It's been a while since I've written a chapter based around a piece of music but this is one of them. Have a listen to Human Legacy by Ivan Torrent. It's a fantastic track and inspired the whole action sequence from the second section onwards here.

Disclaimer: I do not own DA:O or any of its characters. I do however own all of my own characters and my own little nation of Nileesa.

And so to the conclusion of the battle of Silverfalls. Enjoy everyone!


Chapter 45: The Miracle

Alistair and Zevran had watched the battle from the heights of the final line of defence and slowly more of their group had gathered to watch. Both Mabari hounds had whined at the thought of their mistresses being on the front line and facing down all those darkspawn while Leliana whispered a quiet prayer for their success. Wynne had stayed silent as she prepared herself in case of their skills being needed, with Zevran keeping a careful eye on the progress of the creatures. He was proud of how well organised the original barricade was and kept the vast numbers back, but the number of ogres alarmed him. There was only so much their small band could do against such a large army, and he hoped Arria wouldn't leave it too long before she retreated into the safety of the streets. With such narrow passages they could limit the effectiveness of the darkspawn outnumbering them and turn the tide back in their favour.

The male Warden had anxiously played spectator during the beginnings of the battle, his breath nearly halting on more than one occasion as their companions dealt with a highly formidable force and his heart stopped beating when Arria was nearly struck by an ogre's boulder, but Lyle had managed to drag her out of the way safely. He was grateful to the young knight, but he was extremely concerned that Arria had needed the rescuing. Something had to be wrong, and he suspected it was the fortified Taint. For a while it looked like they might just be able to keep a grip on the situation but that opinion changed when they saw Mellia take off towards them, a sign that things were not going in their favour.

When they saw the Pride demon emerge from one of the mages, Wynne gasped in shock while Leliana stammered out a fearful response. "If that demon has emerged from the mage, what does that mean for the fate of this battle?" They didn't have to wait long for the answer as they saw the wave emanated from the fiend's spell, and eventually the evidence reached them.

Just as Mellia reached the summit she screeched at seeing a skeletal hand rise out of the ground between herself and her companions. "Mellia, to me!" shouted Alistair as their group readied themselves for battle as best they could. The mercenaries that had been on standby for an assault further down the hill instead turned their attention to the undead army which had now begun to spring up beneath their feet. With that band taking on the aggressors Zevran and Leliana joined them in keeping the shelters for those who could not defend themselves safe while the Mabari guarded Alistair, Mellia and Wynne. Carou and Hallai each took down a skeletal warrior and Mellia made use of her throwing knives to dismantle others who came too close. Alistair had found a spare bow during his tortuous wait, but even that was taking its toll and he couldn't keep it up for long before his leg caved in. Now having to keep most of his weight on his left leg he turned his attention to the hill, watching in horror as three ogres rampaged their way to their position, destroying anything in their path.

He could only afford a small amount of time to think of how Arria had let them all slip past before their own troops came under heavy attack, and unlike Arria's group, they weren't set up to deal with such dangerous foes. Almost everyone in their ranks were close combat specialists; the exact wrong combination for ogres. Zevran and Leliana drew the attention of one while Carou and Hallai drew another. The third was unfortunately left free and decimated their forces with a single charge, killing over a dozen of their men and leaving about the same number injured. Knowing she had to do something, Mellia broke away from Alistair's grasp and threw herself in its path. "Mellia!" he screamed as she barely kept out of harm's way but successfully attracted the ogre's attention. A large two-handed sword soon found its way into the ogre's back and the beast roared in agony before a qunari leapt to attach to the blade and practically cleave it in two. Alistair looked on in shock at seeing Sten appear but from how he never ventured to far from Mellia, there was only one explanation for his appearance: Arria had charged him with looking after their youngest member.

From his point on the fringes of the battle Alistair could see they needed help, but being unable to handle a sword would be of no aid whatsoever. Regardless, he drew his blade and shield and prepared to charge but stumbled before he had even taken two steps. A primal scream rose up from within him and he did not hold back as he unleashed his frustration vocally, feeling utterly useless as Silverfalls was about to crumble.

Without warning, a warmth spread through his body and he felt the weakness vanish. He noticed a strange gold aura surround his body and it seemed to have re-energised him, even healing his leg to where he could use it again. Completely confused as to the change he looked back to the last of the companions and gasped. Wynne's eyes were consumed by the same golden hue as his body while a steady stream of the golden light travelled from her staff to his body. It was a magic he had never seen before and as Wynne spoke, he suddenly understood why. "Hurry, young Warden. I cannot keep this up for long," urged Wynne in an almost ethereal voice.

