Chapter 167: God War
Winds howled across the top of Fort Drakon, Lightning split the sky while rain battered both Fereldan and darkspawn alike.
Alim's senses were screaming at him, not just his normal senses, but his stormbreaker senses and his tainted blood as well.
His blood burned and froze at the same time.
It felt like nature was tearing itself apart; the Archdemon's presence was a violation, a violation of the natural world, the creature corrupted with its very step.
Killing it would be mercy to the world, freeing it from such a…abomination.
Of course, killing it would not be easy. The taint in the elven mage's blood sang; the song in his head was so loud it was almost drowning out his thoughts. He was fighting mostly on instinct now, complex spells took too much concentration. it was hard to think.
The beast leapt into the air, flapping its wings, the damage that Riordan had done, and the rest of them had expanded upon made the beast clumsy, but it was by no means defenseless. It still had its teeth, its tail, and its claws, not to mention the fire that still belched from its teeth like sword-filled mouth.
Alim had fought two great dragons in the last year, both the one at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and the Flemeth-dragon in the Korcari Wilds.
This fight, this battle was beyond that, the Archdemon was beyond it.
A shiver ran down his spine as they rushed after the beast, trying to engage.
He shook his head.
This is insane, he thought.
We are fighting fucking god!
Leli would likely call that heresy, but it did not change the fact that the Archdemons had been worshipped as gods once. The power wielded by one, even one driven mad by the taint was considerable.
It was not something to be taken lightly.
The mages and remaining archers scattered, filling the air with their attacks striking at the dragon's soft points. The warriors stayed in close, battering the beast with blades, mauls and spears.
"WINGED VERMIN!" he heard Shayle shout, "PREPARE TO BE SQUISHED!"
The golem attacked the Archdemon's back leg, seizing in a hug and twisting with all her might.
The monster roared and kicked back like an enraged mule.
Shayle went flying.
Carver and Elissa seemed to have come up with the same idea, the two zeroed in on the Archdemon's bad wing, both leapt forward with their weapons, trying to catch the monster's wing where it attached to the creature's body.
"CUT IT OFF!" Elissa shouted, "CUT IT OFF AND THE BATTLE IS OURS!"
Carver's warden blade bit deep into the Archdemon's flank, black ichor sprayed from the wound, and the monster spun around rising on its hind legs.
Alim tried to send a blast of lightning into its chest, to buy his allies some time.
The sky cracked but no blast came down to strike their enemy.
It leaped away, toward where a group of archers were firing.
They tried to scatter…too late.
The Archdemon lowered its head and swept them through the air as horse might sweep away flies.
Now that it had some distance, the leader of the Blight glared hatefully at those attacked it.
It did not flap its wings or try to breathe fire, a single forepaw rose and gestured, gestured towards where a group of mages were casting.
A shadow formed before the demon and swept forward.
Alim could only gawk.
The monster could do magic!
It was actually casting spells!
Unbelievable!
The spell washed over the mages, the shadow darkening the air before them.
The spell casters barely had time to scream.
Their bodies dissolved like snowmen on a hot day. Wet skeletons collapsed as the spell took away all that had once kept them alive.
The sight turned Alim's stomach, and even worse the Archdemon was not done.
It rose up on its hind legs again, gesturing skyward.
Black fireballs began to rain from the sky. Ferelden's defenders scattered, unsure what to make of this horrific attack. Each ball of flame exploded on impact, throwing even more flame, any caught in the blast caught fire, caught fire, and could not be put out. The magical flames could not be quenched, they spread burning away any unfortunate in their wake.
The Archdemon raised its head had roared in triumph!
Through the taint, Alim could feel the dark beast's pleasure, mad laughter filled his ears.
Enraged the elf raised his staff, summoning the magic in his blood; he sent a bolt of lightning arcing toward their enemy.
It caught the monster on the nose, but did little more than annoy the beast.
Archdemon snarled and leapt forward again, flapping its wings, creating a gale that threaten to blow them all off the tower. The wind battered the defenders, forcing them back.
The warden warriors and their allies fought against it; again they rushed to meet the beast in combat. They dodged the flames, trying to reach their prey, try to do more damage.
The Archdemon caught a few with a blast of purple flame, these died screaming.
Alim ducked beneath the monster's head and drove spellbinder deep into where its serpentine neck met its head.
The monster sidestepped, trying to crush the elf beneath its feet.
Alim danced out of the way, his sword held before him, ready to meet the beast's next attack.
Those milky eyes…whenever he met the monster's gaze, they seemed to bore right into him, filling him with doubt and fear.
You can't do this, they seemed to say.
You will fall.
He gritted his teeth and snarled.
We will just see you overgrown lizard, he thought.
We will see!
IOI
Leliana sent shot after shot into the Archdemon, her arrows merely an annoyance to such a powerful monster.
