Chapter. 7
Wrath of Jaune.
Jaune and co. walked through a narrow pass on their way through to their next location, when a woman suddenly ran up to them with a frantic gait.
"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help!" Cried the frantic woman. "They attacked the wagon; please help us!" She turns and urges the group. "Follow me! I'll take you to them!"
The woman took off like a bat outta hell, with Jaune and Kali on her heels, with the rest following reluctantly.
The woman mosses up to a waiting elven man and nods her head. The man smiles and steps forward in front of the woman, before lifting and pointing towards the group. At his que, a battalions worth of armored figures pop out from the woodwork and march onto the overhead cliffs. Jaune turns in time to see a falling tree about to crush him and Kali. Kali dives out of the way, while Jaune catches the log.
The lead man's eye twitches as he draws his twin swords. "The Grey Warden dies here!"
The two groups rush into the melee, with Jaune shot putting the fallen tree at the figures on the ridge. After a brief moment of being on the back foot, the assassin's are defeated and the lead assassin lies wounded and unconscious, but alive, for now.
Jaune and Kali share a silent conversation, before Jaune pulls some smelling salts from a pouch and waves them under the elf's nose. And after an unusually long interrogation, the assassins leader – an elf name Zevran – joins their little party.
-{O}-
Once they set up camp for the night, Morrigan seeks out Jaune.
"I have been studying Mother's grimoire, do you wish to hear what I have found?"
Jaune, now dressed in a simple linen shirt and breeches, stops leaning on his rock and stands. "Of course, what did you find?"
"'Tis… not what I expected, I had hoped for a collection of her spells, a map of the power that she commands, but this is not it." Explained Morrigan.
Jaune's face took on an understanding look. "So it was a disappointment, then?"
"No, there is much of interest within her writings, things I did not know – and one in particular I would never have suspected." Morrigan shows Jaune the tome. "Here, in great detail, Flemeth explains the means by which she has survived for centuries."
"Shouldn't that be a useful thing to know?"
"Not unless one happens to be an ancient abomination, no." Replied Morrigan. "Flemeth has raised many daughters over her long lifetime. There are stories of these many Witches of the Wilds throughout Chasind legend, yet I have never seen a one and always wondered why not."
"And now I know. They are all Flemeth." Morrigan explained. "When her body becomes old and wizened, she raises a daughter, and when the time is right, she takes her daughter's body for her own."
Jaune's mind recoils at Morrigan's words. "A-Are you sure?"
"Indeed. That is primarily what this tome details – the various daughters that Flemeth has… acquired – their preparation and training." Morrigan pauses. "I recognize all of it, I… am to be her next host. This is my purpose."
Jaune's stomach drops as his head pounds, trying – and failing – to make sense of what Morrigan is telling him, and so he doesn't. "So, Flemeth… isn't, immortal?"
"Whatever spark of the demon that made her what she is remains within her keeps her from dying of old age." Explained Morrigan. "But her body deteriorates, eventually she would be so wizened as to be senseless and immobile."
"So she must seek a new body, a fresh body, and start the cycle anew." Morrigan finishes.
"Then why did she all but demand you to travel with us?" Jaune shook his head. "It just makes no sense, well, to me at least."
"I do not know, perhaps 'tis as she said: the darkspawn threaten her as much as they threaten anyone else, or perhaps she believes this journey will make me more powerful." Morrigan explains. "According to the tome, if the… host… is already powerful and trained in magic, it takes far less time for Flemeth to… settle in."
"This… this… this is the most fucked thing I've ever heard." Jaune raked his hand through his hair. "So… what are you going to do about all… this?"
"There is only one possible response to this: Flemeth needs to die, I will not sit about like an empty sack waiting to be filled." Morrigan stated. "Flemeth must b slain and I need your help to do it."
"Maybe… you should talk to her…?" Jaune tried weakly.
"And what would that do?" Morrigan questioned hotly. "At best I would receive pointless reassurances, at worst, Flemeth would imprison me once she became aware I know what I do." She takes a semi-calming breath. "I know my mother well enough to be confident she would show no mercy when it came to her own survival, I must do the same."
"But isn't killing her, a little extreme?" Asked Jaune.
"It may seem so, if you think of Flemeth as a mother, think of her, instead, as an ancient abomination that intends to use her own flesh and blood to extend her life beyond all natural limits." Morrigan explained. "She did not with anyone to get ahold of this information, least of all me, now I have, if I do not act on what I know, then more the fool am I."
"Why do you need my help?" Asked Jaune. "I know for a fact you're more powerful than I am."
"Because if she is slain while I am near, I am not certain that she will not simply be able to take possession of me right there, so obviously I cannot be the one to do it." Morrigan explained.
Jaune's mind is at war with itself – on one side, his morality, the other, his desire to help his friend – in the end, his desire wins.
"Okay." Jaune chokes out through an ironclad throat. "I'll do it, I'll… help you, if I can."
"Then what needs to be done is for you to go back to Flemeth's hut in the Korcari Wilds… without me, confront her and slay her quickly." Morrigan told. "I doubt she will truly be dead even then, but it will take her years to find a new host and recover her power… if that is even possible."
"The thing I must have is her true grimoire, with it I can defend against her power in the future, everything else in her hut is yours."
"Is there a time limit on this that I have to worry about?"
"Not really." Morrigan answered. "But the sooner the better, no?"
"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Jaune said.
"I am grateful, the sooner this can be done, the sooner it will set my mind at ease."
Morrigan walked away, leaving Jaune to dwell on what he had promised.
