had armed popped out of the rocks and crags around her. Armed with bow and crossbow.
They were military trained, at least more so then the Dalish charging at us. But not as an integrating units. Just tied together at the last minute.
So, their fire came out as they were ready, and not in coordinated volleys.
Kara and Sera also joined the fire. Arrows flied through the air. They didn't have enough people to make it a truly impressive display, it worked though.
A good many of the arrows and bolts from the little organized militia missed. By Kara's rough estimation roughly two thirds of the shots missed their intended targets. Yet those that hit still slowed the enemy down.
While Kara's shots, most of hers found their targets. Perhaps on the order of eight or nine out of ten. At least if she was able to get ten shots of. Sera, was more lethal still, perhaps all of hers struck home. Thinning the ranks of the advancing legion.
The Elves began returning the fire, first one arrow or two, but then more. Most of the fire was focused on either her or Sera.
She had to dance among the rocks, dive among them as arrows clinked off of them. Yet took the time to spring up and fire again, though the bursts were fewer, and less carefully aimed then before.
Sera was just jerking to the side, letting each of the arrows sail past her…and she plucked any arrows that were still intact which landed at her feet. And firing them back at the enemy with her expected precision.
The first Elves reached the bottom of summit and began climbing up, the archers were still raining down covering fire while the defenders returned it down on their opponents, in a deadly game of chess.
Overall I am impressed by the results we are getting.
They rushed up the slopes quickly. Picking up and over the rocks. Despite the fierce cover fire and counter fire put up by the combined human forces they bolted forward. Their own Archers putting up a limited display to counter, but enough to keep them occupied.
They are trying to pin us. Kara realized.
"Fall back!" She yelled gesturing wildly. Chopping at the air with one of her arms.
The Elves rushed forward, Kara had to dodge aside as two arrows barely missed her by a hair beat. Two of the human guards were not so fortunate though as they both took arrows through their chests.
Forty paces further on and Kara turned to face her onrushing foe, losing an arrow at them, it did not matter if it hit, just to maybe give someone pause.
She had pre-positioned bushels of arrows throughout their intended course back to the main entrance to their caves.
Crouching low in the brush she grabbed a hand full of arrows, replenishing her stock before emerging again. The Elves were much closer, but Sera was already up and firing on her end. Taking a few of them out in turn.
Their lines were looking more raggedy by the second, but they still had the overwhelming sense of weapons, arms, and men on their side.
Another one of them took a hit, another fast retreat. By Kara's estimation so far they had managed to kill, as a group, around forty five of the Elves, which still left two hundred and fifty to contend with.
Including mages.
As if on cue a lightning bolt came in and split the air. Shocking next to her and causing her to spin away. She fired on the move, landing a perfect shot, a head hot. But now they were in full retreat.
Legs pumping beneath her as she dodged and fled though the uneven terrain, gambling that the mages would not follow. And nor did they. No peals of lightning or arcane magic followed her.
The Elves valued their mages. There were so few Keepers and Apprentices through the Clans.
Limiting themselves to the two mages per clan does give us an advantage.
Yet the arrows plinking off the ground were enough to convince her that her safest course was in motion after all.
Until she ran where she wanted. And ran up it. Ancient watch towers built by some ancient power. Foliage snaked its way up its cylindrical core, yet they were still capable of doing their job. Providing cover. Looking over the battlefield.
Kara took a few deep breaths. Gasping, sucking in mouthfuls of air. Her breathing came under control as she wrenched an arrow from one of the quivers she had placed in the watch tower, and brought it to hand, firing it down range, just as the first wave of Elves were already cresting the hill to get to her.
Sera had already mounted the tower next to her and was already pumping out arrows of her own.
With deadly precision once more the Inquisitor and her allies were thinning out the ranks of the enemy. Arrow upon arrow struck home.
Kara once more began the delicate dance of duck-loose-duck. Arrows whizzed by her, and crackled as they hit the side of the watch tower. Her shots were becoming more desperate, more erratic, the closer the enemy got.
She dove again for the deck as three arrows whizzed by just a moment where her head was. Her nerves were shot, she could feel herself shaking. She took several deep, calming, breaths.
"OK, that's it…hold on." She chanted to herself. Before slowly rising off the ground, bringing arrow to bow, and stretching the string out to max draw.
