Chapter 38 – Festering Wounds and Revelations
Nate regained consciousness slowly. The moment he opened his eyes the world tilted on its axis, only to right itself again a second later. He shook his head, inwardly reeling as the world went in and out of focus and nausea pitched his stomach. He winced as pain shot up his arms to settle between his shoulder blades. His entire body ached in fact, making him wonder exactly how long he'd been kneeling on the cold stone floor with his arms tightly bound behind his back.
"You're awake. Thank the Ancestor's! I was beginning to worry," Sigrun's voice ghosted from out of the darkness.
Nate turned toward the sound and squinted into the shadows. He could barely make out Sigrun's face in the gloom but she was definitely there, sitting just a short distance away. She was bound just as he was; as they all were save for Hector, who was nowhere to be seen. At a glance he saw that he and his companions had been positioned in a semi-circle around Alyx's inert form. Apparently whatever their captor had planned for her, he wanted the rest of them to have front row seats for it…that is if she was still alive. Maker, let her still be alive! Nate silently prayed.
"How's your head? I'd heal you but I'm sort of tied up at the moment," Anders said from the opposite side of the room, shrugging his shoulders to emphasize the fact that he, too, was restrained.
"It's fine," Nate lied. He could feel the stickiness of the dried blood caked to the side of his face, and his right temple throbbed in time with his heartbeat, but he couldn't afford to let the pain take him. Not when he needed every ounce of focus he could muster. He distracted himself by testing the strength of his bonds, but his wrists wouldn't budge so much as an inch.
"Don't bother my friend. I've already tried," a heavily accented voice whispered nearby. It took him almost a full minute to recognize the Antivan's voice, but then he realized that it could only be Zevran speaking to him. "We're being held by magic. Unless your lock-picks are of a charmed variety, they would be useless against such defenses."
Which meant they were in a world of trouble if they didn't think of something soon.
Had this all been a trap? Nate wondered. He was beginning to think so. Even after everything they'd been through, he still hadn't believed the darkspawn to be intelligent enough to come up with such a complex scheme, but then again the Architect was different from the others…and all the evidence pointed to him...
A soft groan escaped Alyx's lips and Nate's chest constricted in relief. She was alive.
"Alyx!" he gasped. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that they were here and were going to get her out, but his tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he couldn't form the words. Nate gasped as she lifted her head and he saw her face for the first time since they entered this place. The entire left side was black and blue, and an angry gash slashed across her forehead. Her right eye had swollen shut and her lips were painfully cracked, beading fresh blood as she parted them to talk.
"Shouldn't have…come after me," she rasped in a stilted, pain-filled voice. "This isn't…your fight. Now…we'll all...die."
"Isn't our fight? Are you insane woman? " Oghren barked just as Anders said, "Of course we came after you!"
Nate licked his dried lips as he stared at Alyx in disbelief. This hopelessness was unlike her.
"You remember what I told you Lex?" he replied calmly. "We're a team. You and the rest of us…we swore an oath, and we will face whatever comes together."
He was surprised when her shoulders began to shake and a strange noise rattled up from deep in her chest. At first he thought she was crying, but then he realized she was actually laughing. A sort of panic seized him at the sound. Whatever the Architect had done to her had obviously cracked her mind.
"Not…darkspawn," she croaked.
There was a long pause of shock after this statement.
"Then who?" Anders asked in confusion.
Alyx whispered something he didn't quite catch, but Zevran and Oghren both gasped in surprise at her response.
"Flemeth? Did we not already kill her?" Zevran asked.
A wild, piercing cackle filled the room at the assassin's words, sending a chill skittering down Nate's spine. It was an evil sound, that laugh.
"Foolish boy," a low, husky voice said from out of the heavy shadows. "As if the likes of you could ever truly kill me."
Nate bit back a gasp of horror as a hunched figure shuffled into the weak light. The creature before him might once have been human, but was now nothing more than a twisted, decaying wraith with black, beady eyes that glittered from out of an angular, sunken face. Only a few tufts of scraggly hair remained atop of a balding head, and her gray-tinged skin had cracked and withered. She wore only the remains of a tattered dress that clearly revealed a grossly emaciated and distorted frame. Her long bony fingers, which might have once been elegant, sported talon-like nails that made her hands look like claws. To Nate she was like a childhood nightmare come alive, the epitome of everything he'd ever thought a witch of the wilds would be. He had to swallow back the bile that had lodged itself in his throat.
"Not what you were expecting, was it lad?" the witch said to Zevran, a malicious smile spreading her cracked lips into a sharp-toothed grin as she stopped in front of the assassin.
"What happened to you?" Zevran whispered in shock.
"Your friend happened," the woman spat, her smile melting into a scowl. "When she struck the killing blow I was forced to find a new host. Because of the blight I had but one choice…an old, lame Chasind woman left behind by her tribe. Had I known that she had warded herself against me, I might never have claimed her for myself. Now I am stuck in this putrid form, but not for long…oh no! Not for much longer."
