Chapter 67) Blood of a Dragon

Nuada POV


The castle library in Nevarra had a lot of interesting things. But, most importantly, it had information on dragons, scientific and academic information. There were research papers, textbooks even. There were diagrams and models. It was fascinating.

"Well, this isn't something I see often." I blinked slowly as a voice drew me out of the books. "A young boy hiding in the library on a fine day," the man continued, smiling slightly. I recognized him after a moment: Ferdinand Pentaghast, the king's brother. He had taken up dragon hunting like his ancestors when they returned, and was quite skilled. "I think you also have the book I was looking for."

"I'm sorry," I replied automatically. It was best to be polite to the royal family, especially since Father was in the middle of sensitive negotiations. I was keenly aware that the negotiations wouldn't even be happening if Father wasn't part of the family thanks to his grandmother. "Do you need it now?"

"No, but I would like it before I leave tomorrow for my hunting trip." He smiled slightly. "Actually, I have an idea. Why don't I teach you a few things about dragons?"

"Thank you very much." It would be rude to refuse. Besides, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. "I had a question about this passage?"


As we continued on, Elspeth and I subtly split the group. She was walking besides Layla, and I was walking by Alistair. I wasn't quite sure what I had done or said to upset Layla, but it was clear that she would not answer if I asked. So, it was better to put a little distance, and then I could ask later.

"You know that when the Landsmeet is called, and you win against Loghain, that someone is going to have to pick a ruler, right?" Besides, it let me talk to Alistair about something that had clearly been bugging him for a bit. After all, why would he have even thought of the sentence if it hadn't?

"It is always the Landsmeet that chooses the ruler of Fereldan," I confirmed as we walked through the caverns. The place was a veritable maze. It would be great for escaping if suddenly attacked. "Traditionally, it is of the Theirin line, but which descendant inherited would vary depending on what the Landsmeet thought and voted."

"But, if they want to do that, there's… not much choice." Alistair was the last of the line, as far as anyone knew.

"That is correct. Though, as always, there is the possibility of choosing someone who wasn't of the line." Father had been considered. He had refused, citing that they didn't fight a rebellion to put Uncle Maric on the throne just to see it leave the line in one generation. "Anora is also a good pick." But, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out if that would be good or not. I loved and trusted Anora, but… how many times had someone I loved and trusted did something that destroyed Fereldan in the past few months? It was too many, and it made me less certain of anything of that nature. "I imagine Fergus will be considered, if only for a brief moment." They might consider Elspeth as well. "I imagine the main choice will be between you and Anora, though, assuming your parentage is revealed."

"If Arl Eamon wakes up, I know that's exactly what he'll do." Alistair sighed. "I'd make a poor king, though." …You have got to be kidding me. "What? I would! Seriously, when I lead-"

"It's not that, though I do think you are selling yourself short on that front. I remember how well you did leading that squad at Highever." He smiled sheepishly, and I shrugged. "But, I was just startled. Uncle Maric said the same thing, I'm told. He bemoaned being a 'bad king' when he was alive too."

"…Really?"

"Yes." I sighed. "It's actually pretty damn ridiculous how like you and Uncle Maric are. He never raised you. He was…" Why am I repeating things that he already knows and, possibly, has issues with? "I need to start that whole conversation over."

"A reset button, like time magic or something!" Alistair laughed, but I saw the pain in his eyes. "So, be honest. Me being king?"

"I think you can learn, and that is probably the most important thing. You know you do not know anything, but…" I looked him right in the eye. "Honestly, if I had been asked that at Ostagar, I don't think you would have. But there's more certainty in you now, more resolve. You can learn, but you won't be pushed over. That's what I think." I shrugged. "I don't know if that will make you a good king or bad, Alistair. But I think it makes you a good prince, and a good candidate."

"…Thanks." The pain in his eyes lessened slightly, even if his smile didn't change. "I'll… think a little more on it." Honestly, that was great to hear. "Of course, knowing Sten, I'll be getting a lecture on the importance of fulfilling your roles or something. I don't know how he got it into his head that it's my role to become king." Ahaha… ha…

"That is completely my fault, because I badly explained why you being Cailan's brother was something important."

"Oh, so you're to blame!" He bopped me on the shoulder. "I'll get revenge for that!"

