-RECKONING-
Chapter Two
9:15 Dragon
"Look, Fergus!" I tugged my older brother's sleeve. "It's the Hero of River Dane!" Fergus and I were peeking through the doorway of Highever's Great Hall.
"Quiet, brother. Father'll hear us!" Fergus shushed me.
Our father, Bryce Cousland was shaking the hand of a man in massive silver armor. "Loghain!" He said. "It's been some time since we've last seen each other."
"Indeed it has, Bryce." The man answered back. A young girl with blonde hair was beside him and she was so close that it looked like she was hiding from Father.
"Father knows him!" Fergus excitedly whispered to me. "What do you think he's doing here?"
"I don't know!" I whispered back. "You think we'll be able to watch him do… uh, something? Like spar with some of father's men?"
Fergus chuckled and crouched. I suspected that his legs were getting tired. "That'll be cool."
Father and the Hero of River Dane were still talking inside the Great Hall when I heard the tapping of feet behind us. I looked back, thinking that it was some adult that was going to tell on us.
But it was worse. It was my mabari pup, Zephyr.
Zephyr was running towards us, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "No, Zephyr. No!" I tried to motion with my hands but the dog wasn't stopping.
"Stop that squirming, brother." Fergus scolded me, all of his attention reserved for Father and Loghain.
I could only push outward in the futile attempt to stop Zephyr, but the Great Hall doors opened with a bang as the dog barrelled onto Fergus and me. A moment of silence save for Zephyr's barking ensued as Fergus and I lay on the ground with my mabari on top of us.
Father was the first to speak. "Eavesdropping? Oh the trouble you boys get into." He chuckled.
I groaned as we stood up and dusted ourselves off. "Uh…" I fidgeted and looked down as Father walked over to us.
"These are your children, Bryce?" Loghain asked.
"Indeed they are." Father chuckled again. "This is Fergus, my eldest. And Aedan, my youngest." He said while ruffling the hair of said son. "Now boys, why don't you tell me why you're up this late? Shouldn't both of you be in bed?"
"I'm fifteen, father!" Fergus protested. "I don't need a curfew."
"Besides, it's not that late. We ate dinner just a few hours ago." I jumped in.
Father rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Maker's breath."
"If they want to listen so badly that they'd eavesdrop, why not let them stay?" Loghain asked. Fergus and I immediately perked up at hearing so. "At least my daughter will have some company."
9:30 Dragon
-Arl of Denerim's estate-
Traveling through the estate was a slow process since we had to pretend to be a normal guard patrol. The other guards and servants seemed to ignore us for the most part thanks to the disguises that Erlina provided us with.
"It would be far easier to kill all of them than doing all of… this." Morrigan complained, obviously uncomfortable with the guard disguise she was wearing.
"I would prefer not doing that." I said as we rounded a corner without any guards. "We need all the help we can get for fighting the Archdemon."
"And here I thought we were doing this to avoid unnecessary bloodshed." Alistair remarked. "Must be a Tuesday."
"In here." Erlina led us to a hallway with a single door at the end. "Your Majesty? I've brought the Warden." She whispered as she knocked on door.
"Warden?" came the Queen's muffled but relieved reply through the door. "Thank the maker you're here."
"Right." I bluntly stated. "But how do I know that you're really the Queen?"
A moment of silence passed.
"Just how am I supposed to answer that?" She asked, annoyed by my question. "Am I supposed to shove my crown under the door?"
That's her alright. I scoffed and shook my head. "So, unlock the door Erlina. And let's get going. "
"Do you not see the magical field?" Morrigan interrupted. "You can't just "unlock" the door. 'Tis not so simple."
"So make it simple. Do something about it." I said exasperatedly. This place was making me quite cranky…
"Do not speak to me in that tone, Warden." She warned as she glared at me.
"Alright, alright." Alistair interrupted as I opened my mouth to retort. "I don't think this is really the time for that, you two."
"Are you done?" The Queen sighed. "In any case, your friend is right. The door is protected by a magical barrier of some sort. I think it can only be undone by the mage that put it here. Howe's mage." She paused. "Who is most likely with Arl Howe."
"Howe?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes… Howe."
"Some good news, finally." I grinned maliciously. "Stay here Erlina. We'll be back as soon as we take care of Howe."
The elf nodded and told us that Howe was most likely in the dungeons. My companions and I made our way to the dungeons as we avoided the other guards.
"Are we sure that that was really the Queen?" Sten spoke for the first time since we left Arl Eamon's estate.
I nodded. "Only the real Queen would answer like that. An impostor would most likely plead and beg."
