9:30 Guardian ?
We were walking blind through the trail. There weren't any torches that were lit down here. The good thing was that it was one straight shot. We found a few torchers that were still lit, luckily for us. We found a door ahead of us when we heard growling and someone screaming bloody murder. We took out our weapons and stormed through. There were cells on either side of us and only one that was occupied with undead trying to scramble towards them.
Then they noticed us.
Talen set up a small fireball while Alistair and Eren shielded everyone from the flames that shot back. Those that were still capable, ran toward us. I slipped through Alistair and Eren and high kicked one while stabbing my dagger in another. Leliana finished the last one with a head shot. They were left burning on the ground.
"Undead, not a good sign." Alistair sighed.
"Let's see who we have here." I said, going over to the cell.
"Please don't hurt me! I swear I never caused any of this mess!" I looked in the cell and there was a young man with his greasy hair plastered against his head and face. The robes that he had on were tattered and ripped apart in a few places. He had blood shot eyes as well as bags underneath his eyes. Everyone else came over and Talen gasped.
"Jowan!?" He yelled.
"Talen? What are you doing here?" Jowan said.
"I could say the same to you." Talen glared. "What in the Maker's name has you in a cell? Don't tell me you used your-"
"I didn't! I was hired by Isolde but I didn't cause any of this!" Jowan yelled.
"Like void it wasn't!" Talen punched the cell.
"Hey! Calm down!" I said, grabbed Talen's hand. I felt a strange sensation then. There was a pull I felt when I touched Talen, slight but noticeable. Talen tore his hand away from me and scowled, rubbing his hand while standing away.
"I'm guessing you two knew each other?" Eren asked.
"We were raised in the Circle until he got me kicked out of course. If Duncan wasn't there, I would have made tranquil or worse, been sent to Aeonar. Some friend he is." Talen scoffed.
"Let's not bring anything that won't help us in this matter. Now, Jowan wasn't it? Tell me why you are involved in the Arl's family and, if you aren't the culprit, then who is?" Eren crossed his arms. Talen was still scowling and not looking at Jowan.
"It started when I fled the Circle. I had nowhere else to run when someone came to me with an offer I couldn't refuse, freedom from the Circle entirely. I had partnered with Loghain." Jowan started.
"Are you shitting me! Loghain!? How can you trust that snake?" Alistair banged against his cell.
"Alistair this isn't the time, save your anger." Eren said and Alistair backed off.
"I…well…he told me that he would convince the Circle to take me back but I had to do something for him in exchange…" Jowan gulped. "He told me to go undercover and infiltrate the castle. Isolde hired me because Connor had started to show signs of magic."
"Connor? A mage? That wouldn't go over too well with Isolde." Alistair sighed.
"Why is that?" Leliana wondered.
"Mages can't own anything and can't be passed down anything even if from prominent families. The most their family can do is give them privileges that others couldn't have. The Arl wouldn't have an heir basically." Talen explained.
"Not only that, Isolde is a pious woman. She was worried about others learning of Connor so she hired me, an apostate, to help him control his magic hoping that he would be able to hide it as he got older." Jowan explained further.
"That doesn't explain what Loghain wanted you to do." Eren said.
"He…he gave me something to poison the Arl." Jowan looked down.
"Shit!" Alistair kicked the cell.
"Alistair you better calm down or I will take you back out to the windmill." I glared.
"And she will have my permission to do so too." Eren added. Alistair groaned and walked to the other cell and leaned against it.
"I know how bad it sounds but I had no other choice! I thought what I wanted was a life outside the Circle but I found it isn't as easy to survive out here. I lose everything my friend, my love, Loghain was going to help me get back in the Circle and even allow us more freedom! But he has abandoned me, hasn't he?" Jowan's voice cracked.
"That still doesn't explain why the undead were attacking the village. Someone had to open a rift here." I said.
"Yes it was Connor. He doesn't have a full grasp of his powers and when he saw that his father was getting sick…I think he allowed a demon to possess him to grant him the power to heal his father. It didn't go the way he had planned however. The demon took over Connor's body and killed nearly everyone in the castle. When Isolde found out I had poisoned the Arl, she threw me in here. Later, she demanded that I fix what I had done but I never called a demon! Connor has to be the one that has done all of this!"
