9:30 Drakonis 9th
We are heading towards Orzammar. Once the others got back from their meeting with Eamon, they told us the game plan.
"We're heading to Orzammar! The King has always respected the Grey Wardens and he'll likely give us the soldiers as soon as possible. So long as the deshyrs agree of course…" Derek mumbled the last part.
"The land of the dwarves? Will there be other golems there?" Shale wondered.
"We've lost the anvil that gave us the ability to make golems. Lost for centuries! So no, no golems." Derek shrugged.
"Hm, I had wondered if other golems were similar to me." Shale said. "I doubt the soft things would be able to handle more of this." Shale took to looking at her crystals on her knuckles, as if they were nails. I snorted before hiding it with coughing.
"Your personality does you no credit, my large stone friend." Zevran chuckled. Shale just stared at him with her shiny eyes before Zevran started to become uncomfortable.
"It need not worry about my personality, painted elf. My personality does not hinder my ability to squish tiny things." Shale huffed.
"I'm pretty sure it actually makes things better." I chuckled.
"The tiny one understands, for the most part." Shale said. I scored points!
"I believe that is everything." Wynne said, coming back from Redcliffe, Alistair in tow.
"The others should be coming along soon. I will miss this place." Alistair said.
"It's always going to be there Alistair." I said which got a weird look from Zevran.
"Very true." Alistair gave me a smile before Talen, Leliana, and Jowan came around. Jowan had leathers and I noticed that his gloves were of well make.
"Where did you get the gloves?" I asked.
"About that…" Talen gave me an exasperated look before a crate came around pulled by a donkey with Bodahn at the reigns.
"Ho there friends! I have heard you are heading to Orzammar and would like to take your offer of protection once again!" Bodahn smiled. Sandal popped up from the cart and shouted his usual 'Enchantment!'
"It would be our honor Bodahn!" Derek said. Talen gave me a tired face. I could tell that it was probably because Bodahn was trying to upsell him some of his ware. Jowan was squirming under Alistair's glare. I heard some barks and Alfred snaked around me before Eren and Morrigan came forward.
"Bodahn. I'm guessing you'll be joining us on our journey?" Eren wondered.
"Of course! I feel much safer with the Grey Wardens." Bodahn announced.
"Enchantment!" Sandal shouted.
"Well, there's no time to lose. Let's move." Eren said. Eren, Talen, Alistair and Wynne went into the wagon while the rest of us were on foot. We made our way out of the village and started our walk to the Frostback mountains.
Jowan and Talen stayed at the rear, with Talen starting to try to help Jowan's proficiency in magic. Sten and Shale were making small talk about fighting as well as demeaning humans. Leliana, Zevran, Alfred and I were in the middle, walking next to Bodahn's cart. We were at a relaxed pace. Derek had surmised that we'd get to the entrance of Orzammar in a week.
"I have heard many stories of the capital of the dwarves. It was their only city that survived the onslaught of darkspawn. All their roads, their cities, gone when the first blight hit. They were the first to fall. So many things were lost." Leliana sighed.
"Sounds like a place full of joy." Zevran sarcastically said.
"Maybe we'd be able stop the Blight by finding the Archdemon there." I said.
"Do you really believe that?" Zevran raised an eyebrow.
"No but it could happen, you never know. The Deep Roads are a maze so the chances of it happening are very slim." I shrugged. Zevran chuckled and shook his head.
"T'would be unwise to do so. An archdemon cannot be felled by a mere group such as ourselves. T'would require kingdoms and armies to best it." Morrigan pitched in as she came back from being a crow in the sky. Whenever she does that, I can see the disapproval in Sten's eyes as well as a tinge of fear.
"Yeah that's true. Let's hope that we can get this Blight over and done with before Ferelden falls." I said.
"Do you truly believe that this Blight will be done so soon?" Morrigan gave me a disbelieving look.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"You are a naive fool." Morrigan rolled her eyes.
"No I'm optimistic, there's a difference. Besides, I believe in all of us." I said.
"Such words coming from a beautiful woman! You have captured my heart!" Zevran faked swooned, and I instinctively grabbed him so that he wouldn't fall down. I let go immediately causing him to trip but eventually laugh.