"What if this is a really good impostor?" Alistair pondered.
"Then we do what we have to. Improvise." I shrugged. We stopped before a wooden door that looked thicker and stronger than the other doors in the estate.
"Hey!" A lone guard called out to us. Suddenly, two hands reached out from a nearby cell, grabbed the guard and expertly snapped his neck. The guard fell and was dragged inside the dark cell.
My companions and I looked at each other warily and readied our weapons. A rough, long haired man stepped out of cell, dressed in the dead guards clothes. "I thank you for creating a distraction, stranger. I've been waiting days for the opportunity."
The man's smiling face did not comfort me. "Who are you?" I asked, still holding my weapon out.
"Hold on. I think he's one of us. He was… he was at my Joining." Alistair held me back. "Jader? Montsimmard?"
"Alistair? Is that you?" The man smiled, then turned to me. "My name is Riordan, serah. A Grey Warden from Orlais."
"A Grey Warden?" I sheathed Starfang, my greatsword, and decided that the man wasn't a threat. "There are more of us in Ferelden?" A mixture of desperation and hope crept into my voice.
Riordan shook his head. "We had over two hundred Wardens and twelve divisions of cavalry from Orlais. But the first time we heard of Loghain's edict was when we were turned back from the border." He paused. "Then the rumors came out that the Wardens were being blamed for the King's murder. I was sent here to assess the situation."
"Why?" I asked. "And how on earth did you end up in a cell?"
"I am a native Fereldan. Born and bred in Highever." He was amused. "I was a fool to think that Loghain didn't know who I was… he drugged me during a meeting and I woke up in here."
"Uh, now that you're free… can't you send word to the Wardens at the border?" Alistair asked.
"I wish I could." Riordan sighed. "But the Wardens would refuse to risk themselves while Ferelden is engulfed in a civil war." He shook his head sadly. "If Ferelden is too foolish to save itself, then they would be more prepared once the Blight reaches them."
"Once Ferelden has been erased from the map, you mean?" I angrily pointed out.
Riordan smiled sadly, making me feel bad about my outburst. He was a Fereldan too. "What is it you're doing here? If I may ask."
"We're trying to end this civil war so Ferelden can focus it's armies on the Archdemon. Not each other." I bitterly remarked. "You should go to Arl Eamon's estate, Riordan. I'm sure he'd be willing to help you."
"Of course." He bowed. "I shan't keep you." He left in the direction we came in.
Once Riordan was gone, we focused our attention on the heavy door before us. Alistair pushed forward and the door opened with a slight creaking noise.
"Hold it!" A guard stopped us as we stepped through the door. This guard wore a different version of armor from the usual guards on patrol and by extension, a different version from the disguises we were wearing. "What're you lot doin' here?"
Different armor, which must meant that this guard isn't an ordinary guard. Howe's personal men.
"Sending you to the Maker." I deadpanned as I swung the greatsword on my back. The guard's eyes widened as Starfang ripped through his armor. Blood came out of his mouth as I pulled the sword out of him.
"So much for getting help against the Archdemon." Alistair stared at the dead guard.
"We don't need these men and women. These are Howe's personal guards, they're the ones he uses for torturing innocents and slaughtering families." I kicked the body in disgust. "Remove the disguises. We won't be needing them.
The state of Howe's dungeon only reinforced my suspicions regarding the limits of his depravity. Drops and streaks of blood littered some of the hallways and the smell of rotting flesh permeated through the area.I've seen a lot of dead bodies killed in all sorts of ways, some of them dead by my hand. But I couldn't fathom Howe. I couldn't understand why he would do such a thing or what kind of justification he has for all the blood on his hands. His men were just as depraved as he was, they had no remorse as they threw themselves at us. No qualms about killing the innocent.
"This is disgusting." Morrigan remarked crossly.
"I think that was the last one." Sten gruffly said as he decapitated a lone guard.
I sighed and rubbed my gauntlets against my helmet. "Let's check if there are any survivors in this… torture chamber."
The first one we encountered was half dressed man kneeling on the floor. "Maker, have mercy on your humble servant." He begged.
He stood as he saw us. "Who-who are you? I don't know you." The poor man was in a half mad state.
"It's alright. We're not here to hurt you, serah." I tried to soothe him. I didn't know how "soothing" I looked like since we were all covered in blood and dirt.
"Aedan." Alistair turned to me, pity in his eyes. "I've seen cases like this before. I think he's suffering from lyrium withdrawal."
"So this is what the Chantry does to its own military?" Morrigan snorted in disgust. Surprisingly, I didn't detect a hint of amusement in her voice.