This must be the Spirit of Faith's power he realised, sending a silent thank you to the spirit before throwing himself straight into the path of a wave of charging up the hill. "Come on you sons of bitches!" he challenged as he felt swift back-up in the form of Mellia and Sten. No-one questioned Alistair's sudden recovery when things were so desperate and they welcomed him into the fight. They were so pre-occupied with the carnage surrounding them that they did not see the devastating sequence of events which had just taken place down below. What Alistair did feel however, was such a raw outpouring of emotion from Arria's Song that he knew something disastrous had just occurred. Sparing but a single glance toward where he felt it his was forced into concentrating on the battle again.

Arria, please be all right.


Awareness slowly came back to Arria, knowing she was lucky she hadn't passed out completely given the effect the Taint on her body. With that re-acquiring of her surrounding she remembered the horrific event which had taken place just as she thought her end was coming. Somewhere she found the strength to shift a few planks of wood from her body and weave through the debris, looking for her dear comrade. "Lyle!" she shouted, coughing as some dust fell through from above. "Lyle, where are you?" A weak spluttering was her reply and she scrambled between the space, trying her best not to disturb the fragile structure any more than she had to before finding him. He wasn't far, barely a few metres from where she had landed but as soon as she got close her throat closed up and tears sprang to her eyes. Lyle's eyes were closed and his chest barely rose and fell as a gruesome stab wound marred his armour, the blood escaping from the wound making the surroundings sticky and wet. His face was battered and bruised from their burial beneath the debris and she dared not look any further, knowing the damage inflicted by the Revenant already would be fatal. "Lyle…" she whispered, her hand reaching for his as he heard her emotion-thick voice.

"Hey, Arria…" he spluttered back, coughing violently as his life began to fade away. "You…okay?"

"I am fine, thanks to you. Why did you do it?" she pleaded, needing to know why so many people continued to sacrifice themselves for her.

He laughed quietly before gripping back slightly tighter. "Because you are…something special. Right from when we first…connected back in…Amaranthine. I knew…I knew you were one of a kind, and I felt so unworthy to share the….same room as you, given my part in your…tragedy. When Howe…when he forced me to…I've never felt so sick to my core, but it…I found something so special from that nightmare…I came to love you. Not as Alistair does…but a special love shared by two survivors…You are like a sister to me, Arria…and I am so glad I-I got the chance to…to tell you about our Cassana. Our trial will not…not be forgotten. When you finally…kill Howe…please, do me one…thing…"

"Anything, Lyle. Name it."

"Do it for her…Kill him for our innocent child…who was brought into the world, just to…to die at his behest. Make her sacrifice worth it…please…"

Tears were streaming down Arria's face as she saw Lyle's light start to fade. He was almost gone. "Lyle, please…don't leave me here. I need you…"

His smile was infinitely sad and tender. "No…the one you, and all of us, need is Alistair…He is someone who…would be a worthy King to us…and he is your inspiration. He might be a ruler, but…you are the one to slay the Archdemon…Arria. You are the catalyst which will…defeat this Blight."

"How can you be so sure? All it seems I do is cause death and devastation no matter where I go!"

"And how much worse…would those events have been…had you not been there? You…couldn't stop…them, Arria. All you could…do was…help those left…behind…Don't underestimate…your achievements…" He chuckled and coughed, grabbing her hand tighter. Her on grip was soft as she tried to reassure him in his last moments. "You…never promised…me…"

She smiled and kissed his fingers, cherishing the tactile memory as she knew their time was almost up. "I promise. I will kill Howe for her…and for you."

His eyes reflected his last smile and he said his goodbye. "Thank you…treasured one. There are those who still…love you…and always shall…I will watch you with the Maker…and our daughter…as we wait for you…Don't join us too soon…As this world…needs…you…" His words became so soft that Arria could no longer hear them as the reflection of his soul vanished from within his eyes. They became unseeing and vacant, the body left behind nothing more than an empty vessel as his grip ceased and his arm became limp in her grasp.

Arria choked on her tears and shook his shoulder lightly, unable to accept the reality before her. "Lyle?" Her shaking became slightly more frantic as she tried to rouse him from his eternal sleep. "No, Lyle…please don't go…don't leave me here alone! You're the only one who understands! Come back!" Her cry went unanswered as the grief suddenly crashed upon her in a way such as she had never felt before. With the knowledge of her stolen daughter so raw in her mind and the guilt of those she failed in Merlinne still burning bright in her memories, this theft was the final straw. "Nooooo!"

Something inside of her snapped and the chains upon her power broke free, her Mark of the Tamer blazing brightly at the back of her neck as all the pain within her tired and battered body disappeared without a trace. Garros had warned her about letting her Spirit Seals break, but at that moment she had no regard to that. All she was concerned with was making sure there were no more sacrifices upon this day. She would not fail again.

Enough, is enough.

