Chapter One: Scrapper
The Leader of the Ferelden Grey Wardens was currently traveling with, by far, the most unusual and unique individual he has ever recruited and technically, she recruited herself. He encountered the lass in a half buried ruined temple that seemed elven in origin. The only reason why he even entered the ruins in the first place was due to the darkspawn infesting the location.
He had been surprised by the sheer numbers. To amass this many darkspawn in a single location could only mean that something was within the ruins that was attracting them. Going deeper into the temple, he encountered greater resistance almost as if they were protecting something which did not bode well for the surrounding area. He doubted that it was simply a rendezvous point.
Upon reaching what he assumed to be the main hall of the temple, he saw some kind of green nexus of energy floating in the air. The energy appeared to be rippling and it reflected a place that he had never seen before. Tall buildings that made the Circle tower look tiny in comparison. Strange metal boxes with windows and wheels with people inside them moving back and forth in lines.
The lanes were lit by some kind of light source but it was neither flame or magic. Tall poles with thick wires were also dotted all over the place and as to what purpose they served, he did not know. He was even more shocked by the apparel the people milling about were wearing. The women were scantily clad in shirts that cut low and show a great deal of cleavage, but were also cut short so that their stomachs were exposed.
Their lower clothing was either extremely short, almost the size of a person's smalls, or they were so tight that it revealed every contour and curve they possessed. The men varied in their clothing. Some were wearing suits, others were wearing baggy clothes, and then there were those with holes in their odd looking trousers but also were barely on them with their smalls clearly visible above the waistline.
Then there were the devices they were either carrying or apparently using. Small rectangular objects were being spoken into as if communicating with someone that was not physically present or constantly being pressed upon by one's thumbs. There were the larger devices that folded in half and when opened, things would appear in the top portion while the bottom portion seemed to be a more advanced version of their typewriter.
He concluded that whatever this nexus of energy was, it was showing him another world. He glanced down and noticed the darkspawn were congregating on the lower level and were all looking up at the nexus. He thought it best to clear them out before investigating the anomaly any further. Due to their inattention, he was able to dispatch a third of the group quite easily before they finally started to pay attention to him.
Around that same time, a set of engravings lit up with an electrical blue energy. Duncan immediately removed himself from the lower level, uncertain of the magic being activated or its purpose. The engravings along the sides let loose a magical discharge in the form of a semi transparent blue wave. The moment it touched the darkspawn it disintegrated them into ash. The two waves from either side collided with each other, removing all the darkspawn on the lower level and even destroying the bodies of the ones he had already slain.
The waves vanished and the floor clear of enemies, he cautiously stepped back down to the lower level. When the engravings did not reactivate, he concluded that he was not viewed as a threat. His eyes returned to the nexus of vibrant green energy. The images being shown were altering as if someone was flipping a page, almost as if it was looking for something or perhaps someone.
The images had changed to individual people and he saw a version of himself on some sort of screen, conducting the Joining at some kind of ruin…perhaps it was Ostagar. Each individual the nexus showed was showing them with some kind of handheld device with buttons and toggles and was somehow controlling what was happening before them. He became confused when the screen began showing things that had never occurred.
These later images did not show himself again and he wondered why that was. He was distracted from his thoughts when sounds began to echo in the hall, coming from the nexus itself. He honestly couldn't believe his ears nor could believe what he saw on the screen. The young King Cailan brutally murdered by an ogre, an ogre he then killed and died by the axe of a hurlock. The signal fire had been lit yet Teryn Loghain Mac Tir, the Hero of River Dane, ordered his regiment to retreat, but why, why would he do such a thing?
The image changed again and Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds was speaking to some sort of family and agreeing to get them past the main body of the horde. The image flickered again and one of the males from that family was fighting against a huge Qunari, perhaps even the Arishok himself. Another flicker and he saw the man holding his mother as she died, having been mutilated and stitched back together by a necromancer.
Another flicker showing the battle between that same man, except this time he was facing off against the unhinged Knight Commander before she turned into a statue of red crystal. Maker have mercy, please don't let this be the future. The screen changed again showing a mighty temple being destroyed and punching a hole directly through the Veil and into the Fade.
Countless images depicting the journey of the Herald of Andraste and the choices they had to make. Mages or Templars, conscription or full alliance, who would rule Orlais, banishment of the Grey Wardens or offering them a chance at redemption, but there was one choice that made him conflicted. Who to leave behind in the Fade to fight against the Nightmare demon to buy the others time to escape?
He personally knew the Warden known as Stroud. He was an honorable man with the spirit of a true warrior and a heart of a mentor. He trained many of the Warden recruits and he was steadfast in his belief in the Order of the Grey. Then there was the man known as Hawke, the man that would one day become the Champion of Kirkwall. He lost one of his siblings to an ogre, the other to the Blight while within the Deep Roads, and his mother to a lunatic necromancer. He had lost everything, must he lose his life as well?
Then there was Alistair, the child of Fiona and Maric, the child they were forced to give up in order to protect him, a child they both loved dearly. He made a vow to them that he would protect their son, even if it meant he had to forcibly conscript the lad into the Grey Wardens. The lad was like a son to him and how he had wished to raise the boy himself and not hand him over to Eamon. He would always visit the lad near or on his birthday under the guise of searching for recruits and the boy always smiled brightly at his return.
The last Warden that could be chosen to be left behind was Loghain himself. If he was conscripted into the Grey Wardens at the Landsmeet then it would make this choice possible. He sought redemption for his actions at Ostagar and the year that followed until the Blight ended. In all cases, one must be sacrificed for the others to live. The Herald must choose or they all die.
The screen flickered showing the final battle between the Herald and the darkspawn magister that looked quite similar to the Architect, perhaps another member of the original sidereal that breached the Golden City, but the journey was not over for two years later, the Qunari attempted to destroy all the major cities with their black powder, but was stopped by the Herald.
The audio cut out when the Herald approached the mage known as Solas. He was more powerful than any mage in recorded history to be able to turn so many Qunari warriors into stone statues and remove the mark that had been slowly killing the Herald, but to do so meant that the Herald would lose their left arm and the elven mage simply walked away.
The images within the nexus began to fly by faster, as if it was becoming desperate. Just what exactly was this thing looking for? He was distracted when a circular stone disk moved down and out of the way. A stone cylindrical pedestal raised up out of the opening. A pair of simple looking silver bracelets rested upon the surface. An ethereal blue jewel was embedded in both bracelets, but what were they for?
The images ceased to flicker and Duncan was rendered speechless at the devastation depicted within it. All the buildings and even the people were disintegrating into nothingness, not even dust remained. They were just gone, even the sun was not spared. As the world was thrown into darkness, he heard the screams of an entire world crying out in despair.
The image shifted to a woman standing with her fists clenched and was glaring at the sky, her eyes defiant. She refused to surrender, even as the mysterious force destroying her world was coming to claim her life as well. She had short, dark blonde hair, forest green eyes, roughly 5'4", and heavy set. Her voice echoed through the hall.
"Where there is Light, there is Hope, and where there is Hope, there are Miracles. Miracles are impossible which means I'm definitely involved, because I'm Artz Lanaria and I'm the woman that does the impossible…and with style too!
So come on then! I'm not running, I'm not hiding, I'm facing this head on! I will fight, I will not give up! I will not let my light go out, I will keep my hope alive, and I may not know how to save my life, but I will stay true to myself. You will not change me, you will never take my name and the promise that defines the very core of my soul!
Hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail at being kind. To never be cruel and to never be cowardly, to never give up and to never give in. Doctor, I will never let you go!
I…am…Artz!" She yelled as tears streamed down her face.
