Chapter 37
~The Anvil of the Void~

Alistair

Deciding a good rest was in order we camped out in the next tunnel, keeping watch in pairs this time. Duran was more awake than the rest so he took first watch with Sten. The rest of us went to sleep with dread on our minds of what we would encounter next. I had trouble sleeping, since my ribs still hurt. Morrigan hadn't, and couldn't, heal them completely. Not with more enemies ahead and her declining energy. I said nothing of the pain I felt and tried my best to keep it hidden. The last thing I needed was the group to worry, especially Morriana. Still, I finally found a comfortable position that caused little pain next to Morriana, where I fell to sleep quickly.

I groaned as I walked, my chest hurting as we walked but I said nothing about it. The only thing I focused on was getting out of here. Of course, we couldn't until we found Branka. Morrigan and Wynne were saving their energy in case of an attack or ambush, so Oghren and Duran led the way, since they could see more easily in the dark.

I sighed as we walked. How much further did we need to go? I shook my head as we walked out of a tunnel and into another section of the cave. Suddenly there was a rumble and the ground shook. Behind us, rocks fell and blocked the way we'd just came. What—?

"Let me be blunt with you." We turned and saw a black haired female dwarf standing on a ledge, donned in armor with some kind of crest on the front. "After all this time, my tolerance for social graces is fairly limited. That doesn't bother you, I hope." Oghren went closer to the ledge she stood on, a smile shown clear on his face, even with the beard.

"Well shave my back and call me an elf! Branka? By the Stone, I barley recognized you!" she lifted an eyebrow, clearly not as joyful to see her spouse as Oghren was.

"Oghren? It figures you'd find your way here. Hopefully, you can find your way back more easily." She then glanced at the rest of us. "And how shall I address you?" She gestured to Mori, next to Oghren. "Hired sword of the latest lording to come looking for me? Or just the only one who didn't mind Oghren's ale-breath?"

"Be respectful woman!" Oghren sapped at her. "You're talking to a Grey Warden."

"Ah, so an important errand elf, then. I suppose something serious has happened. Is Endrin dead? That seems most likely. He was on the old and wheezy side." Duran took a couple steps closer to her.

"Yes, Paragon Branka, and the Assembly is in a deadlock." He stopped, thinking, then continued. "I don't know if you remember me. We met when you became Paragon." She was silent a moment then nodded.

"Duran? Yes I remember you. I see what kind of surfacers you've added yourself to. And I suppose the reason you're down here and in Legion armor is that you were exiled? Most likely." Duran turned a very faint pink but said nothing about it. Branka turned back to Mori and the rest of us.

"Then what is your involvement in this? Why would a surfacer be interested in dwarven politics? You must have a patron. Maybe even this forgotten exiled prince? And they must want something in particular. Now, what might that be?" she shook her head. "I don't care if the assembly puts a drunken monkey on the throne. Because our protector, our greatest invention, the thing that once made our armies the envy of the world, is lost to the very darkspawn it should be fighting. The Anvil of the Void. The means by which the ancients forged their army of golems and held the first archdemon ever to rise. It's here. So close I can almost taste it." Okay. She's getting a little weird.

"And there's a catch, no doubt?" Leliana chimed from the back, folded her arms.

"The Anvil lies on the other side of the gauntlet of traps designed by Caradin himself. My people and I have given body and soul to unlock it secrets. This is what's important. This has lasting meaning. If we succeed, the dwarven people benefit. Kings, politics . . . all that is transitory. I've given up everything and would sacrifice anything to get the Anvil of the Void."

"Does that include Hespith and the others of your house?" Mori asked, angrily.

"Enough questions. If you wish me to get involved with this imbecilic election, I must first have the Anvil. There's only one way out Warden. Forward. Through Caradin's maze and out to where the Anvil waits.

"What has this place done to you?!" Oghren shouted. "I remember marrying a girl you could talk to for one minute and see her brilliance!"

"I am your Paragon." She said simply, before turning and disappearing through a tunnel. I shook my head, thinking about how crazy this dwarf was. But she was right about one thing: the only way out is forward. So we continued. Surprisingly, Oghren chuckled.

