Dragon Age Origins: A Grey Wardens Tale.
Chapter 14: Ascending The Tower of Ishal.
The Field of Battle.
The sounds of battle filled the air; the clashing of metal against metal and the dying screams of monster and human as numerous bodies beyond count fell under the terrifying horde of Darkspawn as blades slashed through metal and flesh, arrows flew through the air and shields bashed and broke under weight of enemy attacks.
The hundreds of Templar Knights, Ash Warriors and Kings Guards let out cries of battle and death as they fought their hardest against the nightmarish Darkspawn that even Mabari Hounds hesitated to fight against the embodiment of fear but fought through the fear and attacked with claws and teeth.
Fergus stood valiantly with his Kite Shield deflecting wild attacks from a Hurlock in bloodstained armour and armed with a Black Steel; the diagonal slashes easily deflected with the diamond-shape of Fergus' Shield before countering with an upwards cut and took The Hurlock's arm off, following up with a cut that struck at the temple and sliced the top of the beast's head off.
"This is tough… how do those Grey Wardens manage these foes" Fergus exclaimed as he caught his breath; observing at Grey Wardens in their silver armour effortlessly cut down Hurlocks and Genlocks alike without much effort while arrows and fireballs continued to rain down and inflict wounds and death on any who fell prey to the Archer's abilities.
Without The King anywhere in sight much less The Senior Wardens; Fergus kept his shield close to his vulnerabilities as a barbed arrow flew towards him but splintered off his Kite Shield, Fergus eyeing the Genlock armed with a bow as the creature notched another arrow only just raising his Kite Shield to block the shot just as the arrow flew and embedding itself in his defence.
Gritting his teeth in pain as the barbed arrow had surprisingly pierced his Kite Shield and cut the flesh on his cheek drawing crimson beads of blood from the fresh wound, unable to reach The Archer Genlock before another barbed arrow could be fired but Fergus could only watch as The Archer Genlock burst into flames as the creature adjusted his footing to fire another shot.
"What in The Maker's name just happened?!" Fergus gasped as his foe fell to the dirt after burning alive to the point of dying from sheer agony while the unknown number of Darkspawn kept fighting regardless of how many fell.
"Flame Mine, fairly complex spell but astounding when triggered" Spoke a Mage from behind Fergus' back, Fergus meeting his saviour and seeing a relatively young man not much older than Aeden standing in grey, fur-lined Robes and a Staff hemmed from Oak.
"Thank you for your assistance" Fergus admitted; taking in a deep breath to fill his lungs after the fear for his life had passed though the battle was still far from being won.
"I shall continue to fight by your side Kings Guard; where is His Highness?" The Young Mage spoke honourably; giving a respectful bow to Fergus due to his status as a Noble and a Kings Guard.
"No idea; I can only assume that Ser Duncan is fighting by King Cailan's side" Fergus spoke quickly as a flash of metal entered his field of vision followed by a push from his right-hand side as The Young Mage pushed him out the way as a metallic weapon sliced through The Young Mage at the neck.
Fergus could only watch as The Young Mage who'd saved him slumped the ground as his head fell from his shoulders with a large and bulky Hurlock armed with a bloodstained Black Steel Axe turned his black eyes onto Fergus and snarled in the face of a new adversary.
Rasing his Silverite Sword to avenge the fallen young man who'd died to save his life; Fergus charged The Hurlock and attacked the monster with all of his strength, the Sword blocking The Black Steel Axe at every swing for The Hurlock wielded the weapon with excellent proficiency though the swings were more than just wild but deadly accurate for if Fergus were to miss a single blow he'd likely lose an arm or his head; the Axe sparking off the flat of Fergus' Sword and meeting Fergus' Shield in a moment of mental distraction.
Grunting with pain as the Axe had sliced not only through his Kite Shield but caused a deep bloody gash in his left forearm; blood streaming down his arm as his good hand gripped his weapon as The Hurlock advanced on him, its bloodshot eyes staring murderously at Fergus moments before Fergus was joined by two Grey Wardens clad in their silver armour and armed with swords of their own.
