Chapter 60: The Powers of Pride
The Harrowing Chamber was ablaze with magic.
Colored energies swirled throughout the chamber, the demonic corruption caused by Uldred and his followers vibrated as the abominations continued their work.
The surviving mages were bound magically, forced to watch as Uldred turned his tender mercies upon them one by one.
The magic made sure they would watch. They could not even close their eyes.
Uldred wanted them to see the future being born!
A young mage struggled in agony, Uldred had been working on him for almost an hour, two lesser abominations assisted him in his spell work.
The mage slumped in defeat.
Uldred raised the young man up, a gentle smile on his face.
"Do you accept the gift I offer?" the abomination purred.
The mage nodded.
Uldred released his spell, the man gasped in relief…
…for a moment.
Uldred, or rather the thing that had been Uldred, and the others turned their full power on the boy, he wailed as the veil was torn, a wail that turned into a shriek as the demon Uldred crossed over and entered his body.
Agony and pleasure intermingled as the demon warped the mage's body, the man's soul was devoured as his mind snapped.
In less than a minute, a new abomination rose, it giggled with its twisted mouth.
Uldred grinned.
He had another satisfied customer.
He turned to the next mage in line.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" an angry voice said behind him.
The Abomination smirked.
How lovely, more mortals to play with.
IOI
Alim glared in disdain at the sight before him, the bound mages, the slavering abominations, and above them stood the man with this shiny bald head and the twitchy eyes. Alim recognized him from Ostagar, the mage that had followed after Teyrn Loghain like a good little dog.
This had to be Uldred, the architect of all the trouble today.
Alim gripped spellbinder tightly.
He was eager to see this bastard pay.
"Well," Uldred purred, "What do we have here? It is the First Enchanter's star pupil, the little elf with lightning powers. Uldred did not think much of you back then, and I don't think much more of you now."
Alim's ears lowered slightly, he did not rise to the bait.
Though the 'little' crack was just going to make the Abomination's end that much more painful.
"Uldred, I presume," he said with mock respect, "otherwise known as the disgusting Abomination who is about to die…very violently."
Alim took a step forward.
"Don't be so hasty," Uldred said raising his hands, for a moment Alim thought he saw a flicker of fear in the creature's face.
Good.
"There is no reason for us to fight," Uldred continued, "If you have made it this far, then you must have killed my servants? Oh well, better that they died in the service of their betters than having to live with the terrible responsibility of independence."
"I'm sure your lackeys would be touched with your concern," Alim growled.
"I want you to understand what is happening here," Uldred continued, "A mage is just a larval form of something greater. Thanks to my magics, we have finally reached our true potential."
The Abomination snarled as he pointed at the bound mages.
"Look at them," he spat, "The chantry vilifies us, and they believe it. They call us abominations, when we have only achieved our true potential. They would deny themselves the pleasure of becoming something glorious!"
Wynne stepped forward, her eyes cold and angry.
"You are mad! There is nothing glorious about what you have become Uldred!"
The abomination laughed.
"Uldred…he is gone," the creature chuckled, "I an Uldred, but not Uldred. I am more than he ever was."
He smirked at the old woman.
"I can give you this gift Wynne. You and all the mages, it would be better if you all just accepted it."
Alim flashed him his most acidic grin.
"How about I just give you your death?" the elf said, "It will be quick, but there may be some discomfort."
Uldred gave an exasperated sigh.
"Resistance," he spat, "Everywhere I go resistance, how terribly inconsiderate!"
The abomination snapped his fingers. A wounded mage rose into the air and floated to them. Even brutalized and bruised they recognized his face and the familiar black and green robes, his eyes radiating with pain.
Alim, Solona and Wynne all gasped.
"See," Uldred chuckled, "I even have the First Enchanter on my side now, don't mind the blood, he has had a very rough day."
Uldred smiled pleasantly at his prisoner.
"Say hello to your old apprentice Irving."
The abomination snapped his fingers again, the old mage gasped.
He looked right at Alim.
