Ch 30 – The Final Assault
Ayu sat upon Lothren. The horse swayed and danced under her in his anticipation of the coming battle. Ayu heard Alistair talking to the troops from behind her, but only snippets of what he said reached her ears. She was too focused on the city that lay in smoke below her. Her unfocused eyes sharpened as a huge dragon silhouette covered the skyline. The beast's roar reached her ears like an unnerving caress. The warden shuddered involuntarily, causing Lothren to take a step sideways.
"Easy boy. Easy," she cooed while running her hand along his neck. "It won't be long now."
Zevran appeared at her side, placing his hand on her calf. She turned her face toward him, blinking slowly.
"They are assembling the army. We're marching soon."
Ayu simply nodded and turned Lothren around, following Zevran back to her companions.
Alistair stepped down from the stairs of a nearby tower from where he'd been talking to the troops. He caught Ayu's eye as she rode up, Lothren snorting under her. He nodded to her, drawing his sword from its scabbard. The elf dropped her chin in a stiff nod, turning Lothren around quickly to face the city.
"Today we avenge the death of my brother, King Cailan. For Ferelden!" he cried. "For the Grey Wardens!"
A resounding cry of battle rang up from the mass of men and they charged forward, weapons drawn, ready to fight. Ayu spurred her horse on, running with the blanket of troops toward Denerim.
As they neared the outer wall of the city, they saw a vast troop of darkspawn that guarded the perimeter. The creatures sighted the screaming men and charged forward at the Warden's army. The two walls of fighters crashed into one another with a deafening cry. The sound of metal shearing of metal and armour resounded in the flat landscape around the main gate of Denerim. The fighting was brutal and bloody. Fallen cries of both men and beast rang in Ayu's ears as she leapt off Lothren, not bothering to stop him as he turned from the main horde. Once the elf alighted to the ground, she began firing off arrows as fast as she could, the wind singing through the fletching as the shafts cut through the air. Her companions remained close, swinging weapons and felling the foul beasts around her.
The army surged forward through the gates, meeting more of the enemy as they advanced. It was an all-out brawl. Soldiers screamed and shouted as they fought the enemy, the clash of steel now the only sound Ayu could hear. Zevran remained close to his beloved, slaying any creature that dared to come near her. He dodged a blow, feigning to his right, as Ayu's arrow whistled past him and skewered the enemy. She drew a haggard breath, observing the fight. Zevran noticed a darkspawn attempting to smash Ayu from behind with its mace. He grabbed her by the back of the neck forcing her down beside his hip and thrust his sword into the beast. Ayu popped back up behind him, firing an arrow at close range into a charging Hurlock. The enemies fell around them with a dull thud.
The soldiers moved forward, spreading out into the streets surrounding the gate, felling any darkspawn in their way and clearing the area. Once the nearby streets were secured by the army, Riordan motioned Ayu over to him. The Wardens and their friends approached him, sheathing their weapons.
"You've managed to fight to the gates," Riordan said as the group approached him. "We're doing better than I hoped. That will change quickly."
"Bloody nug runners," Oghren spat. "We're outnumbered three to one!"
Wynne cast the dwarf a withering look before turning her attention to Riordan. "What are we to do now? I assume you have a plan?"
"The army will not last long, so we need to move quickly to reach the archdemon." Riordan glanced over his shoulder as a pair of soldiers ran past them. "I suggest taking Alistair with you into the city. The rest can stay here to keep more darkspawn from entering the city on our tails."
"How do you suggest we fight a flying dragon?" Ayu asked with some perturbance in her voice.
Riordan brushed off her brisque attitude with a wave of his hand. "We're going to need to reach a high point in the city . . . I'm thinking the top of Fort Drakon might work."
"The top of . . . ? You honestly want us to attract that thing's attention?" Alistair squeaked.
"We have little choice, I'm afraid, though I warn you as soon as we engage the beast it will call its generals to it. I can sense two generals in Denerim. You might wish to seek them out before heading to Fort Drakon."
Leliana spoke up from near the back, hopeful. "I'm sure if we slay those generals it would stop the darkspawn in the city from doing more harm!"
"It may also waste resources to locate and defeat them," Riordan added, "but the choice is yours. Now ready yourself, unless you have any further questions for me."
Ayu shook her head, her braid swinging behind her. "I'm ready. Alistair," she said as she turned to him, "are you ready?"
"Yes, as ready as I'll ever be. You know, walking into death and all. You have a penchant for nearly getting me killed."
Ayu smirked despite herself. "You love me for it." She clapped the man on the shoulder and the pair started to walk away from the group when Wynne cleared her throat - loudly - causing the Wardens to stop.