9:30 Drakonis 12th
We've had a steady 3 days following the trail. At the rate we're going, we should get to the entrance in another three days. The snow has started to retreat and the trees are starting to bud. Unfortunately this creates mud. You think a thick rubber wheel can get stuck in it? Try a thick wooden one. Shale is starting to get tired of helping the wagon out of holes.
"Jowan, you must remember to keep your barrier whole otherwise it will break." Wynne sighed. For the few fun times we've had, I liked to watch Jowan getting trained by Talen and Wynne. I knew that in the game he was supposed to be a bad mage but damn, I never knew he was this bad.
He wasn't even that good with destruction spells and those are the easiest to learn for mages. I had eaten my part of a boar stew and sat down with my bread to watch Jowan. Talen told me to stay away in case a rogue spell came my way. I replied that if that were to happen, it would help my dodging skills at least.
"I'm trying to but it's not cooperating!" Jowan said, only being able to shield himself and not that good.
"Remember this is more like a shield and not a bubble." Talen came next to him and forming a barrier around them both. "Feel for it and remember that you want to protect your team."
"Talen he will not learn by 'feeling' his magic. He must know that a barrier is merely a hardened form of mana coming from the latent energy surrounding him in which he can use to surround others." Wynne explained.
"I know what a barrier is…" Jowan sighed, sitting on a log and drinking some water. "I'm hopeless."
"You need to practice more. If an enemy comes around, you will not have the liberty of taking a back seat." Wynne chastised.
"Then maybe you guys are looking at this the wrong way." I came up. "You're doing a fine job explaining everything but what he really needs is experience." I took out my daggers. "You see there's a certain learning type back in my day those who learn through hearing, through sight, and then there are those who learn by doing. I'm thinking he needs to fight to really know how to use his magic."
"Nia, I can't tell you how many things could go wrong. I can make a list should you require it." Wynne looked down at me.
"I'll make sure to read over it, mom, later." I laughed while Wynne couldn't help but smile at my words.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't want to hurt you." Jowan said meekly.
"Worry about yourself." I smirked. I ran toward him, slicing away, making sure to not cut him in the important parts. Jowan yelled in terror as he ran around, trying to dodge. "Don't run away! Stay and make your barrier!"
"But what if I fail!?" Jowan did a roll dodge away.
"Stop thinking and start doing!" I switched to my knuckles and kept on giving him near misses. Jowan slipped and fell so I did a downwards punch before hitting something solid. My whole arm tingled and I shook it to regain my feeling. Jowan was panting, his hands before him with a barely noticeable barrier around him. I smiled before rushing and kicking down. I felt it 'shatter' before the heel of my foot almost collided with his crotch. I stopped it and leaned back. "Did you feel it?"
Jowan looked at his hands, trembling as they were, before he gave me a smile and nodded. I smirked and got to my stance again. Jowan got back up, a slight confident look in his eye. Talen and Wynne were on the sidelines now and they shouted various forms of advice to Jowan as I kept with my attacks. Every single time he put up a successful spell, it got stronger and covered a wider range. Sweat dripped down my chin and my heart raced at this practice duel. At his sixth spell, it was entirely successful, covering him front to back, side to side, as well as on top. Jowan laid on the ground, wheezing from our practice and I gave out my own wheezy laugh.
"Whoo! That was fun! Good job guy, you'll get better in no time." I said, tapping my foot lightly on his body. He gave me a weak thumbs up before trying to breathe again.
"I have to admit, that was smart." Talen nodded.
"It was unorthodox but helpful." Wynne agreed.
"What can I say? I'm full of good ideas now, let me try to find a huge amount of snow to roll in so I'm not sticky and sweaty."
9:30 Drakonis 14th
It was strange and, for a second, I thought that Halo would appear before me. I knew he wouldn't be around though. I had awoken underneath the apple tree, on top of a hill, in the world that Halo created for me. I got up in my regular attire from my own world. I noticed that I did have some parts of my armor thrown on. I believed that it was because I was starting to get used to my image back in the real world.
