Firstly I want to thank megglesnake, PheonRen, Warrose and my cyber sista Jinx1983, as well as all those of you who are following this fic closely! It's YOU that motivate me to continue writing! I love you all! :D
This is a short but intense chapter! Hope you all like it! :D
Bioware owns! All hail Bioware! :P
Chapter 29 - The Moment of Truth
There's no love - like your love.
And no other - could give more love.
There's nowhere - unless you're there.
All the time - all the way.
Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more,
Yeah, I would fight for you - I'd lie for you.
Walk the wire for you - yeah, I'd die for you.
You know it's true.
Everything I do. I do it for you.
Bryan Adams - Everything I do
.
.
Alistair caught Chantalle's arm as they followed the scout to the entrance of the tunnels. They had changed back into their armor back at the compound and were carrying their weapons.
"My love," he said, "I want you to stay with me at all times. Things can get really ugly down there, and I want to protect you."
She smiled and put a hand against his cheek. He placed his large hand over it and held it for a few moments. The look they shared held the love they felt for one another.
"I will always love you, Alistair. The gods have been kind to me," she whispered.
"I love you so much," he whispered back and kissed her.
"Warden Commander. The entrance is up ahead." Fernan's silent form appeared beside him.
Alistair broke away from Chantalle's embrace. He turned to Fiona and took a long look at her.
"Follow my lead," he said quietly.
"But I made a deal. We both did," Fiona replied, looking at him with such intensity, he smiled.
"I know. But I've been thinking about all of the possible outcomes to this. I've come to possible solutions for them also. So if things turn out awry, just follow my lead." He responded.
"Always, Commander." Fiona's look was hard and penetrating, unwavering.
With one a brief nod, he turned to them all and faced them.
"We are wardens. Let's show them what we are made of." He said.
"For the Grey Wardens!" They said in unison.
And as he descended into the hole, he quipped back to all of them, his voice loud and clear.
"That bastard interrupted my wedding night. I am so going to cut off its head."
...
They walked through the dark tunnels, and were only able to see thanks to the light from Fiona's staff.
Alistair quickened his pace a bit, catching up with her.
"Fiona, I want you to refuse giving your blood. Be firm about it, and stress that we need evidence," he whispered.
"How will we even know if the evidence it provides is truly the 'General'?"
"Exactly. I have a feeling it will try to trick us. We must ask for more time, until we receive a missive from Weisshaupt confirming that the darkspawn have retreated and they are no longer fighting."
"That could take weeks," she said. "What about the Landsmeet?"
"Shit," Alistair cursed, then blushed, thankful of the darkness which concealed it. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Well then, I guess we'll have to go along with Plan B."
"And what exactly is Plan B?" Fiona asked.
"Just trust me and follow my lead," he replied, grinning.
"We're going to fight, aren't we?" Fiona realized, grinning back at him.
"Now I know you truly are my mother," he retorted, his grin deepening.
...
They had been walking for some time when the tunnels ahead opened into a much larger chamber, which had fires lit on the ground in various places, so there was enough light for them to see.
They did not like what they were seeing, however.
Around the fires and beyond, stood a horde of about two hundred darkspawn. The creatures hissed and roared at them, the ones that had been sitting stood up quickly.
All of them moved into a defensive pose, whipping out their weapons and standing fast, waiting for Alistair's command.
But then the darkspawn suddenly parted to reveal a path that led directly up to a cloaked figure which was making its way slowly to where Alistair and his group stood. It finally stopped a few feet away and put its hood down, so that they could see its face clearly.
"It is wise that you chose to come immediately," the Beloved said quietly. It fixed a stare on Fiona, its mouth working into what resembled a grin. "You must come with me."
Fiona stayed put.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, grim and determined. "We don't know if the General is dead or not. We need proof."
"I do not like this game you play," the Beloved hissed. "We had an arrangement. You must give me your blood."
"We need proof that the General is dead," Alistair said. "Either you give us the proof, or you get nothing. The arrangement we made required you to give us proof of the General's death."
The Beloved burst out laughing.
"Proof, is it? You will get your proof, Warden Commander."
It motioned to one of the darkspawn with it, which left and returned with a bag.
The Beloved opened it and flung its contents at them.
The object from the bag sailed through the air and landed directly at their feet. It was the severed head of a hurlock general.
"There is your proof," The Beloved said.
"And before we give you any blood, I suggest you send your kin away," Alistair retorted.
"Send my kin away? Make them leave?" Its grin made their blood run cold for a few moments.
"There are only nine of us, and -oh, I don't know - two hundred of you? Once we give you the blood, you will let them have their way with us." Alistair added quietly, walking right up to where the Beloved stood.
"Well, I cannot control the urges of my brethren completely," the Beloved grinned, now a mere few inches away from Alistair.