"Worry not; fall back behind us" Spoke one of The Grey Warden's; the voice from behind the helmet husky and gruff that matched the bulky body type under the armour, his own armour dirty with mud and blood from the raging battle.
"You're wounded; leave this fiend to us" Spoke the second Grey Warden; the voice noticeably softer and with the slenderer body frame indicated a woman under the armour, her hands quicky dropping some Elfroot Leaf's on his wound that stung but would halt his bleeding in due time.
"I shall not; it is dishonourable to turn away in the face of battle" Fergus spoke; re-gripping his weapon in his right hand but leaving his broken Shield in the bloodstained dirt now that his left arm was almost useless to him for he could no longer move his fingers due to an unknown amount of extensive damage.
"Well spoken; though foolish" The Female Warden spoke through her helmet; stepping first against the charging Hurlock and deflecting the axe swing with the flat of her blade: a Longsword with a wider-than-normal cross-guard over the grip.
The Male Warden charging with his own weapon: another Longsword with a slight curve to the blade giving it a more slicing effect on a target; attacking from the side though The Hurlock surprisingly broke the weapon-lock and defended against The Male Warden whilst kicking The Female Warden into the mud.
The Hurlock grinned maliciously as he raised its filthy boot to stamp the life from The Female Warden's body moments before a Silverite Sword flew through the air and embedded itself in The Hurlock's chest; the Darkspawn falling dead before ever hitting the ground fired from Fergus having thrown the weapon from his right hand while his left hung uselessly to his side.
"Many thanks Ser Fergus" The Male Warden spoke with gratitude; lifting Fergus' Silverite Sword from the corpse of The Hurlock and examining the fine blade as the blackish-red blood dripped from the edge.
"Think nothing of it; but these Darkspawn are tough…" Fergus answered as he glanced down towards his now-paralysed left hand; speed-walking back to his fellow Warriors to retrieve his weapon from The Male Warden.
"Their armour is intimidating but full of weaknesses to exploit; be thankful that this one did not wear a Horned Helmet" The Male Warden answered before The Female Warden could; his line of sight scoping the battlefield for any sign of The Senior Wardens be seeing no sign of them nor any Signal Smoke from The Tower of Ishal on the horizon.
"You mean like those ones?" Fergus asked; accepting back his weapon as his eyes spotted The Darkspawn Horde parting to allow a new force to march through unabated, comprised of several dozen Hurlocks in skull-like Horned Helmets, Genlocks adorned with crowns bult from bones and dark shadowy creatures that Fergus' eyes couldn't quite make out.
"Oh… fuck" The Two Wardens spoke in unison upon spotting the new force approaching.
Tower of Ishal.
The Tower of Ishal stood at the northern most point of Ostagar; a tall tower that stood high above all others as all other towers had long since crumbled but had endured centuries of seasonal elements but still stood as a testament to the past glory that Ostagar had held in the past.
"The battle has begun; we better move and move fast" Alistair muttered under his breath; still feeling resentful that he wasn't out in the field fighting alongside The Senior Wardens, ignoring the chinking sound of his Splintmail made as he ran.
"How many floors are in this Tower?" Aeden asked; gazing up at the height of the tower to make an estimate of how many floors they'd have to climb.
"I'd say about four counting this one" Alistair answered; swinging the doors open and entering first, his tone indifferent to his comrade's thoughts on their location while his thoughts were only one the battle raging elsewhere.
"Ha! Easy; The Circle Tower has five floors" Neria shouted with pleasure in herself; having spent over a decade in a tower that more floors than The Tower of Ishal and having treaded the path between floors countless times a day.
"Then it shouldn't be much of a problem; go no ahead Neria" Kallian smirked as she spoke; patting Neria's back as she also pushed her forwards and through the door and into The Tower of Ishal before taking a step away from the entrance with Aeden beside her.
"Wait… what?" Neria stammered; her eyes widening with shock as her friends stepped back seemingly expecting her to do the whole job all alone.
"You said four floors should be easy then you can run up them all and light the pyre all on your own" Aeden spoke with a smile; supressing his laughter as he and Kallian both leaned against the locked entrance door as if they did in fact expect Neria to work alone.
