"It's crazy, innit? Going into deep places the Wardens won't?" Sera's voice was little more than a whisper.
"If whatever this barrier is can keep back the Blight..." Ruya glanced at Valta. "That alone is reason enough to continue, and find it."
"What it would mean to my people alone is..." Valta took a breath. "Staggering."
Ruya started to reply, and caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"Something moved. There. Light a torch."
"So it can see us coming? Just stay close."
They moved ahead, through the darkness. Ruya kept her staff in hand, prepared to send magic into the crystal and create light. They stayed close together to not get separated.
"It's wrong here." Cole's voice was quiet. "Too many whispers. The song is wrong. Chords cut to silence."
Valta's voice held a note of wonder. "We've gone past the Deep Roads."
"How can you tell? It's pitch black." Ruya kept her hand on Valta's shoulder, letting the dwarven woman lead them all.
"I can feel it."
#
There was a faint light, a glow from mushrooms. Not enough to illuminate as much as to vaguely hint at their surroundings. Ruya could make out Renn pulling his axe out. "Show yourselves!"
A glow, and something came from the darkness, striking Renn. He grunted and staggered. "Renn!" Valta cried out.
"Hmm..." He got back to his feet. "Sod it all." As more creatures starting moving, he roared and charged forward, axe in hand.
Ruya called her magic to her, sending light from the crystal on her staff as she sent bolts of lightning at their attackers. Blackwall and Cole moved in alongside Renn and Valta as they fought... nothing she'd ever seen before.
#
The last of the creatures fell. Ruya was about to utter a sigh of relief when Renn collapsed. "Maker, no." She joined Valta at the man's side, but as soon as the light from her staff illuminated the damage done to his armor, she knew it was too late. That the man had fought as long as he had was nothing short of miraculous.
Valta gently closed her friend's eyes. "You deserved better." She bit her lip. "Renn never wanted this life. He was a cobbler. A good one. He joined the Legion to pay his father's debts. It kept his mother and brother from losing their caste. The poor and desperate here often sacrifice themselves for their family's future."
"Renn was a good man. We'll honor his sacrifice." She'd said those words too many times over the course of the last two years.
"He always seemed..." Valta hung her head. "Indestructible." She pulled herself away. "The armor on these warriors..." She pointed at their attackers. "There's lyrium woven directly into the metal. And it's bonded to their skin. Impossible to remove, but I know what we'd find underneath. These are dwarves. Renn was killed by our own kind."
Ruya took a closer look. If the Wardens had been here... Or had Jerath some idea of what they'd find? No. As many secrets as he kept, she did not believe he'd have sent them into danger with no idea of what they'd face. "They don't look like any dwarves I've ever met."
"Me neither. It just doesn't make sense. We've done nothing to them." Valta stood. "I won't leave Renn like this. We must return him to the Stone."
She nodded, and called her magic to her to begin excavating a burial site.
#
"Atrast tunsha, salroka." Valta spoke the words quietly as Blackwall laid Renn's body down. "I'll see this through, Renn. I promise."
Ruya used her magic once more, covering the grave.
Valta squared her shoulders. "Anything standing between us and the Titan will regret it."
"It sings softly under the silence. The Stone took him back. He's home again." Cole's words seemed to echo through the small chamber.
"Somehow that brings me comfort." Valta took a breath, and led them on.
#
They stopped at strange markings on the wall. Valta traced a finger along the marks. "This is like the Wall of Memories in Orzammar, but ancient. Very ancient." She narrowed her eyes. "The words seem based in dwarven, but I barely recognize this dialect."
Ruya moved up behind her, letting her staff provide additional illumination. "Can you translate any of it?"
"Only fragments. The language is very different from what we speak today." She pointed at a particular glyph. "This word keeps appearing: 'Sha-Brytol.' I believe it means 'revered defenders.'"
Defenders. And some sort of blight-proof barrier. "What needs to be protected all the way down here?"
"'Isatunoll... Isatunoll...'" Valta frowned. "'Cut our tongues... entomb our bodies... watch over the Titan until it stirs.' So the warriors who attacked us must be the Sha-Brytol. And they're protecting a Titan." She went quiet.
"Are you all right, Valta?"
The other woman's voice was slightly hoarse when she answered. "I can hear Renn's objections." She took a deep breath. "Let's keep moving. If more of these Memories exist, they may have the answers we need."
#
They came to a bridge. Valta hesitated. "There's something..." She tilted her head. "Strange on the other side. I can feel it..."
Before they could reach the bridge, it collapsed. Valta made a frustrated noise. "That wasn't a quake. Someone sabotaged the bridge. And we don't have time to fix it." She gestured. "There. That ledge. We can reach it if we're careful."
