Chapter 59: Broken Labs and Broken Hearts
"Theron, get your ass back here!"
The Dalish ignored Alim's order. The young elf was a man possessed. He attacked the abominations that haunted the circle labs with reckless abandon.
The hunter turned warden was lost.
Lost in the grip of the darkest fury!
The sloth demon had died too quickly, too quickly for the Dalish's taste. He had taken all of the memories that Theron had of his clan and twisted them against him.
The spirits had taken the shape of Merrill and Tamlen.
He had killed him.
He had killed Tamlen…again.
All my fault!
He flung himself at the monsters. When he was too close for his bow he used his ax. When he was too close for his ax he used his daggers.
He was now covered in abomination ash and goo, they popped like balloons under his weapons, but the elf did not care.
The fury did not dissipate, it only grew.
Tamlen.
Merrill…the clan.
My fault.
He fought on.
IOI
"The fool elf will get himself killed," snorted Morrigan.
Alim agreed. Theron had been lucky so far, but luck ran out if one was not careful.
When there was a break in the fighting he seized the elf by the collar of his armor.
Theron turned with an angry snarl.
Alim did not back down, he met his fellow warden's anger with an icy glare.
Theron paused, he…he shook his head looking confused.
"What?" the Dalish said.
Alim almost laughed.
"Do you not care if you live or die?" he asked.
"I was doing my part," the Dalish replied.
"You were out of control, look at yourself."
Theron looked down; he saw the mess that the demons had made of him, not just their remains, but small wounds that could have become a problem if untreated.
The Dalish's ears lowered in shame.
"Abelas," he murmured, "Emma ir abelas."
Wynne stepped forward to heal his wounds. The old woman's frown could have turned bone to liquid.
"That was very foolish young man," she said, "Had you gotten any farther away the demons might have overwhelmed you before we reached you."
"I said I was sorry," he whispered, "I made a mistake."
"That you did," Alim snorted, "You don't have the luxury of getting killed easily," he reminded his fellow elf. "You are a grey warden now, one of the last three wardens. The. Last. Three. You are needed to help end the blight. No more flying off without a plan. You stay back and watch the others back's. Is that clear warden?"
Theron winced. Alim could give Keeper Marethari a lesson in scathing lectures. The fact that he was right made it even more problematic, the senior hunters he had trained with would have berated his impatience and lack of focus.
It would not have been tolerated.
He might not have been the most dutiful of the Dalish, but he understood the rules.
A single reed could be broken easily. Only many standing together could withstand the forces of the world.
It was a lesson that should not be forgotten.
He did not want to die, but he also did not want any of the others to be hurt either.
He had failed his clan once; he would not fail the other.
He resumed his post next to Leliana. Sereda went back to her place covering him; the dwarven woman cuffed him for his mistake.
"Ow," he cried.
"So you don't forget again," she said with a shake of her head, "Fool."
He rubbed his head, cursing his own stupidity.
He needed to do better. He did not have the clan here to cover his mistakes.
He had to be better.
He had to be smarter and stronger.
It was the only way he would survive.
IOI
An angry roar drew the wardens and their allies' attention.
Alistair's eyes widened in shock, he could…he could not believe what he was seeing.
"Dragons," he cried out, "They have live dragons here?"
Dragons? Why would the circle keep dragons?
"They're drakes Alistair," Wynne clarified, "Drake scale and saliva are ingredients in several kinds of potions. The circle…"
"Spare us the lessons old woman," Seri growled, "Kill them before they try to eat us."
Alistair and Seri raised their shields and charged. The mages put up magical barriers to block the beasts' fire. Alim tried lightning, but the creatures' hide was too tough for that.
Leliana and Theron targeted their eyes and mouths with arrows. Alim enchanted them with electricity for maximum effect.
The drakes were tough, in the wild they guarded dragon nests against any who would try and violate them.
These were not creatures to take lightly.
The first fell under the relentless assault of arrows fired by the rogues. The second proved far tougher. It swatted Seri away with its tail, but not before she had cut away some of the scales on its flank. Alistair plunged his sword into the wound.
Alim gave him an assist. He fired lightning at the blade.
The electricity rode the blade right into the dragon's body. The creature shook violently, smoke rolled out of its eyes and mouth.
It fell dead…finally.
Alim gasped. The farther they pushed into the tower the worst things became. First blood mages and abominations, then demons, and now drakes, it seemed that Uldred was making them run a gauntlet.
The elf intended to see his allies rise to the occasion.