"I am coming with you," she stated, her tone brooking no argument. At Ayu's questioning glance, the old mage continued. "You will need a healer and master of the arcane with you." Ayu opened her mouth to object, but Wynne simply held up her hand, stopping the elf from saying anything. "I will not hear a 'no' for your answer, Ayu. I have seen you this far in your journey and I shall see you to the end of it."
Ayu softly huffed, shaking her head with a slight grin on her lips. "Have it your way, Wynne."
The mage walked toward the Wardens, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "I believe I just did."
Shaking her head, Ayu turned to leave with the others once more when she heard a familiar sultry voice at her back.
"You cannot be intending to leave me here. Mio amore," Zevran reached out for her arm, gently turning her to face him. "There is nowhere that you can go that I will not follow." He spoke softly, but earnestly, touching her cheek lovingly while gazing at her. A sly grin quirked his lips. "You never know when something could use a good assassinating." He winked at her then, grinning.
Attempting to suppress a grin, Ayu rolled her eyes and took his hand in hers. "Come on then."
She walked a few steps up an embankment before turning to face her remaining companions. "We will seek out and destroy the archdemon. The rest of you will stay here and keep the darkspawn at bay." A cry of discontent rose from below her. "Rilien, Deygan, you two will stay here. You are very lucky that I let you this far into the darkspawn horde. I will hear no argument from either of you."
Sten stepped forward, bowing slightly at the waist. "Kadan, allow me to keep watch of these two. I will make use of them."
Ayu nodded her head curtly. "Sten, I shall leave you in charge of the rest of the party, including those two." Ayu jerked a finger at the elven brothers.
"Of course."
"Good luck to you all," Ayu called out. "Each of you has been a friend to me and I cannot thank you enough for that. Be well."
"If you do not return, Ayu," Leliana cried out taking a small step forward, "I shall be very cross with you."
Ayu softly smiled at her fellow rogue, a knot blooming in her stomach. Returning her gaze to her assembled friends, the elf set her shoulders and steeled herself for whatever was to come. "The Blight dies this day." She turned her body slightly to start walking away. Clapping her hand on her thigh she called her mabari. "Beren, come."
The small group made their way toward Fort Drakon. All the men and women of the army cried out their praise and good wishes to the Warden and her team as they passed. Ayu gave them the barest of nods in recognition, gripping her bow so tight her knuckles were turning white. She felt uneasy and she couldn't be sure it wasn't just from sensing the darkspawn. Going straight after the archdemon seemed a quicker approach to her to ending the Blight. A roar from overhead made her stop suddenly in her tracks, looking up above her. Everyone else with her followed suit, craning their heads back to see.
The archdemon, a huge battered-looking dragon flew overhead, roaring again to make its presence known. The dragon swooped low, causing the party to leap to the ground to not be hit. The blighted beast jerked its head back, the light of fire and smoke growing in its mouth. With a snarl, the archdemon let loose its fire breath, igniting the small bridge and all the surrounding wooden structures in flame. The intense heat burned the wood and melted any metal into liquid in an instant. Ayu propped herself up on one arm, watching as the way became buried under mounds of rubble and cursed their luck under her breath. She drove her fist into the ground in frustration, pushing herself up to her feet and dusting herself off. She let out a deep sigh as Zevran moved beside her, placing his hand at the small of her back. She glanced at him, pulling the side of her mouth up into a half-hearted smile.
"I guess we can't go that way." She tried to make light of the situation, turning to face the others as they rose and dusted themselves off. "We'll have to take a long way. Keep your eyes and ears open. Just because we haven't seen the enemy yet doesn't mean we won't."
The others nodded in agreement, Beren barking once and wagging his stub of a tail. The group turned around and headed in the direction of the market. As they arrived, the entire area was in disarray. Buildings had collapsed into rubble, others burned to the ground or were in the process of burning all around them.
"It's so awful," Wynne whispered, obviously shaken by the destruction before her.