Trusting within this new surge of power she felt, she let loose a raw stream of magic from the palm of her hand which burst forth in a shockwave of unparalleled strength. It obliterated their prison and allowed her to re-enter the fray: reborn as something new and far more dangerous. The Revenant had moved on but she saw her companions slowly being overwhelmed by the combined forces of the darkspawn and the undead. With a confident smile she flashed both her blades, concentrating her magic within them before a single swipe was unleashed, cleaving everything it touched in half. As it met her companions she commanded the stream to separate and leave them unharmed, such was the control she had of her magic now. The display caught the attentions of Rod, Elissa, Morrigan and Anders who all turned in shock at the female Warden.

She was enveloped in a soft pink hue and she practically exuded such power that it was frightening to be in her presence, even as an ally. Her eyes too were in the grasp of the pink aura and as she turned around, they could all see her Mark blazing bright, just like her body. Something had changed within her, and they weren't sure if it was a good or bad thing. Rod, Elissa and Anders all looked on it shock as another wave of darkspawn hit and she simply held out one hand, releasing a concentrated beam of Spirit magic not too dissimilar to the Crushing Prison spell they knew, but much more potent. Everything was incinerated upon making contact and it sent shivers down all of their spines as she turned her attention instead to the heights of the town, knowing the greatest danger now lay there. Morrigan looked on in fascination as the raw power of a Nileesan as unleashed upon the darkspawn, and she now finally understood why Flemeth feared the Nileesan people so much. A single one as powerful as Arria was now could wipe out a human army of hundreds without breaking a sweat, and could conquer almost any force. She had no doubt whatsoever within her mind that the Dancer could destroy everything in the village on her own now, such was her power. So why do they not use it? wondered the witch within her mind. What stops them from using such force and why did they allow the armies of Tevinter, Nevarra and the Free Marches to destroy them? An army like Arria could have decimated all of those nations.

The Revenant's attention had been caught by the ruckus and it sent several waves of magic at the Nileesan woman. "Arria, look out!" cried Elissa but she needn't have wasted her voice: Arria had felt the fiend's approach long before and simply batted it away with a wave of her hand. She slowly walked towards it, swatting away each set of spells it hurtled towards her until it tried to make use of its lasso. Falling into her trap, Arria grabbed the magical stream and held the being in place with ease, smirking as it tried to break free. When it tried to finally yank back and try again, Arria used the momentum of the pull to thrust herself towards the fiend and led with a single kick. Everyone around watched in utter amazement as they saw the Revenant disintegrate into a million pieces, Arria's kick striking with such force.

Using the residual energy from the attack Arria spun and raced to the summit of the hill, moving at a speed which seemed beyond all possibility. Elissa, Rod and Anders's mouths all fell open as she seemed to be skating on air, streams of pink light being generated at her feet and guiding her rapid ascent. She covered several hundred metres in less than twenty seconds and joined the battle atop the falls, checking to make sure all were well. A single eyebrow was raised as she saw Alistair was indeed fighting, but a quick glance at Wynne gave her all the answer she needed. The two remaining ogres were giving her companions some trouble but she simply smiled as she sped towards them. Both Hallai and Carou were stunned in place as they saw a flash of pink appear before the ogre just as a melody broke through the air, setting a glyph below the ogre. Sensing the chance to attack, the Mabari tore into the flesh of the now completely immobile ogre, the creature not even managing to make a sound as the hounds tore into every vital area of the body, leaving it to bleed out in a tremendous mess.

Alistair had switched into holding back the final ogre with Leliana and Zevran but they were struggling to contain the beast. The assassin and the Bard were trying to keep its attention on them as Alistair attempted a fatal blow but his efforts were for naught as every strike proved to be superficial only. He felt a gust of wind behind him and was confused at such a thing, until he turned around and saw what was happening. Arria had entered their battle and was slaying the darkspawn with single blows. With each of her dagger strikes he was left in utter awe but the pink aura around her caused his worry to escalate. An Emissary had managed let loose a fireball and Alistair was about to warn her, though he was left frozen in shock when she held it mid-air with a wave of her hand. Just as he managed to accept that amazing feat, she sent the spell hurtling back at the darkspawn, wiping it out and quite a few of its kind with it. As she spun to cut down some of the undead he saw her Mark shining out from beneath her hair and realisation came crashing down upon him. So this is a Nileesan's true power…I think I can understand why everyone is so afraid of them now.