I looked to the sky, blue with wisps of clouds, a few bloated and look as if it would rain. Even if Halo tried to make this as close to my world as he could, I could still see the Black City right in the middle. I sighed as I walked toward the cabin before I saw a few wisps looking at it. They looked at me with curiosity, their voices coming out as small whispers. 'The light? World is different. Spirit but not and more.'
"Hello, you must have been Halo's friends." I answered. Instead of recoiling, they came to me. They wound around my body, searching, almost feeling. They could sense that a part of me was them.
'Here but gone. Faint. Where? Heart and fade. Soul combined. Different, became human?' They're disjointed thoughts came into my own.
"Halo is a part of me now but that doesn't mean he's gone. He's asleep in the fade somewhere, gaining energy. He'll come back one day." I explained.
'Great light, great power. Power bestowed to you. Call power. Want to feel. Want to know. Familiar.'
"What power are you guys talking about?" I wondered as they floated away from me, one hesitantly floated at eye level. It seemed to motion at my hand. I lifted it before the wisp touched the tip of my finger. I hissed in pain as what felt like a shock passed between us. I shook my hand before the wisp retreated. "Wait!" I shouted but they were all gone and I was alone again. I rubbed my finger as I entered the cabin, my safe space, and sat on the bed. The bookshelves were filled with books and I took one down.
Pages upon pages with writing and pictures of my memories. They weren't clear, some were fuzzy, others were downright odd. I guess that's memories for you. You can't really recall them as well as you can. Still I was comfortable sifting through the pages. Some were very clear, the ones of my children's birth, the day me and my husband got married, the happy times when we went out on our dates, my mom, dad, brother, little sister. The pain never goes away but it's duller than before.
I put one book away for another and it had a few recent ones. Talen's smile, Alistair laughing, Leliana smiling at me. Wynne, Sten, Eren, and everyone that have started to become important to me. At first I only wanted to protect them because I knew the future but now I was personally invested. I didn't want them to die because they were my friends. I wanted to change the future so that they can be happy. It gave me a rush of decisiveness. I was going to make sure they all got happy endings.
I went to the desk that was near the window. There were loose leaf paper and even a pen. I sat down and started to write. I wasn't sure when was the next time I was going to be back so I decided to write a note for Halo. I wasn't sure if he was floating somewhere in the fade or if he was close by but if he woke up, then I want to know.
I woke up with a good feeling. It was still too early for the rest. I got out from the tent where I was with Wynne and Leliana. The stars were still sparkling in the sky with the two moons shining down. The nights still stayed cold even when it was warm during the day. Frost clung to the ground and my breaths were visible. I walked away on the trail. We were getting higher following it and, even though I would have liked to see the horizon, fog was settling in.
I sat on the ground and was able to settle into my meditations when I started hearing twigs snapping and footsteps. I grabbed my daggers, having been used to sleeping in my armor even if it was uncomfortable and weapons at the ready as soon as I wake. As soon as I got into my stance, it got quiet. I wasn't sure where they were but I knew that they were watching me. A wind brushed by me and the telling smell of darkspawn flooded in.
"Shit, Darkspawn!" I shouted before the forests erupted with their growls. When they say that darkspawn can come beneath the ground, they weren't kidding. Two Hurlocks busted through and tried grabbing my feet.
I jumped out of the way at the last second before I felt a sharp sting on my ankle. I rolled out of the way as the Hurlocks came closer. I tried getting up before I realized that one of them had slashed my upper ankle part. The pain itself didn't let me get up, it hurt so much. It got the sweet spot right about my leather grips and through my boots.
"Nia!" I heard Talen shout before a fireball flew over my head. It didn't hit them but the burning ground kept them from getting closer to me.
"They got my ankle!" I began to hurriedly crawl over to him before Eren, Derek, Alfred, Shale, and Alistair pushed through. I heard a Genlock roar and Alistair groaning in pain. Everyone was up by now. Sten saw me, grabbed me by the scruff of my armor and threw me across the trail, my body rolling all the way to camp.
"Wynne! Heal her foot!" Talen said, as two more genlocks started to come up from the ground. Wynne crouched to my level as I coughed up the dirt that got into my mouth. She rubbed a poultice around my injury and I felt the pain go away. She did a minor healing spell before putting up a barrier to shield us from the spells that Talen was making. Morrigan had run past us, going into her bear form. Leliana came near us, shooting out her arrows. The only one that was scrambling around not knowing what to do, was Jowan.
