Chapter 18: The Grand Seal
The sun was setting, ending another day, for either Corypheus or his enemies, it would be the last.
All that remained was to see which one would fall.
For almost two thousand years, the Vimmark Mountains had hidden the prison of Corypheus. It was as good a place as the wardens could find, from nowhere near the prison could anyone outside of it observe what was going on within its walls.
Nowhere…save one.
There was a small cliff not far from the chasm that held Corypheus's tower. It was accessible only by taking an old mountain path, a goat path really; it was barely large enough for a boy, much less a man. And the wardens had disguised its location well, using both the natural rock formations and magic to hide the small observation post. Not that anyone outside of the order knew about the prison of course, much less its true purpose.
Secrecy was sometimes better than force of arms, and this…this was a place for secrets.
It was only here that someone could observe the prison safely, without risking being trapped within.
A lone figure stood upon that cliff, looking down upon the prison with a stolen Qunari spyglass. The tower could be seen with crystal clarity from this distance. The figure noticed Janeka and her fellows lying in wait for someone.
He smiled wickedly.
It had not been easy learning about this place, it had been far less easy learning what had been hidden here, but he had managed, now…now he was ready to sit back, relax and let things happen as they must.
After years of careful work and study, finally his true work could begin.
He cared nothing for this Corypheus creature, or Janeka, or the Grey Wardens, these were just pawns to be moved across the board and then discarded.
No, he served a different master, the one true god of Elvhen kind.
The one true god…period.
He served the might of the Dread Wolf, and with his master's blessing, and the actions of his pawns far below. The elves were about to win a future for themselves.
A future that was both bright and shining, a future where elves did not have to live like beggars in shemlen cities, or wander like lost lambs across Thedas. For the first time in almost two millennia, the elves would be their own masters again; they would sweep across the world like a flood. Their vengeance guided by the Avatar of Fen'Harel, a being who would rule the elvhen and give them a kingdom, a kingdom brighter than the greatest empire of dwarf or man.
As for the shems and the dwarves, they would know what it was like to be elvhen.
The avatar would destroy them; the survivors would be subjugated, used to build the cities of the new and glorious elvhen empire.
The Age of the Dread Wolf would begin.
Four things were required to bring the avatar into this world. One was hidden in the graveyard of Sundermount, The second was already in his possession, the third would require the most extreme of measures to retrieve, but it was possible. The fourth…the fourth was down in that prison, and soon it would be available, soon he would be able to retrieve it, no matter what occurred here.
All that needed to happen now, was a battle.
That is when he saw them.
A small group of shems and a single dwarf emerged from the lower levels of the tower; the figure focused his spyglass on them. He needed to see who these newcomers were, if they were the right ones to end this.
He had to know.
The spyglass showed him, he…he recognized one of them.
He recognized Carver Hawke.
The figure smiled, the time had come.
"It is time my Lord Fen'Harel," he said with great reverence, "the day of your Avatar is nigh."
A single word punctuated his feeling of elation.
"The endgame!"
IOI
Varric breathed in deeply, enjoying the night air, it had been days since they had first ventured into this dark place.
He was grateful to finally emerge from it, at least he was…
That is when he saw the tower.
Corypheus's prison was at the very top of the ancient tower, four magic fonts generated the energies that bound the sleeping creature. The magic flowed from the mouths of four beautiful bronze griffons. Once the tower would have been considered beautiful, but after so many centuries of confining its prisoner, it had become a source of fear and malevolence.
Despite himself, the dwarf shivered.
"You know, I always wanted to visit a truly foreboding and evil tower," he said dryly.
He turned to Garrett.
"Thanks Hawke for making all my dreams come true."
"Don't worry Varric," Hawke said trying to reassure his old friend, "This will be the last accursed place I drag you and the others."
"Can we have that in writing?" Isabela quipped.
"No I'm serious," he said conversationally, "I think our next trip…our next trip will be a beach, someplace warm, with white sandy beaches and tropical drinks."
