Dragon Age Origins: A Grey Wardens Tale.
Chapter 17: Lies and Corruption.
Author's Note: This chapter is going to get pretty damn dark and grim… read at your own peril.
Denerim: Royal Palace.
Upon returning to Denerim; Loghain and his thousand soldiers marched through the streets to a rich and enthusiastic fanfare from the residents, the Chantry Sisters bowing their heads and raising his hands in prayer, the townspeople tossing flowers down before the path of the horses that Loghain and Cauthrien rode upon as a gesture for those who'd been lost, Elves from The Alienage silently vanishing into alleys on their way back to The Alienage but most of all was the women amongst the crowd crying for either their lost husbands or the fact that King Cailan was absent from the head of the march.
Loghain took a brief glance at the crowds celebrating his return; his expression steeled for the story he was to tell her daughter upon returning to The Royal Palace that sat at the very heart of the city, the single most important building in the entire land of Ferelden where even Elves who worked within its walls were promised a fair wage while other occupations paid a pittance, marching up to the massive doors as a pair of Elves guided Loghain's Horse while the man himself steadily walked with Cauthrien by his side as they both walked past Human and Elf Servants as well as fully-armoured Guards until reaching The Throne Room.
The Throne of Ferelden sat at the head of an enormous hallway more akin to a chapel with a oil-painted canvas of Andraste joined by a Mabari Hound on either side with a background of flames representing The Maker summoning her to be his bride in her moment of death on the pyre, a pair of tall and excellently carved thrones sat on either side of the painting while one sat empty; the other had a woman sat upon the red velvet seat, adorned in a shining sky-blue dress with white gloves and matching pumps on her feet, her golden blonde hair tightly wrapped in a pair of buns as her sharp facial features stood prominent with a pair of piercing ice-blue eyes stared out as Loghain and Cauthrien entered the chamber.
"Father; as glad as I am for your return… but where is my husband?" The Queen spoke regally and formally; keeping up appearances in light of the many Guards that lined the walls even though Loghain was widely known to be her father, her voice speaking with royal authority even when speaking to her own father.
"Anora, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you that The Grey Wardens have betrayed Ferelden; they lied about the looming threat of a Blight to draw out The King only for our illustrious ruler to be slain and leave our land without a monarch of the royal bloodline, by sheer luck my own forces were able to repel The Wardens attempt to cut us down and usurp our military thus halting their unquestionable advance to our fair city" Loghain knelt down on one knee as he spoke; drawing on false emotion to deliver his half-truth and lies by putting on a wavering voice and pained stretching of his words regarding Cailan.
"But father… that cannot be true, The Grey Wardens are noble warriors who defend the land by sacrificing everything dear to them, their own families are left behind by the call of their duty" Anora paused for a long moment leaving Loghain to visually scan her blank expression for reactive signs just as she began speaking as a single tear rolled down her left cheek.
"I assure you it is true; I saw with my own eyes as Cailan took his final breath under the twin blades of Warden Commander Duncan" Loghain spoke with the knowledge that he was lying about both where he stood during the battle as well as the method of how Cailan had truly died, his voice wavering with false sadness for his fallen son-in-law.
A low murmured pass around The Throne Room; many of The Guards glanced to one another upon hearing of King Cailan's fate; a muted whispering being passed between the men and women that lined the wall that caught the ears of both Anora and Loghain.
Anora glanced over at her Guards lining both sides of The Throne Room; giving a wave of her hand as she signalled for her personal guard unit to be dismissed from their positions, "Guards; please leave us alone".
The Guards gave a bow of their heads as they marched out, not speaking a word except for muttered grunts under their heavy armour chinked and sounded with their every step, the doors out to The Antechamber shutting as the last pair of Guards passed through.
"That was good my Daughter; The Guards need not hear of these matters" Loghain smiled a fatherly smile as the last of the guards left The Throne Room thus leaving them both alone; staying down on one knee as Anora turned her gaze back to him.
"Father; please tell me everything that transpired at Ostagar, how The Wardens betrayed us including the new recruits gathered for their Joining and their identities" Anora spoke as a queen should instead of a daughter speaking to her father, her voice of authority almost demanding Loghain's story.
"I shall tell you all my child; but why would you need to know the names of the dead New Wardens?" Loghain spoke carefully; unsure if Anora already knew of the Recruits who survived The Joining was one that hailed from a noble family and one other was from Denerim.
"I just have a feeling… just tell me everything you saw and heard" Anora repeated; her hands noticeably clutching at the armrest's head: an exquisitely carved wooden Mabari's Head as despite her straight face she was emotionally and mentally distrait.
With a deep breath; Loghain began recounting a version of the events of Ostagar, speaking on his arrival and war council meetings alongside Cailan, Duncan, Claude and Dalila, meeting the New Warden Recruits though omitting their names and backgrounds and instead speaking of them as if they were mere no-name peasants plucked from their homes without concern for the families left behind, speaking further on the bloody battle including a false story of how The Grey Wardens turned on Cailan's Soldiers out on the field of battle where not a single Darkspawn had emerged from The Deep Roads and instead slaughtered The King's Army with blade and magic.
Anora remained steadfast and in control of herself so not to let any facial emotion peek through her defence while listening to her father; only speaking after several long minutes of silence, "I must retire to my chambers… this is too much for my aching heart to bear".
"Yes I imagine it must be; if you may have need of me to bear the load of your grief; I would be happy to serve as your confidant in these dark hours" Loghain spoke with concern for his daughter; rising to his feet as he offered his dominant right hand to Anora upon making his offer to serve as a confidant.
"Forgive me father for I must turn down your generosity… this terrible series of events have left my heart too distraught to speak of this any further, I must be alone with my thoughts tonight" Anora rose from her Throne while speaking; ignoring her father's offer as she had somebody that she already trusted with her secrets and thoughts that even Loghain didn't have knowledge of.