The revelation left him in awe rather than fear but as Arria turned to face him his breath was stolen away: her eyes were cold and hard while what he picked up from her Song projection had him concerned. She was hell-bent on revenge; the cause of which he could not guess but the darkness she exuded made him wonder just what of her sanity remained. As the ground beside him rumbled from the ogre, he had barely reset for another assault with Leliana and Zevran when a streak of pink flew past them and sailed over the ogre's head. They all watched in amazement as Arria's daggers spun at such speed they could not see their movements, but they could all the see the great rent torn in the back of the beast's neck. It bled out in seconds, leaving the summit of the town as a safe-zone once more. Leliana saw that Wynne's energy was about to give out and rushed over to the older woman, catching her as she fell. Alistair felt the loss of the Spirit's power but his attention was instead upon his female counterpart. Her charge continued as soon as she landed, skating away to the waterfall and leapt from its peak, racing to the ground below. Both he and Zevran rushed to the edge, watching as she plummeted to the solid surface at a speed which they thought would be impossible to survive.

As Arria fell through the sky the rush of air caused her mind to clear slightly. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion around her, everything at a fraction of its normal speed as she channelled powers not meant for any mortal being. She knew the line she was walking, and the warnings of her homeland began to ring in her head. This is wrong, I shouldn't be doing this. I can't let myself fall further into the depths: I can't tap into any more of this power.

And why not? It is this that made our people strong, it is what gave us our security and freedom. Too many have suffered and died because I didn't do this before.

But if I continue like this, I might leave myself vulnerable…If I become an Abomination, no power on Thedas could stop it. I would rival even the Archdemon as a threat.

Knowing that, why don't I delve further? I've only broken one seal, there are four more. This is just a taste of that ultimate power, and it is what I need to save them all! If I don't try then I am condemning Silverfalls to its demise. Just like Merlinne, just like Lothering…This is the only chance I have!

"Yes, it is," she spoke aloud, her mind and spirit finally coming to the same conclusion. It was a risk she was going to have to take, for the sake of everyone; she prayed that her mind could resist the infiltration of any demons and would take the strain. Breaking another of her spirit seals would leave her vulnerable from now on, but for the future of all those in Silverfalls, she had no choice.

From above, at the top of the falls, Alistair watched in utter shock at Arria's descent. Her move seemed suicidal but the quiet whisper of the elven assassin, laced with sadness and regret stole his attention. "Oh my precious Dancer…what has broken your heart?" Alistair was about to ask him what he meant but they both noticed Arria was about to collide with the ground. The pair could not look away as they braced for her end, but were instead amazed at what transpired. Her powers grew yet again as she delved further inside, breaking another of the seals designed to keep her contained and she used that increase to learn a new trick. Concentrating the magic streams she was using to skate on air, she thrust them towards the ground and used them to land softly and completely free of injury while generating a shockwave which obliterated all of the undead which were nearby.

The display left the man and the elf at the top of falls in complete disbelief, but Alistair suspected Zevran knew what was happening to Arria. His words from before betrayed the knowledge he possessed, and with so much at stake he needed to know everything. "All right, Zevran, talk. What had happened to Arria?"

Zevran's sighed, having hoped to keep such information hidden but Arria's transformation had left him with no choice but to pass on all he could. The male Warden was one of the few he trusted with such a secret. "How much has your beloved told you of the Nileesan people's power?"

"Not a lot, except for saying they were feared with good reason."

"Do you remember in the Brecilian Forest with what happened when the spirit seals containing your power were disrupted by the werewolf curse? What you are bearing witness to is a Nileesan breaking through those same barriers to tap into their natural power."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that all of them could do this?"

"Yes, this is the reason they were exterminated. The Antivan Crows were sent on a mission to discover the Nileesan peoples' true power, and what we found sent shockwaves throughout the whole of all those countries that surrounded the tiny nation. As you well know, mages are required to go through a Harrowing here in Ferelden, but such a practice does not occur in Nileesa. This was because their natural vulnerability to demons was nullified in an effort to contain their power. When the Chantry were about to declare an Exalted March on them, just as they did the elves, the two rulers of Nileesa displayed their true power. What the leaders of the Chantry witnessed gave them pause, and those two rulers made a bargain to secure Nileesa's future. They swore to make sure that none of their kind could become Abominations, and would seal the power of the future generations in return for living in peace. Their solution was an elegant one: a series of spirit seals to restrict the access the Nileesans have to their power, and the side effect of such seals is protecting the body and mind from the influence of demons. That is why they never needed to fear magic, they had the perfect solution."

"So why didn't they use it to save themselves?"

"Because they can't. The seals cannot be broken except through extreme states of mind, when their body's natural survival reactions momentarily falter. If a person's sanity is gone, they no longer have regard to themselves."

Alistair's stomach dropped and his heart froze. "Are you saying Arria has lost her mind?"

"Perhaps, but given everything our Dancer has endured before, I believe she may still be in there somewhere. Though I must confess, we never discovered a Nileesan who managed to recover from a Blood Rage on their own. Only ones who were fortunate enough to have soul mates managed to be brought back to reality."

"Wait…a soul mate?"

