Chapter 55: Stone Prisoner (Neria)
From the outside, Wilhelm's house seemed the most ordinary of houses. Neria could not even think that the court mage of King Maric could live in such a house.
- Matthias, are you there? - Liam asked through the door. - It's me, Liam Ainsley! You cured my brother once.
No one answered.
- Step back, - Alistair said, and after a couple of kicks he kicked the door open.
- Matthias won't like this, - Liam commented.
- We urgently need this golem. Let's help repair the door if he asks. Besides, we have a mage with us. Neria, do you have any spells to repair broken doors?
The elf giggled, but then said:
- You trained as a templar. You should know that we don't have such spells.
- Oh, how stupid I am. Well, you'll have to use the old-fashioned way of fixing.
All three entered the empty house and immediately saw the stairs down to the basement. They went down, passing through the library and wine cellar.
- And how did it happen that Wilhelm could live in peace without the supervision of the templars? - Neria asked.
- He was slightly under the supervision of the templars, - Liam replied. - King Maric gave him permission to live in the village by a special decree, but he had to report once a week to one of the local templars. I didn't see him much, heard that he had died from some kind of accident.
- Interesting. So, the legal life for a mage outside the Circle is still possible.
When they reached the third room, they saw a blond-haired man holding the magic barrier over the door to the next room with all his might.
- Stay where you are! Don't distract me! - he shouted.
Neria looked at the man - he was very exhausted.
- I am also a mage, - Neria confessed, casting an ice spell at the wall to demonstrate. - I'll hold the barrier for you, and you tell us what's the matter.
The elf began to hold the barrier, freeing the stranger from it.
- Matthias, so you are a mage? How is your father? - Liam asked.
- Yes, - Matthias replied. - You are very observant. And I'll be grateful if you don't tell anyone about this. Who did you bring here? What do they need?
- My name is Alistair, and this is Neria, we are from the Gray Wardens. Ser Jory needs everyone to protect the village, he said that you know how to revive the golem.
- Are you talking about Shale? Trust me, you're better off without it. It is out of control, it even killed my father.
- The situation is disastrous, otherwise we would not ask, - said Neria. - We, the Gray Wardens, have come to your aid, but without the golem, we may not succeed.
- Then I'll help you awaken Shale if you help me.
- What do you need?
- My daughter is in the room that I closed with the barrier. When my father was alive, he did research there, some of it was too dangerous. I told Amalia many times not to go there, but she did not listen to me. She hasn't been out for days. Nobody knows what evil is there. Please find my daughter... or what's left of her. Then I will give you the control rod.
- If your mage father did some research, there might be demons in there. I'd rather go alone. Alistair, Liam, if I'm not back in half an hour, follow me. And destroy everything you see. Even me.
The barrier lowered and Neria passed through the door. Bypassing a small cliff with a couple of traps, the elf ended up in Wilhelm's room, where a little girl was playing with a ginger cat.
- Hello! - she said. - My name is Amalia. Let's be friends! Kitty and I could use a new friend!
The absence of any demons seemed suspicious to Neria.
- We're playing the guessing game. Come with us! Playing together is more fun!
- Come with me, - Neria replied. - Your father was looking for you.
- Father? Tell him I'm fine. Let him come here. And you'd better leave. Kitty doesn't like you.
Neria began to understand what the matter was.
- The cat doesn't like me? Is that what she told you?
- Kitty is smart. She says you want to take me to my father, but I don't want to. She will be left here alone.
- Amalia, you are so kind. If you leave, I will miss you so much, - the cat suddenly said.
Neria immediately took out her staff.
- Amalia, get away from the cat.
The girl shook her head ominously.
- You have no power over Amalia, - said Kitty. - She belongs to me. You are a stranger and I am her only friend.
- With friends like these, who needs enemies? What do you want, demon?
- To get out of here. And we can agree peacefully. Release me and I will leave this prison in the girl's body. I will see the world through her eyes. Nobody but her will get hurt.
Realizing that a direct attack can lead to the girl's death, Neria decided to play along.
