It becomes apparent halfway through the fight that Duncan and I are just bait to keep the enemies away from Morrigan and Leliana. I realize this when Morrigan keeps using spells that knock all of our enemies down, but likewise bring Duncan and I to the ground. Each time we pick ourselves up Morrigan will cast just another spell that sends us back down. Leliana, however, is better. Her arrows don't harm us; she just constantly keeps killing enemies Duncan or I were winding up to kill on our own. Duncan only manages to get a howl out the entire fight, and I don't even get that. Morrigan just keeps knocking me down.
I literally know what it's like to be a worm used to catch fish. Thankfully, the enemies are killed before I am. The spells Morrigan used were a mix of fire and ice, so I'm a little too warm and a little too cold in varying parts of my body. That's about the worst of it. Duncan looks a little angry and his Kaddis is slightly smeared. I make a mental note to reapply both mine and his Kaddis once we're at a stopping point. The stopping point is when Morrigan and Leliana climb the stairs to join us at the top of the stairs. Three doors await us, but I use the time to kneel and call Duncan over. Neither Leliana nor Morrigan question me as I dig around in my bag, pull out some white warpaint, and begin applying it to Duncan's fur. As I paint I tell my dog a story.
"You were named after one of the best people I know. He was a human, but he was a good one. He saved me, and even offered me my freedom when I didn't want to be a Grey Warden. Gave me a map and horse to be on my way. Only he'd saved my life before, so I followed him. Figured I owed him. He's dead now and he didn't have any kids. I figured he'd live on in you since you're such a grand and mighty Mabari. So, when they sing songs of me and the people that stopped the Blight they'd be singing Duncan's name. Your name. You're a brave, strong dog that lives up to the name 'Duncan' perfectly.
I'm sure that if the human Duncan could see you now he would be proud. You've also made the name your own, so don't think that you're just living to be honorable. You're still your own Mabari and don't need validation from anyone. Especially the dead of this world.". My Mabari gives my face a sloppy kiss as I finish applying a skeleton's design to his pelt intended to help him do more damage. I get naked before I apply some Kaddis to me in a matching skeleton pattern. Morrigan tries to defeat my story as I finish putting on my Kaddis.
"The bards won't sing about your Mabari.". Leliana replies to the mage before I can.
"I think the important countries will. Ferelden loves Mabaris, so they wouldn't pass up on a chance to sing of a famous one. And, Orlais loves the stereotypical version of a Ferelden with a Mabari. They wouldn't pass up the chance of making a Ferelden hero's best friend be her Mabari.". Morrigan gets a little chuckle at the last part, and their conversation has given me enough time to get dressed. Duncan sniffs my leg to acquaint himself with the scent of our matching Kaddis.
Each Mabari and 'owner' (honestly, 'partner' is a better word) need to wear matching Kaddis in order to tell one another apart in battle. Mostly, it's for Duncan's benefit. I haven't seen anyone use too many Mabari in battle against us. Besides, his warpaint is white and has trouble standing out against his coat. Duncan kisses my leg to show me he's done getting a sense of the scent of the Kaddis we share.
I scratch his ear and pat him between the eyes. When I'm done petting him I go over to the leftmost of the three doors and open it. We've only gone a few feet into the hallway when a door to the left bursts open and a bronto charges out. I groan as Morrigan shoots a spell at it, but sigh when it doesn't bring Duncan and I to the ground this time. Duncan and I charge the beast while Leliana and Morrigan focus on the cultist that have appeared further down the hallway to see what caused their bronto to charge from his holding place. I yank back my sword and swing it deep into the bronto's shoulder.
The beast groans as Duncan leaps onto its back and sinks his fangs deep into the creature's thick hide. Duncan starts gnawing away in an attempt to reach a vein while I rip my sword out, step to the side of the bronto, and use my sword like a spear to go through the side of the bronto's neck. Duncan successfully rips open the back of the bronto's neck while I thrust my weapon through all of the veins running through both sides of his neck. The bronto rolls his eyes as he collapses onto his side. I look down the hallway and see Morrigan and Leliana have already dealt with the cultist that were attempting to help their bronto. Everyone gathers begin me as I lead us down the hall, around a corner to the right, and around another corner to the left.
