Chapter 80: Dealing with the Dead
The last rays of the setting sun vanished from Redcliffe, the days preparation had been long and hard. Alim and company had hired or cajoled anyone fit to carry a sword to stand in defense of Redcliffe. Owen, the town blacksmith had spent most of the afternoon repairing armor and weapons. The man was nearly falling over drunk, but still he managed to do what with needed. The elf had had to talk fast to convince Owen to aid them, his daughter was missing in the castle, and the wardens had needed to promise to look for her when the battle was done.
Alim found himself hoping for a happy ending to their tale, but did not hold his breath…
…not after everything he had seen on this journey.
He organized his forces into two groups. Fergus led one, the one that would be standing with the militia at the chantry. Morrigan, Alistair, Kallian, Zevran, and Seri all stood with him. They were set to deal with any undead that managed to get past Alim and the others.
Alim's group, including Leliana, Oghren, Shayle, Sten, Theron, Bandit and Wynne were at the windmill overlooking Redcliffe with both the volunteers and Ser Perth and his knights.
They would take the first shot as the undead emerged from the castle.
Bann Teagan was inside the chantry, sword and shield in hand, if any of the creatures did manage to get past the defenders, it would be his duty to deal with them.
The Bann had refused any bodyguards, he preferred that all the fighting men do what they could to keep the things out, rather than try to protect him. If the defenders could not stop the undead, it did not matter how long he lived. They would all be lost.
Alim was surprised by this, he had to give it to the nobleman, and he definitely had balls.
The warden mage took a moment to examine the strength of the barricades; they would need to be strong to hold back what was coming. From what Ser Perth had said of the previous attacks, these things were like a storm, unyielding and relentless.
Alim smiled at that…
He was like a storm too.
They had placed seven of the barrels of lamp oil for maximum effect. Leliana found a nice quiet perch where she could ignite them with a fire arrow when the undead drew close enough.
He had murmured good luck to her, and she had nodded cordially at least.
He did not say what he had truly wanted to say to her.
I love you, please forgive me.
Hopefully he would live long enough to tell her that, maybe then they could…
What in Andraste's name was he thinking?
The elf rolled his eyes, this was so stupid. They were risking their lives once again and all he could think about was that the woman he loved was pissed at him.
It was ridiculous, but sadly…unescapable.
He tried to push such thoughts out of his mind for now, there would be time to make up with Leliana later, provided they weren't all dragged off to the castle of the dead tonight.
A strange sound rang out; it drifted, carried by the breeze, a roar of hunger and rage.
From the castle an eerie green light shown out as the portcullis raised, a dark mist began to descend upon the village. Those not fighting ran for the chantry, panicked cries rang out as men and women got to their positions.
Alim drew spellbinder, he held his staff in the other hand.
"Show them no mercy," he warned, "These are not the people you know, they are not your friends or loved ones, not anymore. They are the things that murdered those you cared about. The people that you knew are gone to wherever the dead go."
He stood proudly, calling on his magic to amplify the sound of his voice.
"The people that you have lost are still with us. They want us to survive, to honor their memory and sacrifice! They want us to lay their lost bodies to rest.
The elf pointed his blade at the advancing soldiers.
"Let them take nothing more from you, but grant them the peace they deserve. For Ferelden and Redcliffe!
Ser Perth and his knights took up the call.
For Redcliffe!
For the Arl!
Alim glanced up at where Leliana was hiding.
It would be up to her to strike the first blow.
He knew that he could count on her.
IOI
Leliana almost gasped as the first of the undead came into view. They had faced such creatures before, but these…these…
They were more disturbing.
Some were clad in armor, but others wore the garb of fishermen and their wives. They slouched as the staggered down the path, hissing and snarling with feral hunger.
Some were wet, their bodies lost in various stages of corruption, some were mummified, mostly just skeletons, held together by dark magic and strips of cloth and armor.
The bard shuddered.
The worst were the children.
They moved, jostled by the larger members of their horde, one, once a little girl, snarled as she found herself pinned in the narrow passage, a huge gash in her neck marked the way she had died.
The sight made Leliana shiver.
