Chapter Four, The Battle of Ostagar
Duncan place the large Goblet upon a nearby stone table, "At last it is time for joining, I wish you all good luck in what is to come"
"What is within the goblet?" asked Aedan.
"A kind of potion, the main ingredient is darkspawn blood, one at a time each of you will drink from the Goblet"
"We're going to drink the blood of those creatures!" Sir Jory said, his skin going pale.
"Drinking the blood of those creatures gives us the ability to sense darkspawn and kill the Archdemon, for those who survived" said Alister.
"Those who survived?" asked Aedan, a flicker of fear gripping him as he looked toward the goblet, he had to avenge his family, he can't just die.
"Drinking the tainted blood of the darkspawn is not something all can survive, I'll remind you, there is no turning back now. Before we begin, Alister will give us a few words These words have been said since the first joining.
"Join us brothers and sisters, join us in the shadows in which we stand vigilant, join us as we carry the duty which can't be forsworn and should you perish, know that your sacrifice shell not be forgotten and know one day we shell joined you" after a few monuments silence, Duncan picked up the goblet.
"Daveth, please step forward" he did so without hesitation and Duncan held the goblet as he took a large gulp of the blood then step back, gripping tightly onto his neck letting out sound of disgust as the blood trickled down his throat, there was a few monument of silence, Aedan was beginning to think he would make it when… Daveth let out an agonizing scream as he collapsed to his knees and clung onto to his head, he shook and twisted his head violently, then fell lifeless to the floor, Aedan felt his entire body go icy cold as he stared down at Daveth corpses, he was dead in seconds.
"No, I will not do it, if that is to be my fate, if I had known I would have never…" Sir Jory said his skin was turning pale.
"There is no turning back, Sir Jory, '' Duncan said sternly as he turned his gaze over to him and rested one hand upon his short sword, Sir Jory gazing at his sword, he went to run but Alister stepped in his way, the only one who still all his armour and weapons.
"Please Jory, just drink the blood," Alister pleaded, Duncan withdrew his short sword and stepped toward him.
"My sword or the Goblet," Duncan warned him, Jory rushed Duncan, and tried to reach for his weapon, Duncan outmanoeuvred the knight, and cut him down where he stood. "I'm sorry" Duncan said as Jory fell to his knees, and took his large gasps of air. Aedan's heart was pounding like a drum, his arms shaking and stared in disbelief. He was second away from backing out himself, but now he had just one option, he stepped forward.
"Let's get this over with!" he wanted this out the way, he wasn't going to stand around waiting and worrying, if he would die. Grabbing the goblet once more, Duncan silently offered it to him, placing a hand upon the goblet and closing his eyes Aedan took a sip. The liquid was foul and had a metallic taste, he gagged a couple of times and had to force himself to swallow it. "Duncan, tell brother I'm sorry if I die" he said swiftly, the second he swallowed the blood.
"You have my word" Duncan said, watching intently, his vision began to fade, a sense of doom came over him, he clutch onto his chest as he could hear the non stop pounding of his heart within his ear, he scattered back, then as everything began to fade he heard bone chill monstrous roar echoed in his ears like a war horn. Then his senses returned to him, he could feel the cold hard ground underneath him, hear the voice around him faintly, but couldn't make out the words, then his memory of what just happen struck him, his eyes opened and he saw Alister and Duncan standing over him, he stared up at them blankly as Alister offered him his hand. "I'm alive!" he said with a tone of surprise as he took Alister's hand.
"I'm glad there were only two deaths, '' said Alister, Aedan looked around to see Duran was sitting down along with Lyrn. While Solona up and massaging her own head, Aedan he looked back up at Duncan.
"Sir Jory, was that necessary?"
"I'm sorry but he was warned, there was no turning back, he had known too much, now gather around, all of you and het upon one knee and repeated after me" Duncan wait for each of them to gather around and get upon one knees then continued "I swear fealty to the gray wardens, in War, I shall be Victorious, In Peace, I shall be Vigilance, In Death I Shall be Sacrificed" Aedan and others repeated the words, "now rise as Gary Wardens" each of them after was free to return to camp, Aedan made his way backs with Alister,
"How are you feeling?" Allister asked.
