DISCLAIMER: Bioware owns the Dragon Age universe.

Chapter 17: The End of Tears

Merrill stabbed herself in the hand with her knife. "All right, that should do it," she thought. "Lethallin, walk away. We can still go our separate ways and live with what's already happened."

"You won't be living for very long." Vaela responded.

Armed with Starfang and increasing power due to Old God influence, the Hero of Ferelden was stronger than ever before. She charged at Merrill.

Merrill parted the water Vaela ran upon and watched as the Warden fell to the rock bottom of the plunge pool. "It's over, lethallin." Merrill thought to herself as she created waves on both sides of the Warden that crashed down upon her.

Inside the depths of Vaela's mind, the Warden was lost in darkness. "I can't lose here… what do I do?"

"Destroy everything."

The darkness cleared around Vaela and she stood before a cage. "Destroy everything that causes you pain. Or, let us do it for you."

"You… you're an Old God-"

"I'm the only one that can help you. Unleash the true power of your blood, harness your anger, your hate…. It all starts with a single step forwards. Tear off this wretched seal! Release me!

The Warden slowly advanced towards the cage, intent on unleashing the power of blood that she needed to destroy Merrill.

Hours earlier, King Alistair had arrived at Vigil's Keep. "Where is she?!" he demanded to know.

Nathaniel and Velanna had just returned from the Frostback Mountains. "Highever. Why?" Nathaniel responded.

"Do you know of the warden Avernus? And his research into Warden blood?" the king asked.

"Yes, of course. What does this have to do with the Commander?"

"I've received a letter from Avernus. Vaela's in trouble."

"Yes, you're doing just fine," the dragon insisted. "Now… break the seal."

"I… need this power…" The Hero of Ferelden had torn off the seal that limited her blood's power and the Calling of the Old Gods.

Merrill stood still waiting for some sign of life. "Is she… dead?"

Immediately as she finished her question, the water erupted and something flew out. Vaela, the Hero of Ferelden, was encased in an aura the color of blood that took the shape of a dragon.

The Warden scanned the area for Merrill and when she found her, called for Vigilance's aid. "What are you?" Merrill asked herself. "If I use a Misdirection Hex and keep my distance-"

The Warden swooped down on Merrill, who was only barely able to escape. The Warden's cloak also attacked and expanded of its own accord. Between Vigilance, known to have a mind of its own, this dragon cloak, and the Warden herself, there was no way for Merrill to go on the offensive. The cloak slammed one of its claws into the pool, creating a shockwave that washed Merrill away.

The mage reached land and again dodged the cloak's attempt to drag her towards the Warden. Merrill was backed up against the base of Cousland's statue. "You're not giving me very many options here. But no matter what powers being a Grey Warden gives you… a blood mage is that much stronger!"

"You won't feel so strong, when I'm through with you!" with Flicker, Vaela impaled Merrill in the blink of an eye and sent her flying across the mouth of the waterfall so that she landed on Howe's statue.

Nathaniel, Velanna, and the Commander's mabari warhound, Urdnot, hurried from Vigil's Keep to Highever as quickly as they could.

"Come one, you mangy animal! Where is she?" Velanna asked impatiently.

Urdnot barked and growled angrily at the elf.

Nathaniel sighed. "It can't be helped. I just hope those two haven't killed each other yet."

Vaela and Merrill stared each other down from opposite sides of the valley. Time was running quickly for both of them. "For all that power you have, it only lasts for so long, doesn't it?" Merrill asked. The Hero of Ferelden was in too much pain to even try to respond. Her cloak had been choking her ever since she put it on, and the voices in her head grew louder with each passing minute. "There's always a price with magic like that, lethallin. One final attack, then. To end this battle… and all the others before it !"

Merrill clad herself in Rock Armor and focused her nature energy into her hand, taking the shape of lightning, while Vaela took hold of Vigilance as both elves leapt towards each other.

"Chain Lightning!" "Heartseeker!"

The former clan mates were engulfed in a flash of light. When Merrill saw the extent of Vaela's corruption first hand, she used her powers to suppress the taint in the Warden's blood. The sudden loss of power while facing a skilled blood mage's most powerful melee attack caused pieces of Vigilance to chip away. Before Chain Lightning could pierce the Old God cloak, an aracane explosion separated the both of them. Moments before the explosion went off, Merrill and Vaela reached out to each other one last time before they were separated.

When Vaela sat up, Merrill was gone, but she wasn't alone. Someone was standing right in front of her, but she couldn't make out this person's identity.

"Hmph. Oh, my dear Warden, look at the mess you're in this time." Vaela's eyes grew wide when she recognized the voice as Flemeth's. The Warden strugged to her feet, but Flemeth blew her away.

"Aah!" Vaela cried out. There was no way she could fight Flemeth, not in this condition, not by herself.

"You should thank me. You were going to die back there." Flemeth said, mockingly.

"What do you want? You're supposed to be dead!" Vaela said, completely at the witch's mercy.

"I led you here. Hawke isn't a match for you yet, and I still need the Champion. I can't have you killing him yet. Flemeth scanned the ground, looking for something. She soon picked something up from the ground, although the Warden couldn't make out what it was.

"Where's Merrill?!"

"She ran. Smart girl, if you ask me. You're all alone, Warden. There's nothing left for you in this world. Soon, there won't be anything left in any world. Still…" Flemeth lifted Vaela up by her shirt collar. "There's no reason you shouldn't enjoy what's left of the Beyond with your father, before we remake everything." Vaela stopped struggling against the abomination, knowing that she was hopelessly outmatched.

"That's right. Let go of everything. You've fought so hard for so long, just go to sleep for a while." Flemeth stabbed the Warden in the abdomen and threw her into lake. "Goodbye, Warden." Flemeth summoned a tear in the Veil and returned to the Fade.

A storm was rolling in. Vaela's scent would be washed away before the other wardens would find her. Harper's Ford would've been her grave had someone not intervened.

Vaela was dragged out of the lake and forced to drink a health poultice. "There. I'm with you to the end of the line. You don't have to die here, lethallin."

The storm had been raging for an hour before the Hero of Ferelden was woken up by wet, slobbery kisses.

"Ugh… Urdnot?"

Her faithful mabari companion had found her, even in the middle of this storm.

"I'd rather be alone, but you aren't letting me go, are you?" Urdnot barked angrily at the very notion that he would abandon her.

"Alright, but I'm leaving the Grey Wardens. We can't stay here, in Ferelden." Urdnot whimpered. "I know, but there are things I need to do elsewhere." Urdnot nudged up against her and licked her face.

"Thanks… for always being by my side, Urdnot." The Warden and her companion sat together under a tree as the rain poured down.

"She saved me. I tried to kill her, I crossed boundaries that a Warden shouldn't even know about, but she still saved me. Why? Why can't I save anyone? My parents died the day I was born. Tamlen died because I couldn't protect him. Morrigan left because she thought I couldn't protect her. Zevran's hunted by the Crows. I couldn't stop Anders from leaving, and now he's gone. My own clan's been wiped out. I'm not strong enough to protect the ones I love. Is that why Leliana's also gone?"

"It doesn't matter now. Not anymore. There's nothing left for me in Ferelden, or even Thedas. No… everything I seek is in the Fade now. That's where we'll go."

A/N: That was intense.