Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Age Series
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No Title 4
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No. He needed to try again.
Alas, many of the Grey Wardens are disappearing.
Why?
Of course, he knew why.
This new Darkspawn creature he had heard about from the fellow Grey Wardens. A darkspawn like him but different. Very different. He called himself Corypheus and claimed to be one of the Great Magisters that entered the Golden City a long time ago. He needed to see this monstrous creation himself.
Was this darkspawn also like him?
Corypheus… It sounded so familiar.
"Architect!"
The Darkspawn whipped its head to see the Dalish elf coming to him in a hurry. Seranni. Behind her, two more rushed in: Utha and another disciple. The disciple called himself Wrex. An odd name but he wanted it, so they let him have it.
"Architect, there is an intruder! Our soldiers can't kill him. They have been frozen in place as time had stopped them!" Wrex announced urgently.
The darkspawn emissary raised a brow at this. Time magic? How?
"Did he kill them?" The Emissary asked.
Wrex hesitated. "Well… No, he–"
"He wants to talk to you. He's not too far from here, but he stopped. He's asking an audience with you." Seranni cleared it up for him.
"He's a human! A mage! And he's not a Grey Warden!" Wrex argued. "We cannot trust him! He not only stops time around others, but he also has a glowing hand!"
A glowing hand?
Seranni turned to him. "He could be the Herald of Andraste, Wrex! Maybe he's here to help us Darkspawns!"
"Or destroy us all!"
The Architect however was intrigued. The Herald of Andraste had somehow infiltrated his base––hidden extremely far away from civilians––in the deepest parts of the Deep Roads, stopped the Darkspawns but not killing them, and did not go further in but sent Seranni and Wrex ahead to request an audience.
Utha walked over to the Architect, and she gestured. We need to hear him out.
"Hear him out…? Yes… I suppose it will not hurt to hear him." The Architect decided as he moved away from his research table.
Wrex looked defeated and Seranni was happy that the Architect would take the chance. Utha was just cautious. Very cautious.
They walked up stairs and walked through doors until they found the human called the Herald of Andraste. He was behaving, standing there while three other of his enlightened Darkspawns stood guard. The Architect glanced to the Herald's left hand, and sure enough, it was glowing. The rumored mark that can close rifts.
It's not surprising that the word of the Herald had spread so rapidly throughout the entire Thedas in less than three weeks. He had done many things and all on his own––at least that was what they have heard.
They have also heard he was on a holy mission.
"The Herald of Andraste… even your name reaches the deepest parts of buried thaigs."
The human smiled. "I try."
Seranni giggled softly at the human's charm and Wrex grunted at her, telling her to be quiet since the Architect is speaking. The Dalish elf only dismissed him. Utha had to pinch both of them to stop and pay attention.
"You wanted an audience with me? You have one, Herald." He informed him politely. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit?"
The smile fell a bit from the Herald's face. "There are things that I need you to be aware of, but no matter how I would tell you, you would never believe me. Pride is a very powerful… aspect. So, perhaps you can only convince yourself."
The Architect was confused by his words until the human mage took something out from his pocket. A small sphere with a white mist floating inside of it as if a gas was trapped in it.
Damien tossed it to him, but Utha caught it instead. The Herald didn't look surprised or perturbed that the dwarf was examining it first if it's safe before handing it to the Architect.
"Thank you, Utha…" He said and he looked at it. He knew what this was… What this…
The sphere began to brighten like a star and soon the Architect's eyes glowed. He gasped, taken in by the flashes of memories surging passed his mind. This was his own but not… This was not his time but is.
That was his world… but it can be better.
This whole thing had been planned: Damien giving the memory sphere to the ancient sentient emissary. He needed his help in this one and it would be nice that he would have some of the memories of the future. The Future Architect made it sure that his past self would understand–––should understand.
Especially now that they have found the answer.
The Architect soon snapped out of it when Utha nudged him to speak. Was he okay?
"I am alright, Utha… I now see… I see the answers to our problem." The Architect said to her, now finding a new goal in life, better than what they have been doing. He turned to the Herald, "I will join you once more… at your side, Inquisitor. …Are you still willing to follow that endeavor? The one you spoke of?"
At this rate, the three spectators were just confused as muck, but Damien knew what he was talking about.
His eyes hardened like steel. "Yes."
"You will die." The emissary pointed out.
Damien only solemnly nodded. "Then I know I've done my last deed."
"…Then we must get to work. Now."
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Dorian ran.
He ran for miles on end and even hid.
The Venatori in Redcliffe had gone insane, he assumed. He wondered if Felix was okay.
He wasn't sure what happened, but now the Venatori was making a move and very different from what Felix said to him. Was this actually the plan that Alexius was to do? Was he not supposed to go back in time and change things?
Some of the rifts did stop acting strangely. They weren't making rings were one would hastened time and the other would lessen it
Still, it didn't explain why the Venatori agents were after him now.