A crashing sound ahead sent the party darting behind the remains of a collapsed building. Ayu poked her head around the corner, trying to determine what caused the noise. A snorting grunt, followed by another crashing sound brought the creature into her view. A great horned ogre paused, sniffing the air before it kept moving forward through the market. A human-sized Hurlock in heavy chain armour walked in the wake of the giant creature. Three smaller genlock archers trailed behind the pair as they moved about. The party practically held their breaths as the ogre stopped, smashed something, flipped a burning wagon over with an easy toss of a meaty palm, and continued walking. The group was walking away from the party, seemingly not knowing they were there. Ayu gripped her bow until the leather binding squealed in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she stood, coming around the corner and notched an arrow. She slowly let her breath out as she pulled the string back and took aim at the last of the trailing genlock. Once her lungs emptied, she loosed the arrow, praying for a quick and silent kill. She was granted her wish. The arrowhead buried itself deep into the monster's skull, clearing the brain cavity and partially exiting through its eye socket. It had no time to react or make a sound, as its body slowed and fell to the ground, dead. Ayu held her breath, but the others did not turn to look at their fallen comrade. The ogre ahead picked up another wagon and smashed it repeatedly into the ground while the Hurlock seemed to be laughing, a guttural hee-hee-hee echoing through the market. Ayu notched another arrow, quickly bringing her bow up and firing it. The pair of remaining genlock had split up, one staying behind to look under some rubble, and the other moving in the other direction, poking at something with its bow. Ayu's arrow met its mark, flying through the side of the first genlock's head, spraying blood and brain matter into the flames. The dead creature's body fell to the ground with a dull thud. The last genlock turned to face where its companion was and shuffled over to it. Ayu ducked behind the rubble, got her bow ready and jumped back out, firing again at the none-the-wiser genlock. The beast turned to look in her direction, just as the arrow pierced its eye in a bloody mess. It let out a soft grunt of surprise before it joined its friend on the ash-covered ground.
Ayu motioned the rest of her team forward with her. She darted forward on light feet to catch sight of the Hurlock again. The rest of the party fell in behind her, Alistair and his clanking plate armour bringing up the rear. The Warden slid to a halt, her boots scuffing the dirt. She aimed at the Hurlock while her companions fanned out around her. Ayu shot an arrow, much quicker than she had fired at the genlocks. The shaft pierced the Hurlock, just missing the creature's heart. It stopped, staring down at the arrowhead sticking out of its chest and turned around. Its face contorted into a cry of rage. It snapped off the front of the arrow, tossing the splintered wood aside, and pulled up its wickedly twisted staff. The Hurlock general's roar of anger caused the ogre to stop and turn, spy the party and charge forward with pounding limbs. Ayu did not move, but her companions were ready for the attack. Alistair, Beren and Zevran ran forward, meeting the charging ogre. Alistair deflected a huge fist, pushing it aside with his shield. Zevran flipped his swords, scaling the back of the beast. He plunged his twin blades into the flesh of the ogre between its shoulder blades. The monster reared back and roared in pain and frustration as it attempted to grab the slippery elf. Beren, jumped around dodging the banging feet of the ogre while biting and scratching at its legs. Wynne stood alongside the elven warden, casting her best offensive spells at the Hurlock. Ayu fired her arrows as fast as she could load her bow, shooting into both the Hurlock and the ogre. Alistair dodged the fists of the ogre as it sought to bring them down on his head. Zevran and his blades were finally flung from the creature's back with the impact. The elf flew over the ogre's shoulders and landed with a thud on his backside. He fell onto his back and skidded to a stop, Ayu's foot between his legs. She looked at him curiously.
"See? I told you it is very easy for you to get me on my back, no?" Zevran waggled his eyebrows and flashed his signature smile before getting up and rushing headlong into battle again. Ayu shook her head at the retreating elf, a corner of her mouth lifting.
The Hurlock attempted to cast a spell of its own, however, Wynne hit the general with a blast from her staff, throwing the creature off balance. Ayu took the chance to aim for the general's arm holding the staff. The arrow pierced through the creature's forearm. It screamed at them in pain and rage as its black staff fell to the ashen ground. Wynne hurled another shot from her staff at the Hurlock, causing it to shy away sideways and cover its eyes. Ayu darted to the side, narrowly escaping the pummeling fist of the ogre. The Hurlock righted itself, however, neither of the women were where they were. He snarled, looking from side to side, but all it saw was the backside of the ogre and the two men and dog, fighting it. The general moved to grab its staff but as it bent forward an icy blast struck it in the chest. It roared angrily, falling prone from the impact. The warden, standing on the opposite side from Wynne, launched two arrows in quick succession at the fallen Hurlock. One sunk deep into the open space between its armour and its neck. The other arrow buried itself in the top of the general's skull with a sickening crunch. The creature, who had been attempting to rise from its back, fell in a lifeless heap on the ground.
The boys were still working on the ogre, stabbing and dodging, dodging and stabbing. The brute was bloodied from a thousand wounds, its movements impaired from cut tendons and ripped muscles. The ogre lifted its arm, letting gravity bring it down. Alistair raised his shield, absorbing the blow. Zevran ran behind the beast, dragging his sword tip through the flesh at the back of its thighs. The ogre fell to its knees, bellowing in its hurt. Alistair deflected another half-hearted blow, plunging his sword into the rib cage of the ogre right to the hilt. It growled blood at him, eyes rolling back in its head. Alistair wrenched his sword free just in time as the creature tumbled forward in a bloody mess.