"Well, I had to get revenge for you flirting with my sister. It's a brother thing."

"Well…" He trailed off, and sighed. "I suppose if I become king, the Landsmeet will decide my bride." That… was a distinct possibility. It wasn't the norm by any means, but considering how hectic things were, it was entirely possible the nobles would arrange a marriage just to give some semblance of stability. "Maybe it's better if I-"

"Alistair, there may be times when you have to pick between duty and love, but I swear by all that is holy, if you just give up, I really will get revenge." I stopped and turned, looking him right in the eye. "Trust me. If you didn't have a chance, I would have stopped you long ago. I know Elspeth better than anyone. I always have and, honestly, I probably always will."

"…Basically, I should stand my ground." He sighed. "I said something like that to Layla too. It's so much easier to say things, than do things."

"That is why actions speak louder than words, right?" He simply sighed again and I grinned. "So, seriously, don't give up just because things look harsh."

"Okay, okay." He threw his hands up in defeat. "I'll… think on it." It was likely the best I was going to get. Alistair had everything decided for him, without his consent, all his life. It was scary, making decisions for yourself. "And you promise to remember your own words."

"I'll try." That was the best he was going to get from me, and he knew it. But, still… I felt I had to say this one thing. "Hey, Alistair?" He gave me a curious look. "You trained in Denerim, didn't you?"

"For templar training, yes?" Now he looked confused. "Why?"

"…Whenever the templars are training on the grounds, Uncle Maric would dodge duties to go watch." He became very still. "He never told me why. But, in the few years I knew him, it was a pretty consistent thing. To the point that we could actually schedule around it." To say more… if I said more, he would probably automatically deny it, or turn it into a joke, to escape the possibility of pain. Hope was painful, and this was an old scar, an old wound. So, distraction time. And there was one that was… very easy to pick. "…Did Elspeth and Layla leave us behind?"

"I… think they did." Alistair accepted the change of subject with grace. "They actually did!" They were nowhere in sight. "Well, great, now we have to run in our heavy armor."

"At least we don't have to swim in it?"

"Maker's mercy." We shared a grin, a sign of no hard feelings over the serious conversation, and took off running.

I would talk to him again, later, about this, after he had more time to think. Well, I would or Aiden would. Aiden might actually be a better choice. I had been raised all my life to focus on duty. I had been forced to make my own decisions from a young age.

Aiden, at least, knew what it was like to be forced into a role you were suited for, but were utterly convinced you weren't, after all.


"Stop." Oh, look at this! It's the cultists we had been anticipating ever since we arrived! They were waiting on the mountaintop, surrounded by pretty, pretty snow. "You will go no further!" Well, I was just grateful we caught up to Elspeth and Layla before running into this lot. That would have been so awkward.

"My pardon, but who are you?" I asked. Since we had caught sight of the group before they saw us, for once, we had a plan. It was a simple one, and one Elspeth and I had done in the past. Well, we hadn't done it with cultists in the middle of ruins, but it wasn't the first time we had done this with someone who wanted to kill us, and the basic concept was the same. I would be the charming distraction, while the others went on ahead. For some reason, Layla and Alistair didn't like it.

"You do not have the right to demand my name."

"Did I demand? My deepest apologies, I had meant to be polite." I smiled winningly, and I saw the speaker, a man with a booming voice, relax unconsciously. It was hard to stay mad at someone being friendly.

"So it is polite to defile our temple?" Despite his relaxing, though, it was clear he was still angry. I had to keep that anger on me and me alone. "You have spilled the blood of the faithful! Slaughtered our young!"

"Ah, those…" I had to think fast. "We are simple travelers, who were lost in the mountains when we stumbled upon a village. We were attacked without warning, and wished only to defend ourselves." That was probably… half of a lie.

"Simple travelers do not have the strength to kill the faithful." Ah, so I was dealing with an arrogant religious zealot. This was just like Orlais! "No more." He came to stand before me, his fellows hanging back. I noticed with some amusement that I was a bit taller than him. "You will tell me now, intruder, why you have come to these mountains, to this temple."