The Templar continued weeping as we stood there. I sighed and started to open the door. "No!" The Templar yelled, making me release the door immediately. "No no no." he cried as he held the cell bars.
"We're going to take you some place safe."
"No. No. Nowhere is safe. Alfstanna…" He sobbed some more. "Alfie… sister."
It hit me then as to why he looked somewhat familiar to me. "Irminric…" Irminric Eremon was to be the heir to the Bann of Waking Sea but he renounced his claim when he joined the Templar Order. To be reduced to a mumbling addict suffering from withdrawal… I sighed and knelt beside his cell. "What do you want me to tell Bann Alfstanna, Irminric?"
"Give her… give her this ring." He placed an old but fine ring in my hand. It had a gold band engraved with sea-like patterns and was decorated with a sapphire stone. The Signet Ring of the Waking Sea. I nodded and put the ring in my pocket. "You have my word." I promised but he already retreated deeper into his cell.
The next occupied cell had an elf inside who confessed to participating in riots. I opened the door for him, knowing that suffering in Howe's dungeon must have shocked him into submission already.
"You can't do this to me!" came a voice from another occupied cell. Against my better judgment we went to take a look. "I'm the rightful arl of Denerim!" The smell of urine and sweat irritated my nostrils.
"Vaughan." I scowled.
"You! Whoever you are." The scumbag brightened up. He probably thought I was going to release him. "Release me from this cage! I-I can give you anything you want!"
"Oh?" I crossed my arms. It was no secret that Arl Urien's son was a sadistic maniac who liked to rape girls from the Alienage. "Maybe not." I turned to leave.
"W-wait!" Kendall yelled at the top of his lungs. "Who do you think you are?! Bastard! I'll have you flayed!"
"Shut up, Kendalls." I said, my helmet somewhat making my voice sound deeper. "Be happy I don't gut you right where you stand."
We heard more pleading coming from another room. Just how many people does Howe have in here?
The adjacent room turned out to be a torture room, great machines made with dark intentions and covered with even darker blood filled the room. There was a man covered with various gashed throughout his body. He was tied to one of the torture machines and was ordering us to let him go
Another spoiled noble? Although considering his state… I don't really blame him for being very irritable.
"Did my father think it was funny to wait this long?" He yelled once he was free. "Was this supposed to teach me a lesson?"
I offered him a hand to help him stand up, the blood on my gauntlets staining his arm dark red. "Don't talk to us in that manner, boy." I warned him, but not as gruff as I would otherwise have been. "We aren't your father's soldiers."
His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "I-I'm sorry. So, my father doesn't know I'm here? He doesn't know the true colors of the snake that he has allied with?"
"Just… who are you and who's your father?"
"I am Oswyn. The son of Bann Sighard of Dragon's Peak." He then revealed to us that one of his friends was at Ostagar. His friend survived and told him that his entire unit was told to leave before the King was overwhelmed by darkspawn. After revealing this information, his friend went missing. "I tried to look for him. But when I accepted a drink from a stranger… I woke up in here."
"Maker's Breath." Alistair raised his eyebrows. "Could we use that information?"
I nodded and gave Oswyn some healing potions that we could spare. "If you think you can make it, you should get back to your father."
"I will, serah." He accepted the potions gratefully. Then he looked at me. "You would ask nothing in exchange for saving me?" He seemed quite bewildered.
"It would serve no purpose." Sten pointed out.
"Well, I would ask your father to speak out against Loghain, but I suppose that that's a given."
He nodded and thanked all of us.
"The lengths they would go through… just to make sure that they stay in power…" Alistair hissed angrily once Oswyn had left.
I looked around the torture room and wondered if Howe was always this power hungry. He was a friend to my family for a long time and fought against the Orlesians alongside many of the other nobles. What had happened to turn him into this madman?
"Aedan?" Morrigan snapped me out of my thoughts. She looked at me with worry in her eyes. I smiled at her, even though she couldn't see it with my helmet on.
"It doesn't matter what or who or why." I stepped out of the room and marched towards where Howe locked himself in. It was going to be his grave. "The only thing that matters is how."
Author's Note: The Howe fight will happen next chapter so stay tuned! I will also try my best to update this fic regularly. Once a week seems reasonable. Thank you LordProtector95 and none for reviewing. I also thank my betas who helped me with the first and second chapter namely Enchantm3nt, HuntressOftheLight and LostShadowSoul. If you guys can't think of anything to say (but I would really appreciate it if you review…) then you can just follow/fav the story. Thanks for reading!