Chapter 154: The Secret
"The Archdemon has shown itself. The dragon is at the head of the horde."
It was with those words in mind that Alim and the rest of his fellow Grey Wardens made their way down the corridor. Riordan's revelation about the Archdemon's location came as little surprise, but that did not mean that the news was welcome.
The sun had finally set behind the mountains of Redcliffe. While their allies settled in for the night, the wardens had been summoned to Riordan's chambers. The grizzled senior warden had something to tell them it seems. Duncan had apparently not shared everything with them that they needed to know.
Not that this surprised Alim, much.
After Soldier's Peak…nothing his fellow wardens did surprised him.
Still it amazed him a bit that neither Alistair nor Theron knew what this was all about. They had both been wardens longer than him after all.
You think they would have heard something.
He glanced over at Theron. The Dalish had been staying in the warden compound in Denerim before everything had gone down into the void.
He hoped that he might have some idea why Riordan had decided to wait until they were alone to tell them how slaying the Archdemon worked.
"Any ideas?" he asked his fellow warden.
The Dalish gave him a sheepish look.
"I was not in the best of shape when I arrived," he confessed, "Riordan said little to me, and Duncan said even less, he needed to make for the tower of magi, he said."
Alim frowned.
In that Duncan had not faltered, he had gone to the tower, and met him.
The rest, as the singers might say, was history.
"So you have no idea," Alim continued, "None at all."
Theron shrugged.
"I wasn't in the best position to ask any questions."
"Don't look at me," Alistair added quickly before his old friend could turn his attention to him. "Duncan kept me far from the battle, remember? If there is some big secret, he didn't share it with me."
Jowan said little. Alim, who knew his old friend best, took it to mean that the other mage was deep in thought. He had seen that expression enough times in the tower to know what to expect.
Jowan had come through his first battle, not an easy thing, Alim realized; the next one would be easier.
Not that it would be an easy battle, oh no.
Whatever the Archdemon had planned, it would not go easy for the wardens and their allies. Redcliffe had never been meant to be their deaths. It had been a trap meant to delay, rather than slay.
Whatever trap came next, was sure to have much sharper teeth.
Alim sighed, his mood as black as a shadow... He had known something was off during the battle for Redcliffe. He had not been able to put his finger on it then, but he certainly had now.
The lizard had played them all for fools. The attack on Redcliffe had cost the beast little, what were the lives of a few hundred spawn when its full army numbered in the thousands. The darkspawn might have lost, but they had bought themselves valuable time, and that had paid off far greater than anyone else could have expected.
There were still darkspawn in the hills around Redcliffe, not enough to be considered an army, but enough to make problems for Ferelden's defenders. If the army marched in pursuit of the Archdemon, they would leave their rear and flank open to darkspawn raiders. Any raids by the monsters would slow the army's advance, perhaps even leave them open to a surprise attack from the front.
No, the army would need to clean out the darkspawn first before it marched. This meant that the Archdemon and its army could now move unopposed, and if Riordan was to be believed, the horde's movement was now directed at the capital…
The Archdemon and its forces were even now marching on Denerim, and there was little or nothing that the wardens or their allies could do.
"Word has been sent to the capital," Riordan had promised them, "But even with such warning, the city will not be able to stand long against the main bulk of the horde."
Alim shuddered slightly; he remembered well how large the horde had been when he had seen it in the dead trenches. He could only guess it had grown larger since that time.
Now the dragon is moving, he thought to himself, if that is so, it is safe to say that it would not do so without some confidence in its ability to win what was to come.
Alim knew what to expect, he now tried to make the others aware of it as well.
Of all the wardens only Elissa had found what they had learned amusing, the girl had laughed at the fact that they had spent so much time moving south to engage the horde, only to have it show up on the doorstep of the city they had just fled...
"The dragon must have a sense of irony," the youngest Cousland snorted, "A shame that we were not able to predict what it was going to do."
Alim had glared at her. He had neither forgotten nor forgiven the abuse he had suffered at Elissa's hands. When the war was over, provided that they were both still alive, he intended to have the girl sent far away from Ferelden, perhaps have her assigned to Antiva or Rivain.
He did not believe for one moment that Elissa had simply accepted her new station as a warden. She would try to double cross them somehow; he would be shocked if she didn't.
She may have been useful for now, but that did not mean that he had forgotten what she was.
He tried not to look at her as they made their way to Riordan's quarters. She had remained so sickly looking during their long march out of Denerim. Yet, after the battle, she seemed to almost be glowing, her eyes flashing with excitement, her cheeks flushed and full of life. The hours since had seen the return of her unhealthy pallor. He thought it might be a good idea to ask Riordan about it all, the man had been a warden for many years after all; he had no doubt seen many things in his time.
Cousland did not seem to be suffering, and if she was, he would not have really cared.