If I gave a little, then he should give a little in return. "Truthfully, we were in the area to look for the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

"You did all this for an ancient relic?" He scoffed. "Know this, stranger. The Prophet Andraste has overcome death itself, and has returned to Her faithful in a form more radiant than you can imagine!" All I was learning was that he might be a little touched in the head, it was very cold up here, and the others were slowly making their way past, so this was working nicely. "Not even the Tevinter Imperium could hope to slay Her now!" Okay? "What hope do you have?" Did I say I wanted to kill anyone?

"I think there was a miscommunication, and I am greatly grieved over it." I smiled. "As I said, I am looked for the Sacred Ashes, not to kill the Most Blessed Lady." A thought occurred to me. "Though, if it might be permitted, I would be honored to see Her in Her glory."

"None but the Disciples may approach Andraste for now." Still, the words had their intended effect. He relaxed, and seemed less angry. "She is not ready yet, but when the time is right, She will descend upon the nations in fiery splendor, and all will know Her."

"I eagerly await the day." My feet hurt. Standing still for so long on stone really killed the ankles and knees.

He actually laughed a little, and became thoughtful. "Ah, yes, since you are so polite… perhaps there is a way to make up for your transgressions." I had the instinctive urge to punch him. "After all, everyone stumbles through the darkness before being found and shown the light." The only light I wanted right now was clear sunlight. It was horribly weak up here. "Perhaps, in fact, through Andraste's mercy, her greatest enemy will become Her greatest champion." Should I be flattered?

I'd pretend. "I am pleased to be so praised, especially in light of everything." The three were almost past. When they were, I could do whatever I wanted. "Might you explain a little more?" I hadn't fast-talked this much since Orlais.

"The Ashes you seek reside atop this mountain here." They did? Wow, for once, we were lucky. "Watched by an immortal guardian who refuses to accept the truth of the risen Lady." Then again, maybe we weren't. Did it have to be an immortal guardian? "Now the Ashes are chains, preventing holy Andraste from fully realizing Her new form." …Was he asking what I think he was asking? "They are a remnant of Her past incarnation, and She cannot move on as long as they exist." Okay, I wasn't so keen on the Chantry or the Maker, but defiling something that is said to be old and powerful didn't seem like the sanest of ideas.

It was probably best to play stupid a bit, just to buy more time. "Go on."

"The Beloved needs to reclaim the Ashes!" He was getting more animated as he talked. "To make them Her own again!" He was really getting into this. "All it would take is a drop of Her blood." Oh, so we were going with strange blood magic!

"I imagine this is different than 'blood magic'."

"Blood carries power, strength, knowledge. Mages have never been the only ones who can channel it." That was true, but they certainly were the most famous. "Through it, all the power that is held in the Ashes will be returned to our Lady!"

His group was grinning and bouncing, getting into the speech too. Well, so long as they focused on me, I didn't care. The others were almost past. "Is there a reason why you cannot do this yourself?"

"The Guardian…" His voice dropped to a growl. Had I even gotten his name yet? "He foils all of our attempts! Keeps what power remains from the true Andraste!" I glanced at his weapon, a war-axe on his back, and noted how his muscles were stronger on the right than left. His left leg was stronger than his right, meaning he would often charge, putting most force on his left leg. "We cannot touch him, for he draws his strength from the Ashes themselves." He grinned at me, and I focused back on his face. "But you… you are a stranger. You could deliver our Lady what is rightfully Hers." I got the feeling he had forgotten I had said 'we' before. "Fear not, though. We can give you the strength to combat the Guardian." What. "You were led here by Andraste's hand to do Her work. Why else would you have survived the temple, and Her kin?" I was definitely missing something. "Come, drink with us." What.

I just smiled and nodded, not even capable of thinking of a reply as the man (I seriously didn't think I gotten his name) took a vial from his pocket, and mixed it in a chalice someone had produced. I kept the smile on my face, and sipped it slowly. I had survived the Joining, and it wouldn't be the first time I had been poisoned, so I just had to distract them just a bit longer.

Still, if this was alcohol, it was no alcohol I had ever tasted. It was almost sickeningly sweet, but the undertone of ash made it linger in my poor mouth. I might have deadened my tongue. I felt a buzzing in my teeth, my pulse hammering in my ears. Yeah, I probably was just poisoned. Ah, Elspeth was going to be mad…

"And now, the final piece." The man pulled out a horn and blew it, the call echoing through the mountains. Then I heard a rumble, a shaking. The weak sunlight was engulfed in shadow, and I could only stare in shock when I saw what had blocked the light.

