Dragon Age: King in Exile
Part Thirteen
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King Cailan has written Alistair into the succession and is ready to recognize him publicly. Loghain will do almost anything to keep that from happening. The darkspawn give him the perfect opportunity. Alistair/Cousland, featuring F!Tabris.
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Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from Dragon Age belongs to me.
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Kallian, along with Alistair, Elissa, Leliana, and Morrigan, explored room by ancient room of the temple. Most were frozen over, and some were filled with giant rats and rabid wolves. As they went deeper and deeper down the temple's winding hallways, they were attacked by violent cultists. These were more skilled than the villagers, and none paused in their attacks long enough to be questioned. The found bunk rooms, storerooms, and strange cult-like writings, talking about the "risen Andraste." Whatever that meant. Some of these cultists had summoned lesser spirits and wraiths that had to be defeated.
Soon the stone halls of the temple became rocky caverns inside the mountaintop. And still they continued on. This is where things became even more strange. Along with the cultists appeared dragonlings and drakes.
"Are they raising baby dragons?" Leliana asked, horrified.
"So it would seem," came Morrigan's calm reply, as she froze several with an icy blast from her staff.
Shortly after, they found a stable of goats, most likely kept as food for the small dragons. And then they found the eggs. Massive, opalescent eggs were raised on altars, like holy objects prepared for some arcane sacrament. Shafts of light poured down on them from cracks in the cavern above.
"Destroy them all," Kallian ordered, and began smashing them.
"Is it some kind of dragon cult?" Elissa asked, vaguely remembering something about them in one of her history lessons. "I could have sworn my tutor said the dragons had died out."
"Evidently your tutor was wrong," Morrigan said tartly, irritated that one of the drakes had spit fire on her skirt and scorched it.
"The real questions is," Alistair asked, "where did the eggs come from?" No one answered.
They wound down a few more twisted passages before the rocks opened up into a large cavern. Before them stood a dozen cultists, waiting.
"I don't like the look of this," Leliana muttered.
Kallian strode forward fearlessly, coming face to face with the man who seemed to be their leader. The cultists were all armed and armored, but for the first time, they didn't attack.
"You will go no further," the man said.
"We've killed all the others," Kallian said. "And we'll do the same to you if you don't step aside."
"The righteous do not fear death," he said grandly. Kallian rolled her eyes. Behind her, Morrigan scoffed.
He ignored their scorn, continuing his diatribe. "You have defiled our temple! You have spilled the blood of the faithful and slaughtered our young! No more. Tell me, intruder, why have you done this? Why have you come here?"
"I'm here for the urn of sacred ashes. I don't care about your stupid town or your stupid temple or even about your stupid dragon eggs!" Kallian ranted. "Your people could have lived if they'd just gotten out of the Maker-damned way!"
"All this for an ancient relic?" the man asked, shaking his head. "Know this, stranger… The prophet Andraste has overcome death itself and has returned to her faithful in a form more radiant than you can imagine! Not even the Tevinter Imperium could hope to slay her now! What hope do you have?"
Kallian huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about, nor do I care. I'm going to get those ashes one way or another and you can't stop me!"
The man reached for his weapon. "To arms, my brethren! Destroy this blasphemer!"
When he swung his axe, Kallian dodged, and the battle began in earnest.
Elissa and Leliana stayed back, firing arrows in support of Alistair and Kallian, who were easily being swarmed. Morrigan went toe to toe with the cultist's spellcaster, drawing upon the arcane to find more creative ways to hobble each other. Frustrated, Morrigan transformed into a giant spider, leaping upon the other mage to destroy him. Elissa winced away from the sight, finding a further target.
Despite the cultists' greater numbers, the battle didn't last long. Afterwards they tended their injuries and took stock of their weapons and armor.
"What do you think he meant by saying Andraste had overcome death?" Alistair asked, wiping down his sword.
"I think he's obviously delusional," Kallian said, as Elissa bandaged a small cut on her forehead.
"I think," Morrigan said, in her most superior tone of voice, "we are soon to discover where exactly the dragon eggs came from."
"You mean, a live dragon?" Elissa asked, her fingers stilling in her shock.
"What else?" the mage asked.
"I have to admit, I was hoping the answer was weird magic," Alistair confessed.
"Weird magic?" Morrigan repeated, incredulous.
"Enough," Kallian said, standing. "If we're done, we should get moving. Dragon or no dragon."
They were all cautious as they exited the temple, seeing a series of arches ahead of them leading to a further doorway in the mountain. It seemed deserted. Not a cultist in sight.
And then a cry rent the air, fiercer and sharper than anything they'd ever heard. It was followed in a moment by the dragon swooping down ahead of them. Its scales were a dark shimmering purple, glinting off the snow. It roared over the landscape, but didn't seem to see them as they stood in shock, just outside the cavern.
"Maker's balls," Kallian cursed under her breath.
The dragon landed on a ledge up above the doors they were trying to reach, curling up as if to nap.
"We… we don't have to fight it," Elissa said shakily. "We just have to get inside without disturbing it. That's all."
"That's all?" Kallian repeated, looking at her incredulously. "Damn it." She started walking. "Come on and don't make any noise. That means you, Alistair."
After a few beats, the others slowly followed behind her, trying to stay as silent as possible.
Elissa's heart was pounding so loud she feared the dragon would hear it as they crept down the path. Each time they reached another one of the arches, they stopped behind it and peered up at the dragon. It never moved a muscle. They kept creeping forward until Kallian looked over to the side of the path where she saw a large cache of sparkling gold.
