Author's Note: Some lore/ world building this time around and we finally meet someone that I've been looking forward to... Hope you enjoy!
Harry and Morrigan stepped outside a few minutes later, having ransacked the building Marjolaine had used for anything of value. There was no real information found, other than the bitch's notes about how she'd had Leliana watched for the last couple of years- her paranoia that she would seek revenge eventually leading to Sirius and Harry doing just that in retaliation for the seemingly random assassination attempt.
He shook the irony of the situation from his mind and found Leliana and Sirius waiting for them.
"We found a very nice bow that I thought you might like to use," he said as he offered the beautifully-carved longbow to her.
"Marjolaine's Recurve," she replied as she looked it over. "It is very nicely made."
"Fitting to use it to help stop the Blight perhaps," Morrigan suggested. "Making an enemy's tools become a weapon for our side."
"Perhaps," the bard said as she replaced the bow she'd been using and stashed the old one away. "Shall we look around the market while we're here?"
"That's a good idea," Sirius agreed. "But we might want to stick together for a bit, just in case we run into any more trouble."
"Yeah, I don't feel like pushing my luck either," Harry sighed. "Why don't the two of you hit the next couple of shops while Morrigan and I keep our eyes peeled?"
"Works for me."
And thus began the inevitable shopping spree. What better way to cheer Leliana up but to buy her new shoes? Harry made just such a joke and realized all too late that he would be forced to do exactly that.
But among their more frivolous purchases, they also found several new pieces of equipment that would benefit them greatly. Wintersbreath was a staff that was practically made for Morrigan- it seemed to radiate cold in her hands and she could tell that it would be quite handy for her favored elemental attacks.
There was also a dwarven merchant selling weapons and armor he claimed came direct from Orzammar. From the little Harry could see of the designs, it did seem likely they'd been crafted by dwarven hands. And among his stall there was a particularly nasty looking great maul that he thought Oghren would love. He took the time to have silverite, flame, and dweomer runes added to it, not only to boost the destruction he'd be able to create with it, but also augmenting the natural resistance to magic that all dwarves seemed to have.
Harry was sure that would come into handy the next time Morrigan 'accidentally' chilled Oghren with one of her spells that had a larger area of effect. With the way the little barbarian charged into fray heedless of danger, he could probably share the blame with the feisty witch for some of the friendly fire he got caught in.
Thankfully, Wynne and Harry both knew a lot of healing magic.
It was interesting that the Creation magic of Thedas was so different, so very general compared to some of the incredibly specific spells he'd learned back home. They had a general healing spell that seemed to be for practically any wound, regardless of the type of damage, part of the body affected, or the severity of the injury. There was also a regeneration spell that helped not only to spur on a rate of supernatural healing but also prevent scars from forming.
That was a far cry from what Madam Pomfrey and others had taught him, both during the war with Voldemort and in the years after when he was a father merely interested in patching up his kids' scrapes and bruises.
Aside from his thoughts on magic and new weapons for his companions, they also found a leather cuirass made by a very finicky armorer that he had rather extravagantly named 'the Felon's Coat.' Leliana simply had to have it, and after trying it on, she claimed that it fit like a glove. Sirius certainly approved of the way it clung to her form.
Harry chuckled at the way Morrigan had sneered at the skin tight leather outfit; considering the way she dressed, he didn't think she could really talk. The fact that her cleavage had been on display since the first moment he saw her was one of the many things that he liked about the witch.
A few hours (and several hundred gold pieces) later, the four of them returned to Redcliffe where they found Wynne and Oghren bonding over ale.
The dwarf staggered to his feet with a smile at the sight of the 'new toy' Harry had bought him.
"This'll cave in so many darkspawn heads," Oghren laughed. "Speaking of which, where are we going next? I don't really want to sit around for too long while we wait for those blasted golems to finish marching back to Orzammar."
"We've got a new quest from that merchant that Arl Eamon mentioned," he replied. "An old Grey Warden base up North that will hopefully have some treasure for us to find."
"What type of treasure?" Leliana asked.
"I'm hoping for books mostly," Harry shrugged. "Any information I can find on the ways they've fought the darkspawn in the past could be of great help. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were other goodies too."
"Great!" Oghren said. "When do we leave?"
