Chapter 31: The Expedition pt2

The Deep Roads

The last wave of darkspawn fell to the ground allowing the gang to go on ahead. Since breaking with the expedition, the gang has been attacked waves of darkspawn. Despite the Fifth Blight recently ending the darkspawn have been slow to return to the Deep Roads but the danger was still there. They turned a corner and saw multiple dead darkspawn on the ground with a young dwarf in the center looking carefree despite the carnage around him. "Well I'll be a nug's uncle. Isn't that Bodahn's boy?" The gang approached him and Sandal turned around with a cheerful smile on his face.

"Hello"

"If he isn't, he's an incredibly close copy" Fenris said.

"How did he do that?" Merrill asked.

"Good question" Ericks said. He looked at the young dwarf. "Got any answers for us, kid?" Sandal just held up a rune and Ericks took it out of his hand. Runes were items used to enchant items and armor, making them very beneficial. Runes were rare to come by as they were usually controlled by the Circle of Magi and the Chantry. The tranquil at the Circles were known to enchant items for the Circle but this was first time hearing about a dwarf doing the craft.

"Boom"

"Helpful…" Ericks said dryly. "And what about big boy over here?" To the side was a large ogre that was about to charge at Sandal but was frozen...not in ice, but crystal. Usually Ericks would write something like this off as magic of some kind but dwarves couldn't do magic.

"Not enchantment" Sandal then just walked away, hopefully going back to his father.

"Smart boy" Varric said. "Come on, we still need to find a way past that collapse" Past the petrified ogre was some stairs going up and the darkspawn attacked. Ericks tossed a frost grenade and froze the horde in place while Isabela and Fenris smashed them to pieces. Varric and Merrill watched the other's rear and stopped the darkspawn from advancing behind them. Merrill shook the ground knocking the darkspawn off their feet allow Varric to impale the horde with a shower of arrows. The gang continued down the passages upwards fighting off waves upon waves of darkspawn at every corner. Once they got clear of the darkspawn, the gang took a rest in one of the hallways.

"Interesting architecture" Fenris said. "I've seen many things dwarven in Tevinter but they didn't look like this"

"This red glow, where does it come from?" Isabela asked.

"Probably from the lava vents, Bartrand says Orzammar is full of lava pools" Varric said.

"But we haven't seen any lava pools, Varric" Ericks said. "And I don't know about you but something about this place is creeping me out and I'm not just talking about all the darkspawn here" The gang continued down the hallway into a large room, it looked like some kind of alter but to what it was not known. A large shadow is cast below them and the gang got their weapons out, a large dragon landed in front of them. With a roar, dragonling came out and attack them. Merrill crushed the little dragons under a shower of rocks while Varric got his distance to fire Bianca. Fenris ripped out two of the dragonlings' heart and threw the corpses at the other dragonling approaching from behind. Ericks tossed an acid flask at the dragon and melted away the wings. The dragon roared in pain and started to blow fire their way.

Fenris, Ericks, and Isabela rolled out the way of the flames. Varric strafed to the side and fired at the dragon's legs while Merrill enveloped the gang in a barrier to protect them from attacks. The warriors surrounded the dragon from all sides and struck at its vitals. When the dragon finally fell, the gang examined the area before them. A long hallway went into a deeper part of these ruins. "Ah, here we go. This goes right where we want it to" Varric said. "Let's go back and tell Bartrand, he'll be pleased…for once"

They made it back to camp where everyone was on pins and needles trying not do anything that might enrage the impatient dwarf. Sandal made it back to his father just as carefree as he was when the gang found him. "Bartrand! We found a way around your damned cave-in!"

Bartrand snorted. "It's about time! Let's move out!"


Your Majesty,

It's difficult getting a straight answer out of the scavenger. These sods get themselves so blighted they can't think straight, much less keep spit in their mouths. He says, however, that he's gone down into parts of the Deep Roads that are so old that our people forgot them long before the Blight even happened.

He spoke of great statues and temples-temples! He spoke of things that could have only been made of magic and of impossible ruins untouched by darkspawn. He described creatures the likes of which we've never seen.

None of it's possible, of course. I've conferred with the Shaper and he says the Memories date back to the founding of the first thaig-what could have come before that? Yes, we're unable to explore these depths the scavenger spoke of because of the darkspawn, but surely the Memories would speak of such places if they existed.

Yet in this scavenger's belongings, amidst all the filth, there was a single idol. It was clearly of dwarven make, but not resembling any Paragon on record. The idol was dressed in a manner I've never seen. The Shaper of Memories also could not identify it or the substance from which it was made. The thought that the Memories might be wrong is... unsettling.— Excerpt from a report sealed in the Orzammar royal archives by order of King Annalar Geldinblade in 8:48 Blessed.

The Primeval Thaig

"Holy shit" Varric said. The expedition team used the gang's route to enter the thaig but what they saw was unlike anything they have seen before. The architecture is very different from other thaigs and dwarf constructions. This thaig is left entirely untouched by darkspawn. It possesses great statues and temples, and also things created by magic. Both of these things are very strange, since the dwarves worship no gods and are incapable of magic. The entire thaig was bathed in crimson light.