"What do you think Eren?" I asked.
"We need to stop Connor if he is the one that is orchestrating all of this." Eren sighed.
"There are only two ways to stop this." Talen lifted two of his fingers. "One, we go into the fade and sever the connection between the demon and Connor or…we'll have to kill Connor." Talen scrunched up his eyebrows.
"We are not killing a child!" I yelled.
"I agree as well. For now, we'll have to get to Connor first and see what we can do." Eren said.
"Wait!" Jowan said. "I know you have no reason to trust me but I can't help but feel responsible for all of this. Let me out and I will do my best to try to help you. Please, I've done so many wrong things. Let me do something right for a change."
"Are you crazy? You're asking for redemption now after everything you did!" Talen shouted. "You tricked me! You tricked Lily! I thought you were my brother more than my friend and you left me to die! They forced her to go to Aeonar and I was nearly sent there. If it wasn't for Duncan then I would be…you are always looking for the easy way out, you son of a bitch." Talen hissed, a few tears coming out from his eyes. "You…You traitor! You lumped yourself with Loghain as well! Why, by Andraste's sword, should we even let you out of here!? You should rot with these things!" Talen shouted, grabbing at the cells that were heating up with his magic.
"Talen stop!" I grabbed him by the robes and he didn't fight me. He bit his lip and his eyes twitched with unfallen tears. He had gripped the bars as they heated that I noticed he burned his hands.
"Talen…I'm sorry." Jowan said quietly. Talen growled but I held him back.
"To err is human, to forgive is divine." I said. "We can make judgements all we want but if someone is seriously considering to walk the other path, then we let them." I looked at Leliana who looked at me with an indescribable emotion.
"Are you telling me we should let him go? Just to let you know the reason why he was wanted in the first place is because he's a blood mage! Does that make you really want to let him go now?" Talen spat at Jowan.
"Hypocrite." I said.
"What?" Jowan wondered.
"If he's a blood mage…" Alistair backed off more.
"You're forgetting we have one too." I glared at Talen.
"Talen, you're a blood mage?" Jowan gasped.
"It's different! I was taught, I didn't ask a demon!" Talen shot back.
"But it's still Blood Magic no matter how you slice the pie." Alistair commented. Talen glared at him.
"Nia, you're asking a lot out of us if you want to release the one who poisoned the Arl free." Eren rubbed his face.
"I agree with her. He is willing to seek redemption and we are not the ones to judge him. The Maker will judge him on his acts. Besides, it's not like he'll get far. We have the ring and that's the only thing that can open the door." Leliana said, giving a small white lie. That trap door can be busted open if anyone really wanted to get out.
"I'm not going anywhere, please." Jowan pleaded with us.
"In the end, you're the one that has to make the decision Eren." I said.
"I know. Leliana, unlock his cell. If we see you again, working your blood magic, I will personally end you." Eren said. Leliana took out her tools and unlocked the cell. "What you do from here on out is your decision. We've wasted enough time here. Let's go." Eren said and Leliana came with us. Talen wouldn't look Jowan in the eyes.
"Don't make things worse." Talen mumbled, opening the door to the next room.
"I won't." Jowan said softly. We went through many rooms that had cells though every single one was empty.
"Damn, this is a lot of cells." I mentioned.
"Redcliffe castle is one of the most fortified locations in Ferelden. It should be able to withstand a major attack from an enemy. This is only one of many of the underground facilities of the castle. We should be getting close to the harbor." Eren said, going up the stairs and opening the door. We were met with a metal structure supported by large chains. We looked up and saw another and we faintly heard the sounds of waves.
"There's a harbor? In a castle?" Talen wondered.
"Redcliffe castle would be used as a de facto capital if Denerim ever fell and can be self-sustaining. Cells to hold prisoners are abundant, the carved out harbor to bring in supplies, the high walls and sitting on the cliff face for maximum defense. Unless the enemy was ready for weeks of fighting, it would be difficult to take this place." Alistair explained.
