Here is the next chapter of Warden in Rags. Thanks so much to everyone for your reviews and pms. I love getting to hear from all of you. So you guys are not taken by complete surprise, I had a little fun with part of this chapter. A little bit a fluff. I would love to hear from you all on what you think of the chapter's content, especially the non-canon stuff. Enjoy!
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The sun had long since slipped behind the peaks of the Frostback Mountains casting a frigid shadow over Haven. Damien and his company tried keep themselves warm by bundling up in their coats and cloaks, but in the end, lighting the braziers around the chantry and huddle around them.
"Whose brilliant idea was it to come up here looking for that urn again?" Damien asked through his scarf as he glanced back at the still unconscious Brother Genitivi.
"Look in a mirror, pal," Alistair jested holding his hands of the fire before using them to cover his nose to try and warm it up.
"At least I can without breaking it," Damien teased back.
"How long until the villagers attack do you think?" Alyssa asked making a sandwich from some cheese, dried meat, and a cold biscuit.
"I'd say they'll try just after first light when the sun is at their backs. Hopefully, we'll be heading up the mountain toward the urn before then," Damien stated.
"On that note," Wynne stated joining the group. "The patient is waking up."
"Excellent," Damien responded grabbing his blanket he had stashed near the fire to keep it warm and brought it over to where Brother Genitivi was laying.
"Take it slow, your injuries are still healing," Neria cautioned the man as he tried to sit up.
"You have my thanks, but the urn is so close now. Please," the researcher started. Damien immediately threw the warm blanket over him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rest. The urn is not going anywhere yet. You are in no shape to make a rough climb up the mountain in the dark. Until then, I managed to get a hold of this pendant from our generous host over there," Damien explained nodding back toward the now unconscious Father Eirik as Brax lay there with the man's leg in his mouth. "I was hoping that you could show me how to use it. I'm pretty sure it's a key."
Damien placed the necklace in Brother Genitivi's hand before sitting down next to him cross-legged watching the man inspect the pendant.
"I rad about this in some of the ancient texts. This acts as a piece of a puzzle lock. Once it is inserted in the proper slot, the first lock will open. I will have to come with you to open the door. The puzzles are usually quite difficult especially for something as valuable as the urn of Sacred Ashes," the man explained.
"Wynne, Neria, could make the journey at first light?" Damien asked looking back at the mages.
"Not on foot. He would need to be moved by cart or wagon," Wynne answered.
"What about a stretcher? Or carried on someone's back?" Damien asked. He knew there was no way that a cart or wagon was making it up those snowy slopes. The paths leading to the village itself were narrow. Any paths leading to such a well guarded and protected place would be even worse, if there were any at all.
"That could work, but we will need to splint his leg and keep him covered and warm during the climb. If he is dropped in this state, it will do serious damage," Wynne responded.
"I could enchant one of the blankets with a warming spell and we could put him to sleep while we are carrying him to make it easier on him," Neria added.
"Works for me. I'll go see if I can find some supplies we aren't using to make a stretcher," Damien said smiling at the three of them before standing.
He glanced over at the dog and his unresponsive toy before making his way over. He leaned down and inspected the man while patting the dog's head.
"Looks like we don't need him after all," he whispered to the dog who looked up at him and wagged the stump he called a tail. "That does not mean you get to keep him."
The dog's ears drooped slightly as he released the man's leg and trotted over to Alyssa near the fire. Likely trying to lick some of the crumbs off her fingers, if Damien was to wager a guess.
Grabbing the man by the back collar of his robes, Damien started dragging the man to the front entrance.
"What are you doing?" Kalli asked falling in step next to him.
"Taking our the garbage. We have what we needed," Damien answered.
"So... what? You're going to execute him?" Kalli asked.
Damien stopped and looked over at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't planning to, but now that I'm thinking about it, that might be the best thing in the long run," Damien said looking down at the man and tapping his chin with his free hand.
"I wasn't being serious! You would really kill him on cold blood?" Kalli exclaimed.