"In the morning," he answered.
"Good, I'm all shopped out today," Sirius barked out a laugh.
"I'm actually going to stop by the Circle again this evening," Harry replied.
"Do you mind if I come along?" Wynne asked.
"No problem."
Morrigan drew his attention. "Do you require my presence?"
"Not really."
"Good," she said. "I have some things of my own to do in the meanwhile."
Wynne groaned once she was finally able to stand without the world spinning. "That was more unpleasant than I thought it would be."
"Apparition is definitely something you have to get used to," Harry admitted. "It's better when you are using your own magic rather than being pulled along by someone else."
"I'll take your word for that," she said.
"But," Harry pointed to the Circle Tower standing over the lake that was so nearby, "I think you can see how useful it can be."
"We must have traveled a hundred miles in the blink of an eye," she gasped. They started the trek down to the lake shore to take the ferry across. "That is definitely useful. And you can use that magic to travel anywhere you've already been?"
"Barring incredibly long distances, yes," Harry replied. "The first time I ever really apparated, it was something like four hundred miles and I hadn't even finished the training at the time. I could go from Orzammar to Denerim with no real problem. Now, some place much further like the Anderfels or Tevinter might be too long."
"I can see why the flying carpet will be so useful for your future," Wynne said. "Not to mention our little group's travels."
"Yeah, if we can end the Blight, I'll probably hop on it and fly to some of the other nations and largest cities when I have the chance. It would be a huge advantage-"
"I think plenty of nobles would pay very good money for access to this sort of magic," she interjected. "Of course, they would have to have mages in order to use one of these flying carpets I suppose, which would make things even more precarious."
"Complications and politics go hand in hand," Harry chuckled.
"Now that I can definitely agree with," she laughed softly.
"So, what are you wanting to do back at the Tower?" he asked.
"I wanted to check on everyone and see how things are going," Wynne said. "There was too much death, and I'm hoping that things will be back to something approaching normal. Except for our lost colleagues."
"Checking up on the younger mages?" he grinned. "You enjoy playing the older mentor role, don't you?"
"I try to be a good example," she smiled. "I've made mistakes, especially in my youth, so I do what I can to help others keep from making too many big messes of their own."
"I can relate to that," Harry chuckled.
"It seems like you're still making messes," she replied with a raised eyebrow.
"This whole place is a mess with the Blight going on," he countered. "Any of my misadventures are small in comparison to what could be happening."
"True enough." Wynne got quiet for a moment as they walked. Once the dock was in sight, she sighed. "I have my own regrets that I wish I could take back. With everything we've seen lately, I wonder how much time I have left to try to fix things."
"Tell me one of your regrets," Harry suggested. "A burden shared is a burden lessened, so to speak."
"Perhaps," she nodded. "Many years ago, I was a poor mentor, too headstrong and impatient. My first apprentice suffered because of my foolishness. He was a young elven boy named Aneirin that was brought from the Denerim Alienage once his magic was detected."
"Alienage?" he asked.
"It is what they call the poor section of a city where the elves tend to live," she replied with a frown.
"Like second class citizens?"
"Unfortunately yes," Wynne agreed.
"They called them slums where I came from," Harry said.
"We have that word here too," she chuckled mirthlessly. "But the Alienage is specifically where the elves gather. I suppose they are trying to keep whatever fragments of their history they can, but it's also a way for humans and especially nobles to keep them powerless. Believe me, I did a lot of research after I lost Aneirin."
"How did you lose him?"
"I was too rigid," Wynne answered. "I wanted him to focus on magic, but he needed time to adapt to his new life. I was impatient and not willing to adapt my own point of view to what my student needed. That is how I failed him. One night when he was only fourteen, he escaped from the Tower."
She sighed. "He used to talk about the Dalish, those elves who still have something of their culture that roam the wilds. I think he wanted to try to find them. But the templars had his phylactery, so they hunted him down. I hoped that they would capture him and bring him back alive. But it was not to be."
Harry exhaled and grit his teeth. "Stories like that make me want to overthrow the templars, you know. Murdering a teenage runaway? If I weren't already caught up in one war..."