"that was a lot to take in… I've had a lot of drinks but nothing hit me harder than that before"" Aedan said with a swift grim smile.
"Ha, yeah there likely not be severing that in taverns anytime soon, Duncan will take the blood of Daveth and Sir Jory, and have it put in a pendent for you and the others to wear in honour of those who didn't make it thought, the joining"
"What was it like for you?-"
"Only one other died in mine, but it was just as horrific, as for the blood, I throw it up after I drink it, Duncan had to give me a second drink" Alisiter said with a shudder, the two of them made small talk as they returned to camp, Aedan went right to bed and it took sometime to fall asleep.
Next Morning he woke up screaming, in a cold sweat, he sat there stun, staring blankly toward the entrance of his tent.
"Are you ok?" his attention was drawn to Alister who was kneeling down next to him.
"What are you doing here?"
"Your screams were heard by everyone near your tent" he tried to remember the dream but the memory of the nightmare was already fading, but there was one thing he remembered clear as day, there was a huge dragon with terrifyingly large teeth and dark scales, which blew a purple flame.
"Nightmare… unlike anything I've had before, there, there was a dragon, it was horrifying"
"I see, that was the Archdemon, when its a true blight all wardens dream of it, it's because of the darkspawn blood within us, it calls to us, it something all us warden must contain with"
"That's the Archdemon, I couldn't imagine fighting that thing, it was massive" Alister pick up a bottle of ale that he noticed upon the floor; it was a bottle that Fergus had sent Aedan. Aedan took the bottle and pulled off the cork and drank from it as his body shuddered. "I don't see how I'm going to be able to put up with that, sleeping will be a nightmare" Aedan said with a smirk, Alistered laughed.
"You will, I promised!" Later that day Duncan arrived and gifted Aedan his grey warden Armor, when he was armoured and armed he gathered him up along with Alister and the other three recruits.
"Battle will be joined today, the king plans to march out from the main camp and lure the darkspawn into battle"
"YES!, I've been waiting for this!" said Duran, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
"You are new, so you will not be placed within the frontlines, you will be under the commander of Fergus cousland, who is commending his force upon the east side of the fortress within the great Tower of Ishal. His force and the force upon the west of the fortress will both await the signal from the circle of magi to outflank the horde and aid the other wardens and kings force as they defend the wall upon the lowlands. You may join him in battle when the time comes but before doing so, the king gives you the honour of lighting the beacon on top of the tower to signal, which will signal for loghain hidden force to finish the encirclement and hit them from behind, all clear?"
"And why am I here?" asked Alister.
"The king wants this group of warden recruits to light the beacon, and I want to make sure there a experience warden with them, just in case"
"Yes, I'm sure four warden recruits would struggle to light one beacon on their own, shall I hold their hands as they do it?"
"Silence Alister, this is my final word on the matter, you will be joining them!"
"What do we do if the Archdemon shows up?" asked Lyrn
"We shit ourselves that's what" said Allister.
"If it does Appear, do not approach it, I will slay the archdemon!" Duncan warned them, they did as commanded and made their way to the great tower, where Aedan met his brother Fergus, along with the other wardens they made light convention as they waited for the battle to begin, until night fell upon the fortress. The force of the king and the warden marched out from the fortress and formed up before the wall, battle lines ready and waited for the horde. Taking the bait, the force of the darkspawn horde came out of the forest, as the two forces ready themselves for battle, and marched toward each other, Aedan and his brother watched from the tower. Aedan noticed a pair of crows flying around the tower, eye level with him, and he thought of the witch of the wild he met before, maybe it was her trying to find a good view of battle, he wondered.
"Well here we go, hopefully we'll be heading home after this, if the king keeps to his promise" said Fergus.