They chose their footing carefully. Blackwall caught Sera when she slipped, and a few paces later Cole caught him when he did the same. Ruya kept a barrier up. She wasn't sure if it would be enough to protect any of them if they fell, but she hoped. Perhaps continuing ahead without the Wardens had been a poor idea. She'd seen Anders abilities as a healer. Could he have saved Renn? It was too late to think about that now.
#
"Look there." Ruya pointed. "More ancient carvings."
"Aye, but these seem to be about..." Valta's voice filled with wonder. "The Titan." She trailed her hand along the carvings as she read. "'It shapes the stone. It is the stone. It sculpts the world within and without.'"
"Wouldn't something that can 'sculpt the world' have to be rather..." Ruya tilted her head. "Enormous?"
"It is called a 'Titan'." Valta continued examining the carvings.
"So it's a 'Shaper of the Stone,' like you?" Ruya tapped her fingers against her other arm. Lore had been lost, but clearly some traces of it had survived in other fashions.
"This implies that the Titans are actually sculptors - and our world is their clay."
A thought came to her. "If Titans 'shape the stone,' could they have actually created it?"
"The Stone must have existed first."
"Then the Titans would be the very first children of the Stone..."
"That would have huge implications for my people." Valta didn't look entirely pleased.
"If Titans can purposely reshape the world, the earthquakes could be the way they 'sculpt the Stone.'"
"But the quakes are destructive. Titans would mold the world, not smash it to pieces."
"Depending on your perspective, change can be violent." It had taken a truly catastrophic event to get mages and templars working together.
"But if this is true, how could it be missing from the Memories of Orzammar?" Valta shook her head in confusion before turning to Ruya. "Why would someone erase such an integral part of our history?"
There were... Her thoughts were cut off as the world around them rumbled once more. "Let's answer that after we stop the earthquakes."
"The rhythm is louder than ever. We're close."
#
They stepped into a chamber and stopped short, staring. Lyrium veins grew up stone columns, lighting the entire chamber in a wash of gentle blue. Ruya could feel a tingle on her skin, similar to where the Veil was weak.
"It's singing. A they that's an it that's asleep, but still making music." Cole's voice held wonder similar to her own.
"All these lyrium veins. And they're completely untapped."
"The Sha-Brytol must mine lyrium somewhere - their weapons and armor are laced with it." Ruya continued picking her way down the rock formations carefully.
"Unless they've found another way to harness it." Valta looked around. "The Warden was right. There is no evidence darkspawn have ever been here."
Blackwall frowned. "Any sign of what keeps them from coming down this far?"
"The Stone here feels different. I don't know how it feels to the Wardens." Valta looked back the way they'd come. "I should have asked Temmerin. He's a surfacer, but he must have some stone sense."
"Let's just be grateful we don't have to deal with darkspawn as well."
"But there must be a reason they avoid this place..."
#
After another battle with the strange dwarves, they found a barrier in their path. Valta examined it. "They built this to stop us. There must be some way to get through."
Several attempts failed, and then Ruya stuck one of the Sha-Brytol's strange lyrium-infused weapons to the barrier, stepped back, and hit it with a bolt of raw magic. It exploded, taking the barrier with it. Blackwall started chuckling, and Ruya raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "It occurred to me that they might have had a point about Amell mages."
#
"You said we're beneath the Deep Roads. Do you think anyone besides the Sha-Brytol has traveled down here?"
"We are very likely the first to travel this far."
They killed some strange creatures that vaguely resembled brontos. Another quake, and this time she thought she could almost feel something as well. Ruya glanced at Valta. "Did you hear the same rhythm?"
"It's getting faster. Harsh. Like..." Valta frowned. "Something breathing."
#
"I hate destroying these weapons. They're artifacts. We could learn from them." Valta picked up a couple of the fragments.
"We'll try to bring one back with us, but we have no choice. It's the only way through the barriers." Ruya handed her another fragment.
#
"The attacks are getting worse." Valta pointed at the next set of carvings. "'Only the pure may pass. All others will be punished.' Assuming the Sha-Brytol are the pure..."
"We're the 'others' who aren't allowed to pass." Ruya found herself thinking of Solas, and wondering what he'd make of all this. Likely he'd be looking for a good spot to sleep.
"Could the earthquakes be the punishment?"
"You found Paragon Garal's book near a damaged lyrium mine. And the new earthquakes destroyed your mine."
"But why would they want to destroy the lyrium mines?" Valta shook her head. "This reads like a final warning. We must be nearing the source."