"I sometimes think of them as a necessary evil," Wynne admitted. "There are mages who go too far, who commit atrocities. Just look at Uldred-"
"But it wasn't the templars who stopped Uldred," Harry countered. "It was our little group- and three of the four mages are what the templars would classify as apostates. All except for you."
"There are definitely problems that need to be fixed," she held up her hands in defeat. "I just hope there won't be too many innocents that suffer."
"Now, that we can definitely agree upon," he said. "Innocent civilians are far too often the main victims of any conflict."
Half an hour later, the two of them had split up and wandered about the Tower on their own. Harry went in search of the two young mages he'd asked to research the magic involved in the taint the darkspawn carried; it was maybe a longshot, but any possible magic to keep open warfare to a minimum would be worth a try.
He found Alia Surana and Galen Amell arguing in hushed whispers at a small table in one corner of the library on the second floor.
"We can't be sure of that-"
"Four types, Galen!" the elf yelled. "I know the dates don't work unless we accept the unverified settlement in Korcari, but it fits. Otherwise, there shouldn't have been any Ogres in the first four Blights."
"Am I catching you at a bad time?" Harry cut in, making both of them jump.
"No, a good time actually," Alia said with a smile. "We've been working on the research project you gave us, and I think I've got a theory for the different types of darkspawn that you'll find. My boyfriend is just being stubborn."
"I'm just saying that we don't have proof of your theory," Galen interjected. "It does seem to fit, but the Qunari didn't officially come to Thedas until three hundred years ago."
"But there are references to a race of horned giants that were seen in the far south a thousand years before that," Alia countered. "If true, then it all fits."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Just as there are four races here in Thedas, there seem to be four races of darkspawn," she explained. "The hurlocks and genlocks are the most common, and with the genlocks being more short and stout, they are the dwarven equivalent. The shrieks, also known as sharlocks, are the most slender of them and they have pointed ears like we elves do. Finally, the Ogres are the tallest, strongest, and have horns on their heads like most Qunari do. Now, I don't know exactly how the darkspawn are created, but-"
"You don't want to know," he cut in. "It's a very nasty process, but your theory does fit what I've found in the Deep Roads. Darkspawn come from Broodmothers, and I believe each race that is captured creates a different type of Broodmother that then births the new ones."
"Broodmothers?" Galen asked. "I think I saw a reference to that in one book, but it was also an unverified account. Few mages venture into the Deep Roads, so our knowledge about them is somewhat limited. You may have better luck consulting with the dwarves."
"You said captured," Alia said with a sick look on her face. "Do you mean that..."
"That a captured dwarven woman can become mutated and tainted into a monstrous thing that creates more genlocks," he nodded gravely. Leaning over the table and lowering his voice, he continued, "I have seen it myself, unfortunately. We killed one recently. So, that would mean humans could be used to produce hurlocks, and so on."
"Yes," Galen grimaced.
"And I'm betting there's no known way to cure the taint, is there?" Harry asked.
"Well, maybe..." Alia muttered. "There was a Grey Warden mage named Fiona who was here briefly something like twenty years ago. The rumor is that she was cured of it and that's why she returned to the Circle in Montsimmard. You could ask Irving about her; they're both First Enchanters, so they might be in contact."
"Thanks, I'll do that," he smiled. "That's some of the best news I've had lately."
"Good," she smiled back at him. "It's nice to be able to help somehow, even if we aren't out fighting on the frontlines."
"It may still come to that," Galen said with a worried frown. "If the Blight gtets much worse, most of the Tower will probably have to join the army."
"I'd like to keep teenagers out of the war if I can," Harry sighed. But just the opposite had been the way of things in his youth, and he doubted that he could keep a promise like that. "If possible, I'd like to end this Blight as soon as possible."
"The Fourth Blight lasted for twelve years," Alia replied. "That was the shortest of them. The First Blight was almost two hundred years long."
"Anything less than a decade would be a miracle," Galen grumbled. "That means that we should be ready for the war one of these days, whether it's tomorrow or next year."
"I assume you didn't find anything else about a possible way to disrupt the magic of the taint?" Harry asked.
"No," Galen answered. "From what the Grey Wardens have said, the darkspawn act like a sort of hive mind. Their actions are directed by the will of the Archedemon. The taint connects them all. There are ways to stave off the taint, to keep it from killing you, but that's pretty much all known only to the Grey Wardens."