"If we win, were outnumber three to one here if the estimates of the size of the horde is to be believed"
"loghain has not lost a battle yet, I have faith in him" the two of them continued to watch as the horde charged into the battle lines of the wardens and the king's men, Aedan pulled himself away from the window and went over to Alister, who was sat down, his feet furiously taping the floor.
"Are you ok?" Aedan asked as he stood next to him.
"I just hate this, all my friends are down there and Duncan is keeping me here, I should be down there with them!" Alister said, Aedan sat next him.
"I felt the same way when I was banned from coming here with my brother, until fate intervened, How did you join the wardens? "Aedan asked.
"Same way you did, drink some blood, choke on it, pass out, did you forget so quickly?"
"You know what I mean," Aedan said with a smirk.
"Well as Solona pointed out earlier I used to be Templar and trained for many years under them before Duncan arrived, when I heard that he was seeking out recruits, I remember the first thing I did was pray to maker, asking him to make Duncan pick me and he did, but it wasn't easy the grand cleric didn't want me to be recruited, so Duncan was force to conscript me from the wardens, just as well really, I never was the religious type, What about you?"
"Duncan arrived at Highever, and I was interested in me but father would't have it, he didn't want to send both his son to war, then our vassal, Arl Howe prove to be a traitor and attacked the castle, after Fergus left with the bulk of our forces, most my family died in the resulting battle, if you could call it that" the heartache of the incident returned to him he sigh and look down floor, shaking his head. "I was too busy messy around with this elvish girl to realized something was going on until it was too late"
"I see… i'm sorry to hear that"
"The king did say he'll turn this army around and recapture Highever from Arl Howe, so hey I show you around" he said with a half heart chuckled.
"Maybe we'll actually get to joined in the battle and all, you know Duncan from Highever, I'm sure he wants to restore order just as much you" meanwhile outside the forces of the king and wardens had engage the Horde, soon they would slowly begin to fell back retreat the horde into the trap, that would never come; Fergus notice something strange going on below but from the great height of the tower, he struggle to make out what was going on.
"Brother, come here!" he cried, Aedan did so and Alister wasn't far behind alongside the others warden who took an interest. "Something going on down there, within our side of the fortress!" Fergus said pointing towards the point of interest.
"Looks like… fighting, But how, infighting maybe?" Aedan asked.
"We need to head down there, see what's going on!" said Fergus.
"Leave that to us, you just keep an eye out for the signal!" said Alister drawing a sword, the other warden all readied their weapons.
"Men with the wardens, restore order!" ordered fergus as he returned his attention to the window, the warden gathered all that they could as they made their way down the tower, where there they ran into a small group of soldiers.
"Mi lord cousland, Darkspawn, darkspawn tunneled into the tower, they took the first level and are overrunning the second!" one of them screamed.
"There are too many of them!" another soldier warned.
"How did they manage that!?" Alister asked.
"looks like we'll be getting to fight sooner than expected, one of you warn my brother Fergus, the rest of you with me!" Aedan barked, rallying what else they could they descended down the tower and joined battle with the endless horde of monsters and fought to regain control of the second level of the tower, eventually they attempted to regain control but ended in failure, They retreated back up into the third level and then reinforces the gate to there level as the darkspawn hammered against it.
"I Heard the roars of an ogre as we close those gates" Warn Duran.
"How did anyone miss this, you shemlans are fools!" yelled lyrn, as she caught her breath.
"You know it's hard to argue with that, how our force let this happen is beyond me" Solona agreed.
"From up, Magi in front, soldiers and Archers behind!" Aedan barks at troops, the hammering against the gate continues, splits of wood flying across the room. The troops withdrew from the gate upon Aedans orders and readied themselves for the oncoming storm of darkspawn and like a living battering ram an ogre came crashing through the gate, Aedan skin went pale at the sight of it.
