"The Wardens started this mess. It's only fitting that a Warden would be the one to end it. Send word to Vigil's Keep that Nathaniel's the new Warden-Constable. I'll handle this."
Ignoring the Champion of Kirkwall's yells for him to stop, Aedan Cousland let out a fearsome battle cry as he ran towards the Nightmare Demon. Crushing the fear and regret in his heart and replacing it with resolve.
Aedan was garbed in a Silverite Heavy Grey Warden armor and wore a full plaid belonging to the Mac Eanraig family over said armor. The full plaid was also secured by a brooch emblazoned with the Cousland heraldry. Since losing his left eye in the fight against the Archdemon during the Fifth Blight, he had taken to wearing an eye patch over the empty socket and had become known in the Fereldan Order of Grey Wardens as the "One-eyed Griffon".
In his hands was the greatsword Ageless. A weapon made from Silverite as well that he had looted off a dragon they had killed in Orzammar about a decade or so ago. The reason he kept the blade for so long was because whenever he drew it, the Darkspawn he fought were suddenly weakened. Their movements turning sluggish. Not only that but any wound he inflicted on a Darkspawn burned but only to them or any Blight infested creature. Any other foe he cut with Ageless was not burnt by whatever was burning the Darkspawn. The weakening effect was also absent. That didn't mean the weapon was useless against foes other than Darkspawn. Ageless was still a sword and swords can still kill.
Aedan's lone eye suddenly glowed a bright red as he flew into a Berserker Rage. Strengthening his attacks as he swung his greatsword at the Nightmare Demon but also left him vulnerable to some of the demon's attacks. Aside from hurting him, it also fueled his rage further and his next swing cut off one of the Nightmare Demon's fangs before he swung wide and cut the demon across the face.
The Nightmare Demon staggered back and roared before bringing one of it's legs down on Aedan who raised his blade and managed to block it. Baring his teeth, he turned to look at the others while straining against the strength of the Nightmare Demon.
"Stop... Corypheus... GO!!"
Aedan turned back to his opponent and managed to push the Nightmare Demon back but quickly rolled out of the way before his head could be bitten after the Nightmare Demon surged forward. He stood up and prepared to attack only to be sent flying after the Nightmare Demon smacked him away with one of it's legs. His back slammed into a rock, leaving large cracks upon it's surface, before the Grey Warden fell on his front to the ground. Despite his current injuries and the ones he sustained from previous skirmishes against numerous demons, Aedan willed himself to get back up but only managed to get up on one knee and was forced to use his weapon as a crutch.
Breathing heavily, the Grey Warden cracked his neck before staring defiantly up at the Nightmare Demon as he stood up and readied his blade. Not a tinge of fear in his entire being despite knowing that he was certainly doomed.
"In War, Victory." Aedan muttered. "In Peace, Vigilance. In Death."
The Nightmare Demon roared and shot one of it's legs towards Aedan in an attempt to impale him while the Grey Warden prepared to meet the attack with his weapon.
"Sacrifice!"
Just as he was about to swing Ageless, a Fireball slammed into the side of the Nightmare Demon's head. Causing it to stagger to the side and miss it's mark.
Aedan looked to the direction of where the Fireball came from and saw the Champion entering the fight. She was running towards the massive demon, her eyes glowing a bright purple as lightning sparked from her palm and fingertips before throwing out her hand towards their adversary. A glyph formed in front of her outstretched hand and a series of lightning bolts shot out from the glyph and struck the Nightmare Demon in a short but powerful barrage.
The Champion then ran towards Aedan before sliding to a stop next to him as he dropped to one knee after struggling to keep himself upright. She placed his arm around her shoulders before making their way behind a rock formation and away from the Nightmare Demon's view.
"I thought I told you to go." Aedan grunted as she set him down.
The Champion wore a red tunic with only one sleeve underneath a short-sleeved chainmail shirt. Over the mail shirt, she wore a sleeveless, charcoal colored, double-breasted tunic and wore a pair of similarly colored trousers along with a large, brown leather belt lined with wolf pelt and a pair of brown leather boots as well as a belt-cape that reached the back of her knees and has a slit in the bottom. She had on dark Silverite spaulder, couter, vambrace and gauntlet protecting her right arm as well as a set of poleyn, greaves and sabatons while a bevor and gorget with a wolf pelt collar protected her neck. It also had a charcoal colored hood attached to it. She also wore a harness to help carry her sword staff on her back as well as a pair of fingerless, leather gloves but wore a single, black, arm sleeve on her left arm that ended just below the red symbol on her bicep.