WHAT WAS A HIGH DRAGON DOING HERE?!

"Here we are…! Our Lady!" They… thought Andraste… had reincarnated… into a dragon. They were, essentially, a dragon-worshiping cult, not unlike the Tevinter Imperium that killed Andraste in the first place. That… that… That was almost too hilarious. "From her, we will give you the strength of a thousand generations!" What? "Wait, who are those three?" I had little doubts that the others had been so startled that they forgot to hide. I couldn't blame them. "To arms, my brothers and sisters! Andraste will grant us-!"

"If Andraste really sent me, it was to stop you." I drew my sword and struck quickly. My first target was his left leg, so that he couldn't charge as he was used to. My second target was his right arm, to remove his best hand. "This ends here," I whispered as he stared at me in shock. "My name is Nuada Cousland, if you need to give the Maker the name of your killer."

I decapitated him, taking advantage of the shock, and jumped back as the others unleashed arrows. A wave of fire, however, took care of them easily, and I glanced back to see the others approaching. I was very appreciative we didn't have to deal with fighting humans when a dragon was glaring at us.

"So, do we run?" Elspeth asked as soon as she was close enough. She eyed the dragon warily. "I don't like the idea of fighting a high dragon with four people, considering the trouble a younger and weaker one gave six of us trouble."

"Is the dragon going to give us a choice, dear sister?" I retorted instantly. It was definitely snaring at us. "Alistair, why don't you seduce it like you did the dragonlings?"

"I don't even know how I did that!" Alistair instantly retorted. He had his weapons palmed. "Also, I think it is about to crush us. High Dragons are no jokes, that's for sure."

"Crowd around!" Layla ordered. She brought up a barrier as the dragon tried to swipe at us. It cracked under the force, but we were fine. "I… really need to learn better shielding."

"Then it's time to scatter." And we did, sliding in the snow and ice as we tried to get proper footing.

I ended up right in front of it, and held absolutely still as it stared at me. It suddenly lunged, teeth snapping as I turned. An arrow caught it in its left eye, and I smiled. Elspeth was as accurate as always. Now, what sort of dragon was this? There were different types, and each had their strengths and weaknesses…

Well, that might be the first thing to figure out. What were this dragon's elemental weaknesses? Though, give where we were, I had a pretty good idea just what we were dealing with. I would seriously need to write Lord Ferdinand a thank you note.

Her tail swung, knocking down some ruins. A scream made me glance over, and I realized it had knocked over a pillar Elspeth had been on, but she easily jumped down and escaped the rubble.

"Alistair, take the left side!" I ordered. If this was what I thought, then… "We're going to break the legs, okay?" If we broke the legs, then the wing joints would be more easily exposed. "Layla, if you can remind me what spells you kn… hello!" I dodged the dragon's claw, and swung, aiming for the joints. As I thought it would, the blade slid in easily, and I must have caught some important artery as blood spurted from the injury, catching me in the face. "Oh, ugh…" I swallowed some by accident. "Dragon blood tastes…" I meant to say 'disgusting'. I knew I did. But… I couldn't… do… anything…?

Something clanged to the ground as I crashed to my knees, clawing at my throat as I tried to get rid of this burning feeling crawling down. Breaking. I was breaking. I was shattering. I was burning to ash. I couldn't breath. I couldn't even see. Everything was burning. I was the flames. I was breaking. I was shattering.

"Nuada!" I heard someone. I tried to shift through the ashes of my thoughts for a name. A… ali… Alistair? Was that it? "Layla, Nuada's down!" I smelled fire, smoke, a burning not within, but without. It didn't reach me, though. The heat would have been comforting. "I think my shield has a hole in it now."

"Get it away from him so I can check!" I heard a kind voice snap the order, and felt small hands roll me over. I had fully hit the ground without realizing it. Everything was spinning, blackening and coloring. Everything was far too sharp, and far too dull. "Nuada!" I closed my eyes, wondering if the burning would crack my eyes and destroy them. It felt like everything else was splitting into pieces. "Nuada!" I couldn't… even think of who this was…

That wasn't good. There was… a danger. There was some sort of danger. I could drag that from the ashes. There was a danger, and there was duty, and that meant I had only one path.

