Part XXI
As expected, just before midmorning a swirling vortex of mist and lights began to form outside the cottage, announcing the return of the desire demon. The demon stepped out of the portal to find both Morrigan and The Warden there waiting for her. The succubus hadn't bothered to conceal herself this time and instead appeared in her true form. Considering that her identity was known to both the witch and her warden, the creature deemed it pointless to waste her energy concealing herself with silly disguises.
"Warden." the demon greeted with a deceptive grin. "It's so nice to see you again. I do wonder, though, does your presence indicate that you've accepted my proposal, or have you simply come to destroy me?"
"Were it The Warden's intent to bring about your demise, you would already be aware of it." Morrigan shot back, glaring fiercely at the demon. "Let us not waste our time with trivial talk. There is much to do."
"As you wish." the demon replied.
Morrigan had already laid out the required items needed to perform the transfer. Next to her was a wooden table that held the magical tome on top, already opened to the proper spell. Beside that rested a small bowl filled with a mixture of ground chalk and ash, as well as a bowl containing pure lyrium. Also resting on the table was a small vial of scented oil in a green bottle that seemed to shimmer slightly as the sun's rays pierced it. Though the witch was well rested and her power was full, the spell was such that she would need the extra lyrium to open a magical conduit between herself and the demon. Without it, there was little chance of creating a stable connection and the procedure was going to be risky enough as it was.
"No tricks, demon." The Warden warned while the demon and Morrigan set about their work.
"I assure you Warden, I have just as much to lose as you do. That's why it's so important that we succeed." the demon said.
"If this doesn't work," The Warden replied, gesturing at the items set up around them, "I'll make sure you lose more than you thought possible."
"I understand." the demoness acknowledged uneasily. "But you have no reason to fear, Warden. The transfer will be a success."
"See that it is." The Warden said as he narrowed his eyes into a stern glare that let the demon know he was in no mood for games.
"Unfortunately, this is the easy part. What comes next will be decidedly more difficult." the succubus noted.
"Why? What comes next?" The Warden asked warily; almost as if he was afraid to hear the answer.
"What comes next, dear Warden, is you doing what only you can." came the demon's cryptic reply.
"I don't know if I like that sound of that very much."
Morrigan snatched the chalky powder from the table and began walking a small circle, sprinkling the white dust on the ground as she went. When she had marked out the desired area she set the bowl back on the table, grabbed the vial of oil, and poured a bit into the remaining powder. With a spoon, Morrigan slowly stirred the contents together, turning it into a sticky paste.
The witch undid her top, pulled it off, and tossed it on the small table. She stood there wearing only her skirt and brassiere; instantly catching The Warden's attention. He hadn't realized just how much her pregnancy was starting to show itself until just now. In the morning sun he could see her belly was visibly more rounded from the life that was growing within. Even with such a revelation, however, his eyes seemed to keep finding their way back to her perfect, round breasts.
Morrigan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Keep your mind where 'tis needed." she scolded. "I've merely no desire to ruin my clothing."
Taking two fingers, the witch scooped out some of the paste from the bowl, and with it she traced a symbol on her stomach in the shape of some mystic rune. She instructed the demon to stand on one side in the circle while she stood across from her on the other half. Again Morrigan dipped her fingers in the bowl and covered her fingers in the chalky paste, and on the demon's stomach drew the exact reverse of the same symbol she drew on herself.
"Prepare yourself, demon. I am ready to begin." Morrigan announced, as she replaced the bowl of paste on the table. "Dwemer, I will need you to hold the tome so that I may read it."
With an understanding nod, The Warden grabbed the book of spells from the table and held it so his witch could clearly see the words and incantations written within; serving as a sort of human pedestal, standing rigid and stiff with his palms facing upward and the book resting on top. He stood as still as possible while Morrigan inspected the pages to make sure she had everything properly prepared. Apparently everything was to her liking as she turned from the book and focused her attention back to the circle.
Raising her arms in the air and closing her eyes, Morrigan began to chant the words to a spell in a slow rhythmic repetition, with each being louder than the one before it. The white outline of the circle in the dirt began to glow, dimly at first but become ever brighter with each recital of the spell, as magical energy started to fill the circle containing the witch and the demon.
