P7
The dark alleyway illuminated a small light at the dead end. "That's our way out." Aladdin said as he followed close behind. The two approached the tiny hole, knocking loose scrapes of sandstone down to make the hole much larger. When it was large enough to duck under, the two wandered out of the city and into the desert. "Well, that's it then." Lady Holly said as she gave Agrabah one last glance. "But what of the darkspawn? There are still monsters in the city." Aladdin felt concerned for his home. Lady Holly shrugged him off and continued to walk before she felt his hand grasp the plating on her shoulders. "Hey! Templar!" Lady Holly swiftly turned around and grabbed the thief by the wrist, twisting until he was helpless and relaxed. "You don't know the threat like I do. Slay one darkspawn and a dozen more come. They don't give up. I've seen settlements, castles, even an entire kingdom fall because of them. Your city is lost to them now. There is NOTHING I can do about it. You need to accept this and move on. When we put an end to Mozenrath, the threat will lessen. Agrabah may be lost, but it's a small price to pay when you have to consider the rest of the world." Aladdin had a look of rage on his face but it lessened to sorrow. He understood the plight before him. Even Abu remained neutral towards acceptance. Not a word was said, not even when Lady Holly released her grip on the thief's wrist. The two trekked silently through the sands of the desert, not even giving a slight glance back at the burning warzone of a city behind them which soon faded out of sight.
The hot sun beaming above pressured the Templar and the thief who struggled to walk in direction of Mozenrath's kingdom. "Let's pause." Aladdin said tiredly. "If we stop now, we won't be able to continue." Lady Holly, though tired, continued to walk. "If we continue without break, we'll soon retire to the sands beneath our feet." He was right, though they weren't prepared to make camp. Lady Holly scouted the dunes of the desert around for even a glance of encampment. In the distance, a refreshing cloud of charred smoke danced high into the blue ocean of the sky above. "We'll find rest there, hopefully." The two trekked forward, struggling to ascend the waves of the dunes and even more so struggling to keep balance descending as well. The scent of cooked meat filtered the air. The sounds of children playing, chickens clucking, and hammers hitting wood and steel soon gave life to the silence of the desert. A large walled off village came into view as Aladdin and Lady Holly approached. Two shirtless guards stood by the entrance, already aware of their presence. "Halt! Where are you two from? It's not everyday we get visitors." Lady Holly pressed two fingers into her throat while clearing herself of phlegm. Her voice was dry and raspy. "We come from Agrabah. We're seeking temporary refuge." Lady Holly said. "He's clearly from Agrabah, but you don't look like anyone I've ever seen come from there." Said the guard. "That is correct. I am from Ferelden." She felt slightly uncomfortable by the reaction the guards gave in response. They looked over at each other and one of the guards whispered, "Another one?" "I don't know anything about Ferelden but it would appear you're not the only one here from there. You can enter. You might find two of your friends hanging around the bonfire in the center of camp." Lady Holly raised her eyebrow at his words. Two persons from Ferelden were here? In the desert? She felt an interest grow. The Templar charged through the gates, awkwardly making her way through crowds of playing children and working adults, also occasionally trying to avoid stepping on chicken. At the bonfire, two men sat on a dry log holding conversation. Lady Holly approached from behind. "That's quite some history Grey Warden." "Alistair!" Lady Holly shouted. The two men flinched at the sudden booming chant behind them. "Holly! Maker bless my socks! You're alive!" The two embraced each other in a tight hug as the other man stood awaiting introduction. "Holly, this is Duncan. He's a Grey Warden." The man nodded his head and extended a hand to make proper introduction with the Templar. "Greetings Lady Holly. Your friend has told me much about you. It's an honor to make your acquaintance." Duncan formed a bit of a charming smile on his well sculpted face. Lady Holly smiled back. It was comforting to be reunited with friends and even more comforting to be in the presence of a Grey Warden, a warrior of high honor and legend. Aladdin stood behind waiting for his own intro. "Oh, right, this is Aladdin. He's here to assist me in taking out Mozenrath." Aladdin eagerly shook Alistair and Duncan's hands. "But if I may ask, what brings you all the way out here Duncan?" Holly knew very little of the Grey Wardens but the fact that one was all the way out in the desert was mind-boggling. Even more so, the fact that he was alive and well on his own. "I'm here for you and Alistair actually. Though it was presumed you had fallen." Duncan felt a little relief from his knowing his mission was no longer a failure. The Templar tilted her head, curious as to what the Grey Warden ment. "I've been on a quest to recruit more Grey Wardens. I felt you two were well fitted for the position."