The bracelets that he had ignored until now began to glow in a soft blue light and then vanished, only to reappear on the wrists of the woman that was facing imminent death. If they could go through, perhaps she could pass through as well.
"Artz!" He called out in the hope that she would hear him.
She whipped around, her eyes searching for the origin of the voice that had spoken to her.
"I know that voice. Duncan!" She spoke, wondering what was going on.
"Come towards my voice! I believe there is some kind of portal you may be able to pass through right in front of you." He informed, praying to the Maker that he was right.
She looked back, watching her world literally fall apart. She then turned back to where the portal was supposed to be.
"Please, Artz, you must trust me!" Duncan pleaded, his voice betraying his desperation.
"Once more into the breach…oh just do it, idiot!" She snapped at herself.
She ran straight towards the supposed portal and in a flash of neon green light, she appeared falling to the floor. The Warden Commander moved quickly to catch her and bring her down gently to the floor. It was then that he noticed that both her hair and eye colors had changed. Her hair was now as white as snow with a silver sheen and her eyes were a vibrant sapphire blue that seemed to shine with a light from within.
"Duncan, holy shit! It really is you! What the fuck?!" She exclaimed in disbelief.
He helped her to her feet and her trousers and her smalls fell to the floor. It seemed that her height and weight had changed as well. She was three to four inches taller and her body had shrunk several sizes. She hurriedly pulled them back up, trying to figure out how to keep them in place and that's when he noticed that her ears, although small, were now pointed at the tips, meaning that the transition from her world to his world had transformed her into an elf.
That was going to make things difficult for her, considering that humans viewed elves as less than people, servants, savages, slaves or as simple objects to be used and then discarded when they were no longer of use. Yet seeing her now, scowling at him for the amused look on his face, he had a feeling that such closed minded bigotry would not hold her back in the slightest.
She jumped when several beams of electric blue light came down from above and concentrated on the nexus of energy. Duncan moved to cover her as a pulse of power blew them back as the combined energies of the beams and the nexus collided and exploded. When the light faded, so too did the engravings. Torches of green flames erupted into existence and lit up the darkened hall.
They stood up and Artz stared at the back wall. On its surface was a beautifully rendered mural of a woman very much matching her current appearance with a black wolf with six red eyes curled around the figure as if it was protecting her.
"Fen'harel, the six eyed wolf is the Dread Wolf, but why would he be protecting her?" She pondered aloud, moving forward to inspect the other side of the hall.
She kept a firm grip on her loose clothes as she walked and he trailed after her. There was a possibility that other creatures besides darkspawn may lurk in the shadows. She touched the stone table just beneath the mural and there was a brief flash as the top of the table moved away, revealing several dozen tomes. He wasn't sure how long they had been there but they looked perfectly preserved. Perhaps some kind of an enchantment, it was hard to say.
He watched her curiously as she lifted her free hand and pointed the jewel on the bracelet towards the tomes. A brief flicker of blue light shined from the jewel, seemingly scanning the items and then it stopped. He looked inside the table to discover it was empty. What happened to the tomes? He waved his hand in the now empty space and the tomes were definitely gone.
"What did you do?" He asked bewildered.
She looked up at him, equally puzzled. She then looked down at the bracelet, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"I wonder." She said softly, more to herself than to him.
She swiped her hand down in an odd gesture and imagine his surprise when some sort of display appeared in front of her. She smirked, clearly knowing what was happening. She suddenly closed the display and focused her attention on him.
"These bracelets were made by overlapping and interlocking hundreds if not thousands of runic arrays to perform a variety of functions. One such function is the scanning and storing of items in a pocket realm. It can only be accessed by me and these bracelets will not work for anyone else.
In order for such a feat to be accomplished, it would require centuries if not several millennia to find the exact sequence each array needed to be added so as to not overload the entire thing and so that no array's function would conflict with any of the others.
Taking this into account, we can thereby ascertain that these bracelets were created back during the time of Elvhenan, before the Veil was created when the Fade and the Waking World still existed as one. As to why they only work for me, the best guess is that it's a similar concept to the isomorphic controls that prevented anyone but its owner from using the device.
I doubt that it's keyed to my genetic makeup, given that this world has not progressed far enough with its technology or explored any of the more advanced sciences. With this thought in mind and given the time in which they were created, it could be an aura lock but if one could manipulate their aura, it could be possible to mimic the signature, so the connection must go deeper.
If they were clever enough then it's possible to place some kind of binding similar to a geas or the vallaslin and bind them to a specific soul. Only someone with the exact spiritual resonance would be able to utilize the runic bracelets which begs the question, if I'm able to control and use these bracelets, someone either saw me coming or my soul is originally from here.
It might not be some random fluke that me, of all people, was brought here. I was taught to never ignore coincidence…unless you're busy then always ignore coincidence." She rambled, her face animated, her hands moving as she talked as well.
She squeaked when she realized that she had dropped her clothes again and hurriedly put them back on. To be fair, Duncan hadn't even noticed that she had dropped them in the first place. He had been too busy trying to keep up with her fast flying mind and he would admit that he didn't follow even half of her logic. The best he could come up with was that her bracelets were designed to store things in a place no one could reach except for herself.
In the days that followed, he managed to get her some proper fitting attire and some lightweight armor. She did trip a lot but that was due to the change in height. Once certain that she wouldn't stumble at any given moment, he began to teach her how to fight. She was definitely not a sword and shield type, but she did show a marginal talent for short swords, but was still incredibly clumsy.
He started on the bow next, hoping that ranged combat might suit her better. She had remarkable accuracy when it came to hitting stationary targets, but for moving targets, she was terrible. She revealed to him that her depth perception sucked and it made it nigh impossible to gauge distances at long range unless she could focus completely on the target.
That wasn't the only thing that limited her. Her attention wandered often and she explained that she possessed a mental disorder known as ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He listened to her as she explained what exactly this disorder was and what sort of problems it could cause.
Impulsiveness
Hyperfocus
Trouble coping with stress
Lack of focus
Forgetfulness
Anxiety
Lack of motivation
Low self esteem
Negative self image
Time management problems
Fatigue
Restlessness
Trouble multitasking
Frequent mood swings
Low frustration tolerance
It was true, she exhibited many of the symptoms of this disorder. She asked him to be patient with her and that she had several ideas on how to work around her problems. When she tried to apologize for being a burden, he shut her down instantly, but immediately regretted his harsh reaction. He kindly explained to her that she was not a burden and he honestly enjoyed her company.
Seeing the world through her eyes was quite the experience. She could be as calm as a gentle breeze, but if someone said or did something that went against her code of honor with its highly complex rules, she became a roaring tempest of unparalleled might. Speaking of tempest, he learned that she had magic, but it wasn't the normal kind either. It was much more potent and powerful.
When he asked her how she could control her magic so effortlessly, she revealed that she was a somniari, a dreamer and that a spirit of magic taught her how. They got into a rather volatile argument, but he was thoroughly schooled when it came to spirits, their natures, how demons become demons in the first place, and that spirits were living beings that deserved to be respected as such.
Even though she had access to her magic, could control it, and had a great deal of knowledge due to the games from her world, she still had difficulty casting the standard spells and was in no way an offensive fighter. To remedy this, Artz wanted to find a blade that could resonate with magical energy. She only knew of Spellweaver and she was not going to go through the headache to get it.
So instead they went spelunking into any ancient ruins they passed while he traveled to recruit more Grey Wardens. It was during one of these side trips that the snowy haired woman discovered a greatsword that she recognized.
"Of all the places you could be, this is where I find you." She commented, a smile on her face.
"I take it you know about this particular weapon." Duncan surmised, joining her.