"I cannot explain now, my friend, we must go to her and stop her rampage. She had already broken at least two of the five seals, and every step she takes down this path leaves her more at risk of falling victim to a demon. The Nileesans are a powerful people, but they no longer have a resistance to a demon's influence due to the seals. It is now entirely down to chance if they can resist. You and your beloved may not be connected as deeply as soul mates, but you are the only chance we have of returning her to us."

Alistair saw the seriousness in the assassin's face and the concern in his eyes. For the first time he could honestly say he saw fear in Zevran's gaze and it unnerved him to no end. This was someone who was used to throwing them self headlong into danger, and normally enjoyed it, as a living. To see his reaction to the situation really drove it home to Alistair: Arria was just as much of a ticking time bomb as she was their salvation. She might stop the darkspawn and the skeletons summoned by the demon, but if she succumbed just as that young mage had earlier, then their fates could all be sealed. "Lead the way."


Arria's fall and subsequent increase in power had caught the attention of every magic wielding creature in the vicinity and it was drawing them to her like a beacon, just as she had hoped. Darkspawn swarmed in from all sides but she built up speed quickly, skating away and Shifting as any got too close. She swiftly vacated the area and headed for the centre of the town, knowing that most of it would have been flattened by now. Two Revenants appeared from nowhere and hurtled destructive magic towards her but her heightened sense warned her well ahead of time. It took a simple flick of her wrist to repel the effects and send them straight back, obliterating the beings where they stood. Using her newly discovered powers she started building a powerful wave of Spirit magic, preparing to unleash it when the time was right. As she hurtled towards her destination she found Rod, Elissa, Morrigan and Anders once more, the group having managed to re-unite but they were in rough shape.

Anders was being supported by Elissa, both of them bloodied from several superficial wounds but he was completely drained and could no longer fight, leaving only Morrigan and Rod to hold back the darkspawn, which were herding them into a corner. Even the witch was injured, her left arm hanging limply by her side and a large gash down the side of her face as she kept up a steady stream of Entropic magic to distract the fiends while Rod was holding his shield in a vain effort to keep them back. He barely had the strength left to defend, let alone attack, and they were now pinned between the rubble of two buildings. Elissa let Anders down to draw her bow and fire as much as she could, but with only a handful of arrows left there wasn't much she achieved before she too was out of action. Morrigan stumbled back and set a trap glyph on the ground just as Rod threw himself out of the way and back towards the others. Elissa helped him back to his feet as the darkspawn collided with Morrigan's trap, pinning them in place temporarily but even her impressive strength was about to give out. With each new fiend which entered the field and became paralysed it drained her a little more: before long she slumped in exhaustion and was on the brink of collapsing. Elissa and Rod shared a look, knowing this was about to be their end when the field protecting them flickered. They all inhaled sharply, believing it to be Morrigan's strength about to fail but were shocked when a figure appeared through it completely unharmed.

Never before had they all been so glad to see Arria, but the power radiating out from her was even more frightening than from when they first felt it. That she had managed to pass through Morrigan's spell without so much as batting an eyelid was incredible, and it gave them hope that it might not all be over yet. "Watch," was all Arria said before vanishing back through the glyph's protective field. Screeched from the darkspawn echoed all around the area and Morrigan only managed to hold the spell from another ten seconds before she dropped like a stone, Elissa barely able to catch her. As the glyph vanished and the energy dissipated they were all left in shock as they saw a slew of darkspawn bodies, left in what looked like a trail of destruction. At the top of the street they saw Arria's slashes cut clean through everything it touched and any darkspawn which attempted to attack never even came close to landing a blow, the Dancer either nimbly dodging or Shifting out of harm's way. Just as Arria finished dealing with the last one she looked at her companions and smiled slightly before heading back to the site of her final plan. They watched her vanish and not ten seconds later, a horde of darkspawn and skeletons charged after her. "What was that?" wheezed out Anders.

"I don't know, but it's terrifying to think that Arria can wield such power so easily," admitted Rod. "Now I can understand why everyone fears Nileesans."

"Why has this happened to her?" asked Elissa, fearing what had caused such a radical change in their friend.

"Only one way to find out. Come on Lissa, we need to know the truth."


Alistair and Zevran had both managed to descend the hill with ease now that Alistair's leg was back to normal, but they were left seriously confused by what they had seen happening. Everything had suddenly diverted its course and was charging toward the centre of the town, so focused on their new mission that they had managed to pass through without any trouble. From what they could see a good fifty or so darkspawn and skeletons had survived the onslaught so far, and that was all they had found. No doubt there was a great deal more ahead. "Ever heard of a Nileesan being able to attract enemies to them before, Zevran?" The elf's small amount of knowledge would hopefully shed some light on the situation.

"I am afraid not, but do the darkspawn not head for what they perceive as the greatest threat under normal circumstance? Our dearest's dramatic increase in power is impossible to ignore."

"So you think they are all trying to ambush her?"

