Chapter 2: An Awakening
9:29 Dragon: The ruins of Ostagar
Duncan, Commander of the Grey Wardens had come to Ostagar for one purpose. It was for this purpose that he had braved the late summer heat, and the stinking marshlands that surrounded the ruins of the Fortress of Ostagar. It was for this reason that he was now accompanied by two of the King of Ferelden's finest knights.
He prayed to the Maker he was wrong.
The knights stayed with the horses while Duncan when forth, exploring. He was not sure he knew what he was looking for exactly, but he would know it when he found it.
Two weeks ago the ground has shook for miles around, they had felt it even as far north as Lothering. Chasind barbarians fled north out of the marshes, seeking shelter in the farms and settlements near the wilds. They all told the same the story. A massive explosion had shook the wilds, a cloud of dust and debris had darkened the skies here ever since. The Kings advisors had no answer for this event, but they did not believe that an explosion, no matter how big, in the wilds was any serious threat to Ferelden.
Duncan and the rest of the Grey Wardens disagreed.
About the same time as the explosion had occurred, every warden in their compound in Denerim had bolted out of bed, all of them sharing the same dream.
Shackles fell away, powerful wings stretched for the first time in millennia. Eyes that should never have opened again turned skyward. Flame filled the prison, burning away the last the restraints.
Laughter filled the prison, mad, malevolent, and terrifying.
Then the world exploded.
Every warden in Ferelden woke in a cold sweat. Two words filled there waking minds, words that filled them with dread.
I'm free!
Duncan stared at the distant clouds; he could sense the taint in them even at this great distance. The taint, and with it the darkest of magic.
He took a deep breath, focused, and directed his senses towards those clouds.
That is when he heard it, like music, beautiful and terrible music, and at its core a voice…
FREE! FREE! COME TO ME! COME TO ME! IT IS TIME! IT IS TIME! COME! COME! OBEY!
Duncan gasped, he nearly fell, but he would not allow himself to do that, he stood firm…barely.
The voice of an archdemon was a hard thing to endure.
He returned to the horses he needed to…
The horses whickered nervously, something had spooked them badly.
Where were the knights who had accompanied him?
After a brief search he found them, one had hanged, his eyes still wide with fear, the other lay near the edge of a cliff, a sword driven through him.
A darkspawn blade.
Duncan approached the man, though he knew it was too late for him.
The attack came from behind.
Duncan was ready.
He pulled the tainted sword from the man and used it on his attacker, a large hurlock warrior. A second darkspawn tried to attack him, but the warden commander was too quick.
The spawn ended up falling over the cliff, its death squeals still ringing all the way down.
In the distance lightning, all the colors of the rainbow, lit the darkening clouds, shielded by its cover the darkspawn horde was already beginning to gather.
The Blight was about to begin.
Duncan road hard down the imperial highway, the King needed to be warned, all of Thedas needed to be warned.
An Archdemon had risen.
Maker help them all!
IOI
Two months later…
"Duncan has returned your Majesty."
King Cailan Theirin gathered his body guard and hurried down the bridge to meet the warden commander. Though thirty now he still carried himself with a boyish excitement, the army had performed well so far, three battles and three victories. Though more and more darkspawn continued to gather. Cailan was not worried, he was the son of Maric the Savior, the grandson of Moira the Rebel Queen, he had Loghain Mac Tir, one of the most talented military minds Ferelden had ever produced, and he had the legendary Grey Wardens at his side.
How could they possibly lose?
Cailan was looking for their fourth victory…
The one that would end the Blight!
He spotted Duncan coming up the road and over the bridge to Ostagar. The dark-skinned warden Commander wore his traditional armor, with a sword and dagger sheathed on his shoulders, and beside him…
Wait…what was beside him?
It almost looked like a hat and coat walking without a person wearing it! A long heavy blue travel coat with a tall wide brimmed pointed hat for a head, Cailan would have thought it some magic trick or jest, but then he spotted a small hand coming out of the sleeve, a hand grasping a white wood staff, a staff whose crystal ball top flashed every time its wielder took a step.
Ah, so magic it was then, not a trick, but actual magic.
Duncan's new recruit was a mage!
Cailan smiled, he left quickly eager to meet the Warden and his new recruit.
"Ho there, Duncan!" he called out grinning.
"King Cailan," Duncan said offering a slight bow, "I did not expect a…"
"A royal welcome," the King smiled, "I was beginning to think you would miss all the fun."
Duncan tried not to look put off by the King's enthusiasm, "Not if I could help it Your Majesty."
"So I will have the mighty Duncan at my side after all," Cailan said glancing at the dark clouds in the distance, he could almost taste the victory already, "Glorious!"
The King turned to face Duncan's companion, "The other wardens told me you had found a promising recruit, and I take it this is she?"
"He…actually…Your Majesty," a cultured voice said, the new recruit removed his hat giving the king a better look.
