Chapter 161: The Falling Alienage
The smoke rising from the Denerim Alienage had turned the sky to dusk.
The wardens and their allies made their way in, past burning elven tenements, and the ruins of daily life. Shattered carts, and overturned cobbled together stalls almost barred their entrance, but was quickly swept away by the gestures of the few mages that accompanied them.
The sight of such destruction made Leliana shudder, seeing the destruction, knowing what the elves here had faced since the Landsmeet. These poor people had only just started getting their lives back together, now this…
She shook her head.
These poor, poor people!
She looked over at Alim; her love had closed his eyes and was gesturing towards the sky, gestures that he repeated twice or more. Finally he stopped, cursing under his breath.
"Are you alright?" she inquired.
"Fine," he said grimly, wiping idly at his face with his pale sleeve, "I was trying to call on the rain, do something about these fires."
The warden mage shook his head.
"What is the point of saving Denerim if the fires here grow and consume the entire city?"
Alistair, who had been listening, answered before she could respond.
"We don't have to worry about that Lim," he said, " I hate to admit it, but the Alienage…it…um…the people that built it, they built it to be able to burn and the rest of the city stay safe. Just take a look at the walls; no fire is getting over that."
Leliana winced.
Alim glared at the new king, an angry retort dying on his lips, Leliana saw her love's elven ears twitch as he considered what his warden brother had said.
He cursed under his breath.
Alistair was right, both she and Alim knew that, they might not agree, but the king was not wrong.
The fires in the Alienage would not spread. Human attitudes towards the elves would spare the city that fate, at least.
Damn them all.
A few short months ago, she would not have felt any shame at that realization, now… now…
The bard shuddered again.
Now, after finding love with her warden, she knew shame.
Their group continued to advance, the human, dwarven, and mages staying behind, covering the way they had come. Lithe Dalish hunters advanced around them, curious no doubt about their city born kin. They had all but volunteered to help deal with the general attacking the alienage.
She had heard one of the hunters talking during their advance, shocked at the world the flat ears had chosen to endure. She was tempted to bring up the fact that the elves had chosen nothing; they had been born into this world, but held her tongue.
No Dalish would listen to a human, not about their own way, the wild elves were as prejudice as the humans they resisted. Such beliefs were not easily overcome, regardless of race.
The destruction the darkspawn had visited on the Alienage should have come as no surprise, what was surprising was the lack of elven bodies. No doubt some had perished in their homes, their bodies now consumed by the fires that raged around them. The only bodies that she could see were fallen darkspawn, struck down by well-placed arrows.
Alim drew one from a fallen hurlock, examining the point and feathering.
He smiled grimly.
"I think these are Tevinter," he chuckled, "I guess Shianni didn't turn over all the weapons they took off the slavers we killed to the city watch."
The warden grinned savagely.
"Good for her."
Zevran smirked as well.
"Indeed, Alim," he said, after everything these people have suffered, I would have been greatly dismayed had they given away their only method of defense."
Leliana nodded in agreement.
In truth she had not thought about all the weapons that had been left behind. The slavers had had plenty of guards, guards armed with good steel and armor. If the elves had chosen to keep them…?
She smiled to herself.
…Perhaps the elves of Denerim were not in such dire straits after all.
"SOLDIERS COMING!"
The shout rang out from some place up ahead of them. Alim stepped forward holding out his weapons for all to see.
"WE'RE GREY WARDENS," he shouted, "WE'RE HERE TO HELP!"
They paused, making sure the elves were not going to fire down on those coming to aid them. Hoping, no doubt that they could see the difference between friend and foe, Leliana found herself holding her breath.
Hopefully the elves would remember the wardens' aid against the slavers.
Hopefully, they would not blindly seek more blood.
Shouts rang out again, this time warning the hidden defenders to let Alim and his allies pass. Someone called down telling them to move forward, the spawn had fallen back.
Once again her love led from the front, making sure that any and all could see them. As they passed she thought she caught the sight of glowing elven eyes watching from one of the many windows, but they were moving too fast for her to be sure.
These people are not helpless, she reminded herself, they are used to pain and suffering, probably far more prepared than the average Denerim citizen.
The thought made her sigh.
City elves were the most looked down upon citizen in any city, yet here, they were holding out far better than most.
There was a lesson in that, she was sure.
Hopefully, one day, someone would take the time to learn it.
IOI
The wardens and their allies made their way to the Vhenadahl, the tree of the people now sheltered the elven fighters who stood against the darkspawn. Most wore ill-fitting armor, held in place by various buckles and straps, armor that had, until recently, belonged to the guards of the Tevinter slavers, their bows, crossbows, and curved fighting blades now in the hands of the very people they had sought to enslave.