"Of course daughter, this matter must be hard on your heart and mind; will you allow me to handle delivering the tragedy to our people?" Loghain stepped towards Anora as far as the steps leading up to the raised floor where the two Thrones stood just as Anora raised her left hand to stop Loghain in his path.
"Granted; I trust you will allow the people to remember Cailan with dignity and grace, he was after all… a noble King" Anora gave her father a look; knowing that Loghain and Maric had bonded to see each other like brothers during the war with Orlais and that Loghain had supported her marriage to Cailan, allowing him to settle the proclamation in her place while she retired for the remainder of the evening.
As Anora left through a side door leading to what was once hers and Cailan's private bedchamber; noticing the sound of the main doors opening again, Anora slipped her foot into the crack of the door and frame to peek out on whatever was happening within her Throne Room like a curious child; spying the familiar figure of Rendon Howe entering and walking to Loghain only for the man to be wearing a smugly satisfied smile while brandishing what appeared to be a new weapon: an axe-like sword that looked more akin to a torturer's or executioner's weapon.
"Rendon Howe; I wasn't expecting you until a later date, I trust you have already settled into The Arl's Mansion and are ready to assume your new post" Loghain spoke with a noticeably unfriendly tone as Arl Howe arrived in The Throne Room, Anora spotting that Howe gave a greedy stare at The Throne before answering Loghain.
"Yes and I am more than prepared to take on the mantle of Arl of Denerim, I have been waiting my entire life for such an honour" Howe spoke; his voice akin to that of a slithering snake as he turned away from The Throne and met Loghain though the greedy look in his eyes remained.
"What of that wayward son of yours?" Loghain spoke with narrowed eyes; spotting the greedy look in Howe and figuring that the man likely desired to take the throne for himself and as a man of Noble Blood he definitely had a claim, instead of addressing the greedy desire Loghain spoke on Howe's Son: an excellent archer and concocter of poisons.
"Nathanial? He is to stay in Amaranthine alongside my other children until my return though I have no intention of going back there now" Howe felt surprised that Loghain would speak on his Son; knowing of his skills but Howe had opted to leave a valuable asset behind in Amaranthine.
"You left your offspring to rule Amaranthine in your stead, it wasn't a wise decision to keep them out of our business, someone of his skills could be useful" Loghain answered Howe's decision with a widening smirk curling across his lips; approving of Howe's decision to keep his own children out of their affairs while Anora was in the thick on their unknown plot.
"I could say the same of you… that half-truth regarding Cailan's death and the lies you told your own daughter, aren't you concerned she might discover the truth? What could she enact if she knew that The Darkspawn killed Cailan" Howe spoke with a smirk; intentionally nudging his elbow into Loghain's chest as he passed by before stopping to cast his greedy stare at The Throne, Anora having to cover her mouth with her hand as she'd unwittingly just learned of her father's lies and deceit leaving her almost too stunned to listen.
"That does not matter now as The Grey Wardens are dead; I trust your plans were at least partially successful? The Cousland Sons were both present at Ostagar though I believe they all have perished alongside Maric's bastard in that bloody battle" Loghain sneered as he spoke; spitting on the floor when speaking of his closest friend's bastard offspring who'd supposedly been present at Ostagar, Anora clasping her hand over her mouth again as she felt like she knew who Loghain was speaking of; having previously met a young man who bore a strong resemblance to Cailan during a past trip to Redcliffe.
"If they are truly dead then The Cousland's will no longer be an obstacle, though Eamon, Sighard, Wulff and Bryland still have yet to be persuaded to support us" Howe allowed himself a smile of grim satisfaction; relishing in the mental image of Aeden and Fergus laying dead in the dirt.
"Eamon won't be an obstacle either, we had a stroke of fortune during traversal to Ostagar in the form of A Runaway Mage, I enlisted his services in exchange for not handing him over to Templar's, and thanks to him none of The Redcliffe Soldiers were present for the doomed battle"
"That certainly was a stroke of good luck; what of the other recruits?" Howe snapped out from his enjoyment of mental images and back to his discussion with Loghain, questioning on the other Warden Recruits gathered from across the land.
"A thief, a no-name Knight from Redcliffe and a worthless pair of bitches, being a childish Mage and the girl who murdered the previous Arl's Son, a murderer and a filthy magic-user… I am positive that they both are dead" Loghain spoke with poisonous disgust in his tone; though he had no qualm with Elves having fought besides many during the war with Orlais including The Alienage Elder: Valendrian, though he'd felt insulted that two of the five recruits came from Denerim.
"I heard hearsay regarding her when I arrived in Denerim… she was to be put to death before Warden Claude took her as a recruit, as for the one who came to my city; he's been taken care of and locked away where nobody will ever find him" Howe spoke of the rumours he'd heard while walking amongst the people; having heard of The Elf Recruit's past employment at a reputable butcher's and how she'd supposedly been a nice girl in appearance but turned out to be a criminal to public eye.
"That might not have been wise, Warden's may have caused the death of our King but they are still extremely skilled and could eventually break free of your confinement, if such an event were to pass then we'd be finding our heads on a chopping block" Loghain spoke back with a sudden aggression; a side that Anora rarely ever saw and hadn't seen since King Maric's death, his fists clenching at the prospect that a Grey Warden was still alive and as long as that Warden lived then he'd be a threat.
"Not likely; nobody knows he's under The Arl's Mansion except us and my personal guardsman, call him… insurance" Howe merely shrugged his shoulders at Loghain's concerns regarding Howe's Prisoner; instead smirking with absolute certainty that The Prisoner would be of use somewhere in the near-future.
Anora felt her eyes widen as she stopped eavesdropping on Loghain's and Howe's conversation; letting the door shut behind her as she pulled her foot free from the space between the door itself and the wall; walking down a guard-lined hallway to a guarded door where Cauthrien and her personal handmaiden stood waiting with the door open, passing through without so much as a word.