"I would assume so, yes. Follow the darkspawn, and we shall find her."

With that hope burning in their hearts they gave chase, following the lead of the fiends until they reached the centre of the town. Most of the structures were left in ruin and the remains of darkspawn, skeletons and humans were scattered about in equal measure. Some areas were now sealed off due to the building collapses but Alistair and Zevran still managed to find a safe hiding spot in the remains of one of the few buildings which still stood. They ascended to the floor above and looked out, their breath stolen by what they saw. Arria was standing in the heart of the open space, a great glyph beneath her feet and her voice ringing out through the area. Everything which ventured too close was electrocuted by her protective barrier and no matter what they tried, they couldn't reach her. Her eyes were closed in concentration as the language of her people began to blaze on her skin. They could both sense something big was coming, but they did not dare dream of what they were about to witness.

Arria kept her focus upon the spell building within her, keeping up her Songstress abilities to drive away the attackers only. As much as her powers had increased and evolved, her Songs still could not kill; that had not changed. The most valuable thing she had learned was how to combine her skills, and now she was building the most powerful Spirita spell she could muster while using her voice to protect herself. She needed unbroken concentration to keep it under control and make sure it did not strike any of her companions, all of whom she knew were close. Elissa and Rod were almost at her location and she had sensed Alistair and Zevran's approach long ago. Pin point accuracy was going to be necessary, but the fact that all of the creatures were seeking her out due to her power increase and surrounding her was a huge help. She hoped that none of her group would come any closer, at the range they were currently she was certain she could stop them from being struck by her magic but were they to come too close she couldn't guarantee it.

The spell began building like an inferno within her and she struggled to keep it contained as it reached its maximum power. She would only have one shot at wiping out everything: she had to get it right. Just as she reached the end of her Song she felt that Elissa and Rod had arrived but were still out of her range. This is for everyone I have failed she spoke in her mind, just before she unleashed her fury.

Alistair and Zevran saw light begin to radiate from Arria's body and soon had to block their eyes from the intensity of it, while Elissa and Rod who had taken shelter beneath another ruined building mirrored their actions. Alistair squinted from behind his arm and tried to focus in on Arria, whose body itself seemed to becoming a conduit for her magic. The aura which surrounded her shone even brighter and the colour became more vibrant as her eyes vanished, hidden behind a pink hue as the spell was finally ready. She raised a single hand and stopped singing as she channelled the energy into a ball of light a few metres above. The darkspawn and the skeletons stopped scrabbling at her barrier and watched the light build above her, but did not move. When all the energy was together in a single condensed space she used her magic to catapult herself off the ground and into the air, calling the spell for help. It came to her and she threw it back towards the ground, and summoned her Spirita shield to protect her from the impact.

All of her companions watched as the ball of light collided with the ground but had to swiftly take cover as it detonated. Wave after wave of Spirit magic reflected off the surface to attack the fiends as columns of light descended to crush others. Everyone watched in total shock as they were ripped apart but then had to shield their eyes as the light grew to an intensity which was blinding. Alistair couldn't help but worry for Arria, knowing she was at the centre of that inferno but somehow knew he would find her unharmed: with all that power at her disposal there would have to a way that she could survive her own attack.

As the light dissipated and the scenery cleared all those who were witness looked on in disbelief: every single darkspawn and skeleton was gone, even their remains had vanished in the attack. Somehow, the battle had been won; and it had been down to Arria alone. Singlehandedly she had turned the tide and saved their lives, but they couldn't help but wonder what the cost had been. Alistair spied Arria on the other side of the clearing and leapt down to see her with Zevran not far behind. Rod and Elissa were slower in emerging but when they saw Alistair and Zevran appear they followed their lead.

Arria was knelt next to Lyle's body, staring deep into his now lifeless eyes as her mind tossed and turned. He was yet another she had failed to save and she didn't know what to do; it seemed no matter what she did, what path she chose and how hard she tried to protect those dearest to her heart, they all died. One of her hands rose to close his eyes and it lingered to stroke his cooling skin. "Aul illas sol haera, sielle ar. Li cerre mortanta sur." She felt Alistair's rapid approach and fled the area, vanishing into the surrounding forest without so much as a backwards glance. The male Warden saw her disappearance and tore after her, feeling her own emotions echo through him. He could feel the grief and sorrow which threatened to overwhelm her, but he knew she was still inside somewhere. She wasn't lost to the power, not yet, but if he didn't manage to break her free from the frenzy…The thought hastened his chase and he followed her into the maze of destroyed trees, intent on repaying her for what she had just achieved. Arria had saved dozens, maybe even hundreds, of lives and now it was his turn to save her.

Rod, Elissa and Zevran arrived at the location Arria had occupied together a few seconds after they saw Alistair take off in pursuit. When they slowed to a halt, Elissa screamed in horror and drew Rod's attention to her. "Lissa, what's wrong?" he implored, puzzled by her reaction.

