Duncan stood with King Cailan with their forces as they prepared for the upcoming battle. Duncan didn't need to guess what the soldiers were feeling. They were all nervous for the upcoming battle and if they fail all of Ferelden would suffer.

He looked at Cailan confidently. "The plan will work, your Majesty."

"Of course it will." Cailan said as he looked towards the battlefield. "The Blight ends here."

The darkspawn were emerging from the woods and the horde was a lot larger than Duncan had expected. There was no doubt in his mind that they would not survive for very long without Loghain's reinforcements, but they had no other choice. The darkspawn charged at them with murderous looks and overwhelming numbers.

"Archers!" Cailan commanded.

At once the archers fired a volley of arrows upon the darkspawn, shooting down many of them but more of them the dead with murderous looks, flooding the corpses of their fallen comrades.

"Hounds!"

The hounds let loose their mabari as they ran towards the darkspawn. They slammed into them and began biting down upon the beasts. Once the lines were broken to deal with the hounds, Cailan ordered the charge. "For Ferelden!"

They charged straight towards the darkspawn and with that the battle began.


On the ruins above, the seven Wardens watched as arrows and flaming rocks shot over their heads. If there was any doubt the battle hadn't started it was quickly crushed.

"We need to get to the tower!" Sereda yelled.

They made their way over to the tower, but Theron came to a sudden stop. "By the Dread Wolf..."

"Theron?" Sereda asked.

"Darkspawn. At the tower." Theron narrowed his eyes, trying to focus before he then shook his head. "A lot of them."

"Perhaps sending the seven of us wasn't that bad an idea." Sereda said as she drew her sword.

"Let's go." Alistair said, drawing his own blade.

Faren smirked as he held the hilts of his blades. "Darkspawn, here we come." He smirked at Theron "Wanna bet who slays more, Wolf?"

Theron smirked back. "You're on, dwarf."

They soon engaged the darkspawn and discovered that Theron was right there were a lot of them. Daylen threw a fireball upon a hurlock that was aiming ballista. Theron stood at his side as he fired arrows at any nearby darkspawn but try to get arms length to him.

To his left, Alistair, Kallian and Faren were moving forward as they assisted Sereda the overwhelming darkspawn. Theron ducked as a bolt of lightning came at her.

An emissary was aiming his staff for another blast. Theron dodged and swiftly avoided arrows flying towards him. He drew his twin blades before leaping over the beast as he sliced its head off, while Daylen was trying to recover strength for more spells as he drank a lyrium potion.

Kallian managed to cut down a hurlock before they made it to the door. Sereda looked at Theron as she stabbed a genlock. "How many?"

"Dozens inside." Theron replied as he picked his bow again and shot a hurlock. "Not only one kind, though."

"Damn it." Sereda swore before she looked at them all. "Be careful on our way to the beacon. Stay together." She looked at Theron. "Theron and I will take point. Kallian, you cover Daylen. The rest will take the rear."

Elissa handed Theron a full quiver of arrows as they advanced before Kallian gestured for them to stop as she saw a trap. Kallian knelt down and used her dagger to cut the tripwire, disarming it before they continued to move.

Sereda gestured with her fist at the others, then held up a finger before signaling Theron. The two of them circled around the barrels to the other side of the large group of darkspawn.

"Now!" Sereda ordered and at once, Daylen sent a fireball into the group. Alistair and Faren charged in as Sereda and Theron came from the other side. Kallian sliced through a genlock that tried to strike down Daylen.

A moment later, the darkspawn were down. Sereda looked at Theron. "More above." He said. He concentrated. "A lot of them and something… big."

"Big? What do you mean, big?" Alistair asked.

"I'll know it when I see it." Theron said.

Alistair sighed. "Great."

"Keep moving." Sereda ordered.

Sereda held up a fist again, then looked from Elissa's mabari to the mabari still in their cages. She looked at Theron, then pointed at the cage lever. He nodded, and moved forward cautiously. The spawn started to sniff the air as they caught the sense of the Warden. The elf abandoned stealth for speed, and rushed down the floor to barrel to the top of the cages, running lightly on the bars before jumping down and moving the lever as the cages opened.