Fortunately, a well needed distraction came in the form of Kali approaching him, bow in each hand.
"Ready to continue your archery lesson?" Kali asks with a smile, now dressed more comfortably as well – though only in a pair of breeches and a simple linen bra.
Jaune did his best to not ogle Kali's lithe, muscular, physique – failing spectacularly. "O-Of course!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kali grinned, noticing and appreciating Jaune's gaze.
Kali lead Jaune to a relatively straight spot of their camp, where a small archery range had been set up, and continued with his lesson. Teaching Jaune was quite easy, he absorbed knowledge like a sponge, and took direction easily – and because of that he had progressed quite far, no where near mastery, but quite far from being a novice.
The now sweat soaked pair sat on a nearby log to cool off, with Kali chugging heartily from her waterskin.
"Morrigan wants me to kill Flemeth." Jaune said suddenly.
Kali simultaneously choked and spit out her water. "Who the fuck starts a conversation like that! I just sat down!"
"Sorry…" Jaune apologized meekly, before explaining what Morrigan had told him.
"So let me get this straight, Flemeth – the immortal witch – has daughters every time she gets too old, just to take over their body like some parasite?"
"Pretty much."
"And she wants you to kill her and steal her magic book so she doesn't end up a skin suit for some ancient ass hat."
"Well when you say it like that!"
"… … … Maker Dammit, Jaune!" Kali cupped her head with her hands, before rising suddenly. "Okay, fuck it, let's go kill a witch!"
-{O}-
Jaune – alongside Kali, Wynn, and Leliana – make the grueling journey to Flemeth's hut, and once there, confront the Immortal.
"And so you return." Flemeth greets. "Lovely Morrigan has at last found someone willing to dance to her tune, such enchanting music she plays, wouldn't you say?"
"Should I "dance" to your tune instead, Flemeth?" Jaune barks.
"Why dance at all? Why not sing?" Flemeth laughs. "What has Morrigan told you, hmm? What little plan has she hatched this time?"
"She knows how you've lived this long!" Kali growls.
"That she does, the question is, do you?" Flemeth asked. "Ahhh, but it is an old, old story, one that Flemeth had heard before… and even told." Her tone turns serious. "Let us skip to the ending, shall we? Do you slay the old wretch as Morrigan bids? Or does the tale take a different turn?"
"I want the truth." Jaune informed.
"The truth? As if it were nothing! How like a man." Flemeth exclaims. "No, no, far better the lie, far better the comfort of blankets and shadows and a mother's love." She shrugs. "Morrigan wishes my grimoire? Take it as a trophy, tell her I am slain."
"Do you truly think Morrigan will believe that?" Questioned Kali.
"We believe what we want to believe, it's all we ever do." Replied Flemeth.
"And what happens to you?" Jaune questioned.
"I go. Perhaps I surprise Morrigan one day… or I may simply watch." Flemeth answered. "It would be interesting to see what she does with her freedom, enlightening even, would you give an old woman that?"
"No. No I will not." Answered Jaune.
"Shame." Replied Flemeth. "What will it be, then?"
"Now, now you die." Jaune answered.
"It is a dance poor Flemeth knows well, let us see if she remembers the steps." Flemeth sighs. "Come. She will earn what she takes, I'd have it no other way."
Flemeth walks a short distance and transforms into a familiar sight for Jaune, that of a huge dragon.
Nary a word is spoken between the companions – nor are any needed, they all know why their there – as they charge the massive dragon. Kali, Leliana, and Wynn fire upon Flemeth with arrow and magic respectively, while Jaune charges in to draw her ire. Jaune took the lion's share of Flemeth's fire and rage, giving back two-fold when he could. Jaune managed a lucky strike, one that tore Flemeth's side a wicked wound, one which also doused Jaune head-to-toe in her draconic blood.
In the end, it was Jaune who gave the coup de grace, by jumping on her head when she went for another gout of flame, stabbing violently as she flailed and shook in a vain attempt to dislodge her would be killer. But the crescendo is given as Jaune plunges his blade through Flemeth's dragon skull, killing the immortal, at least for now.
With Flemeth's remains not five minutes cold, her hut is ransacked, and her grimoire found, alongside a pair of robes that look to fit Morrigan, a fitting gift, Jaune thinks.
With their task complete, the companions travel back to camp, where Jaune goes to delivers the good news to Morrigan.
"You have returned from the Wilds… alive." Morrigan remarks in a surprised tone. "Wha news have you?"
"Flemeth is dead." Jaune informed. "You're free."
"Dead…? You actually managed it? I barely dared to hope 'twas even possible." Morrigan admitted. "And the real grimoire? Did you find it?"
"I did, here." Jaune handed Morrigan the grimoire.
"And so here it is. Fantastic." Morrigan sighed. "And… thank you, for helping me, no one has ever… thank you."
"You're welcome." Jaune said with a smile, noticing how difficult those simple words must have been for Morrigan.
"We are hopefully free of any further pressing obligations involving my protection." Morrigan sighed once more. "Let us return to the road, shall we?"
"Oh! One more thing!" Jaune exclaims. "These should fit you."
He hands Morrigan the robes he retrieved from the hut, who in turn takes them with a small smile.
Sorry for the wait, I have an inability to focus on one thing for very long. And sorry for the shorter chapter, but Morrigan's quest is like, ten minutes, so... yeah. And I've decided to include the companion quests, since the companions are one of the most memorable parts of the Dragon Age series.
Any who, thank you all for reading, reviewing, and following, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.