The Champion had chin-length raven black hair and a pair of the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. A streak of blood ran across the bridge of her nose and barely visible freckles can be seen around her nose and under her eyes.
"And I told you that this is my fault as much as it is the Wardens." The Champion replied. "If buying the Inquisitor enough time to escape is my atonement for that and all my past mistakes, then so be it."
"And Corypheus?" He inquired.
The Champion looked down at the ground and didn't respond at first before shaking her head and looked back at him.
"As much as I want to kill the bastard myself, my story ended three years ago. This is the Inquisitor's story now. She'll end Corypheus."
"You have that much faith in her?"
"Yes and no. I threatened her that the Inquisition better pay off or I will haunt her for an eternity. I have a long list of puns waiting just for her." She answered with a smirk.
"Maker save her then."
Despite the dire situation they currently find themselves in, the two shared a small laugh before the Champion placed her hand on Aedan's shoulder. Said hand glowed with a green light and the Grey Warden found himself enveloped with the same green light as a warm feeling passed through his body. Moments later, he felt good as new. His previous injuries were gone, the Grey Warden stood to his full height and rested his greatsword on his shoulder.
The Grey Warden then looked down at the Champion.
"You know I never really did catch your name, Champion. Stroud never mentioned you by name when he asked me to investigate the Orlesian Wardens. Just mentioned that he has a contact outside called the Champion."
Said Champion looked up at him with an amused look.
"Well. I guess this is as good as time as any to introduce ourselves. Marian Hawke. Champion of Kirkwall. Well. Former Champion considering I am a fugitive for helping Mages. Anyways. A pleasure to meet you, Warden."
Aedan nodded and held out his hand.
"And to you as well, Lady Hawke. Warden-Constable Aedan Cousland. At your service. Though I wish we would've met on much better circumstances."
This caused the Champion, Marian, to snort but she took his offered hand nonetheless.
"I'm no Lady, Cousland. At least not anymore."
The two shook hands before looking over to the rift just as the Inquisitor jumped through it. Moments later, the rift closed and the Nightmare Demon roared in anger.
"She's through." Marian commented.
"Good. Then that just leaves us against that."
The Grey Warden and the Champion glared defiantly up at the Nightmare Demon as it loomed over them. The two then looked around them and found themselves being surrounded by Fear Demons, Terror Demons and Fearlings. All of whom were slowly advancing towards them.
"I still have enough fight left in me to take on these demons. What about you?"
"Oh I'm not going down yet. Not until this big, ugly, loud-mouthed bastard get what's coming to him." Marian replied. Eyes glaring at the Nightmare Demon's own.
The Champion whirled the Staff of Parthalan over her head before slamming it down on the ground. The orb on the glaive glowed orange before Marian raised her open palm to the Fade equivalent of the sky. A fiery glyph manifested in front of her open palm as well as the ground she was standing on.
A dark cloud suddenly formed on top of them before a series of Fireballs rained down on the surrounding demons. The Fireballs bursting in a fiery explosion upon touching the ground. Killing those it hit while setting the ones near the explosions on fire.
The Nightmare Demon roared and the lesser demons around it charged the two with the Fearlings going in first. Followed by the Terror then the Fear Demons.
Aedan looked at the approaching demons and closed his eye before taking a deep breath then letting out a bestial roar as he once more flew into a Berserker Rage.
The Grey Warden ran towards the closest demon and dashed forward. Slicing the demon in two before leaping into the air and bringing Ageless down on a second demon and splitting it's head and upper body in half. He started cutting down any demon that got close to him. Killing demons left and right as limbs were cut and sent flying everywhere. Some managed to get past him and moved to attack the Champion but she wasn't defenseless as they thought.
Using the bladed end of the Staff of Parthalan, Marian stabbed and sliced any demon that got too close. She would also combine spells with her attacks while also coating her weapon with flames. Dealing more damage and even setting some demons on fire.