"My Lady… you appear disturbed, do you need a confidant?" spoke The Handmaiden with a low bow of servitude, a dark-haired Elf dressed in a long servant's brown-coloured dress with black shoes stood waiting for instruction though her voice was full of concern for The Queen.
"Erlina; I trust you with my innermost thoughts regarding my marriage to Cailan but please… do not question me about what I have overheard" Anora swept across the bedchamber with all the grace of a regal woman; speaking carefully though her eyes conveyed all the hints of a woman in distress that only Erlina could detect after years of service as a confidant.
"Very well Your Majesty, your nightdress has been prepared and your bed warmed; would you need any more need for my services tonight?" The Handmaiden named Erlina spoke with another bow; speaking respectfully to The Queen even though she was a trusted confidant but never spoke above her station.
"No Erlina, you may return to your home… and take some of the food for yourself and your family" Anora spoke as she stared down at the white nightgown set down upon the bed; adding an offer for Erlina to take some of the leftover food meant for her and Cailan back to her own family in The Alienage where poverty was rampant.
"My eternal gratitude My Queen" Erlina spoke with another bow and a thankful tone of voice; walking backwards out from the bedchamber and leaving Anora alone though she thought on what could possibly have shaken The Queen in such a manner.
Standing quietly as her handmaiden shut the doors with Anora herself finally left alone; her thoughts couldn't help but go over what she'd heard her Father and Now-Arl Rendon Howe discuss before the doors to The Throne Room had shut, she questioned whether they'd truly organised the death of her Husband and the elimination of any survivors, shaking her head to dismiss the thought as she stepped over to her nightgown laid out across the large and fine bed she'd once shared with Cailan and now the space laid empty; a quiet pleasure wafted over her mind as she no longer had to think of the women he'd bring up to their bedchamber and now was hers alone, a silent resolve to rule the throne alone being born in her heart and mind.
Denerim: Elven Alienage.
Gathering around the signboard as a City Guardsman nailed a royal proclamation for all to see; The City Elves stared in horror as they read what had been inscribed upon the parchment as muted whispered were passed through the crowd, The Guardsmen watching with weapons primed as one of The Alienage Elves was taken by Grey Warden: Ser Claude in case the crowd turned violent that that particular Elf's family drew nearer to read the proclamation.
By Order of Teryn Loghain; father of her majesty Queen Anora declares the following decree that any member of The Grey Warden Order surviving the coup at Ostagar which had tragically taken the life of our beloved King Cailan: Sole Son of King Maric have been charged with high treason, any Grey Warden Survivors found in our land of Ferelden must be turned in for their crimes for the just reward of One-Hundred Gold Coins.
Many mutterings spread throughout The City Elves at the prospect of the vast reward; a sum of coin that would not only feed the community for many months but improve their lives by a significant margin, Elves glanced over their shoulders as Cyrion and Shianni both stood in abject shock from the proclamation notice as their entire community knew that Kallian had been taken by The Grey Wardens.
Valendrian slowly walked through a parting crowd; standing at the head of the crowd with his voice of authority as Village Elder, leaning on his walking stick as he walked through the mud and lay eyes of the parchment only to spit into the mud upon reading the blatant lies, "Anybody who believes this rubbish shall speak none of this; and anyone who does shall find themselves outcast"
The crowd briefly looked around each other; a harsh punishment for believing a questionable proclamation had been laid bare, the crowd of Elves dispersing much to the shock of The Guardsmen
"Never! Sers Duncan nor Claude would never turn against The Crown" Cyrion stated with certainty; reaching out for the parchment and tearing it off the notice board with one stroke of his hand, tearing it into pieces where he stood and letting the shards fall into the mud.
"What about Kallian?! Do you think she still lives?" Shianni spoke; briefly looking up at the sky as rain still fell, praying to any deity for her Cousin's survival and continued health when as a child Kallian had rarely gotten sick while other children including Shianni herself had been bedridden by a wave of food poisoning.
"I pray that she is still alive… I will even pray to the human's deities for her safety" Cyrion spoke mournfully; speaking hopeful that his daughter was still alive though part of his heart and mind worried that her cold body might be laying in the dirt somewhere.
"There is no need to pray, I know that Kallian still lives; I feel it in my heart and soul" Shianni spoke solemnly; her hands pressed together in prayer as she stared up at the dark rainy sky as her hopes for Kallian's survival remained strong and hoped that she might someday return to them.
"Of course you do; you are her father and a parent always knows their child is safe" Valendrian spoke; his bony hand patting Cyrion's back as he spotted Nelaros' Parents standing outside their house, he knew that Cyrion and Nelaros' Parents had not spoken since the fateful day that Nelaros had died; a silent resentment had grown where the two families were supposed to have been unified by marriage.
The parents of the late Nelaros caught Valendrian's eye as he stood alongside The Tabris Family; only reacting with a distasteful glare before shutting their door behind them with a slam so violent that the hinges almost broke from the force, Cyrion looking over at the house with sadness as they'd not been allowed to take and bury their only son's body and instead told that his body had already been disposed of and not so much as a hair remained.
"I believe I should speak with them; console their loss" Cyrion spoke mournfully; his worries for his daughter having overshadowed the concern he felt for the family of Kallian's fiancée, Nelaros' death would be a harp pill to swallow for Kallian but how his parents had suffered was unknown to him.
"I would not do so Cyrion; they may be resentful that Kallian and all the other girls lived while their one and only offspring was murdered, and et us not forget that Soris has disappeared" Valendrian spoke; his bony withered hand grabbed Cyrion by the wrist with surprising strength for his old age, speaking on Soris' unknown fate whereas the fate of Nelaros was publicly known.