"This is The Blade of the Archon. It's a greatsword that was first introduced in Dragon Age II and you could only get it if you bought the Warrior Pack. I would always use this blade when I played as a warrior, but when I played as a mage or a rogue, I would always give it to Fenris.
Seriously, he is a total badass with a unique fighting style that I call Scrapper. He was a beast combining speed, his phasing ability, and wielding this baby with only one hand. He would destroy anything that dared to harm the people he cares about.
A truly fierce and loyal friend, a hard won friend at that. He was also the only romance that I ever wanted to do, but so worth the effort." She rambled, a dreamy look on her face as she recalled the perfectly handsome elf with a voice that was positively sinful.
"I'm genuinely surprised that you could even lift it, let alone hold it as long as you have." He commented.
She frowned at him, confusion coloring her features.
"Yes, I am aware that my physical strength is shit when it comes to my arms, but this isn't at all heavy. In fact, it's incredibly light. I could easily hold it in one hand." She retorted, holding it out for him to see it for himself.
He took the blade and it thudded hard on the floor. He couldn't hold the hilt any longer and the rest fell to the floor, his breathing harsh and ragged from the effort.
"Duncan, are you okay? What happened? You acted like it weighed more than the Frostback Mountains." She questioned, holding onto him as he regained control of his breathing and slowed his heart rate.
"I think perhaps that we have found your primary weapon." He responded, gesturing for her to pick up the greatsword.
She reached down and grasped the hilt. She lifted it completely off the floor like she was carrying a long twig. She smiled at the Warden Commander and he returned it with one of his own. Duncan realized quite quickly that she was quite the expert with that particular blade. She has bested him every three out of five bouts, but she still lacked stamina and flexibility.
That is until she learned something new about her runic bracelets. Apparently it had a system where one could improve one's attributes and learn new spells and techniques. All the work that she had been putting in to becoming stronger like constant movement, studying books, creatures killed during their travels, and a lot of other random activities that translated over to applicable points.
As a result she had quite a bit to sort through and see what she wanted and what was needed. He chuckled when she maxed Coercion which would help when haggling with the merchants and possibly getting them out of some dangerous situations. They had spent the rest of the afternoon debating back and forth until she ran out of points to spend.
The change was drastic and Duncan felt reassured that she would be able to handle it, so he officially offered a place within the Order of the Grey. She accepted without hesitation and told him that if he hadn't given her an invite, she was going to party crash the Joining ceremony and drink the whole damn goblet. He laughed quite heartily and enjoyed this simple moment of happiness.
When they passed through the outpost town known as Harper's Ford, a festival of some kind was being held. He guided her through the crowds, stopping periodically for her to browse the wares. He certainly enjoyed watching her ask the merchants about the history of the items they were selling, along with inquiring about the materials that it was made from and if there were any beneficial attributes.
Most of the sellers couldn't answer her questions because it wasn't things that people normally wanted to know about their wares. There was an accessory stall that Artz practically glued herself to. The merchant was quite knowledgeable and incredibly lenient on his prices, but that may have had something to do with the lad blushing every time his young recruit smiled at the poor boy.
After buying many things and even selling a few, they meandered further into the town, searching for the mayor to make their presence known. The elderly gentleman greeted the Warden Commander warmly and asked if he was going to participate in the melee competition later that evening. He declined, but noticed the hopeful look on the snowy elf's face. He put her forth as a participant and she couldn't stop smiling.
As the festival progressed towards its main event, the fighters made their way to the makeshift arena set up for the competition. Due to the number of participants, they had to separate them into four divisions. Eight people in each division, four will advance then two until only one remains in each division. The final round was a four person battle royale, the last one standing wins the competition. The only rule was that no combatant was to be killed during the bouts and no ranged weapons like bows or throwing knives.
Duncan watched each fight, making mental notes on all of the fighters. In Artz's first match, she went up against a sword and shield type warrior and he could tell by the warrior's stance that she was going to defeat him easily. He was proven right when she dodged his shield bash, tripped him up, making him face plant in the dirt, and placing the back of her sword to his neck, proving that she could have easily decapitated him.
She was declared the winner and the next fight took place. There seemed to be a decent mix of warriors and rogues. Only two were using a greatsword, but four others were using a great axe. He was fairly certain that the rogue fighting in group three was actually an assassin. Group four had a berserker, but also a champion.
It was a specific rogue in group two that caught his attention. Unlike the others that had actual armor, this lad was wearing normal clothing covered in soot. He was using a pair of sais that were obviously crafted to be wielded by his hands. He was fast, nimble, able to think quickly while under pressure, and had decent form…though his footwork could use some refinement. Perhaps he has found himself a new recruit for the Grey Wardens.
Artz's next battle was a little tougher for her because it was greatsword versus greatsword, but he knew that she was clever, mirroring her technique to reflect the style of the Blue Wraith, Fenris. Fenris's style of combat was unique because he didn't fight like a typical warrior. It combined moves from both rogues and warriors, but also included movements of a more animalistic nature.
Her technique was not nearly as well executed, but it was enough to out maneuver her opponent and win the match. The sai wielding rogue also advanced. Her next match was actually boring. Her opponent was a young lad, couldn't be any older than sixteen, and he was only using a sword. His previous opponents were simple farmers and were defeated easily, thus why he had gotten as far as he did.
To her credit, Artz did not humiliate the lad, but instead pointed out his open areas, corrected his stance, fixed the grip on his sword, gave him some pointers for his footwork, and explained a fair bit about swordplay. The lad spent the rest of the bout having his ass handed to him, but he was grinning the entire time and thanked her for her help. The pair walked out of the arena chattering away amicably.
The sai wielding rogue was proving to be more and more resourceful with every bout. The young man had talent and must have spent many hours learning how to properly wield his chosen weapons. Unfortunately, the assassin had also made it to the next round. A sword and shield type warrior seemed to be the expected winner for the last group.
The semi finals began and things went as he predicted. From group one, Artz was the victor, her opponent simply surrendering before the match even started. The fighter had received an injury in the previous round and apologized to the snowy haired elf for not being able to fight her, but he couldn't afford getting a more permanent injury. He had a wife and two kids to worry about and Artz wholeheartedly agreed, saying that family was more important than a simple tournament.
From group two, the sai wielding rogue was the victor. No surprise there, the lad was a swift and capable fighter. From group three was the assassin. Duncan had not been able to ascertain the assassin's reason for being here. Was it mere sport or was he here to fulfill a contract? From group four was the sword and shield type warrior, but he doubted that he would be much of a threat. His skills were mediocre at best.
Before the final bout, the combatants were granted a half an hour to rest and recuperate. The Warden Commander couldn't help but smile at the blue eyed elf that was grinning like crazy. He was happy that she was having so much fun and he listened to her as she rambled the entire thirty minutes. The participants were called back to the fighting ring.
The four squared off against each other, eying each other as they circled. It was the assassin that made the first move by stealthing and the warrior charged at Artz to shield bash her while she was distracted. The rogue intercepted and pushed him to the side. The snowy elf simply stood there, sword held in her right hand, but for some reason she had the blade upside down.
She shifted as her eyes widened a fraction. She sped towards the sai wielding rogue and raised her sword up just in time to block the assassin from a Twin Strike attack, something that would have been fatal had she not intervened. She kicked the assassin away and she and the rogue moved closer together. Duncan smirked at the nonverbal agreement of joining forces.
She and the sai wielding rogue blocked and parried every attack that came their way. Eventually Artz got fed up, shifting her sword so that the flat side of the blade was what she was striking with. An odd choice, but he soon saw why she chose it. Swinging the sword like a blunt object, she successfully knocked out the assassin who had not expected the unusual attack.
