Dragon Age: Of Noble Birth

The Circle Tower, Third Floor

Day 16


Frustrated, Leliana watched from just behind Aedan as he pushed open the large door to the third floor. He quickly poked his head out to get a look.

She tugged on his armor again since he seemed to be ignoring her.

Finally he turned around, exasperated look on his face.

"Dammit! What?" He quietly hissed through clenched teeth.

"I told you I should be doing this. I'm better at it that you."

"And I told you already that I don't know that, because, you won't tell me why!" He turned again, pushing his head out even farther to get a better look. Way too far, and for far too long.

Shaking her head, she grabbed him by his hair and pulled him back.

She heard Alistair snickering behind her. She thought she heard Sten even grunt a laugh, but she was probably mistaken.

She moved around Aedan, who looked beyond angry, and took a quick peek into the room. It took far less time than Aedan's. She turned to him, smiling.

"A three chambered room, statues at each end on the far wall. Two doors, the right one looks to be barricaded, the left closed, probably locked. Columns in the center, a chest behind, barely seen. Nothing alive..." She shrugged looking at Morrigan and Wynne further down the stairs. "...Or nothing undead or magically alive or...whatever. Do you want names for those in statue?"

She smiled again, watching as Aedan narrowed his eyes at her and walked out into the room, mumbling something under his breath she could not quite hear.

She followed him closely, the others moving up the stairs at a slower pace. Everyone had lost count of how long they'd been in here, but it was starting to seem like forever.

They would start to wear down soon.

Aedan walked up to the door and looked back. Everyone readied themselves quickly as he opened it.

Thankfully, the room, easily the biggest seen so far, looked empty. Save the numerous corpses littering the floor of course. A few even remained sitting, slumped over tables as if caught while eating. It was clearly a common room, or grand hall, used for many purposes.

All entered slowly, dispersing themselves in a wide arc.

Sten stopped in front of a statue, staring at it, then looking at the many others in the room.

"What are all these statues? Your mages have an unhealthy fascination for women with bowls."

Aedan could be heard snickering as he walked along the far left wall of the room.

Leliana stopped next to Sten. "Actually, the chantry says..."

A loud thud across the room stopped her. Turning, she saw the far door had flung open, smacking into the wall.

A floating creature of some sort entered the room and flung a huge fireball at them. All scattered quickly with only Sten catching any of the blast. He just stood and patted out the flames on his arms as if nothing had happened.

Leliana saw Aedan running, straight for the creature. He got within ten feet and stopped, suddenly and violently.

He shot up as if hanging, toes barely touching the ground, arms flung back to the sides, back arched at a painful angle. A force field of some sort surrounded him. He let out a yell that was muffled by the field.

Morrigan reacted first. "Kill it! Quickly!"

Alistair was already almost there when every single corpse in the room rose as a skeleton. They attacked everyone at once.

Leliana had two right beside her. She darted left, drew daggers and stabbed at the closet. The blade went right through the bones and out the other side. She looked at the skeleton and ducked as it swung an axe at her. She pulled the dagger away and backed away quickly.

She met Morrigan in the middle as she was casting a wall of fire towards four on the right side. Exasperation set in as six more closed in.

"How do you kill a skeleton?"

The witch grew angry and drove a palm straight down. A shock wave emanated from her hand that stunned everything within twenty feet.

"Like this!"

Morrigan swung her staff into two of them, shattering them back into just bones. Leliana, following her lead, drew her bow and used it to sweep the legs from two more. The witch followed behind her and smashed them with the head of the staff.

Leliana kicked the next closest, causing it to fall apart. She looked left and saw Aedan still in the force field. His face was turning blue as whatever was happening looked to be crushing him slowly.

Morrigan, dispatching another, turned to her quickly. "We must get to the creature! Now!" She shot an arc of lighting at two near Wynne, who was setting as many as she could on fire, as Sten tore through them in large numbers in front of her.

Leliana nodded. "Follow me!"

She took off at a dead run, smacking one across the face with the bow, sending it flying. She heard Morrigan running behind, hot on her heels.

Alistair was slamming as many as he could with his shield, but could not break away. He was barely holding them off.

The creature, floating near Aedan now, turned towards her as she got closer. She fired off an arrow at it on the run, hitting it in the chest. It had no visible effect at all.

It raised it hands high. Morrigan yelled at her from behind. "Move!"