Like the notion had just dawned on him; the realisation that he'd only thought of Kallian: his only daughter while his only son: Soris remained missing, nor was an arrest warrant posted for his capture following the incident proving that he may still be alive but his safety was unknown to his own family.
"Come… we'll discuss what to do over drinks, dear young Shianni please join us" Valendrian spoke; raising his arms to usher Cyrion and Shianni both into his own home, guiding his guests in as he gave a quick look to The Two City Guardsmen standing idly by under a loose canopy besides the the long-since abandoned, derelict warehouse.
As the rainfall grew heavier as if the heavens themselves were mourning the loss of so many in The Battle of Ostagar, many of the once bustling crowd split apart to take shelter under the many canopies over the one and only merchant stall The Alienage was home to, the family homes that surrounded The Home Tree and a now-derelict warehouse.
"Do you think these Knife-Ears will attempt something? The First Guard spoke with suspicion; his voice filtered through his helmet, while a consensus between City Guards was to barricade off The Alienage and only allow The Elves to exit the barricade for cheap labour/work though Anora deemed the consensus to be too extreme and refused to allow such conduct.
"Are you stupid? They'll dress one of their own like the treasonous bitch who got carted away and turn her over for the gold, Knife-Ears are too predictable" The Second Guard laughed through his iron helmet; eyeing the Elves through the slit in his headgear as many Elves gathered under canopies and in corners to discuss in hushed tones, assuming that his own words would be proven when something much darker lay on the horizon for The City Guardsmen and Denerim itself.
The Circle Tower.
Only a handful of Mages had been present in Loghain's Army at Ostagar; many of the Mages that had been amongst the first wave were left behind lying dead in the blood-stained dirt for the carrion crows to feast while more had been cut down during the trek for an attempted bid for freedom, only Wynne, Uldred and three others had returned to The Circle Tower to a less-than-warm welcome from The Templar Knights standing guard outside the large main door; the two Knights standing guard peering accusingly the both pulled levers hidden in the stone structures on either side of the door thus allowing the door to open from the outside.
The doors creaking open as the locks opened one after another; the heavy doors swinging open as a pair of braziers ignited with flames to welcome the few surviving Mages back home to their isolated Tower where it was often felt to be more akin to a prison than a home, only a small group of Templar Knights joined by Gregor and Irving stood waiting.
"Wynne, Uldred, Nestor, Mina and Foxe" Gregor spoke without any concern in his tone of voice; his arms crossed over his armoured chest as his fellow Knights looked on through the narrow slits in their featureless helmets, listing the names of the surviving Mages one by one as each bowed their head as their name was spoken, Nestor and Foxe being twins with long brown hair, strong jawlines and piercing eyes while Mina stood as a slightly skinnier girl than most at The Circle but her locks of black hair bounced with her every step.
"Nice to see you too Gregor" Uldred spoke; his lips curling into a smile as he strode past The Knight-Commander with Nestor and Foxe following in his stead leaving Gregor with a confusing thought as he felt a cold shiver from merely being around Uldred but shrugged off the feeling as the winds blowing through the door as it closed and shimmered with a spellbinding lock that couldn't be opened from the inside without The Knight-Commander's Key.
"Irving, Gregor, always a pleasure to see you both not arguing… I understand there was an incident in my absence" Wynne spoke first; stepping past a noticeably glaring Uldred as she cast her arms around Irving first and Gregor second though Irving welcomed the embrace while Gregor merely looked uncomfortable.
"There was Wynne; I trust that Neria had informed you… though I do need to hear of her attempt at The Joining?" Irving answered back; expressing his question about Neria's fate in joining The Grey Wardens as if he was her grandfather awaiting news on a major life changing event.
"You needn't worry as Neria and two others survived that Rite, but I do not know what happened to them after the battle and Loghain has degreed The Grey Wardens as Outlaws"
"Thank The Maker" Irving sighed a breath of relief; having been worrying about Neria's fate due to knowing how few survived The Joining and feared that Neria's eagerness to become a Grey Warden may had lead her to seek out her own death, the news that she passed coming a a breath of fresh air though the degree incriminating Grey Wardens only brought that fear back.
"That girl…" Gregor muttered under his breath; allowing himself a small smile upon hearing of Neria's success and survival but returning to his normal gruff exterior before any could notice his relief.
"Returning to our incident regarding Jowen… we shall discuss that in private, but first I must ask… is what Loghain saying about the events of Ostagar true?" Irving spoke with a haunted expression proving that the dark circles around his eyes were from a lack of sleep caused by guilt for failing Jowen and allowing Ser Dalila to take Neria.
"I too would like to know if what The Teryn is true" Gregor spoke grimly; his eyes narrowed as Irving and Wynne knew too well that Gregor held a long-standing dislike for Teryn Loghain for a complication in their youth that had never been truly resolved.
"Sir; I do not believe is it our place to question these proclamations, Lady Dalila was a Mage and she was a practitioner of the more arcane…" spoke up a helm-wearing Knight from the trio of knights; lifting his helmet to reveal a closely-cut blonde hair and bright blue eyes akin to that of Lyrium.
"Shut up Cullen; you did not know her as we did, Dalila was a powerful woman but not a traitor" Gregor snapped at The Templar Knight; calling him by name as Cullen hung his head in shame for speaking ill of the dead.
"I'm sorry Knight-Commander! I withdraw my statement" Cullen stammered; apologising for his words as he shrank back amongst the ranks of his fellow Templar Knights.
"Damn right you will; all thoughts disgracing Warden Dalila and Neria will be wiped clean from your brains!" snapped Gregor; rasing his left arm in a sweeping motion as he declared to all that they should disregard all ill-willed thoughts regarding the two Warden Mages, both Irving and Wynne stood surprised by Gregor's sudden outburst.