"Joining the Grey Wardens is the one way that we've found," Alia shrugged. "But I don't think it's easy to do or they'd just conscript everybody they could once the Blight starts spreading."
"Well, it's a start anyway," Harry said. He stretched his back as he straightened up. "By the way, I'm going to bring a dwarf here soon to study magic. I'd appreciate it if the two of you could help show her around and get acclimated to things here in the Circle."
"But dwarves can't use magic," Alia replied.
"They could probably work well with the Tranquil though," Galen pointed out.
"I think she'll be interested in that too, but she's largely wanting to study the theory of magic," Harry said. "In fact, if I'd thought about it earlier, I would have brought her along with me today. Oh, well."
"We'll help her," Alia grinned. "Any friend of yours is a friend of ours, Harry."
"Thanks."
"We do owe you our lives," Galen snorted. "It's the least we can do, really."
Harry started to nod in appreciation but then slowed to a halt. A frown formed as he spoke. "Dwarves can't use magic."
"Right," Alia agreed. "Everybody knows that."
"And yet, I've seen a few genlock emissaries that can," he countered. "So that means they're able to draw magic through the taint itself rather than calling on the Fade like most mages do."
"Does that difference matter?" Galen asked. "They'll be dangerous in either case."
"It could make them worse," Harry answered. "Their magic could spread the taint-"
"Just like their blood does!" Alia finished.
"Maybe that's why the Blights have always been so dangerous," Galen added. "Spill their blood, face their magic... it's said wherever the darkspawn set foot, the taint is left behind."
"So, not only is their biology part of the problem, but the ambient magic that surrounds them as well," Harry groaned. "Nothing is ever easy, is it?"
"Sorry," Galen shrugged.
"But we do have a bit more good news," Alia piped up.
"We do?" her boyfriend asked with a confused expression.
"Yes," she grinned for a second. "Although I might not have told you about it, so that may be my fault, but," she turned back to Harry. "I talked to Irving about the most powerful staff we could find for you to use. It should be waiting for you at the quartermaster."
"Great," Harry said. "I'll have to look at the enchantments on it and see if I could replicate something for my friends."
"You can make staves?" Galen asked.
"It will be a learning process, but I have created similar magic-focusing objects."
"Well, can we join you to take a look?" Alia wondered.
"Sure."
A few minutes later, Harry found himself studying what was called the Staff of the Magister Lord. It was a masterpiece of enchantment, and he could tell that it would help him greatly when casting spells native to this world. As for how to make a copy of it, even with the help of his old pair of charmed glasses, he could tell that the process would be time consuming. There was simply too many different layers of magic running through it.
He paid for the staff happily, knowing the mages could use the money to help rebuild the damage from the Tower as well as stocking up on more supplies for the war. It was money well spent.
"So, how were your friends?" Harry asked as he and Wynne left the Tower later that night.
"Petra is doing well," she smiled. "I've had a good feeling about her for a while, and she has stepped in admirably to help look after the younger apprentices. I worry about Keili though; she may not be strong enough to go to battle, when the need arises."
"Why do you say that?"
"She's always had issues with doubts and fears regarding her magic," Wynne sighed. "It may be best for her to stay in a support role as a healer, out of combat as much as possible."
"Healers are always helpful," he suggested.
"I heard you were looking for Irving."
"He was in a meeting," Harry shrugged. "I'll talk to him next time. The idea I had is something that can wait for now."
"Is it anything that I can help with?" Wynne asked.
"Do you know a mage named Fiona? She's the First Enchanter in one of the Towers."
"Montsimmard," Wynne replied. "That's in Orlais, since I know you would ask. I've met her a couple of times, but I couldn't say that I know her well. Why do you want to know about her?"
"She was a Grey Warden who somehow was healed of the taint," Harry said. "How that happened, and if it can be repeated, is something that I would very much like to know. It could be an immense help to rebuilding after the war."
Wynne chuckled. "I love how certain you are of us winning this Blight, but it might be a little early for you to start worrying about what comes next."