#
They stepped out of the tunnel and into another world. Light came from somewhere, illuminating what looked to be islands rising out of the mist. Stalagmites hung from the roof of the cavern, built up with what looked to be entire cities or even forests. And everywhere the blue veins of lyrium shimmered.
Valta's was the first to find her voice. "Did the Sha-Brytol build all this?"
"Or was it here before them?" Ruya stared. She thought of Solas again, and wondered what he would make of such a place. Or was this wonder lost even to the Fade?
"Nothing should surprise me anymore, but this..." Valta pointed at something. "Wait. The rhythm we followed - we've found the source. But not the Titan."
"How would we even recognize a Titan? All we know is that they're enormous." Ruya looked out over the strange world they'd found.
Suddenly Valta's head came up. Her mouth worked silently for a moment before she looked up at Ruya. "We've found the Titan." She gestured. "We're standing inside it."
Ruya turned a slow circle. "What do you mean, 'inside'?"
"Think back to when we left the ruined thaig. I could feel that this wasn't the Deep Roads. And something kept the darkspawn and the Wardens out. The Sha-Brytol attacked because we invaded a place only the 'pure' are allowed to enter. The body of the Titan."
They stared at each other for a moment before Sera alerted them that more Sha-Brytol were coming. Valta put a hand to her weapon. "If I don't survive, Orzammar must know the truth."
#
"Those structures..." Valta pointed. "Could there be a whole civilization in here?"
"A city within a Titan. Incredible."
"And the quakes haven't damaged it."
"Less staring, more killing the things attacking us." Sera glared at them.
#
"Look..." Valta pointed at engravings. "These are the only Memories in this area." She indicated a line. "That phrase is 'the path of purity.' And there's a reference to..." She narrowed her eyes. "'Titan's blood'? It says the Sha-Brytol come here to..." Valta stepped back as her eyes widened once more. "Drink it."
A chill went through Ruya. "I only see one substance here that's found in veins..."
"Lyrium. The Titan's blood is lyrium."
Maker. That changed... everything. "Every nation on the surface buys lyrium. Orzammar's entire economy is based on the trade."
"This is bigger than any one nation."
"We have to stop this."
#
This close, she could feel the rhythm in her bones. Something burst out of the glowing crystal... heart... for want of a better word. A shard of blue struck Valta, causing her to gasp and begin seizing. Before Ruya could go to her side, a stone barrier rose between them.
She turned to see a creature that almost looked to be made of living lyrium. An aspect of the Titan, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was hostile. She put up a barrier around her companions. Sera's arrows just seemed to bounce off the rocky creature. Tendrils of lyrium connected to... "Sera." Ruya sent a blast of lightning at the point. "Focus there."
Blackwall moved in and raised his shield to block a blow aimed at Ruya. She trusted him to guard her, and summoned her magic to her, bringing as much lightning as she could to bear. Then she called the spirit blade into her hand and moved in at his side.
A blow from the creature sent Sera and Cole flying backwards. Sera started to get up. Cole didn't. Ruya reached again for her magic, calling to other spirits to aid her friend. Healing magic flooded the area, healing Cole and strengthening the flagging Blackwall. She downed a vial of lyrium and reached for the lightning again. And again. And again.
#
"Valta? Are you hurt?" Ruya ran to where the dwarven woman had fallen.
Valta was trying to get to her feet. She gasped and held her head. "Too loud..." She staggered. "The song..." She fell to her knees again. "Stop." Something burst from her, sending Ruya and her companions flying.
Ruya rolled back to her feet and stared. A spell. Valta had... cast a spell. Valta stared down at her still faintly glowing hands. "I am..." She swallowed. "It's all right."
"It looked like you were hit by raw lyrium during the battle." Not just raw. Pure. Direct from the source. And it had... what?
"Yes - it should have poisoned me, but I...' Valta stood. "Feel fine. Good, even."
For a moment she considered reaching for her healing magic. And then decided against it. "You said the song was too loud. It was hurting you."
"It was..." Valta furrowed her brow. "Chaos. The rhythm I followed here, but magnified. Overwhelming. But it is gone."
Magic was... More than one apprentice had accidentally killed themselves or others and... Maker. "You almost killed me. What happens the next time you lash out?"
"I am in control. I would never harm you, Inquisitor."
She wasn't quite as confident. "You cast some kind of spell. That shouldn't be possible."
"It wasn't a spell, it was..." Valta's voice still held a note of wonder. "An accident. Everything will be fine."
They needed to get back. Back up to where the Wardens were. Jerath and Carver were templars, they could... something. "We should get help. You may be injured, or..."