"It is certainly rare for you to praise a Mage… what happened in my absence?" Wynne spoke while surprised; she'd never seen Gregor compliment any Apprentice Mage before and to hear The Knight-Commander praise Neria's own skill was a truly rare moment.
"If I may be excused… I must rest before returning to my duties as a teacher to the fine young Mages we house" Uldred spoke; breaking the surprise of Gregor's praise of the absent Neria, his eyes half-closed though Gregor swore he saw Uldred's once green irises had turned red.
Catching a glance at Uldred's eyes; Gregor cast a questioning look in Uldred's direction after failing to catch such signs with Jowen and suffering for it, opening his mouth to speak just as Uldred along with Nestor and Foxe all vanished from view.
"Gregor; let us continue this discussion in private" Irving spoke up; his eyes following Uldred as he too noticed the red light in Uldred's eyes and that Nestor and Foxe both also had the suspicious glint of red in their eyes though dismissed the look as a sign of exhaustion from the long march from Ostagar.
"Agreed" Gregor nodded his head to Irving; dismissing his Knights with a wave of his head followed by a loud series of clicks as the locks and enchantments sealed the main doors once again.
"Mina; you too can go rest; the journey has been long" Wynne spoke; turning her sight to the one remaining Mage who'd been remarkably quiet throughout the gathering, Mina standing steadily though the shadowed under her eyes told of her exhaustion.
"Thank you Wynne; I shall tend to children first before returning to my dorm" Mina spoke in a sweet voice; trailing off to see to the sleeping children that she cared for, Wynne knew that Mina had had a one-sided rivalry with Neria before undergoing her own Harrowing hours before Neria's but had taken only a few seconds longer to pass than Neria herself but still regarded herself equal in skill.
With The Templar Knights included a shameful Cullen retreating to their own Quarters on The First Floor; Gregor, Wynne and Irving ascended to Irving's Office that doubled as his own Quarters, the trio of leaders of The Circle Tower gathered around Irving's desk and settling into three fine chairs.
"Wynne; would you please recount the events of Ostagar, I do not believe Loghain has revealed the whole truth with this proclamation" Irving spoke solemnly; his eyes peering out from his aged features with a thirst for knowledge that Gregor matched with an equally interested stare from his normally stern gaze.
Wynne sighed as she's been present within Loghain's Forces when he'd abandoned the battlefield and left so many to die, speaking with forced words as she recounted everything from encountering Neria and her fellow Recruits, how they'd supposedly encountered a woman named Flemeth but denied that any more thought before recounting the retreat and the explosion atop The Tower of Ishal that had followed their smoke signal, Wynne sunk further into her seat as she spoke as if the tale was as painful as the most fatal of wounds so much as that she clasped her face with one hand as she fought back tears for the thousands who died.
A long silence hung over the three as the retelling sunk in; the only sounds being the cracking of the wood within the fireplace, the breathing of the three individuals sat around the central desk and the a slight wind billowing rain against a window, the silence breaking as a sudden scream echoed that drew the three leaders' attention as the screams turned to pained howls and cries.
The howls and cries grew longer and darker in tone; Gregor's face contorting into a suspicious expression as he stomped towards the door of Irving's Office and swung the door open, the sounds halting moments after Gregor stepped out into the cold, dimly-lit hallway with Irving and Wynne carefully following behind Gregor with scarlet flames igniting in their hands to light their way before the torches ignited themselves on cue when somebody walked the hallways at night.
Upon entering the long winding hallway between Irving's Office to a Central Staircase leading to The Mage's Dormitories lit only by the burning torches and a dim red light emanating from afar; the heavy steps from Gregor's greaves echoing against the cries and screams as the three hurried down to the lower floor only for the red glow to intensify greatly until the shadows of Mage Apprentices contorting in agony grew larger in size as extra appendages manifested from their bodies; some shadows displaying a third arm or howling as if speaking through more than one mouth.
"Blood Magic! I was afraid this day would come… Irving! What do you have to say for yourself?" Gregor snapped; all traces of his apparent respect for Irving, Wynne, Dalila and Neria been dashed away by the sudden usage of Blood Magic by an unknown count of Mages though to Gregor's mind paved a path leading him to assume that all Mages had turned to the forbidden arts.
"No… they wouldn't give in that easily, there must be a reason behind this" Wynne stated; her voice full of concern as the screams became louder and more horrific as it became apparent that more and more of The Mages were succumbing to temptations of Demons and Spirits.
"I don't understand this myself… the only Mages who returned from Ostagar besides me was Uldred, Foxe, Nestor and Mina" Wynne exclaimed wildly; holding her footing as a cold air passed through the corridor as the screaming suddenly halted leaving a deathly silence in its wake.
"Then where are they?!" Gregor spoke; the sudden cold air and deathly silence causing him to put on his guard as his right hand reached up for the hilt of his weapon, a dark shadow flitting in and out of the corners of the trio's vision leaving a feeling of being watched for several long minutes before a voice spoke.
"Right here…" spoke the hissing, raspy voice from behind Irving's back.
Though greatly aged; Irving turned quickly like a man half his age, his Staff aimed for Uldred's chest before his old eyes saw the form Uldred had taken, now dressed in a flowing robe of purple and crimson as black scales had taken form over the backs of his hands and those same scales spotted over Uldred's shaven head whilst his eyes gleamed a brilliant scarlet.
"Uldred! Explain yourself right now!" Gregor demanded as his weapon was drawn; a Greatsword that he held with one hand with a gleaming series of blue runes inlaid into the blade each emitting a gentle glow as even Uldred took a backstep away from a Templar's Weapon.
"Why should I Gregor? Jowen already proved you and your feeble, fat Templar's can do little against Blood Magic and precious little Neria is no longer here to save you, Blood Magic is the true might of the Mages and you both are fools for not utilising that power to free yourselves from your shackles!"