"It's a lesson I already learned the hard way," he countered. "There was a civil war in my homeland, and because those in power didn't do enough to fix things, it flared up again when I was a teenager. By the time that second war was over, I did a bit to try to help the reconstruction efforts, but I don't think it was enough. At least we got damn near all the terrorists that time. Still, I could have done more to get our society on a better path. Then again, I was only about to turn eighteen, so I probably would have botched it, no matter how good my intentions may have been."
"Would those in power have listened to you?"
"I was a war hero," Harry shrugged. "Let me rephrase that: I was the biggest war hero in the country. To most of the people, I think they would have followed wherever I led them because they saw me as a savior. Two fold, hrmph," he snorted. "But, I was young and I just wanted to live a normal life... or something like it, anyway."
"I think I understand."
"Now then," Harry stopped as they were out of sight from the little hamlet on the lake docks. "I believe we should return to Redcliffe and get a good night's sleep."
Wynne grimaced as he offered his arm.
"Shall we?"
"You said it gets easier," she sighed.
"Try breathing deeply and exhaling just as we go," he suggested.
"Alright."
"I much prefer this mode of travel to that earlier rope magic," Levi Dryden said as they flew along on the carpet headed towards Soldier's Peak, the lost Grey Warden base. Harry had made a portkey that took them near the Circle Tower and they'd been heading east northeast ever since.
"I think the portkeys that Harry makes are sort of fun," Leliana argued.
"Speed may be necessary, depending on the golems," Harry answered. "I want to be able to meet them when they reach Orzammar and make a big flashy entrance to get the dwarven nobles properly cowed into acting less like fools. With any luck, that will mean we'll have more ready allies to bring to bear against the darkspawn."
Oghren snorted. "I wouldn't trust any noble to know how to pull his head out of his ass."
"Oh, there's bound to be one or two bad apples that might have half a clue," Sirius replied with a laugh.
"I believe we'll find that out soon enough," Wynne added. "Now, young man, tell us about this place we're going."
"I think that's it," Levi pointed to a range of mountains in the distance. "It feels right, anyway, but my dreams always showed me a passage through old tunnels."
"You've seen it in your dreams?" Morrigan scoffed. "Why should we believe this is anything more than mere fancy, or even worse, a trap created by demons?"
"Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of this place," Levi explained. "My family's name was disgraced after what happened there to my great-great-grandmother. Supposedly the Grey Wardens were traitors, but it was two hundred years ago and the records of the days of King Arland have mostly been lost. I want to restore the Dryden name, and it will be all the better if it helps the Grey Wardens at the same time, especially when there's a Blight to deal with."
"We're getting close," Harry said as he pointed to an old snow covered fortress that had come into view. "Just keep your eyes open and stay together. If there are any traps or monsters, we'll handle them."
"It's massive," Levi said with awe in his voice. "What a fortress."
There were several layers to the thing, built along the slope of the mountain. A particularly tall tower capped the main section of the keep, and there appeared to be only one gateway in through the outermost wall.
"Looks like we're going to need to land in a second," Sirius said.
Harry tensed as he noted the stench of decay in the air. The feeling he now recognized as a weakened Veil was stronger here than any place he'd previously experienced it. "There's been too much death here. Sirius, take over the carpet for a moment while I clear us a path."
"What are you-"
His godfather's words were cut off as Harry's form was wrapped in shadows.
The Master of Death leapt off and floated down, the cloak billowing softly behind him as he landed. Several skeletons began to rise, eager to attack, but he raised his left hand, the dark stone gleaming, and silenced their shuffling steps.
"Begone, spirits! Your time is over. Leave this place and find your eternal rest."
There was more of this feeling coming from inside, so he strode towards the main entryway to the castle.
"Maker's breath!" Levi shouted. "What... what was that?"
"Power that you should fear if you ever betray us, merchant," Morrigan sneered.
"I just hope Harry leaves something for me to kill," Oghren muttered. "I didn't come all this way just to look at the snow."
"But you've never seen snow before, have you?" Wynne asked.
"It's cold and it's white, and I'm already starting to get bored," the dwarf answered. As soon as they were low enough, he hopped off the carpet and ran after Harry. "Hey! Save some of 'em for me!"
"See, now Oghren definitely would have been in Gryffindor," Sirius barked out a laugh.
"That was the house of the foolish, as I recall," Morrigan replied with a smirk. "So yes, I do believe you are correct."