"Guys," she whispered. "Look at that treasure."
"Don't dragons hoard gold?" Elissa said, putting her hand on Kallian's shoulder. "We shouldn't disturb it."
"The dragon didn't notice us walking down here. Why would it notice me walking over there?" Kallian asked, and shrugged Elissa's hand off. "I'm going. You can join me if you want."
"Kallian stop!" Leliana hissed, but it was already too late.
Elissa glanced back and forth between Kallian and the dragon as the elf got closer and closer to the gold pile. The dragon didn't react… until Kallian's hand touched the pile.
A roar echoed through the mountains.
"Shit! Shit!" Kallian ran towards them. They all ran towards the door.
The dragon landed directly in their path. Elissa glanced back at the now-distant cavern behind them. They would never reach it in time.
"We have no choice," she said, and nocked an arrow on her bow. When she fired, it bounced right off the dragon's scales. "Maker's breath, how are we going to do this?"
Her eyes widened as Alistair ran forward fearlessly and began attacking the dragon with his sword. She'd be damned if she didn't provide him with some support. This time she aimed for the underbelly. This arrow struck.
She and Leliana stood on either side of an arch, leaning out long enough to take each shot. Morrigan stood exposed behind them, casting greater magic than they'd ever seen from her. A storm raged around the dragon, lightning and thunder that didn't seem to touch Alistair or Kallian as they fought her. The dragon screeched in fury, spewing fire that had Elissa hiding behind the stone of the arch. Even there, she could feel the heat, and looked out worriedly to check if her friends were okay.
Even from this distance, she could see the sweat pouring down Alistair's face, but he seemed unharmed. She continued her assault. Suddenly, the dragon flapped her wings and rose into the air, the pressure knocking Kallian and Alistair to the ground where they stood. It landed behind Morrigan, who took off at a run. She threw up an arcane shield just in time to avoid the dragon's fiery breath.
Kallian reached the dragon soon after, going under it to stab its more delicate underside. Leliana and Elissa continued their assault by arrows, but the dragon barely seemed to be weakening. Alistair, slower in his armor, but with a powerful swing, took longer to catch up to the dragon. He managed to get a few good hits in, which infuriated the dragon. She swept him away with a claw and Elissa gasped. The dragon had cut a huge slash in his armor, but as he stood up he seemed no worse for the wear. Thank the Maker for plate armor!
They continued this assault for what seemed like an eternity. They were all slowing down. Elissa's arms burned from the repetitive motion of shooting. Morrigan looked paler than ever. Even Kallian seemed slower than usual. But they had made the dragon bleed. Injuries littered the dragon's throat and belly. But what did it take to kill a dragon?
The dragon lifted off again, heading towards the temple doors, but she feinted, breathing fire across the landscape, over the horde of gold, and landing nearly on top of Morrigan. They all stared in horror as the dragon caught Morrigan between her sharp teeth before the mage could get away. It thrashed her around and tossed her to the ground, seemingly lifeless with a half-moon of giant teeth marks bleeding on her pale torso.
"No!" Leliana cried, firing more swiftly than ever. A furious Kallian leapt atop the dragon and slashed through its wings with her daggers. The dragon roared in fury, breathing fire towards where Alistair was running. He ducked behind one of the stone arches just in time to avoid a direct blast.
"We have to end this," Kallian yelled to Alistair as he approached. "Toss me, like with the demon."
With a doubtful look, he did as she asked, tossing her up to land on the dragon's head. She caught herself with her daggers, and the dragon screamed as they rent her flesh. Distracted by the elf atop her, the dragon didn't notice Alistair move beneath her, stabbing upwards through her throat. Her roar was an angry gurgle. Kallian finished it with a stab through the eye.
And finally, the dragon stumbled and fell, and didn't move again.
After waiting a breath, Elissa ran to where Morrigan lay motionless on the icy ground. Leliana was a step behind her.
Elissa put her ear to the witch's chest. "She's still breathing! Oh, Maker!"
"We have to stitch closed the wounds," Leliana said. "Do you have thread?"
Elissa's hands were unsteady as she opened her pack and went digging for the first aid—and sewing—supplies. Leliana's fingers were deft as she began tending the wounds, first wiping them with cloth soaked in alcohol.
"When she wakes, she may be able to heal herself, but for now we must make do with mundane methods," the redhead said in a clipped tone, distracted by the work at hand.
Elissa stood, turning to see Alistair and Kallian behind them. After assuring herself that Alistair was mostly uninjured, she turned to the warden.
"Why?" Elissa cried, grabbing Kallian's arm. Tears streamed down her face. "Why did you do that? This is your fault!" She motioned wildly to Morrigan.
Kallian ripped her arm out of Elissa's grasp, running towards what had been a pile of coins, jewelry, and gems. Now it was a melted mass from the dragon's fire. There was no way they could take it with them.
"Damn it!" Kallian cried. "Damn it!" She wheeled on Elissa, who reeled back at the sight of tears on the elf's cheeks. "You want to know why? Because my family and all my friends, everyone I ever knew before becoming a warden, lives in poverty and fear," she spat. "This kind of gold could save them! It could change everything! But you wouldn't understand that, you wealthy, privileged bitch!" She stormed off, kicking at the snow drifts in her anger.
Elissa dropped to her knees beside the ruined pile of gold, her mind full of chaos and limbs trembling. Blinking back her tears, she started searching for anything that could be salvaged. A scattering of a few gems and coins remained, so she gathered them up. She would give them to Kallian later… as a peace offering.
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