She fired, and again the missile struck true. Hitting its intended target straight in the center of its mass.
Another arrow struck home. She felt in a rhythm now, as she leapt out of the way of a third arrow coming in before balancing and firing one straight back.
But the Elves were cooing ever closer to her. Almost point blank range. Her shots were becoming easier and easier with every second…but so were theirs.
One of their darts, fired by an Elf in the back row with flowing blond hair, forced her off her perch. She dove to the side, leaping off of it, and landing awkwardly on her shoulder.
A cry escaped her lips as pain exploded, first in her shoulder but then shooting throughout her body.
Yet she did not have time to waste. She leapt up. Limping off, favoring her shoulder with one of her hands while still clutching onto her bow. Wincing all the way, her breathing labored.
She unstopped the bottle of potion she had on her belt and drunk from it. Gulping it down in one long pull. It left a bitter, repugnant after taste but caused her toes to tingle.
Almost instantly her shoulder felt fresh, healed, and pain free. She did feel a slight buzz, but her shoulder was not numb by any stretch of the imagination. It felt like it was in perfect working order.
Amazing stuff Elfroot.
She broke into a sprint for their next defensive perimeter, a small dirt berm cut into the middle of the mountain.
Sera was already there, kneeling, aiming down her arrow and giving her covering fire.
"Hey your grand Inquisitorialness." Sera mocked as she dove beneath the berm.
Kara nocked an arrow and fired, hitting yet another Elf. Her kill count was going through the roof, but there was plenty to choose from.
"Didn't I tell you?" Sera challenged.
"Do." Loose.
"Not" Arrow fire.
"Trust." Another Elf down in the dirt.
"THE DALISH!" She scrammed before unleashing a torrent of six arrows in rapid succession. All successful shots to their various targets.
Kara was quite bemused and awed by the display.
"I." She said in turn taking out another Elven spearman, his spear rattling in the dirt.
"Know."
This was essentially the last line of defense and she mounted an explosive bolt to her bow. It exploded and took out the first row of about five. Knocking bodies hard back into the dirt, and sending hot shrapnel and chunks of rock peppering in all directions.
Swordsmen came out of the trees and rushed into the breach, humans, of all ages and sizes. Many of them twirled in, some took more direct paths, their blades chopping and cutting through the air.
The forces of the combined clans met them, thrusting spears into several of their guts. The humans pressed on though, and swords bit down on flesh, in a mass melee. No grand game. No technique. Just pure unadulterated murder.
The Inquisitor drew a bead on a resplendent looking Elf with gold painted on his armor. Maybe an officer, strafing left to right, she fired. A perfect head shot killing her opponent instantly. She had no choice though. The Elves killed the last of the brave humans. Sacrificing themselves.
Though if we can buy enough time then maybe we can still save the world.
"Come on! Everyone else! Back to the cave!" She shouted, over the din of battle, before bolting for the cave and running backwards.
The Elves, sensing blood in the water, broke ranks. Kara checked over her shoulder to see the Iron Bull flank them. His giant great sword swung down in two quick chops, taking out two of the Elves. With a great yank he drew another one back and stabbed him through his gut.
Three more down.
He then disappeared back towards the trees. But Kara knew where he was heading.
"Come on, come on, and keep moving!" She said slapping the backs of two of the survivors of her forces in quick succession, one of them the leader, she drew another bead out of her quiver and fired. Slamming another Elf down into the dirt.
One Elf drew a bead on her, and fired, the split second that took Iron Bull slammed her against the cave wall with a powerful fist, stars exploded before her eyes, and he grimaced as the arrow struck his massive hide.
With the last of the Inquisition now in the cave system she bolted through it. Once more her arms were pumping and her legs were taking massive strides down to the main temple. The center of the Elvhen ruins.
She followed the human voices in front of her. Now it was time for one last stand.
Come on Kara, keep going, keep going, she urged herself to go faster and faster.
Emerging into the chasm her spirits crashed, the bottom of her stomach felt like it dropped with the path, her foot hovering over a slight abyss.
The Eluvian was not active, not shimmering, it was cold and dead as it had been for probably hundreds of years. For countless ages of man.
Briala was there as well, rushing to change her.
"I take it that efforts to open the Eluvian aren't working?" Kara graveled out.