He looked at us, not even having his leathers on besides his gloves. He looked to Wynne and me while Zevran ran past him.
"God damn it." I tried getting up but my foot buckled still.
"Stay still Nia. They nearly cut your foot off. I'll need to heal the muscles once this is all over. If you try fighting now then you will lose your foot." Wynne explained, sending out a lightning storm.
"What?! Are you serious!? It didn't seem that bad." I grabbed my ankle.
"What should I do?" Jowan asked, coming toward us.
"Well unless you're a perfect destruction mage, there's not much you can do." I said. The sun finally rose over the horizon as I saw Shale crushing the last genlock's head in her hands. There were bodies all over the place. We got hit by a good squadron of darkspawn. Jowan was fidgeting with his fingers as everyone came back.
"How is she?" Eren asked, wiping off the tar like blood from his face.
"Her foot was put together but I will need time to recover her muscles." Wynne sighed.
"I hate this. I should have been more careful." I blamed myself.
"You're not a Grey Warden, you couldn't have noticed the darkspawn. You're lucky if anything." Alistair tried cheering me up. I pouted and huffed.
"At least no one got hurt and you were able to alert everyone before we got ambushed. Alistair, help Nia to the wagon. Everyone, pick up the camp. We're up, let's get going to Orzammar." Eren ordered. Alistair came and I leaned against him, hopping my way to the wagon.
"Sorry about the blood, comes with the territory." Alistair chuckled.
"It's fine, make sure to wipe yourself good. Can't have our nice and shiny armor breaking apart so soon." I joked as I hauled myself up to a seat.
"Of course not! This is a sign of manly pride too!" Alistair knocked against his chestplate. I laughed and he went to pick up his things. I sighed, letting my blame sit on my shoulders.
"This is why the bodies of squishy things are so fragile. Having a stone body is much preferred when fighting darkspawn." Shale said.
"You can say that again but of course that information has been lost for centuries. Besides, I kinda like my meaty flesh." I poked my cheek.
"How disgusting." Shale gave me a disgusted snort. I laughed. "It laughs at its weakness, how confusing."
"It's not confusing. I just think there are some things that being human I don't want to get rid of." I put my chin in my hand.
"Well if its flesh wasn't so weak, it could come with advantages. I am baffled on what those could be." Shale said.
"Yeah? What advantages do I bring?" I wondered, loving this conversation.
"If I need a meaty shield, it would be the third choice. The first would be the mages." Shale laughed darkly. "It only brings an odd advantage to my crystals."
"How?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Has it not realized the power that it draws? Typical fleshy, a frail human would not even know the hard side of my fist unless it hit them." Shale huffed. What she said drew me in.
"What power are you talking about?" I asked.
"Perhaps it was all the experimentations my previous holder did but I can sense how magic works around my crystals. They have an affinity to this fade the mages use to power their spells. It feels different yet the same. The same power holds onto you but unlike mages that push that power out, it does so and more. It is as if the tiny one is a fountain, a circular fountain. Those that near that fountain, become powerful. The difference comes from the hunger that power feels." Shale explained.
"My power feels hungry? How would you even know what that means since you don't eat?" I wondered.
"Hunger does not always mean in the stipulations of ingesting with those disgusting functions, it can also mean desire. There is something that power seeks though I do not know what. It best be careful for, although my crystals become powerful around it, the power might react in different ways to those that can use magic. Perhaps the tiny one should also experiment. It would be a grand pity to have the group die before I can really stretch my fists." Shale chuckled.
That was an interesting conversation. Me? A fountain of power from the fade? That would mean that I'd be pouring out mana or something like it. I'm not a mage though, and I tested it again when Shale was describing it so no dice there. It was very reminiscent to the conversation that I had with the wisps in the fade.
Halo, the wisps, Shale, all of them pointed at me being different, being bestowed some sort of power. Was it Halo's power? The thing is I don't know his power. It varied. He saved my life, he protected me from demons, he wasn't just a protection spirit. He only called himself that because that was easier to explain than saying he was a full-fledged angel. Still I have to be careful. I don't know what this means about me or about the others. I don't know what this power can do or how I can use it. I'd rather not be a ticking time bomb.
