Chapter 54: Best of Enemies

Merrill clasped her hand tight over her mouth it was the only way to stop another scream, a scream which would likely bring more darkspawn down on her. She couldn't take her eyes off of the shriek. It struggle weakly in her cage of roots that bound it so tightly.

No not it…him.

Tamlen.

Their eyes held each other, so many questions passed through Merrill's mind. What had happened? How had he survived? Was it possible to save him? After being tainted to this extent for so long…could it be possible to bring him back.

To bring her Tamlen back.

Would you cast Alim off so quickly, her conscience chided, he loves you, would you abandon him for this?

"Lethallan," Tamlen croaked, his clawed fingers reaching for her, "Free me please, I will not being trying to harm you now lethallan. I promise."

She started to undo the spell, to set Tamlen free,

What are you doing Merrill? Her conscience sounded like Justin now, its tone firm and commanding, this…creature is not Tamlen, not anymore, it is a darkspawn. You know what you must do.

Yes, she knew, but she couldn't do it, not after the Keeper.

She could not kill another of her clan, not after that.

"Merrill please," Tamlen begged, "Be freeing me Lethallan, please be freeing me now."

The sounds of the battle were so distant now; there was just the two of them here.

Her and Tamlen, it was just like she always wanted; to help Tamlen, to save him.

She released the spell; Tamlen fell to the ground at her feet.

She moved to help him.

He shrieked.

The sound was unbearable, her ears rang, her vision blurred, it was a small miracle that her eardrums did not shatter.

Tamlen attacked. His blade cut deep into her belly, she fell back screaming, and her staff fell from her hands.

Tamlen stood over her; even with her ears ringing she could hear him.

Tamlen was giggling, he was laughing.

Laughing at her.

"Stupid grey one,' Tamlen chuckled to itself.

"No," she whimpered, "Tamlen no, I…I want to help you."

"There is no Tamlen lethallan," the darkspawn snickered, "there is only the Ravaged, and the prophet has ordered the Ravaged to slay you."

Merrill tried to back away, but her blood was so slippery on the cold stone. Merrill tried to hold her insides inside her. She felt so cold. It could not end like this. She could not die like this, not at Tamlen's hands.

She had loved him.

The Ravaged raised his blade.

"MERRILL!"

The Ravaged wailed in pain as its hand fell to the ground severed at this wrist, a massive figure kicked the darkspawn away. His great ax stained with darkspawn blood.

Colo.

"Get away from her you bastard!" Colo snarled.

The Ravaged hissed defiantly at the warden, Colo roared in rage. The creature that had once been Tamlen knew that if it did not escape, it would die here.

There was no other choice.

The Ravaged fled, holding the bloody stump which had been its right hand.

Colo ran to her, he scooped her up into his arms; he had to get her to Wren.

"Tamlen no," she babbled weakly, "don't run, come back I…can save you…please let me save you."

Tamlen? Colo knew that name; it had belonged to one of Merrill's clan who had died almost ten years ago.

His poor little sister, she was delirious, raving.

"Hold on Merrill," he whispered, "I'll get you some help."

The Dalish sobbed weakly in his arms, she did not want help.

She had failed Tamlen again.

She wanted to die.

IOI

Arcane bolts flew from Wren's hands; the healer had lost track of how many darkspawn he had killed today, dozens at least.

Unfortunately there were always more.

A woman's scream drew his attention; he bolted down the nearest tunnel.

What he saw there horrified him.

A young woman in leather armor, one of the sisters that had accompanied them here, she was trapped inside a web of darkspawn corruption. One hurlock stood guard while the other one stood over the woman, it pulled her hair. The sister opened her mouth to scream.

The hurlock leaned forward as if to kiss the girl, black saliva began to run out of its mouth, towards hers.

The darkspawn was trying to feed her.

Wren did not hesitate.

An arcane bolt snapped the creature's neck; the one standing guard hissed and tried to charge. Wren blocked its blade with his staff, and then drove his deep into the beast's stomach. It fell dead at his feet.

"Help me," the woman moaned, "help me please."

Wren's fingers became claws that tore off the webbing the woman leapt into his arms, sobbing tears of gratitude.

"Thank you…praise the Maker for you," the girl cried.

The girl was quite attractive, her dark hair and mocha skin reminded him a little of Bela.

Perhaps this trip was not a total waste after all.

"Wren!"

Oh blood and spite, what now!

Colo dashed into the chamber, a pale bleeding Merrill clutched in his arms.

"Wren we need you," the large warden cried, "help her please."

"Help your friends," the sister said kissing him lightly on the lips, "they need you."

Wren untangled himself from her arms.

Not only would he save Merrill but he would be able to look like a hero, to a beautiful traumatized young woman.

Perhaps she would give him a hero's reward later?

Wren was starting to like this hero stuff.

Sadly he knew it would not last.

IOI

Serene regarded the bloated horrors before her with a sense of revulsion.

Broodmother

Justin and Colo had tried to prepare her for meeting such creatures face to face; the things they told her did not do the fiends justice.

Bloated monsters, all belly and teats, tentacles thrashed dangerously, trying to keep warden and Templar alike away.

The remnance of chantry robes hung from their bloated necks. The bard could hardly believe that these had once been human women. Women exposed to the taint.

If she had not taken the joining she herself could have ended up like that.

She shivered; never, she would never end up as one of those creatures.

"For the Chantry!"

Bradley ran passed her his sword severing two meaty tentacles. The Broodmothers wailed; darkspawn sprang from the side corridors.