"Oh warden," an Antivan voice said behind him.
Alim sighed.
Maker what now?
"Yes Zev?"
"We should continue returning for these bodies later," the assassin suggested, "Drake scale makes for very good armor, and the bone isn't too bad either. We could use the coin I'd wager."
Alim considered his offer, he made a good point, but coin was the last thing on his mind right now.
They needed to help the circle, if they even could.
Wynne tended to Seri. She had suffered minor burns, her armor had held…barely. She would likely need a new suit when this was over.
Alim looked around him; he was surprised to realize that he had been here before.
He had started to recognize these rooms, he had seen them only once and in passing, but it had been enough.
He shivered at the memory.
He had been woken from a sound sleep. Solona's crush Cullen and the First Enchanter; they had stood at his bedside demanding that he follow.
It had been time for his Harrowing…
…Remembering that night still gave him nightmares.
Keep your wits about you mage, true test…never end.
The demon's warning haunted him still.
The Harrowing chamber was not far. Could that be where Uldred had fled to?
Appropriate he supposed. An abomination would likely feel right at home in the Harrowing chamber.
Alim mustered his courage. He had felt like a frightened child the last time he had stood in that place.
Well, he wasn't a child anymore. He was a grey warden and a stormbreaker. He was a defender of Thedas and the elvhen people.
He would not show fear, not here, or anywhere else.
IOI
Leliana once again found herself at Alim's side, their elven leader moved to open the next door while she and Alistair covered him.
The elf jumped back, preparing for another attack.
None came.
"Blessed art thou who exist in the sight of the Maker. Blessed is the prophetess, she who was sacrificed to the holy flame."
The sound of prayer was a shock after all the dark things they had seen. They advanced cautiously.
The room they had entered was thick with demonic filth. A cage of glowing light stood in the center of the room. The bodies of ten Templars lay twisted in various forms of death.
Only a single knight remained. He was young with short blonde hair and a short goatee.
"Cullen!" Solona cried, the girl almost crashed into the magical barrier, and would have had Wynne not stopped her.
The young Templar ignored the mage girl's cry.
"Cullen," she repeated, "Look at me please."
He looked at her with haunted tortured eyes.
This trick again," he whimpered, "Oh how deep you bastards have delved in my mind. Torturing me with visions of her, she…she is my desire…my greatest shame…Maker forgive me!"
"Cullen?" Solona sounded like a scared child.
"All those nights," he muttered, "Thinking of her, imagining what it would be like to be with her, the softness of her skin, the taste of her lips."
Solona blushed. She had not expected him to give voice to such…fantasies.
"Lost in my shame, the thoughts of a naïve and foolish boy, I was a fool!"
He glared angrily at her.
The fury in his voice shocked her.
Tears ran down the mage girl's face.
Leliana felt sorry for her, the poor dear.
"There is no shame in caring about someone Cullen." The mage whispered.
The bard could almost hear the girl's heart breaking.
Wynne did her best to comfort the girl, but the bard suspected that it would not be enough, that it would never be enough.
IOI
"I don't think he can hear you dear?" Wynne said to her fellow mage.
It brought Solona little in the way of comfort.
Wynne turned her attention to the cell.
"And…this cage, I have never seen anything like it," she gave Cullen a smile. "You can rest easy, help is now here."
"Enough visions," the Templar growled, "If anything in you is human anymore…kill me now! End these cruel games!"
Leliana felt sorry for the poor lad. She knew the signs of torture when she saw them.
She had endured them herself after Marjolaine's betrayal.
"He is delirious, and been tortured," she said with a sympathetic frown, "And likely has been denied both food and water. I can tell."
She reached into her pack.
"Here," she began, "I have a skill of…"
"Get away from me!" the Templar growled, "I will not have any more of your lies!"
"We're not an illusion Templar," Alim said hotly. "We have come to save your sorry ass, for what it is worth."
Cullen was on his feet now, his eyes dark with rage and near madness.
"SILENCE!" he wailed, "I WILL HEAR NO MORE LIES! BEGONE!"
Leliana winced at the hate in his voice.
This did not bode well.
IOI
The room fell silent, the Templar blinked in shock.
The people outside his cell did not vanish.
Cullen whimpered.
"You…you're all still here, but that always worked before?!"
"We're real Cullen," Solona cooed softly, "We are here to help you."
He fell to his knees sobbing.
"Do not blame me for being cautious," he whimpered, "The visions…the images…so real."
"I'm sorry Cullen," Solona sobbed.
He looked at her with cold eyes.