"Uldred; please stop what you are doing and speak with us… you know what you are doing is wrong" Irving spoke; almost pleading with Uldred as he stepped forwards as he also offered his right hand forward for Uldred to take and repent for his sin although they all knew the only form of repentance would be The Rite of Tranquillity.
"Shut your ridiculous mouth Irving; you know as well as I do that Blood Magic is our rightful destiny as Mages and we should have the freedom to pursue that destiny without the scrutiny from that pathetic sect of Knights nor The Chantry's bullshit" Uldred barked; waving his arms as a powerful wind blew from the motion of his arms that pushed the trio of Gregor, Irving and Wynne backwards several paces.
Irving retracted his hand as Uldred had rejected his gesture; expression deep disappointment in his own former-student as he gazed into the scarlet eyes of a Blood Mage seeking any trace of the humanity that remained after Demon Bonding only to see nothing, "How long ago did you bond? It cannot have been today".
"How astute of you Irving… I bonded while at Ostagar, you have no idea how many voices of otherworldly presences there were in that crumbling ruin and I chose the strongest and most devilish of them all" Uldred spoke with sickening satisfaction coupled with an equally sick satisfaction smile as Irving and Wynne stood shocked to his reveal.
"The presences in Ostagar were dangerous! Ancient Spirits are the most corruptive! You know this and yet you still took one in!" Wynne exclaimed in shock; astounded that Uldred would ever give any one of Ostagar's Ancient Spirits entry into his own mind, body or soul, the enormous risks involved with bonding and how he'd even managed to do so when Templar Knights had accompanied their every move.
"Just one? Surely you jest! I took in the mightiest I could reach!" Uldred shouted with glee as his own shadow cast by firelight split into something much larger and bulkier than either one of The Enchanter's could fathom.
"I do not need to hear any more! This man is exactly why Mages should be locked within these walls and never allowed to step out into a world they'd willingly destroy with this accursed Blood Magic!" Gregor snapped loudly with a voice full of rage, gripping the grip of his weapon and about the draw the weapon when an invisible force struck Gregor hard in the chest.
"I told you to shut up! If you won't be silent then I will silence you!" Uldred barked; raising his right hand with an open palm as an invisible force akin to a very large fist struck Gregor with such force that his chest-plate cracked under the mighty blow, Uldred raised his left hand and swiped through the air as a clawed hand constructed from purple lightning manifested from Uldred's left arm that reached out and grabbed a hold of Irving with blinding speed.
Irving gasped in pain as Uldred's Lightning Claw grabbed him and slammed his body into a wall and knocking him out with one strike, Irving's body crumbling to the floor as his breathing turned shallow as scarlet beads of blood emerged from a gash to his forehead.
"I have heard enough from you! You shall not lay so much as another finger on The First-Enchanter!" Wynne shouted at the top of her old lungs; raising her White Wood Staff as an Arcane Aura shimmered around her frame; the shimmering light taking shape of a much younger figure rising over Wynne's shoulders as a pair of golden eyes glared out at an amused Uldred.
Uldred smirked as Gregor had crumbled into a heap while Wynne was showing her true powers; the purple shimmer in the air lingering around him as his scarlet eyes stared deeply into Irving until Irving himself felt like he couldn't move like a set of invisible chains had been wrapped around his limbs without his knowledge while Wynne's Arcane Aura had protected her from Uldred's attack.
"A pity you've chosen to resist me Wynne… though few had declined my offer of knowledge and power at first… the temptation is always present in the minds of every Mage and you know it too well" Uldred spoke as he threw his head back with laughter; Gregor laying defeated and Irving was only moments from being in his grasp, Uldred extended out his right arm as the purple sleeve of his robes was shredded apart from an unseen force revealing that the flesh of his arm was stretching and contorting like something was trying to break out from a fleshy prison before his skin bled profusely and broke to expose a new arm of scales and muscle.
Screaming in horror as Uldred's right arm morphed into a much longer and muscular, purple-scaled arm with four clawed fingers that curled around Gregor's armoured body; lifting the Knight-Commander off the ground with obscene and inhuman strength, Wynne spotting that Gregor had suffered a bleeding headwound while Irving groaned in pain as he was lifted off the ground by Uldred's untransformed left arm while a shimmering ice chain extending from Uldred's left palm that curled around Irving and Gregor both and lifted them off the floor.
Wynne could only watch as Nestor and Foxe both emerged from the shadows in the walls; each gazing out through gleaming scarlet eyes proving that they too had accepted Blood Magic and the Demons that were drawn towards such Magic, the ice chains splitting off from Uldred's left palm and into the hands of the two Mages who'd clearly joined in this madness.
"What are you going to do with them? Your spells are much more powerful than you're letting on" Wynne posed her question; having watched Uldred's physical motions for each Spell as well as the mutation of his right arm and had noticed that he'd been restraining himself by a great deal.
"I'm not going to kill them yet… I have need for them both Wynne; I also have need of you… or what dwells within you" Uldred spoke solemnly; his demonic arm shrinking down and returning to its normal state of a human's arm though some purple scales remained along his forearm, elbow and his backhand.
"And what need do you have for my friends that you speak of?" Wynne questioned; posing her question as she held her hands behind her back as she prepared a Spell of her own, taking steps around Uldred, Nestor and Foxe until her back faced the doorway to the next staircase heading to a lower floor.
"Do you not consider us as your friends anymore Wynne?" Uldred remarked with unusual friendliness; chuckling to himself as he observed Wynne's footsteps and lack of any attempt to rescue Irving or Gregor from their capture.
"No! I'd never call a traitor like you a friend!" Wynne snapped; tying her fingers in clockwise patterns behind her back as her Spell took longer to cast as she spoke with Uldred, praying that he did not figure out her intentions as the shifting of her arms would give away her hand's activities.