Wynne and Ayu joined the others, the older woman blotting the sweat off her brow with a handkerchief. "I'm glad that ordeal is over," Wynne said quietly. The others, tired from the fight, nodded their agreement. "There is one more general to be found before the archdemon," Wynne supplied.
"Perhaps we will meet it on our way to Fort Drakon," Ayu stated. "We need to get the Fort as quickly as possible to help Riordan."
The party did not rest long. They were moving again after catching their breaths and wiping the offal off their weapons. They kept to the shadows as much as possible, avoiding as many skirmishes as they could. The chaos, burning and collapsed buildings forced the party to veer away from Fort Drakon toward the alienage.
As they rounded a corner and entered the alienage proper, the party heard a heavy pounding. They each looked at each other in momentary confusion, before Zevran, poking his head around a pile of rubble, pointed out the source of the noise. The others looked to where he was pointing and saw a huge, heavy wooden gate bulging and straining at its hinges. Someone, or something, was pounding on the other side of the gate, seeking to break it down. Instinctively, Alistair unsheathed his sword and took a few wary steps forward. Hackles raised, Beren began growling and followed the man. The rest of the party followed close on his heels, moving cautiously into the open center of the alienage.
Crack!
With a thunderous roar, the gate finally gave way under repeated heavy blows. An ogre burst through the debris, bellowing with delight. The creature turned its massive head and saw the Wardens standing there at the ready. A wicked grin spread across its face. Another aggressive cry filled the square and it took up the charge, aiming right for the Wardens.
Alistair stepped forward to meet the charging ogre, deflecting a wild blow and stabbing the creature in the ribs under its arm. It screamed at him, attempting to pound him flat with a mighty backhand. Alistair lept to the ground, barely being missed by the beast. Zevran took the opportunity to attack then while the creature was focused on the man, slashing with both swords at the creature's abdomen. It bellowed again, attempting to swing at the elf when an arrow and a blast of energy hit it in the face. It staggered back, swatting at the smoke rising from its flesh. Beren snapped at any part of the beast he could lock his jaws onto, rendering chunks of flesh from the bone. Alistair was on his feet and slashing at the beast again. The party darted and dashed around to avoid being hit by the huge monster, pecking away at its hide every time. As it staggered from a blow, bloodied and tiring, it was surrounded by smokey-white light. The worst of it wounds knitted together and it seemed to have a renewed vigour.
"The general," Wynne cried, "it's healing the ogre!"
"I'm on it." Zevran flashed his twin swords and ran toward where the Hurlock general had stepped out of hiding.
Ayu looked to Wynne, and in a glance, the elf was off running, firing her arrows at the general as quick as she could. Zevran was already engaged with the leader, parrying and stabbing in equal turns. The assassin dodged an uppercut strike from the Hurlock, bending sideways and slashing at its leg. Just at that moment Ayu arrived, slinging her bow and grabbing her dual daggers. She wasn't as proficient with them as Zevran, but close quarters meant that it couldn't launch any spells at her. The general spotted her and with one fluid movement, it turned the follow-through from the attempted hit on Zevran to an overhand chop with its staff. Ayu slid to a stop in the dirt and rubble, getting her daggers up to block the attack just in time. Zevran was on his feet, stabbing through a weak spot in the joint of the general's armour. The creature cried out, ripping its staff from Ayu's blades and turning on the assassin. Ayu took the opportunity to hit the creature in the same spot, black blood now streaming from the wound. It whirled around, attempting to hit both elves with a curving strike. Zevran ducked below the furious staff, stabbing upward into the Hurlock's femoral artery. It cried in hate and anger as it swung. Ayu leaned back to avoid the swinging blow. She pinned the creature's weapon arm to the side with one of her own, flipping her dagger and stabbing it into the Hurlock's elbow. It screamed in her face and Ayu drove it back with a feigning strike toward its face. Zevran stepped around the leaning general, kicked one of its knees backward and slammed his sword up through the jaw, and out of the top of its head. The creature struggled for a moment, gasping thick, black blood at its killer. The general stopped its struggles and slid off of Zevran's sword, unceremoniously landing on the dirt in a heap.