"Yeah, and you would have been a Slytherin," Sirius rolled his eyes. "All the biggest bitches went there, including my cousins."
"The house of the cunning and ambitious," she replied. "That does sound like it suits me."
"Considering Bellatrix tried to kill me, you'll have to understand why I am not fond of them."
"Are you saying I should keep that tradition alive?" Morrigan wondered. "I suppose it would offend Harry if I did so. Alas."
"We should catch up to them, just in case," Leliana suggested, her change of topic clearly an attempt to calm the tension.
"Good idea," Sirius agreed.
Levi was walking in the back near Wynne and he tugged on her sleeve. "So, er, what was that all about?"
"Our group is united in purpose, but we do not always see eye to eye on things," Wynne answered with a sigh. "Morrigan seems to delight in being as unpleasant as possible, and she often tries to push our buttons. While her magic is useful, her personality is grating at best."
"Then why is she here?"
"Harry is the only one that really likes her," she answered. "And he is our fearless leader," she added with a disgruntled laugh.
They followed the rest of the group up a wide set of stairs and into the main keep.
Just inside the door, a vision appeared.
"The men's morale is low. My spells are of no use in this matter, commander," one hazy ghost-like image said to an armored woman.
"There is more to leading men than sorcery, Avernus. I will remind them that they're Wardens." The ghostly woman stepped into the center of the room and several other faint human images surrounded her. "Men, I won't lie to you- the situation is grim. Our forces outnumbered, our bellies empty, and our hearts are sagging.
"But we are Wardens! Darkspawn flee when they hear our horns. Archdemons die when they taste our blades. So are we to bend our knees to a mere human despot? No!
"I, for one, will never give up. I, for one, will never surrender just to dance on Arland's gallows. So I propose here and now, in these hallowed halls where generations of our brethren stood vigil against darkspawn and evil... That we send a message to that fat bastard. In this sacred place, proud men, strong men, stood defiant. I would rather die than submit to tyranny!"
The hazy ghosts faded away as the dream-like memory ended.
"What was that?" Leliana asked.
"A remnant of days gone by," Morrigan replied mysteriously. "Memory from the Fade allowed to slip back into our waking world."
"There is too much death here," the deep voice spoke from Harry's dark, cloaked form. "It clings to this place, the Veil weak, and the memories have seeped into the stones. It shall have to be cleansed."
"Um, Harry? Are you alright?" Sirius asked.
"Death shall answer Death."
"Well, let's get on with it then," Oghren grumbled. "And let me smash a few of them before you use your spooky magic."
A laugh rumbled out of the shadows. "Lead on then, my friend."
Past the entryway, they came to another large room and a couple of rage demons appeared, their glowing forms almost stepping out of the fireplace that was somehow still lit. Oghren took his chance and charged, his new maul smashing one of the monsters.
Harry let the rest of them kill the other while he opened the door to his left, raising one ghastly pale finger to his lip. "Sleep!"
When the others took a look a moment later, they saw several more undead bodies had fallen. He strode across to another door and led them down a hall that curved deeper into the keep.
There were a number of crudely erected barricades, a couple of them blocking doorways, but they eventually came to a room with more rage demons that were quickly dispatched. After which another ghostly memory appeared- an older man, a mage judging by his robe, wrote in a book.
"The door won't hold, archivist," a younger woman spoke.
"Almost done," he replied. "The truth must be told."
"What does it matter? We're dead," she replied as there was a banging on the other side of the door.
"Our grand rebellion... so close... and to die here a stillbirth."
"We never should have done it. Wardens aren't supposed to oppose kings and princes."
"Should we stand idly by-"
Their voices were cut off by a crash and the image faded.
"Rebellion?" Levi muttered. "But Sophia must have had her reasons. The Wardens are heroes."
"Sophia? That was your ancestor?" Wynne asked.
"Sophia Dryden," he nodded. "She was the leader of the Grey Wardens, according to our family stories anyway. But I hadn't heard anything about a rebellion."
"There is more death that way," Harry pointed to the stairs leading to a door. "And the Veil grows even weaker. Be ready for more demons."
Oghren went first, not wanting to miss out on any 'fun' while Harry stalked after him.
Up more stairs they came to a very large hall with a purple mist hanging in the air.
