Ragnar saw the keep site and saw the darkspawn had beaten them, though they hadn't breached the walls. Without a second thought, they rushed into the keep and into the hall.
Varel was talking to the few nobles that had remained. They'd already sent many of the available men on to help the city. What remained was a token force and the barely trained recruits. Apparently, they knew that the darkspawn army was approaching them.
Varel looked up and was stunned to discover Ragnar entering the hall with the others.
"C-commander?" he gaped.
Wartihog, too was stunned. "You came back for us?" He then smiled. "Bet you didn't want Wartihog to have all the deafening glory to himself."
Velanna was stunned. "You're here? You… you didn't abandon me after all."
Varel just stared at him. "I don't know how you got here in time, but Andraste's blood, we could use your help. A few days after you left for Trader's Bay, we spotted the darkspawn. A whole army. The walls have been bloodied, but the worst isn't over yet.
"We were strangely fortunate," said Ragnar. "The Architect sent a messenger to warn us of the attack, and we rushed over as fast as we could." Varel just stared at him and Ragnar, you what must be on his mind. "Fortunately, Teyrn Dagur arrived with a small army. They will defend the city while we return to the keep."
"Thank the Maker," Varel breathed with relief.
Ragnar then turned to Voldrik. "Are the preparations and repairs complete?"
"Aye, Commander," the dwarf said. "There will be no ogres bursting through the walls any time soon."
Herren spoke up. "Master Wade has been working day and night. The remaining men are properly geared."
"What men do I have in reserve?"
It was Lord Eddelbrek that spoke. "The men I brought for the war council are still assembled here." He gave a small nod. "We've not forgotten what you have done for us and our people."
"I'm not a half-bad shot with a bow," Sergeant Maverlies added. "I'll be on the tower. If you want me to fire at any particular darkspawn, just point them out."
Dworkin was wearing our man approached Ragnar. "Darkspawn by the scores and a handful of stone is all that separates us. Feels like home. I've got a catapult rigged with the explosives I have left. Just holler if you want a mess of beasties to meet their maker."
Ragnar nodded. "We're ready. Take your positions."
"As you command," said Varel. "Scouts report the darkspawn are advancing on the walls."
"I will fight with you, Commander," said Garevel. "My scouts will let us know where the fight is fiercest."
That gave him another fifty, in addition to the remaining Vigil guards and the trainees. He looked around the rest of the people in the room.
He then looked at his Wardens. "Nathaniel, you'll join Sergeant Maverlies and the other archers on the tower; that should give you a good wide view of the area. Anders and Velanna, the two of you will be in reserve and support the rest of us with some magic."
"As you command, Commander," said Nathaniel.
"I hope it's enough," said Ragnar.
"And if it isn't, I just want to let you know you're the finest Commander I've ever served under," said Wartihog.
"Thanks," Ragnar smiled.
They approached outside and just saw flaming boulders soaring over the keep. This indicated that the full force of the darkspawn army had arrived and was now attacking the keep.
Outside, the darkspawn were led by an orc calling himself the Herald.
"The Warden-Commander has arrived. The Mother will be most pleased with her Herald," he said menacingly. He then turned and looked at his darkspawn army. "We break this keep. We break the Wardens. We leave only ash!"
Ragnar looked at his Wardens and his men in the rush straight towards the courtyard.
"They broke in through the front gates!" cried Sergeant Maverlies from the tower.
"This way, Commander!" yelled Garevel.
They quickly rushed towards the front gates and will in time to see the darkspawn breaking through.
"Charge!" Ragnar commanded, pulling out his hammer.
He charged headlong into battle, swinging his sword, which he had named Vigilance, slicing through away any darkspawn that came an inch before him. He slashed off the head of an orc and stabbed a goblin right through the chest.
Wartihog went into a blood rate swinging his axe anything that moved, and everyone darkspawn and ally alike gave him a wide berth. Sigrun charged to where the battle was thickest; not afraid of dying, she swung her blades, slicing any darkspawn that came nearby.
Justice helped anyone that needed it determined to bring justice down upon the darkspawn by smashing their skulls with his mace.
Anders and Velanna stood at the gate that led to the courtyard providing support with their magics. Any darkspawn that came ten feet towards them were either burnt alive or frozen in place.