Alistair, the mabari and Wynne assaulted the ogre, keeping the large monster preoccupied so it wouldn't make a snack of an unwary elf. Alistair plunged his sword into the flesh of the creature over and over again. The ogre brought up a huge fist, intending to hit the man. Alistair side-stepped the blow, letting it ring off his shield in a glancing strike. He swung at the beast's arm, his sword cutting deep into the ogre's bicep, just above the elbow. The ogre rocked to the side, pulling its arm away, the limb hanging all but useless at its side. The creature changed its momentum, meaning to backhand the male Warden with its good arm. Alistair jumped backward, narrowly missing the attack. Beren, being lower than the blow, let the beast's arm fly above him before he lept at the creature. The mabari bit down with all his strength between the ogre's tree-trunk legs. The ogre stood taller, trying to shake the dog from its groin, but Beren held on swinging from side to side in the air. Alistair found his footing and stood for a split second watching the comical sight. The mabari was swinging like a pendulum, his back paws inches from the ground. Wynne for her part wondered if darkspawn retained any sensitivity down there, regained her composure and froze the ogre's legs in place. Alistair rushed forward landing a heavy blow on the ogre's other arm. The momentum of the strike twisted the creature sideways at the waist. Wynne launched a blast at the ogre's face, scorching it and burning its eyes. The ogre screamed in pain, rearing back, just as a horrible ripping sound tore through the alienage. Beren landed softly on his feet, an unmentionable chunk of flesh hanging from his proud and happy mouth. The ogre fell backward, its legs finally free of the ice spell. Black blood spilled from the gaping wound in its crotch and all the other slashes to its body. The ogre gurgled thick blood, coughed once and lay forever still. Alistair looked from the dead ogre to the pleased mabari, the dog's tail wagging happily, the chunk of flesh still hanging from his mouth.
"Thank the Maker you're on our side," Alistair breathed. The man turned to Ayu as the elves rejoined them. "Did you teach him that?"
Ayu smirked. "Maybe," she shrugged. "You never know when it'll come in handy."
Zevran gulped beside her, looking suddenly very pale.
Riordan stood atop one of the highest towers in the palace district. He slid the dead darkspawn off his sword when he saw the archdemon flying on the horizon. The great beast breathed fire at something, or someone he thought, on the ground. The beast wheeled in the air flying beneath him. Riordan saw his chance and he took it.
Ayu saw the archdemon flying ahead and above them as the party made its way to Fort Drakon. She walked toward the rear of the group, lost in her thoughts and the image before her. The archdemon roared, the sound echoing throughout the dilapidated, burning city. The creature started tumbling from the sky, twisting this way and that as it tried to fly. Ayu watched as a man fell from the back of the demonic dragon and her heart sank.
Alistair knew the significance of the falling man, knew it was Riordan. He glanced back at Ayu, catching her eye and they shared a look of trepidation. The others gave the pair a questioning look, but neither Warden gave them an answer.
Ayu swallowed hard, gripping her bow until the leather squeaked. She paused looking at the sky as the huge corrupted dragon fell to the top of Fort Drakon. "Let's go," she said quietly. "We have an archdemon to slay."
The party made their way to the base of the Fort, picking their path over and around so much devastation. Rubble littered the roadways forcing the group to watch their step as they moved. The tower of the Fort finally loomed above them. Ayu paused, looking toward the top, and heard the outraged cry of the dragon. She let out a shaky breath before she rallied the others to her.
"The archdemon is trapped at the top of the Fort," the Warden said matter-of-factly. She looked to each of the companions with her before continuing. "Are you ready? This is going to be the hardest fight we've had to face yet."
Alistair gulped beside her. "I don't think I'll ever be ready, Ayu, but more than anything I want to get this over with."
Wynne and Zevran both nodded their agreement. Beren banged his broad head into Ayu's thigh, tongue lolling from his mouth. They were ready.
Ayu nodded, blowing out a breath. The roiling in her stomach would not be quelled. She subconsciously placed her hand on her stomach as she began to lead the others into the Fort. The elf approached the broken door cautiously, her bow drawn and held low. She peered around and through the broken slats of the heavy wooden door. She didn't immediately see any darkspawn inside. She shook her head, releasing the tension on her bow. Alistair and Zevran heaved the broken boards aside, opening the doorway so the party could easily pass through.
They entered the Fort proper then. The inside air was thick with smoke from piles of burning rubble, smouldering away in hazy corners. Ayu listened intently for the sounds of the enemy but heard none. She pressed forward, leading the others farther into the dimly lit Fort. The group came into a large main hall. Bodies and broken, battered limbs littered the floor. The smooth stones underneath were soaked in blood, coagulated in misshapen pools.
"Maker preserve us," Wynne muttered under her breath, in obvious shock over the horrific sight.
Alistair, beside Wynne, swallowed hard, moving in front of the party.