- Fine. As you wish.
- Thank you. You are very generous. Destroy the locks on the ceiling and I'll be free. Do what Amalia couldn't do.
- It's so cool! Kitty will be free! - the girl exclaimed.
Neria fired several magical arrows at the ceiling, and the barrier fell.
- Finally! I am free! - Kitty screamed.
- What's happening? - Amalia asked with fear.
- Something wonderful for both of us, my dear.
- I said I would free you, but I didn't say I would let you live, - Neria pointed out.
- Traitor! - Kitty hissed, gradually changing from her feline appearance to her true desire demon form.
- No, Kitty! I don't like you! - Amalia shouted and ran out of the room.
Neria tried to attack the demon, but it was faster and stunned her with a Mind Blast. Upon regaining consciousness, the elf found Alistair in front of her. He looked somehow different, as if he was a head shorter, and there was not a single hair on his face.
- The demon killed Liam and Matthias, but I defeated him, - he said, helping Neria to her feet. - Your valiant knight has come to the rescue. How are you?
Neria gazed into Alistair's face.
- When did you find time to shave?
The Gray Warden laughed, pulled back the hair at his temples and showed his ears. They were elven, the same as Neria's.
- Why should I shave? I have no facial hair. I'm an elf! An ordinary elf with ordinary parents who loves you madly. Isn't that what you dreamed of?
- Yeah, right. Then come here, my hero, - said Neria, unbuttoning her blouse. - Your reward awaits.
Alistair stepped closer with a smirk. Neria hugged him with one arm, and conjured a Cone of Cold with the other one.
- I liked you better as a cat, stupid demon, - she said as Kitty froze and frantically switched between her demon and elven Alistair forms. - You're not the first desire demon I've defeated.
Neriya buttoned up and threw a Stonefist, shattering the demon into pieces.
After returning, she met Alistair, Liam, Matthias and Amalia. Matthias gave Neriya the control rod.
- You've freed my daughter! Thank you very much! - he exclaimed. - Now my part of the deal. You need to wave the rod and say the phrase "dulen harn." I relinquish ownership of the golem and turn it over to the Grey Wardens. Do with it as you wish.
- Would you like to help us protect the village yourself? - the elf asked.
- I… have to refuse, - Matthias replied. - Unlike my father, I am an apostate. And if I participate in the defence, then I will use spells in the presence of Harrith. I can't let Amalia's sole breadwinner be taken to the Circle. Sorry.
- Not all people are bad and ready to betray you. But I understand you. Take care of yourself.
At the sunset, all the defenders of the village gathered in the square. There were forty warriors: four Wardens, Liam and his brother Brhadan, Morrigan, Sten, Jory, Ser Perth and three other knights, Ser Harrith, the dwarf Dwyn and his two mercenaries, some silent elf with a bow and twenty-two other local residents . Everyone stood around the golem in anticipation.
Neria stepped forward and shouted:
- Dulen harn!
The golem gradually began to come to life, dust began to fall from it. First, it randomly wiggled the fingers of its stone hands, then turned its head, raised its hands up and took two steps forward.
- I knew someone would free me one day, - the golem said. - And it's a mage again. I see three mages here. What a pity.
- Hello to you too, - Neria said. - How do you know that I am a mage?
- Staves are needed only by old people and mages. And it doesn't look like an old lady. It may take it as a compliment. I stood here like a stone for a couple of decades, looking at this miserable village and its inhabitants. I know everyone and their secrets, I know that Murdock's wife is not faithful to him, that Lloyd dilutes ale with water, that Bella prefers women.
- I know the last one too, - Kallian said sarcastically, winking at the golem.
- It must have been very, very boring, - Daylen said. - No offense to everyone present, it is unlikely that something interesting happens here every day.
- You…were watching all of us? - Liam asked. - It's creepy.
- You should be grateful, golem, that we pulled you out of this boredom, - Morrigan said.
- I saw the previous nights, those attacks of the undead, - the golem continued. - Don't get me wrong, I can't stand the locals. But I hate the undead more.