Ragnar pointed out targets he wanted Nathaniel and Sergeant Maverlies to be taken out, mostly Alphas and Emissaries.
They went to secure the gate but heard cries from within the courtyard and rushed up the stairs to find the keeps men, and the militia was engaging the children, which had to be the most disgusting of the darkspawn. The keeps men were wearing silver armour that withstood any attack the children threw at them, and he can help but marvel at Wade's work.
He was glad that they had blocked off the entrance underground. All they needed now was to face even more darkspawn. It didn't take them long to annihilate the children.
Hearing the boulders slamming into the keep's walls was slightly unnerving, but the wall stood firm. It was immensely glad that he paid Voldrik to reinforce the walls.
It took some time, but they finally managed to secure the courtyard, and after Anders and Velanna drank up the last supply of lyrium potion, they headed back towards the main gate where Varel was holding the line.
He bought the attack from an orc and swung his blade of a second one will continue to defend himself with the one he was fighting with moments ago and pushed it back.
"Hold together, men Andrate's blood, hold!" Varel cried. He then turned and looked at his men. "On me! For the Wardens! For Trader's Bay!"
"Varel behind you!" Ragnar cried.
It was too late. An ogre appeared out of nowhere from the gate and rammed into him. Varel knocked him to the ground, wounded but alive.
Ragnar charged straight towards the ogre but soon found a more emerging from the gate along with orcs.
"Dworkin now!" Ragnar cried.
Dworkin used the trebuchet at once to launch some explosives right on top of the darkspawn. He was glad he convinced Dworkin to be careful because the explosion was powerful enough to shatter the keep's walls alone.
The explosion destroyed a great number of darkspawn, but more kept on coming. Ragnar charged towards an ogre and sidestepped, avoiding its fist and then tossed one of Dworkin's explosives in its face. It exploded right in its face causing it to stumble, and Sigrun took the opportunity to drive her daggers right into its chest.
Wartihog slammed his act in the face of another ogre, trapping it in place. Then with all his might, he began to push the ogre's body backwards, and it toppled over, crushing a number of orcs.
Justice just charged right through the darkspawn, knocking them back with his mace and was assisted by Nathaniel, who kept on firing whenever he got a clear shot of any darkspawn that outflanked him.
Anders and Velanna helped immensely by casting their spells on any powerful darkspawn, pushing them back.
Once they secured the gates once more, Ragnar rushed over to a bleeding Varel, who was breathing quite deeply.
"C-Commander," he wheezed. "Did we win?"
Ragnar looked at him fearfully. "Hold on, Varel. Healer! Healer!" he cried desperately.
Varel chuckled and spat out some blood. "I've seen enough of battle to know… I'm a dead man." He looked at him, smiling gratefully. "It has… It has been an honour, sir." He then looked at him straight in the eye. "Fight them… with everything you have…"
Ragnar lowered his head. "Rest easy, old soldier. You will not be forgotten."
Varel then collapsed and remained motionless on the ground.
The healer arrived, but once she examined his body, she shook her head at Ragnar. "He's dead, Commander. There's nothing I can do."
Outside the keep, the Herald was now furious; the keep's walls refused to fall no matter how many boulders they fired or how many ogres pounded against its walls.
"Can you fools do nothing right? The walls still stand!" he roared. Furiously he grabbed his two hatchets and marched towards the Keep. "Send in the ogre. But the Warden-Commander. Leave for me."
An armoured ogre emerged from the darkspawn horde and ran straight towards the keep.
"Incoming!" Ragnar yelled with his hammer at the ready.
Darkspawn poured out of the main gate and descended upon them like a swarm of locusts. He commanded every single man under his command, and they engaged the horde that emerged out of the gate.
When they finally managed to regain control of the main gate, Garevel approached him hurriedly. "The courtyard is overrun! We must fall back to hold the keep's gates!"
Ragnar looked up and saw even more darkspawn heading straight down towards them, and he heard cries behind him and realised even more were emerging from the main gate. It was like being in Aresgan all over again.
Then it got worse when an armoured ogre smashed its way through the blockade.
"Captain, me and the Wardens, will deal with the ogre; you deal with the rest of the darkspawn," he yelled.
Garevel nodded and rallied the men to his side and engaged the darkspawn.
Ragnar, Wartihog, Sigrun and Justice charged at the ogre. Wartihog distracted it by slamming the heavy weapons into its armour, but he hardly made a dent, and it's simply not them aside.