Marian closed in on a Fear Demon and impaled it through the abdomen before placing her palm on it's forehead. Her hand glowed as she seared a rune onto the demon's skin then proceeded to kick it off her weapon and watched it stagger towards a group of Fearlings.
Moments later, the Fear Demon exploded. Taking it as well as the Fearlings surrounding it out of the fight.
Marian turned on her heel and impaled another Fear Demon in the abdomen as it appeared behind her. She let go of her weapon and grabbed it's head before her eyes glowed and she unleashed a torrent of lightning on the demon's head until it was dead.
A Terror Demon appeared behind the Champion and was about to strike her down but it was promptly cut in the middle by Aedan. The Grey Warden then swung hard in a wide arc and the momentum of the swing made him spin in place. The Fearlings and Terror Demons tried to close in on him only to end up dead as Ageless sliced them in two.
The Champion smacked a Terror Demon across the face with the orb of her glaive then kicked it towards the Grey Warden who beheaded the demon with one swing of his greatsword.
A Fearling managed to jump on Marian's back and Aedan quickly ran to her aid. He grabbed two of the Fearling's legs and pulled it off of the Champion before throwing it to the ground. He quickly raised his boot and crushed the Fearling's head.
They fought tooth and nail against the endless hordes of demons for who knows how long. They were starting to slow down. Growing tired as they killed countless demons one after the other. The corpses of those they have slain were slowly covering the very ground they stood upon. When exhaustion finally took it's toll on both of them, that's when the Nightmare Demon finally rejoined the fight and ran towards Marian before raising one of it's leg to strike her down.
Unaware of the danger she was in, Marian was surprised when Aedan suddenly pushed her to the ground. Moments later, she heard the sound of flesh being pierced and her eyes landed on Aedan. One of the Nightmare Demon's legs impaling him in the abdomen.
"AEDAN!!"
The Nightmare Demon pulled it's leg out and the Grey Warden coughed out blood as he looked down at the hole on his abdomen. He was surprised he was still standing at all.
'Wait. I'm starting to lose the feeling on my legs. Shit.'
Aedan would've fallen face first to the ground of demon corpses had it not been for Marian catching him just in time. The Champion grunted as she tried to hold the Grey Warden's entire weight. Unfortunately, he was as heavy as he looked and nearly brought the both of them down.
"Andraste's flaming knickers! Why are you so big and heavy?"
"Heh... You think... I'm big. You should've... seen my grandfather."
Marian didn't reply as she tried to cast Heal on the Grey Warden but found to her horror that she was out of mana. She searched her person and realized she was out of Lyrium Potions as well or any kind of potion for that matter. They had nothing left.
"Shit."
"What?"
"Uh. Well. I've got good news, bad news, worse news and horrible news." Marian replied as casually as she can but Aedan still heard the slight shakiness in her voice.
"What's the- ah! Good news?"
"It's almost over."
"I think I have an idea of what you mean." Aedan coughed up blood again. "Ugh. And the bad news?"
"I'm out of mana."
"The worse news?"
"I'm out of Potions."
He didn't want to ask but he just had to know.
"And the horrible news?"
Marian looked around them as the demons surrounded them but didn't attack. The Aspect of the Nightmare Demon suddenly appeared in front of the two. Changing it's form to mirror Corypheus' appearance.
"The mouthy bastard is right in front of us and it looks like he's about to start talking again."
"Oh... great. Just... bloody great... I can't believe I'm gonna die... listening to him."
"Like I said, Hawke." The Nightmare Demon began. Using Corypheus' voice which futher made Marian want to kill the demon in addition to it shape-shifting into that bastard. "How could you expect to strike down a god?"
"Can I use your own method against you and say talk you to death?"
"Even in the face of certain doom, you still resort to humor? Is that all you know, Hawke? You really are nothing more than a court jester."
"Maybe but this court jester distracted you long enough for me to do this. Sorry about this, Aedan. Just know that this was my last resort."
"What? What are you- "
The Grey Warden let out a scream of agony as he felt her his blood as if it was suddenly on fire while Marian's eyes and veins glowed red as the Champion used Blood Magic. A roar escaped her lips as she threw out her hand and unleashed a powerful torrent of red lightning at the Aspect of the Nightmare. Striking it in the torso and sending it flying back to the Nightmare Demon. She grabbed her glaive and raised it above her head as she summoned a dark cloud above them.
