Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from the game.

Author's Note: Well, here's the next update. You'll get a bit more history this time around, in a sense. Hope you like it and do leave your thoughts.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 29 – Blackened Soil

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Blazt stared at the target that lay before him. He was fully conscious of the large demon army gathering behind him. It was just that he had no interest in forcing them into an organized form. He would give them a while to do it themselves and then he would start killing. It got results much faster. He could make out panicked activity within the port city. They knew the attack was coming and they were scrambling to mount a defense. Jader was the closest Orlesian city to Ferelden on top of serving as a vital port. That, in itself, was sufficient reasoning to assault it.

Blazt's eyes worked quickly, the city was certainly better defended than the scattered villages they had burnt so far. The few warships docked in the harbor would probably prove to be a concern. He could see the ballistae twirling into position. The city had a motley division of guards and soldiers and a small group of grey wardens could always be found here. The chantry here was large enough for a battalion of templars to call the city home. This didn't bother him overmuch, his next target would be so much harder and yet so much more satisfying.

He twirled his swordstaff casually noticing an arcane horror floating towards him. He turned around slowly; the army was now in some sort of formation. He almost made himself laugh, demons in formation was a sight indeed. Ah, but they would be running amok soon enough.

"We strike at your order… lord." The arcane horror rasped. Blazt noticed the slight distaste in the demon's voice. He didn't much care; having pride demons show respect and obey orders was not the easiest task in the world.

"Then march." Blazt replied. "Send in the… larger ones first."

"The city is well defended." The arcane horror said distastefully. "I do not see this ending in our favor."

"I do not see this conversation ending in your favor." Blazt whispered. "When I say march, march."

The demons began a somewhat reluctant march towards Jader. Blazt strolled alongside casually, he wasn't much concerned. The average human couldn't tell the difference between a reluctant demon and an eager one. The massive pride demons smashed themselves against the gate and wall as dust filled the air and debris flew. A storm of arrows fell upon the demons as they shrank away for a moment before battering themselves upon the walls once more. Magic joined the arrows from within the city as several demons sent their own volleys of magic.

The gate and wall did break at the cost of all the fade beasts. The demons charged into the city, now screaming joyously. Blazt took his time entering the city. The battle raged across the streets now. The revenant could already tell that things were not going as well as he might have hoped. A fireball flew from his outstretched palm, igniting one of the warships in the harbor. After taking an additional moment to survey the scene, he leapt into the fray.

He cut down a group of guards in moments and proceeded to reduce a ballista to dust before he forged on. He was still drinking in every detail of what was occurring behind him. Smoke filled the air as several of the ships and buildings burnt. Screams filled the air and corpses littered the streets. Blazt paused as he saw a group of people dispatch a large number of demons. And there were only three of them. A man wielding a sword and shield, a female mage and a male elf archer. Such an awkward little group. The warrior's armor had of course given everything away quite quickly. The grey warden emblem embossed across his breastplate was all Blazt needed to see. Always neutralize the greatest threats first.

He was upon them in an instant. The warrior caught the first blow on his shield, blocked the next one with his blade. The third strike tore through his armor and into his heart. Blazt ripped the swordstaff out as an arrow pierced his arm. He threw his weapon through the air. It made a sickening noise as it embedded itself in the archer's throat. He avoided a bolt of lightning as a ball of flame formed in his hand. With great satisfaction he slammed the fireball into the mages face. He tugged his weapon free of the elf's throat before surveying the area again. He noticed a desire demon rushing towards him.

"Lord, we cannot win here." She cried. "We are outnumbered and scattered. The templars have already helped eliminate most of the arcane horrors."

"Where?" He hissed.

The demon pointed as Blazt rushed in that direction. The desire demon followed with a moment's hesitation. As he moved through the streets, he could clearly notice a distinct lack of demons. He watched a few templars kill an arcane horror. He noticed the five mages behind them. So there were more grey wardens in Jader after all.

"We should retreat." The desire demon whispered.

"Hardly. Look there." Blazt said indifferently as he pointed into the sky.

The desire demon craned her head to look.

"That disturbance… is that a veil tear?" She asked unsteadily. "It's enormous."

"Yes." Said Blazt as he withdrew a little. He did not wish to attract too much attention at this point. Not when most of the demons were already dead.

High up above in the sky, the veil tear expanded to a majestic size. A limb seemed to test it uneasily for a moment. Hesitantly one massive translucent blue claw emerged. The creature gradually forced another limb across a barrier it did not comprehend. Apparently satisfied, it obeyed the whispers in its mind. The beast tore through into the sky as the portal behind it closed. It descended upon the city amidst the shrieks of the people.

"Look how much their strength has grown." Blazt said as he advanced towards the mages who were distracted. "That being is majestic."

"A… spirit dragon." The desire demon said reverently as she stared at the enormous, translucent blue dragon that was ripping through the city amidst storms of lightning.

Blazt tore through the unaware mages and templars in seconds. This is why he enjoyed the task of leading the old gods' armies. He was in command of creatures like no other. He watched the defenders break apart and try their best to flee the port city. He didn't blame them. They were in no state to fight a spirit dragon. These great beasts would be the hammer he would bring down upon Weisshaupt.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Leliana runs through the forest, the trees are twisted and black. She doesn't know why she is running but she must. There is something to see, her gut is telling her that. She emerges from the shade of the trees and freezes. She watches the group sacrifice a man, woman and child. Their blood seeps into the black, dying earth. Zazikel laughs as he towers above the collection of people. He tosses scraps of meat, they will eat just enough for their stomachs to not ache. The god of chaos flies into the air, apparently satisfied with the offering.