"Good ol' Branka. She's a bit, oh, abrasive, isn't she? Guess I forgot that part about her screeching in my ear every sodding day. Ah well." He sighed, tiredly. "We'll help her get the Anvil, and then she'll come home and everything will be better." I couldn't tell if that was actually what he thought or what he hoped. It was only a minute later we entered an open area that seemed to have been Branka's house's campsite. Tents had been destroyed and dwarven bodies laid around, dead long before we'd gotten here. I jumped when we heard Branka's voice as she stood on her ledge area.

"I needed people to test Caradin's traps. There is no way to break through except trial and error. I sent them in . . . They were all mine, pledged to be y house and they didn't want to help. They tried to leave me. Even my Hespith. But even they couldn't understand that when you reach for greatness, there are sacrifices. As many sacrifices as are needed."

"Darkspawn." Zevran shouted as a group of hurlocks came our way. I sighed and pulled out my sword, gripping my shield. We just killed a broodmother. You darkspawn mean nothing to me. Thankfully it was only a small group so it ended quickly. I slowed my breathing – even though every breath was torture to my ribs— to quickly to preserve my energy, then looked around to see if there were more darkspawn. I didn't find darkspawn, but what I found was so much better.

"Wynne. Morrigan. The lyrium veins." I pointed to some around pillars and walls. They nodded and focused on gaining the energy from the lyrium before we faced more. And more were faced. A group of gunlocks followed by an ogre. I groaned. And the fact that Branka was talking again didn't help.

"She shouldn't have gone. She was pledged to me. She swore she'd do whatever it took to find the Anvil. There was no other choice. Most of them were dying of the taint already, but some . . . some of the woman were . . . transforming." I could already tell where she was going with that. "I knew what they would become. There would be an endless supply, fresh darkspawn to test the traps. They could still serve me, let me find the anvil. It was the only way . . ." Oh Maker. I could help but shudder. As did everyone else. I was thankful the fight with the ogre distracted me for a while.

When all the darkspawn were dead. We stopped to breathe a moment. Which, as we did so, we were entertained with more of Branka's story and excuses.

"You have no idea how they carried on, holding my hand and begging to die. They had pledged me their loyalty! They had no right to fight me." Maker I just wanted to yell at her, tell her what a sadistic and selfish idiot she was. But I doubted she'd listen. Or care. "They say your order is renowned for its wits as well as its brawn. Perhaps you'll do better than my poor clansman. There's something about this place . . . it makes people despair." She went silent and I guess she was done talking. For now.

Continuing through the tunnel we discovered more bodies of her house. I could easily see the taint that had taken over their decaying body and it made me sick. Literally. I almost threw up. I look at Mori and she seemed sick herself, but was trying to ignore it and press on.

We walked into a room filled with some green smoke and golems. It took me only a second to realize the air was full of poison.

"Zevran, Leliana." Mori cried as the golems came to life. "Find a way to get rid of it." They noticed the valves on either side of the room and ran quickly to both while we held of the golems and our breathing. Have to say, holding your breath while in a vicious combat with golems is not fun. But then again we had a golem of our own so that didn't breathe so I guess that made up for it. Leliana and Zevran quickly shut the valves, though the air wasn't completely clear yet. It felt like an eternity when the last golem fell. We ran through the next door, coughing our lungs out. If all the traps are like this I'm done.

And most weren't. Filled with gas, I mean. It was just one trap after another of the same danger level with golems, spirits, and vicious traps that would have killed us if we hadn't had three skillful and observant rouges and a golem that could take in the damage from other golems. I give Caradin credit. These weren't bad traps. I mean they're bad for us, but not so much for him.

Thankfully, it didn't last much longer. We finally entered an open area where there were two rows of golems, three each and lava falls surrounding it. At first I believed it to be another trap. But when none of the golems came to attack and Leliana, Zevran, or Mori cried "trap!" I assumed it was okay. We stopped in front of the largest golem. This one looked different from the rest, as it seemed to have electricity running through it and it was more metal than stone.

"My name is Caridin." It greeted. "Once, longer ago than I care to admit, I was a Paragon to the dwarves of Orzammar."

"Caidin?" Shale questioned. "The Paragon smith? Alive?"