9:30 Drakonis 16th
My ankle healed very well. We haven't had any more darkspawn run ins on the way to Orzammar. Bodahn was glad for that. After the darkspawn attack, he made sure to camp farther away than us. He already did but he did so even farther. I was kept in the wagon for the most part. Although the poultice and healing did its work, Wynne would still not let me walk for long distances until the muscle start to rejuvenate.
In there I got a bit more of a course of healing magic. Healing magic is a finicky thing and very rare. The fact that Talen and Wynne know how to heal is a godsend in mages. Wynne explain that out of 100 mages, only 10 have the talent for healing mages, and 5 that can actually use it to its fullest. Why? Healing requires a very compassionate heart, empathy, and sympathy. It's putting others before you and humans are naturally selfish and destructive. It's more than knowing your anatomy though that also is a requirement. You need to actually want to help people.
Now comes the more in depth healing. Those that learn healing but are not adept at it can, at most, heal superficial injuries. Cuts, scraps, some deep wounds if they can. Then they teach anatomy to those that can go further to heal near mortal wounds. Bones cannot be regenerated, those can be helped with poultices, potions and your own body. Muscles can only be healed with the most senior of healers. Wynne can do it and Talen is learning how.
No mage can bring someone back to life. Well Wynne can but it would cost her own. She doesn't know that yet.
Either way, by the time we got to the frostback mountains, I was already healed and ready to go.
"Finally! I get to stretch my feet!" I stretched as I was able to walk the trail again.
"Was it so torturous in the wagon?" Leliana giggled.
"Not really, it was mostly boring. I didn't have anything to do besides just sitting around. At least when I'm walking, I can daydream." I shrugged. "So how much longer again?"
"The dwarf said that we should be reaching the gate within the hour. Good, I fear my boots are coming apart at the seams." Zevran mentioned as he inspected his dagger while walking.
"Maybe you'll need new ones. I wonder if here are any leather workers in Orzammar?" I thought aloud.
"I don't think so. From what Duncan told me of the dwarven capital, most of their revenue comes from the lyrium trade, especially from Tevinter. They have the noble caste, blacksmithing, warriors, and a few other smaller trades they specifically stay in. No one really knows much about the outside world. Duncan said that they should open their borders a little more, they might get more help that way." Alistair remembered.
"Sounds riveting." Zevran chuckled.
"I just hope we can go in, ask the king nicely, and he'll give us his word." Alistair chuckled. Ah that was far from the truth.
There was a crackle of something. I stopped following the wagon. Talen and Jowan were at the rear, talking while Jowan still practiced. "Was that the crackle I heard?" I was able to ask before lightning hit near the wagon.
"Ambush!" Leliana cryed out. I heard Lily neigh in terror. Eren, Wynne, Morrigan, and Alfred were in the wagon. They all rushed out as people came out of the surrounding trees. Derek was still at the reins so he couldn't join. Instead, he rushed out to protect our stuff and to protect Lily. Two elves rushed at me but I was able to sidestep them. Out of my peripheral, Alfred went and chomped on one of the elves. The guy was trying to slice me with his dagger but I was able to counter most of his attacks.
I managed to get behind him and stabbed his lower back. This was where most of the sensitive organs were. As I pushed him away, a lightning attack hit me. I screamed through gritted teeth but stayed on my feet. I sprinted and skidded behind a tree. There was a mage hiding around. I saw everyone else cutting down the ambushers, well except Jowan. He was trying to at least use his magic without hitting us with friendly fire. My heart was beating out of its tempo so I punched my chest hard to get it back to rhythm. I also took a swig of a potion to help. I saw a few spells coming from one place and sneaked through the forest to get to the mage.
I found her high in a tree before she dropped down to move somewhere else as Leliana's arrow hit her arm. She hissed in pain as she tore the arrow out before getting a poultice to slather it on her wound. I took that as my cue to run to her and start my attack. She put up a weak barrier that I got through in three hits but she used that time to charge another lightning attack. I barely dodged it before I kicked her off of her feet. She raised her staff and covered herself in sparks. If I touched her, I'd get it but I had to take a chance.