She spun around the sai wielding rogue but instead of going for the head of the warrior like he was expecting her to, and instead went low and even he could hear it when the man's right leg cracked, forcing him to the ground. She pointed the tip at his head and gave him a look that said stay down or else. The warrior held up his hands in surrender.
The two fallen combatants were removed from the ring, leaving only the rogue and Artz. She smiled at him before shoving her sword into the ground and leaving it there. The Warden Commander realized immediately what she was planning to do. The rogue was wielding smaller weapons meaning that he could get in closer to exploit the openings her attacks would make if she used her preferred weapon.
Her plan was to fight her opponent using only hand to hand combat. Admittedly, they hadn't practiced much in that particular field of study and he was not entirely sure what to expect. The rogue surprised him by shoving his own weapons into the ground, honor dictating that this should be a fair fight by using the same means of combat as his opponent.
Artz was good at dodging but the rogue was obviously a brawler. This was someone that had to learn how to defend himself at an early age and a sense of unease began to build in his mind. The young lad succeeded in grabbing the snowy elf from behind and was attempting to render her unconscious by cutting off her ability to breathe.
Why in the Maker's name was she smirking like that?
"Time to sing, my friend. Solar plexus, In step, Nose, Groin!" She called out happily, hitting four specific spots.
The lad dropped to the ground, his hands covering his groin. She walked over to her sword, picked it up and placed it at his neck.
"Do you yield?" She asked, still smirking.
"I yield." The rogue answered with a surprised laugh.
"Winner of the melee tournament, Artz Lanaria of the Grey Wardens!" The mayor announced as she helped her opponent to stand, returning his weapons to him.
"A Grey Warden, huh, that explains a lot." The lad stated.
"Grey Warden recruit actually. Got to get a few more people before I can properly join. What's your name, big guy?" She corrected, wanting to know the name of the ass she just kicked.
"William, William Turner, but call me Will." He answered, smiling.
Duncan immediately knew why Artz was simply staring at the lad. She had told him about the story known as The Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Will Turner was the name of a blacksmith, the son of a pirate, so he honestly wasn't surprised by her surprise.
She was pulled from her stupor by the arrival of a man in a blacksmith apron and he did not look happy. When he started to verbally abuse the lad, Artz intervened, but was backhanded by the blacksmith and fell to the ground.
"Filthy knife eared bitch!" The blacksmith insulted before kicking her.
She hadn't been able to recover from the previous blow and didn't have a chance to block it. She cried out in pain and the sai wielding rogue tackled the man to the ground so that he couldn't kick her again. The blacksmith had gotten to his knees and attempted to punch the lad before he could get back up, but Duncan stopped the blow by catching the man's wrist and promptly breaking it.
The rogue scurried over to Artz who was clutching her side, tears in her eyes from the pain. A deep rage began to burn inside him and the Warden Commander had to fight hard to restrain himself from killing the blacksmith. He now understood why the rogue was so adept at hand to hand combat. He was being abused by his father and sought to learn how to defend himself.
Judging how he was cradling the snowy elf and glaring so venomously at his father, the boy had finally found something to fight for, something to protect. It gave him the courage and resolve he needed to act. The mayor was none too pleased about the blacksmith's actions.
"What you do in private is your business, but attacking a Grey Warden is something that cannot go unpunished." The mayor started.
"I didn't attack a warden. I was just showing that fucking knife ear her place." The blacksmith spat, glaring at the woman still in his son's arms.
"That young lady is a Grey Warden recruit and was performing her duty by protecting the man that is a potential Grey Warden, should he accept the offer. I am well within my rights to execute you for this assault." Duncan informed, his tone as cold as ice and harder than steel.
"There is no need, Commander. He is unworthy of being felled by your blade." Artz spoke as Will helped her to her feet.
Unworthy or not, the deed could not go unpunished. The mayor called the guards to take the blacksmith away.
"You filthy, knife eared whore! You'll pay for this!" The blacksmith yelled, cursing loudly.
"Did you mean what you said? About me becoming a Grey Warden?" Will asked hopefully.
"Indeed I did. The fact that Artz chose to defend you and work with you during the final bout is what ultimately made up my mind. The way you two fought side by side as only true comrades could…we gladly welcome you into our Order, should you choose to accept." The Warden Commander verified.
"Yes! Absolutely yes!" Will replied, beaming in joy.
Having both Will and Artz accompanying him in his travels was proving to be quite tiresome. In combat, the two worked seamlessly with each other. Outside of combat was another matter entirely. They were constantly squabbling, having differences in opinions about everything yet the moment when either one is threatened, the other will leap immediately to their defense both physically and verbally.
The two took pity on him and said that they weren't arguing rather debating. Will would always take the opposite opinion of Artz's opinion, allowing for a fully flushed out conversation, but did they have to get so passionate about it? His eyes were pulled to the skies when he heard the call of a bird.
He raised his arm and a messenger bird landed on his outstretched arm. He took the message attached to its leg, placing the bird on his shoulder in case he needed to send a reply. He unrolled the parchment, his eyes scanning over the contents. No! Maric's son, Alistair was scheduled to take his vows as a Templar before the year's end.
He knew the boy had no desire to officially join the Templar Order. He needed to get to him before he could take his vows. He was left with no alternative but to invoke the Right of Conscription. He would fulfill his vow to the boy's parents. He informed his companions that he now knew where they would find their last recruit.
"It's Alistair, isn't it?" Artz commented, a knowing look in her eyes.
"Indeed though I doubt the grand cleric will relinquish him so easily." Duncan confirmed with a nod.
"He belongs in the Grey Wardens." She replied with absolute certainty.
By that tone, it meant that Alistair was a part of the games from her homeland, an integral part from the looks of it. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know either.
"Who's Alistair?" Will asked curiously.
"Imagine for a moment a very large book filled cover to cover with witty one liners. Give that same book a human form and that's Alistair in nutshell, plus being a hopeless romantic. Honestly, he can be so sweet that it makes your teeth hurt and then have you in stitches from laughing so hard that your sides ache. Trust me, you'll love him." She rambled before waving him off.
"Let me guess…he was your pick for DA:O, yes?" The Warden Commander inquired, making her blush in response.
She glared at him as he chuckled. Will asked what they were talking about and they just waved him off. As they walked, Duncan noticed a change in the snowy haired elf. She slowly stopped having debates with her fellow recruit, her eyes becoming heavier and heavier with knowledge.
When they made camp about half a day's walk from their final destination, he sent Will out to collect firewood, so he could speak to the woman silently rolling out their bed rolls.
"Artz…" He began.
"Yes, Duncan?" She replied automatically, but did not stop her work.
"You've been acting differently since I announced that Alistair was to be our last recruit before the Joining. May I ask why?" He questioned gently.
"It's something Alistair said in the game. He said that for his joining only one of them had died which means that when we do the Joining, either Will or myself will die." She answered softly, finishing the last bed roll.
Before he had a chance to speak, she had covered the distance between them, her arms wrapping around his middle and her face buried into his chest. His own arms came up and returned the embrace. She has in jest referred to him as Dad, but in her heart, she did view him as her father. He hoped that she wouldn't die because not only would the people of her world become extinct, he would lose the woman that had inadvertently become his daughter.
Duncan had been right of course. The grand cleric refused to relinquish the boy and so he invoked the Right of Conscription. Alistair stood nervously at his side, glancing between the two of them uneasily.
"Very well, Commander." The woman stated through clenched teeth.
He bid farewell to the obstinate woman and after gathering what few belongings the lad had, he led him towards the outskirts of town where the other two recruits were waiting for them.
