It was definitely a sight to see, Bann Teagan dancing in the middle of the Great Hall with a goofy grin on his face.
Ser Perth had indeed been awaiting us at the gate, keeping an eye on the castle from the outside. It had been a cinch, opening it and letting them take the lead in the fight against the dead.
That had been the easy part.
Now, standing in front of Isolde and Connor, my companions had lost their will to do…anything, really. In fact, they were sitting against the wall, clapping and laughing at the show. As was Ser Perth and his men.
The situation would have been comedic, if a demon weren't behind everything.
Connor asked what our purpose here was while waving at Teagan to stop him, and it triggered a memory.
Purpose. Of course. If I could figure out how to channel whatever I did in the Fade, I could potentially purify the demon and change it back in to whatever spirit it had been originally.
"I would say 'we,' but I think it's clear I'm on my own. I'm here to stop you, actually. Could I convince you to leave the boy? Without hurting anyone?"
Isolde's head whipped around. She was obviously wondering how I knew, though how anyone wouldn't leap to that conclusion in the face of this…I didn't know.
"You're the ones who defeated my soldiers, the ones I sent to reclaim my village?" the demon voice coming from the boy my age was startling.
"Yes." Isolde answered for me.
"And now it's staring at me! What is it, Mother? I can't see it well enough."
"This is a girl, Connor. You…you've seen other children, before. You've played with many of the other noble family's children when they visit."
"Oh, I remember! I had the servant's children have their ears cut off and fed to the dogs! The dogs chewed for hours! Shall I send it to the kennels, Mother?"
I suppressed a shudder. What were we dealing with, exactly? There were so many classes of demon….
"C-Connor, I beg you, don't hurt anyone!" Isolde pleaded, waving her hands in front of her.
He rubbed his forehead, "M-Mother? What…what's happening? Where am I?"
My eyes narrowed; he had enough willpower to regain control at random times. Interesting. He hadn't been completely taken over, then. There was still hope, without having to resort to killing him.
"Oh, thank the Maker! Connor! Connor, can you hear me?" the woman dropped to her knees in relief.
"Get away from me, fool woman! You are beginning to bore me." The demon snapped, scaring her to her feet.
"Please…don't hurt my son! He's not responsible for what he does!"
"What have you done to Bann Teagan?" I walked forward boldly.
"Here I am! Here I am! Ha ha!" the man in question called out suddenly.
"I like him better this way. No more yelling; now he amuses to me!" the boy cackled menacingly.
"Connor didn't mean to do this! It was all that mage, the one who poisoned Eamon-he started all this! He summoned this demon! Connor was just trying to help his father!" tears stained her porcelain skin.
"And made a deal with a demon to do so…" I scoffed under my breath.
"It was a fair deal. Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now it's my turn to sit on the throne and send out armies to conquer the world! Nobody tells me what to do anymore!"
The boy mage stepped forward threateningly. To which I raised an eyebrow.
"Nobody tells him what to do! Nobody! Ha ha!" Teagan laughed hysterically.
Connor scowled, rounding on the poor man, "Quiet, Uncle. I warned you what would happen if you kept shouting, didn't I? Yes, I did." He abruptly turned back to me, "But let's keep things civil. This girl will have the audience she seeks. Tell us, girl…what have you come here for?"
"It's exactly as I said; I'm here to stop you. Leave the boy, and this will all be over."
"I was just having fun!" clapping, he jumped a few times, "Everyone else had fun too! Are you having fun, uncle?"
"Marmalade!" the genius response.
"You see?" the boy laughed again, "We're having fun! I think you're just trying to spoil things. What do you think, Mother? I think it's threatening me."
I had gone from "it" to "she," back to "it" in a matter of minutes. This wasn't going well.
"I…" the Arlessa hesitated, "I don't think…"
"Of course you don't. ever since you sent the knights away, you do nothing but deprive me of my fun. Frankly, it's getting dull." He waved her off, "I crave excitement! And action! This girl spoiled my sport by saving that stupid village, and now she'll repay me!"
I moved to grab him, but the boy easily dodged me, fleeing the room. Before I could go after him, Bann Teagan stood and walked steadily toward me, a creepy smile on his face. My eyes widened as the Redcliffe Castle soldiers all rose to their feet and turned as one, advancing on me. Dammit.
Isolde fainted dead away, too terrified to be of any real help, anyway.
I looked back at my companions. Both they and the knights were still out of it. Useless. But it also meant they wouldn't see it if I-
I flung my hand out, sweeping the men off their feet and effectively knocking them out with the impact.
Zevran had been right, and now I was just too. Damn. Tired. For any finesse. If I didn't pass out before the demon was dealt with, I would be amazed. The fatigue had finally hit me; I felt weighed down, to the point of sluggishness, and it was hard to remember why I had to stay awake.
It had to end soon.
I searched through the castle, sneaking from room to room. Dodged animated corpses. Found a pretty amulet in the Arl's study that had a glow about it. Faerie tales had taught me what to look for, how to identify tokens. Snatching it, I ran to the stairs, going up to the next floor before I could change my mind.
The corpses grew more abundant and alert the farther in to the private chambers I got.
When I reached the bed rooms, I heard a faint cackling.
In the boy's room, there stood Connor, standing casually in the middle.
"You have come to kill me, then? Murder a boy about your own age in cold blood? You're heartless."
Sleep. Sleep was sounding better and better…. Wait. Sleep. That was the solution!