"I never said that! Stop being mean" Neria shouted; stamping her boots down on the floor before noticing the tiled floor seemed to be cracked and partially sinking in places.
"Alright; enough teasing, we need to get moving" Alistair spoke with the authority that their team leader granted; his hand resting on his Knightsword's hilt as he marched onwards around The First Floor, passing through a large circular chamber that had been used as a storeroom loaded with wooden barrels full of unknown contents and ballista arrows though not a single Elf Servant could be seen except for suspicious patches of mud and dried blood.
Rounding out into the hallway towards the first set of stairs that would lead them up to The Second Floor; the hallway only decorated with a series of armament frames that all stood empty though the floor seemed to be sinking downward as the four Wardens crossed the tiled path.
Neria glanced behind her as she walked over the partially sunk section of the path; noticing that there were two more similar partially sunk sections of the floor in the entrance chamber, turning away just as dust lifted from the floor as a rumbling sound echoed across the stone walls bringing The Four Wardens on guard as the three sinking sections collapsed creating a sinkhole down into a deep dark pit to the unknown, growling sounds filled the chamber as bracer-covered hands armed with weapons of black metal clawed their way up through the pits and into The Tower of Ishal.
"Oh fuck! Darkspawn!" Aeden shouted with alarm; shocked at The Darkspawn were apparently capable of tunnelling through their Fortress and attacking from within when he'd been led to believe that The Darkspawn were nothing more than a mindless mass of bloodthirsty monsters.
With incredible reflexive speed; Alistair and Aeden both drew their swords and swinging as they took off the heads of the first two Genlocks rose from the closest sinkhole tunnel only for several more to climb from the pit in their place as the dead pair fell backwards and back into the pit.
"Hurry! Get to the next floor!" Alistair shouted with his authoritarian voice; his blade locking with the weapon of a snarling Hurlock that open its jaw and exposed the rotting black teeth from behind the cracked dry lips of its mouth.
"Not without you two!" Neria shouted; seizing her chance to shine as she'd done very little during their excursion into The Kocari Wilds as she drew on the focussing abilities of her Elm Staff which shone with a bright red light giving Aeden and Alistair a split second to sidestep the blast of searing hot flames which Neria fired off directly into the pit of Darkspawn.
The screaming agony of the Genlock's being burnt alive filled the hallway whilst Kallian opened the doorway at the top of the stairway though Neria's victory was short-lived as the previously seen sinking tiles burst open with a cloud of dusts and soil as more Genlocks rose from the newly opened pits and into The Tower of Ishal.
Alistair noted that The Hurlock lowered its guard as its fellows had been burned alive leaving a window of opportunity that Alistair struck by sliding his Knightsword across the Longsword creating sparks as Alistair's weapon was driven through the monster's neck thus beheading the Hurlock, "This shouldn't be possible; not once in recorded history of The Blight have The Darkspawn ever taken such strategic methods".
"Then they've clearly learnt from the past and improved their tactics!" Aeden barked at Alistair; flicking the black/red blood from his Family Sword after cutting off the head of another Genlock that had been wearing some kind of fire-resistant cloak and armed with a black dagger dripping with a green poison.
"But how? Aren't Darkspawn supposed to be mindless monsters" Kallian answered Alistair's statement; confirming what Aeden had been thinking as Genlocks emerged from the furthest sinkhole from their position all armed to the teeth with Black Steel Swords and Poisoned Daggers while some were armed with Bows and what appeared to be Mage Staffs.
"No idea; but they're much too dangerous to face directly! Just keep running!" Neria spoke last; firing off a sky-blue Lightning Blast from the green jewel set in her Elm Staff though the arcs of electricity left only scorch marks in the stone while The Genlocks kept their distance from the magical assault.
The door to The Second Floor flung closed as Alistair was the last to run through; the door blasting open against seemingly be magical flame blast like Neria's that knocked Alistair, Aeden and Kallian off their feet due to the backdraft of hot air induced by Primal Flame Magic leaving Aeden's Shield to be flung from his grasp.
"The Darkspawn have magic?!" Alistair exclaimed in horror; too stunned to fight back as yet another change had occurred to The Darkspawn since the recorded history of The Fourth Blight.
