Chapter 15: The Battle of Ostagar

Darkspawn were spotted more and more often over the following months. Always to the south in the Kocari Wilds. Scouts forces regularly came back reports of encountering multiple roaming bands of darkspawn; some organized and raiding Chasind settlements, some simply exploring, others setting up small camps. Slowly but surely they were drawing closer to Ostagar. It would only be a matter of time before the horde made itself known.

Eventuall, the day came. Every scout party returned within only a few hours of leaving the fort with the same knews; the horde was amassing for an attack. There was no going back now. No more time to plan or prepare. All we could do now was stand and face it. Last minute preparations were in full swing, double ballista ammunition was available, the mages were scrying and preparing larger spells, and everyone was double and triple checking their weapons and armor.

There was a tension in the air that couldn't be denied. We could all feel it. There were small, quick meetings to make sure everyone was where they needed to be, had what they needed to have, and knew every plan and contingency. Nearly twelve thousand united humans and dwarves rushed around, preparing for the battle. Another three to five thousand elves were somewhere waiting to strike. We had nearly twenty thousand warriors of all kinds and we were still outnumbered nearly three to one in the best scenarios.

I sat in the dining room of my home beneath the Tower of Mishal and looked at those sitting at the table with me. Trian, Dagna, Faren, Frandlin, Oghren, Branka, Orta, Shale, and Sigrun were all there. We were meeting to discuss last minute changes to any of the battle plans.

"We're certain the ramps are still secure?" Trian asked Sigrun who had become my personal Legion representative.

"They are, my Prince," Sigrun confirmed. "The Legion has been keeping scouts and archers along the length of the ramps all day. No darkspawn have come anywhere close to the treeline. We don't expect any of the fiends to approach until the battle begins."

"Darkspawn typically just charge anything they see," Oghren augmented Sigrun's answer. "But hordes are a bit different. They'll wait until the full mass is ready to push forward."

"And since Paragon Orodum understands that there's an archdemon guiding them, it will likely wait until after dark," Sigrun finished. "The sunlight weakens them, and they're stronger and see better in the dark."

"I think we can safely say we're as prepared as we're going to be," I tried to say with as confident and chipper a tone as I could muster. "I'd like to move on to a different topic, something that doesn't have anything to do with Blight."

Trian looked at me and raised a brow, "Oh? And what's that, Sister?"

I smiled and looked over at everyone, "I'd like to discuss wedding plans. Specifically, I'd like to discuss the three weddings that we'll be having when we return to Orzammar; Frandlin and Orta's, Rica's and Veron's, and then mine and Frandlin's."

Everyone seemed to find my suggestion amusing.

"I should think the marriage of Orzammar's Princess and Paragon would be first and foremost in the subject," Trian suggested.

I shook my head, "Any wedding I have will overshadow anyone elses. I'm not so ignorant of my standing with the people that I would think otherwise. I want you all to enjoy proper wedding festivities before Frandlin and I are wed."

Orta smiled at me, "You're very considerate, My Lady. My parents and I have been sending letters back and forth discussing the dates and plans for the wedding. We were planning to wed only a few weeks after we returned home."

"Is that so?" Dagna asked with excitement. "Will you be wed in Ortan Thaig or Orzammar?"

"Orzammar," Faren said with a determined tone just as Orta replied, "Ortan Thaig."

The two looked at each other but Orta just chuckled, "We're still figuring things out. Orzammar is Faren's home, Ortan Thaig is mine. I think it would be best to hold the first wedding of House Orta's family to be in the Thaig."

"And I simply wish to be wed somewhere that would not inconvenience Lady Orodum who made the wedding possible in more ways than one," Faren clarified.

"Oh, Faren," I sighed. "There's no inconvenience on my part to go toOrtan Thaig to witness your wedding. So long as you're both happy, so am I."

"And you're certain you'd rather wait until after Rica and Veron are married?" Frandlin leaned over to gently place a hand on my wrist.

