Chapter 59: Adamant Fortress
Adamant Fortress perches at the edge of the abyss, the last defense against the darkness of the pit. What a fitting metaphor for what we're about to experience, I think as I study it. The great chasm below its walls once teemed with darkspawn during the Second Blight . Though the Archdemon did not fall here, this was the site of many battles, and the deaths of many Grey Wardens. Today will see more of their kind dead.
"You're thinking about Zazikel, aren't you?" Tenebris asks, looking out at the fortress. It's barely visible from where our scouting team is positioned.
Zazikel had been the dragon of freedom, and later, chaos. She'd been one of Tenebris's before Fen'Harel raised the Veil. I look at my brother and offer him a comforting smile. "A little. But more just ready to stop a bunch of idiots from ending the world," I answer.
"Try not to kill them all, Sister."
"I'll save them if I can; but if they stand against us, I promise you, they will fall."
"Hopefully they'll listen to reason," Alistair comments from next to me, adjusting a strap on his armor.
"Thanks again for doing this, Alistair," I tell him. "Toth is calm at the moment, so I think it will be alright, but I do feel better knowing you'll be with me."
"Two Wardens, two gods," Blackwall says, stepping up to stand next to my brother, Alistair and I. "The vanguard of the Inquisition's forces. We need to make this count."
"Yeah," I reply with a sigh. "I wish Etiam and Lucis had stayed, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what needs to be done."
"Then you're ready?" Cullen asks from nearby.
I nod, remembering the plan quite clearly. Cullen will go with Declan to the main gate and begin the assault. While the forces are distracted, my brother and I will take Alistair and Blackwall up to the ramparts and give the Wardens a chance to surrender.
"Then commence with the first part of the plan," he instructs.
I close my eyes and give in to the negative emotions that I've been holding a bay, my anger and worry for my friends, sadness at the thought of losing any of them. I allow them to rise, and the storm clouds roll in quickly in response. The winds bring the sting of sand, but this is gentler than it had been my last night in the Hissing Wastes. Thunder rumbles in the distance and I can feel the vibrations under my feet. I pull some of the sand to me, forming a layer of rock armor.
My eyes open. "It's time. Let's go."
We make the first part of the march together, my eyes unconsciously seeking Varric. He's not far from me, Bianca already in his hands. Glancing over, he catches me watching and makes his way toward me.
"You okay so far, Firefly?" he asks, and I want to hug him for asking.
"I'm going to be fine. I'm a goddess. I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve that I can unleash now that I'm not trying to hide what I am. You're the one I'm worried about. I swear, Varric, if you die, I'll never forgive you," I warn him.
"The thief and his goddess were caught in the tumultuous tides of war, the surge threatening to sweep both of them off their feet and drag them into the depths for eternity. But the rogue knew if he could only keep moving, he would reach her. For the storm was her element, and when the tempest ended, she would be waiting for him, a beacon of hope to his weary heart."
"I haven't heard much of our story lately. I missed it. But you're right. We're both going to be okay. I won't let it be otherwise."
"That's the spirit."
We reach the main gate, and Cullen orders the sappers to begin hurling their massive flaming boulders toward the walls. When the sappers stop the first round, then we go. One boulder strikes a tower, sending Wardens toppling to their death and lighting the surrounding structures on fire. A cheer goes up from our soldiers.
Arrows rain down on the Inquisition's forces, the volley speeding toward them like a swarm, the song whistling in the wind. Tenebris moves his hands, casting, and I do the same. His misdirection spell hits at the same time as my fire barrier, causing the hurtling projectiles to veer off course, the wood to burn to ash, and the metal arrowheads to slow their momentum before falling harmlessly to the ground The crew on the battering ram moves forward again, men holding shields up to avoid the arrows and heavy rocks falling from the walkways above.
"Our turn, Sister," Tenebris announces, and latches an arm on Blackwall's shoulder. They disappear in front of me.
I look at Alistair. "Hold on," I tell him. He lays a hand on my arm, and with a twist of my travel ring, we're in the thick of it. Once on the high battlements, I'm grateful for Alistair's shield. It's effective at pushing back the men back who rush to attack us. I watch as one is thrown off the ramparts, falling awkwardly with an audible snap of his neck. Another death. There will be more. All the better for Tenebris's magic. There is something about the way they move, a jerkiness. I realize these men must already be under the Tevinter magister, Lord Erimond's control.
I start my spell. "I call upon the ice and snow, to shield my friends and strike my foe," I mutter, the magic flowing from me in chilly waves. Instantly, courtyard below us grows silent, all of the Wardens in the first section frozen solid. I see some are already starting to lose the battle of consciousness. The weaker amongst them will soon be dead.
Alistair and Blackwall both look around and relax their posture, realizing the situation.
"Can they still hear us?" Blackwall asks.
"Yes, now's your chance. I can't keep the spell going too long or they'll die, so hurry." The dull thud of the battering ram hitting the gate punctuates my statement, and I know it won't be long until the structure splinters, allowing the bulk of our troops into the fortress itself. We just have to hold them here a while longer. We all descend to the lower level.