Leliana dove right, rolled and popped up, firing off another arrow. The creature followed her, adjusted its body, and raised its hands again to fire off another spell.

It never got the chance.

Morrigan, very close now that Leliana had drawn its attention, shot a huge wall of ice at it from her hands, freezing it solid. She swung her staff in a wide arc, smashing into the creature, shattering it violently.

The witch actually fell over she swung so hard.

Leliana watched in horror as Aedan simply fell, crumpling to the ground in a heap. She darted directly to him, gently taking his head and checking him quickly. He was blue, and pale, but breathing, albeit with difficulty.

She looked up for Wynne. The old mage was with Sten, smashing the last of the skeletons on the far side. Turning, she saw Alistair smash apart two more, and head for the last.

Aedan started coughing and spitting up bile. She wiped his mouth clean and sat him up to help him clear his throat. He let out a loud groan.

Alistair, the front side now clear, jogged up and knelt by Aedan. Wynne and Sten were coming as well.

A loud gasp caused her to look up.

Morrigan, still sitting on her bottom by the door, started to scamper backwards blindly, not even bothering to rise. She bowled straight into Aedan, knocking him over.

Alistair saw them first.

Abominations tore through the doorway into the room. The young warden charged at all six of them, alone.

It was a brave, but foolish move.

One he killed outright, two more sent him flying, slamming into the wall very hard.

Wynne shot two with a blast of cold air, but her spells were not as powerful as Morrigan's. The beasts did not freeze solid. They kept coming.

Leliana stood and drew her daggers. She darted between three of them, slashing wildly in every direction. Ducking and weaving, moving as quickly as she could, but none fell to her strikes.

Sten drove his sword straight through one, dissipating it into oblivion.

Recovering Morrigan rose and froze one solid near Alistair. His shield shattered it immediately. The second she fired an arcane bolt at, stunning the creature long enough for Alistair to kill it as well.

Wynne, forgoing the battle against the remaining two, grabbed Aedan's arm and pulled him back, away from the fighting.

Still wildly cutting away, the one closest to Leliana finally fell. The last was split, top to bottom, as Sten brought his heavy sword down in a violent, crushing blow.

Morrigan immediately went back to assist Wynne with Aedan. They removed Aedan's armor and quickly diagnosed him. He was still a little blue, and covered in bruises. The witch gave him a healing poultice, which helped stabilize his breathing and dulled the pain.

Wynne cast three healing spells on him in rapid succession and tested for breaks in bone.

There were none.

He sat up slowly, coughing. "What in the hell was that?"

The old mage sat beside him, clearly tired. "Arcane horror."

Morrigan stood, continuing. "A powerful mage may attract a pride demon. If the mage falls, an arcane horror is born from the union. The are exceptionally powerful, from a distance, as any talented mage would be, but up close they can be killed quickly."

Aedan just shook his head and looked into the next room, still breathing with difficulty.

Leliana looked into the far room as well. Doors were closed on the far side. She turned to Wynne.

"What is on the other side of the doors." She pointed into the next room.

Wynne stared ahead and sighed. She looked at Alistair. "The Templar quarters."

Coughing still, Aedan spoke. "So? Would they not be abominations also?"

Wynne shook her head and looked at Alistair. He spoke quietly.

"Not likely." He leaned back against the wall, running a dirty hand through his hair. "They're trained to resist, and they're not mages. Not as attractive to most demons. If anything, they'll be enthralled?"

Leliana was not following. By the look of it, neither was Aedan. She spoke first.

"Enthralled?"

Morrigan spoke instead, helping Aedan stand. "He means they will only attract desire demons."

Aedan looked at her. "Desire? What the hell does that mean?"

Morrigan smirked at him before answering, causing Leliana to frown as she watched.

"Aside from the obvious?...A desire demon will rarely confront a target, or fight, unless necessary. They offer themselves, strike deals and manipulate their way into a union. The individual will retain much more of themselves. Abilities, appearances, even retaining some semblance of their personalities at times."

Leliana walked closer. "So they are not abominations? They can be saved?"

Wynne stood slowly. "No...well...yes, in some cases, but not here."

Morrigan continued for her. " 'Tis necessary for the host, in this case a Templar mind you, to willingly accept the union..."

Alistair interrupted her as he shifted off the wall and drew his sword, preparing to leave.