Yet still, she did not stop, she did not hesitate.
A serpent's kiss could kill the most powerful of lions if it found the right spot. Her poisoned shafts might not seem to be doing much by themselves, but if she hit the beast in a vulnerable spot, an eye, or inside the mouth…perhaps she could give the wardens their chance…
Perhaps Alim and the others might just be able to bring the beast down.
She stood with Theron and a company of the mages that had followed them. The Dalish warden was a machine, releasing arrows with a speed and accuracy that she could only just match, the mages around them continued to cast spell after spell, trying to wear down the Archdemon's defenses.
She watched in horror as a Ferelden soldier was snapped up in the Archdemon's jaws, the monster was so fast, as fast as a serpent and just as deadly.
It crunched down on the man and threw him at his fellows, his body turned into a missile.
The Fereldan's scattered, as the broken man struck the stone hard before them.
The Archdemon reared up and began gesturing again, its large forepaw pointing towards them...
Solona, who had been fighting at Leliana's side, cried out in fear
"IT IS CASTING AGAIN! RUN! SCATTER! RUN!"
Leliana did not need to be told twice she darted to the right, as the shadow swept toward her and the rest of the mages.
A young Enchanter had only been two steps behind her when the shadow washed over him. Leliana heard his cry turn to a pained gurgle as the magic slew him. He…
She cried out, stumbled and fell.
The spell had caught her, a glancing blow, barely touching her foot.
Yet, the pain…it was terrible!
It was agony!
The flesh of her leg bubbled; she could imagine it melting off inside her boot.
She was on verge of passing out when suddenly, the pain stopped.
She gasped, relief flooding her.
She glanced up into a familiar gray haired face.
Wynne, but at the same time, not Wynne.
The old woman was in a halo of pale calming light.
The spirit that was bound with her had emerged to help.
"Are you all right, my dear?" the voice was both Wynne's and not, it was both strong and comforting.
Often on this journey she had worried about the old woman, worried that the power she wielded would run out, that they would lose her before they reached this point. She had been afraid that she would have to mourn this brave woman, a woman who had become like a surrogate mother to both her and the rest of their little group.
If she fell now, Wynne would likely say that it had been worth it, but Leliana still would not agree.
Wynne is so good, she thought, so much better than I.
"Child," the Wynne/spirit asked again.
Leliana nodded.
"It is not bad."
She pulled off her boot, the flesh was blistered, but showed no sign of melting away, it.
Leliana's eyes widened.
"LOOK OUT!"
She pulled Wynne to the side as a hurlock warrior dashed towards them.
Leliana rose to meet him, a long wicked dagger drawn from her belt.
She was too close for the monster to pull back, coming in too fast for it to back pedal.
She buried the blade beneath the darkspawn's jaw, up and into its brain.
The creature fell with barely a hiss.
She stumbled on the hard stone, her barefoot still weak from the spell.
The darkspawn had finally managed to catch up with them it seemed.
The monsters were flooding the roof, attacking the wardens and their allies.
All attacks on the Archdemon ceased as the defenders rallied to meet this new threat.
The Archdemon roared and leapt to one of the towers that rose from the wall any foot path to reaching the beast now blocked.
Free of attack the Archdemon, bowed its head, and closed its milky eyes. Shadows began to swirl around it; a strange song seemed to fill the air.
"THE BEAST IS HEALING ITSELF!" Wynne cried out, "We must stop it."
Leliana leapt to where her bow had fallen, she scooped up an arrow and sent if flying towards where the Archdemon crouched.
The arrow fell far short of its target.
The Archdemon extended its wings, as she watched in horror; the tears and wounds inflicted by the defenders began to close up.
We are failing, she thought, if it heals itself, if it gets back in the air, we are lost we are all lost!
The sound of battle behind her drew the bard's attention.
Wynne was falling back, a pair of genlock rogues were upon her with their daggers. The elder mage spun her staff in defense.
Leliana drew her short sword, and leapt to her friend's defense.
She could only hope that Alim and wardens had some kind of plan to stop the Archdemon.
If the beast healed itself…they would never get another chance like this. They…
Fort Drakon shuddered under foot, a roar came from the Archdemon as loud and as pained as anything they had ever heard!
She dared a glance back.
The Archdemon was no longer healing; it was struggling to its feet. It's damaged wing hanging bent and useless at its side.
A long ballistae bolt had torn the wing almost off! Now it was lodged in the Archdemon's thigh.
The dragon's head turned towards the source of the shot.
Leliana's eyes widened in surprise.
Sereda and Carver were crewing the weapon, they were now rushing back and forth, trying to get another bolt ready to launch.
The Archdemon, enraged at their attack lunged from its place of safety dragging its broken wing alongside it.
The bard no longer had any time to watch, a hurlock fell upon her, their swords meeting with a vicious clang.