Isabela grinned; hopefully it would be a nude beach.
"Right Hawke," Varric scoffed, "And on the day you find this beach, that will be the day that demonic tainted pirates will decide to attack, and we will be stuck fighting them off."
Garrett chuckled; their luck seemed to go that way, didn't it?
"You're probably right," Hawke sighed with a shrug, "Trouble does seem to follow me like a shadow doesn't it?"
Carver scowled, they did not have time for this.
Arika was still in jeopardy.
They had no more time for games!
"Can we get moving please," he growled, "Arika and Lin need us to succeed here."
"Quite right Sweet thing," Isabela smirked, "Let us go kill this Corypheus bird, get out of here and find ourselves a nice brothel, we could use a little vice after all this violence."
The pirate queen took the lead, the other followed behind her.
Garrett glanced over at his little brother. He waited until Isabela was out of earshot.
What he needed to say to Carver was not for her ears.
The young warden looked at his older brother.
"What?" he asked.
"You really care bout this reaver girl, don't you?" Garrett asked.
Carver paused; it was none of Garrett's business, but…
He nodded.
Arika made him whole.
"Have you told her you love her yet?" Varric asked.
Carver shot him a look.
"Arika knows how I feel," he responded.
"Ah, but sometimes a girl wants to hear it Junior," Varric reminded him.
"Do I really need to profess it, even when we are together in the most intimate of fashions?"
"I think so," Garrett replied. He smiled, enjoying Carver's discomfort.
The young warden glared at him.
"Have you told Isabela yet?"
Hawke looked at him like he had started breathing fire.
"Sweet Andraste, no!" he responded.
"Why not?" Carver asked.
"Because I will rather she not leave Kirkwall and never return," Garrett responded, "Isabela is not your typical woman."
Carver grinned.
"Neither is Arika, she is…"
"Oy' you lot," Isabela shouted back silencing them all, "We got crazy wardens up ahead, hope you're all ready to fight, because this…is about to get ugly."
Everyone drew their weapons, even Larius, who had fallen silent since stepping out into the fading light of the day. One way or another, the threat of Corypheus would be dealt with.
One way, or another.
IOI
Janeka smiled evilly at the approaching group, after so long…
She would finally have what she needed to end the Blight!
Of course, if she could do this without harming Hawke, it would go much easier.
"It is not too late," she purred seductively, "You can still serve us Hawke, help us end the Blight for all time. You want to…don't you?"
Garrett glared at the woman.
He would not fall for her mind domination tricks again!
Larius advanced on his fellows, his tainted eyes bright with righteous fury.
"You are right Janeka," he snarled, "It is not too late to turn away from this madness."
The woman smirked, in her eyes only she knew what was right for everyone else.
One day they would all thank her.
"As for Hawke," the tainted warden continued, "he has made his choice, the right one."
Janeka snickered, the thought that Larius had taken the moral high ground.
It was preposterous!
"The right choice, or the only choice," she sneered, "Malcolm Hawke was never given any choice. You did not allow that, did you?"
Both Garrett and Carver looked at the old warden.
"Larius," Garrett said coolly, "What is she talking about?"
The old warden muttered angrily.
"She could not have known, she could not have known; only if someone had…" He turned to one of Janeka's wardens, a man he recognized, "Alec, did you tell her this?"
The other warden did not respond.
"Tell them, Larius," Janeka laughed, "Tell them why Malcolm Hawke aided you."
The Hawke brothers were both looking at him now, Larius felt years of shame wash over him.
"I…I was Warden Commander," he grumbled, it was my duty."
"What was your duty, commander," Carver asked.
Larius shook his head, he…he did not want to say, but it had gone on too long…too many secrets, too many compromises.
He could no longer hide what he had done.
"I…I gave Malcolm Hawke an ultimatum," Larius said, "I told him, aid us, or…or… he would never see her again…his woman…the woman pregnant with his child!"
Carver's eyes flashed with fury.
"You…you bastard," he snarled, "You threatened our father!"