"Think about this strategically. If I just tossed him out into the snow and ice. He would rally whoever was left in the village and attack us from behind as we tried to climb the mountain. They know this area and would know exactly where to ambush us. On top of that, even if we did manage to fight our way to the Urn, which by the way, likely has had the guards around it doubled since we took the chantry, then fight our way out, the chantry will want to send researchers, historians, and eventually pilgrims to see the most holy artifact in our religion. If these cultists are still here and fight back, what do you think will happen to those people?" Damien explained looking back to his young companion. Of course, there was the flip side. Killing this man now would be nothing but cold blooded murder. Even if he woke the man up and handed him a weapon, Eirik was tired from his 'activities' with Brax over the past several hours. That would not be a duel or a fight. It would simply be an excuse for cold blooded murder.
What was he supposed to do? He could not let this man go free. Eirik had tortured Brother Genitivi, murdered countless Redcliffe knights during their search to save their arl, and even set up an ambush that nearly ensnared Damien himself. Could he execute him as a criminal since he tried to kill a Grey Warden? Maker, he already had enough to explain after occupying the chantry... although Eirik had proclaimed himself as a Revered Father which was heresy in the eyes of the chantry. If he got Brother Genitivi to corroborate that story, the chantry would never have been occupied, it would have been liberated and the chantry could deal with the blasphemer as they saw fit. By the Void, that didn't help the current situation. He needed to decide if he was going to kill this man or toss him out in the snow and wind where his flock was waiting to take him in and rally around him.
"So if he dies, we are safer. But if you kill him, it's murder," Kalli summarized wrapping her blanket around her a little tighter.
"I suppose I could justify an execution in several ways, but I'll know the truth. I certainly can't order anyone to kill him. If I'm not willing to do it, how can I order someone else too?" Damien said with a sigh.
"Commander, what are you doing with him?" Leliana asked stepping up next to Kalli.
"Trying to decide that," Damien responded. He looked up and spotted Alistair and Alyssa approaching as well.
"What are our options?" Alyssa asked.
"Let him go and risk the villagers rallying around him and attacking us from behind. Tie him up and leave him here, risking the villagers coming and getting him. Take him with us up the mountain where he might have supporters he could warn. Last, execute him. That one is the safest for both our current situation and future expeditions," Damien explained releasing his hold on the Eirik's robes.
"He's a murderer. Who knows how many people he has killed just because they were looking for the urn! He deserves to die!" Alistair exclaimed.
"But could we really kill a man that can't defend himself?" Leliana asked.
"What would you do if it was Loghain laying there?" Kalli asked.
Damien, Alistair, and Alyssa all exchanged looks. The answer to that question was simple... at least for Damien. Even if he had to slit the man's throat in his sleep, he would kill him.
"The bastard dies here," Damien growled drawing one of his daggers.
"Wait, we can't just-" Leliana started.
"Enough. That is my decision. He dies right here right now for his crimes against Redcliffe and for his role in aiding the darkspawn in this blight when he attacked a grey warden and his allies," Damien stated grabbing the man's robes again and dragging him out the door with Alistiar and Alyssa right behind him. Kalli fell in step as well.
Dragging the man through the snow, Damien took him to a small open area at the top of the hill over looking the village. Eirik was coming to now and looking around. Likely confused as to where he was.
"For your crimes against Fereldan, including but not limited to: ordering the murder of multiple Redcliffe knights, ambushing a Grey Warden during a Blight, and heresy against the teachings of the Chantry. For these crimes, you are sentenced to die. May the Maker take mercy on your soul," Damien announced as loud as he could. Hopefully it would sew the seeds of doubt in the villagers and keep them from attacking the group on the way up the mountain or coming back down.
Lifting the blade up, Damien looked down at the man as he started to struggle against Damien's grip on his clothes.
"Maker keep you," the young warden whispered as he drove the blade down between the man's collar bone and shoulder. At that angle, the blade would pierce his heart and lung. Death would follow quickly. Letting do of the man's body, Damien watched as blood slowly colored the snow and dripped from his blade.
"What about the body?" Leliana asked.