Thankfully there were not many children in the horde of undead, but the ones she could see…
Likely they had been lost in the first attack, back before the people of Redcliffe did not know what it was they were dealing with.
Horrifying, simply horrifying.
Leliana swallowed hard and readied her bow.
She tried not to think about it, these poor lost, damned souls.
No one deserved such a fate…no one.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
She leaned over lighting her arrow, the undead, so intent on reaching the village did not see her.
She set her sights on the narrowest part of the passage, where the barrels had been set.
The bard blew out her fear and horror in a single breath.
"Closer," she murmured as they moved down the path, "Closer, closer, closer."
The undead continued their slow sauntering march.
Her eyes narrowed.
"The righteous stand before the darkness and the Maker shall guide their hand."
She drew her bowstring back.
One of the undead finally noticed her; it snarled raising its sword…
Too late.
She fired.
"Boom," she whispered.
The arrow flew straight and true, guided by Leliana's skill and faith.
It struck the barrel.
Zev's modifications to the barrels worked perfectly.
They exploded violently, shaking the entire path.
The shockwave shattered undead horde and nearly knocked the bard from her perch.
Some were turned to ash, others were smashed by the shockwave, and the few that continued on were now soaked in burning oil.
Those that had made it through…they were not doing well.
Fire filled the path oil that had been leaked out of the last two barrels turned it into a gauntlet of flame.
The undead shrieked in anger!
Leliana climbed, she made her way out of the perch and back towards the others.
The flames would be seen from the village, it the defenders did not know what had happened they were blind.
She smiled to herself.
Grim business this, but necessary, these things were no longer people.
This attack would not be the slaughter the undead had enjoyed previously…
It was their turn to suffer loses.
The Maker's will be done.
IOI
Alim smiled at the glow from the path.
"That's my girl," he purred.
He reached out with his magic.
The clouds began to gather overhead, some of the volunteers looked up nervously.
"Fear not good people," Wynne called out, "The warden controls what is to come."
Alim did his best not to roll his eyes.
Thanks Wynne, he thought, now he just had to make sure that he did not lose control of this storm.
A disorganized rabble of burning undead made its way down the path, many missing limbs or crawling through the dirt.
Alim raised his staff.
The storm responded.
"Lightning plunged into the undead!
Deafening thunder shook the windmill.
Again Alim called out to the sky.
Winds battered the undead the flames were pushed back from the defenders swallowing many of the monsters as they tried to reform their ranks.
Alim gasped, he looked back at the volunteer archers.
"Give them a volley," he called out.
"Archers," Ser Perth cried.
Arrows were nocked.
"Loose!"
Shafts of many arrows rained down on the monsters.
More of them fell, burning pin cushions of burning flesh.
And yet, still more came, snarling with savage hunger.
The first of the undead made their way out of the path.
"SWORDS!" Ser Perth shouted.
Blades were drawn.
"Charge!" Alim ordered.
The warden, his allies and the knights surged forward.
Oghren was the first to meet the undead.
He took down five with a single swipe of his ax.
"WHO'S NEXT!" the Berserker roared, "COME ON YOU NUG HUMPERS! STEP UP TO THE BAR!"
Bandit wary of the flames seized limbs, tripping the undead up, making them easy prey for swords and pikes.
Shayle waded into the foul creatures. She pounded them with her massive fists.
"SQUISH!" the golem laughed.
Alim was a tornado, ripping into the undead, staff crushed skull and limb, blade took what the staff missed.
The undead advance stalled.
The creatures were being driven back into the flames.
They were doing it! They were winning!
"FROM THE LAKE!"
Alim turned a militia archer was running up the path.
"THEY ARE COMING OUT OF THE LAKE! THEY ARE ATTACKING! WE NEED HELP!"
The elf cursed.
He had not thought about the lake.
"Hold here!" he ordered, "I'm going to aid the village!"
"YES WARDEN!" Ser Perth shouted, "HOLD YOUR GROUND MEN!"
The knight beheaded an undead knight.
"HOLD YOUR GROUND!"
IOI
"STAND FAST!"