They slowly picked their way through the main hall, avoiding stepping on the bodies or slipping in the blood. The main hall is eerily silent. The party has their weapons drawn, waiting for the enemy to strike from the flickering shadows, but none come. Alistair reaches the far door first, poking his head around the corner of the shattered doorway and into the corridor beyond. He paused, listening, glanced back at Ayu behind him and shook his head. A ballista bolt lay at their feet, lodged in a broken piece of the heavy wooden door. Alistair and Zevran lifted it and heaved it aside so the party could pass.
The group slowly made their way down the corridor, listening for any sign of the enemy. They heard some scuffling of feet on stone up ahead. A lone darkspawn shuffled back and forth at the end of the corridor, seemingly lost and confused. Ayu notched an arrow and drew it back, the rest of the group surrounding her. The creature sniffed the air a couple of times, then turned its face toward the party. A fanged grin scrunched its decaying face and it charged at the companions. Ayu remained motionless, only her bowstring quivering from the force that the elf was pulling it back. The others looked to her, their weapons at the ready, but Ayu did not give the order to attack.
With a sudden swiftness, Ayu launched the arrow at the darkspawn. The creature just kept coming in the shadowy dark. It ran straight into the singing arrow, head-first, like it didn't even see it in the gloom. The force of the arrow sent the creature flying, its feet sweeping out from under its body as its head whipped back. The creature fell onto its back and made no move to get back up.
"Nice shooting, mio amore," Zevran purred. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."
Ayu cast him a withering glance, to which he flashed his best-disarming smile. She motioned everyone forward and they made through the corridor. There was no sound of the enemy, so the party moved quickly. Another hall, a long corridor, a room. One staircase. Two. The darkspawn were few and far between, dispatched quickly with the slash of a sword or a bolt of magic.
Eventually, the party stood before a great iron-banded door, the wood rattling with the bellows of the archdemon on the other side.
"We made it," Ayu whispered, more to herself than to anyone in particular. She shook her head, dispelling her sinking thoughts. Zevran grabbed her hand and stood beside her. Alistair took her other hand and Wynne closed the circle.
"It has been an honour to serve the Grey Wardens," the mage stated. "I will never forget the time we have shared. It has been most precious to me." She looked at Zevran pointedly then. "Even you, but to a much lesser extent."
"Oh, why Wynne," the assassin attempted to sound innocent, "that is the nicest thing you have said to me. May I borrow your bosom? I wish to cry."
The moment broken, Wynne held up her hands in mock exasperation. She looked at Ayu with a small grin pulling at her lips. "I don't know how you put up with him."
Ayu looked at her fellow elf. "I'm not sure either."
Zevran stared at Ayu aghast, pretending to be hurt by her playful tone. Ayu smiled and made her way toward the huge door. "Thank you for easing the tension I was feeling." The archdemon roared, shaking the door once again. Ayu straightened her shoulders. "But we have an archdemon to slay and a Blight to stop."
Each party member took a place along the heavy door, heaving it open in unison.
The giant blighted dragon was leaning over the edge of the tower, bellowing toward the ground below. It blew dragon fire off the side of the building. The archdemon was distracted by something, giving the party time to ready themselves for the upcoming battle. The group scurried off into an elevated alcove before the dragon saw them. Ayu peeked over the low wall at the beast. One wing was cut through and hung limply at its side, but she could not see any other injuries on the creature. Her stomach roiled in anxiety, and Alistair tapped her on the shoulder at the same time as he's motioning the others quickly away. Zevran and Wynne moved quickly behind a giant ballista in an attempt to conceal themselves. Ayu looked at the other Warden curiously. He didn't say a word but pointed to her back.
Ayu looked over her shoulder, her mark glowing angry and bright. "Oh, shi-"
The archdemon whirled in the pair's direction, eyes focussing on Ayu. "There you are . ." The Warden's heard in their minds. "You will perish this day!" The dragon moved surprisingly quickly, getting down from the edge of the wall and charging toward the Wardens.
Ayu and Alistair dove off the platform, making the dragon veer in their direction. It stuck out with a wickedly clawed forefoot but missed the pair. Ayu skirted the beast in one direction, while Alistair ran in the other direction. The mighty dragon turned to follow the elf, her eyes now blazing with golden light. The dragon swung its head on its long neck, snapping its jagged toothed jaws at her. Ayu leapt out of the dragon's reach, throwing herself bodily to the flagstone. Her bow skittered across the ground from the impact, and Ayu pulled herself toward it as the dragon's huge shadow engulfed her.
The archdemon reared its head back, ready to strike at the elf when a sharp pain against its leg drew its attention. Alistair slashed at the beast, cutting its leg deep. Beren jumped between its feet, snapping at the underbelly, catching flesh where he could. Spikes of ice erupted from the ground, stabbing the blighted dragon's side and tail. Wynne stood just off to the side, hurtling magic as fast as she could. The dragon swung its head toward Alistair and he used his shield as best he could to deflect the blow while stepping away from the attack.