At the center of the group stood Kallian's young cousin Shianni, a long shirt of Tevinter mail protected her from throat to thigh, the battle helm she wore was a little large, but held in place by a heavy strap. A quiver of arrows graced her thigh, and a Tevinter longbow was slung across her back.
She looked up as the wardens approached.
A hint of a smile played across the girl's lips.
"Well," she said, "You certainly have the gift of good timing."
She looked around quickly, searching the faces of the wardens and their allies.
Her face shifted as fear took her.
"Where is Kallian?" She demanded, "Is she…?"
"She is safe," Alim assured her," As safe as anyone can be right now."
"She is helping defending the archer and trebuchets," Leliana added quickly.
Shianni digested that, her lips twisting into a frown.
"I hope you didn't give her a bow," she said dryly.
"Kallian is rubbish with a bow."
Leliana suppressed a smile.
"She has her swords," she assured their friend's cousin.
"She won't be caught unaware if the darkspawn try and attack her.
Again the red haired elf nodded, the bit of gallows humor restoring her courage.
She quickly explained what had been happening.
The elves had built a barricade when the darkspawn attack began. The elves had been successful in keeping any darkspawn attacking from the market place back, but the spawn that had flooded the palace district were bound and determined to see the Alienage fall. Several shrieks had managed to breach the barrier, but they had been cut down fairly quick. Each of the monsters had been wielding a torch.
They had been trying to burn in the Vhenadahl,
Leliana eyes narrowed.
It might seem petty to some, but it was actually a good strategy, if the elves saw their tree go it would likely break the spirit of even the most determined of their number.
That could not be allowed to happen.
Alim explained that the spawn were likely being led by a general, and that if this general were to die, there was a chance that they might just leave the darkspawn in a state that they would cease to be a legitimate threat to the alienage.
First they needed to find the spawn; then they would be able to see.
"SHIANNI!"
An elven boy with white gold hair rushed past the wardens and their allies.
"Adwyn?" Shianni said.
The boy panted pointing towards where the elves had put up their barricades.
"They are…attacking…again."
Leliana drew her short sword.
The elves needed help.
They would have it.
IOI
Alim found himself locked in combat with a powerful hurlock emissary. He did his best to fortify his allies against the monsters spells, but even he was hard pressed to hold back the darkspawn general's attacks.
The creature had opened up the attack by casting a foul mist over the battlefield. Alim had called on the wind to disperse it, but the weather remained fickle, the blight blocking his full access to the natural world.
People died because of that.
The Dalish had rushed to the barricade, raining arrows down on the advancing spawn. The city elf defenders, inspired by their woodland kin joined with their own arrows and other makeshift weapons.
The cloud washed over them, felling anyone it touched, their body twisted as their exposed skin erupted with huge poisonous boils.
Some managed to crawl out of the crowd, but they died screaming, even as Wynne tried to save them.
The sight made the bile rise in his throat.
Enraged the warden mage lashed out at the darkspawn, a magical maelstrom engulfed the first wave of darkspawn attempting to breach the barrier. Lightning crisping their tainted flesh, yet for every spawn that fell four more seemed to pour over the bridge leading to the alienage, and there standing on the bridge was the darkspawn general, the emissary, encouraging his fellows on with guttural commands.
A huge ogre lumbered forward, breaking into a run and lowering its head like a bull. Alim tried to bring it down with lightning, but to no avail.
The ogre slammed into the barricade, and it broke apart like it was made of leaves. The monster reached out grabbing a Dalish hunter; he tore the archer in half and threw him at the defenders. Many of the elves backed up, horrified by the sight.
Darkspawn began to flood into the alienage.
Alim drew spellbinder.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
They would go no further!
"WARRIORS FORWARD!" he shouted.
"CUT THESE BASTARDS DOWN!"
A war cry rang out from their heavy fighters. Alistair led the way, accompanied by his bodyguards.
The darkspawn advance smashed into a wall of steel.
Shayle tackled the ogre bringing it down on its allies. Elissa shrieked like someone gone mad as she cut a bloody path through the spawn. Theron stayed close to Alistair, doing what he could to keep the spawn from overwhelming their royal brother. Carver did his best to shore up the elves defenses; the Ferelden soldier fought like a demon, his great sword sweeping away any monster that was foolish enough to get too close. Their rogues fell back, protecting the mages, and preparing to clear out any darkspawn that managed to make it through their warriors' lines.
Alim knew he should stay back, but after watching so many elves die in the emissary's first attack…
The creature had caught him unaware.
That would not happen again.
Bandit was at his side, his mussel covered in black, his teeth white against the gore. The warden mage whirled, spinning staff and blade both, cutting his way through the darkspawn, occasionally sending up an arcane blast to blow one of the monsters back and make the way more clear.
The emissary, having noticed his approach began to fall back, hurlocks and genlocks began to form up in front of him.
Not this time you ugly shit, Alim thought to himself.
Not this time.