"There he is!"
Vishante kaffas. He turned around and started throwing fire balls at them. It was four against one and the odds were against him when he's pushed back to a cliff. Great.
Just lovely.
This was not how the Altus himself pictured dying.
"ARRRRGGH!" Dorian was stunned by the sudden battle cry out of nowhere as a giant in armor came charging in, knocking one of the mages down by surprise before slaying him. Then the Altus noticed the armor. A grey warden?
The other mages turned their attention to him and that was when Dorian took the upper hand, killing another of them.
The battle was neatly over by then. The two stood a couple of meters from each other, taking a breather.
"Ha… ha…. Thank you for that! Didn't know what I would do if I would let them burn me or I should try jumping off this cliff," Dorian joked, a bit breathless.
Blackwall looked at him, He sighed and chuckled. "Don't mention it… you sound like a vint. To be honest, I thought you were the Herald for a moment."
"Me? The Herald?" He gawked a bit. It was highly amusing.
"Yes… Rumors has it, he's a human mage, but he's also a Free Marcher."
"Ahh so my accent ruined the opportunity for me to impersonate the Herald. Drats!"
"…You are an odd Tevinter."
"And you are an odd Grey Warden, but I thank you for helping me."
They went over to a patch of shade and Blackwall shared his drink pouch. Dorian was grateful and drank the water.
"So, who were they and why were they chasing you?"
"Crazy Tevinter cultist mages?" Dorian offered and the Grey Warden raised his brows at that. "…There's more of them in Redcliffe."
"Why? What's going on?" He asked.
"…Hmmm… I shouldn't really get you involved. It's a lot of trouble."
"It also seems like you can't handle the trouble by yourself." He pointed it out.
"Touché, but I wasn't supposed to be alone. I had a friend spying for these cultists, and… now I'm worried something must have happened," Dorian said, feeling dread in his stomach. Did he get caught? "…And we were supposed to try and get the Herald's help, if we ever cross paths. The Inquisition says he's on a Holy Mission. Whatever that is."
"And whatever it is, he's doing a lot of good here in Ferelden," The Warden said, appreciating the efforts of the Herald. "He's bringing a lot of hope to the many miserable. He's also killing demons and closing rifts here and there. He and the Inquisition made the roads safer… That is what a lot of refugees have been saying."
Dorian nodded. "I've heard the stories too… They say the Inquisition is going to help close the Breach, but they need a tremendous amount of power to do so. The Herald alone can't do it, which is why they'll need the support of the rebel mages. Lately, though a Tevinter cult just started and are trying to recruit these mages."
"What for?"
"Can't say, but they're obsessed of getting to the Herald."
"Well then. That settles it."
"Settles what?"
The Grey Warden stood up. "My name is Warden Blackwall, and if you let me, I would like to join you on your quest to stop these cultists."
"A Grey Warden helping a Tevinter mage?" He asked, just thinking how odd a travelling pair would be. "Aren't you wardens supposed to be off killing Darkspawns? I mean… what do you all do?"
"We help around and we spread out. I've been charged to recruit people here, but as you can see, there's none to recruit––or to permanently recruit. There's no blight yet," Blackwall explained. "In the meanwhile, there are more pressing matters than Darkspawn, so I shall help on this endeavor."
"…Well, I can't really deny I do need help. Alright. I'll accept," Dorian said happily before handing back the flask to Blackwall. "We'll need to sneak into Redcliffe again."
"And?"
"And we need to find my friend. Felix."
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"I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt, so he'll have to stay in bed for a day or so," The Herald explained to the Magister.
They were currently in a temporary room. The place was all Elvhen like the ruins around Tevinter of lost ancient magic. Perhaps this is one of them. Damien had explained to them that this place was like a veil pocket. An area created from the fade, but separated away from the fade and the real world. Think of an air–bubble in the veil.
Alexius' brows raised a bit when the Herald took out a blue lyrium shard. Then the Herald cut his hand.
"Blood magic?" He asked curiously.
Felix was getting a bit worried now. "What are the consequences?" He questioned. Blood magic is never good.
"Nothing. I would probably be drained, but it is a small price." Damien said as he covered his hands with the blood, staining them a bit. "Blood is old and ancient. When lyrium had yet to exist, people used blood to make magic."
"When… lyrium didn't exist? There was a time when Lyrium didn't exist?" Alexius asked, stunned.
"Sort of. It wasn't found yet… Now… hold still."
Then Damien started chanting, the blue lyrium glowed in his hand. He crumpled his right fists and that fist started glowing white…
Suddenly, he thrust that glowing hand into Felix's chest…
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Alexius watched over his son, who was sleeping on the bed. It's been over a day now since his son was cured. He checked it himself. There was no more of the taint lingering inside his son. It was as it is… The Herald just pulled out the taint from him and placed in the blue lyrium shard… though it turned into a bright crimson red right after.