I switched to my knuckles and tried smashing her face. She rolled away and used the staff to knock out one of my daggers. Once a knife is lost in battle, you should assume its lost for good. No point in looking for that weapon when you still have one. With only one blade to think about, my strikes came in quicker as I tried to slash at any flesh that I could see. The mage was on the defensive as I didn't allow her any time to charge a spell. She made another barrier and coated herself in sparks again.
I couldn't waste any more time here. I had to go see if the rest were ok. I typically try for the straight kill, the one I would know they would die certainly. This was the first time I went for the face. I reached for her with my no knife hand. It was something she didn't expect and I knocked her back into the tree.
Something happened. Something strange and dangerous.
It's hard to describe but I'll do my best. When my fingers touched her face there was a sort of pull. A drain perhaps. Something of hers flowed into me. The lightning surrounding her faded but didn't hurt me. Her thrashes became weaker but not because I was suffocating her. No I just grabbed her face, I didn't put it over her nose.
I heard a voice in the back of my head. 'More power, more, more.' It wasn't my own but I couldn't let go. Then my vision started to go, darkness crept into my eyes as something bright, a light brighter than the light at the end of the tunnel. Something that can add to my power if I grabbed it with my figurative hands.
And another thing told me that if I grabbed it, I wouldn't be the same again.
I gasped and let go. The darkness receded from my vision. I blinked a few times and gasped for air. What in the hell was that? I looked at my hand then at the unconscious mage. For a second, I thought about touching her again but I convinced myself not to. That was strange and worrying. I knew this had to do with the wisps and Shale's warning. I had to figure something out.
I came out of the forest with everyone already done with the ambush. Wynne coming up to me, looking at me up and down.
"I'm fine. I didn't get hurt just some spells were thrown my way." I reassured her.
"I was wondering where that mage was. Good thing you caught her." Alistair gave me a thumbs up.
"I found something." Talen said, unrolling a vellum that was in a pocket of the enemy. "Seems like these were assassins sent by Loghain, as usual. They must have gotten a tip that we were headed toward Orzammar." Talen scowled.
"Well their ambush was highly inadequate. No traps? No poison? Better to call them mercenaries than assassins." Zevran did a hair flip while holding a cocky smirk.
"Like you did any better." Alistair glared while Zevran shrugged.
"We can't waste any more time here." Eren said, cleaning his sword before putting it away. "We killed them, we got out mostly unscathed, let's go." We scavenged their gold, which was a lot since they were paid off. I got my share and put it away in my pouch. I saw Zevran trying to flirt with Leliana. If my touch can do that, should it work all the time? I decided to test it.
"Zevran this is really no time for your fancy words. I am covered in blood as you can see." Leliana lightly glared at him as we started walking.
"The blood shines on your beautiful skin." Zevran chuckled before I walked up to him. He turned to me to flirt most likely but I grabbed his face and got him up close. "Ah a bit forward aren't we mi niña?" I didn't answer. I tried focusing, my hands were on his face, but nothing. I cocked my face in confusion and I could tell that Zevran's face was starting to get hot under my touch.
"Nia, what are you doing?" Talen asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I was trying something but I guess it's not working?" I hummed letting go of Zevran's face and starting to walk, looking at my hands. This needs some more experimentation.
"Zevran, are you blushing?" Leliana giggled behind him.
"Maldito niña me dejo con las ganas."
Beta'd by Syutaku
Words cannot express the amount of shame and guilt I have for not updating sooner. I got hit by a massive writer's block and, coupling with the new baby and mood swings, I couldn't write for the life of me. Thankfully with work finally bringing me out of my house, I feel much better. I already have the next chapter but my beta is slower than most. Though that's my fault considering I'm increasing the length of my chapters bit by bit.
Thank you KortneyBreAnne, BadWolf432, GalapagosXD, ganfirl, Ariel Wild (Hi again!), Shadowmage97, Hellien01, Mymy628, and CPcat13 for favoriting/following!
Thank you Judy and Chimera Spyke for reviewing! I really do hope for more reviews, those really help in keeping up my happiness in writing this fic. Although I've said that I'm mostly writing this for myself, it does make me sad that not many are reviewing :(