"If it's vengeance you seek, then take it, but please…release my men. They had no part in this," Alyx rasped, her head lifting regally despite her weakness.
"Aren't we quick to jump to conclusions?" Flemeth said with a bark of laughter as she turned to Alyx, moving with a speed that didn't seem natural for someone of Flemeth's age and distortion. "If vengeance was all I wished for, you would be dead already. Oh, don't look at me like that, child. You will die, of that there is no doubt, but not yet...not yet."
"What more could you want from me?" Alyx said between laboring breaths. Her arms trembled in their restraints and fresh sweat broke out across her forehead as she struggled to maintain upright through the confrontation.
"I would see everything you love ripped from your still-beating heart," Flemeth spat in fury, and then her expression melted into a smile as she grazed Alyx's jaw-line with one of her clawed hands. "Such a willful child you are; so cock-sure and proud in your so called principles. I knew all along that my Morrigan would betray me. It is in her nature after all, but you…I could never have predicted you. Perhaps you believe you've spoiled my plans, but you've only delayed them but a little."
"So this is about Morrigan? " Alyx asked incredulously.
"In a way yes, I suppose it is," Flemeth replied with an ironic smile. "This body will not last for much longer. Soon I shall be forced to find a new host. Little did I know when you deprived me of my daughter that you would supply me with such a perfect replacement."
"No," Alyx whispered, horror stealing her breath away as realization flashed in her eyes.
"And why not? I think it the perfect conclusion to our dealings, my dear. A life for a life, as the old adage goes…or does it? I always get such things confused. But oh what an opportunity! The daughter that should not exist…an untainted child of two grey wardens…impossible! And yet she does exist, doesn't she? And the last of the line of Calenhad to boot!"
"If you harm one hair on her head, I'll—"
"You'll be dead, therefore will have little say on the matter," Flemeth spat.
"There are others who protect her, witch. You will not succeed," Nate seethed. He would not let this creature take Jocelyn!
"And who will stop me? You?" Flemeth asked lightly as she stared down at him. "Such chivalry! And yet it does not matter. You and her pathetic little family would not be able to stop me, even were I not planning to kill you."
"Take me! I give myself to you freely, just…don't harm my daughter," Alyx cried.
"And have but a handful of years to live? I don't think so," Flemeth replied with a haughty snort.
"What could you possibly gain by killing us all? The darkspawn will surely take the surface if you do," Sigrun called to the witch.
"The darkspawn have organized under new leadership. Not even you would survive the impending onslaught if they were to be left unchecked. You told me so yourself once," Alyx added.
"Clever child," Flemeth replied with a quirk of a smile as she turned back to Alyx. "Very well. I will let your order stand, all save you of course…you and one other…but who, I wonder, would cause the most damage? Which one of these driveling fools lays claim to your heart's deepest desires?"
"You're too late. Her lover died two years ago...slain by the archdemon," Anders offered.
"Bah! How like a man! To presume to know the twists and turns of a woman's heart," Flemeth barked in amusement.
"He's right. My husband is dead," Alyx interjected, her chin going up a notch as her eyes flashed in determination.
"Do not think you can lie to me, child. I have tasted your blood, and blood never lies," Flemeth spat angrily. "We shall know soon enough, one way or another."
Flemeth moved to Oghren first, likely because he was closest in proximity. She eyed the dwarf for a long second and then barked again in laughter.
"Not even I have the imagination to believe her heart lies with one such as you, dwarf. Luckily for me there are other, more prominent choices that I can see. Yes…" she drawled, her husky voice sending chills down Nate's spine. His heart began to pound as the witch moved to Zevran and eyed him in speculation. Her hand shot out and pricked his neck with the tip of one long fingernail, producing a bead of blood that trickled down the front of his armor. She raised the nail to her lips and closed her eyes as she tasted his blood. Zevran sat perfectly still, his distaste showing only in the depths of his hooded, hazel eyes. To anyone not looking close enough they would think he cared little of the outcome of Flemeth's assessment of him. Nate knew better than that.
"Hmm, heady…like spices and wine," Flemeth pronounced, her eyes rolling in pleasure. "It's no wonder she has such affection for you, elf. What lust-drenched days you could've had together, had she chosen you instead of another. Alas, it is a truly platonic love she feels for you, one that I fear is more of a sister for a brother than a lover."
Zevran scowled at the witch as she cackled and turned to Anders. The mage struggled against his restraints as Flemeth turned and walked to him. She stooped down to look him in the eyes and practically purred in approval.
"What a fine specimen you are...and powerful too. I can feel the magic rolling off of you in waves," she said, closing her eyes as she breathed him in. She exhaled as she opened them again, a lustful, almost drunken expression crossing her face. "What a shame that I could not have you instead, but I've never taken a male host, and am not about to change that…more's the pity. Perhaps I should keep you around for other purposes," she continued as she ran her hands down his chest. Anders looked as if he was about to gag as he made a low noise of disgust at her attentions. Flemeth scowled and pricked his neck, just as she had Zevran's. She went very still as she rolled Anders' blood around on her tongue.