"We need not be enemies," Alistair started. "Chernoff, I know you. We are not here to kill Wardens, only to stop Clarel."
"You are all good men and do not need to die here today," Blackwall adds, pacing in front of them. Surely you must see that this is madness."
Another boom sounds from the door, followed by a loud crack. Cullen's team will be through any second now.
I take a deep breath and project my voice as I speak. "My spell will dissipate soon. You have seen a small taste of what we can do and now you all have a choice. Fight us, in which case I will not hold back, or stand down and let us deal with Clarel and the magister."
I allow the spell to end, and many of the Wardens fall to their knees. "We want no part of this," I hear the one Alistair had called "Chernoff" say.
Some do not, however, picking their arms back up and resuming their aggression. One fires an arrow in my direction. It ricochets off my rock armor, and I glare at the offender. "Tenebris!" I shout, and I see him cast again.
The remaining Wardens in this first bailey sway on their feet under the power of Tenebris's weakness spell. I hear my brother laugh, and understand he has siphoned off their own life force for himself. I often wonder what that feels like. Probably like the giddy feeling when I embrace the fire.
The reinforced wood of the gate finally gives in, and Cullen's men flood into the courtyard, taking care of any of the remaining combatants. Declan steps through the destroyed gate, accompanied by Varric and some of the others.
"Inquisitor, you have your way in," Cullen announces. "Hawke is up on the battlements, further in, but we'll need to clear it out. You should take a team and head in his direction."
Declan nods, choosing Cole, Cassandra and Solas to accompany him and runs to one of the side corridors. I'm just happy to see the familiar red jacket of my beloved in one piece. Dorian and Bull are with him.
Cullen looks at us. "The rest of us need to cover the Inquisitor's advance. Ferox, you and Tenebris move ahead into the next area, take Alistair and Blackwall, same tactics as before."
"Actually," I comment, looking at Tenebris. "Those Wardens were controlled using blood magic. Do you think you could help any of them?"
"It's possible, but I'll need them subdued first," my brother responds. "Let me bring some help," he adds with a grin. He turns back to the courtyard, mumbling something under his breath. He raises his hands, and our soldiers jump back and cry out, as the dead rise from the ground.
"Don't worry, they're with us," I reassure them.
Dorian smiles. "And as their numbers dwindle, ours will only grow."
Varric sighs. "You know that shit is creepy, right?" He places a gloved hand to his temple. "Just keep them away from Bianca." He cradles the crossbow protectively.
"You know, after your little Deep Roads adventure, I'm liking the name less and less," I comment. "Let's go, I want first swing at that magister."
We walk through the opening amidst the sounds of fighting, our soldiers climbing ladders on the ramparts, both theirs and ours falling from the heights. I'm up. I cast the ice spell again, selecting only the Wardens. But what I don't realize is that there are demons amongst them. I hadn't been able to see that far from the entrance.
"Shit," I mutter, running forward, staff at the ready. "We've got demons." Moving closer, dodging around the frozen statues, I sustained the spell and cast another. "Bringer of the storm and rain, link together an unending chain."
I feel the surge as the expanded form of chain lightning bursts from my staff, arcing toward the demons but avoiding the others. I don't need the Wardens dead - not yet, anyway. I leave the Wardens for Alistair and Blackwall to handle, giving the similar talk that we had in the outer courtyard. It doesn't hurt that they're surrounded by a number of the dead already, fighting for our cause under my brother's control. I focus on the demons. This version of the spell causes the same chain reaction as the normal spell, but the electricity doesn't disappear after it strikes: it stays, coiling around the target like a giant constricting snake, grappling and squeezing its prey.
The demons howl. Thankfully there are only a few - two rage demons and a shade - and I'm able to keep them bound long enough for Dorian and Varric to help me finish them off. I release the lightning spell and look at Alistair. "Are we good to drop the cold spell?" I ask.
He nods, and I let go of the cold. The area starts to feel warmer as the hot air of the desert rushes in, steam rising from the bodies of the Wardens. As before, many stand down, having heard the words from Alistair and Blackwall. We have to fight a few, of course, but I freeze them again and we bind them quickly.
Tenebris examines one Warden, now thawed, staring at my brother with an emotionless expression. I can see the suggestion has already taken hold of his mind.
"Can you help him?" I ask, stepping closer.
"It's a powerful spell. I'm fairly certain that magister has been studying with Corypheus. We might be better off spending our time finding the caster. The compulsion should end with his death."
I nod, and look for Cullen. He's ordering his men through to the next chamber again, and I run to catch up him, the others trailing behind me. I fill him in on what Tenebris just said.
"Good work, Ferox. We'll leave some men here to watch the Wardens, but we need to keep moving." I follow Cullen, ducking underneath a crumbling entrance to a short tunnel.
A terrifying screech splits the air, setting the hair on the back of my head on end. My suspicion is confirmed when Alistair shouts out from behind me, "It's Corypheus's Archdemon!"