He knew who and what Elissa was, what she truly was…
He would never forget.
"This will not end well," the former noble murmured.
Alim gave her a cold look.
She glanced up at him and smiled.
"Whatever the big secret is," she said with a sneer, "It is a safe bet that we're not going to like it. If it was anything good, there would be no reason to hide it from those outside the order."
The warden mage frowned.
She had a point, but at the same time, it did not matter, none of it did.
They were all Grey Wardens, and they had a job to do.
They would destroy the Archdemon or die trying.
That was the mission; that is what was expected of them.
He found himself thinking of Leliana, of what was likely going to come to pass in the next few days. After almost a year of fighting…
The elf pursed his lips.
…Whatever was going to happen, it would happen in Denerim.
The end.
Win or lose…
All their futures would be decided there.
They finally reached Riordan's quarters. He did not even get a chance to knock before the older man opened the door, and gestured them all inside.
The senior warden looked more haggard then Alim had ever seen him, even when he had freed the man from the Arl of Denerim's estate.
Once they were all inside, Riordan closed and locked the door, but not before checking the hall, making sure that no one was listening.
He let out a tired sigh and turned to them all.
"What we are about to face," he said, "Is something that a member of our order has not faced for many centuries. To battle an Archdemon is not simply a test of will and steel."
Riordan turned his gaze on each of them in turn.
"Tonight, you learn why our order is necessary, the price that must be paid for victory.
"The price that one of us…must pay."
IOI
Alistair could not fail to notice the tired expression on the senior warden's face, a look that seemed to suggest that the weight of the world now rested on his shoulders.
It was a look the new king recognized; Duncan had worn it often during their short time together. The memory still pained him, but it was not as sharp as it had once been. He still missed his grey warden brothers, but had since bonded with the rest of his companions, their connection, that comradery had done much to help him through the worst of what they had faced.
"Tell me," Riordan began, "Do any of your know why it is only a grey warden that can end the Blight?"
No one spoke up right away; the older warden's manner had put them all on edge.
Alistair held his tongue; normally he might have made some quip or snide comment to lighten the mood.
Something told him that it wouldn't work this time.
It was Alim that finally spoke up, answering the older man's question.
"The taint," he said.
Riordan nodded grimly.
"It is the only thing that makes sense, the only thing that sets us apart from other warriors."
The first Blight raged for almost a century. A century of darkness that all but destroyed the Imperium as the world had known it. Despite the fact that Dumat, the first Archdemon was one of their gods, the Magisters recognized that the monster could not be allowed to live. Many times did the Imperium throw their forces against the beast, and many times it was struck down. The potency of Tevinter sorcery was so great that it ended the life of Dumat, but it could not end the Blight."
Elissa frowned.
"But if they killed the Archdemon…?"
"The beast died many times and each time, its essence would enter the taint, and be reborn in the body of the closest darkspawn. It did not matter, hurlock, genlock, shriek, or ogre, the creature would fall and Dumat would burst from it like it was an egg, fully grown, and ready to continue its war."
Riordan sighed heavily.
"It is because of this that the Archdemon is all but immortal, but…but if the killing blow is delivered by a grey warden, the essence of the Archdemon passes into the body of the grey warden…"
Alim's ears twitched, his brown eyes widened slightly. Alistair felt bile starting to rise in his throat.
Sweet Andraste! he thought.
No.
"What happens to the Grey Warden," Jowan asked.
"A darkspawn is a soulless vessel," Riordan answered, "A Grey Warden is not; the essence of the warden bonds with the Archdemon, destroying both in the process."
"So…the Grey Warden that slays the Archdemon…dies?" Alistair gasped.
Riordan nodded.
"With no Archdemon to command them, the darkspawn are left leaderless, confused, the Blight ends."
Elissa's smile twisted into an evil smirk.
"So that is the secret?"
"Yes," Riordan said.
"So Loghain could never have ended the Blight on his own?"
"No, the beast would have been reborn no matter what the Teyrn did."
"Lovely," Elissa chuckled as she looked over her companions.
"So," she said, "Who wants to be sacrif…I mean the hero?"
All of the other wardens glared at her, but her smile did not falter.
Alistair had to resist the urge to smash those white teeth of hers to splinters. It was clear that Elissa had no intention of making the sacrifice.
In death…sacrifice.
Those were the words of the wardens, words that the new king had not fully understood…until now.
"Why is this kept secret?" Alim demanded, "Why were none of us told?"
"It is kept secret for the same reason that the joining is kept secret," Riordan answered, "If all of this was known it is unlikely that any would agree to take up the calling and become grey wardens, and there must always be grey wardens. As long as the Archdemons remain, we must be there to face them."
Theron snorted.
"I can never go home," he said, "I've lost everything to the taint. It if comes to it, I will make the final blow, for my people, for Merrill."