Shimmering, another ghost memory appeared before them. Levi almost smiled for a moment at the sight of Sophia Dryden as she swung her sword and tried to rally her men in the middle of the battle.
"Make them pay for every inch, men!"
A soldier shouted and charged at her, only to be felled by a single skilled blow.
"Hold the flank!" she turned towards the door leading deeper into the keep. "Avernus, we need you!"
A mage answered her, his hands weaving a spell. "Nelatep obersooth sythan net bekon!"
Only as the demon appeared, roaring as it rose from the floor, did they spot the blood dripping from the mage's hand.
"Andraste's blood! Wh-what is that?"
One of the ghostly soldiers was torn asunder by the demon. Sophia Dryden raised her sword in triumph and called out again. "More Avernus! Whatever it takes!"
His hands again in motion, they could only watch as he summoned more demonic spirits. "Kaelee ai benfotus victus!"
The demons tore their way through the room, killing all who got in their way, no matter which force they were on.
"No! I command you, fight the king's men!" Avernus ordered the demons.
As the demons kept up their carnage, one of them turned back to mage and laughed. "Fool! So much death, suffering, and oh yes... blood. The Veil is torn now, and your soul is mine, Avernus!"
He seemed to realize his folly and backed away in fear. "Acolytes, retreat now. The battle is lost."
A couple of his fellow mages followed after him as he ran deeper into the keep.
"Avernus!" Sophia Dryden called angrily after him as she was caught up in the battle.
...and once again the memory disappeared.
"The Veil is torn; the demon was right."
Sirius turned to what he knew was still his godson in spite of the terror-inducing form he'd taken. As if the black cloak wasn't bad enough, the empty shadows of the hood where the voice came from seemed to echo and distort the sounds. "Harry, I don't think I can manage a Patronus right now. Are you still in control enough to do so?"
The cloak fluttered in the non-existent breeze for a moment until a much more human hand appeared wielding a wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
As Prongs burst forth and galloped through the mist, Harry reappeared looking mostly normal, bar a bit of sweat and tension on his brow.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked.
Harry nodded and waved his wand back and forth, directing Prongs to canter back and forth through the misty room. "I'll be fine, but we should move on soon. This is only a temporary defense. We'll have to find more answers to try to fix this place. There is still more death further on."
"Of course there is," Leliana groaned.
"The Wardens summoned demons," Levi said, shaking his head in disbelief. "And my grandmother, she knew. How could she?"
"We'll have to finish cleaning this place out before we search for answers," Sirius replied.
"Dibs on the door!" Oghren shouted as he barreled up the steps.
"Ready your spells," Harry added.
They followed the dwarf into a room with an altar devoted to Andraste, rows of melted candles in front of it. More of the undead rose, but Harry stayed far in the back, holding Prongs to keep the worst tear of the Veil in check while the others attacked.
They were skilled enough to make short work of the animated corpses, and he was called up to join the group.
He kept his wand pointed behind him, the glow of Prongs on the periphery of his vision. Coming to an abrupt halt, he stared at the shimmering barrier in front of one door. "Wynne, that looks something like the spell you'd used back at the Circle Tower to bar the demons from coming any further."
"I know," she said. "And I already tried to bring it down with no luck."
"So, what's behind door number two?" Sirius asked as he pointed off to the left.
"Only one way to find out," Oghren answered as he kicked the door in.
The stench of decay greeted them.
Standing behind a table, they found Sophia Dryden... or what was left of her. Her body appeared to be intact, although the skin was deathly pale and there were sores on her face.
"Step no further mortals. This one would speak with you."
"An abomination," Wynne said.
"Like recognizes like, creature," the reverberating voice replied from the corpse before it turned to Harry. "And you are something else as well. Something different."
"Grandmother?" Levi muttered.
"This one is the Dryden. Commander. Sophia. All these things," it laughed. "You have slain many of the demon ilk to get here, but the Peak is mine. This one would propose a deal."
"Is there anything of Sophia Dryden left within you?" Harry asked.
"This one has tasted her memories, seen her thoughts and hidden places. But she is food for this one, no more, no less."
"Sorry, Levi," Harry muttered. He raised his wand to the corpse. "Avada Kedavra!"