"The structure is amazing, that's for sure." I whistled. We went up another level and found a make shift barracks. There were tons of boxes that held equipment but most needed repairs. It was really dark though and, halfway through, we heard the tell-tale noises of undead. We got ready with Talen setting alight an old table to give us more light in the room. We were faced with seven undead, three with armor and weapons.
"The guards probably." Alistair sighed sadly. Talen set up a barrier around us as Leliana got one in a head shot and Alistair, with Eren, shield bashed the ones with equipment. I moved swiftly to the others, moving in between and stabbed them in the head and decapitating another. Talen helped Alistair and Eren with a small fireball to weaken them. Leliana got rid of the other one that tried to grab at me. We left the room and went higher. We passed a large cell and found the stairs to the harbor.
More undead were there waiting by the boats. About ten rushed at us. Talen set a wall of fire that they had to pass through. We were being careful with the flaming undead by trying to aim for their heads. Some caught out to our tactics after we killed half of their group. They rushed Talen who yelled in surprise.
"Oh no you don't." I grabbed one and hit another undead with it. Alistair and Eren came around and bashed the others off Talen who immediately set off another fireball.
"Watch it!" Eren warned as it came close to setting him and Alistair on fire.
"Sorry!" Talen said having one undead grab at his robes until Leliana shot at it and two more. I decapitated the last one and yawned.
"Tired?" Leliana wondered.
"I need a drink and a bed." I moaned.
"After we stop this. I'm sure Teagan will give us rooms." Alistair laughed. We went up the stairs from the harbor and opened a large gate to the courtyard. It was a wide courtyard that had seen better days. There were various bodies scattered about and we tread carefully.
"The way toward the main hall should be-" He started before all the bodies on the ground got up. We were faced with a small horde of undead and in the middle? A very well armored body with a longsword and intricate shield. It seemed different, moved different, and, just the presence of it, made the undead move differently.
"Why do I get the feeling that something about this is wrong?" I wondered, looking at the undead that snarled at us but not moving.
"Something is controlling them." Eren stated.
"What about that thing?" Alistair looked to the armored thing who had stabbed its sword into the ground and held its hand toward the group.
If I had to describe the sensation of a pull, I would say that something in your stomach kinda kicks up and your body follows suit. Then you're flying like a rollercoaster only less thrill and more, please make this stop. I landed hard on the ground a hair's breath away from the sword on my face. I raced back up my feet only to have a large hand around my throat. I got lifted up with the Revenant looking at me. I could barely breath as it glared at me.
Something happened though as I felt faint. A slight tingle from my back and tunnel vision. There was a power deep inside, wanting out. I wasn't sure. All I know was that my vision started going black before a sudden light filled me and I hit the ground again, almost retching from coughing so hard, wheezing and trying to fill my lungs with air again. The Revenant cried out as tears came from my eyes from my coughs and then a large boulder hit it full on.
Hands came from the undead, grabbing at me, trying to get to those few fingers and my face to chew on. Being on the ground, pelted from all sides, I couldn't find a good way out. I heard a few shouts and small fire wisps surrounding the undead. Soon their attention was diverted when Alistair tackled right into the group and scooped me up from the ground. He passed me into the arms of Talen who went and did another large fireball into another group of undead who were trying to get at Leliana who was in a nearby tree.
"Let me see." Talen looked at my throat and put his green hand over it. The pain from being choked slowly ebbed and I was able to breathe easier. Two undead came rushing over at us before being bashed by Eren. At this point, the Revenant pulled itself out from underneath the boulder.
"It's still alive!" Alistair yelled, dueling the Revenant who's eyes were still on me. Having a powerful spirit as a friend had its ups and downs. Being a target for demons though? I could do without. Eren roared, getting out another group of undead that were being whittled down by Leliana's arrows and then…
"I'm out of arrows!" Leliana shouted, going for the small daggers she had situated on her hips. I shook myself out of the pain and grabbed my daggers. I ran toward the tree that held Leliana as she jumped down, squashing an undead though there were four others. I high kicked one and dragged it to the ground where I shattered their skull. Leliana stabbed one dagger into an eye socket and used the other dagger to rend the skull from its spine. Two were left that tried to grab me. I held onto my dagger and reared back my right arm fully. I aimed in between the eyes and crushed its face before doing an upper cut, hearing that clean crack from the spine.