With the archdemon distracted, Ayu rose to her feet, running to where her bow slid. She snatched it up and swung around to fire an arrow at the dragon. She hit it in its long snake-like neck as Alistair deflected and slashed at the beast again. The dragon swatted at Wynne and Alistair, sending them scrambling, while it turned its attention again to the female Warden. Ayu darted back out of reach of its snapping jaws just in time as the beast lunged at her.
A loud thwoom filled the air and the dragon roared in intense pain. It whipped its head skyward, before looking at the ballista shaft embedded in its side. The archdemon broke the wooden shaft with one heavy swipe of its forefoot, took a breath and blew dragon fire at the ballista on the platform that Zevran had turned and shot. The assassin was quick on his feet and dashed from the platform before the archdemon lit the heavy wooden ballista on fire. He unsheathed his swords and ran into the fray, swiping at the beast's legs and underbelly as he ran past. Wynne blasted the dragon with ice again, enveloping its muzzle in a thick cocoon of ice. The beast reared on its hindlegs, swiping at the ice with the fore, but to no avail. Its mouth was trapped for the moment.
The archdemon swung around, lashing its tail at the party surrounding it. The group scattered to avoid being hit, throwing themselves at the ground. The dragon attempted to flap its wings, but it could not get more than a couple of feet off the ground due to its damaged wing. The force of the air it created sent everyone falling backward and away from the dragon. It flew away from the party and landed a short distance away. It snapped its head back, drawing in a breath. It managed to get its jaws open just enough to use its dragon fire to shatter the ice. The beast shook its head violently, releasing itself from the rest of Wynne's spell. It roared angrily at the party and pulled its head back once more. The archdemon drew in a breath once more, smoke and firelight billowing from its mouth and nose.
"Dragon fire!" Ayu shouted, sprinting to another side of the top of the fort. Her companions did the same as the dragon unleashed a plume of hellfire. The flagstones where it landed charred and burnt from the heat of it.
The party charged at the dragon once more, knowing it cannot use its fire in close quarters. Wynne froze three of its legs in place, while the others continued to slash and shoot at it. Zevran flipped himself onto its tail and ran up the archdemon's back. The beast swayed under his feet, knocking him off. Zevran was ready for that maneuver, however. The elf launched himself upward and brought both his swords down into dragon flesh. He let his weight carry him down to the ground, tearing open the side of the beast as he went. Beren jumped at the membrane of the dragon's good wing, chomping into the thinner flesh and tearing it with his teeth. The archdemon lifted its wing in an attempt to get the mabari off, but Beren held on as the rest of the party kept hammering on the dragon's thick hide.
The archdemon was bloodied and furious with these tiny creatures daring to attack it. It lowered its head and swung it from one side to the other. The party managed to avoid being struck by the blow, however, the archdemon lashed out with its only free, clawed foot. It caught Ayu off guard as she was avoiding being struck by the beast's head and she was sent flying, skipping off the ground like a stone. The Warden rolled to a stop, her ears ringing and body scuffed and bleeding. As she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, blood dripped onto the ground beneath her. She lifted her head, wiped her nose on one of her bracers and wobbled to her feet. She was meters away from another platform with a fresh ballista. Ayu took a look at her companions for a split second before running toward the machine. To her relief, the ballista was loaded, she just had to turn it around to face the archdemon. Summoning all her strength, Ayu grabbed the edge of the ballista and heaved it around. Her companions kept harassing the beast and had its full attention.
The dragon had freed itself from the hold of the ice, able to move around once more. Unknowingly, Alistair turned the dragon to face where Ayu stood aiming the ballista. The creature reared up to smash its weight down on the male Warden.
THWOOM
The ballista bolt twisted through the air, hurtling toward the dragon's heart. Time seemed to stop as the heavy, metal-tipped bolt pierced the dragon's heart, thick, black blood spurting from the wound. The archdemon stumbled back from the impact, landing hard. The tremor from the dragon's fall knocked all of the party off their feet. Each of them got up quickly, ready to fight again, however, the dragon just rolled onto its front, writhing in pain. The beast could barely lift its head, snaking out in front of its body.
"We did it," Alistair breathed. "We did it."
"It's not dead yet," Ayu cautioned, stopping beside Zevran.
The Wardens shared a knowing look and Alistair gulped, his face screwing up in discomfort. "I guess all that's left is the final blow and the Blight is over." Alistair's fingers audibly gripped his sword tighter.