"Leave it to me!" Neria shouted as she again utilised her Elm Staff; the jewel glowing before a pale blue Arcane Shield rose up moments before the flames reached The Wardens on one side or being stabbed to death on the other side allowing them to be shielded from being burnt alive though the heat of the flames passed through the shield.
"How long can you hold this shield? Kallian shouted her question; noticing that behind The Genlock Mage, Genlock Archers were beginning to nock their arrows and draw their aim on The Warden's vulnerable position.
"Not long; I'm good but not that good" Neria spoke as a Genlock wielding a Mage Staff blasted her Shield with a Lightning Blast of its own; the arcs of crimson electricity forking in the air as it hammered against her own Spell.
"Can my Knives pass through?" Kallian touched the grips of her Knives before speaking; feeling uncertain that her Knife Throw would even reach an enemy assaulting Neria's Shield with an array of other Spells.
"Yes; why?" Neria confirmed as the lightning ceased only to be followed up by a green flash followed by a deep echo as a Stonefist Spell had struck her Shield, Neria crying out as the recoil of a Stonefist against her Arcane Shield had affected her body.
"Just hold on as long as you can" Aeden spoke firmly; dropping his Shield to the floor as he placed his hand against Neria's back and support her against the recoil of the Stonefist striking her Arcane Shield, glancing to Kallian to witness the exact skill he was expecting her to utilise in their current situation.
Kallian bent her knees as she drew two knives from her belt with each knife held between her fingertips; her eyes meeting Aeden's for a split second as he gave a nod of encouragement as he recognised her form as her Knife-Throw, Kallian letting Aeden see her trusted smile as she threw the two knives: the blades passing through Neria's shield without any deviation in flightpath before embedding in the throat of a Genlock wielding a Staff much like Neria's.
With the Genlock Mage dead; the flames faded away leaving a horde of angry Darkspawn standing behind with each set of black eyes staring bloody murder at The Young Wardens that stood between them and victory.
"Keep running!" Alistair yelled; he raised his Shield up just as a dozen arrows flew through the air only to embed themselves in the stone wall and the shield defence, Alistair wordlessly thanked The Maker that no arrows managed to strike any of his comrades.
"Kallian; that was a great throw" Aeden remarked as he recovered his own Shield; catching Kallian's eye as he showed her a proud smile for her successful efforts after practicing the Knife Throw under his encouragement.
"Thanks; and you were right about the technique working in the right moment" Kallian spoke back with honesty; feeling a sense of pride in her successful recreation of Valendrian's Knife Throw Technique and it was thanks to Aeden's support earlier that day.
"Less talking and more running!" Alistair barked as he struck the next doorway with his Templar Shield and flung the door to The Third Floor thus allowing the group to enter yet another circular chamber like those on The First and Second Floors.
Moments after breaking into the next circular chamber; Alistair's foot made contact with a trip-wire, a loud click resonating across the stone walls before the many barrels burst open and spread a thick, slippery liquid across the floors.
"Shit! I forgot about the trip-wires!" Alistair cursed his own forgetfulness regarding the traps set up to protect the pyre from outside inference, he and his fellows rushing over the remains of the floor whilst The Genlocks treaded through the liquid only to fall and collapse under the slippery surface of the floor though the Hurlocks had followed their own path avoiding the liquid.
"How can you forget about the defences?!" Aeden shouted in shock; but grimacing in disgust as the foul smelling, thick and slippery liquid slowly spread across the floors though circling along the walls would give them a clear path to the next hallway towards the next stairway.
"Hey! I'm only human!" Alistair barked back ignoring the open door as Neria and Kallian passed through just as several arrows narrowly missed the girl's heads and struck the hardened wooden door.
"Behind us!" Aeden shouted as he quickly pulled his Shield across his face as a Black Steel Sword slashed against his defensive weapon, meeting the pressure of the sudden presence and strength of a Hurlock by executing a Shield Bash against The Hurlock's weapon and knocking him off balance before driving his Family Sword through a chink in the blood-red armour but not piercing the monster's vitals by a sudden dagger cut to Aeden's sword-arm.