I nodded, "I am. Rica is as much of a sister to me as Trian and Bhelen are my brothers. She and Veron deserve the attention for a while before our wedding."

Frandlin smiled and pat my hand, "Your consideration is commendable, my love."

I blushed softly, "Not at all. I simply want my friends to have the celebrations they deserve."

"It will be sad to go our separate ways after all is said and done," Sigrun sighed. "It's been nice to make such amazing friends."

"I would think that you'd stay on with Paragon Orodoom as the Legion's liaison, Sigrun," Orta suggested.

"I am a Legionnaire, my Lady," Sigrun bowed her head. "My duty is to protect Orzammar from the darkspawn. I can't do that if I'm always with the Paragon."

"Nonsense," Branka chimed in. "After this battle the Legion of the Dead won't be needed near as much. With the force we have assembled here, I doubt there will be hardly any darkspawn left."

"I suppose we'll see," Sigrun mused.

The discussion went on like that for another hour or so before a messenger arrived to let us know that the sun was about to set. It was time to get ready, but everyone was already prepared. There wasn't anyone in the fort that wasn't armed and armored. I commanded everyone to get to their stations and prepare for the assault while Faren escorted me across the bridge to meet with King Maric, Loghain, and the other Fated.

They seemed to have the same idea as we met halfway across the bridge.

I offered everyone a curtsy, "One last meeting?"

Maric bowed, "I suppose so. We wanted to wish you luck in the coming battle."

"We won't need luck," I smiled grimly. "We have plans on top of plans and contingencies for our contingencies. We may be outnumbered, but we have strategy and actual teamwork on our side."

"You keep yourself safe," Allen stepped forward and bowed his head. "I can't have the vice dean of the Amellian Mage College dying so soon after its establishment. It would look bad."

I smirked up at him, "I don't know, it might benefit you to finally be the most powerful mage there."

Allen laughed, "Oh? You think you're the most powerful mage among us, do you?"

"This will be a fine night to find out," I challenged him with a grin.

Allen nodded, "Hmmm, sounds good. I'll give you my count after it's all said and done."

"You both just be safe," Aelfric chuckled. "Don't go putting yourselves in danger just to get a higher score."

"You stay safe as well," Faren pointed at Aelfric. "You have an important role here after this is all said and done. Between you and Trianna, Ostagar has a bright future."

"You humble me, Faren," Aelfric dipped into a low bow.

"None of us should be worried more than these two," Serena scolded everyone. "Most of us will be far enough away from the fighting to stay relatively safe. Faren and Merida are charging right into the middle of the horde. You two be safe and don't extend yourselves too much. There's no reason for you to take any additional risks."

I looked up at Serena, trying to discern her for a few moments. She always seemed to hold something back. Still, I smiled and nodded, sighing, "This has been the plan since day one. We knew what we were getting ourselves into."

Maric cleared his throat, "Alright, kids. Let's get to our positions."

The other Fated bowed and turned to head back across the bridge.

Maric looked down at me, "Merida. Please come back to us. Among the Fated, you're unique. You've done more than the rest of them combined to bring everyone together. Thedas will be a lesser place without you."

I stared up at him. A thank you seemed like it would fall short, so I simply dipped into a curtsy, "We'll be ready for our signal."

We went our separate ways. Maric would be on the front lines with the Ferelden army. I only hoped it wouldn't be his last battle. He was in his early fifties now and while he was still a capable warrior, the energy and endurance of you had left him.

I returned to the tunnels and joined the rest of the cavalry. I mounted my bronto and moved it to the head of the formation.I turned to look out over my warriors, silently wondering how many of them would be coming back from all of this. With all eyes on me now, I did what I expected the others were doing at the moment. I said what I could to encourage them.

"Warriors of House Orodoom…" I called out over the crowd of mounted warriors. "This moment has been years in the making. My entire life has been dedicated to this precise moment. Thankfully, I have gathered the strongest warriors in all of Orzammar to my side. Every one of you was hand chosen to be here, to stand with me, to fight alongside me to end this threat before it truly begins."