"Stop him," he hissed through bloody lips, "He…he is building an army, he will destroy the Templars and…"
"You're a sly little fox Irving, telling on me like that," Uldred scowled, "And here I thought you were starting to turn."
Irving glared at Uldred. All the strength that he used to guide the circle was now directed at his tormentor.
"Ne…NEVER!" the First Enchanter hissed.
Uldred sniffed and push him back.
"That is enough out of you Irving," he sounded miffed, "He will serve me eventually. They all will…even you."
He gestured at Alim and his allies. The elf felt the mind domination attempt; he whispered the litany to himself. He felt his mind bolstered against the blood magic. The others did the same; they had all practiced the litany on the landing, so that they could all use it if they had to. It could either be spoken aloud or thought silently, either would work.
Uldred would not get them that way.
"It is not that easy…Uldred," the elf growled, "I would rather die than serve you."
"Killing you would be a waste," Uldred said, "Your raw potential with the strength of a demon behind it would be unstoppable! In the end your opinion does not matter. I have decided and that is what will be done."
He gave the warden his most savage grin.
"Fight if you must," he said triumphantly, "It will make my victory all the sweeter."
Alim sneered at him.
"Let's go creature," he spat, "I'm tired of listening to your ranting."
The Abomination smiled.
"Ladies first," he said.
Alim's eyes narrowed.
"Ladies first…what did…?
"LIM!"
Alistair's cry warned him just in time, he spun his blade clanging off the short sword that would have beheaded him.
Alim gasped.
Leliana was glaring at him with red tinged eyes.
Uldred was mind controlling her!
The Abomination laughed.
Alistair tried to strike him down, but a bolt of energy flung the wardens' allies back.
Uldred grew as he transformed, his humanity melted away revealing himself to be the pride abomination that he was.
The creature roared as its allies moved to attack.
Alim could not aid his friends. It was all he could do to fend off Leliana's attacks.
Tears ran down the bard's face. She was trapped in her own mind, her body the puppet of a monster.
Alim cursed as the sounds of magic and steel filled the air.
What was he going to do?
IOI
She had been too slow.
She had been too bust listening; Uldred's depravity had lulled her into a stupor. When he cast his spell, she had not been ready with the litany.
Her body fell under his control.
She could not even use it to free herself now. The vision that she had been given now made sense.
She was Uldred's weapon. The monster would use her to strike down her friends. She would be covered in their blood.
There was nothing she could do to stop it!
She tried to plead with Alim with her eyes, demanding that he kill her. That he save himself and the others.
The elf was fighting defensively only, that would not keep him safe for long.
If he did not act…she would kill him.
She would kill Alim.
In her mind, Leliana cried out in despair.
IOI
Alistair did what he could to rally their allies. Morrigan transformed into a bear and tore into Uldred's abominations. Wynne kept them healed, and Solona blasted away with offensive magic. The warriors and rogues did their best to keep the monster that had been Uldred on the defensive.
Alistair could not help his warden brother it was all he could do to keep Uldred from taking advantage of their division.
"Her mind is being controlled!" Alim shouted, "It isn't her fault!"
Alistair tried to use his Templar abilities to free Leliana, but Uldred stormed in and flung him across the room.
It recognized him for what he was and would not allow him to act.
An abomination tried to end his life but Theron was at his side in an instant killing the creature.
Alim fell back under Leliana's onslaught.
The elf stood alone.
IOI
Alim knew what he had promised her. She told him to slay her if she became a threat to the mission.
It would be easy; she was fighting so hard that she had no defense if he attacked to kill. A quick blast of lightning would…
NO!
He…he could not do that!
Damn Uldred, damn him to the darkest corner of the void!
The tower shook. Alim managed to knock Leliana off balance for a moment. It gave him time to look at one of the windows.
Lightning flashed around the tower, responding to his anger, the powers that Uldred had unleashed here was magnifying all magic within the Harrowing chamber.
Magic…like his own.
Despite the danger he was in, Alim smiled.
He knew what he had to do.