Elissa's eyes never left her discovery as she stuttered out a response. "I-I know what triggered Arria… I…" Her sorrow-laden gaze met Rod's for a few seconds as she spoke again. "I am so sorry, Rod."

He was confused until he turned to see what had caused her to react as she had. His heart stopped as he found the broken and bloodied body of his younger brother buried under the rubble, a tremendous stab wound in his chest and the smallest smile on his face from the moment of his death. Rod's breath came out in short gasps as he crashed to his knees and began digging the body free of its prison. It took a few minutes and the efforts of the three of them to achieve their goal, Zevran helping Rod to pick Lyle up and bring him into the open air. The surviving Gilmore brother gathered the body in his arms and collapsed to his knees again, tears coming to his eyes as the grief began to overcome him. Elissa stood off to the side, her own tears streaming down her face as she saw the man she loved break down while Zevran encircled an arm around her waist. Rod let loose a furious scream of rage at the loss and Elissa turned into Zevran as she let her tears fall without restraint. "Maker, why?! Why did you have to do this?!"

The elven assassin watched the scene with sorrow in his own heart for the loss of one of their own, but could not help but see the incredible irony of the situation. Had Alistair's injury not occurred and Lyle stepped in to protect Arria, it might have been the male Warden who fell in battle instead. It seemed fate had ordained that Alistair was to have a lucky escape, but he could not help but wonder if had the two switched places, would that have meant the end of both Wardens? Surely had it been Alistair who had died, then Arria would have been beyond redemption; but had Lyle not been lost, then Arria would not have gained the power to save them all. Fate may have been cruel to them this day, but it had been a blessing in disguise. Lyle's death had brought about a miracle: it had brought about the salvation of Silverfalls, and he had no doubt that the events here would prove to be a turning point in their cause. When word spread of what had occurred, the Wardens would have all the support they needed.


Alistair clung onto Arria's emotions and used them like a beacon to bring him straight to her. In her new state she might be able to cover great distance at speed but there was no way she was going to be able to vanish this time, though he wasn't entirely convinced she wanted to. Had she not wanted to be followed she could have easily stopped projecting her Song, she had done it more than once during the battle but it was now continuous. It took nearly ten minutes of jogging for him to catch up with her and when he did, he wasn't sure how to approach. Arria stood with her back to him atop a boulder as she stared into an abyss of broken trees and rocks. It was a natural death-trap and suddenly he was afraid she might be beyond saving after all. "Arria?" he asked, keeping his eyes upon her as he approached slowly.

"You came…" she replied softly, a small smile coming to her face as she drew a dagger. Alistair froze in place as she began twirling it between her fingers, unsure of what it was she planned to do. "Did you see it? Did you see the power I can now wield? It's incredible." A small shout left him as he could not stop her from dragging the blade along her side, but he soon realised there was a reason for it. In the chaos of the battle her Taint had been forgotten about but now that he was really looking, he could see the damage it had wrought. Her entire back was completely black along with her shoulders, while it had begun to snake its way up her neck too. The opening proved to be enough for the toxin to escape and for her skin to return to normal but before it all left her she caught some of it in her hand. Seeing what it had done to everything it touched until them, he was amazed when it left her completely unharmed. "And to think I feared this stuff before. Now it doesn't even bother me, and I can use this to find the Archdemon. If it can talk to me, then I can turn its own power back on it."

The knowledge made Alistair's breath catch. "The Archdemon has spoken to you?"

"It tried to intimidate me at the start of the battle. I think it uses this crap as some sort of conduit, maybe it can track me as well. No surprise it has been suspiciously quiet since my little display: it probably thinks better of sending its army after us now that we've proven we can overcome anything it throws at us."

Were the circumstances different Alistair would have taken a small measure of comfort from that knowledge but right now there was bigger concern on his mind. This was not the Arria he knew and loved, and he had to somehow get her back. The power had begun to take hold of her and he was worried that if she broke any more seals that she would be beyond saving. "Arri, what has happened to you?"

Her confident exterior broke slightly as the feelings of despair began to crowd in again. "I failed…All I ever wanted was to protect my family and friends, and I couldn't even do that. In Merlinne I wasn't where I needed to be, and my people paid the price. Had I discovered this power then I might have been able to play a part in helping them live rather than simply being an unfortunate survivor of the massacre. I lost everything I held dear: my family, friends and everyone I ever knew. Then I fell into that nightmare with Howe, but the Maker in his warped sense of irony gifted me with another family, despite the circumstances behind it. For seven days I had the gift I wished for more than anything…And she was ripped away from me before I even realised I had her. The one who gave me her still survived though, and became a part of the third family I had built through nothing more than chance." Tears began to slip down her face as she thought back to the moment Lyle's life vanished, to when the blade pierced his chest…all because he had tried to save her. "And now…I've lost another family and it's my fault again. Why does He seem to torment me so?! Had I not suffered through enough before today?! Must I watch the world die around me and be condemned to watch?" Her voice had risen to a scream and Alistair heard her spirit was on the verge of breaking. The brightness of her mark had grown again and he was afraid she was about to break another seal: and with it lose all chance of bringing her back from the brink.