The rest of the Wardens closed as the mabari surged out of their cages and started tearing into the spawn. Elissa gave a joyful laugh as her own mabari tore the throat out of a genlock.

Sereda saw Theron get surrounded and was moving to his aid when the elf solved the problem by simply tumbling between the legs of the hurlock and shooting an arrow straight into its head. She shook her head and smiled before using her shield to block the attacks from another hurlock.

More darkspawn came out of the rooms ahead, and the dogs rushed to help the Wardens, biting through the darkspawn

As one of the dogs put an emissary to the ground, Elissa knelt towards it, patting its head. "Good boy."

Alistair looked to Theron, who indicated the number of darkspawn in the next room, before looking to Sereda. She nodded, and he kicked the door open. Elissa moved in beside him, a sword in each hand as they engaged the darkspawn.

As soon as they cleared the room, Alistair looked at the dead bodies of the darkspawn. "Maker's breath! What are those darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!"

Faren raised an eyebrow, letting out a chuckle. "Weren't you complaining that you wouldn't get to fight?"

Alistair chuckled back. "Hey, you're right. I guess there is a silver lining here, if you think about it." He then saw the look Sereda was giving him. "At any rate, we need to hurry! We need to get up to the top of the tower and light that signal fire in time! Teyrn Loghain will be waiting for the signal!"

Sereda nodded and looked at Theron. "Do you sense something above us?"

"Still the… strange thing. And more or less the same as here." Theron said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the ceiling.

Sereda nodded. "Let me know as soon as you know what the strange thing is."

Faren's hand pulled her back just as the ballista bolt went through the area she was standing as she swore under her breath. "A ballista. They have a ballista. This complicates things."

"I have an idea." Sereda said as she turned to Daylen and Kallian.

Kallian stepped backwards before she jumped off the wall and rushed down the corridor. The two bolts missed her by few inches as she rolled down on the ground and then got up, pulling out a knife, cutting down the genlocks before they could reach for their weapons.

Sereda and the others caught up. "Wow." Alistair said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Theron?"

"Maybe a dozen left."

"And the weird thing?"

"Yes."

They soon discovered what the strange thing was. It was an ogre, who tearing the spine out of one of the hapless soldiers. It turned as they entered. Blood dripped from its face.

"That the strange thing?" Sereda asked.

"Uh-huh." Theron nodded.

"Oh, joy." Sereda sighed as more darkspawn moved towards them. "Daylen. The emissary."

Daylen nodded before he began to form the spell as the Wardens moved forward.

Kallian moved with Sereda, flanking the ogre but the ogre backhanded Kallian, sending the elf flying into a stack of barrels. Sereda dodged and rolled away as the ogre slammed its giant fists to the floor. She glanced towards Kallian, relieved to see that she was still alive.

Faren swung his greatsword at its legs as the ogre roared in pain. It then picked him up and began pummeling them before Alistair plunged his sword into its ribs as the ogre let Faren go. The ogre swung its arm, knocking them both away before rushing at Elissa.

Barkspawn bit hard on the ogre's arm and it raised its fist at the poor dog. Then it let out a howl as Theron landed on its back, stabbing with both blades. It spun, but the elf managed to stay put as the ogre flailed at him.

Sereda took advantage of the opening to charge in and drive her blade into its gut. It knocked her aside, but it's blow was too weak to do more than daze her. It started to step towards her, and Theron drove one of his swords through the back of its neck.

Alistair and Elissa narrowly managed to roll out of its way as it fell forward. Theron remained kneeling on its back for a moment before pulling his blades free.

Faren stared at Theron and then at the ogre. "That still only counts as one!"

"The beacon's over there." Alistair pointed towards a pile of wood. "We've surely missed the signal. Let's light it quickly before it's too late."

Sereda touched her forehead. Her fingers came away red. "Faren like the beacon. Daylen, see to Kallian."

Faren nodded and rushed over to the beacon and lit a fire. "There."


Overlooking the battlefield Loghain saw the beacon being lit. "Sound the retreat."

