A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2016! Best wishes in the New Year!
DG
Chapter 140: Breaker of Chains
"I…am Caladrius."
Alim glared down at the Tevinter mage as they entered what he hoped was the final room of this rat hole. The Tevinters had fought them tooth and nail since the warden and his allies had first breached their little warren.
The elf felt righteous anger fill his breast.
It had taken some time, but they had finally reached the master of this foul place.
Now…it was time for answers…and justice.
He counted no less than three other mages standing near their master. Caladrius' fine robes and jeweled staff stood out among the rest of the slavers they had fought up to this point. Here was a man who was not used to taking orders. The Tevinter warriors that accompanied him looked back and forth between Alim and their employer, likely as scared of him, as they were the warden and his company.
Alim's ears lowered slightly.
He was eager to show them that he and his allies were more a threat than those men's employer.
He glanced down to the right, behind Caladrius, a large cage stood against the back wall. The eyes of many elves peered out from that cell; he could hear whimpers and several stifled cries for help. Guards glared at them from behind their drawn weapons, cruel looks that promised painful punishment if their slaves spoke out of turn now.
For the elves taken, their fate was out of their hands, all they could do was watch. Their fearful faces watched the coming confrontation with a mix of terror and hope.
Alim pursed his lips.
They would need to be careful here, he thought.
He had no desire to harm innocents.
If Caladrius was worried about the intruders, he did not show it, the mage had an almost bemused look upon his face.
He smiled up at Alim.
"You must be the Grey Warden we have been hearing so much about?" the mage said conversationally, "And a fellow mage as well, I suppose that I can now understand why you have caused the powers that be so much trouble these last few months."
"You've heard of me," Alim said dryly.
"I'm thrilled."
The Tevinter mage chuckled.
"How could I not hear about you," he chuckled, "You can't have a conversation with the Regent these days with the subject of wardens coming up more than once."
Again the man chuckled.
"It has even surpassed the word 'gold' in popularity."
Alim's eyes narrowed.
"If Loghain has told you about me," he said, "then you know that I'm not someone to be taken lightly."
The Tevinter raised his hand.
"Peace warden," he said, "I've no doubt that you are skilled, that you have managed to fight your way here is proof of that."
Caladrius sighed.
"First and foremost, I'm a business man. I'm sure that we can come to some kind of deal."
Alim's eyes narrowed, lightning crackled within them.
"What is Loghain's part in this," he demanded, "Why would he even allow you here?"
The Tevinter mage's smile widened.
"Yes, I suspect that you would be curious about that, wouldn't you? You see, we have paid for many of Loghain's troops over the past few months, but it was never in doubt that this venture would not be able to go on forever. We have made a profit here, but now it is time to move on."
"Except," Alim said holding up a hand, "You're going to have to get by me."
The elf gave them a savage smile.
"That is not going to be easy for you."
The Tevinter warriors started to raise their blades, the mages behind Caladrius their staves.
Again their leader stopped them.
It was clear that a battle was the last thing he wanted, or he was stalling, hoping that Loghain might send him some reinforcements.
Alim did not see any reinforcements coming; He would have a hard enough time explaining the presence of Tevinter slavers in the Alienage.
The fact that he had lost men trying to help them would not go over well with his fellow lords.
Still, Caladrius remained undaunted.
He was still trying to negotiate.
"There is no reason for blood shed. In fact, I have something you want, I suspect, and we wish to leave here unmolested, so…"
The mage's smile widened.
"I hope that we can come to a most…beneficial arrangement.
Alim said nothing; he did not refuse, so the Tevinter continued his sales pitch.
It cost Alim nothing to listen.
"Here is what I have to offer you."
Caladrius held up a rolled scroll.
"A contract," he said, "Detailing our business here, how we set up, the resources we used, and all with the Teyrn of Gwaren's signature. It is proof that you can bring to your Landsmeet, proof of the Regent's deal with us."
Alim's ears twitched.