"now!" he bellowed, the archery fire a hale of arrow into the beast followed alongside a barrage of ice formed into large spears heads which brought down the beast, the horde came charging out of the door way, soon after. this was followed by blasts of Thunder, earth and fireball from more magi. "Charge!" Aedan yelled, the soldiers counter charged into the horde as the handful of magi fell back, slowly the third level began to floor thought a long drawn out fighting, during one of Aedan's breaks from the fighting, Fergus came down to see him, ready for battle.
"Fergus, I'm sorry, I can't push them back, it's taking all I got to just to keep them back" he said as Fergus approached, Aedan noticed the expression on Fergus his face was grim.
"Brother everything is falling apart, the force meant to be flanking the horde are busy trying to hold the fortress and Loghain forces have been signal and they are no way to be seen!" a sense of doom returned to him when what his brother said hand sank in.
"Well, at least we're together this time," he said with a weak smile.
"We go down swinging!,'' Fergus said placing a hand upon his shoulder, together, they both joined the fighting after eventually the battle had force them up to the final level of the tower. Alister and the other wardens had survived until now alongside, Fergus and Aedan, but now all looked lost. while there forces where trying to hold back the darkspawn from beating down the gate, Fergus alongside Aedan him looked outside to see, the battle was lost and the fortress was overran.
"What do you think death is like?" Fergus asked.
"I hope we return to the maker, but who knows, i'm just angry that Howe will likely get away with what he did"
"You and me both, the things I would do if I had him before me now, I'd make him suffer!"
"Le…" before Aedan could finish what he was going to say, a voice ran out in his head.
"I can give you a way out" the voice belonged to the witch of the wild, Morrigan, his brother put one hand upon his shoulder as Aedan clung onto his head.
"Brother, you ok?" Fergus asked
"Morrigan, is that you?" he asked out loud, wondering if he had gone mad.
"Yes I am Morrigan, I assure you, you are not mad," she said, trying to reassure him.
"Morrigan, Who's Morrigan?, brother, are you well?" Fergus asked, looking more concerned.
"A witch, she in my head" Aedan said trying to get over the initial shock.
"I think, this battle got to you, '' Fergus said, but his words fell upon death ears.
"What way out, I assume you have an offer" Aedan once more asks the thin air, as he looks around in vain for the source of the voice.
"Yes, my mother can save you but, she will only save the grey wardens, she can't and will not save everyone" Aedan's attention was drawn to Fergus, who began to shake him.`
"I do not jest brother, I met a witch in the wilds as her voice is in my head, give me a second" he explained, "are you kidding me, why not" he then said to Morrigan.
"She can only carry a few of you out, and the wardens are more important, then a band of common soldiers and magi, few or none at all its your choice"
"What about my brother?"
"I guess we can take on one more if you must bring him, ready yourselves" Aedan told his brother what the witch had said, while Morrigan spread the message to all the other wardens.
"I can't just abandon everyone here, to die, I'm not sure if I could live with that" said Fergus
"I don't like it anymore than you do, brother, but we can live and together avenge our family!" Aedan said as the warden made their way from the gate
"No, I'm sorry to do this to your brother but someone must remained to lead the men, I don't want them to live there finally monument being abandoned by their leader, you leave with the wardens and I'll keep the darkspawn from getting through the door and the troopers from attacking the the witches"
"Fergus please don't!" pleaded Aedan.
"I've lost the only woman I've loved and my only child, I welcome my fate, just promise you'll kill Howe!"
"I promise, don't let them take you alive, I've seen what happens" Aedan said, seeing the determination within his brother's face.
"They won't get the chance!" his brother said, then left his side to lead the remaining force.
"My mother is coming, she will be a dragon" Morrigan warn Fergus and the wardens"
"A fucking what!?" Aedan asked, but there was no response, then the dragon smashed through the towers wall and clung to the tower with its claws, Fergus tried to keep them from attacking the dragon, he had nothing to fear for most there were stunned by the sight of it.
"Hurry, I will not daily here" the dragon said, her voice reverberating through the heads of every warden there, left with little choice, they mounted her and she flew them away battle as a crow flew around them.