"Ah, there is a voice I recognize. Shale of House Cadash, step forward." Hesitantly, Shale moved forward, the rest of us getting out of its way.

"You . . . know my name? Is it you who forged me then? Is it you who gave me my name?"

"Have you forgotten then?" Caridin sighed. "It has been so long. I made you into the golem you are now, Shale, but before you were a dwarf . . . just as I was. The finest warrior to serve king Valtar, and the only woman to volunteer." Woman . . . wait. What?

"The only . . . woman? A dwarf?" There was so much disbelief in Shale's voice.

"I laid you on the Anvil of the Void, here in this very room, and out you into the form you now possess."

"The Anvil of the Void? That is what we seek." Shale took a quick glance at Mori, to which she gave a small smile.

"If you seek the Anvil then you must care about my story, or be doomed to relieve it." Mori nodded

"You made the Anvil, I know that." She said.

"Though I made many things in my time, I rose to fame and earned my stance based on a single item: the Anvil of the Void. It allowed me to forge a man of steel or stone, as flexible and clever as any soldier. As an army, they were invincible. But I told no one the cost. No mere smith, however skilled, has the power to create life. To make my golems live, I had to take their lives elsewhere." Morriana was silent a moment then spoke.

"A . . . dire shortcut. Was it worth it?" Caradin sighed.

"The darkspawn were pressing in. Originally I only took volunteers, the bravest souls willing to trade their very lives for the chance to defend their homeland. But King Valor became greedy. He began to force men . . . castless and criminals . . . his political enemies . . . all of them were to be given to the anvil. It took feeling the hammers blow to realize the height of my crimes." Morriana looked around at everything before addressing him again.

"So what now? Do you want revenge?" I could see her tensing, ready for his answer.

"Not revenge. The blow of the hammer opened my eyes. My apprentices knew enough to make me as I am, but not enough to fashion a control rod. I retained my mind." He then turned to Shale. "You were the most loyal Shale. You remained at my side throughout, and in the end I sent you away out of mercy."

"I . . . do not remember."

"We have remained entombed here ever since, and I have sought a way to destroy the anvil. Alas, I cannot do it myself. No golem can touch it. Shale . . . you fought to destroy the Anvil once! Do not allow it to fall into unthinking hands again!" Caradin begged Shale.

"You speak of things I do not remember. You say we fought . . . did you use our control rods to command us to do so?"

"I destroyed the rods. Perhaps my apprentices eventually learned to replace the rods, I do not know, but if so then all they need is the Anvil to make all the slaves they need." He turned back to the rest of us. "Please . . . help me destroy the Anvil! Do not let it enslave more souls then it already has!"

"You were a Paragon. I'll help you if you support a new king."

"Don't listen to him!" We turned as Branka ran in, anger and desperation expressed on her face. "He's been trapped here for a thousand years, stewing in his own madness. Help me claim the Anvil, and you will have an army like you've never seen!"

"Branka, you mad, bleeding nug-tail!" Oghren shouted at her. "Does this thing mean so much to you that you can't even see what you've lost to get it?

"Look around. Is this what our empire should look like? A crumbling tunnel filled with darkspawn spume? The Anvil will let us take back our glory!

"The Anvil enslaves living souls." I said to her. Mori nodded and turned to Caradin.

"It must be destroyed," she agreed with him.

"So it fights with Caradin? Good. That seems right."

"Thank you strangers. You compassion shames me."

"No!" Branka screeched. "You will not take it. Not while I still live."

"Branka! Don't throw your life away for this." Oghren begged, tears evident in his eyes. He turned to Mori. "Maybe if we just give her the blasted thing! She's confused . . . maybe once she calms down we can talk to her."

"She's obsessed," I told him, gently. "Beyond redemption."

"You're not the only master here, Caradin. Golems, Obey me! Attack!" She suddenly raised a control rod. Half of Caradin's golems came to life, glowing red as if to reflect Branka's evil.

"A control rod?!" Caradin cried. "But . . . my friend, you must help me! I cannot stop her alone!"

"Everyone, attack!" Mori shouted, each of us immediately bringing out our weapons.