"The lyrium! Quickly!" the witch shouted.
The Warden rushed to grab the small bowl of shimmering dust from the table and hand it to Morrigan. She snatched it from his hand and set the bowl down on the ground in the center of the circle and returned to her stance in one fluid motion.
As the mystic powers began to rise to greater heights, the glow they emitted became almost blinding in its radiance. Swirling lights bathed the area in an array of dancing colors of almost every imaginable hue. And just as the magical crescendo was nearing its peak, the witch looked across to the demon as if to inform her the moment was finally at hand.
"'Tis time." Morrigan said. "Are you ready?"
"I am." the demon confirmed.
With a loud yell, Morrigan pulled her arms down violently until they slapped against her sides, invoking the power of the incantation. Energy exploded in a great white sphere from within the circle, blinding The Warden and knocking him backward. The blast tossed him several feet, knocking up bits of debris as he tumbled. Even several shingles on the roof of the cottage were jostled loose as they fell from the roof and split into splinters upon hitting the ground. The closest window shattered and small shards of glass flew about, raining down glistening pieces of glass into the tall grass.
Immediately, the sounds of a startled mabari barking at the disturbance as well as the cries of a frightened small child could be heard coming from inside the cottage. The Warden rolled over in the dirt to see that a smoldering ring of ash burned into the ground was all the remained of the circle. As the last wisps of smoke were carried away by the breeze, he saw his witch lying on the ground. She appeared to be unconscious and unmoving. Across from her in the remains of the circle lay the demon who let out a low moan while she lifted herself back up to stand, staggering a bit and obviously weakened.
"Morrigan!" The Warden shouted, as he hopped up and rushed to his witch's side.
Frantically, he scooped Morrigan up in his arms and pulled her closer to him while he knelt next to her. His shaking hands brushed the stray strands of hair from her face as he waited for any clues to her condition. His heart was beating so fast that it threatened to burst right out of his chest.
"If anything happened to you, I swear I'll never forgive myself." he muttered to himself, anxiously waiting for any signs of life.
Eventually, the witch started to come around. She groaned weakly and opened her eyes to see her terrified warden staring down at her. Her golden orbs met his and a wave of relief washed over The Warden.
"Your concern is unnecessary. I am unhurt." she said softly.
"Thank the Maker." he replied. "You could've been killed."
The witch furrowed her brows and cast a curious look up at her husband. "What did you say?" she asked, shocked.
"I said you could have been killed." he repeated.
"'Tis not what I meant." she said, shaking her head. "You clearly said 'Thank the Maker'. In all our years together, never have I heard you utter such a phrase."
"Oh, that." The Warden replied as he sheepishly put his hand behind his head and gave his neck a few good rubs. "I was worried about you. It just sort of slipped out. It won't happen again, I promise."
"See that it does not."
At that instant, the cottage door swung open and the group that had been patiently waiting inside came storming out, unable to handle the suspense any longer. Edalweiss and Muirghein lead the charge, followed closely by Alistair, Seth, and Leo. They all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the burned circle in the ground and The Warden kneeling over propping up his witch.
Immediately, Seth raced to his mother's side, not knowing or understanding what had just happened. His large golden eyes, which were filled with worry, looked first at his mother, then up to his father. "Is Mutha huwt?" the nervous child inquired in his toddler-speak.
"Your mother is just fine, Seth." The Warden answered. "She's just tired, is all."
"Did it work?" Edalweiss asked.
Morrigan stared down at her own stomach and noticed it was visibly flatter than it was before. She rubbed it with her hand, feeling as though a large piece of herself was missing. Her stare returned to The Warden's. "It would seem that it has." she confirmed, almost as if she was regretting the decision.
"Not that anyone cares, but I still think this is a very bad idea." Alistair interjected.
Muirghein started to let out his version of a growl when his eyes caught sight of the demon, who was still very much weakened. The succubus eyed the fish warily as she approached The Warden and the witch. Unable to stay on her feet, she collapsed to her knees.
"The transfer was a success. Your child is now safe inside of me." she said.
"You require rest. The spell has greatly weakened you as well." Morrigan noted.
"I will be fine. I only need a few moments to gain my strength."