His lieutenant, Ser Cauthrien, stared at him in surprise. "But… what about the king? Should we not—"

Loghain grabbed Cauthrien by her wrist, glaring. "Do as I command."

Ser Cauthrien stared into the eyes of her commander and very reluctantly look at their men. "Pull out! All of you, let's move!"

Loghain's forces began to move out and he looked towards the burning battlefield before joining his men in the retreat. His face showed that he had no regrets and that he believed he was doing that he believed was right.


On the battlefield itself, Cailan's forces were being overrun. They kept on fighting in the hopes that Loghain would come to the rescue, but he never came.

Cailan fought at Duncan side as they watched as the men fell one by one to the relentless darkspawn horde. Duncan then sensed something large behind him and turned to face an ogre which knocked him aside and grabbed Cailan.

It then pulled Cailan up to its face and roared, spreading its saliva all over his face. It then crushed him in its hand and then tossed his body aside as if it was a ragdoll.

Duncan looked at the young king's lifeless body and then to the ogre. He got to his feet and charge that it with all his strength. He jumped stabbed both his blades right into its chest and kept on striking until it fell.

Though he was able to avenge the King, Duncan was left with no strength left in his body to fight. He limped over to the King, holding his chest with one hand and then fell to his knees right beside him. He watched as the darkspawn slaughtered through the remainders of their forces and gazed up to the beacon. It was lit, but there was no sign of Loghain and his men coming, no hope rising. Duncan watched helplessly as a hurlock alpha led its forces straight towards him and the last thing he saw was the alpha raising axe above him before darkness claimed him.


Up above the tower, Daylen and the wardens were having their own problems. The darkspawn had overrun their position and they were fighting with every ounce of soul in their body.

"They just keep coming! There's too many of them!" Theron yelled as he continued to fire arrows at the upcoming horde.

"Where's Loghain and the reinforcements?" Alistair demanded.

Daylen saw Sereda take an arrow to the shoulder. Faren moved to defend the former Princess. Alistair and Elissa were back to back but they were knocked aside by a blast from an emissary, sending them flying into the wall. Kallian held her own valiantly, but she was then knocked out by a hurlock that hit her from behind with her mace. He saw Theron had run out of arrows and was now fighting with his daggers before an ogre grabbed Faren, throwing him at the elf and knocking them both out.

Daylen was the only one standing as he was casting a spell after spell at the endless waves of darkspawn. He threw spells of all elements, fire, ice, air, lightning, anything that could assist. But all the spellcasting was draining him dry and he was all out of lyrium potions.

He then heard a beat of wings. Black blood covered his robes. His entire body was screaming in pain begging him to stop.

"My my, what have we here?" Daylen recognized the old woman from the wilds. She stepped neatly into the tower from the balcony. "A bit more to you than meets the eye, hmmm?"

"What are you doing here?" Daylen demanded, barely conscious.

The woman smirked. "Helping you, of course. Or would you rather if I just let you all die?" She spread her arms around his fallen comrades.

Daylen was unsure whether he could trust her, not after what Theron had told him. But she was probably their only chance at survival. He looked into the witch's eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"Only to help you in your struggle, after all you are the only hope we have." The woman offered.

"Theron called you Asha'bellenar. The Woman of Many Years."

The woman nodded."Some call me that. You may call me Flemeth." Daylen's eyes widened. The Flemeth? The Witch of the Wilds from the old tales? "Gather them. And I will need that as well." She said, gesturing lazily at a banner.

Daylen was already moving, gathering the banner. He could sense darkspawn approaching. At Flemeth's direction, he laid the wardens onto the banner. He set Barkspawn next to Elissa, and Flemeth gave him an amused look. "How do you..." he started to ask.

Flemeth leaned her head back and rolled it from side to side before she let the dragon form take her. She grabbed the ends of the banner in each of her claws, and then leaned her head down to where Daylen stood. Without hesitation, he climbed onto her neck and settled himself securely. With a beat of her wings, she took flight.

He gazed down upon the burning battlefield and could see that the hammer was absent. They had been betrayed, was the only thought that entered into his head before everything went black.