Morriana

The rest of Caradin's golems came to life at his command, these ones glowing blue, and began to fight the opposing golems. We split off and attacked golems, Oghren running off the find his insane wife. I cursed as I looked at the golems, until deciding to attack the closest one from behind while one of Caradin's golems attacked it straight on.

It was no doubt dangerous to come close to two golems fighting, but we promised to help. So as the golems fought I attacked the legs. The others got the same idea and began attacking any golem that was close to them. Caradin's apprentices were surprisingly careful of our presence in the battle, and so far no one had gotten hurt. Branka's golem got the best of Caradins and knocked it back. Being a huge, ten ton-weighing bolder, it struggled to get back up. The golem then turned to me, deciding I was a nuisance and lifted its fists to strike at me.

I quickly took note of my surroundings and realized I had nowhere to jump out of the way. The cavern wall was behind me, two golems fighting were to my right and a downward slope was to my left that surely led to lava. Maker, I'm trapped. Something suddenly hit the golem, causing it to stumble. While it was disoriented, I danced my way around it, just in time for it to be hit again and crash into the wall that had previously been behind me. I practically laughed as I realized Shale had come to my rescue. Shale punched the golem again, this time at the head, causing it to smash against the wall and crumble. The golem fell to its knees, then went down completely with a loud thud. I looked up at Shale, still in shock. Shale turned and took some steps to me.

"It is unharmed?" He (oh wait, she . . . right) asked. I nodded grinning. Shale smiled in return. "Good. Now, shall we finish this fight?" My grin turned wicked as I nodded again, heading to whatever golem was close.

We were definitely winning, that was sure. More blue golems stood than red, which were going down one at a time. I looked around and found Oghren fighting his bat-shit crazy wife. I could tell, even from a distance, he was trying to calm her down and convince her to stop. She, however was fighting him, screaming like some wild animal, and sent attack after attack at him. He dodged but never struck. I realized that if I didn't do something she would kill him.

I looked for Zevran, barely finding him in the shadows and gestured for him to help Oghren. He was the closest to him and the only one I trusted, save for Leliana, to complete this task without being seriously hurt. I turned back to find a red golem running towards me. I was about to panic, taking a step back and about to jump away. As if on reflex I flung my dagger at it. Any other time I would have slapped myself for throwing one of my good daggers as some moving rock. But when it hit home right in its glowing eyes killing it, I stood there in amazement and stared at it, then started laughing. Okay. I can toss daggers now.

I ran to the fallen golem and retrieved my dagger with some difficulty. I watched as the last golem fell and sighed in relief. Everyone seemed fine and were either sitting or leaning against a wall. I shared a look with Alistair, who gave me a small smile. I returned it but then lost it when I heard some sort of scream and turned to see Branka shield gone, a hand holding a wound at her side, Zevran standing by her, and Oghren staring at her in shock and fear. I rushed down, careful not to come close in case either Branka or Oghren decided to attack out of rage. Instead Branka went down and Oghren rushed to catch her.

"You stupid knife ear, I was calming her down!" Oghren shouted at him as he held Branka. Zevran merely scoffed, unfazed by his rage.

"She would have sooner kill you before you "calmed" her. Look at her, dwarf. She's insane. There is no saving her." Oghren looked at her, taking in her crazed eye and red raged cheeks.

"Oghren he's right." I said, coming next to Zevran. "She got her whole House killed. Sacrificed everyone. Look at how far she's gone."

"You don't think I've noticed?!" He snapped at me. I flinched in response. "I knew since we found her. I just thought . . ." he couldn't finished. I don't even think he knew how. "The Anvil must be destroyed," he agreed, sorrowfully.

"No!" Branka cried as she tried to get back up. "I will not let it end like this. I will not go down so easily!" Before I could move, she lifted her sword in attempt to behead Oghren but was then chocking on her own blood, the sword in her chest with Oghren's hand being the one to cause it. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands as I realized what Oghren had done. Branka didn't last long, and died within seconds of him doing so.

"Atrast tunsha. Totarnia amgetol tavash aeduc." Oghren whispered as he moved her to that her body was on the ground and not his lap, tears falling from his eyes and falling in his red beard.

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Atrast tunsha. Totarnia amgetol tavash aeduc. – Words of a formal dwarven rite for the dead.