"Tell me what's going on," I breathed. The words burned. They wavered, threatening to blow away in the wind. "What is…?" I coughed, violently enough to make me wonder if my lungs were gone. Something wet dripped down my chin. I thought it was blood.

"Nuada, are you serious? You are in-"

"Tell me, please…" I couldn't see. I couldn't breath. Everything was breaking, breaking. Was I dying? I think I was. But I am a Cousland. I died doing duty, and nothing more. "Please…"

"Why can you not just worry about yourself?" I heard a sigh, and blessedly cool hands resting on my face. "Elspeth and Alistair are fighting a high dragon. I am taking care of-"

"How do you fight?" I couldn't think. Everything was ash. "How do they…?" Elspeth… was my twin. I would always know her. Who was Alistair again? Who was this person again? I only could think of how much I trusted, and adored, them both.

"You are in so much pain you cannot even remember and yet…!" I heard so much frustration in the voice. "I am a mage. Elspeth is an archer, and Alistair wields swords and shields like you."

"Can you ice their weapons?"

"Yes, I can." I felt the cold crackle over my skin. It felt nice. "Will that help?"

"The High Dragon is likely a Fereldan Frostback." I dug through the ashes for anything and everything I knew about tactics, about dragons. If I am dying, I would die helping. "They are extremely vulnerable to cold." What else was there…? "They have weak joints, prone to snapping if you make them turn to much. An arrow to the wing joint is enough to cripple it long enough for someone to climb up. There's-"

"Nuada, will you just shut up and-"

"There's a soft spot on the back of the head. If you hit it at the right angle, you're server the spine." I couldn't breath. Was I suffocating? "The eyes are weak."

"Elspeth already took out the left eye?" Did she? I can always count on her. "You… you just ramble. I'll shout it for them."

"Thank you…" It was so hard to breath. Everything just seemed to slow, but I couldn't even shift through the ashes for thoughts.

But, still, I dragged up whatever I could think of. All the information I knew, I gave to the kind voice who gently stroked my head and held my hand. Whoever it was shouted it to the other two, leaving me free to just do everything I could to think and breath.

When I heard the dragon's dying shriek, I felt like a wave slammed into me, dragging me down into the depths. And everything went black, and I couldn't pretend to think anymore.


There was a stone digging into my back. It was a tiny thing, but it felt massive. That was the first thing I noticed as I slowly dragged myself from sleep. It was horribly cold, but some blankets were tucked around me. A pile of clothes served as my pillow. The last time I had felt this bad… it had been after that Crow-nurse almost killed me.

"Nuada?" Layla's shaky voice caught my ear. "Nuada, are you awake?"

"No," I groaned. But I managed to open my eyes, and blink slowly until the patch of blurs focused into Layla. She looked so pale, and so scared. "Well, I could get used to waking up to such a beautiful sight."

"Good morning to you too." She managed a shaky smile before bursting into tears, covering her face with her hands. "Thank the Maker! You're awake!"

"Yes, I'm awake." I wiggled out an arm from the blankets and cupped her face. She brought down her hands and I brushed my thumb over her cheek to try and wipe away the tears. "I don't remember much. Are you three okay?"

"Yes, we're fine." She gripped my hand tightly, keeping it on her face. I noticed I had strange scars on my arms. They almost looked like scales. "Your strategy worked." That was less a 'strategy' and more 'calling out the weaknesses'. "Alistair dealt the final blow, in that spot you mentioned. The High Dragon is dead. We are not." I breathed a sigh of relief and started coughing. Everything hurt… and was there blood in my mouth? "Nuada?" She was hovering over me again. "Are you coughing up blood again?"

"No, I think I bit the inside of my mouth." As I talked, I sometimes heard a lisp. That seemed… odd. "…Layla. Do I look any different? I've noticed the scarring on my arms."

"…Your canine teeth sharpened." That would explain it. I kept cutting the inside of my mouth on them. "Your… good eye also changed color." It did? "It is a silver color, not unlike the dragon's." That seemed… Well, that was weird. "There's… also a tattoo on your back?"

"I had that done at Redcliffe."