Aeden flinched under the pain of a dagger's cut; the Genlock's terrifying grin cut short as Alistair's blade sliced through the fiend's head and following up with a flurry of slashes that disarmed two more Genlock's of their own sword-arms leaving them to cry in pain before Aeden made the finishing blows by slicing off their heads.
"Are you alright? That cut looks bad" Alistair spoke with concern; examining Aeden's wound and sighing in relief as the torn flesh was not turning green by effects of poisoned weapons.
"Get down!" Neria shouted as another blaze of flames erupted from her Staff igniting the liquid spreading across the chamber's floor and bursting The Darkspawn into flames as they stood on the liquid's surface thus lighting up the chamber in a harsh red glow while The Warden's hastened their path along the walls and into the hallway.
"How did you know that stuff was flammable?" Kallian asked as she grabbed Neria's shoulder and pulled her back into reality; seizing her hand and pulling her along as they resumed their dash to The Fourth Floor where The Prye waited to be lit.
"I didn't!" Neria paused after speaking; the flames reflected in her wide eyes as she watched a whole group of Darkspawn burn to death; a cold sensation of fear running down her spine as she witness death on a larger scale than Jowen's assault on The Templars and Chantry Sisters.
"Good thing for us then" Alistair shouted backwards; keeping his pace even though his Splintmail Armour weighted more than Aeden's own armour he was still running just as fast as Aeden and keeping the lead in their group as a testament to his own fitness.
Rushing out from the burning chamber and out into the hallway leading to the staircase that led to The Fourth Floor; the once full bookcases empty lining the walls of the hallway as they fled but hearing the spinetingling roar of something big on the floor beneath.
Racing up the staircase only to find that the next doorway was locked and they couldn't get through, Alistair banging his fist against the door and shouting as the sounds of dying Darkspawn faded only to be followed by the sounds of boots and greaves running to catch up with them.
"Damn it! Why is this door locked? It's supposed to be a straight path to The Fourth Floor!" Alistair shouted; cursing their bad luck as well as whoever had been responsible for locking the last door and preventing them from reaching their destination.
"No idea; Can I pick the lock?" Kallian spoke; handling her Dagger as she advanced on the lock only to spot that the keyhole was old and worn from an untold number of years, her dagger would more than likely break the opening mechanism and seal the door forever.
"You can try but we don't have time with Darkspawn on our heels!" Alistair barked in frustration; hammering his gloved fist against the hard wooden door only to flinch in pain at how thick the reinforced wooden door truly was.
Looking behind them as a Genlock stood at the foot of the staircase with a key on a string dangling from its black, scaley fingers while the monster cackled a sickening laugh before vanishing into shadows with The Stealth Skill whilst the horde of Genlocks in smoking armour advanced on them from the opposite end of the hallway.
"Well fuck… how we going to get it back?" Aeden barked; glancing at his wounds and checking his bloodstained armaments for any damage but only finding dents in his Shield inflicted by the arrows on the previous floor.
"Leave that to us" Neria and Kallian spoke at once; stepping forwards as Neria's Staff switched from exuding flames or a frosty mist that generated a sudden decrease in room temperature, her Staff pointing at the charging Genlocks before a white flash freeze illuminated the hallway in snow leaving the horde of Genlocks frozen in their tracks and unable to move.
"Neria… that was amazing" Alistair spoke dumbstruck by Neria's magical strength though he noticed that her repeated Spellcasting was wearing her out as her face was drenched in sweat as she was also beginning to breath more heavily.
"The freezing hold won't last long; we have to hurry if we're going to get that key" Neria spoke through deep breaths; her body feeling exhausted from all the Spells she'd had to cast in quick succession.
"Let me cover you both then" Aeden spoke with the dignity of a Noble as he stepped into battle alongside Kallian and Neria with his sword held aloft before swinging it and beheading the frozen Genlocks closest to the staircase as Kallian threw her Knives into the foreheads of other Genlocks while Neria gracefully slid across the ice to retrieve the key from the Genlock gargling on its own blood with a knife in its throat while Neria slid back to pass the key onto Alistair.
As Neria skated back; two Genlocks broke free from their freezing captivity only for Kallian's last pair of knives to embed themselves between their eyes and fall dead as Kallian hurried to retrieve her knives while Aeden kept cutting off heads until Neria had unlocked the doors to the next floor.