"You pain my heart Wynne; your words wound my heart" Uldred posed with false heartbreak as he gripped his chest with his scaled-arm while Nestor and Foxe both grinned so widely that their faces contorted to resembled a nightmarish monster before returning to a stoic expression as Uldred glanced at them.
"I doubt your heart feels much of anything now that you've joined with a Pride Demon" Wynne spoke judgingly; able to identify which Fade-inhabiting creature that Uldred had bonded with by his monstrous arm, purple lightning claws and the purple scales left behind in its wake.
"You would know Wynne, after all that aura of yours looked just like…" Uldred spoke; shooting her with a knowing look through his scarlet eyes as Wynne raised both her glowing hands as streams of blue magic flowed freely from her fingers and formed a large transparent rampart of shimmering stars glass-like material, Wynne sank to her knees from the effort on one side while Uldred and his fellows remained on the other.
"Just answer the question" Wynne snapped upon returning to her feet; cutting off Uldred before he could speak of her own past and the mistake she'd made in her moment of desperation; her aura vanishing now that her Barrier Spell had been completed.
"Irving… he knows the true secrets of Arcane Arts and that of Blood Magic and I desire that knowledge for he keeps it locked away in his office but only he can unlock that seal" Uldred spoke with a sickening grin as another scale manifested in his forehead; his voice shaking with two separate voices being spoke in unison: one being that of Uldred and the other deeper and raspy.
"The Black Grimoire… you crave that book? All this for a damned book?!" Wynne took a step back as she could not believe what she was hearing; she knew that that particular tome was locked in a secret compartment within Irving's Office and even she did not know where nor of the exact contents besides the legends surrounding that ancient Witch.
"It is not just a book! It holds the secret arts of the legendary witch: Flemeth! But also Gregor's Key! The key that unlocks the anti-magic seals placed upon all the paths out from this damned tower" Uldred held out both arms; his hands expression a beckoning gesture as the doors to the many dorms swung open as many Mages including those still in the throes of training and education emerged, each one staring out through scarlet eyes while some had indeed experiences a kind of mutation as those who'd failed possession stood with extra arms, legs or their mouths had malformed into beaks or their hair resembling a porcupine's quills.
"You have gone mad… you dove headfirst into the corruption of Blood Magic, pulled fellow Mages into that dark breed of madness, bonded with a Demon and you want to infect the very land with that madness?! I won't allow you to carry out this insanity!" Wynne shouted as she turned on her heels and ran; dearly hoping that at least some Mages had rejected the temptations and lures as Mina nor many of the children had been on this floor, her intent being to locate those few Apprentices and keep them safe.
"You can run all you desire Wynne! You cannot escape this place as long as those seals are in place!" Uldred called out as Wynne ran; watching with glee as Wynne hastily cast a barrier sealed the dormitories from the stairwell leading down to the library and to the ground floor as she fled seeking out any who had resisted Uldred's offers of power.
Standing amongst his fellow Blood Mages both Human, Elf and Abomination in the torch-lit hallway until the long shadows of Mages not yet present crept along the walls and floor; each shadow rising into a malformed creature of robes and bubbling flesh with clawed hands and webbed feet: Abominations of Mages who'd used Blood Magic and failed to properly bond with Spirits or Demons, each standing and growling as Uldred smiled with his legion that would only grow from this point onwards; opening his mouth to speak as his voice doubled into Uldred's own and a growling raspy voice, "I'll be waiting for you to return to me! Now then; Irving, Gregor… let us enjoy our time together".
Lothering Village.
The past three days has passed by Lothering like a blur; the residents going about their lives by visiting the Farm for either work or purchasing vegetables and meat from hunters though all they ever caught were Nugs, the most eventful moment were the fact that Mac Tir Loghain and his troops had marched through leaving behind only a small group of three Knights and a notice that had quickly been nailed to The Chanter's Board.
Peering out from under a hooded cloak that barely concealed the plain everyday clothes over chainmail nor the sheathed Silverite Sword hanging off his back; Fergus Cousland read the notice as quickly as he could only to gasp in shock as he read the proclamation that all Grey Wardens had been named Traitors to The Crown and were wanted for Treason, unwilling to believe what he read and read the notice a second time just as a Knight bearing The Ferelden Crown Insignia on his chest-plate spied Fergus amongst the crowd.
Keeping his head low so not to be recognised but thanked The Maker as the makings of a beard had begun to grow in over three days of laying low in Lothering following his escape after witnessing the deaths of Ser Duncan and King Cailan, watching as The Tower of Ishal had exploded sending stones and fragments of the once-tall structure falling onto their heads of many fleeing soldiers fated to die from falling debris or to the barbed Arrows that Darkspawn Genlock's and Hurlock's fired from bows; the howls of dying yells and final breaths still haunted Fergus' mind when he slept under the roof of the overly-occupied Inn.
Casting his sight around the village as the once sparse settlement was attracting the attention of many Knights and Brigands setting up checkpoints and so-called Tolls to take the coins off anybody who so much as dared to use the main roads; or attempted to use the woodland paths now littered with armed men and women eager to cut down any who passed and steal from the bodies, Templar Knights guarded the one safe haven: The Chantry Church though only those who had the coin to stay could lay within its walls while all others with coin had to make do with the poor lodgings at The Inn/Tavern named Dane's Refuge and those without coin lay under the limited shelter that tree's and over-extended roofing gave.
It saddened Fergus' heart to have been witness to the suffering of the people while he and his family had been of such high class but his thoughts were also of those who'd also escaped Ostagar and The Darkspawn, many of whom had ran in fear for their lives and kept running only to be captured by Knights and locked into stockades where they still stood waiting to die of starvation or dehydration.