Such a paper…it would go a long way towards convincing the nobles of what had happened here. Why Loghain would have signed such a paper was beyond him. Of course, had the Tevinters completed their business and left, no one would have been the wiser.
The warden licked his lips.
It was…a tempting prize.
"You would offer that to us?" he inquired.
The Tevinter nodded.
"We ask so little, this is our last shipment," he said referring to the elves in the cage, "If you allow us to take our profits and remaining slaves unharmed, the paper is yours, along with our promise that we shall not return."
Caladrius' gave him a friendly look.
"Surely such a deal is better than bloodshed, Warden?"
Alim's eyes narrowed, his ears twitched.
He could do nothing for the elves that had already been taken. The contract the mage held was just what they needed to take down Loghain at the Landsmeet. A contract that might get destroyed if this turned bloody…
…But how could he sentence the elves down there to a life of slavery and pain? Even now he could hear whimpering coming from the cages, the would-be slaves likely feared that he would take the deal, and leave them behind.
How could he do that?
How could he live with that?
"Alim," he heard Kally gasp behind him.
"You can't."
He did not need to look over to know Fergus' reaction; the noble would side with his woman.
Alistair snorted in disgust.
"Even thinking about this makes me feel dirty, Lim," he murmured.
"Please tell me you are not considering this?"
Alim glanced between Caladrius and the slaves in the cage.
"T'would be a wise decision," Morrigan purred, "We do not risk ourselves any further, and these men leave this place."
Morrigan smiled at the elven warden.
"At the very least, tis a good starting proposal."
Alim pursed his lips.
Yeah, the slavers would leave, and all those elves in that cage would be damned to Maker knew what fate.
But wasn't it worth it, the lives of these people against a Ferelden unified against the Blight. Loghain's mad schemes ended with a single piece of signed parchment.
Wouldn't that sacrifice be worth it?
He glanced over at the cage again. At the many eyes staring out at him, eyes filled with fear.
He knew what it was like to be taken away from his home, forced into a life he did not want or understand.
If he let these bastards leave, was he no better than the men who ripped him from his mother's side all those years ago.
Could he sentence another child to grow up locked away from his home, with no chance of discovering his true destiny?
The warden shook his head.
No, he thought.
I won't do that.
But that did not mean that he still did not need that contract. Perhaps Morrigan was right.
Perhaps he could negotiate better terms.
"May I offer a…counter proposal," he said.
"I'm listening," Caladrius answered.
The warden frowned.
"You're offering me something I could use, I won't deny that, but I can't just let you leave here. I can do nothing for those you have already shipped off, but those behind you; I can do something for them."
He glared at the slavers.
"Take your coin; take your men, and leave," he said, "but the people you have in those cages stay here."
Caladrius sniffed at that offer.
"No…no that won't do," he said, "This last order is what we need to make this venture possible."
"We can't abandon it."
Alim's temper started to flare again.
"I'm giving you a chance to walk out of here with your profits, Tevinter," he reminded the man, "And your head."
His elven ears lowered in anger.
"Don't throw away my generosity so quickly."
He could see Caladrius was thinking; Alim was willing to deal, but only so far.
Too many had suffered because of these bastards.
They were not going to walk away without losing something. Irving had told him once that compromise was the art of both parties leaving in a way that left neither side happy, but with terms that they could learn to live with.
Caladrius gave him a long suffering sigh, the look on his face was one of a parent disappointed in a young child.
"I had hoped that you would be reasonable."
Alim snorted and gave the man an acidic smirk.
"I'm many things," the elf admitted, "Reasonable has not always been one of them."
"So I see," Caladrius said dryly.
The Tevinter mage gestured.
The world exploded with light.
IOI
Alim staggered back, temporarily dazzled, he barely had time to form a shield to defend himself and his allies.
Tevinter spells exploded against the magical barrier. One of the Tevinters summoned chain-lightning and brought its full force to bear on the warden and his party.
Kally screamed knocked off her feet by the sorcerous attack. Morrigan spat like an angry cat as she used her magic to bolster the warden and his allies.
