Managed to get another one done. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Please read and review and as always, enjoy!
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The village appeared to be in complete and utter chaos as Damien looked on from the hilltop. No… chaos was too calm of a word. The village was the scene of a massacre. If there were any survivors, he couldn't see them from the hill. But then where was White Fox? She wasn't the kind of thief to get herself mixed up in a bloodbath. More likely, she ran when she saw the village starting to fall.
"What's the plan, commander?" Daylen asked from behind him as Lyna stepped to his side.
"Where is the person we are supposed to meet?" she asked.
"We had a code that when two thieves met up to do a job together, you buy each other a drink to show you trust them not to run off with your half of the score. So, if she is still in the village, she'll be at the tavern or hiding with other survivors. For now, let's go do what Grey Wardens do best," Damien answered drawing his blades. "Kill lots of darkspawn."
The group moved down the hill silently. Damien kept a close eye on Zevran with him on the frontlines, while Lyna, Leliana, Daylen, and Neria supported them from the rear. The darkspawn were not too numerous and were spread out into small groups throughout the village. Damien and his comrades were able to dispatch the enemies one group at a time.
The last group was more organized than the others thanks to being commanded by an alpha hurlock. Damien moved using his magic to propel him forward. Using the momentum, he delivered a strike that knocked the alpha's weapon aside making an opening for him bury his right blade in the beast's eye.
"That was impressive, my dear warden," Zevran stated cleaning off his blades.
"Not really," Damien responded retrieving his own blade.
"You know, I think you're getting better," Lyna added.
"That's good to hear, but I'm still not where I need to be. There's no way I could take on an orge alone like Duncan could," Damien replied. "Speaking of which, Zevran, once we are done with this mission, I'd like you to train me in your style of fighting."
"Of course. As I said, I am your man. Whatever you need," Zevran said in a tone that made Damien a bit worried about the elf's intentions.
"Right, thanks…I think" Damien replied scratching his head.
Despite the corpses of their enemies around him, his blood kept burning in his veins. These were not the last of the darkspawn. In fact, judging from the strength of the feeling in his blood, they were very close. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the entrance to a cellar or some other underground area.
"Gather up. We'll head down into that cellar and see if there are any survivors. Be careful, there are definitely darkspawn down there," Damien ordered heading for the door.
"Hey, Wolf!" someone shouted from above him. He knew that voice, and only one person in the area would know to call him that.
"Fox, if you wanted to throw this kind of party, the least you could do is have some decent drinks," Damien shouted back looking up to the rooftops. Perched against a chimney was the redheaded elf that he was there to meet.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time," the girl answered dropping down from the roof and landing lightly before continuing her advance.
"Right, so where is this score you were talking about in the letter?" Damien asked looking around the village while keeping his senses on the darkspawn beneath them.
"Right there," Fox responded pointing to the statue in the middle of the square.
"The statue? What's so special about it?" Damien asked turning to look at the stone creation. He could not sense anything about the statue and it really looked like nothing more than a hunk of chiselled rock.
"That my old friend is a one of a kind, modified golem. I got word it was here after I got hold of the control rod for it, but the activation phrase doesn't work. You were always good at finding information and figuring out puzzles. I figured you could sort it out," Fox replied.
"Really? That could take weeks. Do you have any clues at all?" Damien asked.
"I did hear that the reason the golem is here is because the former owner's family is here. If they're still alive, they might be able to help," Fox responded.
"There are more darkspawn about. If the family is alive, the darkspawn are likely after them. We need to wipe out the darkspawn if we plan to look for survivors," Damien stated looking toward the cellar door.
"I guess the rumors were true. You're a grey warden now," Fox replied crossing her arms.
"Not only that, but I'm also the acting Commander of the Grey," Damien added.
"Shall we, my dear warden?" Zevran asked stepping to his side.
"Yeah, you coming Fox?" Damien asked.
"Actually, I think I'm going to hand over my share and head north. If you don't beat the blight, there won't be anything left to steal with there. Besides, the sooner the blight ends, the sooner the nations will get back to buying weapons and killing each other," Fox replied tossing him a crystal rod and waving her hand dismissively.
"Just giving up on a score? That's not like you even if you are thinking long term," Damien teased as the girl walked away.
"This score would only be worth it to a couple of buyers and it seems like it'd be a pain in the ass to take anyway," Fox retorted before heading toward the outskirts of town.
"I'd say thanks, but how about you and I grab a drink at the Spoiled Princess instead once the Blight is over," Damien called after her.
