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chapter 24
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Orzammar
The team had finished the Arena conbat without a single scratch and now sat in the king's hall to await Bhelen. Winter paced the hall, Vakar believed that she would make a miniture trench with all of her pacing up and down. She turned to Duras who sat and shrugged his shoulders.
"Five days! Five days! That is how long we have been waiting here!" Winter shouted.
"Yes yes we all know the time scale. But Bhelen has more important immediate issues to tackle right now. Your issue will wait. He promised to see you today. So patience." Duras told Winter, Vakar noticed a vain popping out the side of her head and sat bolt right. He knew that when that happened that is was good policy to get as close to cover as possible. Duras noticed how Vakar moved closer to the branched wall and backed off of Winter quickly. Ventes walked back into the room with Bhelen. Vakar stood up and bowed to the dwarven king who waved his hand to stop him mid bow.
"Please human none of that noncence. A human may have got me into this position but I repaid that debt a long time ago. But I will hear you out here." Bhelen said. His gruff voice gave the team no sense of hope what so ever.
"That same human is asking for your assistance once more. An army of Chasind are attacking Fereldan and threatening our very existance. Flemeth is at its head." Winter summerised. Bhelen sat in his throne and stroked his long beard.
"Hmm so the Warden is asking for help once more. How prey tell does this incident involve either me or the Wardens. Unless these CHasind have allied themselves with the Archdemon itself I don't see why the Warden would be involved in the first place." Bhelen made a valid point, the team were instructed not to make mention of either Morrigan or the child. This made their task harder. Vakar had a brainstorm.
"The leader of this force is the Witch of the Wilds. She has vowed vengence on everyone associated with the Warden, Fereldan has been plunged into chaos and it is only a matter of time before a strike force reaches your walls." Vakar said, he hoped taht his story got through to the militant king.
"No force will break these walls, even if we did we have the-" Bhelen was interupted by Duras stepping forwards.
"Sir most of our forces are moving through the Deep roads to claim our old Thaigs. We won't have the full man power to withstand a full on assault, and by what these people are trying to tell us is that if Flemeth is at this army's head then we are looking at facing one of the most powerful mages this or any world has ever known. A mage who cheats death at every turn." Duras said. Bhelen stratched his beard but still looked unconvinced. Winter began to be aggrivated by the dwarf's lack of concern.
"Look! Our friends, our families are out there right now being slaughtered! Arkan just left to defend his home which is probably under attack as we speak! He proved himself in your arena and you acknowledged him as equal. The Warden placed you there, sure you aided by helping ridding Fereldan of the Blight, but right now you are vunerable if those walls break. You are the militant king, so take the fight to thes cretins and stomp them out!" Winter shouted, guards immediatly moved closer to Bhelen to defend him. The dwarf laughed then sighed.
"Arkan you say, well I paid my debt to him by trying to give this lout his honour back after lossing it in the arena. You have nothing to really bargin with here. The threat that you are proposing is not of any immediate issue. I am sorry but it looks like you have wasted a trip by coming here. I will make sure you have a golom escort back to Redcliff." Bhelen said walking out of his seat to the door.
Orders were out of the window, Vakar knew the reason taht the Warden wanted his child protected after talking with him. It had to be told, this was their last chance for reinforcements.
"Flemeth will achieve the powers of an old god if you don't help, and that means anothr Blight with Flemeth at its head, cause we all know taht Darkspawn are drawn to the energy of the Old Gods to create the Archdemons and if Fereldan is crushed then Orzammar is next on her hit list before Orlais." Vakar pointed out. Bhelen stood stalk still at his words and a glare followed that would turn the greatest lava flow to ice.
"That is propaganda, there is no way in hell taht this conflict in Fereldan would give that bitch that sort of power! I do not take kindly to liars human!" Bhelen threatened. Vakar didn't budge his resolve was steady and his goal was in arms reach now.
"The target that Flemeth is after is a child who has been concieved by the convergence of the Archdemon's power after its death and the magic and skill of both its mother and father. I will let you guess at who those two are, I am sure you've met them both before." Vakar told Bhelen, Winter stood shocked at Vakar's disregard for the Warden's orders but knew he had no alternitive. Bhelen laughed.