Serene found herself running, flipping and dodging spawn. She pulled an acid flask from her belt. One of the broodmothers turned to Bradley. It vomited some foul smelling bile on his shield.

The metal scorched, and melted.

A tentacle snared the Templar' legs.

No they would not hurt him!

"Get away from him you BEETCH!" the elf snarled.

The broodmother rotated its head at the elf, ready to spew more acid bile.

She threw the flask.

It shattered in the broodmother's face.

The creature released Bradley. It wailed in agony.

Serene scrambled up its chubby arm, its face was a mess, it was blind, the acid ate away at the gray flesh.

Serene's dagger flashed.

She slashed the mother's throat.

Black bile sprayed from the wound as the dying creature struggled. Serene was thrown from its shoulders. She landed in a sticky pile of darkspawn corruption. The broodmother thrashed, its struggles growing weaker and weaker…

Finally it was still.

Serene looked down; she was covered in darkspawn waste.

"Ugh!" the bard said wiping pointlessly at herself.

Bradley was there, he pulled her to her feet.

Suddenly she was in his arms. She tried to remember how angry she was with him, but for the life of her she couldn't.

He was her Bradley.

She loved him.

He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

"Down handsome," she said with mock anger, "I'm stinky and disgusting, plenty of time to make up later."

The Templar smiled at her.

"You want to make up?" the question was very suggestive.

Serene felt her body warm.

"Later I said," She snorted, "when we are not surrounded by bloody darkspawn.'

Another broodmother screamed for aid.

Leonie launched herself at the creature, trying to rip off its head.

Bradley and Serene joined the fray.

The battle continued.

IOI

"Be defending the temple," the Broken hissed at its soldiers, "Be defending it with your lives."

"Hail Delance!" the exaltednists cried in response.

The Broken hissed; this battle was not going well. The emissary could sense the death of at least two Broodmothers below. The soldiers were not faring much better.

The Broken was out of time.

"Come Gibbons," it called to the chantry scholar; the man fell in step with the monster.

"We must be reaching the ashes now," the darkspawn growled, "They must be being destroyed."

The scholar nodded, they were out of time.

For Delance, they must succeed.

Fire rained down on their troops, darkspawn squealed and Templars died as Bethany, Leliana, and Faizyl's company reached the summit. An explosive arrow tore through the defenders lines.

Faizyl cackled madly.

The Broken retreated; he placed a barrier before the temple door.

They had to reach the ashes.

They were out of time.

IOI

Leonie's massive form burst through the doors leading to the mountain summit. The golem was covered with darkspawn blood and waste.

"For the wardens!" the golem cried out, "For the empire!"

"You're in Ferelden dear," Justin said chuckling behind her, "mind your tongue."

The golem snorted, she would always be Orlesian in her soul.

Merrill stood at his side; she was pale, still weak from Wren's healing. Her eyes searched the battlefield for Tamlen.

She did not see him.

Lucky for him she thought.

Merrill had never been so furious.

He had betrayed her, after everything she had sacrificed to find him, after all that she had thrown away. Her people, her clan, everything was gone, and it was all his fault.

HIS FAULT!

He had lied to her.

HE had betrayed her!

She regarded the Templars and spawn forming up to defend the temple.

"I can open the way forward," she said coldly, "one moment."

She had said those words to Hawke almost ten years ago; they had been on Sundermount then.

That was the first time she used blood magic in Hawke's presence.

She was about to use it again.

She drew her darmisu dagger. She regarded the blade sadly for a moment.

Then she thought about Tamlen.

She slashed her hand.

Blood rose from the wound, it wound like a tornado around her, she cast it out at the exaltednist defenders.

The blood surrounded them.

That is when the dying started.

Men and darkspawn withered like flowers in the desert. Some tried to dispel the magic, but Bethany struck them with Fist of the Maker.

Corpses fell to the ground, all life leeched from them, wrung from them like water from a sponge.

Merrill called the blood back to her.

It restored her, the lives of her enemies returned any strength lost in Tamlen's clumsy murder attempt.

It was euphoric.

Let Tamlen come, she would destroy him. Let Delance come, she would bleed him dry. Let Archdemons come; she would grind them under her will.

She was invincible, immortal, indomitable.

She was the Dalish. She was the Elvhen.

She was Merrill!

"It is done Merrill," Justin ordered, "power down."

Part of her wanted to disobey, to show this tiny shemlen just how insignificant he was in her world.

Then she remembered Alim.

Her love, her bond mate, her emma lath.

She stepped back from the abyss.

It was not easy, but it was done.

She opened her eyes and saw the carnage she had wrought.

I'm a monster she thought, and for the first time in her life…

She was okay with that.

IOI

The small army stood before the doors to the temple, they had lost many, but they had made it.

The mountain was now theirs.

Now all that remained was the ashes.

The chantry men looked suspiciously at Merrill, the Dalish smirked at them. Wren nodded, giving her a friendly tap on the shoulder, the Dalish beamed.

Justin sighed; he would have to deal with that later.

Bradley dispelled the barrier blocking the door.

His friends were with him then Wren, Bethany, Serene, Bradley, Leonie, and Merrill. Colo and Faizyl volunteered to remain outside the temple. Leliana also decided not to go; the guardian did not like her she admitted.

Serene liked him better already.

Merrill had been taught to respect Andraste; though her people did not worship the shemlen prophet she honored her for her role in the elvhen's freedom. She would not allow her remains to be profaned.

Plus, Justin did not trust her out here alone with all these Templars.

Some were giving the Dalish the evil eye after her little display.

They entered the temple, in pursuit of Gibbons and the Broken.

They entered the gauntlet.