"You were going to kill our Mother," Garrett hissed, "you were going to kill me."
"Never," Larius said shaking his head, "I never would have…Malcolm chose to obey, she…she never knew what passed between him and I."
Janeka laughed triumphantly.
"You see Hawke, you cannot trust this…thing," she said with distaste, pointing at Larius, "He is half darkspawn now; Corypheus is not your enemy. He…he is a living god, and he will reward our loyalty!"
Garrett glared at both Larius and Janeka, the two deserved each other in his book, but that was not what this was about, it was about stopping Corypheus.
Father had believed it was worth it, even if he had been threatened to come here, he still had chosen to keep this beast caged.
From what Garrett had seen…Father had been right.
"What Larius did was unforgiveable," he nodded, "but that does not mean that you are right either Janeka. This monster enslaves wardens and darkspawn both, he must be destroyed."
Janeka's eyes glowed with fury.
"You are all fools!" she snarled, "No better than the wardens. Not that it matters, I do not need you alive now that you are here. Good bye Hawke and good riddance."
Janeka slashed her hand, the blood begin to rise and swirl.
Carver cleansed her of mana, her spell collapsed; Janeka raised her staff, trying to defend herself.
Carver attacked the blood mage viciously. Garrett cast spells that would increase his brother's strength and stamina.
He turned Carver into a juggernaut.
Varric fired Bianca at a warden with Chasind tattoos, while Isabela and Larius attacked Alec.
Janeka continued to rant and rave. HE confidence bolstered by Corypheus's song. Her first ally fell, followed shortly by the other.
The others moved to help Carver, but he waved them off.
This bitch was responsible for them coming here, for Arika turning her blade on her friends.
He intended to see her pay for it!
Janeka had to know that she had lost, but Corypheus would not allow her to quit.
He still wanted to be free!
"Fool boy," Janeka ranted, "I am a Grey Warden, one of the true guardians of Thedas! You are just a tainted pretender with a sword, a simple farm boy! You are no match for me! I will…"
Carver roared a terrifying battle cry; he brought his sword down hard on Janeka's staff.
The strike was fueled by his will, a righteous strike worthy of being made by any Knight-Commander in Thedas.
Janeka's staff broke.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, no…it could not end this way. She was a genius! She was perfection!
Carver's blade split her in two.
Blood magic swirled, trying to take him with her, he dispelled it, saving himself from any further injury.
Panting, the young warden looked down on the fallen blood mage.
Janeka was dead, but their work was still not done.
There was still Corypheus.
IOI
Larius showed them exactly what needed to be done.
Hawke went to each of the griffon statues in turn, he added a few drops of his blood to each seal, ending the binding, and finally all that remained was the great seal itself, the one that held Corypheus prisoner.
He advanced towards it.
He glanced one final time at his friends.
"Careful sweet thing," Isabela cooed.
"Last chance to get out of this Hawke," Varric reminded him.
"We need to end this brother," Carver said quietly, "This thing won't stop hunting us until it is dead. We need to do this, but be careful."
Garrett Hawke nodded, he understood.
It was time to end this.
He placed the key into the magical field over the final seal.
Sighing he held out his hand, it was still bleeding from his earlier offerings.
It was time.
The Blood of Garrett Hawke fell on the final seal.
A great shaft of white light exploded from the seal, knocking Hawke back.
The door to the prison irised open.
From deep within, figure stirred, he stretched arching his back, long arms with wide hands stretched skyward.
It rose from the prison, levitating up to the level with Hawke and his companions.
Carver stared at the creature in horror.
It was a darkspawn emissary, but different from any he had ever seen,
The right side of its face was human, untouched by the blight. Its robes of black, blood red, and gold were covered with a tainted film.
The emissary sniffed the air, and blinked his eyes, one human, and one milky white.
He stared at Hawke and the other with unconcealed disdain.
Larius trembled behind them.
The song in his head grew to a crescendo.
Corypheus…was finally…
Awake.