"Maker's breath, she's beautiful." Alistair breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Duncan followed his gaze and had to conceal a smile. He was looking at Artz who was busy having another debate with Will and had yet to notice their approach.
"Artz, Will!" He called, gaining their attention in an instant.
The snowy haired elf smiled brightly, making Alistair freeze in place and whispering something along the lines of Maker have mercy and I'm doomed. That was the problem with raising children in the chantry. The isolation made them more prone to fall for the first person that caught their interest, sometimes with disastrous results.
"Alistair." Duncan warned, snapping the boy out of his revelry.
The boy muttered an apology and shifted uneasily. The other two recruits ran over to join them.
"Alistair, I would like you to meet Will Turner of Harper's Ford and my adopted daughter, Artz Lanaria. Both will be joining the Grey Wardens with you." The Warden Commander introduced, loving the joy that filled the snowy elf's eyes.
"Can women be Grey Wardens?" Alistair asked, not thinking before speaking.
Duncan sighed as he saw Artz's eyes narrow dangerously.
"Do leave him in one piece and capable of walking, Artz." He requested, waving them over to the edge of the forest.
The newest recruit sputtered a bit, trying to figure out what was going on. Will was shaking his head as he took his, soon to be in a world of pain, fellow recruit's pack and pushed him towards Artz.
"Um…what are we doing? What's going on?" Alistair questioned, uncertain of what was happening.
The snowy elf removed the greatsword from her back, the sunlight glinting off the dark blade.
"I suggest you ready yourself for combat, Alistair. She won't wait forever." Duncan suggested.
The boy grumbled while placing his shield on his left arm and drawing his sword from its sheath.
"Begin!" Will yelled.
"Hey wait! What are the rules?" Alistair cried out.
He barely had time to dodge the sword that came straight down and collided with the ground. Had he not moved when he did, that would have been his skull. He got to his feet and shifted into his stance. She raced towards him but he noticed the odd angle of her sword and that her hands were in the opposite grip then from before.
She swung the blade and he blocked, but she used her right hand to balance herself as she quickly crouched down to swing her leg around to knock him off his feet. He had been prepared for that and jumped out of the way. He grinned at her and she nodded in acknowledgement.
Switching her grip again to where she was holding the blade in her right hand and her left stretched out along the blade. He was confused by the stance until she shot towards him at a speed that should not have been humanly possible, her right hand shoving the blade forward.
He ducked and the sword impaled on the tree behind him. He went to shield bash her legs, but she used her sword to lift her legs and do a small flip to stand on the flat side of the blade. Without meeting any resistance, his shield bash made him trip over his own feet and land on his shield. He picked himself up and turned around quickly when he heard her pull the sword from the wood that was binding it.
He blinked when he noticed that she was nowhere to be found. He heard a brief thud behind him and he stiffened when he felt a dagger against his throat and her back pressed against his. How? How did she manage to get behind him?
"Next time, you might want to look up." She commented, removing the dagger from his throat.
He looked up and sure enough, there was a pretty sturdy branch arcing out just above his head. The thud he heard was her landing after she jumped off the branch to land behind him. He turned around when the pressure from his back was removed. She placed her sword on her back and walked away.
"Maker's breath." He breathed, then realized that he had a problem.
His member was erect and was throbbing hard from his unexpected desire. He muttered curses under his breath as he put his own gear away. She turned to smirk at him, her eyes glancing down at his crotch.
"Word of advice, elves have a damn good sense of hearing." She commented, making him blush deeply in embarrassment, "Oh and I'm flattered."
Alistair smiled a goofy smile and was told by the Warden Commander to fill their water skins, knowing full well that it was an excuse to allow him some alone time. He took the skins and headed towards the nearby stream.
Once divested of his gear, he unlaced his trousers and took himself in hand. He hissed a bit at the contact, but quickly got to work, allowing his mind to picture the snowy haired woman. He tried to solve the problem, but it was just not going away. He went shock still when a distinctly feminine body pressed against his.
"Allow me. It's the least I can do since I'm the one who caused it." Artz said softly into his ear and her hand replacing his on his member.
He tried to speak, saying something about it being inappropriate and that she didn't have to, didn't expect her to, that it was his problem.
"If you wish for inappropriate, I could always use my mouth instead of my hand, Alistair." She teased, slowly jerking him off.
"I…I admit…fine, I'm a very weak man. Do as you wish with me. Just…just help me…please, it's really painful." He pleaded, desperately needing a release.
He had never been this hard in his entire life and he was close to tears from just how painful the throbbing was. She released him and came around to be in front of him. She brought his face up to look at hers. She was so worried, he didn't want her to be worried, he wanted her to smile again.
"Alistair, are you sure it's alright? I really don't mind helping you and no, I have not done this for anyone else so get that thought right out of your head." She replied, wanting him to be sure.
She didn't do this for anyone else, but was offering to do it for him. At this point, he honestly couldn't think straight, so he just nodded. He bit back a yelp as she dove down onto his member. Oh Maker! It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, the combination of her mouth and her hand was simply overwhelming.
He found himself with his hands in her hair and she had to stop using her hand because he was pushing her head towards his crotch, using her mouth as he pleased. Oh sweet Maker, he was so close! He slammed the full length of his member into her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. He didn't feel her flailing as he erupted his entire load into her mouth and forced her to swallow every last drop.
He removed himself from her person, only to hear coughing and gagging. He realized what just happened and he felt absolutely terrible. He quickly tidied himself up before attempting to help her, but he wasn't sure how to. Oh Maker, Duncan was going to kill him! This was his daughter and he just…oh sweet, blessed Andraste, he was so dead!
"Calm down, Alistair. I told my dad exactly where I was going and what I was going to do. Propriety aside, he wasn't going to stop me." She told him after she was able to clear her throat.
"But why?! You're his daughter!" Alistair exclaimed.
"He also gave me permission to tell you about the Joining. Alistair, the Joining is potentially fatal. You have a fifty/fifty chance of surviving, but unlike Will or myself, I know you will survive. I've seen it and if I survive the Joining, I'll tell you how and a whole bunch of other shit.
Funny thing is, he actually gave us his blessing for having sex, but I knew it would be out of the question because you're not that type of guy. You were raised to have respect for women, so I am a little surprised that you let me do this much." She explained, smiling softly at him.
"Maker, you're beautiful." He breathed, then realized what he said, "You're right. The chantry did raise me to respect women and yet I feel like I would be disrespecting you if I didn't, ya know…"
He blushed and made a general hand waving motion between the two of them. She laughed at the sight.
"You mean like licking a lamp post in winter?" She teased and he blushed some more.
He let out a small growl before grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward, his lips crashing into hers. The kiss was brief, but it conveyed everything he was feeling at the moment. There was something about her that was calling to him, the blood running through his veins was positively singing. What in the Void was happening to him?
"He didn't strike me as the kind of guy to do the deed outside of wedlock." Will commented.
To say he was jealous was an understatement. He had spent only a few months with her and he has had to stop himself so many times from kissing those sinful lips. Just imagining what it would feel like to have those lips around his cock was enough to give him a hard on.
"Artz can be very persuasive when she wants to be. I suggest we make camp. We'll make our way to Denerim at first light." Duncan replied, scattering his thoughts.
"We're going to die, aren't we? One of us at least. That's why Artz is doing this. Otherwise she wouldn't be doing it at all." He responded, daring the Warden Commander to deny it.
The older man looked back at him, eyes wary yet resigned.
"We Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay that price sooner rather than later." Duncan confirmed, watching him carefully.