IOI
Back in the base of the tower Knight-Commander Greagoir paced nervously.
No sign of the elf, or the First Enchanter, if his reinforcements arrived with the rite of Annulment he would…
The tower shook.
"What in Andraste's name is that!" the Commander cried.
"Knight-Commander, Knight-Commander," a young recruit shouted.
"What is it soldier?"
"A thunderstorm ser," the boy replied, "It just appeared out of nowhere, right over the tower. A thunderstorm in winter, what does it mean?"
Greagoir sighed, he was not certain if he should be happy or afraid.
He knew what that storm meant.
"Surana," he grumbled under his breath.
The elf never could control himself.
IOI
Winds blasted the Harrowing chamber, shattering the stain glass windows. Shards became deadly projectiles that were directed with precision towards the abominations aiding Uldred.
Alim fed the storm with his fear and rage. Winds spun through the chamber bringing heavy sleet and hale.
"Get back," he ordered his friends.
Wynne, Morrigan, and Solona wove protective shields around their allies. Uldred tried to summon more demons into the wounded mages but Alistair and the others stopped him with the litany.
The wind blasted into Leliana. The bard lost her footing as the floor of the harrowing chamber turned to ice.
She fell and hit her head. She lay their unmoving.
Alim wanted to run to her, to make sure she was well, but did not dare.
Not as long as Uldred remained alive.
Alim fed the winds more power, he dared them to spin, to show their might against the so called 'glorious' Uldred.
The abomination struggled as sleet and broken glass tore into his hard flesh. It roared in fury, trying to cast a spell…any spell.
Alim stepped forward; he stepped between the bard and the abomination. Uldred would not harm Leliana again.
He would not harm anyone…ever again!
The elf's ears lay flat like an angry cat. His eyes glowed red with raw power.
He smiled at Uldred.
"Tell me," he purred, "How many bolts of lightning would it take to kill a pride abomination?"
The creature snarled at him, clearly no longer in the mood for talk.
That was okay.
"Let's find out." He said.
Lightning exploded through the window. It struck Uldred in the chest. The Abomination wailed, but did not fall.
One.
A second bolt came through. It blinded both the mages and the wardens' allies. Alim did not look away. He wanted to see everything.
Uldred gasped, it hissed in fury at the elf.
Two.
A third bolt came, then a fourth, Uldred staggered, blowing winds took the remaining abominations out the window, they fell from the top of the tower, the winds blowing them to their deaths far below.
Uldred whimpered. It tried to stagger forward. Alim could feel it reaching out with its mind. It was no longer trying to control him.
Uldred was a coward at heart; the abomination had taken that as well.
It was trying to beg for mercy.
Alim sneered.
Sorry, but hurting those I care about always brings out the asshole in me.
"Five and six," he whispered.
The lightning responded. It was simply fire in its most elemental form.
It was always hungry, always willing to consume.
Uldred shook from the voltage, he cried out in agony.
The cry fell silent.
Alim watched him, readying another bolt.
The wind wrapped around Uldred's charred body.
It blew away like leaves.
The Abomination was no more.
Only six bolts? Alim thought…
The elf sneered.
Pansy!
He willed the storm away from the tower; it would fall apart over Lake Calenhad.
He ran to Leliana, panic and terror replaced rage.
"Leli," he cried out, "Leli wake up!"
The bard did not stir.
Had…had he killed her?
NO! HE WOULD NOT HAVE IT!
"DAMN IT LELI! WAKE UP!"
He felt a hand on his shoulder; he turned with a feral snarl.
"Let me help," Solona whispered.
Anger faded slightly, he nodded.
The two mages pressed their hands against the wounded bard's body.
Blue magic flowed into her, restoring what had been lost.
Leliana gasped. She sat up, her blue eyes wide.
Alim was panting, he was sweating and exhausted the storm and the healing had drained him.
Leliana looked at him, her eyes wide.
"Alim?" she whispered.
The elf could not respond. Exhaustion took him.
He fell unconscious at her side.