"As long as my child resides in your belly, you shall do exactly as I tell you. Is that understood?" Morrigan snapped back. "Alistair, assist the demon inside so that she may lie down."
"As you wish." the demon grumbled, reluctantly agreeing.
"Me?" Alistair asked while he pointed to himself. "Why does it always have to be me?"
The Warden, knowing what was coming next, lowered his head while he shook it. He wondered when Alistair would ever learn.
"Because..." the witch started, the venom already quite apparent in her tone, "were it not for you, none of this would have been necessary. Lest your desire is to remain an incompetent oaf and an outcast. In which case, you may pack your belongings and leave. Certainly your absence could only serve to bring peace and I am quite sure I would be better for it. However, if you truly wish to regain what you've lost, I strongly suggest you cease your constant grousing and do as you are asked."
"I..I was only asking." Alistair replied in a much more subdued tone.
He turned to the demon, saying, "Come on, then. Let's get you inside." as he stooped down, put her arm around his shoulder, and hoisted her upward. "Where do you want me to take her?"
"She may rest in the guest bedroom until he regains her strength." Morrigan informed.
"The guest room?" Edalweiss gasped. "But that's where..."
An icy glare from the witch cut the small woman off. "...Uh..I'll help you make her more comfortable, Alistair." Edalweiss said with a cheery grin.
Muirghein offered a few disapproving chirps and clicks to indicate his displeasure at the idea. All the way back to the cottage, the creature floated closely to Edalweiss while making sure to keep a close eye on the desire demon. After spending many centuries in the Fade, himself, Muirghein was apparently quite familiar with the various types of demons and the havoc they could cause. It was clear he had decided not to take any chances with this one, either.
"Come on, Seth. Let's get your mother inside." The Warden called to his son. The boy was more than happy to comply with the request, snuggling up against his mother's leg and doing his best to assist.
"I am quite capable of..." the witch started to say but was unable to finish her sentence, as she was suddenly being tugged up from the ground by a pair of strong arms.
Even though Morrigan wasn't very happy about it, The Warden assisted her to her feet and draped her arm over him so that he bore most of her weight. She insisted that she was perfectly capable of standing on her own, but given the circumstances, he was less than convinced.
"The demon isn't the only one who needs to rest. You need to lay down too." he said.
"I suppose I shall never be rid of your doting, even when there is no child present in me. 'Tis likely you would find any excuse to coddle me as though I am a child." she quipped in return, reluctantly accepting his help.
"And what if it was me that had just gone through what you went through? I seriously doubt you'd let me just get up and walk around. You'd fuss at me about it until you were blue in the face."
"I do not fuss. I simply inform you when you are in error. Without such prodding, 'tis doubtful that you would even be able to function properly most of the time."
"You do fuss." he reiterated, shooting a sly grin at his witch. "But I know it's only because you care."
The witch's response was an exasperated groan while she rolled her eyes. "That may be so. However, I would have no need to do so if you did not purposefully encourage it; seeking affection from any source possible."
"Guilty as charged." The Warden replied, smiling. "But can you blame me? I'm married to the most beautiful woman in all Thedas. Other men would give everything they had to be as fortunate as I am."
"Indeed they would." the witch confirmed. "You would do well to remember that."
The Warden chuckled a bit at the witch's comments. "I won't forget it anytime soon, especially since I have you to keep reminding me."
"Impossible man." Morrigan huffed.
Normally, the witch would consider the conversation finished and not give it another thought. But something occurred to her as The Warden walked her toward their cottage: he was more than worthy of her affection. He shouldn't have to go to the extremes that he did in order to get her to show it. It wasn't as if she didn't want him to know he meant everything to her, but she found constant displays of emotion sickened her. It was not something she was accustomed to, nor could she ever see herself growing to accept it. That's not to say that she wouldn't show him the affection he craved from time to time, but Morrigan feared that if she did he would only desire more. And although she told herself that doing so would only cheapen what they had, the truth was she that was more afraid of how silly and awkward it would make her appear. Of all people, to her warden she had to remain strong and independent. But of all people, it was her warden who was worth the risks.
"I do appreciate that you hold me in such high regard." she finally said while she lifted her free hand to caress his chest with a few soft strokes. "I hope 'twill always be so."
