A/N: Happy Birthday to me, and my gift to myself, a new chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 44: Claws of the Jackal
"Hold Your Ground!"
Fenris's command galvanized the wounded guardsmen. He stood at the vanguard of their shrinking line, rallying the Tevinters to stand one more time…
To stand…and push the foul things back into the abyss from whence they came.
Undead stood before them, hissing and snarling, several of them fresher than the others, men and women who had been cut down by the creatures, cut down, and dragged into the cave, dragged back, and animated by the foul magic within.
Fenris glared at the monsters. In that moment he swore that he would not join them. He would see his body torn to pieces before it was raised and brought back to serve Death's Hand.
He stared impotently at the opening. They had heard nothing of the Viscountess, nor of her mad brother. He could only assume that she was now dead.
The elf's eyes narrowed dangerously, if she was, than he hoped that she had taken her brother with her.
That what they faced was the last of Daylen Amell's treachery.
The undead formed a wall of hissing glaring death, pale watery eyes blazed with hate, their swords and ax's swung not with precision, but with the strength of animals.
Again the undead charged.
Fenris readied himself for the end…
The ground shook violently, interrupting the wall of dead things trying to overwhelm them, their lines broken.
Fenris did the only thing he could…
He attacked.
The Viscountess's guard surged forward, slamming into the disorganized corpses. Several tried to flee back into the cave only to be caught in another tremor. A large chunk of the cave mouth came down crushing several of the dead men.
Unable to escape the remaining creatures turned, swords and fingers grasping for the throats of their enemies.
Fenris swung his sword cutting down several of the creatures, but still they kept coming, the shaking grew worse and worse. The ground began to crack beneath them.
Fenris's brow furrowed.
What was going, it was as if the ground itself was coming apart…almost as if…
His eyes widened!
Almost as if the caves beneath them were collapsing.
He thought about ordering his men in, to try and save the Viscountess, but recognized the futility of that. If Solona was now buried, there was little they could.
His expression turned grim.
If the Viscountess was dead, his next duty was clear, to return to Kirkwall and the lord consort, now the lord protector.
It would be up to Lord Sebastian to rule now, or perhaps Lord Garrett, at least until Prince Perrin came of age.
Fenris would do what was needed to see that that came to pass.
He owed it to Solona to see that the line continued. She might have been a mage, but she was likely the best mage he had ever known.
He would see to her children's protection.
He owed her that much.
Provided he survived the next few minutes.
He saw two more allies cut down. The markings on his skin flared burning the foul things, he charged bowling one over. He…
He felt a spear pierce his shoulder.
He howled and stuck his hand through the undead's face.
It collapsed its rotted mind crushed by his hand.
More undead tried to swarm him.
Fenris gritted his teeth.
He prepared for the end.
The creatures reached down and…
Blue flames consumed them; the brightness of it nearly blinded him.
He heard his surviving soldiers cheer.
Fenris dared to glance up, knights of glowing arcane energy charged out of the collapsing cave, cutting down the undead. All the while two remained behind using their shield to protect one…no two others.
Fenris sighed with relief.
It seemed he had gotten a little ahead of himself.
He would not have to inform Lord Sebastian of his wife's death…
…at least…not yet…
…Not yet.
IOI
The Viscountess whirled her staff striking down several undead. Her guards rallied the cheers of Lioness!" rose up into the sky
Tallis slumped to the ground behind her, no longer able to move. Solona had almost had to carry her friend through the collapsing vault, her arcane constructs helped, but even then, they had almost not made it out.
Solona shook her head, the last few minutes still seemed like a blur, she remembered Daylen standing over her, his…his demon staring hungrily at her…
…A demon with Angelique Poole's face.
It was then that the vault had first begun to collapse. Daylen and Angelique had both been staggered the undead holding her captured staggered.
It had given her what she needed…
Her chance.
She mind blasted her enemies, Daylen with his Templar training resisted it mostly, but Angelique and the undead were not so lucky. They staggered back.
She reached out with her magic, seizing her staff. It flew into her hand. She blasted the undead, shattering their rotted bodies.
Then…she turned to the demon.
Angelique…the demon that had once been Angelique was on her back struggling to strand on her cloven hooves.
Solona brought her bladed staff down, planning to leave the creature beheaded.
"NOOOOO!"
Daylen's anguished cries rang out; he flew at her, all caution gone in the face of watching Angelique die again.
His blue eyes were wide with fury and madness; he attacked her with an uncontrolled flurry of blows.
"NOT AGAIN!" he wailed, "YOU WON'T HURT HER! YOU WON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!"
Tallis struck out, using her feet to trip up Death's Hand, he fell to the ground heavily, his armor clattering.
Solona was on him in seconds, she reached out with her magic, turning his long sword to slag, and his shield joined it shortly after, melting into a puddle of molten metal.
She glared down at her brother.
She raised her staff.
"Not again," she promised him.
He would never threaten anyone else again!
Death's Hand snarled at her, he raised his clawed hand.
Fel flame exploded from his fingertips.
Solona fell back raising an arcane shield, it held against the fire, but the dark magic left her breathless and staggering.
Daylen stared at his hand in disbelief!
"What…what was that?" she heard him same.
"DAYLEN!"
Angelique was back on her feet, she yanked him to his feet almost one handed.
"We have to get out of here my love," she cried, "We will be buried alive!"
Daylen glared at his sister, he hissed his claws extending.
The demoness held him back with almost super human strength.
"We have no time, Daylen," she shouted, "COME!"
He paused, still staring at Solona.
"COME!"
He let himself be pulled back.
"No," he shouted, "this way!"
He ran to the back of the chamber.
Angelique followed, but not before shooting one last venomous glance at Solona.
The desire demon snarled.