It was an elf, a fairly young one by the look, with short brown hair, and dark eyes, large pointed ears stuck out like wings from the side of his head. The look on his face suggested he was slightly…annoyed at the King's presumption.
Alim Surana snorted.
She indeed.
IOI
"Allow me to introduce you your Majesty," Duncan offered.
"No need Duncan, we shall soon be shedding blood together after all," the king turned to the elf, ho there friend, might I have your name?"
"Surana, your majesty," the elf replied with a short bow, "Alim Surana, of the…well…I guess formerly of the Ferelden Circle of Magi."
"Pleased to meet you," the King answered, "Every Grey Warden is needed now, I sure they will benefit greatly with you in their ranks."
"We shall see your Majesty," Alim replied.
"So you come to us from the circle, I hope your magics will aid us in the upcoming struggle?"
The mage's smile turned brittle, the King was looking at him like he was some show animal.
Alim did not like that.
Thunder rumbled overhead, Duncan gave the elf a cool look.
The mage sighed; what did Duncan expect, he was not some performing monkey after all.
"I will use all the power at my disposal of course," Alim said diplomatically.
"That is excellent news Ser Mage," the King replied, this was all so exciting.
Alim had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.
This was truly the King of Ferelden?
Great, they were all doomed!
IOI
Alim lost interest in the boy-like king's posturing his eyes fell on the grandness of Ostagar. He had spent eleven years locked away in the tower, resigned to his fate, but now through actions beyond his control, he found himself free again.
Not that he completely forgave Jowan of course, or the Chantry sister harlot who had led him to blood magic.
Oh no, Alim had not forgotten her at all, Jowan had convinced him to help them, for the sake of their love for each other. His friend should have listened to him.
Chantry sisters knew nothing about love.
Lily had abandoned Jowan, had refused to go with him after he had used his blood magic to save her from Aeonar. Jowan was alone now, no friends, no lover, with the Templars nipping at his heels like hungry dogs…
And all because he had fallen for a chantry sister.
In the end he had not saved her, Lily went willingly to Aeonar, for contributing to the destruction of all their lives, Jowan a fugitive, and Alim had nearly been executed, he would have if it had not been for Duncan.
He owed the old warden much; he would do what he could to repay that debt.
Not that Alim was entirely safe however, according to Duncan, he and the three other recruits here would have to go through a ritual that the wardens called the joining, it was apparently secret and apparently extremely dangerous.
Just like the Harrowing, the elf thought glumly, like that wasn't bad enough, now he had to face yet another deadly challenge.
Thanks Jowan. Thanks Lily.
The sister's involvement in this still burned him.
Alim wished that she would pay dearly for her crimes. Lily was about to find out how merciful the Chantry could be to those it views as dangers.
It was a lesson that Alim had been taught when he was only eight years old.
The King left them then, off to consider himself an honorary Grey Warden perhaps. Alim shook his head, according to Duncan; Cailan wasn't the one planning the battles thank goodness. That task fell to the legendary Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir of Gwaren, the man who had freed the entire country at the battle of Riverdane.
At least they had someone here who knew military strategy.
"Feel free to explore the camp," Duncan informed him, "I ask only that you do not leave it for the time being. There is another Grey Warden here by the name of Alistair. Seek him out and the other recruits, and return to me when you're ready."
"Right," Alim snorted, Duncan had told him a little about Alistair, "the Templar."
"You should think of him as an ex-Templar I think," Duncan reminded him, "he is not like the men who watched over you in the tower. I can promise you that, I only ask that you keep an open mind."
Alim nodded, he would at least try, "Of Course Duncan." He replied.
"Now there are some things I need to attend to, if you need to speak to me, you may find me by the Grey Warden tent just over this bridge."
Alim nodded.
Duncan left him then. Alim slowly made his way across the bridge, slipping his hat down over his ears. Most humans regarded them as funny that is why he wore the thing, that and it gave him an extra foot of height.
He really hated being short, all of the apprentices had used to tease him about that, between that and his ears, no one ever seemed to take him seriously.
Until Duncan that is.
A cold breeze blew across the bridge, making him shiver; winter was not for at least another month, but this far south it was already here, patches of snow could be seen in the valley below.
Alim turned to the dark clouds in the distance; he could see the multi-colored lightning crackling in those clouds.
He shivered, and not just from the cold, he could feel it all around him in the wind, in the grass as they had stood talking to the King, and even if the flames of the small fires around the camp.
Something dark had risen, and it sickened the natural world by its very presence.
Nature itself was under attack, something was looking to turn it black and sick.
They would have to do something about that.
Alim hurried across the bridge, he needed to find this Alistair Warden, and then they would look for the other recruits. The elf was eager to get this joining thing underway.
There was something out there in the wilds, and if they were not careful, it would destroy them all.
Despite what a certain over-eager king thought.