A doorway up ahead is thrown open and more cultist pour out to meet us. Morrigan and Leliana take them out instantly. A few arrows and a powerful spell are enough to take them out. Unfortunately, when we take the left corridor there are two doors that are flung open to allow more cultist to pour out to fight us. And, Morrigan doesn't have any powerful spells at the ready due to none of them being ready to cast again while Leliana is out of stamina to use any of her attacks.
Now it's Duncan and my time to shine. My dog tackles a cultist to begin mauling him, and I start swinging my sword with all of the power remaining in my arms. I take out three unarmored cultist, Duncan tackles another armored one, and Leliana and Morrigan team up to use their regular attacks to kill the only other armored cultist. The cultist Duncan has in his mouth is the last killed as my Mabari locks his jaws around this man's throat in order to rip it out.
We turn left down the final corridor, but this time the door doesn't swing open on its own. I give our entire group a little time to catch our breath and stretch. When everyone's ready I walk down the corridor and open the final door. One mage cultist and three unarmored cultist attack us. Duncan and I collapse to the ground as the enemy mage casts a fireball at us. Morrigan quickly retaliates with a blizzard that kills everyone in the room that isn't on her side.
I loot the bodies of everyone in the area (finding a key on one corpse) before returning to the main room. The key doesn't open the door I want (the middle one that probably leads higher into the mountain) or the door to the right, but I remember seeing two doors on our way here before the stairs. One was already opened, so I'm betting this key opens the closed other door. I descend the stairs, carefully step over corpses, and find the door. Sure enough, the key unlocks it. I step into a large, barren room full of cultist that're busying talking among themselves. Apparently, I've interrupted some sort of meeting.
A meeting that promptly turns into a group meeting of the 'use all the spells we can to knock the warrior and dog down' club. Morrigan and Leliana carry us through the fight as Duncan and I get slammed down, stand back up, and get slammed down again. Thankfully, I find another key on one of the bodies. I retrace my steps, return to the door, and open the door to go deeper into the mountain. This room has a set of stairs that lead upwards with two outcrops on either side of it, a brazer at the top of the steps, and cultist surrounding the entire room. Thankfully, there's only one mage this time and an arrow from Leliana brings him to his knees. Without him in our way Duncan and I are able to fight for once.
My hound runs off to where I can't see him due to the fact I'm instantly swarmed with warriors. Their blows harmlessly dink off of my armor and I'm free to swing my sword wildly until they're dead. Clearly, this area would have been a challenge for me when I first started my journey, but by now all of us are so battle-hardened that this place is like a fun stroll through a park. Duncan returns to me covered in blood and a wolfish grin. Morrigan and Leliana walk over to me with nary a scratch on either of them. I lead all of us up the stairs and open the door to our next battle.
Traps are littering the room, but Leliana quickly rushes by me and begins disarming them. Meanwhile, the three cultist in the room charge us. Morrigan blows one up, Duncan rips one throat out, and I let out impale himself on my sword. Leliana wipes her hand clean as I lead us through the room and into the next area after lighting a brazer to continue. A circular platform is in the middle of a large room and a statue is against the wall in front of us. We've barely entered when a wraith made of ash appears in the middle of the platform and screams. Duncan charges it, Leliana begins firing, and Morrigan uses the only ice spell she knows on him. I charge in and begin swinging while using all of the moves I know. The wraith manages to scratch Duncan up pretty good, but he's dead before he can do much else.
When the wraith is gone is when Cultist begin pouring in through two hallways on either side of the room. There's only four in total, so we each get one. Well, I actually don't. Leliana takes mine out for me before I can, and when I look towards her I only get a smile and kiss blown my way. I kiss back at her before heading through the eastern hallway. The hallway is normal and leads us to a turn that'll take us up stairs deeper into the mountain. We climb the stairs, open a door, and find more cultist waiting for us in a square chamber. Duncan howls to stun them, and they're pretty easy pickings from there. The next stairway leads even higher into the mountain and takes us deeper. Finally, we reach a grand staircase with thick, iron doors at the end. I lead everyone up, but stop right before we enter.
"Everyone good?". Duncan barks, but Morrigan and Leliana file complaints.
"I would like some more arrows, my love.". Morrigan scoffs.
"I want some lyrium potions, my friend.". Leliana scoffs back, but neither seem too particularly upset with one another. I give them both what they want, then begin commanding them. Duncan first.
"Stay by me.". He barks and I turn to Leliana.
"Lay down cover fire.". She nods and stands a little taller. Now Morrigan.
"Be a healer.". She whines, but nods. I turn and enter the deeper recesses of the mountain.