He simply nodded, rummaging through his pack for something. About a month ago, they crossed paths with a Rivaini seer. This seer had given him two things, a potion and metal shaped in a circlet with a blue jewel on it. The metal circular band was called a radahan, but this one had been modified. The jewel was actually a special rune that made the wearer more susceptible to commands.
The radahan itself rendered the wearer powerless. The potion had three main effects; it maintains a man's erection for several hours even after climax, it increases stamina for the same duration, and makes any woman no matter the race to become sexually aroused. When the potion was combined with the radahan, the wearer will not only beg for sexual release, but will do whatever he wanted to get it.
He had refused initially because he would never do anything to hurt his friend. He loved her and he would court her properly. He didn't care that he was human and that she was an elf. He would do anything for her, whatever she asked no matter what, but then the seer foretold that she would give herself freely to the next man that Duncan would recruit.
The seer had pushed the bundle into his arms and walked away. He had shoved it to the very bottom of his travel pack, determined never to use it, but when he saw them return two hours later, holding each other's hand, he knew that it was time to use it. Afterwards, he would leave, knowing that once they found her, they would never stop hunting him.
He needed to do it, he needed to know how it felt to be in his love's embrace, he needed to fill her up with his seed, and he needed to do it now before he completely loses his mind for want of her. He placed the bundle into his shoulder bag, along with some rations, a water skin, and a salve for cuts.
He called over to his love, raising his sais as his question, and she grinned in delight, picking up her training daggers and following him deeper into the woods.
"Don't stay out too late. We leave at first light." Duncan ordered, none the wiser to what was about to occur.
"Don't wait up, Alistair. Will and I will probably be a while. He won't stop until I'm just shy of passing out. He hates having to lug my sorry ass back to camp otherwise. Get some rest, you need it." Artz suggested, not knowing just how right she was.
He wasn't going to stop, not until every part of her was either covered in his seed or touched by his hands. The two ventured far enough away from camp so that they wouldn't hear their moaning. He'll have to make sure to order her not to scream. On the way, he pulled out the potion and drank it.
"Before we get started, I want to give you something. I've been trying to find a way to thank you for, well, everything. You've been so good to me, but I will have you know that I did not spend money on this nor did I steal it. I found it a while back and it's been sitting at the bottom of my bag. So…just close your eyes." He rambled, noticing a few things.
Her normally pale skin was flushed, her eyes darkening from what he assumed was desire, her breasts seemed to have swelled and were trying to pop out of her top, and she was rubbing her legs together. Whoa, the potion really did work! Quickly, put the damn radahan on her! She closed her eyes and he removed the circlet from his bag, popped it open and then approached her. This was it!
He snapped it into place around her neck and she reopened her eyes. Her hand came up, trying to reach her breast but the armor was in the way. A rather wicked thought made itself known in his mind.
He keeps his clothes on and she strips naked…oh yeah, only his dick out and nothing else. He wanted her to feel exposed, he wanted her to know that she was completely at his mercy, he wanted her to give herself to him like she did the bastard and then he'll fuck her until she becomes his slut, begging him to take her with him just so that he would fuck her again.
"Take off your armor." He ordered.
He watched in glee as she undid each and every piece and tossed them to the side.
"Open your blouse." He ordered.
She unlaced the upper half then it fell down her shoulders and completely down her slender form. Her hands reached up to massage her breasts before rubbing and pulling at her nipples. He slid his knee in between her legs as he gently pushed her against a tree. She humped his leg while continuing to play with her own breasts. It was truly an erotic sight and he could feel his cock growing harder.
"Don't scream and I'll fuck you just like you want." He ordered and she nodded, but she was clearly not all there.
He removed her hands from her breasts and she whimpered in need. He took her breasts into his hands and he marveled at their fullness. Her nipples were swollen and erect and simply begging for attention. He gripped her breasts hard before moving in to taste them, licking each nipple and using his teeth to bite them gently.
She was grinding hard against his knee, trying to produce enough friction to make herself peak. He moved back and she reached for him, making him smirk.
"I can't fuck you while those are in the way." He said, pulling at both the leggings and the smalls beneath.
She moved back to unlace her bottoms, pushing the leggings, the smalls and her boots off all at the same time. She pressed herself against the tree, lifting her hips and spreading her legs so that he could enter her, but not yet. He knelt down and stroked her folds, making her quiver in both pleasure and anticipation.
He removed his hand and replaced it with his mouth, his tongue diving into her folds to taste her. He wanted more, he wanted to taste her as she peaked, so he reached up with both hands and placed them on her breasts. He used his hands to assault her breasts, rubbing and pinching her nipples. His tongue went deeper and swiped over the sensitive pearl of flesh, the result was her coming hard and right into his mouth.
Never before had he ever tasted something so divine. He kept going and made her come again, lapping up her juices like a thirst stricken man in a desert. His cock throbbed hard in his pants and he growled in anger. Her lips had been defiled, her mouth filled with another man's dick, her throat filled with the bastard's seed.
He stood up, making her whine in protest, but he swallowed the sound by harshly covering her lips and plunging his tongue deep into her mouth. He yanked her hair to change the angle so that the entirety of her mouth had been licked clean by his tongue. He finally let her breathe as he unlaced his trousers just enough to let his already erect cock out, but the rest of him stayed dressed.
He turned them around so that he was against the tree. He gently pushed her to her knees in front of his cock, not removing his hands from her hair. He fully intended to use her mouth like its own pussie.
"My clothes will stay like this because I'm the one in control. You have stripped yourself bare and allowed yourself to be pleasured by me. You will now suck my dick like the slut you are, you will make me come in your mouth, and you will swallow it all.
After the second time, you will beg me verbally to fuck you. You want me to use your body to pleasure myself as much I want, whenever I want, however I want. Then you will shove your tight pussie onto my dick yourself. Do that and I will fuck you. Begin." He ordered.
She took his cock into her mouth and sucked him all the way down to the base and less then a minute later, he came in her mouth and he could feel her swallowing his load. He was pissed that he didn't last longer than that, so he tightened his hold on her hair and started ramming his cock into the very back of her throat, not caring that she was gagging or having problems breathing. He slammed into her mouth a second time and unloaded an even larger amount of his seed, pulling out when she was done swallowing.
"Fuck me please. Use your cock and fuck me. Fuck me in every hole, do whatever you want with me. My body is yours to play with, yours to command, yours to fuck how you please. I am your slave." She begged, the last remark causing all sorts of fantasies to run through his mind.
She tried to stand up to mount him, but he pulled her over to a fallen tree nearby. He sat down and threw her over his lap. With this position he had full access to the glorious ass, the one he had seen only once when he stumbled across her bathing in a small waterfall. He ran his hand across her pale skin, making her wiggle on his lap.
He hissed slightly, the friction from her movement sending spikes of pleasure throughout his body. He slapped her left ass cheek hard and she stopped moving. He smacked the right as well, making her whimper. He was enjoying the redness coming to her pale skin. He kept slapping each ass cheek in turn, grinning when she came again.
He slapped her ass cheeks some more before sliding his fingers into her folds. She came again, drenching his hand in her sweet honey. It was getting harder to resist the urge to pound into her pussie with reckless abandon. He righted her long enough to assault her mouth with his own again. He moved them back towards the original tree so that he could use her clothes to lay down on.
It was only temporary, long enough for her to fully insert his cock into her pussie. He laid down on his back and gestured to his cock. She straddled him, raised herself up to insert the tip of his dick into her folds, then eased more and more into her until his dick pressed against some kind of barrier.
He saw the pain flitter across her face as she tried to fulfill his command. She's a virgin! That means that she didn't fuck the bastard, but it's too late. He's come too far already, there's no going back, but it does mean that his cock will be the first one inside that tight pussie and she will always remember it too! A virgin treated like a whore and was now about to be fucked relentlessly like a whore…his whore!