"That's funny. Real funny. Because I can't control my grey warden urges either."
And immediately after saying this, he pivoted on the spot and cleanly severed the Beloved's head. The headless body fell to the ground before them, its head flying through the air, landing and rolling to a stop at the darkspawn's feet.
For the briefest of moments, the darkspawn stood there, staring at what had happened. Then they raised their weapons into the air and gave a war cry almost in unison, their eyes glinting malevolently in the dimly-lit chamber.
"Fiona or Anders!" Alistair yelled. "Do you happen to know any mass paralysis spells? Because if you do, that spell would certainly come in handy right now!"
Fiona immediately began to cast.
The darkspawn charged and were paralyzed a few seconds later, caught in Fiona's spell.
"Plan B," he grinned at her. "Everyone run!"
And they all turned round, and started to run back to where they had come from.
...
They ran through the tunnels, the darkspawn close on their tails, as Fiona's spell had worn off a few moments before. The only light that enabled them to see in the darkness was the light coming from her staff.
Alistair was nearly out of breath by the time the opening to the surface loomed up ahead. He ran straight to the slope that led to the surface, panting, the rest close behind.
"All right. Here is the way we do it: Fiona, Chantalle and Leliana, you go first. We'll follow you."
The darkspawn were getting closer.
"We all go together," Chantalle protested.
"Yes, we are going together, only you're going first," he said, giving her a gentle push.
They scrambled up and out of the opening, turning to look down at the rest. Alistair then ordered the rest of his wardens out. Duran would not leave.
"Stubborn fool," Alistair growled.
"Sorry to disappoint, Warden Commander. I'm not going anywhere," he said gruffly.
"Well then, I suggest you stand back if you value your manly parts." He was laughing quietly as he faced him.
"What?" Duran blinked back.
"Hey! Everyone step away from the entrance! Now!" Alistair called up. He then took out a fire bomb, a soulrot bomb and several acid flasks from his pack. Fiona, who was the nearest one to the entrance saw what he was doing, and had to practically drag Chantalle away. The rest backed away from the entrance as well.
Duran's eyes widened, but he broke into a wolfish grin as he was handed two of the flasks.
"Let's do this," Alistair said. And without thinking twice, he threw a fire bomb directly into the path of the oncoming darkspawn.
The fire bomb burst with an explosion that burned the ones it hit, halting the approach of the ones behind and setting several darkspawn on fire. The force of the explosion hit them both, but they stood their ground. Alistair knew very well it would not be enough. He flung the soulrot bomb a little further, while Duran flung one of the acid flasks to the right and the other one to the left.
Alistair continued flinging the last of the acid flasks. Darkspawn bodies were dropping at an alarming rate, the force of their attack had diminished, but they were all out of bombs and flasks.
"Let's move it," Alistair whispered as they ran up the slope to the group, much to the relief of those who were anxiously waiting for them on the surface.
Chantalle gave a cry, making a movement, clearly attempting to rush into his arms, but he raised his hand, indicating that she should stop.
"Wardens, get ready to fight!" He yelled at them all.
Then the darkspawn starting spilling forth from the entrance and they all rushed into the fray at once, shouting their battle cries as they did.
...
We're going to die. We're going to die but at least I loved and was loved.
Alistair fought like a madman, his love at his side, her blonde hair already coming undone from the speed of her attacks, the strands falling on her beautiful face as she danced her lethal dance.
Maker's breath! Even while fighting she is beautiful!
"Fernan! What do you see behind you?" Alistair called out, as he bashed his shield into a coming genlock's face, feeling great satisfaction as he heard the bones of its face crush from the force of the blow.
"Nothing! What am I supposed to be looking for?" Fernan replied, as he twirled his daggers, slashing the stomach of the hurlock he was fighting.
"Why isn't she here already?" He said out loud, impatience lading his voice.
"Who? Why isn't who here?" Fiona asked between spells.
The darkspawn were slowly surrounding them. Even as they killed one, three or four were taking the fallen one's place. They all had on the rings that granted them extra health and stamina, so they were giving it all they got.
"Plan B!" Alistair managed to say, before slicing off another genlock's arm. He then turned and quickly put his shield in front of Chantalle, stopping the progress of a greatsword coming down on her fast. He used an attack assault on the offending hurlock that had attacked his wife, and killed it.
"You mean that what we were doing back there was not Plan B?" Fiona retorted as she cast a cone of cold spell on five attacking creatures, freezing them neatly on the spot.
"That is only the start of the plan set into motion," he grinned, pivoting around and finishing off a genlock this time.
And then Alistair quickly glanced behind him, his eyes catching sight of what he was waiting for at last.
Warden Commander Leonie Caron was fast approaching the battlefield where they were fighting. And her two hundred wardens had come with her.
...