The green light struck the undead and it fell like a puppet after its strings had been cut. But a purple mist bellowed forward and coalesced into a much larger shape.
"Pride demon!" Wynne shouted.
The creature was all sharp and craggy, rock-like even as it was vaguely humanoid and standing so tall that it could likely touch the vaulted ceiling. It roared and moved to attack.
Feeling the Veil shift again, Harry chose to go on the defensive and trust his allies. Prongs was summoned into the room, keeping any further demonic spirits from being drawn to them.
Oghren tried to smite it with crashing powerful blows, but the demon practically shrugged them off even as what looked like flakes of rock looked like they broke off of it with every blow. Sirius moved to try distraction, animating chairs and stools from around the room and sending them to bash into the demon's legs whichever way it turned. It was a good idea, as it kept the thing from closing with any of the others.
Leliana's new bow was getting a workout as she fired faster than Harry had ever seen her, arrow after arrow piercing the jagged skin of the demon. Its torso soon resembled a pin cushion, though it roared in rage and swatted Oghren aside. Wynne sent a healing spell towards the kneeling dwarf.
Morrigan conjured up grease and sent it splashing over the demon. She followed that up by drawing her wand- Harry's eyes flashed to her as it was the first time she'd gone for his world's magic in the thick of battle, and he was very curious to see what she would do. The yew wand seemed to crackle in anticipation as well, and a crack was heard as she summoned and lashed the demon with a whip of flames.
The flames ignited the grease that covered the Pride Demon and it shrieked in pain.
Wanting to try out a thought that came to him, he waved Prongs forward and it charged through the demon. The light sent cracks through its form as it emerged on the other side of the room.
One last bellow was heard as the spirit was forcefully returned to the Fade.
As everyone caught their breath, Levi spoke from the doorway. "When all this is over, I'd like to give her some sort of funeral. No matter what she did, she was still family once upon a time. And I think I could use a drink."
"Now you're speaking my language!" Oghren laughed.
"But we still need to find answers," Sirius said as he walked back out of the room. "Oh, come on!"
"What?"
Harry followed him out back into the room with the altar where Sirius was pointing to the other door, where the magical barrier had disappeared.
"Of course, now the mysterious door opens for us," Sirius groaned. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You and me both, Chewie," Harry chuckled to himself.
Out the door they had come across a narrow path leading to the immense tower they'd already spotted standing at the peak of the entire complex.
Annoyingly, not only were there more undead that made Harry summon up his darker persona in order to easily dispatch them, but also a number of traps set in their way. One of which Oghren had nearly barreled into in his haste for combat before Sirius and Leliana grabbed hold of him and pointed it out.
As Harry sealed his magic, the rest of them waited for Leliana to disarm the traps to allow them to reach the other side.
Harry also repeated his summoning of Prongs and had it lead the way as he used his wand to flick open the door in front of them. The sense of more death standing in their way had been clear, and he didn't want to have to deal with any more undead rising or spirits trying to impede their path.
"This is going to be a nightmare to fix this place up," he muttered.
"Because of the tears in the Veil," Wynne said with a slight nod. "I agree; far too much pain and death has left this place reeking of darkness."
"What else have you sensed ahead of us?" Morrigan asked. "I assume there is still a reason for us to progress, other than merely obliterating the last of the opposition we've faced."
"There's one life," Harry replied.
"Someone's still alive here?" Leliana asked. "How?"
"That's a good question."
Through one more room with a few books and vials of something that Harry could sense held a form of blood magic, they eventually found themselves in a large open workshop and came face to face with a very old man wearing the robes of a mage.
"Even now the demons work to replenish their numbers," he said as he strode down a raised section of the room towards them. "Are you to thank for this welcomed but temporary imbalance?"
"We are," Sirius agreed.
"You're the one I've seen in my dreams," Levi said.
"Ah, the boy finally arrives," the mage smirked. "But who are these others with you?"
"The Grey Warden and his allies," Levi answered as he pointed out Harry. "I'm afraid he might be the last one in Ferelden."
"You don't count me?" The old man laughed before he turned his gaze on Harry. "I am Avernus. And I'm not sure who you are, stranger, but I know you are no Grey Warden."
"I was afraid of that," Harry sighed.
"But-" Levi sputtered.
Things may have just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