"We'll lay him inside the chantry and put on of their sheets or a blanket over him. Once we leave, the villagers can give him a proper burial," Damien responded taking a handful of snow and using it to clean off his blade before drying it with his cloak. "Everyone head back inside and get some rest. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be rather bloody."
000
Looking around the frozen ruins, Damien found that even though they were out of the wind, simply seeing the ice surrounding them sent chills all through his extremities. The area was massive but there was a feeling of dread in the air like hostile eyes were baring down on them.
"Kalli and Leliana, scout ahead. I want Sten, Wynne, and Lyna to stay behind with Brother Genitivi and hold the exit. I'll leave Brax here too. Everyone else, gear up. Weapons and essentials only," Damien ordered.
He did not know how long they would be moving through these ruins, but if it was going to take more than a day, there had to be some enemy stockpiles that they could seize with food and water. If they were able to, then he would have to figure out a way to get the supplies back to those he was leaving at the entrance, or they would likely run out of food and water before they returned. Although, there was the chance that were was nothing. If that were the case, they would need to rely on their rations and canteens.
Damien stepped behind some of the ice and knelt down. It had been a while since he had said an earnest prayer asking for help, but this time he hoped the Maker, Andraste, or someone would hear him and step in. "This goes out to anyone in earshot. Help us. Guide us through these winding pathways and keep my allies safe," Damien prayed softly placing a hand over his heart.
"Damien!" Kalli shouted.
Standing back up, the young warden wet his lips under his scarf and stepped out of his little hide away to hear what Kalli had to say.
"What do you have?"
"There are three paths but two of them are dead ends. The one on the right might be a good place for Wynne and the others to stay. Its got food stores, medicinal herbs, and a few rooms that have fires burning. The other is a dark corridor but it sounded like there might have been someone or something down there. It could be worth checking out. The last is a locked door guarded by a dozen men in armor. If I had to guess, I would say they are those cultists you mentioned," Kalli reported.
"Where's Leliana?" Damien asked.
"She is keeping an eye on the left passage and the guards to make sure they don't ambush us," Kalli responded.
"Works for me," Damien remarked before turning back to the main group. "Things being as they are, I think we might want Sten to tag along with us after all. We can always us another heavy hitter. Wynne, Lyna, and Brax should be enough to hold the entrance as long as we kill every enemy in front of us."
Sten seemed to like that plan better. It was still extremely hard to tell what the stoic mass of a warrior was thinking, but Damien was starting to see something in the man's eyes and the way he carried himself that helped signal his mood. If he had to wager a guess at this moment, the qunari was itching for a fight and relieved that he was not on guard duty anymore.
"Alright, Kalli and I will check out the path on the left. Everyone else not staying here, meet up with Leliana. If you are engaged, kill them all," Damien ordered adjusting his throwing knives on his belt. The group nodded and started moving, but Lyna grabbed Damien's arm before he could head out.
"Why are you leaving me behind?" Lyna asked crossing her arms.
"You are the dedicated survivor for this mission," Damien responded.
"What?"
"Since the battle, if I could help it, I have not taken every warden on a mission that might get us all killed. If we don't make it back, you need to take over the fight against the blight," Damien stated.
"Fine, but you better be coming back alive. You and Alyssa are two of the very few shemlen I can put up with," Lyna stated.
"What about Alistair?" Damien asked.
"He snores too loud," Lyna replied smiling as she turned and headed back over to Wynne. Damien chuckled to himself as he jogged to catch up to Kalli.
The passage on the left was darker than Damien could have imagined and there was a feeling in the air that made his skin crawl. Magic? No, the feeling was wrong. This was more along the lines of being hunted in the woods, some ferocious beast's prey.
"The guards are only guarding the middle route right?" Damien asked stopping and closing his eyes for a moment. He needed to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Compared to the white snow in the morning sun outside, the cavern surrounding him and Kalli might as well have been covered in black ink.
"That right," Kalli answered.
"Then this path is either a trap or so dangerous that they don't want to guard it. Either way, I've got a really bad feeling about this place. I say we head for the middle route and break through the guards. Sound good?" Damien suggested opening his eyes again. He could see some faint shapes in the black but nothing too clearly.