Before anyone could make a move, Ayu grabbed the back of Zevran's head and kissed him hard. She pulled away as he, and the others, looked at her in surprise. "I love you," she said, "and I always will." Ayu turned on her heel and raced toward the archdemon, leaving a confused and surprised bunch behind her. A weapon rack nearby had toppled in the shockwave. The weapons it held were strewn everywhere. Ayu grabbed a great sword in her path to the fallen archdemon and raced on.
Alistair snapped out of his surprise as he saw Ayu grabbing the fallen sword. "No! Ayu!" He cried. The man started to run after her, but she was too quick for him. She always was.
Ayu skidded to a stop and stood beside the archdemon's monstrous head. The Warden raised the sword, tip-down, above the dragon's skull. She took a breath and looked at her friends one more time. She heaved the sword up as high as she could and, with a cry from the depth of her soul, slammed it home through the archdemon's brain.
A bright column of light engulfed her. Her eyes changed to a solid black, spidering across her face as she continued to scream. Her mark flared in golden flashes and her hair, now loose from her braid and alight with fire, lashed at the air above her from the force of the magic. Her eyes changed to the familiar golden light and she struggled for breath. The Warden visibly tightened her grip on the sword, seeming to wring her hands upon it, refusing to let go.
Another surge of magic caused her to cry again, her eyes shifting to black once more. This scream was angry, primal and it frightened everyone to the core. The column of light grew brighter and stronger, starting to lift the elf off her feet so she was hovering off the ground by a few inches. She gasped a roaring breath in, her eyes flashing angry gold. When she let out that scream it took on an unholy volume and force. A massive bird, bathed completely in liquid flame surrounded the Warden. Mythal reared her head back, the light growing blinding. The rest of the party shielded their eyes and turned away from the horrid, yet beautiful, sight. The surge of magical light became stronger and stronger until it broke.
A wave of debris and warm air exploded from the elf. The shockwave blew the party off their feet and tumbling across the ground. The sheer force of it could be seen from everywhere in Denerim. The column of light sputtered out until it was no more.
Zevran pushed himself up, broken bits of stone and thick, gray dust falling off of him. A nearly gray mabari whined as the elf righted himself. The big dog sniffed at his face and nudged the elf with his nose. The assassin gently pushed the dog away and sat up properly. His head was spinning and his ears were still ringing. He scrunched his eyes shut, holding his head in his hand. Zevran heard the groans from the others as they slowly rose to their knees. He pulled his hand from his face, squinting into the suffocating gloom. He saw Alistair and Wynne nearby to where he landed, in similar states as himself. As his faculties returned to him, Zevran looked around for Ayu, but he could not see the Warden anywhere.
Beren was looking at something beneath a pile of rubble, his stumpy tail shaking dust everywhere. The mabari whined and pawed at the pile of stone, barking at Zevran occasionally before turning his attention back to the rubble. The elf hoisted himself to his feet, staggering over to whatever the dog was so invested in. Zevran looked down at his feet, Beren whining beside him, and that's when he saw it.
Ayu's dust-covered hand was laying on the ground sticking out from under the rubble. Zevran's eyes widened in fear and he dropped to his knees, chucking stones aside to get to her. His panic grew as he uncovered her and she lay unmoving, not making a sound. She was lying face-down, her other arm pinned beneath her body. Her mark was dull and smudged with grime. Zevran leaned forward and rolled Ayu toward him and into his lap in the gentlest of movements. Her head lolled backward off his arm. He braced her against him with one arm and used his other hand to gently bring her head up to face him. Dirt and dust smeared her face and her hair clung to her cheeks and forehead. He supported her head against him, tears welling up in his eyes as he brushed her hair off her face. Her eyes were open and a solid, lifeless white.
Ayu was gone.
Zevran pushed his forehead to hers, starting to cry openly now. His tears left clean streaks down his dust-covered cheeks. He held her like that for a moment before sobering himself for just an instant.
He pressed his lips to hers, still warm even in death.
'Please let her wake up,' he begged silently. 'Please let this be one of those faery tales where the beautiful princess wakes from the kiss of a handsome prince.'
He sniffed, tears dripping off the end of his nose as he lovingly brushed her hair back with his fingers. He kissed her softly again. "Please wake my sweet," he begged, aloud this time. "No more games. Please wake up."
Ayu lay still and lifeless in his arms.
Alistair and Wynne settled themselves near him, feeling his grief at losing his beloved.
"No, no, no," Zevran cried, holding her tightly to his chest. "You can't leave me, you can't!" His voice dropped to a painful whisper. "Not after . . ." He swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Please come back . . . Ayu!" He sobbed into her hair, crushing her body to him. He lifted his head to the dark heavens above, tears running down his anguished face.
The cry that escaped his lips was the sound of a heart, breaking.