"First round is on you, hero," Fox replied.
Damien nodded and turned to the cellar door. Hero, huh? He hoped that was how all of this would end. A big feast that would even fill a warden up with a warm bed to sleep in after rather than a drafty tent and bedroll. He had dreamed of a proper bed that was all his own since before he could remember. That being said, he still had a promise to keep to Lyna. Maker, he hoped his comrades survived, but sadly, he knew that sooner or later they would lose someone. That was just the reality of war. Even in the legends and stories of great warriors and heroic battles, there was never a battle where one side escaped with no casualties. There were always tragedies in war, no matter who you were or how good or a fighter you were. In Damien's opinion, just like with a thief, warriors sometimes had to rely on pure luck and hope for the best.
000
Eliminating the rest of the darkspawn in the cellar was not easy, but thanks to Zeveran's abilities as an assassin everyone made it through without a scratch, although Neria had screamed when a spider landed on her face. Despite the dire circumstances, Damien couldn't help but laugh especially when she danced around like she wanted to get away from every surface that could possibly hide one of the creatures.
The last of the darkspawn had been trying to break through a very powerful magic barrier that was protecting what appeared to be most of the village's residents. A few looked to be wounded but Damien could not tell for sure through the thick barrier.
"Let's clean it up!" Damien shouted charging forward. There were only a few darkspawn left. He could have easily taken all of them out alone, but he figured it was safer to attack with numbers. Using his magic to push himself forward, he delivered a kick with both feet into the chest plate of a hurlock. He landed on his back and rolled backward to avoid any possible attack before moving in and blocking an intended blow with his left dagger while driving the right through the beast's throat sending it gargling to the floor spurting black blood from its mouth. Twisting the blade before retracting it ended the monster's life at the same time as the rest of his comrades finished off their own targets.
The people behind the barrier seemed to relax a little as he and his team approached them, but trust apparently came at a high price since the barrier remained up.
"Is everyone okay? I'm Damien, a Grey Warden," Damien announce producing his pendant. The moment they could see the griffin on the necklace, he could see their shoulders lift and hope return to their eyes.
"We have a few wounded but we are alright," a man behind the barrier reported.
"Well, if whoever is keeping the barrier up could lower it, I have a mage with me who is very talented with healing magic," Damien stated motioning to Neria.
"Are all the darkspawn gone?" the man asked.
Damien closed his eyes for a moment just to make sure, but the feeling in his blood told him the nearest darkspawn was at least a half day's journey from the village.
"It's all clear. You should all gather your things and evacuate. I would suggest moving to Redcliffe. There will be plenty of job openings and the villagers there could use help," Damien said as the man waved his hand. The barrier dissipated allowing damien and his team to pass through and a few of the villagers out.
"The Bann didn't send you did he?" the man asked.
"No, I came on other business, but after seeing the darkspawn attacking the village, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Damien explained.
"What other business could have brought you here?" the man asked looking back at Damien and his companions.
"To be honest, I was looking for the owner of the statue outside," Damien stated. As they followed the man, Damien could feel some magic coming from the man, but judging from the way the villagers treated him, he must have been a free mage. However, there was another source of magic nearby. A very powerful presence that made his stomach turn, just like back in the tunnels leading to the Urn.
"Statue? Oh… you mean Shale." The disgust in his tone was palpable.
"Shale huh? If that's the golem's name then yes, but the activation phrase I was given doesn't work," Damien stated, crossing his arms. This man had to be the owner and judging from the tone he was using, he did not want that golem to ever wake up.
"That thing killed my father. If I have anything to do with it, that monster will stand right there until it crumbles," the man responded with a snarl.
"With me, your golem might do some good. I'll be fighting darkspawn after all," Damien said remembering Leliana's words to the revered mother in Lothering when asking for Sten's release. Hopefully, it would work here too.
"I can't. I'm sorry. Shale is simply too dangerous to be allowed to go free, no matter how much help it might be," the man responded.
"Maker's blood, are you kidding me? A weapon like a golem could tip the scales in our favor in this war. I don't care how dangerous it is to handle. I've faced darkspawn, demons, and blood mages. A golem won't be a problem," Damien snapped.
"Did you say demons? You've faced demons before?" the man asked glancing at a door behind him.
"Why do I get the feeling that there is a demon locked up behind that door," Damien asked taking a few steps closer to the door. That feeling in the pit of his stomach kept intensifying. An impending sense of danger.