"The works for me. This place gives me the creeps. If we do come back here, I say we bring torches," Kalli replied.
"Agreed. Let's get out of here."
No sooner had the words left Damien's lips when an icy cold hand grabbed hold of his right shoulder and left leg yanking him backward. He did not even have time to scream.
000
Damien could not tell if his eyes were open or closed. The darkness was complete and consuming. Nothing escaped its clutches.
"Hello?" Damien asked putting out his hand trying to feel his way long the floor for a wall or drop off. Anything at all. Yet, his voice did not even echo.
"You are different from my usual prey," a low, course voice rumbled. Like one of the war drums from Ostagar or growling of a beast ten times the size a great bear.
"Probably because I'm not prey," Damien closed his eyes tight. He needed to see, but that was impossible in this dark. He needed to defend himself, but how? He always fought with his eyes.
"All mortals are my prey, for I am above you," the voice answered. Still no echo, but the sound shook Damien down to the bone. He remembered this feeling now. It was different from anything he had ever felt before, but similar in the most basic way.
"You're a pride demon. You are not here to try and possess me, I'm sure of that much. So what is it you want?" Damien asked.
"To feed."
Damien felt the attack coming some how. And managed to role out of the way in time. He was not sure if it was the beast's teeth or claws that he had evaded but he knew there was no using his eyes or ears to fight. There were no echoes, not even the sound of his feet shifting on the floor. What about smell? No, all he smelled was his body odor. When all this was done he really needed a proper bath. The sense of taste was completely useless when all he could taste was his own saliva and stale air. Touch? Maybe, that seemed to be the only sense that was currently working for him, but he would much rather not have to get hit by the demon to figure out where it was. Wait, how had he sense the attack before? Was it his magic? Could he use his magic somehow to fight this thing? Making himself faster or stronger would help him avoid the attacks, but he needed to sense the demon, use his magic to feel where the demon was and how to attack it.
Another attack, but from behind this time. Damien rolled forward and concentrated on the feeling that ran up his spine and across his skin the moment the monster lashed out at him. As he did, it was as if he had locked his focus on to his enemy. He could feel the way it was moving, breathing, even thinking.
Opening his eyes again, Damien could nearly see the demon in the dark. Dark purple magic covered the demon and drew a silhouette against the black.
"I see you," Damien teased as his fingers wrapped around the grips of his daggers. The beast must have been so prideful and confident that it did not think to take his weapons from him.
He could see his target. Right in the center of the mass where the magic was strongest. If he pierced that, it was a kill.
"No one, no mage, human or elf, can see through my power. You only see what I want you to see," the demon taunted, but Damien could feel the magic clearly now. Not only where it was, but what its weaknesses were.
"I can see through your pride," Damien answered launching himself forward and burying his blades in the beast's chest severing it connection to whatever magic was fueling its physical form in the mortal world and the beast turned to ash beneath him.
Suddenly, the darkness vanished leaving Damien standing in a massive room surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds of skeletal remains. As small hallway, was the only exit he saw and started heading for it.
"Damien! Damien! Andraste's ass, where are you?" Kalli shouted.
"Keep your dress on, I'm right here!" Damien shouted back starting toward the hallway. However, a gentle hold stopped his movements, as if several sets of hands had reached out and were embracing him. Like a whisper of a memory on the wind, the embrace vanished leaving a wisp of two words in his mind as if uttered by a hundred voices from beyond some unseen hill. Thank you.
"Damien, Maker's breath, don't do that to me," Kalli stated appearing in the entrance to the hallway.
"Do what?" Damien asked. He was curious to see what Kalli had seen or experienced in comparison to his own trial.
"You said we should leave, but when I got to the entrance you were gone. I was about to go get everyone else to help me look for you when the darkness just vanished from the passage. I figured you must have found a torch or something... apparently the or something was more accurate," Kalli stated looking around at the remains scattered around the room.
"Definitely 'or something' applies to this," Damien replied lowering his head. This was not the kind of guidance I was looking for with that prayer, you jerks.