"Arria, you saved us all. This new power of yours saved Silverfalls and all our companions. How is that a failure?"

She spun around and the anguish in her eyes stole his breath away. "Did you not see? I might have saved a couple of people, but someone else died in my place! I was at the mercy of a Revenant, Alistair, and that should have been my end, but Lyle took the blow meant for me! He sacrificed himself for me! Why?! Why can't I offer myself to save them instead of the other way round?!"

All of a sudden he understood: Arria had watched almost everyone she ever loved die while she lived with that grief and guilt, of feeling that she should have joined them. It had been building ever since the fall of Merlinne, was amplified by her suffering at Howe's hands and Lyle's death had been the final trigger. "Why should I give this power up?" she asked seriously, causing his heart to sink. If she truly wanted the power there was nothing he could do to stop her, but he had to make her see what would eventually happen.

"Because of what you would become. Yes this power allowed you to save us, but don't you see what a danger it is to yourself? If you keep breaking the seals you'll leave yourself vulnerable, and it was an Abomination born from one of the young mages which set off this catastrophic chain of events. Were you to turn just like him…I honestly think you would be a danger that Thedas could not stop."

She chuckled darkly. "None but another Nileesan could, and since I'm the last, I guess that would make me invincible. Maybe this is just what we need to defeat the Archdemon."

"Arria, you know just as well as I do that to kill the Archdemon that you would have to tap into power so completely that it would expose you completely. It is a certainty you would be lost to that battle."

"And why is that such a bad thing?"

That statement cut into his heart, confirming his worst fear, and he marched straight up to her. Arria's breath caught at how Alistair was unafraid of her, even with the power she now possessed. "When I first became a Grey Warden I swore to go to any lengths to slay the Archdemon should I ever be presented the chance, but now I couldn't do it. I couldn't sacrifice you to end that threat. You are the most wondrous thing I have ever discovered, and are the light of my world. You have taught me so much, shown me how vast the world truly is and, most of all, you have given me hope. Despite everything you know of me and my past you accepted me just for who I was and loved me despite all my imperfections. Arria, you asked why it would be a bad thing for you to be lost? Because were you to vanish from this world it would destroy me. I feel as if our very souls are intertwined, and if I were to lose you…I couldn't survive in that world, not in knowing that I could never see you again.

His words were breaking through and he saw the light begin to fade, her sanity and control returning. "I love you Arria, not just with my heart but my soul too. Come back to me, I beg of you. Don't lose yourself to this mythical power in an effort to find a false atonement for those you've lost. Their deaths were not your fault, and I know not a single one of them would want you to throw your life away carelessly when they cared for you so much. You are so loved, and I don't think you have ever realised just how much. Don't abandon me here, sweetheart. I can't defeat this Blight without you at my side; not as this otherworldly being you have become, but as the Grey Warden I fell in love with and cherish more than anything."

The emotion in his eyes and voice brought her to tears and she allowed the dam of emotions to break, her resistance crumbling as she collapsed into his arms. Alistair let his relief show through as the light surrounding her was finally snuffed out and her Mark returned to normal. His Arria was back; she might be broken and hollow from the losses but he would love her into healing, just as he had done before. She gasped as she was pulled into a desperate kiss and lost herself to the connection, needing him just like the air she breathed. He was the one thing she still had, the one piece of her heart still intact and she was more determined than ever to keep him alive. Today she had failed, but she never would again. This would be how she honoured Lyle's memory and sacrifice.

Lyle, I hope you are watching up there somewhere. I won't let your death be in vain. We will destroy Howe and defeat this Blight, this I swear to you…and I will meet you again someday. This is my prayer, and my promise.


Translations:

Aul illas sol haera, sielle ar – Till we meet again, beloved one

Li cerre mortanta sur – I will avenge you

Wow…When I started this battle I never thought it would spiral into becoming more than 17000 words total. How the hell did that happen? That was the hardest sequence I have ever had to write, and I would love any feedback you can all give me on how it came across. Even with me reading it back, I can still see what is in my head, not the scene the words are generating and I hope you'll all help me see what it is that I've created.

So…yeah. That just happened. I hope I managed to catch lots of you out and you all enjoyed it. Credit for all reviews of both chapters will go up during my next update, and I hope to have to thank lots of people!

I'll see you all at my next update!

Negative Angel