Bolts of red lightning randomly struck the demons around them before fireballs followed soon after. Taking scores of demons out. Marian then planted her glaive on the ground and summoned a wave of telekinetic force that slammed the surrounding demons and crushed them. Unfortunately, she didn't see the Nightmare Demon attack and found herself impaled through the stomach.
Marian coughed up blood and looked down at the leg that impaled her through the gut before glaring up at the Nightmare Demon who proceeded to pull it's leg out of the raven-haired Champion.
Both Aedan and Marian fell to the ground. The former unmoving while the latter felt life slowly leaving her body. Marian's eyes stared into Aedan's blank and lifeless one and a lone tear slid from the corner of her eye.
'I guess this is it then. Alright, Inquisitor. End that ugly bastard for us, would you? And Carver... Be safe, brother.'
(Line Break)
Aedan's eye snapped open and the Grey Warden shot up with a gasp. He grabbed Ageless from the ground and jumped to his feet. Falling into a defensive stance as he frantically searched his surroundings for any demons. Instead of finding any, however, he found the unmoving form of the Champion lying a few feet away from him.
Without hesitation, he ran to her side and knelt down to look for any signs of life. He sighed in relief when he saw she was still breathing before placing his hand on her shoulder and tried to shake her awake.
"Come on, Marian. Wake u- "
The Grey Warden was cut off when the Champion's fist shot up and decked him right in the jaw. The act caught him by surprise and Aedan fell on his backside while clutching his jaw in pain.
Marian sat up with a groan and placed a hand on her temple. Her head was pounding like she had an all-nighter in the Hanged Man. She looked to her left and saw her glaive before looking to her right to see the Grey Warden on the ground and holding his jaw.
Unsure of what's going on, the Champion grabbed the Staff of Parthalan and stood up. She took in her surroundings and her brows shot up in surprise.
"Aedan." She called out. "Where are we?"
"The Fade. Where else? Don't you remember? We were holding off the demons so the Inquisitor can escape."
"I remember that part but... this doesn't look like the Fade."
After making sure his jaw wasn't broken or dislocated, Aedan got back to his feet and made his way to stand next to Marian.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look around you. Have you ever recalled the Fade being this pretty? Last I remember it was all hazy, dark and filled with spirits and demons. Certainly not this."
The Champion and the Grey Warden looked around them to see that they were in a luscious green field. In the distance, they could see the shape of mountains and to their left they could see a dirt path leading to a forest.
Aedan was lost. In the literal and metaphorical sense of the word. He had no idea what happened, what's going on or where in bloody Thedas were they. All he could remember was fighting off the Nightmare Demon to give the Inquisitor enough time to escape to the rift.
Then Marian joined him and they were surrounded by lesser demons summoned by the Nightmare Demon as the rift closed. The two fought countless lesser demons for Maker knows how long until the Nightmare Demon got a lucky shot and left a hole... in... his...
Aedan realized that he was supposed to have a giant bleeding hole in his gut but when he looked down, he saw there was no hole. When he touched the spot where the Nightmare Demon impaled him, he didn't feel any pain nor did he find a hole where he knew there was supposed to be.
The Grey Warden shook his head and once again tried to remember what happened before he woke up here. Wherever here is.
'Right. I was down and bleeding out. I was about to collapse but Marian caught me and tried to heal me with magic but she had exhausted herself. She couldn't cast a healing spell or any other spells for that matter. She was out of potions the same as I and the Aspect of the Nightmare was standing right in front of us. He taunted Marian and she apologized to me before...'
Aedan slowly turned to look at Marian and said Champion felt his eyes on her. She planted her glaive on the ground and crossed her arms before raising a brow.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
"Marian. What happened? In the Fade. The last thing I remember was you saying sorry then I felt... Pain."
Marian's eyes narrowed and she uncrossed her arms before slowly reaching for the Staff of Parthalan as the Grey Warden slowly walked towards her.
"An agonizing pain." Aedan continued.
"Stay back, Aedan." She warned him.