"Hmm, there's a great deal of affection here, yes, and curiosity…and a question left unanswered…but is it enough? I wonder…you could be he, but we must be thorough, mustn't we?" she said as she stood to her full height and turned her gaze to Nathaniel
Nate swallowed hard as he felt Flemeth's eyes on him. She walked slowly and deliberately toward him, like a predator on the prowl. He could sense her magic long before she stooped to look directly into his eyes. He struggled to keep his eyes down and away, but she took his chin in his hands and lifted his face until he had no other choice. It almost felt as if she were trying to rip the truth of him from out of his soul by the roots. He could hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he tried not to move despite the intuition to recoil from her in disgust.
"This one has surprising strength," she said after a time, her gaze turning more discerning as she eyed him intently. He could feel sweat dripping down the back of his neck as the long seconds ticked by, feeling more like hours. Finally she released his face and took a step back.
When the prick came it was sharp but fast. He felt the blood trickling across his skin before his mind had time to process it but that, he knew, was the least of his worries. When Flemeth began to cackle in glee he didn't know what to think at first.
"Oh, how cliché! And so droll," Flemeth crowed in delight, never taking her eyes off of him though her words were obviously meant for Alyx.
Nate's eyebrows shot up in surprise, the reason for the witch's mirth finally sinking in. His gaze connected with Alyx's and for a split second he saw the truth of it in her eyes. All of the feelings he'd kept carefully hidden away from her all this time were echoed in their cerulean depths, and for just a second he let the warmth of it wash over him. It was him. Her heart had chosen him.
"No," she whispered hoarsely, closing her eyes tightly against the truth.
"Enjoy this moment, boy, for it shall be your last," Flemeth murmured in his ear, her smile turning feral as a clawed-hand struck out to pierce his side. Nate screamed in pain as the talon-like nails sliced through his skin as easily as any blade, but all he could do was look down at the wound in surprise. Flemeth chortled with glee as she began to send waves of electrical energy through the wound and into his body. He could see it snapping all around him, tingeing the world in hues of purple and blue. He bit down hard in the attempt to stay silent but there was no use for it. He had never felt pain like this before, and the screams seemed to come from some part of him he couldn't control.
"NO!" Alyx screamed, her face contorted in anger and pain. She gritted her teeth and growled as she pushed with all her might against her bonds.
He didn't know if it was out of sheer willpower or if it was because Flemeth was so focused on her torture of him, but somehow Alyx managed to push her way to a standing position and then one by one, released her arms from their magical shackles. Flemeth screeched in fury as she turned her full attention to Alyx and with a flick of her wrists, sent her sailing high into the air. Alyx's arms flung out and her back arched unnaturally as a scream began deep in her chest and built up until the sound of it filled the room. It became a multi-layered, ear-piercing sound that bespoke of ultimate pain and suffering. Nate watched in horror as rivulets of blood trickled down her legs to pool on the floor at her feet. She was going to die before his very eyes, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Everything after that happened so quickly that Nate was never quite sure what happened. There was a flash of light and then Flemeth was screaming, not in triumph but in pain. Her skin began to glow and then crack. A thousand fractures spindled out until flecks of skin began to drop away, leaving a white-hot light in their wake. The same strange energy spilled from her mouth and eye-sockets, and then she simply shattered, disintegrating into a million tiny pieces that crumbled to the floor.
The quiet afterwards was deafening.
Nate slumped to the floor, his magical bonds apparently broken by the death of the one who created them. He could already feel the blackness trying to suck him under, but he held out against it as his eyes searched for Alyx in the gloom. He could hear his own breath wheezing up from his chest as he watched everything from a strange, side-ways angle. A small, unfamiliar figure ran across the room to crouch beside Alyx's unmoving form. The stranger pressed a hand to Alyx's neck, no doubt searching for a pulse.
"You," Zevran spat accusingly as he and the others joined the woman at Alyx's side.
"There's no time to explain," the stranger said in a low, husky voice. "You, mage. You must heal her quickly, before it is too late. We will need to move her before long. And you, tend to the other one. He, too, is fading fast."
He could hear another voice arguing and could tell it was Anders, though his tone was too low for him to hear the words.
"Think you that she will thank you if he dies?" the woman spat in irritation.
"I will tend to him," Velanna said softly. Had he the energy, he might have been surprised at her gentle tone, but the darkness was quickly closing in. Velanna's face swam into view as cool fingers pressed against his temple, gently probing. "Nate?" she called to him, her voice sliding over his consciousness like a hazy memory. "Hold on. It will all be over soon," and then for the second time that day, everything went black.
*Muse Tunes: "Am I not Merciful?" by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator OST); "Adagio for TRON" by Daft Punk (TRON OST); "December 7th" by James Horner (Pearl Harbor OST); "Tristes Apprets, Pales Flambeauxs" by Agnes Mellon (Marie Antoinette OST).