Briala huffed, blowing a stray group of hairs out of her eyes. Sweat caked her brow and her lips were parted as she breathed heavily.
"No," She replied, "it is not obeying any of the protocols. Everything I know about Eluvians…none are working."
"And my magics aren't awakening its path either! This one may be totally dead!"
No. "We can't let that happen. It's our only way out of here. The only way to get the orb out of here."
"I am trying Inquisitor!" Alirna held his staff high, it began glowing, a pure white green light breaking out and bursting from the crystal at the top. A humming permeated the air.
"Quickly, we don't have time!" Kara shouted over the gathering noise.
She found a perch, and got into position. Iron Bull, Sera, and Briala fanned out and flanked her. The few humans that survived flanked them. All facing the high point, they were on the lower ground. Their opponents had the higher one. They weren't in a good position. Tactically as well as for pure chances of survival. The Elves had them cornered.
I have let them corner us. Kara thought grimly. She had gambled once too often and failed.
As if on cue she heard boots running towards them across the stone passages leading to the chamber.
Kara controlled her breathing, before nocking an arrow to its string. Drawing it back, aiming for the entrance. She fired as soon as the first swish of a green cloak crossed the threshold. The arrow perfectly hit him in his chest.
More came from the other adjoining passages. Sera fired.
Kara felt the familiar tingle of magic being woven on her as she felt a barrier spring up around her. Just in time to snap a shaft in two as it slammed into the magical shield. The human mage they had enlisted for help was finally providing support now that they were in the absolute last defensive ring.
Bishop leapt forward, covering the flank, cutting down two Dalish with precise chops of his sword. Age and experience making up with any rot.
Kara took out an Elf mounting an attack on his flank, but yet another one bit into his arm with a blow from his sword. Bishop howled, and then shoved the poor Dalish tribesman away.
They just kept coming. Kara mounted an arrow to her bow, jerking it from side to side as all the Elves continued to pour into the room.
I can't fire…it's over, for now.
She bought her bow into a half raised position, and then lowered it completely, with surprising care given her position placing it on the ground. So that she would not risk damaging, or dirtying the weapon too much.
Bull, Bishop, Sera, and the rest of their forces looked at her but did likewise. Lowering their weapons.
The Elves came up short. Their look was murderous, but they were at least somewhat disciplined.
The four Keepers came through the hall. Resplendent In their long robes. Seeming to indicate the colors of their clans.
Rawan, Hawen, and the two others, their staves clinking off the floor as they maneuvered into the room. Pushing through to their followers.
Kara took several deep breaths. Trying to calm herself, and her bird.
Rawan got right up in her face. Staring at her within a nose breath.
"Well, Kara Trevelyan, did you really think you could beat the United Clans of the Dalish, with maybe two dozen humans? Is this the arrogance we have come to expect of you shems, the arrogance that leads you to believe you can continue to dictate the course of our events Inquisitor? The arrogance-"
"Which leads to constant monologuing." Kara cut across him.
Rawan's eyes widened and he spat on her feet. "Filthy Shemlin."
"So is that it?" Kara challenged. "Your grand plan to unite the Clans? More war? More death?"
"Is that not your plan Shem?" One of the fellow Keepers barked. "To wage war on the Orlesians?"
Kara's eye swiveled on the new speaker. "By making peace. By encouraging stability and a better part. Not to rip the Empire apart by blood, but by providing a light for a better path."
"Empire's exist to rule, there can be no peace. Blood calls out for blood." Rawan countered.
"So is that your plan? Tear the sky open and plunge the world in blood?" Kara replied.
"My plan is to restore the People." Rawan murmured.
"By destroying everyone else?" Kara asked.
"If that is what it takes, change is coming Inquisitor."
"Then why don't you kill us Rawan?" Kara asked. Her eyes swiveling to Hawen. "If you plan on putting the Dalish on top by grinding everyone else under your heel, then why spare us at all?" Taking a bold gamble.
Rawans face split into an amused grin, "I wasn't planning on sparing you, but, you must understand why your deaths are necessary."
"Gee don't we just feel honored." Sera sneered. "Even Dalish nobles punch down."
Rawan smiled again at the antics of the City Elf. But gestured at the line of Elven guards behind him.