The two both collapsed, but the Herald recovered in an hour. Felix continued sleep.
Just like that… his son was cured.
And there were no side effects, at least he hoped there won't be when he wakes up. Damien had offered them to stay for a while, and Alexius thought it'd be best, considering that they have just abandoned the Venatori, and he had also given the time amulet to the Herald.
He didn't need the amulet anymore.
"Nnghh…"
Alexius looked up and saw that his son was waking up. "Felix..!"
"Father…?" Felix groaned a bit. He felt dizzy at the moment, but that's because he had just woken up. He slowly sat up, but his father held him down a bit.
"Hold on. Not too fast." He said before he hurried away to get him water.
Felix graciously took the water, sipping it. It… didn't taste bland if water had a flavor. Unlike when he was sick, he couldn't stomach it down, but now… He drank more of the water until it was empty.
Alexius was glad. "He did it… The Herald did it… He cured you."
"H–he did… I feel fine," Felix said, astonished then he looked at his father worriedly. "How is he? I heard him scream––I think it was him."
"He passed out but an hour later, he got back up. He is out currently, back to his holy mission." His father explained and then he reached out, taking his son's hand. "Ohhh Felix… I'm so glad you are alright now. Are you hungry?"
"Father… Before that… Can we not go home?" Felix asked and he grasped his father's hands with both of his own. "Can't we stay? … He's done so much for us. He cured me, and he stopped you from doing something that could ruin Thedas. We can help him."
"What are you saying?" Alexius frowned. "We can leave––"
Felix only countered. "But I want to stay and help, just as how he helped us. Father, we owe it to this man."
After much debate and argument, his own son won it. They were to stay here and help, but Alexius will need to make proper preparations. Meanwhile, Felix couldn't help but to feel energized. Right after eating a full hearty meal, he was up and going down the hall with his father, heading to the research library.
"There are many things here–––books written so long ago, and there are even ancient Tevene books!" Felix said excitedly. "Maybe we can research more about the fade and how these rifts account to it––"
"I've never heard you so excited than when you were a young lad, riding your first horse," Alexius teased.
His son laughed with mirth. "Father, please, that was a long time ago!"
"And I can't get over it!"
Both shared a laugh and once they walked through the doors, they stopped laughing. Before them were strange oddly–looking figures, standing next to one another.
Two of them looked exactly like Darkspawns.
"Intruders!" Wrex shouted.
Alexius quickly whipped out his staff and so did Felix, but the young Altus had to pause. Did that Darkspawn just talk?
"Tevinter!" Seranni shouted, pulling out her blade and shield.
Utha had her daggers out but the Architect raised one hand. "Stop… Peace. We are not here to fight."
"Who are you!? What… are you?" Alexius asked and he had this dread feeling in the pit of his stomach. This man almost looked like the Elder One. They are very similar. Humans twisted into a darkspawn image.
Then they heard a boom–like noise that accompanied a gust that pushed them all slightly back, and out came the Herald of Andraste walking in as if he owned the place.
Well, he does own the place.
He looked around, now noticing everyone in a fighting stance.
Casually, he asked, "What's going on here?"
"Intruders!" Both parties (excluding the Architect and Utha) both shouted and pointed at each other. Damien found it so comical and he almost laughed aloud.
Fortunately he got here before things would have gotten worse.
"Magister Alexius, Felix, there's no need to panic. They are not your usual Darkspawn, and their taint is not contagious so long as you don't make them bleed," He explained to them carefully, knowing that darkspawn is everyone's enemy. He knew they would not understand and even those in the future had a hard time understanding, but he needed the Architect.
Damien cleared his throat. "In any case, I'd like it if you two could keep quiet about it… Now, it's time I bring you both home––"
"We want to stay," Felix suddenly said.
Alexius astounded. "What? We can't anymore, Felix! Do you want to get the taint again?"
"You heard him father. So long as they don't bleed, we'll be fine," Felix countered before he turned to the Herald. "We need to talk, Herald. We want to join your crusade. You helped us. We want to do the same. We have knowledge of magic that only we Tevene have researched. Let us help."
Damien blinked at that. Well… this was a twist. And Alexius did prove to be the strongest ally in the future, even though he was a prisoner… but to have him as an ally.
"…Alright."
Felix smiled at that and Alexius only sighed heavily. He asked himself why he let his son push him around like this. His son always managed to make him go to places and do things, even making it up to his deceased wife of any argument they would have.
Damien only smiled back, then he remembered something. "While we're on that matter of helping, Felix, I have a request for you."
"What is it, Herald?"
"…I need you to leave a note for Dorian."
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Notes: I need the Architect's help anyway, and he's probably the only character in this series that will get his memories back. There are many things that they have to do still. This will be a long saga.
What do you all think so far? Is it too far–fetched? Is the Inquisitor/Herald too powerful? Please leave your inputs!