He remembered seeing her in the halls of the tower. She had been innocent, so innocent as she moved from class to class.
He did not see her that way anymore.
"I do not need your pity or your sympathy mage!"
His anger cowed her like a whipped dog.
Alim stepped forward; he was tired of the Templar bullying his friend, whose only crime was to be concerned about him.
"Enough Templar," the elf growled, "Where are the others?"
"What others," Cullen snapped back, "What are you talking about?"
"Irving and the other mages who fought Uldred," Wynne clarified.
"They…they are in the harrowing chamber," Cullen wailed, "The sounds coming up from there…Maker save us all!"
Wynne nodded grimly.
"We must hurry," she told Alim, "the others are in grave danger! I'm sure of it!"
Cullen ran up against the field that held him prisoner, his eyes were wild with fear and panic.
"You cannot save them," he cried, "They have been surrounded by blood mages, blood mages whose…wicked fingers claw their way into your mind and corrupt your thoughts."
His eyes focused on Alim then, a look of icy superiority crossed his face.
"Wait," Cullen hissed, "I remember you now. You're the one that helped that Blood mage escape. Are you a part of this?! Speak Mage!"
Alim's ears lowered in anger.
"I'm trying to save your sorry ass, be grateful…Templar!" he spat back.
"To think I once felt sorry for your kind," Cullen spat, "I did not realize how dangerous you all were! You are not people. You are weapons! I'll never underestimate you again, no matter what you look like."
The comment was said to Alim, but directed at Solona. The elf grew angrier for Cullen attacking his friend.
"This is not the time or the place for this!" Wynne's voice cracked like a whip, "Come Alim," she said, "The others need us."
"They must die!" Cullen cried out, "To ensure that this horror is ended, to ensure that no abominations or blood mages live, you must kill everyone up there!"
"I will not kill innocents," Alim said coldly, "I'll save everyone I can."
"Even you… Templar."
"Are you saving anyone by taking this risk?" Cullen demanded.
"Everyone here knows the dangers of magic," Wynne interrupted, "But killing innocents because they might be Maleficarum is not justice. I know you are angry lad, but don't…"
"You know nothing!" Cullen spat back, "I am thinking of the future of the circle, of all of Ferelden!"
IOI
Solona whimpered. She pinched herself trying to wake up.
This had to be a nightmare! This…this could not be her Cullen speaking to them…to her this way.
Not him, not her Cullen…she… she had…
She could not even say the word now.
She heard Alim sigh heavily.
"I'm saving anyone I can," he said.
IOI
Cullen snorted angrily.
"So go," he said, "Deal with Uldred if that is what you intend. I apparently cannot influence your actions, even though I would prefer to deal with the mages myself."
Cullen gave them all a disappointed look. His eyes fell on Solona.
"Cullen?" she whimpered.
He raised his hand; he would hear no more mage lies.
"No one ever listens," he sighed, "Not until it is far too late. Maker turn his gaze on you," the Templar said sinking to his knees. "I pray that your compassion does not doom us all."
Solona approached him. She looked so sad…
No, she is lying to you, harden your heart. It is the only way to be safe!
"Rest easy Cullen," the girl said, "This will all be over soon."
He did not respond, he had returned to his prayers.
He pushed away any of the girl's concern.
He did not want it, or need it anymore.
IOI
Alim led them down the stairs; it led to a small landing that then descended up into the high tower.
Right to where the harrowings took place, Andraste watch over them.
He looked at Solona. The girl had removed her spectacles and was wiping absently at her eyes.
Eyes that were turning hard as stone, Alim hated seeing his friend in pain, but knew nothing that could help her.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She gave him a cold look.
"Don't be," she said flatly, "I'm hurting, but…"
Her face twisted into a mask of rage. Blue light flared in her eyes, magic barely contained by her will.
Alim could feel the rage coming off of her, like heat before a storm.
"Uldred is going to hurt more," she promised, "For doing that to Cullen…he…he is going to pay. I'm going to hurt him Alim. I'm going to peel the flesh right off his tainted bones. For what he took from Cullen, for what he took from me. He…he is going to pay…dearly!"
The elf said nothing, he knew how dangerous anger was for a mage, but Solona seemed to have it under control.
Anger had saved him when he had fought Zathrian and later Branka. He hoped that it would keep Solona safe in the coming battle.
They heard screams up ahead, and the sound of magical crackling off the stone walls.
Alim took a deep breath, and gathered his power.
Ready or not Uldred, he thought.
…Here we come.