"Need some help?" He asked and she nodded.
He placed a hand on either hip. He pushed her down while he thrusted upwards, ripping straight through her virginity until he was fully inside her.
"Alistair!" She called out.
Alistair Theirin, son of Maric Theirin, was feeling completely out of sorts. His mind was in chaos and all because of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life. He was not a man that would use a woman in some sort of casual dalliance which was why he asked her to wait and ask him again tomorrow.
It was so strange, wanting to be physically intimate with a woman he just met and he didn't love her or at least he thinks he doesn't love her. No, he didn't because they just met and love at first sight doesn't exist. Yes, he does because they spent two whole hours just talking and for every minute that passed, she became more beautiful in his eyes.
"Something trouble you, young Alistair?" Duncan inquired, a knowing look in his eyes which made him blush.
"Did you really give her permission to...to…to…" He started, but kept tripping over his words.
"To bed you, yes. There is a distinct possibility that she will not survive the Joining. I wanted her first time and perhaps her only time to be with someone she trusted, someone she genuinely cared for…she has chosen you." The dark haired man replied.
"She said that I would survive the Joining and that if she survived it too, that she would tell me how. I get the feeling that there's a lot I don't know about this, about her. What I do know is that I'm an idiot. We didn't…do that thing, just took care of the immediate problem and then talked for two hours.
Maker have mercy, I told her to ask me tomorrow yet I feel like I should have done it today because there's this feeling like something is gonna happen and I won't get another chance to…" He rambled before he suddenly cut himself off.
"Alistair!"
He stood up quickly, looking around for her. That was definitely her voice, but he couldn't find her anywhere in the direct vicinity. Duncan rose from his seat as well, a frown appearing on his face.
"Alistair, what's wrong?" The Warden Commander asked.
"I heard her voice, Artz's voice, just now. Didn't you hear it? She called out my name and no, I'm not imagining things. I definitely heard her." He answered in a rush.
"Grab your gear. We'll track them down and make certain that she's safe." The man responded, slipping his own weapons into place.
"Thank you." Alistair replied, grabbing his gear and following the older man into the woods.
The pair of them followed the trail of footprints, staying as quiet as possible in case there had been an ambush. What Alistair didn't expect to find was a completely nude Artz, practically lifeless on the ground with Will, almost fully clothed, pounding into her womanly parts and a face full of fury.
"Alistair." She spoke, her eyes dull and barely blue anymore.
"Damn it! Stop saying that bastard's name! Say mine, I order you to say mine! Why isn't it working?" Will demanded, refusing to stop despite her lack of response.
The deranged lunatic wrapped his hands around her throat as he continued his assault. Duncan had apparently vanished while he just stood there, completely frozen and unable to move. Her dull blue eyes connected to his and a glimmer returned.
"Alistair." She said, her voice stronger than before.
That was all the incentive he needed to start moving. If she came back to herself while this thing was still inside of her…no, this ended here and now.
"Remove yourself from Artz now and back away." He ordered, venturing closer.
Will growled as he did what he was told, putting himself away in the process. Alistair didn't see the tiny throwing knife in time to block it with his shield, but it didn't hit him. It stayed suspended midair and that's when he noticed that the elf's right hand was raised in his direction.
"Alistair." She spoke, still very much in a trance.
Her hand fell and with it the needle of death. What color was left in her eyes faded to a dull gray, the glimmer he had once seen disappearing. A dagger appeared at Will's neck as the Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens came out of stealth, his eyes completely frozen in a glacial fury.
"The only reason you still draw breath is to explain what you have done to my daughter to put her into such a state. Artz is a gifted mage of unparalleled talent, yet her magic is almost nonexistent.
You are fully clothed yet she is not. There are no signs of a struggle as if she willingly gave herself to you, yet you attempted to order her to do something and nothing happened, meaning that you used something to get her to comply.
Whatever this something was would have to be exceptionally powerful to overcome her indomitable will." Duncan surmised, his tone sharp and analytical.
The blonde haired former templar noticed an empty vial a short distance away and the strange circlet around her neck. He moved over and picked up the vial before kneeling next to the lifeless form of the snowy haired elf. He sniffed the vial briefly, his eyes widening in recognition and his attention snapping back to the circlet.
"Shit! We gotta get this off her…now! Duncan, knock him out and help me or she's gonna die!" Alistair yelled in a panic.
"Die…but that seer said it makes the wearer powerless. It doesn't kill them!" Will shouted back.
"When used in conjunction with this potion, it does." He snapped.
"I drank the potion, not her!" Will exclaimed.
"The key! Where is the key?! There is always a key, now where is it!" The blonde demanded.
"There wasn't one! You just have to pop it open! That's all!" Will answered in a panic, his earlier rage disappearing.
"Not once it's been placed." He responded, dislodging the blue jewel to reveal a keyhole.
"Is there any other method to remove it?" Duncan asked, resisting the urge to slit the boy's throat.
"It's a radahan, Duncan, without the key…" He began.
"Are you certain of that?" The Warden asked, interrupting him.
"Yes, absolutely. Why?" Alistair replied.
The dark haired man removed the dagger from Will's throat and knocked him out with the hilt. He quickly tied the boy's hands and feet before kneeling next to the catatonic Artz.
"Give me your hand." Duncan commanded, his tone demanding immediate compliance.
Alistair held out his right hand, only to yelp when the Warden slit his wrist. He then opened her mouth and placed the bleeding wrist against it, allowing the blood to drip into her mouth.
"Duncan…" The blonde started, not understanding what was going on.
"Within your veins runs the blood of the Theirin line and with it, the blood of the great dragon. Artz is powerful, so much so that if the chantry were to learn of her existence, they would kill her immediately.
A radahan is a device created to mimic the state of Tranquility, but for someone like her, she has the potential to override the enchantment; however, this can only occur if her decisions were her own, meaning that her willpower was unhindered.
This is not the case. Whatever that potion is has overwhelmed her body, so I am giving her something stronger to burn away the effects. Artz's power combined with the power of the great dragon should be enough to disrupt the radahan's hold over her. If we are not too late, that is, and if she dies, so will he." Duncan explained.
"Her eyes…look at her eyes! I think it's working! Come on, Artz, fight!" Alistair exclaimed, begging her to not give up.
The once dull silver was blending back into her normal vibrant sapphires and she started moving, mainly to grab the blonde's arm and actively suck his blood. He asked the Warden if they should stop her.
"No, not until she has overridden the radahan's power." The man answered, not looking away from her.
Her vibrant blue eyes began to glow with a light from within, swirling around like stardust. A high pitched whine came from her throat right before the radahan disintegrated. She pulled away, gasping for air and Alistair moved to stop his arm from bleeding, but she caught it and the stardust faded from her eyes, appearing around his arm. The wound healed in an instant and the stardust disappeared.
"Ow. Don't kill him. I'm pretty certain that the Joining will do that. I really need a bath." Artz said softly.
"Alistair, remain with her while I retrieve her pack." Duncan ordered, sprinting back towards their camp site.
"I'm such a fool. I should have just made love to you when I had the chance. I am so sorry." The blonde lamented, taking her hand in both of his.
"Don't be because you just ensured that I'll survive the Joining. My power combined with great dragon's blood, more than enough to overpower everything else." She replied, smiling softly at him.
"For once, I'm glad I'm a bastard." He commented.
"Yeah, a royal one." She teased, making him choke a bit from his surging emotions,
"Hey, it's okay. I was trapped inside my own head, but I could still feel you. Ironically through my stomach."