Lightning began to crackle the full length of spellbinder's blade. Alim murmured under his breath, drawing both from the magic in the air and the power of his own will.
The spawn wants to play with fire, he thought, would a savage smile.
Well, let's play with fire.
He paused in mid spin, bashing an unfortunate hurlock in the face with his staff. The emissary raised his staff, a shield starting to form in front of him.
Too late.
Alim threw his sword.
Magic did the rest.
Spellbinder whirled forward, like a living thing; lightning crackled from its blade as it spun into the darkspawn ranks, spun…and kept going.
The darkspawn tried to resist, but any that stood before the sword's arc were electrified and cut before they could retreat.
Alim reached out with his will guiding his weapon. The spell was exhausting, but if it did what they needed.
That was all that mattered.
The emissary's shield was still not fully formed, the sword breached it easily.
The darkspawn general squealed and tried to block the blade with its staff, against another sword, that might have been possible…
But not against the blade of both an arcane warrior and a stormbreaker.
The darkspawn staff shattered, spellbinder cleaved through the general's breast plate, spraying the surrounding spawn with burning black ichor.
Spellbinder let out one last blast of lightning, the darkspawn around the emissary caught fire as their general was bisected from collar bone to hip.
Two burning chucks of meat fell as the surviving darkspawn warriors began to fall back along the bridge, some were burning and in their frenzy they were setting their fellows on fire.
Alim, though exhausted wore a savage triumphant smile.
The monsters were not falling back; they were fleeing for their lives.
They had pushed the spawn back!
The alienage was safe.
He struggled to his feet, his loyal Mabari at his side. The dog barked excitedly wagging his stubby tail.
Alim grinned and gave him a scratch behind the ears. They had…
A roar shook the heavens.
As Alim looked on in horror, the Archdemon emerged from the clouds, its violet rotted scales shining in the light of many fires.
The dragon dived, too fast for any weapon to target it.
It dove for the bridge on which Alim and his allies were standing.
It dove in for the kill.
The Archdemon opened its mouth.
An inferno of black flame covered the bridge.
Something exploded behind Alim throwing him in the air; he called on his magic to shield him, even as flew through the air. He heard anguished cries around. Whether they were from his allies or the elves he could not say.
He must have blacked out for a time, when he came to he found himself staring into Leliana's eyes, her expression pained, her face covered in blood and ash.
"Easy," she cautioned as he tried to rise. The act left him gasping in pain.
"He blinked trying to clear his head.
"How long was I out?"
A few minutes, no more," she answered, "Dearest you…"
He gently pushed away from her. He needed to get up, there was still too much to be done.
He called on healing magic, its cool power clearing his head.
"The Archdemon," he gasped, "Is it…?"
"It flew away," Leliana said, "We could not stop it."
Cursing under his breath, he rose, angry at himself for being so easily taken. He found himself back in the square of the Alienage. His allies surrounded him, their various burns and wounds being tended by Wynne and Morrigan. He…
He blinked.
Someone was missing!
He saw Seri sitting off by herself looking down at the ground. The dwarven girl gripping her sword like it was the only thing holding her in this world. She…
Alim felt the bile rising in his throat. He looked into his lover's eyes. He looked at the sad acceptance that he saw there.
Not all of us will make it back this time, he had said those words to them, he knew them to be true, but…
That did not make it easier to bear.
"Where is Zev?" he asked her.
Leliana shook her head.
"He saved Seri," she said, "Her and that elven boy Adwyn too," Leliana pursed her lips, there were oil barrels on the bridge, when they exploded…the bridge, it…it blew apart. The wreckage struck one of the towers behind us, it…it collapsed and…"
Leliana whimpered.
"Zev was buried…he…he is gone."
He blinked, part of him still not believing what he was hearing.
"Did you find him?"
"No," she said, "The stones were too heavy, nothing could have survived that."
She fell silent then, looking down at her feet. She and Zevran may not have been the best of friends, but…
Alim said nothing; he sat there, staring at the smoky red sky.
Not all of us were going to make it.
He found himself thinking back to their first meeting. Zevran had been sent to kill them, but that had not stopped him from becoming a friend. When they had fought the crows in Denerim, Zevran had finally been free, he could have gone anywhere he wanted, but he had stayed…
He had stayed, and…
Alim hissed, and forced himself to his feet.
"Get the others up Leli," he said, "Any who are injured should return to the gates."
She looked up at him.
"Alim…we…"
"We have to keep going. Zev would have understood that."
Leliana blinked, she still looked sad, but, after a deep breath, she nodded and stood, a look of determination on her face.
They had been lucky up to this point, but luck ran out, it always did.
Yet, it did not matter, the battle was still going on, and they needed to finish it.
Zevran Arainai was gone; there was nothing they could do about that.
He was gone…
…and he would likely not be the last to fall.