The warriors turned their mounts to face me properly, listening intently.

"I won't lie to you," I continued, "In this moment, I find that my spirit is trembling. With anticipation. With fear. With hesitation. But I have the strength of will to face it because I have you by my side! Everyone of you is a brick in the wall we'll be placing before the darkspawn! Dwarves have always been the bulwark against the fiends and today, we will show them why! We will show the humans and the elves why the darkspawn fear the dwarves! We will show them the ferocity and stubbornness of our people!"

The warriors began to cheer.

"We are the stone!" I shouted. "We are born from it! We embody it! The darkspawn tide will break upon it! And some of us might return to it today, but in the end our names will be carved into it and we will be remembered until the stone itself is no more!"

More cheers, more excitement.

"When we ride down those ramps, we are not cavalry!" I cried. "We are the stone! We are boulders rushing down the mountain, and anything in our path will be crushed beneath our fury! Will you ride with me?"

A loud affirmative cheer rang out.

"Will you fight with me?"

Another, louder, cheer.

"Then ride down with me!" I yelled with fervor. "Follow me down into the darkspawn pit and crush them beneath our fury!"

The cheering came at a fever pitch now.

Suddenly a horn came from the tunnel entrance. It was the signal. The horde had begun its charge.

I turned my bronto to the ramp's entrance, "The signal horn! Ferelden calls for the aid of the dwarves! Now ride! Ride! Ride to answer the call!"

The stone shook with the thunderous hooves of the brontos charging forward and the fever pitched roar of the dwarves. We rode down into the ramp's darkness, speeding through the path the same way we'd practiced a thousand times now. The dwarven foot soldiers who would enter the battlefield after us cheered us from the side of the tunnel as we passed them. It took nearly a minute to reach the end of the ramp. Its gate opened at the last second, just as we practiced.

I rode through first and the sight that welcomed me nearly took my breath away. We had expected there to be a large amount of devastation after the trebuchets fired onto the field, but the reality of the barrage left me stunned. A massive swath of the ground was obliterated. There was a massive crater, and dozens of smaller craters and long gouges cut into the field. And the darkspawn caught in the area had been crushed and shredded. Their inky blood was all over the place. True to the plan, the darkspawn horde had been split in two. I pulled the reins of my bronto to veer toward the Darkspawn closer to the fort.

"There they are!" I pointed my staff at the darkspawn. "Crush them down! Don't let them get back into formation!"

There were spells swirling all over the horde, with arrows raining down in angry stinging swarms. I added a blizzard of my own several yards into the horde as we took our first pass along the back lines, letting our brontos do most of the work. In the distance, on the opposite side of the field, I could see the Orlasian chevaliers leading the other dwarven cavalry into the ranks of the darkspawn caught on the other side of the craters.

Once we finished our first pass, I turned and prepared for another go. The first pass was the easiest since we rode into a shell shocked and disoriented mass. This time the darkspawn were regrouping. I was lucky enough to be able to ward them off with spells and clear a small window for Faren and Frandlin, but we took our first casualties on that second run. House Ortan and House Orodum warriors had begun spilling out of the ramp gates as we returned and were already engaging with the darkspawn. House Aeducan and the other families were coming out of the opposite ramp to pinch the darkspawn between our forces. The Legion of Dead had split themselves between both ramps and would charge past the others to cover the middle.

The closest ogres were now making us their primary targets and began to lumber their way towards us. I summoned another blizzard to slow them down. Now came the time where I had to put faith in the training of my people.

"Cavalry with me!" I cried as I turned my bronto into a straight charge into the horde. "We have to stop those ogres!"