Bless you both, she thought to her two friends.
You have bought us time…a chance.
Hopefully, that was all they needed.
IOI
"Pull that lever," Seri ordered.
Carver did his best to obey; he had never manned one of these things before, and felt as awkward as a new recruit during his first skirmish.
Seri Aeducan was anything but, she was ice, her eyes cold as she turned the crank, bringing the weapon to bear.
"One last shot," she cried, "Let's make it count!"
Carver nodded, and slipped the bolt in, locking it down with another pull of the lever.
He looked up in time to see the Archdemon bounding towards them, its milky eyes wide its mouth a black pit of jagged sword-like teeth.
In that moment, even the bravest knight would have turned craven.
It was all Carver could do to keep from running.
"Are we ready?" the dwarf called out.
Carver blinked.
That is a lot of teeth, he thought, a lot of…
"CARVER?"
"READY!" he shouted, coming out of his shock in that one brief moment.
"FIRING!" the former princess exclaimed.
The ballistae twanged.
The bolt found its mark.
It struck right where the damaged wing met the dragon's body. All the force going forward slammed into the advancing Archdemon. It spun the monster around, it howled, its cry a mix of pain and fury.
The wing came away, black blood gushed down the dragon's side. The monster stumbled and tripped belching flames and hissing saliva.
Carver raised his sword, a battle cry on his lips.
They had done it, he thought, we did it.
The Archdemon struggled to its feet. It plucked out the first bolt they fired with its teeth; it looked down at its lost wing.
That serpentine neck swung around, the tainted god's white eyes fell upon Carver and Seri.
Those eyes were now filled with murder…with annihilation.
Oh shit, Carver thought.
The Archdemon lunged towards them it would be on them in seconds.
OH SHIT!
Sereda was at his side again, her expression grim her blade at the ready.
"Run," she shouted.
He blinked.
"But…?"
"GO!" the former commander from Orzammar ordered, "I'll be right behind you. GO!"
Carver ran.
We did it, he thought.
Now let's see if we get to live to tell about it.
The Archdemon crashed down hard on the ballistae.
Carver Hawke was flung through the air.
His thoughts were what one might expect at that time.
Oh shit.
IOI
Sereda of House Aeducan did not run, in fact she was tired of running.
She had been running all day, running away from the fact that Zev was dead, and that she was still alive.
It was not something she was proud of.
She found herself thinking about their plans, what they might have done had the stone and fate been kinder. What kind of life they could have built. It was a dream perhaps, but it was a good dream. It would have been nice to have seen the world with him. She would have liked to have found their way to Antiva City one day, and see if it was as beautiful as he had claimed.
It would never hold a candle to Orzammar, but then again, little did.
She smiled then, resigned, and held up her blade.
Time seemed to slow down; it was just her and the old god.
Everything else fell away.
She saw the fury in the Archdemon's eyes, the old god wanted blood!
It anger amused her.
"Did that hurt you ugly bastard? Did it hurt when we tore off your wing?"
She chuckled.
I sincerely hope so.
She took a step back, the stillness of battle upon her. The Archdemon continued its charge.
For Orzammar, For the Ancestors, she thought, for Zevran Arainai, and for honor!
Sereda Aeducan broke into a run, charging the massive monster. She reached the end of the tower and leapt, just as the Archdemon leapt towards her.
She flew towards her target, just as her enemy no longer could.
It was the sweetest revenge.
"FOR AEDUUUUUUCAN!" She shouted, she shouted so loud that even the stone so far below would hear her.
Her blade plunged towards the Archdemon's eye. She snarled with a fury to match its own.
The monster opened its mouth, a great black pit lined with swords.
Seri did not hesitate; she met her fate with the courage of her famed ancestors.
She met her fate as an Aeducan.
She plunged towards that gaping maw, her blade pointed up ready to go into it's brain.
The jaws closed around her, her blade went up and bit deep.
The jaws, the bladed mouth closed around her
Bone and good dwarven armor cracked. She felt brief burning pain as she was broken by the strength of those jaws. She lost her sword as the creature bit down once, twice, three times.
Then, she felt nothing at all. What was left disappeared down the monster's gullet.
Sereda Aeducan, former commander of Orzammar, kinslayer, sister to the king, and companion of the grey wardens was gone.
IOI
The Archdemon came down hard, gagging, the dead dwarf's sword rammed so deep into the roof of its mouth.
It staggered and rolled down the tower, somehow finding its feet despite the pain. It coughed up both blood and flame.
It tried to leap to safety again, but this time if found none.
Lightning struck hard into its injured side, the loss of its wing allowing the electricity to penetrate its scales.
The old god howled; its body was slammed back down.
It looked up to see Alim, Alistair, and Elissa charging towards it, the hated grey wardens and their remaining allies, their blades at the ready.
The monster hissed and leapt forward.
The final battle continued.