The sky is dark as well, they never see the sun. Leliana doesn't know why things are making sense, foreign thoughts flood into her mind. These people are jealous of they who live in the glorious fields and forests. At the centre of which lies the jewel that is Arlathan. And a hundred cities like it. The ones with pointed ears live forever, they pray and receive blessings. These people pray, they spill the blood of their beloved. Their reward is to live another day. To sleep another night on the cold, dead ground in the shade of demonic trees.

Dumat's aura has killed the land, it is nourished only by blood and spews only twisted life. These people live short lives, their former glories lost. They are slaves to the will of the dragons. They are no longer similar to residents of the great cities. Life is no longer the same across Thedas. Humans and elves. In cruel honesty, shemlen is such an accurate term. The dragons took their lives but they did repay. They are taller now, generally better built and have a brilliant talent for cruelty now. Paltry power in exchange for so much.

The very gods who turned them from the Maker, now grind them closer and closer to oblivion. They have no choice; the dragons will slaughter any rebellion. They seethe at the gods of Arlathan in private. Not because they have not fought, but because they are blind. Or scared. With each passing day, the green forests slowly slip into darkness as Dumat takes more of the world for himself. The children of the stone have thus far escaped his unholy gaze but that will not continue forever.

Images of flash through Leliana's mind. The dragon lord was not always as he is. Not always the embodiment of silence and death. He once bore a form too glorious for words. And then, he changed. He desired everything and found the means to take it all. Even the Maker is blind to what he has wrought. Without knowing it, he has created his own inversion. Where he made and created, Dumat found the capacity to destroy. To unmake existence itself.

And yet, thus far he has not unleashed his dark fury upon the world. Leliana can guess why. If he is to destroy, he must find a way to create first. And he is not the Maker, though he does seek to usurp his father. She looks again at the sky and the trees and the ground. She smells ash and death on the wind. They had the world once before and they seek to take it again. She is releasing them. With each step she takes, the past once again becomes the future.

She wonders what happened those many years ago. How this nightmare ended. Did the gods of Arlathan win? It seems impossible. The dragon lord is a god among gods now. As the Maker is the embodiment of the beginning, thus is Dumat the embodiment of the end. With a cruel pang, she realizes that she is his messiah as Andraste was once the Maker's messiah.

"We had the world once. And it shall be ours again." A terrible voice echoes behind her.

She turns but she already knows what she will see. She stares fearfully into the white eyes of Dumat. The dragon begins to grow. Leliana mutely shakes her head; she does not desire to see the true form of the god of silence again.

"You seek to escape us. You seek to betray us." The dragon lord states. "The armor torn away, you desire to do the same with your blessing."

"It's a curse." She says as she crumples to the ground. She feels a tear roll down her cheek. The trees around her are laughing; their twisted branches are horrid groping claws. The ground sizzles like acid. The clouds rain shadows in terrifying shapes.

"You are ours. Why do you even try o resist?" Dumat says, his form is now threatening to consume the world. "You release us either way, best to do it in our good graces."

"What are you? You're just supposed to be dragons." She whispers pointlessly. Old thoughts are creeping their way into her mind. That is a good thing. Her old life seems almost within reach again.

"Did you honestly believe the lords of the old world would be just dragons?" The voice responds. "I offer you another chance to embrace our will."

Leliana does the unthinkable. Only a fool would do it, no one would understand and yet pursue her course. She attacks Dumat. Magic bursts from her palms in desperation. To her horror Dumat's form only grows more oppressive.

"You would destroy me with my magic?" He mocks. "Insolent mortal, I cannot be stopped. Greater beings than you have understood this over the ages."

She aimlessly batters her hand against the dragon lord incomprehensible shape. As expected, it does nothing.

"You were stopped before. The world didn't stay like this." She shouts, more for her own comfort.

"What happened to us before cannot happen again."

"Why?" She screams.

"Because I wish to remake the world to my will."

"You can't create." She says helplessly. She has to fight the monstrosity around her.

"You do not see it, of course you don't." Dumat says. "Do not think we will let you go."

From somewhere in the shadow, the dragon lord's gaping maw materializes. Leliana leaps within, anything to end the nightmare.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Leliana's eyes fluttered open as she felt Morrigan shaking her. She found herself sweating and breathing heavily. The witch stroked her face gently, much to her surprise.

"Nightmare?" Morrigan asked. "You were shaking and crying in your sleep."

"They won't let me go." The bard whispered. The sight of her own naked form was a relief. The armor was still gone. "Kill me, just kill me."

"Be quiet." The witch snapped. "Fight them why won't you? Would you rather take the coward's way out?"

Leliana raised her eyes to meet Morrigan's.

"I'm the only way they have for returning." She said.

"And you think they will let you die?" The witch asked with a raised eyebrow.

The bard laughed softly. "You know you have trouble when you can't even kill yourself."

"Kill them instead." Morrigan said.

The orlesian cracked a small smile. "I never thought you'd have a good influence on me."

The witch returned the smile after a moment. "What now?"

"We really should go to the dragonbone wastes. I want to see what Flemeth has planned." She replied, letting the rational side and Razikale's knowledge wash over her again. "But we still have a few hours till daylight."

"Oh?" Morrigan said with a smirk before kissing Leliana. "Whatever shall we do?"

The bard felt herself relax. There were some things she should say soon. As soon as she knew how to handle the situation better.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Author's Note: Well, hope you like it. Do leave your feedback. I should get some time to update in the near future.

To my reviewers:

Nightwish11606: Thanks! Yeah, I actually wanted to humanize the old gods just a bit so that they could have personalities. Leli and Morri, plenty of that left ;)

interesting 2125: Thanks! I'm sure it was worth the pain if you ask them! Speaking of which, maybe I should ask them in a few chapters time ;)