Oghren howled like a wounded animal. The Berserker crashed through the railing overlooking the slavers and waded into them with his ax. Several of the Tevinters tried to bring him down with their bows, only to have Alim use a gust of wind to spoil their shots.
Leliana fired several times. The Tevinter archers dropped with arrows sticking out of their throats.
The dwarf's distraction proved to be just what the group needed. Carver and Sten made their way down the stairs their great swords slashing at anything that moved. Alistair gestured towards Caladrius. The full power of a Templar smite fell upon the Tevinter knocking both him and his fellow mages to the ground.
One of the lesser mages raised his staff, trying to cast some attack against the former Templar, but again Alistair stopped him cold, he cleansed the area of mana, leaving the mage breathless and staggering.
One stroke of a sword later, mage's head left his shoulders, compliments of Alistair's strike.
IOI
The chamber filled with the clash of steel and screams of the desperate and the dying. Caladrius moaned the Tevinter had likely never faced an actual Templar trained warrior before; he had clearly no experience with having a Templar purge him of his mana.
The lead slaver reached for the contract, it had fallen out of his hand when he had been flung back. He reached out with his weakened magic; sparks began to play between his fingers, sparks that were even now jumping towards the slaver contract.
The mage smiled, if he was going to lose, he preferred that those that won did not get what they desired from him. He would…
"AHHHHH!"
The mage cried out as a small throwing knife pinned his hand to the stone floor.
Leliana flipped over the banister. The bard landed with the skill and grace of a jungle cat, her daggers drawn and ready.
Caladrius managed to tear the dagger from his flesh, but his magic was still too weak to do anything to aid him.
Thunder rumbled overhead, The weather outside could not harm the Tevinter, but it did herald the ending of his chances of being able to tell the regent that he had taken care of his warden problem.
The last Tevinter guard fell, cut down by Carver's great sword. Caladrius glanced around. He now found himself surrounded by the warden's allies; more than a few were looking at him with death in their eyes, especially the hornless Qunari.
Caladrius held his wounded hand.
So much for earning a little extra reward from the Regent, he would be lucky if he managed to escape with his life after all this, he…
He glanced over at the contract. Alim picked it up, and read a few lines of it. Caladrius said nothing; he merely held his hands up in surrender.
The warden glared down at him.
"Here is my final offer," the elven mage growled, "Slink out of here with you head attached, and tell your superiors what happens when you try plying your trade in Ferelden."
Caladrius nodded.
If the situation had been reversed, he did not think he would be quite so forgiving.
He chuckled despite the pain.
"It seems I have little choice," he said reaching out with his unwounded hand.
"I…"
Something heavy came down on Caladrius's head; there was a brief and terrible pain, light flashed before his eyes as they were crushed by the mere force of the blow.
The mage slumped over…then…
He felt nothing at all.
IOI
Alim blinked.
One minute he had been talking to the mage, and next.
He sighed heavily.
"Oghren," he sighed.
The red haired dwarf shrugged.
"What," he asked, "That nug humper's voice was starting to grate on my nerves."
The dwarf paused; all the others were staring at him.
He belched loudly.
"Don't tell me that not a single one of you wanted to do that?"
Alim snorted and shook his head.
He hated to admit it…
…but the dwarf had a point.
The warden glanced down at Caladrius' body, and at the slightly bloodstained contract lying nearby.
At least it had survived the battle.
He smiled as he picked up the paper.
Kally and Fergus ran over to the nearest cages, the elves within were sobbing, begging to be let out, to be set free.
Alim looked down at Caladrius' body.
"I can be reasonable," he said.
Then he smiled.
"Fortunately, I have friends who aren't.
The elf shook his head.
When it came to slavery, what could a good man do but oppose it.
Compromise was all well and good, but breaking chains.
That was something more…something better.
He looked down at the contract, and at Loghain's signature, plain for all to see.
He thought of the people in those cages, and the ones no doubt already on a ship on their way to Tevinter.
Loghain had much to answer for.
"We got you now you bastard," Alim purred.
"We got you."