"Keeper Rawan, if I may have a word?" Hawen turned to the Over Keeper, grabbing him by the shoulder, effectively intercepting him.
"You may not," The Over-Keeper said wrenching his hand out of the man's grasp.
"This is not our way." Hawen growled, sounding surprisingly aggressive for someone of his advanced years.
Kara watched the proceedings, her breath caught in her throat, barely breathing. Afraid that a single breath could break up the spell. Could draw the attention of the two men back to her and order her execution.
"They were our guests, we invited them into our clans in good faith. Made a pact with them."
"This wouldn't be the first pact the Shems have broken." Rawan hissed back, advancing towards them.
Kara looked behind her and smiled, taking a deep breath, steadying her nerves.
"You have read the history of Red Crossing that was provided by the Inquisition, you know what the true history of the event was." Hawen argued, and then gesticulated widely at the Inquisition party. "At least take them as hostages, the Inquisition will pay a high price for their return!"
"NO!" Rawan yelled, so loud he shook. "Guards, take them, and if anyone resists kill-"
"If you gentlemen are quite finished," Kara spoke calmly, her hands folded in her lap.
The two Keepers turned towards her in unison and blinked.
"I feel you may want to be made aware of a…recent development." Kara continued, waving towards the Eluvian.
Rawan's eyes scanned the area around it, widening subtly, as if suspecting where she was going.
"The Orb. Andruil's orb. We have it. It's gone. We managed to take it through the Eluvian." Kara pointed out.
Rawan's eyes darted about once more, growing perceptibly larger very quickly, the size of Orlesian dinner plates. "No!" He raged. "Kill them! Kill them all!"
As he gave the order the Eluvian shimmered to life. Inquisition forces came through. Blackwall led the way. Cole and Dorian followed, along with Inquisition archers in their wake, arrows already nocked, looking for targets. And firing as they were acquired.
In the few extra seconds of confusion bought them magic tingled around Kara as she felt a barrier spring up around her. Dorian weaving his magic. And then him and the Human Rebel mage began casting offensive spells on the line of Dalish.
Kara dove for her dragon bow, her hand wrenching an arrow out of her quiver. She kneeled, and fired quickly into the guts of one of the hunters knocking him off his feet dead.
Out of her periphery she saw Hawen take a hit to the shoulder, also going down, the shaft embedded almost up to its feathers.
She had little time to worry about it though. Instead marching up through the line. Arrows whizzed through the air, crisscrossing in a bitter dance. But those of the Dalish bounced off harmlessly on the new barriers springing up along their ranks. The Keepers were too busy defending themselves to worry about their allies.
More Dalish entered from the passages. Only to be cut down by Inquisition archers covering the approaches.
Kara drew her attention to Rawan, the man had already taken an arrow in the arm, and was staggering around, his staff glowing in unfocused magic. But he was unrecovered.
Kara fired another arrow. This one slashed into his chest and knocked him back. Kara brought another arrow out of her quiver and launched it into his chest, taking out the proverbial pound of flesh. His heart.
The hunters reacted to their leaders fall with dismay, but a rugged determination to fight to the bitter end. Another one of the Keepers fell, this time from Cole planting two daggers in the back of his neck.
The Dalish was about to launch another volley…
"NO!" Hawen screamed. Waving his hands around. "It's over. It's all over." He sighed.
The other Keeper was nursing another wound to his shoulder, and was favoring one of his legs.
The rest of the hunters hesitated, and which was enough to see, that they were beaten.
The Inquisition forces were still massively outnumbered, but they had the advantage of skill. And the look on the faces of the Dalish warriors suggested they had the fight kicked out of them.
Slowly, inexorably, they began lowering their weapons, some of them were still nocked.
"Fools!" Rawan spat.
Kara spun towards the man. He was coughing up blood, and gripping his chest. Alive, yet clearly about to join his gods.
"All of you fools! You cannot stop the destiny, of what is happening through the world. The tide of history is with us Inquisitor! You will fall and the Elves, the true people will rise! May the Dread Wolf take you, and all who stand in our way!"
With that he coughed, spluttered, and died.
Something about the words unsettled her. Not necessarily the bravado, that was to be expected, but…there was something there.
She had to shake the feeling though. They still had work to do.
A lot, of work, to do.