Only a handful of survivors had escaped capture including himself; including a Female Mage who'd buried her Staff and traded her robes for an unassuming Chantry Robe to mix amongst The Chantry Sisters until she too could escape The Templars, a Male Steward who'd been clutching a satchel to his chest but had left Lothering as quickly as he could, many others having fled Lothering at the first opportunity but one Bow-wielding Rogue who'd in only three days had formed the most dominant bandit gang: The Winter Wolves.
Halting his path at the tall steel cages holding those fleeing from Ostagar or other criminals in captivity, five cages in all though only three stood occupied with two men and a woman, all three starved of food and water and on the verge of death, Fergus glanced down at the backpack full of food and water for the road he'd have to tread before glancing back to the three prisoners.
"Please… can you spare a piece of bread? Or a sip of water?" The Woman spoke; her voice hoarse and parched, her skin dirty and hair stringy from not being washed for weeks while her garments were soiled with dirt, wet patches and excrement and thus stank to high heavens to the point that Fergus stood at a distance.
"You were at Ostagar?" Fergus asked with an expression of interest; lifting the hood over his face so he'd might meet The Woman's own sunken, shadowed eyes met Fergus' clear but haunted eyes from beyond the iron cage's bars, eyeing The Woman until she looked away out of shame.
"No… I was a Winter Wolf; I tried to rob a Chantry Sister and was caught by a Templar" The Woman answered; ashamed of her actions to steal from The Chantry and carelessness by being caught by a tipsy Templar Knight outside the Chantry itself.
"That's cause for execution… why the stockades?" Fergus spoke with apparent surprise; his own experience with pickpockets having seen such criminals be beheaded for their crimes while this woman stood in captivity which was a much more merciful than what she deserved.
"They want information… about our leader; I'll never rat her out" The Woman screamed as loud as she could while malnourished; her hands gripping the bars of her cage giving Fergus a look at her hands and spotting her cracked, blood-spotted nails from how she'd been attempted to pry the lock open.
"Why are you so loyal?" Fergus couldn't help but ask his question of her loyalty to a leader who clearly couldn't care less about this person's capture; giving The Woman a questioning look as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Because Elissa gave us purpose and a way to survive these dark days" The Woman barked back upon being given Fergus' questioning look; speaking highly on how she'd been nothing but a street urchin before The Winter Wolves and for a too brief time had been part of something greater only to end up in a cage watching as people flooded into Lothering only to pass through without a care as dark shadows crept across the skies as winter drew nearer each day.
"Do you mean Elissa The Shadow? She was at Ostagar you know… Teryn Loghain has put a large bounty out on those who escaped that battlefield" Fergus thought on where he'd heard of a woman of that name before realising that the bandit leader herself was amongst the armies gathered at Ostagar; rumours had been that she was to be a Warden Recruit but vanished before The Joining could be commenced and had only reappeared hours before the battle was set to begin but the rumours seemed unlikely as The Recruits were picked by The Warden's Leaders.
"Should I care? Elissa brought all the common bandit gangs together; I'm not going to toss information on her out for some cold coin" The Woman answered back with an accusatory tone that surprised Fergus with how withered her body had become after time in imprisonment.
"You call them your friends but you've been stood here for three days and they've not come for you; even though their camp Is only a couple miles from here, haven't you considered that The Winter Wolves have abandoned you?" Fergus spoke lowly so not be to overheard as some patrons from the tavern/inn across the road were looking at him, though he secretly admired the dedication The Woman was showing her leader.
The Woman turned her gaze away from Fergus; a sense of shame overcoming her as the realisation came to mind that if The Winter Wolves had wanted her to return to their ranks even though she was nothing more than a mere pickpocket then her fellows would have broken her out already and yet she stood captive and at the mercy of Templar Knights who could liberate her head from her neck any time they pleased.
With a sigh Fergus picked off an end piece of his bread and took out a gourd of water; setting both down at The Woman's feet which she stared at with surprise, "Promise me something… you'll get out of this contraption within another day, and when you do you leave here and never look back".
"Tell me your name… kind stranger" The Woman stared down at the bread and water at her feet; stunned by the kindness shown by the stranger who'd questioned her on her captivity and loyalty, asking for his identity with shock in her voice but grateful for his generosity.
"Fergus… Fergus Cousland" Fergus spoke as he turned his head and lifted his hood from the cloak he'd adorned to hide his features from view; letting The Woman get a good look at his handsome face and developing beard before beginning his walk towards The Main Road that would guide him to his next unknown destination.
The Woman stared at Fergus' back as he left; she'd thought that Nobles were mere high and mighty jackasses who'd enjoyed kicked those born below them to the dirt to lick the mud from their boots but one had just stood speaking to her with sympathy and even gifted her with bread and water so she might survive her ordeal, crouching down as much as she could as her fingertips clutched the crusty bread and hard gourd and lifting both to her mouth as she saw that the two men in the cages either side of her had already died from their captivity; though the meal was meagre she'd been given the gift of survival but most importantly she swore that she would honour Fergus Cousland's kindness and live on.
Looking back over his shoulder at the uncountable number of refuges and crying children begging for their parents who'd likely fallen victim to beasts or bandits; Fergus let out a sigh as he stepped out onto the dirt road ahead of him, the wet mud squelching under his boots as his clothes and coat did much to protect him from the bitter cold winds blustering through the leafless tree's, with his weapon slung over his shoulder; Fergus pressed on passing a pair of Dwarves with a broken down cart as he left Lothering behind him alone as on the opposite side of The Village had seen the arrival of four poorly-dressed young travellers armed with a single sword and a suggestively-dressed woman.
Author's Note: This is going to be a recurring event between main plot stories, short stories about other characters featured from the Origin Stories, and others that may have had small parts to play in the original game including Fergus Cousland, Ser Cauthrien, Residents of Redcliffe/Denerim, Brother Genitivi, Original Characters, Etcetera… hope my valued readers enjoy this work thus far.