"You know what human, I think that I have taken a liking to you. You're strong, ferious and not afraid to disregard those orders for which you follow to achieve your goals. You remind me a lot of myself...fine if the Warden has landed himself in this mess due to his stupidity then I se no alternitive then to allow this to happen. Guard assemble around six battalions that we have spare and twenty five goloms. We are going to war."
Winter smiled at Vakar who was patting himself on the back for his quick thinking, that was almost too close to a failure. He had hoped that Winter was wrong and that Arkan's home wasn't attacked just yet, he hoped that he was able to reach him in time.
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Brecillan Forest
Town center
Arkan stood in the center of the fighting circle and watched as hunters escorted civilians to the entrance to the deep roads. Haro'lart walked up next to him, looking up to him he put his hand on his son's shoulders.
"Are you absolutly sure that is the best course of action?" he asked.
"That has to be the second time in two days that I've heard that question. My answer is still the same. I'm not sure if it's the best but I know what is right. It would be wrong of me to expect these people with no fighting expierience what so ever to fight a well prepared army. They need to evacuate." Arkan walked to an old man who fell carrying a heavy sack of tools. Arkan lifted the bag and looked at the man.
"We said essential goods only." Arkan told the man. He looked furious but didn't bother to argue with the man that just defeated Shakro. "We could use these actually." he pondered on the multiple uses of all the tools that he found in the bag. He tossed it over to a hunter.
"Sir?" he looked confused.
"Start making traps along the mountain path. Collect five other hunters to help I want them done before the night's end." Arkan walked off to the keep. Farlana, Garreth and Summer stood there talking about the plan.
"We just got here and he wants us to leave?" Garreth asked his voice carried anger and a bit of relief accidently.
"That is what I said, but he needs us to safeguard those people as they travel the deep roads." Summer said calmly.
"I only wish that he didn't keep trying to do things on his own." Farlana said gripping her arm.
"I've made up my mind. Now hurry and get going before the rest of the escorts get too far ahead. Farlana you're the one with the map so I think it would be helpful if you definatly shift it." Arkan said. Farlana nodded and ran out the room. Summer walked up to Arkan and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Please promise me that you won't do anything drastic. I want to be able to come back to fight by yourside instead of fighting to reclaim your corpse. Please promise me that you won't die, I won't leave till you promise." she said holding back tears in her eyes. Garreth leaned on a nearby wall and looked at Summer.
"He can't promise that. Neither can we. The deep roads are formidable and carry just the same level of risk as out here. Can you promise that we won't die?" he said looking at the shunned face of his friend. Summer walked away with her head down. SHe took one final glance at Arkan who stood smiling at her with his usual annoying cheeky grin. She faked a smile the went away. Garreth walked to the side of Arkan.
"Arkan, are you sure about this?" He asked.
"I've heard that question so many times, the answer is always the same. But this time is different. This is what has to happen, if not then Flemeth wins the war. I plan on ending this when she attacks and I will rip her head off her body in the process." Arkan said grimmly.
"You're so willing to throw your life away so that she can't win. You know something, you are exactly how the mages and the Templars in the circle discribe the legendary elven mage. The mage that broke out within a month of capture, facing adversity and hardship to overcome the Templars only to land in a warzone where he still triumphs over tyranny." Garreth said almost poetically.
"Ha to they also tell of how much I got into deep trouble about three thirds of those times and needed assistance." Arkan laughed as he sat in front of the war table.
"You were a hope for the mages just like the Champion of Kirkwall. THe hope that with power and determination then the Templars could be stopped and a more equal circle system could be implimented." Garreth said proudly. "It seems that those mages foudn themselves a real champion in you and the others. I was proud to serve with you." Garreth moved for the door after clasping arms with Arkan.
"Wait...look after Summer and the others if something should happen. I'm counting on you." Arkan said to Garreth.
"So no pressure then...nothing is going to happen you moron. Now get back to the battle plans and let me take care of the Deep Roads." Garreth finally said as he vanished from sight.
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