"Oh. It looks nice."

"I will have to thank Zevran again, then." She laughed a little and I smiled. "That it?"

"That is it, as far as I know. I intend on giving you numerous checks, though, just in case."

I nodded, accepting that. She still looked so pale and scared, so I thought to change the subject to something I hoped would be more innocent. "So, why am I shirtless?" Her face crumpled into tears again, though, so I knew I made a mistake. "Did I get injured there?"

"…Your heart stopped." Oh. "I had to jolt it back with some electricity magic." That… had to have been terrifying. "You were also coughing, and vomiting blood." Well, that was… huh. "You had better apologize to Elspeth. She was sobbing." I could imagine. "Well, she did after chasing down some of the cultists. We saw them in the trees and she just went after them, like a wolf after a rabbit!"

"Yeah, Elspeth has a bit of a temper." I laughed a little. "I'm told it's a Cousland trait. Fergus has a bad one too, and Father… well, you wanted to run if you managed to make him snap."

"I fear for Oren." Ha! "Now, how are you feeling? You almost died."

"Well, I ache a lot, but considering everything, it's probably a good thing I can feel." I made to remove my hand from her face, but she tightened her grip on it instead. "Layla?"

"Please, just…" Her voice shook a little. "Just let me?" …Well, I couldn't deny I liked her holding my hand.

"So, where are Alistair and Elspeth now?" A subject change seemed like a good idea.

"They went exploring. We found the entrance to the building near here." So, whenever I got better, we could just keep going. "We are in some ruins. The dragon nested not too far from here." I had heard dragons nested in ruins and caves. "Oh, welcome back, you two! Nuada is awake!"

"Nuada!" There was Elspeth, crashing down on my other side. Her hair was falling out of her braid, and I could see how red-rimmed her eyes were. "You idiot," she scolded. "You should know better than to drink strange things."

"I was just fine until I swallowed the dragon blood," I retorted instantly. She rolled her eyes and smiled softly. "By the way, don't drink it. It tastes horrible."

"Was it worse than rabbit?"

"It was way worse."

"Why would that even come up?" Alistair knelt down next to Layla, and I knew it was so it was easier for me to see all of them. "Thank you so much for the heart attack," he told me with a little smile. "I think I'm going gray now."

"The silver will look good on you," I deadpanned. He laughed. "So, I heard my delightful twin hunted some cultists for me?"

"Yeah, and she killed a bunch with some bombs. We lost some trees." I gave Elspeth a look, and she glanced away sheepishly, flushing from mortification. "It was cool, but I might have been angry myself." Ha… "She did catch and question one though." Oh?

"Do you remember the stories of reavers, Nuada?" she asked me. I nodded, vaguely remembering it. I mostly remembered Mother telling Fergus she'd ground him forever if he became one. "Be glad Mother isn't around to deliver on her threats. You're a reaver now." That was the process to become a reaver?

"So, that's what happened," I sighed. Well, hopefully Mother wouldn't scream at me from beyond the grave. It wasn't like I had chosen to become one. "All right, now that I have answers…" I tried to push myself up, and immediately the world spun. "…I… need to rest some more." It hurt to admit. I should keep going. That was what a Cousland did, and we had a duty. I also just hated being laid up, and hated holding the group back even more.

"I would have yelled if you tried to get up," Layla told me. Her smile was sweet, and I noticed she still had not let go of my hand. "Here, try to get some soup into you." My stomach protested the thought, even as Alistair and Elspeth disappeared from my view, likely getting that soup. "It will be good for you."

"I'm sure." But, even as I steeled myself for a soup that would likely make my stomach rebel, I came to an uncomfortable thought. I didn't want soup. I wanted raw meat.

Well, this was… going to be interesting?


Author's note: And Nuada is a Reaver, hopefully in a way you didn't quite expect. It is mentioned in Inquisition codexes that becoming a Reaver is a REALLY painful process, and in the Origins cutscene you faint, so I detailed it here as such. And some other changes, based on what Cassandra says to a Reaver!Inquisitor.
Ferdinand is an actual character, though he's only really known through the codex and the like for now. Like his brother, he is childless, which is why there's a succession crisis on the horizon in Nevarra.

Next Chapter – Detour with Cleon