He rubbed his hand against her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I have no doubt in my mind that it will be." he replied.
As the morning dragged on into afternoon, The Warden was greeted to an unexpected knock at his door. The sound of a fist rapidly pounding at the wood was soon followed by someone shouting from the other side.
"Dwemer, are you in there?" a voice cried out followed by yet more knocking.
The Warden instantly recognized the voice as that of his brother, Fergus. And while the teyrn's presence was not unwelcome, it was certainly unexpected. He hadn't anticipated on seeing the teyrn again for at least another day; when The Warden planned to make his way back to Castle Cousland and meet with his brother one final time before he left for South Reach.
Loud and excited barks from Leo as the beast stood in front of the door, anxiously waiting for it to be opened while his tiny stub of a tail furiously wagged back and forth. The mabari disliked strangers coming to the cottage, but visitors whom he knew were always greeted with such exuberance.
Not far behind Leo, Seth came bringing up the rear, shouting "Unca Fuhgus!" as the tot raced to meet his uncle at the front door.
"Alright, you two." The Warden said as he ushered the child and the mabari back just a bit so that he could open the door.
With a quick flick of his hand, The Warden undid the metal latch that locked the door and opened it wide, revealing Fergus and several of his men. In his hand, the teyrn held a small folded piece of paper and the look he wore was that of a messenger bearing troubling news.
At the first opportunity, the mabari rushed around The Warden, nearly knocking him down in the process, and jumped up onto Fergus, planting large slobbery dog kisses all over the teyrn's face. The soaking onslaught knocked the teryrn back and threatened to topple him over completely.
"Down, Leo!" The Warden shouted. "Get back inside."
Immediately, the beast heeded his master's call and retreated back inside with several disappointed whimpers, leaving the Fergus to wipe away the excessive amount of drool from his face. Leo cowered a bit and slinked past The Warden, trying to dodge his angry glare, and plopped his hide quarters down on the floor.
"Fergus." The Warden greeted while both the mabari and Seth did their best to jockey for position behind him. "What brings you to my humble home?"
"I'm afraid this isn't a social visit, Dwemer. I know you were coming to the castle tomorrow, but this couldn't wait until then. Something's come up." Fergus replied, holding out the slip of paper to his brother as he attempted to wash away the last of the slime.
"What's this?" The Warden asked as he took the note.
"The best way for you to find out is to read it."
The Warden unfolded the paper and studied it for a few moments. His brow tightened while his eyes scanned the words written on the parchment. Just when he thought he had everything figured out and knew exactly what his next step was, another kink was thrown into the plan that turned everything upside down.
After reading the letter again to make sure it was what he thought, The Warden looked up at his brother and asked, "when did you get this?"
"A courier brought it to me early this morning. You can see for yourself that Bryland is already on his way to Highever. That gives us less than two days to find out if this thing is the genuine article or not." Fergus answered, accentuating his remarks by tapping the letter his finger.
"It does make sense. We always knew Bryland wanted the lands from Lothering up to the coast but I never thought him to be the man to do what he did in Denerim. We all thought there had to be more to it, and this might very well be it."
"I was thinking the same thing, but we can't be certain. What if this is just another part of his ploy? What if he's just trying to lure us into a trap?"
"I think there's someone here who might know the answer to that, but I doubt you'll like it very much. It's high time I found out everything she knows and how she found out about it." The Warden said, still staring at the letter he held in his hand.
"What would Morrigan know about all this? Does she have someway of divining it, because if she does, that would be great. I don't see where I wouldn't like that at all." Fergus remarked.
"I wasn't talking about Morrigan. I meant someone else entirely."
"That lovely young woman...what was her name again...the one you've been hanging around with lately. By the way, she isn't here, is she?"
"Eda? No, I wasn't talking about her, either. And yes, she's in the back room helping Alistair." The Warden answered, using his thumb to point back over his shoulder. "I've had quite a few unannounced visitors lately."
"By the Maker! Out with it, then. Who are you talking about?"
"I'll show you, but I know you're not going to like it. But before you say anything, remember that she's the best source of information we have right now." The Warden said to his brother as he motioned for the teyrn to follow him into the cottage. "Come with me. I think you need to see this anyway."