I ran at him, words pouring from my mouth, "Sleep, demon! Sleep and face me in the Fade!"
Down he went, his eyes rolling back.
Without wondering if this was just the demon somehow tricking me, I allowed myself to succumb.
...
I opened my eyes to green. Green flames lit the area around me. Cautiously, I walked the winding path, meeting several ghostly Arl Eamons and Connors.
At the end, was Arl Eamon.
"You there! Have you seen my son? I can… I can hear him, but I cannot find him. This blasted fog has me turning in circles."
I blinked, my eyes narrowing. The fog he spoke of suddenly flooded everything, making it difficult to see him, even though he was standing just in front of me.
"I have not. I'll send him to you, should we cross paths."
"Thank you." He bowed his head deeply.
"Of course." I murmured, backing away slowly.
Almost running in to a purple portal that had mysteriously appeared. Taking a deep breath, I step forward and entered.
Another winding path. I walked it alone.
Connor waited at the end for me.
"Who are you? Are you the one that made Father ill? Tell me now!"
I raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on my hip, "I'm your age. How could I possibly have made your father ill?"
"You're here to hurt Father! I know it! I won't let you!" he cried out, ignoring my words.
The demon towered over me, showing herself as a desire demon. Of course. What other demon could have gotten to this poor boy? She had probably promised him his father's life, kept the man from dying to the poison, and had taken payment by possessing him.
Instead of fighting me, the demon blinded me with an orb of light. She took that chance to escape.
Muttering under my breath about how it was a coward, I spun around and stomped back to the portal. Hopefully, it would take me to another part of the Fade.
It did.
More ghostly figures of the two paced around, every Connor trying to find Arl Eamon and vice versa.
They called out, begging for someone to help them in their searches.
Abruptly, I happened upon Connor again. The "real" one.
"Why do you keep hurting me?! Why are you trying to stop me?"
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Connor. I want to talk to the demon, but she keeps leaving me in the dust."
"Trespasser! I will drive you out!" he hollered, seeming to not even hear me.
The demon showed itself again and lashed out, punching me in the face before throwing another ball of light out to blind me.
I swayed on my feet, but stayed upright somehow. It didn't matter much, though, since I couldn't see anything.
When my vision cleared, I touched my cheek, wincing at the pain. That stupid demon…. I'd never expected a "delicate" desire demon to throw a mean punch.
Back through the portal I went.
...
"Father wanders, seeking me, trapped within my web. All is as it should be. Why must you interfere?"
"I just want to talk to you, no tricks." I held up my hands, sounding as demure as possible, "Please? I don't want to hurt you or anything. I want to see if there's any way I can convince you to leave. Or even just understand why you're possessing the boy."
"No, it is time for you to go now. Do not persist, or things will go very badly for you."
"No, don't you-" I stepped toward him as the boy melted away.
This time, the demon simply fled. No tricks. That worried me, more than anything else it had done. Trying to lure me in to a false sense of security.
I shuddered, squaring my shoulders, "I will find you again! I will free the boy!"
More portal time was in my immediate future.
A thought brought me up short. How long had we been here? Was I still asleep, or was I…? Taking a deep breath, I pushed forward.
A clearing came in to view, the demon standing in the center.
"Very well. No more illusions. Now we meet face-to-face. You see my true form and stand in my domain." She sounded polite enough, "It is here I am most powerful, and yet I have no wish to engage your power. Nor should you be so eager to engage mine. Perhaps we should converse instead?"
I rubbed my forehead, tired of this game, "That's what I've been trying to say. I tried to talk to you, but you kept running away."
"Well, now I am here."
"I won't turn in to an abomination, no matter what you try, if that's why you're suddenly willing to talk."
"One soul I already possess; I do not need another. You need not fear me on that account. I wish only to talk."
"Do you take me for a fool? I know better than to trust your kind when you're suddenly friendly and understanding. What do you really want?"
"What do I want? I want to live my life, unhindered. I am the same as any other organic lifeform."
I frowned, uneasy by the thought, "I know that."
"I know you do, which is why I am here now. Talking, instead of fighting." A kind smile.
Something snaked through my mind, a whisper of a thought. Maybe she deserved to go free? As long as Connor was monitored, she couldn't do much damage, could she?
I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at it, "No tricks, huh? Then why are you trying to mind control me?"
Her gentle façade cracked, a sneer marring her beautiful face, "Alas, that is sad. Very well, then. Resist. If you wish a battle, you will have it. Let us see if your power matches your boldness, creature."
She rose up off her feet, twirling her hands in arcane gestures.
"I don't- Fine. You want to fight me so badly; I guess there's no choice." I unsheathed one of my daggers, readying myself.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glow to my left. Another to my right. Purpose was here. The both of them. From the Tower.
As I watched, dumbfounded, they launched themselves at desire and pinned her arms behind her.
"Now, child." They murmured, their words almost lost before they reached me.
A calmness filled me, radiating outward in waves of soft light.
The demon's eyes widened, "What is this? What are you doing?"
Ignoring it, I concentrated on directing the power. Encompassed desire. Felt the change, from start to finish.
Three purpose spirits stood in front of me, the middle one looking around in awe.
"We thank you, child." The first two spoke in unison.
"Yes, thank you." The newest one turned its eyes on me, bowing deeply.
"It was…no…problem." I stifled a yawn.
The ground rushed up to meet me, but I was already fading away.