Leliana had kicked the undead away from me, crouching low and doing a sweeping kick to bring the undead to the ground. She stabbed downwards into the undead's neck. It tried to reach for her hair until she twisted the dagger to where it separated the skull and the spine. It's hand laid on the ground, harmless.
"Ok let's-" I felt that similar pull and couldn't even find the time to curse as the Revenant had me crash into Alistair. It was a miracle we didn't lethally harm each other with our swords and daggers out. Eren, who had been dealing with the last of the undead, finished with his group and tackled the Revenant away from the bodies that were me and Alistair. We recovered from the fall but I had felt something shift in my lower back when I got up. I couldn't wonder about it long when the Revenant had tried to stab its sword in my belly. I did a backward dash and got out of range.
Talen was hitting it with a barrage of smaller fireballs, not wanting to hit any of us. It whittled down its rotting flesh to the point where it lost its shield but held onto its sword. Eren, Alistair, Leliana, and I were slowly circling it. It did a wide swing and almost caught Alistair. Eren saw an opportunity at its unarmed side and tackled it into the wall. I saw a few crumbling bricks fall onto the Revenant who nearly chopped off Eren's head.
"Talen! Aim for the roof!" I suggested and Talen wasted no time in doing another fireball where the Revenant was standing under. It worked and a large part of the wall came tumbling down, crushing the Revenant. It wasn't dead yet though! Eren came and stabbed his sword downward through the spine and, finally, we had won.
"You had to say Revenant." Alistair panted.
"Next time I'll keep my big mouth shut." I rasped and cleared my throat.
"You're going to sound like a dying dog. It's best if you stopped talking for a bit to let it heal." Talen suggested, leaning against his staff more than usual. I took a potion to sooth the itchiness of my throat and we walked further into the courtyard.
"Here's the door leading to the main hall." Alistair laughed as he tried the door. It was locked and Alistair pushed from the other side. "Shit. It must be barricaded."
"Then we have to find another way in." Eren sighed.
"There's another passage here that the servants would use. This should get us to the main courtyard and get to the door over there." Alistair explained, leading us to another door. Eren went in first with the rest of us following.
"Wait, that wasn't the main courtyard?" I asked as we walked the corridor of the servant rooms.
"Of course not. The main courtyard has the main gate. That was the garden." Alistair chuckled. Three more undead came out of the servant rooms. Alistair rammed his shield at one, put them against the wall, and cut off the head. I tripped one and bashed it in the skull. Talen did a glyph of paralysis and Eren took off the head.
"We might as well look for survivors while we're here." Talen said, opening all the servant rooms but finding no one.
"You think there might be?" Eren wondered.
"You'd be surprised at man's tenacity to survive." Leliana commented. We opened another door to a library where there were four shades. They floated toward us and Talen threw out another fireball. They screeched in pain. Leliana and I stabbed one in their head. Eren and Alistair both slashed others before finally stabbing them. The closest one to Talen had a staff ran through them. They all disintegrated into the floor.
"Past this is the armory." Alistair said, trying the door but finding it locked. We kept on going down the hallways where one undead ran toward us who turned into flames for its trouble. We kept on opening all the doors we could find but found no one. Alistair found another door that would have led to the main hall but it was barricaded as well. "Again!"
"There's something in the main hall. This is the second time we've found a door to the main hall that wouldn't open. Ergo, there's something there. Maybe Connor." I deduced.
"Let's hope you're right." Alistair said, opening a door leading to the kitchen. Seven undead looked up at our group before Alistair shut the door. "Um, we have a problem."
"Do you think the Arl would be sad at losing a kitchen?" Talen asked.