"No Templar would willingly do that. We'll have to kill them."

Morrigan nodded her agreement. "He is correct. Though judging by the corpses we have past, there may be fewer of them at least."

Aedan drew one sword, leaving the other, and moved forward, gingerly.

"Come on. I'm tired of this shit."

Leliana immediately walked up beside him, falling in step. He was clearly injured, as was Alistair. And Wynne and Morrigan were tiring from using so much magic.

She shared a quick glance with Sten, who seemed impassive as always, but walked a little closer to the front of the group regardless. He probably realized the same thing.

She drew her bow as Aedan opened the far door quickly. Only empty hallway was present. Lowering the weapon she nodded to him. They walked cautiously down the hall, followed by Sten, then Wynne, Morrigan and Alistair, bringing up the rear this time.

Her eyes darted from side to side. She noticed something.

"The hallway is narrow..."

Aedan nodded, thinking the same thing apparently. "A killing zone." He stopped, turning to the others. "Stay here. Set up in a defensive arc. I'll go forward and draw them out."

Leliana shook her head. "No. I'll go. You're hurt, and too slow."

Morrigan spoke up. "The girl is correct warden."

Aedan ignored them both and started down the hallway, alone.

Leliana shared a quick glance with the witch and took off after him. She heard Morrigan direct Alistair and Sten to the far sides, hugging the walls, while she and Wynne set up in the middle, slightly farther back.

They both stopped at the first door and moved to either side. Aedan went to pop the door open but she stopped him, switching places with him while drawing both daggers. She whispered.

"Just keep them off me."

He nodded.

She turned back to the door and opened it quickly. Two Templars were right there. She jabbed the left dagger directly into the crevice between the helmet and chest plate of the first, dropping him at once, and slashed at the second. She only grazed him.

Backing away quickly, the Templar came flying out of the room after her, only to be beheaded by Aedan in one quick strike.

Surprisingly, only two Templars were in the room.

Grabbing her first dagger, still stuck in the neck of the first Templar, she turned to Aedan.

"Well...that was easy..."

The second and third doors on the right flung open and over a dozen Templars came into the hallway at a rush.

Aedan grabbed her and flung her down the hallway towards the others. She heard him running after her.

She shouted. "They're coming!"

They both ran, stopping as they passed Sten and Alistair. Morrigan did not wait. She flung her staff high and struck the ground with it. A dark cloud formed down the hallway, surrounding the charging Templars. Several fell down, not moving, the others only slowed until pushing through.

Leliana drew her bow and fired off an arrow that struck the closet in the face. The arrow pierced his helm, sending him to the ground in a heap. She notched a second and fired again.

Beside her, Morrigan let lose a torrent of electricity from her fingers. Four more fell but three reached them. Sten cut one clean in half at the waist while Alistair barreled into another, knocking him from his feet and stabbing down viciously with his sword. Aedan cut the third down, removing his arm, then both his legs below the knees before driving the sword down onto the chest on the fallen man.

Wynne shot off a spell she had never seen before, as a huge chunk of rock appeared from nowhere and slammed into the last two, crushing them utterly.

Alistair kicked at them, making sure they were dead, as he walked slowly up the hallway with Aedan beside him.

"We really work well together don't we?"

Aedan smiled a little and looked around the rooms that were just emptied. Leliana walked across the hall, examining the fallen Templars. She heard him answer.

"Yes. We do." He moved closer to her, Alistair following. "Though we can't keep this up much longer."

Morrigan and Wynne were drinking some blueish liquid that made them both make faces and spasm just a little. Sten moved up near the door, resting against the wall. He closed his eyes for a second.

They were clearly tiring, as Aedan had pointed out.

"Maybe we won't run into any more? Maybe that's it?" Alistair offered, though clearly he did not buy it himself.

Leliana saw Aedan give him a funny look. She laughed a little to herself and walked to the last door. She looked at them both, then at Sten. The Qunari moved off the wall at once, readying his sword.

She opened the door and gasped aloud.

"No such luck!"

She quickly darted left, but not fast enough this time.

A fireball knocked her clean off her feet, slamming her into the far wall.

The last thing she she saw was Aedan, then Alistair, flinging skeletons aside and slicing into what had to be a very large demon.

Blackness followed.


A/N: Not entirely pleased here but tired of trying to alter it. Moving on...