The Champion might have felt fine but she wasn't sure she can handle the Grey Warden without her magic. She had tried to conjure a simple Fireball but found that she can't no matter what she tried.
"It felt like my blood was boiling. Then I felt it leave me. What did you do?"
"I said stay back!"
Aedan stopped and let his expression soften.
"I won't hurt you, Marian. Just tell me what happened. Please."
Marian bit her lip and looked away. She relaxed herself and let out a sigh before looking up at the sky.
"I used Blood Magic." She answered. "I didn't want to but like I told you. It was my last resort. I didn't want to give that demon the satisfaction so I used Blood Magic to cast off a few more spells before the Nightmare Demon got me."
"And me?"
"You were dying. I could feel it. It's why I apologized. By siphoning your blood, I knew there was a chance that I would end up killing you and I did in the end. It might not have been a painless death but at least it didn't give the Nightmare Demon the satisfaction of killing us both. Just me."
Aedan watched as she looked away from the sky and turned to face him. He gazed into her bright sapphire eyes. Trying to look for any deceit and treachery behind them but found none. She speaks the truth.
The Grey Warden sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking back at Marian while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Look. It would be hypocritical of me to condemn you for using Blood Magic when the Wardens had conscripted a number of Blood Mages through the years or employed the services of Apostates. Besides. To be honest. I rather die to you than die to that demon. But from the looks of it." He held out his arms beside him then gestured at his abdomen right where a hole should be. "We're still very much alive and healed from the looks of it."
"Don't look at me." Marian raised her hands in mock surrender. "I dropped dead after the mouthy bastard ran me through with one of it's legs. I have no clue how we're alive or where we are for that matter."
Aedan nodded before looking at the dirt path leading to the road. A minute of silence passed before the Grey Warden grabbed Ageless and hooked the greatsword in it's harness. He began to whistle a tune he had heard Nan used back when he was a lad and walked down the dirt path.
"Hey!" Marian called out. "Where are you going?"
"I don't know about you but I'm not gonna stand around here all day. That path is bound to lead somewhere. Hopefully out of this forest and someplace where I can ask around. Find out where we are. You're welcome to join me, if you wish."
Marian didn't need to be told twice and removed her sword staff from the ground before running after the Grey Warden. She managed to catch up with him and match his pace. Resting her weapon on her shoulder before holding up her hand and attempted to conjure a small flame over her palm but to no avail. She tried other spells and achieved the same results.
"This is getting annoying." She muttered. "I'm trying everything I know to cast a spell but nothing's working. Guess there's only one thing left to do."
Without warning, she proceeded to cut open her palm with the blade of her weapon and attempted to use Blood Magic. Her eyes and veins glowed red and the blood flowing out of the cut floated around her hand. The orb of her sword staff glowed red as well and Marian slammed the Staff of Parthalan on the ground. A glyph manifested underneath her before a blast of red lightning struck the tree.
Something was wrong. She can't draw on the Fade to perform magic yet Blood Magic works. Actually. She can't even feel her connection to the Fade. It's like she was cut off from it but if she was then she should a walking, emotionless shell of her former self.
Shaking her head, Marian's eyes returned to their normal hue and the blood receded back to her cut which proceeded to heal itself until there was no evidence of the wound at all. The Champion's lips formed into a grimace and she turned towards the Grey Warden who had been watching her silently the whole time.
"Well. This is problematic. I can't access my magic without using Blood Magic. Using it leaves me vulnerable to- "
"Demonic possession." Aedan cut her off. His lips turning into a frown. "And I can hazard a guess that you'd rather not have a demon possessing your body, yes?"
"Right." The Champion nodded. "I like my body and I'm not too fond of the idea of parting with it until it's actually time for me to pass on. It's going to be annoying fighting without magic but it's not like I hadn't done it before."
"I've seen you fight and I think you did good."
"Thanks."
The Grey Warden nodded in reply before the two of them continued down the path. Along the way, Aedan struck up a conversation with the Champion in an attempt to know more about her and Marian returned the gesture in kind. Finding the man pleasant to talk to. Among other things, it also kept her mind out of her seemingly cut off connection to the Fade and inability to use magic through regular means.
Unbeknownst to the two, their presence in this world would tip the scales of fate and prevent the land from suffering a dark future.