Alistair stared at the backs of his three comrades; though he was their team's leader they'd already taken action while he stood stationary at the last of their many hurdles, watching as Aeden took the lead of the trio by quickly caving in the skull of a frozen Genlock with his Shield before sinking his blade into the throat of another frozen Genlock before the Darkspawn could break free.
"We have the key! Let's get back to the door" Aeden shouted; pulling his weapon free from the chest of a frozen Genlock he'd just impaled.
"I only have three knives!" Kallian answered back; looking back at the three other knives she'd had to leave behind as another wave of Genlocks were likely on their way judging by the large shadow looming from the circular chamber.
"They'll have to do, get back to the door" Aeden shouted as a stealthy Genlock slid across the ice and cut across Aeden's arm with a Dagger, Aeden crying out in pain as the wound felt like it was on fire.
"Aeden!" Alistair roared; leaping out onto the ice only to slip and fall onto his back while Kallian looked at the three Knives she'd recovered, looking pained at the loss; she hurled the three knives all at once with each knife being embedded in The Genlock's face.
Kallian hurried over to Aeden and spotted the green tint to Aeden's wound; alarmed by the poisoned wound
"Let me heal him!" Neria hurried over; forgetting about any defensive spells and immediately casting a quick and east Heal Spell but only focussing on halting the poison instead of knitting the torn flesh back together.
"The door is open! Hurry!" Alistair shouted; having turned the key and pushed the heavy doors open with Kallian's help, turning back to grab Aeden and pull him up the staircase to the safety of The Top Floor.
"Thanks Neria…" Aeden groaned through the pain in his shoulder
Field of Battle.
Walls of flames erupted from the ground as a group of Mages headed by Senior Warden Dalila slammed their Staffs down into the bloody dirt beneath their feet whilst chanting their Spells; a second team of Mages firing off a volley of icicles in place of Arrows as a pack of Genlocks, Hurlocks and Blight Wolves: animals infected by The Taint all fell by the frigid cold volley.
"Dalila!" Claude yelled; spotting a friend and ally through the haze of blood and death.
"Claude! Have you seen Duncan or Cailan?" Dalila almost dropped her Staff when she saw Claude; rushing over to him and embracing him despite being on a battlefield, breaking the hug as a Black Sword swung between them only for the Hurlock to meet its end by the blade of Claude's Axe splitting it from shoulder to hip leaving the monster to die in two pieces.
"No; I lost sight of them as The Darkspawn overtook The Templars, they're nearly wiped out except for a few skilled in Shield Wall" Claude answered; he knew that Duncan and Cailan were still alive as their side of this battle were still fighting with earnest as a row of Mages cast a large shield as a volley of Arrows broke apart against the pale blue wall of light.
"And the Knight Commander?" Dalila asked; showing concern for a man who'd previously sought any reason to imprison The Mages and keep them out of the battle though The Mages were keeping the lines of battle from shrinking any more than they had against the overwhelming numbers of Darkspawn attacking.
"He's gone; fell to the first charge" Claude spoke with regret but no remorse after having witnessed The Templar Commander be decapitated by a Black Steel Axe held by a strange-looking Hurlock with a horned helmet.
"Useless lout… behind you!" Dalila cursed the fallen Templar Commander; his ability as a Knight having diminished with his high rank, spotting a Hurlock with an axe of its own approaching Claude from behind.
Claude was already in motion before Dalila could warn him; crouching down with the height of his Battle Axe as a Black Steel Axe swung over his head by a Hurlock in standard blood-red armour, twisting on his heels with speed despite his weapon and armour before slashing hard and taking off The Hurlock's head as well as two more Hurlocks priming their duel-wielding shadowy dagger and sword weapons.
"Dalila!" Claude yelled as a volley of Death Arrows: arrows with barbed notches for dealing extreme damage to a person's body came flying down from above.
"You need not worry about me!" Dalila spoke with a grin as her eyes flashed purple moments before she raised her Ironbark Staff only to twirl it like a baton thus generating a whirlwind of magic containing the shards of ice from the icicle volleys being fired by other Mages; the icy whirlwind taking the Death Arrows and flinging the arrows and icicles at targets at longer ranges with each arrow or shard of ice piercing the throats of Darkspawn or shattering against their armour.