- Then in exchange for your release, I offer you to help protect the village, - Neria said.
- Fine. I will agree.
Having learned about such a formidable and majestic defender, the public rejoiced.
- How can we contact you? - Jory asked.
- It's a difficult question. I've been called a "golem" for a long time. "Golem, fetch me a chair", "Be a good golem and smash that bandit against the wall." Well, and my favorite - "Golem, carry me, I'm tired of walking." If a name is needed, that name is Shale. It, the elf, has a control rod, right? Try to order something.
- Fine, - Neria said. - Turn left.
Shale stayed where it was and didn't move.
- Nothing happens. Is the rod... broken? - the golem asked.
- Looks like it is.
Alistair, Jory, and Sten drew their swords and stepped forward, shielding Neria and Daylen.
- You seriously want to chop up a stone creature with your swords? - Daylen asked in disbelief.
- How can we trust it if we can't control it? - Stan asked.
- We can't control you either. Can we trust you?
- Parshaara. A fair remark.
- Everyone calm down, - Dwyn intervened. - Some of the golems in Orzammar have also had their wands lost, but they don't kill any of the locals.
- Don't make me laugh, - Shale said. - I won't kill you. I will make an exception for birds, though. Those vile birds with their feces! Ugh!
A dove flew over the golem. Shale jumped up, clapped its hands and crushed the bird.
- What will you do after we protect the village? - Alistair asked.
- I don't know, - the golem said. - I don't have any memories of the past. Nothing about what happened to me before the previous owner. I don't have a goal.
- Join us, - Daylen said. - We are the Grey Wardens, our goal is to fight the darkspawn.
- Yes, they are vile creatures, I heard about them. Not as vile as birds, but vile enough. Right, I'll go with you after protecting the village.
- Daylen, are you sure this is a good idea? - Alistair asked. - This thing is big and dangerous, and it killed its previous owner.
- Imagine it as a big walking ram.
- Makes sense. Better it than me.
Everyone went about their business. The Wardens, Jory and Perth stayed by the map of the village and its surroundings to discuss strategy.
- As the previous nights have shown, the undead attack from two directions, - Perth said. - They go over the bridge from the castle and swim across the lake, attacking from the pier. There are forty-one of us, who are capable of fighting.
- Forty, - Jory corrected his fellow knight. - Ser Harrith has expressed the desire to be the last line of defense. He will stand at the gate inside the Chantry and give a fight to anyone who tries to enter. Actually, he offered me for this role, but I refused. I... no longer have to sit in safety.
- That's commendable, - Alistair said. - I see three points: a hill near the mill, where the undead from the bridge will go, the pier, which will be attacked from the lake, and the square near the church, where our reserves will be.
- Yes, you are right, - Perth confirmed. - Everyone else has already split up. The most experienced warriors will go to the mill, and this includes me with the knights and Dwyn with his people. The bulk of the dead will be concentrated there.
- I'll lead you, - Jory said. - You will need help.
Neria was surprised by such courage from the knight who had previously shown only cowardice.
- I'll go too. Someone has to, - Kallian added. - Sten will join us.
- Elf Berwick and the ten militiamen that more or less able to properly hold bows in their hands will shoot the dead from the pier, - Perth continued.
- Morrigan and I will go with them, - Daylen said. - I know a lot of long-range spells, and Morrigan will help me.
- Why are you asking Morrigan for help? - Neria asked. - I'm a mage too!
In fact, the elf understood everything. Daylen has been interested in the witch for a long time. But for the sake of decency, she had to ask.
- You are more of a healer than a battle mage. You will be more useful with the third group.
- Speaking of which, - Perth said. - It includes you, Alistair, Liam with Brhadan, Shale and twelve inexperienced militiamen. You are the reserve, and you will only take part in the battle if either of the other two groups are doing very badly.
- Well, it's all settled then, - Jory concluded. - Get to your starting positions. And may the Maker help us.
Neria and Alistair went to the Chantry. A long and hard night lies ahead.