"This is not over mortal! You will pay for what you have done!"
Angelique gestured, to supports holding up the main chamber exploded.
The desire demon pranced after Death's Hand, a shield protecting her from the worst of the falling ceiling.
The last Solona saw of her brother and his demon had been when Daylen scooped up the Tome of Koslun and broke for the back wall.
She cried out in frustration!
If she stayed, she would die. Tallis would die.
They would all die!
She had just pulled Tallis out of the vault when the entire ceiling collapsed. She thought she heard Daylen cry out, but could not be sure.
Dust and the sound of falling rocks hid her brother's fate from her eyes.
She looked grimly at the rubble that had once been Death's Hand's vault.
Was it now his tomb? Was it the demoness' tomb as well?
She sighed.
She hoped that it was so.
She dragged her friend along behind her; the damage done to the vault was starting to spread outward. Soon the entire ruin would be gone, buried under tons of rock.
It was now buried, buried with Death's Hand, buried with the tome of Koslun.
It seemed that Daylen had had the last laugh after all.
The Viscountess cursed under her breath.
Damn Daylen!
Damn him straight to the void!
IOI
The final rumbles ceased.
Solona fell to her knees near Fenris. Her surviving guards ran to her, eager to see if she was well.
She coughed and gave them a weary smile.
…So much death… and all…for nothing.
Death's Hand was gone, but so was the tome.
What were they going to do now?
What was she going to tell the Arishok?
"Your Excellency?"
She looked up at Fenris, he had bound his wounds, but it was clear that the elf was still in great pain.
She struggled to her feet, downing a lyrium draught.
She reached out with her magic.
He flinched but let her help him.
She saw him sigh as her power purged the wound of any possible dark magic, that…and healed it of course.
He looked down on Tallis.
"She got past us," he growled, "I…I am sorry."
Solona shook her head.
She did not blame Fenris.
Tallis was extremely skilled.
Even she would be hard pressed to keep the Qunari out if she did not wish to be.
The Viscountess leaned down, reaching out with her magic.
Tallis was in a bad way, sick and feverish, but now that she was out of the cave, the curse seemed to have released her. The damage it had caused would last longer however.
It would take time to heal the damage, time and care.
She frowned.
She could not send her friend back to the Qunari.
She did not doubt for a second that the Arishok would have Tallis killed, not after she had lost not only the tome but her weapon as well. The Qunari warlord would not hesitate to call for Tallis' execution.
Solona would not allow that.
"We take her back to the keep," he informed him.
Fenris nodded.
"As you wish," he said, "But as a Qunari she may demand to go back to her people."
Solona gave him a shocked look.
"They will kill her?"
"Perhaps," he shrugged, "She might want that."
"Why would she want to die?"
"She would want to live by the Qun," the elf replied, "Which means dying. Hawke told me of his encounter with that Qunari Saarebas a few years ago. It chose death over becoming Tal Vashoth."
Solona looked down at her friend, she…she could not believe that Tallis would do that. That she would choose to give up her life.
The Viscountess sighed.
If it came to that, she would ask her friend not to, beg her if she had to, remind her of those who cared about her.
Hawke would not understand, and neither would Gray.
She would spare them that pain.
"MY LADY!"
She turned to the young soldier who had called out.
"What is it?"
"Riders approaching."
Her remaining entourage formed a defensive square around her. Solona started to raise her staff, but Fenris stopped her shaking his head.
Solona cursed under her breath.
Damn her secret.
She let the staff shrink down and vanish into one of the pockets of her cloak. She stood their impotently, A silly girl who needed dozens of armed men to protect her.
She hated this, hated feeling like a weakling, an eternal victim…
..But for her family, for her city she endured it.
She needed to endure.
Two dozen riders surrounded them, all dressed in heavy armor, all bearing the sign of Andraste's sword of mercy.
Solona shook her head.
…All of them Templars.
Fenris glared at their leader, a cold look on his face.
"Too little too late Templar,' he shouted.
The man removed his helmet.
Solona recognizing him stepped forward.
"Your Excellency," he said with a slight bow.
"Knight-Captain Cullen," she responded, "What brings you out to the wounded coast?"
He gave her a nervous look.
"A patrol sensed magic in this area, powerful magic. My men and I were on our way back from Starkhaven when they found us."
Cullen glanced at the cave.
"What happened here, Your Excellency?"
She sighed.
It was a long tale indeed.
"Day…" she shook her head, what had travelled with them today was no longer her brother, she did not know what it was.
"Death's Hand tried to escape justice," she replied, "I trusted him to help on an internal matter and he used it as an excuse to summon a demon, and these undead."
Cullen's face paled, he looked around at the dead monsters.
"A demon you say," He gasped, "What happened to it? Was it contained?"
She pointed at the ruins.
"Buried, I hope, along with my brother."
Cullen's eyes narrowed.
"You hope?" he said.
"Yes, I hope."
The knight-captain sighed.
"We must return to Kirkwall immediately. The Knight-Commander will need to hear of this."
He bowed slightly to Solona.
"We will grateful escort you back; I suspect the Knight-Commander will wish to hear from you as well."
Solona wrinkled her nose in distaste.
Yes she suspected that Meredith would like to hear about this.
It was best that she tell the Templar woman.
Avoid any misunderstandings.
Solona mounted her horse, her men and Fenris followed suit, the elf held the wounded Tallis, keeping her safe.
Cullen rode out front with Solona, the two of them said little, the possibility of a demon lose in the free marches clearly filled him with dread.
Solona could sympathize.
The Jackal would be furious when she heard about this, but her rage would be secondary compared to the Arishoks.
The Viscountess shook her head.
She did not look forward to her next meeting with the Qunari.
She did not look forward to it at all.