With another might swing of his Axe; Claude span on the spot executing his Whirlwind Skill as the blade of his heavy weapon slashed through the armour of Darkspawn and causing their entrails to spill out onto the ground leaving hot steam from their exposed organs before dying.
Dalila couldn't help but watch as Death Arrows pierced the shield only to embed themselves in the chests of Mages; the men and women coughing blood as their lungs had been punctured before falling to the ground, Dalila rushing over to heal the fallen comrades before a Genlock seemingly appeared from nowhere and slashed the throats of the Mages still breathing with a slim dagger.
Dalila gritting her teeth as her eyes flashed purple with her magical might; lifting her Staff and pointing the green jewel at the Genlock moments before firing a purple stream of magic that struck the stealthy Genlock leaving no trace of its existence behind except for a set of bloody armour and a dagger.
"I'm sorry… my fellow mages" Dalila spoke mournfully as almost an entire squad of Mages had died leaving only the youngest of the group alive though that last Mage retreated from the battle as The Darkspawn continued to howl in victory over The Mages.
"Worry not; we'll keep fighting until we win" The Young Mage spoke with a noticeable fear; turning and running back into the battle before disappearing into the squad of Templar Knights fighting off a squad of Hurlocks and Genlocks judging by the sounds of blades against blades.
"Get the Signal ready! The newbies have to be waiting by now!" Claude yelled with a sense of urgency; the last of The Templar Knights falling under the blades of many Hurlocks only indicated by the muffled death cry of a knight's final breath under a helmet.
Dalila stood silent for a moment as she held her Ironbark Staff; her eyes staring blankly at Claude as he waited for a confirmation of his advice to give the Purple Lightning Signal only for her Ironwood Staff to clatter to the ground as a Black Steel Sword pierced through the front of her Robes proving that she was already dead.
"DALILA!" Claude yelled as he saw the black blade protrude from Dalila's chest; the blood spurting from between her lips moments before her eyes rolled back and her body went limp, Dalila's lifeless corpse falling to the ground as a Darkspawn Hurlock in a menacing skull-like horned helmet: An Elite Hurlock stood with a cackling laugh before walking over Dalila's body with its muddy, bloodstained greaves.
The Elite slammed its Black Steel Shield into Claude's Axe and deflecting the blow before countering with a thrust with its own Black Steel Sword and slashed across Claude's shoulder causing him to falter in pulling his heavy weapon back to his unwounded shoulder.
"Damn you! You filthy Darkspawn!" Claude roared; dropping his heavy Battle Axe and grabbing a Knightsword from a fallen Templar and attacking with an angry swing only for The Elite Hurlock to amusingly sidestep the predictable attack and swiftly swing its own weapon leaving Claude to stare at the now-bloody stump that was once his sword-hand.
Crying out as the pain overcame the grief, anger and adrenaline in his mind for Claude grit his teeth to tightly that his gums bled as his remaining arm seized back his Battle Axe from the ground and slowly brought the heavy weapon over his head only to bring the weapon down and cleave a lowly Genlock looking to take advantage of the opportunity to slay a Senior Grey Warden from head to toe leaving the vile being to become a bloody mess on the ground.
The Elite Darkspawn lew out a low growl as he drew a beckoning arm as two more Elite Hurlock's each wearing horned helmets and carrying a Black Steel Greatsword and a long shaft of wood that looked disturbingly like a Mage Staff, Claude heaving the weapon on his ill-suited arm as blood drained from his wounds leaving his body pale and weak before screams of pain wrecked through his body as the Staff-carrying Hurlock fired a tongue of flames from the Staff and seared the flesh from Claude's face only stopping to allow the Greatsword-carrying Hurlock to approach with its own heavy weapon held aloft before Claude in a feat of strength brought his Battle Axe up with one arm and smashed the flat of the blade on The Elite Hurlock's head.