It took him a moment to comprehend what she was saying and when he did, he flushed scarlet and his mouth dropped open in realization. Their earlier activity by the river had formed a connection between them.
"That's why I heard your voice before. You were calling to me." He replied in wonder.
"And you came, just like I knew you would." She whispered, her eyes revealing just how tired she was.
Duncan reappeared with her pack and tasked the blonde former templar to take her to the river to get cleaned up and clothed. He nodded and picked her up, carrying her back to the place where she had found him ealier.
"I suggest taking your clothes off. No need for you to get drenched." She suggested.
"I'll have to pass." He replied, making her cast her eyes downward.
"You don't want me anymore." She stated solemnly.
"What?! No, no, no, not like that! Please don't take it that way! Of course I still want you and Maker, do I want you, but I'm currently terrified of your father popping up and running me through!" He rushed to explain.
"He wouldn't kill you. If he thought that you would ever force yourself on me, he'd bloody castrate you, but Alistair, he told you to stay with me, entrusted me to your care, not once but twice. First with my pack and then here for a bath.
If I had shown even an inkling of fear towards you, he would have sent you away, stayed with me at all times, not let anyone or anything near me, but he knew from my words and my behavior that I still trusted you. Even now I trust you, so I'm certain that we can take a bath together without incident.
I would ask you to make love to me right this minute, but I kind of ache all over. After I said your name, he wasn't exactly gentle." She replied, wincing as she tried to move.
"Did he…" Alistair began but didn't finish.
"Did he come, yeah in my mouth. Ugh, nasty. At least yours tasted good…like cheese but spicy." She commented.
"Really? No, that wasn't what…what I meant was…down here!" He replied, forgetting himself briefly and accidentally shoving his fingers into her womanly folds.
She groaned in response, her eyes dilating from the stimulation. The blonde froze in horror, hating himself for even touching her after what she just went through. He startled when she placed her hand over his, pushing his fingers in deeper. Her breath sped up as she used his fingers to pleasure herself.
He took the hint and took over, though he didn't have any knowledge or experience doing this kind of thing, so he had to experiment a little. She gasped when he touched something down there. He moved his fingers around until she gasped again. There was a little nub there close in size to a pearl. He kept rubbing it and she grunted, her head falling back against his arm.
He really wasn't sure what he was doing, but she wasn't telling him to stop so maybe he was doing something right. He was surprised when her muscles tightened and something warm and sticky drenched his hand. He took his hand out and looked at the substance. What was it?
"Remember what you poured down my throat the last time we were here…that's the female version of it. Only difference is that it can't get you pregnant." She explained, trying to catch her breath.
She stopped him from licking his hand out of curiosity.
"I wouldn't do that. Wait until after we're bathed to taste it, well taste me." She mentioned with a giggle.
"What?"
Duncan was trying very hard to comply with his daughter's wishes, but the very thought of Turner surviving the Joining and joining the ranks of the Grey Wardens made his blood boil. He almost didn't stop the first time, but he couldn't think about that now. Otherwise he really would kill him.
He wasn't worried about Alistair being with her. That boy was practically pulling his hair out earlier when she propositioned him. Remembering the look on the lad's face when he first saw her, it was like he had seen a goddess. When they sparred, there was an unspoken respect for one another, but also a sense of honor.
She never took advantage of most of the opportunities to follow through with her assault, but she couldn't resist using the damn tree. She had gotten over her fear of falling which would have normally induced a panic attack, apparently the world ending was enough of a shock to erase her previous fears…well, except for the spiders.
Giant spiders was at the top of the list of ten things she hated about Thedas. Being called knife ear and rabbit barely phased her, her only reaction was to comment on their stupidity and that they needed a dictionary to look up some new insults. The Circle of Magi was also ranked fairly high on that top ten list, though he was sure that she hated the chantry more.
She hated that mages were being locked up and not allowed to live normal lives or even be allowed to keep their children. She hated that the templars were on a lyrium leash controlled by the chantry. She knew the truth about lyrium and that poisoning your people with the blood of a titan was not okay.
He was still debating the whole Evanuris thing, because the possibility of mages having the power to bind spirits and people alike was frightening. His faith in the Maker was slightly rattled by the fact that the Veil was created by Fen'harel to lock away the Evanuris rather than made by the Maker like the Chant of Light said.
His eyes flickered to the unconscious form of William Turner and his anger had returned full force. Artz had warned him that something might happen. Her instincts were always spot on and he should have listened to her. She was violated and defiled when she was unable to control her own body which begged the question of who gave the Turner boy the potion and the radahan?
Freshly bathed and unfortunately clothed, Artz was sitting between Alistair's legs, allowing him to dry her hair and run a comb through it. Once finished, she requipped the towel and comb back into her inventory. The blonde man wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her gently.
"You want me to carry you back or would you prefer to walk?" He asked, trying to be supportive.
"Alistair, neither my pride or my dignity have been harmed. My independence has not been torn to shreds. What I am is pissed off and not for the reason you think it is. I'm pissed because I didn't expect it." She answered, beyond angry with herself.
"Well of course not! No one in their right mind would expect their friend and comrade to betray them and then rape them!" He replied like it was obvious.
"No, Alistair. Betrayal is something I'm sadly accustomed to. It's the being raped part in general that has me pissed off. I didn't expect to be raped, I didn't expect to even be considered for that. Back home, no one wanted me in that way." She corrected.
"I find that hard to believe." He retorted.
"I didn't always look like this either. Before…I was the short, ugly, fat chick with a mouth that wouldn't stop." She countered.
"Until you fill it up with something." He commented before thinking, "I am so sorry, I didn't mean…"
The snowy elf giggled at how hard he was trying to be a gentleman. That was Alistair for you, super sweet and a witty one liner for everything.
"The point I'm trying to make is that because I had never experienced physical intimacy with anyone before, it didn't even occur to me that it was something that I had to be worried about.
Had I taken into account my current physical appearance and that I'm an elf, then I would have seen the signs early and discouraged him from developing feelings for me. Yes, he said he loved me but me going after you earlier seemed to snap something inside of him.
That's when he stopped being my trusted comrade, sadly I will always be his friend." She explained.
"Why?! Why would you still be friends with someone like him?!" Alistair snapped in outrage.
"Do you honestly believe that I care so little that betraying me would make any difference? That's why I want him to attempt the Joining, to give him a chance at redemption." She answered calmly.
Doctor Who had really altered her mental state, especially considering that it was an event that occurred in the Doctor's world that ended up destroying her own. The Reality Bomb from the Season Four finale, The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.
Her world spent about two years trying to find a way to protect their solar system from impending doom, but they were barely off their own planet and were forced to watch everything fall apart. The stars went out until there were none left in the sky, not even their own sun. The darkness fell then all was silent.
Hearing Duncan's voice moments before her own death had shocked her to the point that she almost didn't do what he told her to do. Traveling with him, training with him, laughing with him…it was more than she could ever hope for until he agreed to officially adopt her as his daughter, but life never stayed wonderful for long. It liked to sucker punch people a lot and repeatedly in quick succession.
"To answer your original question, you can carry me back to camp. I like the feeling of being in your arms."
Artz: This chapter took forever, but it took even longer to come up with a title for the story. I finally did once I got through writing a third of Chapter Three. I'm trying to make the chapters over 10k words a piece. This story will be updated irregularly due to it being a coping mechanism for my depression. I'm trying to keep writing to help deal with the emotional mess that is me so if this story comes off a bit darker than normal then it's because I am in a dark place. This story will have three separate segments; Origins, Kirkwall, and Inquisition. I will get there eventually but this is leading up to something.