"I feel better than I ever have. Stronger. More..." Valta took a deep breath and smiled. "Alive. The Stone is silent. The rhythm has faded, and so have the tremors. But the song still echoes..." Valta half closed her eyes and tilted her head as if listening. "It tells me things..." She smiled. "The Breach - that's what disturbed the Titan. It is calm now that it has a connection with one of its children..." She met Ruya's eyes. "With me."
Dwarves couldn't be possessed. Could they? She glanced at Cole, but he was just staring at Valta. She found herself wishing Anders were here. Maker, what had the world come to? "Was that the Titan? Did we kill it?" She... found herself hoping it wasn't. That they hadn't. Some things were...
"The Titan lives. This was..." Valta shrugged. "An echo. A guardian. But you silenced it."
"Is this what happened at the thaig where you found Paragon Garal's book?"
"Aye, but..." Valta shook her head. "I do not know what disturbed the Titan then. The song may tell me..." She smiled. "In time..."
"You said you are a child of the Stone, not a child of the Titans."
"I am not certain what I am, but the Titan recognized me. Like a parent hearing its child's voice."
Ruya nodded. "The Titan changed you, Valta - you need to be cautious."
"I am different. But I am still a Shaper. 'Isana'. It's our word for lyrium, and we are taught that it is a gift from the Stone. But there's so much more to it than we ever imagined. I was sent to the Deep Roads to recover lost history. This is only the beginning. I am staying here."
"She's singing, sighing, slipping through the silence. She can heal here." Cole's voice reached her ears.
"I am called to the search, Inquisitor. This is where I belong."
She nodded. "I'm leaving with more questions than answers, but that doesn't mean you have to. Just be careful." She reached into her pack, and removed her travel grimoire. She offered the spellbook to Valta. It contained copies of her notes. What she'd learned at the circle, and from Solas. Enough, perhaps, to help Valta find her way. The dwarven woman accepted it with a grateful nod. "The Shaperate in Orzammar will want to know what happened to you."
"Tell them the truth: you don't know."
#
The Wardens were waiting. More darkspawn bodies had piled up in their absence, and based on the markings on a nearby wall, someone was keeping score of something. Jerath nodded to her, then raised an eyebrow. "Renn and Valta?"
"You." She pointed to him. "Walk with me."
He nodded, and followed.
#
"A..." He shook his head. "Titan."
"You mean you really didn't know?"
"I might keep such a thing from you, Inquisitor." Jerath shrugged. "But not from Dagna or Temmerin." He folded his arms. "If lyrium is the blood of a Titan..." He met her eyes. "You understand what this means regarding the original source of red lyrium? What it may mean for the ultimate source of the Blight?"
"Maker." Ruya shuddered.
"Guess I know what we Wardens are going to be doing now."
"How would you even begin to kill such a creature?"
"I'm thinking stabbing. You'd be surprised how often that works."
"I'm serious." Ruya paced. "You didn't tell me Loghain was an abomination."
"I don't like that word."
"What?"
"Abomination. I don't like it. its denotations are misleading."
"Do not try to change the subject." She drove a finger into his chest. "How was he possessed?"
"You left him in the Fade, Inquisitor. I went back for him."
"You are not a mage."
"And trees don't talk and Stone doesn't breath. Each day we learn more." Jerath sighed. "I told you I was an abomination once."
"Until you killed the demon at the circle tower, yes."
"I didn't kill him." Jerath shook his head. "I asked him for his help, so that I could fulfill my purpose. And in doing so, I changed him. He stopped being rage. He became Vigilance. When I assembled my team, he aided us. At various times he possessed all of them, and as a result, they could call to him. In the Fade, Loghain did. And Vigilance went. Your magic shattered the rift, and cast them adrift. By the time I found them..."
"They were damaged." Ruya found herself nodding. "The only way you could pull them out was together."
"Loghain Mac Tir died in the Fade, Inquisitor. What you see back there isn't an abomination. He is Vigilance, with the memories and..." Jerath shrugged. "Soul, of the Hero of the River Dane."
"How do you keep him from..." Ruya glanced back over her shoulder. "Becoming a demon again?"
"The same way as you keep Cole, I expect." Jerath met her eyes.
"You..." Ruya let out a small laugh. "Have a point. And Anders, how do you keep him contained?"
"I got him a cat."
"Would you for once just give a straight answer?"
"I gave him an anchor, something to hold him in the storm, to help him find his way back." He gestured. "Flemeth once told me there is no greater vengeance, no worse punishment, than redemption. You have no idea, Inquisitor, just how right that woman can be at times."