"Ser Claude!" screamed the voices of several Ash Warrior's; a cavalry that had come too late as the dead Elite Hurlock fell inciting the wraith of the remaining two Elites, The First Elite growling as the monster thrust its Black Steel Longsword in Claude's neck and through his throat as he attempted to bring up his Battle Axe for a second blow thus leaving Warden where he stood to choke on his own blood before dying.
Tower of Ishal: Top Floor.
Locking the thick reinforced doorway behind them upon arriving at a large circular room that reminded Neria strongly of The Harrowing Chamber due to the painting of the purple clouds surrounded by the clawed hands of various Demons reaching for the Mages standing amongst the clouds but what drew the eye was the large pyre set at a large plinth overlooking the fire-strewn battlefield where King Cailan and The Wardens still fought The Darkspawn as well as waiting for Loghain to join and turn the tide.
"Aeden; how is your wound?" Kallian asked; setting Aeden down on an overturned barrel as she looked over the torn, red flesh of Aeden's injury, an expression of concern that she'd not shown to anyone since their first introductions.
"I'll live…" Aeden answered knowing that Neria's Healing Spell having neutralised the poison and the bleeding halted but the wound remained, his eyes meeting Kallian's for a moment before Alistair's shouting brought them both to attention.
"Quick! Light the fire and we can still win this fight" Alistair shouted as soon as he reached the chamber though he arrived last; pointing at the pyre with his Knightsword before slipping the key for the lock into his pocket upon hearing the roars and growls of Hurlocks and Genlocks following after them.
"Alistair wait; we haven't seen Ser Dalila's signal yet" Aeden spoke though the two pained wounds in his sword-arm; having walked across the chamber and glanced out archer-stations at every opportunity but had not seen any sign of purple lightning nor any kind of magical lightning.
"Aeden is right; our first priority is to check for any wounds and injuries, we can't afford anyone to fall to poison or bleeding" Kallian added calmly; surprisingly taking Aeden's side as he'd been logical by following their orders and their wellbeing was more important than sending a signal to Loghain before the situation called for him to march into battle, especially whereas Kallian had three arrows stuck in her battle corset that had luckily kept her vitals safe though uncomfortable.
"Forget the signal; light it now!" Alistair barked angrily but allowing his feelings for The Senior Wardens to override his sense of duty; grabbing a wooden beam and slamming it down across the doorway thus sealing the door against The Darkspawn pursuing them.
"On it!" Neria answered first whilst Aeden stared at Alistair with understanding; running out from the back of their group and rushing to the pyre but noticing that there was no sign of Dalila's Purple Lightning having been cast though the red and blueish white flashes of flame and ice-based Spells firing seemingly from both sides.
"What's the situation down there?" Aeden spoke with a shout; turning to the sealed doorway as thumping sounds rattled against the thick wood but turned away just as the door suddenly began to crack under immense force.
"It's tough to tell from this far up; but it's not going well, Loghain better be ready to march as soon as the signal is lit" Kallian shouted back; wiping some grime off her cheek with her sleeve as she gazed out over the edge of the top floor only seeing the numerous Darkspawn overcoming the Army.
Before Neria could chant her Spell and ignite the signal beacon she heard a bloodcurdling roar from the stairwell before the wooden door was flung off its hinges by a huge purple hairy fist before a hulking, horned, black-haired creature twice the size of any breed of Bear that stood with a rippling, purple-muscular body and adorned with only a loincloth and bracers covered in human/dwarf bones and blood.
"Alistair; what the fuck is that?!" Aeden shouted with a fear-induced tone; drawing his Family Sword from its scabbard in preparation for a serious battle as Kallian rushed to Neria's side to protect her from the beast.
"That's not possible… why is a Darkspawn Ogre here? Those things can only be felled by a Senior Warden!" Alistair stammered in apparent fear as he stepped away from the hulking foe only to fall backwards onto his rear; sweat beading on his brow from the fear he felt as the monster stared at him with its emotionless eyes before cackling in amusement of Alistair's fear.
"Then this is when we prove our metal!" Aeden barked a battle shout; steeling his own shaking nerves against the monster standing before them even though he felt weakened by a brief poisoning, Neria and Kallian both looking to one another before running to stand by his side against the towering height of the formidable Ogre.