"Where you expecting this?" Ericks asked.

"I was expecting an abandoned thaig, something old but this…? I have no idea what this is" Bartrand said.

"How did you even know it was here?"

"Old scavenger tales from the time of the Third Blight. A week below the surface they said but nobody believed them"

"Look like they were right because….shit" Varric said.

"We make camp here! We need to look around" The expedition team started making camp while Bartrand started the plan of traversing this strange thaig. The gang was on standby until he was ready to go. In the distance Bodahn was checking his son for bruises and cuts but Sandal just looked around with that same carefree smile on his face. He saw the gang approach and came towards them.

"You found him! I can't believe it, you found him!" Bodahn said shaking Ericks' hand hard.

"It-it-it's fine, think nothing of it"

"Hello!" Sandal said.

"I owe you a great debt. I will repay it somehow…I swear my life on it!"

"Really it's fine, honestly the kid didn't need my help after what he did to those darkspawn" Ericks said.

"I don't think the man is taking no for an answer, Hawke" Isabela said.

Ericks sighed. "Well, what did you have in mind?"

"I don't know, but I will find a way!" The gang soon heard Bartrand yell for them, since they did such a good job clearing a path for the expedition before the gang had the dubious honor of clearing the way once again. The gang head down to the path towards the thaig. The ancient thaig was a sight to see, it was more intact that a lot of the old thaigs in the Deep Roads. Who knew what kind of riches they could find in there? And while anticipation of untold treasures was exciting, the gang could help but feel there was also something wrong about the place. And that feeling only grew as they came closer to the thaig.

"Hmm. Whatever's through there, it seems still intact" Varric said. "Think we'll find anything?"

"Getting the creeps, too?"

"Yeah…this entire place gives me the chills…I'm just hoping this is all worth it"

"Your brother seems enthralled by this place" Merrill said.

Varric snorted. "Unlike me Daisy, Bartrand was born in Orzammar…he would find shit on the floor enthralling if it came from some long lost paragon" he said. "The only reason I'm down here is because there's profit to be made"

"Chances are we won't find anything but even more darkspawn. And rubble, maybe bones?" Ericks said.

"Deeper into the pit we go…joy of joys..." the dwarf said sarcastically. The gang headed for the thaig, other than being attacked by some shades and a dormant golem, things went off without a hitch. They headed into the building with Bartrand. Inside there was a lone staircase with a single altar at the top. It was eerily quiet, though sometimes the gang could swear they could hear whispering. It was strange…usually the ruins would tell some kind of story of what life was like before but here there was nothing. The gang headed up the stairs where the altar glowed. "You see what I'm seeing?" On the altar was a strange artifact, two bodies twisted together like two lovers embracing or was it a god morning some kind of sacrifice. The artifact shimmered brightly as if it was calling them.

"Is that…lyrium?" Ericks asked.

"I sense magic from it" Merrill said warily. "I don't know about this…"

"Doesn't look like any kind of lyrium I've seen" Varric turned back to Bartrand, who was examining the architecture. "Bartrand, you have to see this! An idol made out of pure lyrium, I think. Could be worth a fortune"

Bartrand whistled. "You could be right, excellent find" Ericks went to the altar and picked it up. The glimmer seemed to go dull in his hand.

"Not bad, we'll take a look around, see if there's anything further in" Varric took the artifact from Ericks and threw to his brother. Bartrand catches it and the idol starts to glow, sounds of singing could be heard…it was the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. "Bartrand, you head me?"

"Huh? Yeah…yeah, you do that" Bartrand then starts heading towards the exit and starts shutting the door. Isabela catches this.

"Guys, the door!" The gang quickly head down the stairs but the door closes shut in front of them. Ericks and Fenris try to open the door but it wouldn't budge. Varric slams on the door.

"Bartrand! It's shut behind you!"

Bartrand chuckled. "You always did notice everything, Varric" Ericks and Varric looked at one another, they've been double-crossed. Varric could hardly believe it, his brother was many things but a backstabber was not one of them. Or maybe…he didn't know Bartrand as well as he thought.

"You can't be serious! You're going to screw over your own brother for that lousy idol?"

"It's not just the idol. The location of this thaig alone is worth a fortune, and I'm not splitting that three ways" Bartrand then picked up the idol and stared at it. "Sorry Brother" He soon walked away as the gang slammed on the door.

"Bartrand! BARTRAND!" Varric yelled. The dwarf furiously slams on the door. "I swear, I will find that son of a bitch…sorry, Mother…and I will kill him!" Varric then lets out a heavy sigh. "Let's hope there's a way out of here"

"Uh, Varric…we have other problems to worry about" Varric looked back and saw groups of shades appearing everywhere. The gang was surrounded.

Betrayal and Trapped! How will they get out of this mess?! Next Time! Review and Comment!