"What about His Majesty?" Elissa asked, "Is he excluded from this suicide mission?"
Alistair glared at her.
"I will do what is necessary," he said.
Cousland smiled brightly.
"I'm sure that Anora will be happy to hear that, Your Majesty," she said making his title sound more like an insult.
Before the new king could respond, Riordan stepped in.
"If anyone should make the final blow, it should be me," he said, "I'm the oldest here, and the taint will not spare my life much longer. If…if I should fail, it…it will fall to one of you to do what must be done."
He gave them all a sad smile.
"For what it is worth, I am truly sorry. You are all truly brave young people. You should never have had to make this choice."
Alim's ears were laying back against his head, clearly he was furious, yet when he spoke to Riordan it was with respect.
"It is what we do isn't it," he said with no small amount of venom in his voice.
"We die so that others don't have to."
"It is not fair," Riordan agreed, "But life rarely is, the Blight must end."
Alistair nodded. He tried to imagine what would happen if the others fell, if only he was left to deal the Archdemon the final blow?
He thought about all the lords and ladies that had sworn fealty to the crown, to him.
If he fell here, what would happen to Ferelden? Would the kingdom tear itself apart? Would civil war erupt anew despite the victory over the Blight?
Eamon cannot know, he thought, if he did, he would insist that Alistair stay out of the final battle, and the king would not do that.
He would not hide from his duty, as a grey warden or as a king.
He would just have to fight harder, make sure that one of his fellow wardens reached the Archdemon? Yet even if that occurred, did he have the right to stand back and let them die?
As a warden, and as man he wanted to say no, but as a king?
He had another obligation, to his lands, to his people?
What Alim had said earlier about honoring those that had fallen in his name came back to him.
He would defend his fellows, but if he was left as the only warden on the field, if he stood alone, he would not hesitate.
The Blight had to end.
He would do his duty.
He…would do what was necessary.
IOI
Alim's head was awhirl as he made his way back to the room that he shared with Leliana. What he was about to face, it…it was beyond anything that he had expected, but…he should have expected, he should have known.
Everything that Duncan had told him, everything he had seen in the deep roads. Everything they had learned at Soldier's Peak, it had pointing to this one sacrifice this one doom.
He would not deny it, not if it came to that. He would do what was necessary, for Ferelden, for Leli.
Bold words.
His elven ears twitched.
It is easy to say that you will give up your life, but when the time comes, when the blade is in hand, and you stand over the Archdemon…
He swallowed hard.
Would he be able to do it?
Did he truly have the strength?
Did he?
Each step suddenly became very heavy, every step closer to Leliana…he had promised to keep no secrets from her, but this…this…
It would hurt her, possibly even break her, he…he did not want to do that!
What is the alternative?
He let out a shuddering breath.
This time, he did not think that there was one.
The Dalish, the dwarves, even the Circle, he had had wiggle room to decide on what path they would take. Help the wolves or destroy them. Make a choice, Bhelen or Harrowmont, do the Templars dirty work, or preserve the Circle, he made those choices, and had had to live with the consequences, but this…this…
He shook his head.
This was something else.
He finally managed to make his way to his room, he did not hear anything sound from within; likely Leli was already in bed, he was not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
He could tell her tomorrow, sleep on the decision.
Not that he would get much sleep tonight.
He sighed and opened the door. The room was thick with shadows, the only light coming from the room's hearth.
Leliana lay on the bed, half dressed.
His ears twitched.
It looked like she had collapsed while undressing, like she had simply collapsed.
He started to go to her.
"She is unharmed."
He turned as the shadows parted revealing a very familiar form.
"Morrigan?"
The witch gave him a sad smile.
"A simple sleep spell," she said gesturing to the unconscious bard, "She will awaken at sunrise, chipper and refreshed."
The witch rolled her eyes.
"Tis for the best, no, tis no reason to cause her any discomfort."
Alim's brown eyes narrowed.
"Want to tell me why you decided to hex my lover?"
"A kindness, Alim," she replied, "nothing more, a kindness for her that will avoid trouble later."
His elven ears twitched.
"Trouble? What kind of trouble? What is going on Morrigan is something wrong?"
"I am fine," she said, "You on the other hand…"
She stepped forward her amber eyes almost shining with golden light. She seemed almost ethereal now, a shade of black and white.
For the first time since they had met, Alim felt a slight frisson of fear in the witch's presence.
"I know what happens when the Archdemon dies," she said, "I know that a grey warden must be sacrificed, and that it might be you. I'm here to inform you that this does not need to be so."
"Does not need to be so," Alim repeated, "What do you mean?"
Morrigan's smile turned sly.
"Not in here," she said, "Let our fair Leliana rest."
She gestured for him to follow.
"Come to my room," she said.
"There is something I need to share with you."