"Well he has another one so-" Talen moved past Alistair and built a large fireball in his hands while the undead were already clawing at the door. Talen kicked open the door, shoved his large fireball through, and quickly closed the door. We heard screeches of pain and the door was knocked from its hinges. The door fell down when Talen stopped supporting it and the kitchen was a charred mess.
"That takes care of that." Talen patted his hands. We continued down through the kitchen, opening more doors until we reached a dead end. I opened the last door before almost being hit by a vase that shattered against the wall.
"Go away!" I heard a girl screech, throwing more things at me.
"Whoa! Lady! Chill!" I said, avoiding all the things she threw at me before Eren came up with his shield and stopped everything.
"Valena!?" Talen came around and she stopped throwing things. "Yes! I hoped I would find you."
"Wait, how did you know my name?" She asked, calming down.
"We were sent here to help anyone in need. I met your father in Redcliffe. He asked me to search for you." Talen explained.
"My father! Then if you came in, is there a way out?" Valena hysterically begged.
"There is one way but you'll have to go through the dungeons." I said.
"Are there more monsters?" Valena's voice shook.
"We got rid of all the ones we've found so far, trust us." Alistair gave her his winning smile. Valena didn't look too trusting though.
"I know my way around the castle, that should help. Thank you." Valena ran out as quickly as we encountered her. We rounded near the kitchen where it had some stairs leading down.
"Alright this should be the only way through the main courtyard. This connects to the larder and then has some stairs that connect to the guard's barracks toward the courtyard." Alistair led us downstairs.
"Are you sure that girl will be fine?" Leliana wondered.
"We opened all the doors on that floor and killed everything in the garden. She'll be fine." Eren reassured her. The larder was a mess but, with the cold temperatures, nothing has spoiled yet.
"What I wouldn't give for a big meal." Talen nearly drooled when finding a deer carcass.
"Not now Talen, perhaps later when this is all over." Leliana giggled.
"Sure. We'll have Teagan give us one! I think we deserve it." Alistair chuckled. We went up the stairs to the barracks that held no undead guards thankfully. We followed the doors out to the main courtyard. The gate was closed and our presence caused skeletons to come to life. Four archers surrounding the main hall door.
Talen did a quick barrier to surround our group against the flurry of arrows. Eren and Alistair made sure to keep their shields high to protect them from the arrows. Leliana and I followed closely behind them, using them as our cover. The skeletons hissed at us the closer we got before they abandoned their bows for proper daggers. They ran down, trying to knock us from the stairs. Alistair and Eren formed a shield wall against them. They rammed against them but only had their demonic power behind them, nothing against two full bodied men with massive amounts of training and experience. Leliana took this time to grab a skull and throw it down the stairs. I moved past and found myself right at the top.
"Hey bone heads!" I shouted to gain their attention and the other three looked at me. They took the bait. Eren ran his sword through one and Alistair bashed his shield against another skull. The last skeleton looked at them with fear before I went down and high kicked it off the stairs. Leliana crushed it underneath her foot and gave me a smile.
"That's the last of them, for now." I sighed in relief. The rest of us went up the stairs and Alistair breathed in and let out an anxious sigh.
"We're not sure if Connor is the one doing all of this Alistair, relax." Leliana assured him.
"No. If Jowan is right and said that Connor couldn't control his magic, then he will be the one doing all of this though possessed probably." Talen grimaced.
"We're not going to kill a boy right?" I voiced my concerns.
"No but if it comes down to it…" Eren let that thought hang. So Alistair threw open the main doors and we entered to make our decision.
Beta'd by FearaNightmare and Syutaku!
So you might have noticed how I've changed Redcliffe Castle. I'm taking the blueprint from Inquisition and going off of that rather than Origins. It was odd writing it but luckily I've been it ambiguous enough to make your own 'design' in your head. You didn't go through ALL of the Castle in Inquisition of course so I had some leeway.
Thank you Ace Kate, TheEarthDragon, and IIRanulph for favoriting/following! Thank you Chimera Spyke (love your philosophical reviews and I'll wait for your question) for your review! Please Review!