Fergus Cousland did what he could to rally the militia defending the village proper. Undead emerged from lake Calenhad, hissing and snarling like wild animals.
One of them managed to force its way past the defenses, it came at Fergus with a pitchfork.
He whirled to face it but recognized too late that he would not be quick enough.
He braced for the pain of the creature's strike.
A pair of strong yet small hands seized him by the shoulders, dragging him out of harm's way.
He ended up on the ground staring up at his savior.
Kallian snorted.
"Watch your ass Your Lordship," she murmured, "We knife-ears can't spend all our time protecting your sorry butt."
Fergus rolled to his feet and returned to the battle. The hostility in Kallian's voice ate at him. He did not wish for the two of them to be enemies.
He wished… he just wished that she would let him explain…
But explanations were often not enough…
He wondered if one would be here.
IOI
Morrigan struck the hardest against these creatures, calling chain lightning against their superior numbers.
The corpses convulsed as electricity poured into their rotten frames.
Many fell blackened, but still more emerged from the lake.
The witch cursed under her breath, they continued to rise like rodents!
The witch prepared another spell.
An arrow struck her in the chest.
She stared down in shock at the sight of her own blood…
Two more arrows pierced her, one in the thigh and another in chest.
The witch slumped over.
"Bloody fools," she murmured.
Darkness claimed her.
IOI
Alistair had been helping defend Zevran when he saw the witch fall. He saw the undead swarm towards her, eager to drag her back into the watery depths.
He would not allow that!
With a cry that could be called barbaric he lunged into the middle of the undead, defending Morrigan from being dragged off.
Kallian, Zev, and Seri, joined him a few minutes later. The undead tried to take advantage of the defenders being out of position. They swarmed towards the hole made by the warden and his allies shifting to aid the witch.
"Lightning struck right in the middle of them, blinding everyone around them with the flash.
Alistair took the moment to scoop up Morrigan, the witch was still breathing but she was hurt bad.
Alim along with Bandit, Leliana, and Shayle waded into the thickest fighting, striking down every walking corpse in sight.
Alistair carried her back behind the lines, on the steps of the chantry; others wounded were already being gathered there.
He tried to get Alim's attention but the elf was occupied, calling down gale force winds to push the undead back into the lake.
One made the mistake of getting too close to the elf, dagger in hand.
Bandit leapt upon it, tearing the creature apart with his sharp teeth.
Leliana flung a fire flask into the middle of the undead, igniting them, their water logged bodies did not burn as well as the ones on the path, but they still burned.
Alim fanned the flames with the winds, knocking the creatures back into the ones behind them, setting them ablaze as well.
Of course, he had to be more careful here, he did not wish to see the whole village put to the torch.
Slowly the undead fell. The wardens and their allies had made the difference in this fight it seemed.
The creatures did not fall back to the castle; they stayed fighting to the end.
The last undead fell beneath Fergus's blade, the nobleman cutting its head it twain, the battlefield fell silent.
Slowly the defenders of Redcliffe looked around expecting another wave from either the lake or the mountain pass.
Such an attack never came.
What followed started out small. It began as a simple sound in the darkness, a sound that turned into a great roar.
The roar of the defenders of Redcliffe.
The cry of the victorious.
Bann Teagan opened the doors to the sight of the defenders slapping each other on the back, and cheering into the night.
He found his own voice joining them soon enough.
It was an amazing sound joy and pain, sorrow and salvation; they had been saved from darkness, but now without cost.
Those that had been lost could not be brought back.
All the people of Redcliffe could do was honoring them.
And pray that it was enough.
Leliana ran to fetch Wynne, they would need the elder mage soon enough, their casualties were low but not so low as to go unmarked.
They would need time to heal, but once that was done…
It would be time to finish what they had begun here.
Castle Redcliffe still remained, along with whatever had caused this nightmare.
The wardens knew that they would need to seek out that cause, not only to save the Arl's life, but to aid Ferelden as well.
The Arl was needed, and not just for Redcliffe but all of Ferelden as well.
The wardens needed to end the civil war, Arl Eamon could do that…
…As long as they were not too late.