"My father was a free mage and his research focused on reducing the risk of possessions for young mages. To that end, he summoned and trapped a demon in his lab. But, my daughter got scared and ran inside when the darkspawn attacked. I'm sure she is still alive, but I can't get to her." The man seemed almost on the verge of tears. If there was anything that he was lying about, Damien couldn't tell.
"I'll tell you what. I'll rescue your daughter in exchange for the activation phrase for Shale," Damien offered eyeing the door. There was no doubt about the danger, but he had faced demons before. Hopefully, this one wouldn't be that different and he could save someone and get a new powerful ally to boot. "Deal?"
"If you can save my daughter, I'll give you anything you want," the man exclaimed. "Please, save her."
000
The corridor behind the door reminded Damien of the escape tunnel leading out of Highever castle. The low ceiling would have easily scraped the top of Sten's head if the qunari stood up straight. Of course, the thought that Sten's hard head would break through the rock was not far behind that mental image.
The power Damien felt in and around this place made his skin crawl. It wasn't that different from the feeling he got while in the tower with the demons around, but this power was unlike the abominations or low level demons. This power tempted him forward, beaconing to him like a lost lover. He could feel the demon's influence trying to claw its way into his mind and put something similar to a mental blindfold over his eyes.
"Not to bother you, my dear warden, but perhaps we should turn back," Zevran suggested.
"You must be feeling it too, huh?" Damien responded as they continued forward
"Whatever is up ahead is powerful and not very friendly," Daylen stated holding his staff at the ready.
"It's like something is calling for me," Neria said as her balance wavered slightly.
"Think of other things. It doesn't matter what it is, just distract yourself from that feeling," Damien ordered rolling his head on his shoulders before quickening his pace. He had to think of something, anything to keep from being lured in. Think of someone… a feeling… her… Bethany. Her slightly curled black hair and the way that it caught the moonlight from the window while they were in Lothering. That beautiful smile that stole his heart and put his mind at ease.
His mind want clear by any means, but he could finally keep his thoughts straight and discern which thoughts were his and which were influenced by the demon.
"You are an interesting one, mortal. There is something about you that is different from the others," an unfamiliar female voice stated, with a slight echo in her words.
"Get out of my head," Damien snarled looking around. The demon must have had a firmer hold on his mind than he had thought. He was in a large chamber with a sleeping girl, his companions and a horned demon. His group all seemed to be in a daze or perhaps a trans.
"But why? Your blood calls to me, just as mine must call to you," the creature teased rubbing her purple skin with her clawed fingers.
"I'm gonna kill you. I swear to Andaste and the Maker, you will die before I leave this room," Damien snarled.
"How interesting. I believe I would enjoy watching you try," the demon replied.
Damien could still feel the demon's influence on his mind as he raised his weapons. The beast had been right about one thing. Something in his blood was calling to her, and he could still feel… wait, 'her'?
What was making him think of this thing as a person? It's a demon. Nothing else. Just a demon. Push it out. Whatever it is, whatever needs to be done, do it and push it out if you're mind.
Damien closed his eyes just for a moment, hoping the demon would not charge him while he couldn't see and dug as deep into himself as he possibly could. He needed to find a way to push it out, knock it way. Maker's breath, something that would help him fight and kill this monster.
Without warning, Damien felt something in his mind flip, or maybe crack. It was as if a barrier that had been keeping him away from a secret had broken and glimpses of it were slipping through.
With a roar, Damien's unleashed his magic in a way he had never thought possible before. He could feel the weapons around him as if he had a thousand hands all touching different parts of the room. His own daggers levitated over his hands as the multitude of throwing knives from his back pouch formed and arch over him, all the blades aimed like arrows at the demon. Damien didn't have to move to control the blades. His will alone caused them to pursue his target, slashing and piercing the demon dozens of times no matter how it tried to dodge. The last blow was his daggers separating the creatures head from it's shoulders in a scissor motion. The influence it had on his mind immediately vanished and his weapons dropped to the floor waking everyone else in the room, or perhaps it was because of the extermination of the demon.
"What just happened?" Leli asked looking around and rubbing her head.
"Nothing too spectacular," Damien lied trying to figure out just how he had accessed such an awe inspiring power. He could still feel the crack in the barrier in his mind. But that simply raised even more questions. What was this barrier? Why was it there? Who put it there? Had he broken it himself, or was the demon's influence to blame? Nothing made sense about his power at the moment, but he could feel his magical strength was greater now. He'd have to experiment later to figure out just what this new strength could do.