It then slammed its claw-like gauntlets down upon them, but Justice appeared and used a shield to block them. Just as it was about a slam him with its free arm, Sigrun jumped onto it and dug her daggers into it cause it to for in pain.
Anders and Velanna then combined their magic to form one powerful electrical blast that slammed into it. As it roared in pain, Ragnar took this as an opportunity and jumped into the air and placed one of Dworkin's explosives down its throat and quickly somersaulted backwards. A few seconds later, the ogre exploded from the inside.
"That was disgusting," said Velanna.
"Commander!" Nathaniel cried from the tower. "The darkspawn general has just taken the field!"
Ragnar looked at Garevel. "We'll secure the courtyard; you take on the leadership!"
Ragnar nodded. "Wardens to me!"
He and the Wardens rushed down towards the main gate, where they found the Herald, with a hatched in each hand, looking at them menacingly.
"You are mine!" he roared.
"Not today," said Ragnar.
They charged at one another, and he rolled to avoid one of Herald's swings and then swung Vigilance at him. The Herald sidestepped and punched him in the face, and while he was off-balance, he then slammed his two hatchets down on top of him.
Fortunately, Ragnar wasn't quite as dazed and used his sword to block the attack and use the force to flip the Herald over his head. The Herald slammed face-first on the ground and lost one of his hatchets, but this did not stop them from getting up.
He roared as he charged, swinging the hatchet madly, but Ragnar grabbed a piece of dirt and tossed it right into the Herald's eyes, blinding him. Then before he could recover, he then plunged Vigilance right through its chest.
And with that, the battle was done. The darkspawn outside the keep, knowing their general had fallen, retreated as fast as they could, and the remainder of the darkspawn inside the keep were quickly slain.
Exhausted, he and the other Wardens toppled over and was soon joined by Garevel, Voldrik and Dworkin.
"We've… we've won," said Garevel breathlessly. He then looked sadly at Varel's body. "The price was dear, but the Vigil holds. Varel… Varel would be proud."
"The battle is won. But the Mother is still out there," said Ragnar grimly.
Sergeant Maverlies then came rushing towards them. "Captain! Commander! I've news," she said as she then handed a scroll of papers to Ragnar. "This has just been sent by a hawk; I believe it's from that Warden mage friend of yours. We also received a message from Teyrn Dagur saying that he has secured the city, but they are expecting more darkspawn soon."
Ragnar looked at the papers with great interest. "Anything else?"
"Yes, we know where the darkspawn came from! Their retreat left a trail even the greenest of recruits could follow.
"What are our options?"
"The army has taken heavy losses. Dead, wounded," said Voldrik. "It will be sometime before they can mobilise again."
"The commander has the right of it," said Dworkin. "Every day you wait is another day of broodmothers spawning new evil."
Ragnar closes his eyes and you what he had to do. "If the army can't do it, the Wardens will have to."
Dworkin nodded. "We've seen you in action, Commander. You and your companions are an army on your own."
"I can't take everyone; I have every confidence that Sereda and the others to secure the city, and no doubt they'll come here, and in case I don't come back, I'm going to need Wardens to pick up where we left off."
"So, who you take?" Garevel asked.
He looked at his Wardens. "Justice, Sigrun, Anders, Nathaniel, we're doing some darkspawn hunting."
His Wardens nodded, and together they exited from the keep, ready to end this new darkspawn threat.
Hiccup was still in the middle of trade negotiations with Celene when a messenger immediately approached him.
"Your Majesty, I do apologise for interrupting the negotiations, but this was urgent," he said, handing Hiccup a scroll.
Hiccup opened it up and began reading through it, and Celene watched intently.
"Anything interesting?" she asked.
"Only that a large group of darkspawn attack Trader's Bay city and Vigil's Keep," he said.
Celene generally looked concerned. "Are you needed back?"
"No, both attack's had been repelled," Hiccup assured her. "However, I think it's safe to say that the final conclusion of this little darkspawn civil war is about to come to an end."
Celene generally looked concerned. "I'm starting to believe that your rights that conflict on the continent is getting worse. Never before has there been an attack on this scale after a Blight."
"I'm just hoping that nothing worse happens."
"What could be worse than a Blight?"
"I don't know, but I pray that we never find out."