Without a moment's hesitation they followed me as I drove my bronto into the darkspawn ranks and crushed them to the ground, plowing through them to reach the first of the ogres. The brutish monstrosity roared grabbed one of its smaller kin, hurling it at us with ease. The darkspawn bounced off of my bronto's armored side and shook me heavily, but I had learned over my time to brace myself against those sorts of attacks.

I returned fire with a blast of chain lightning to keep the ogre and the surrounding darkspawn stunned for a few moments. While we closed in, I weaved a few instances of virulent walking bomb into the smaller spawn. Tugging hard on the reins, I brought my bronto in close behind the ogre so I could knock the back of its knee in with my staff. This caused it to stumble, then Frandlin, Faren, and the others followed along, cutting it and the other darkspawn down.

As the other darkspawn died, virulant walking bomb was triggered and the darkspawn exploded, causing massive damage to those around them and infecting others with the spell.

We rounded back and pushed towards the dwarven lines. The brontos were excellent for devastating cavalry charges, but they didn't have the stamina of horses. It had only been a few minutes but we needed to give the mounts some time to rest. There were retainers who would be bringing fresh mounts down the gates in a minute. All we had to do was get through our friendly lines.

"Lord Ivo!" Faren shouted.

I turned to see that Frandlin had been knocked off his bronto and quickly brought my bronto about to help him. The cavalry behind us pushed on, blocking the darkspawn from swarming Frandlin from one side while Faren and I moved around to grab him. I cleared the area around Frandlin with quick casts of Stone Fist, and put my bronto between him and the darkspawn. Faren moved in and helped Frandlin up onto his mount. Just as we were moving to head back to the dwarven lines, an ogre crashed through the formation and sent us all flying.

I was heavily dazed by the time I came to, but it couldn't have blacked out for too long. Frandlin and Faren were already up and fighting.

"Get her up, Faren!" Frandlin shouted as he parried a darkspawn's axe and quickly drove a dagger into the creature's eye. "Hurry and get her up! We need to get her back to the lines!"

Faren was dealing with darkspawn of his own, as he tried to slowly back up towards me, "I'm trying, my Lord!" He bashed his shield into one darkspawn, putting it on its heels before stabbing another creature's leg to keep it at bay. "My Lady! My Lady, can you hear me? My Lady, please! We need you!"

I stood on shaky legs. I looked around scampered over a few feet to pick up my staff, "I'm up. How are the rest of the cavalry?"

"Reforming as we speak," Frandlin called back. "We have to hold out until they can get back to us."

"Then we will hold out till then," I growled and summoned forth my mana and set up Aura of Might, Shimmering Shield, Fade Shroud, Stone Armor, and Fade Shield to bolster myself with combat magic. I placed Lifewards on Frandlin and Faren to give them bursts of healing magic if they took too much damage.

Without my magic, I was a respectable enough warrior in my own right. However, once all of my combat magic was active, I could surpass King Maric and Tyrn Loghain. The magic helped me move faster and in ways mortals typically couldn't. It allowed some blows to slip straight through me or cause them to miss. It enhanced my strength and durability so that I could rival Shale.

"Get together!" Frandlin called out to us. "Backs together and keep it tight! We only need a minute or so. I can see them forming up for the charge!"

The ground around us became a killing ground. Three of Orzammar's finest combatants working together in unison practiced over years against the mindless charging swarm. We'd fought so often against the darkspawn together that three of us could naturally respond to the other's movements. Stepping in, swinging, blocking, and shifting as a well practiced trio. By the time the cavalry got to us, there was a small wall of darkspawn starting to build up around us.

"My Paragon!" Sigrun shouted from a bronto as they were nearing our location. "We'll cover your retreat!"

"Faren, Frandlin!" I shouted. "Let's move!"

Faren shifted, moving in front of me to guard my pather as always, shoving his shield and sword through spawn after spawn. Frandlin covered our flank, the ringing of steel and death cries of darkspawn followed us. I had swatted back any of the creatures that tried to come at our sides. We pushed our way forward, trying to close the gap between us and the brontos.

As Sigrun pulled her bronto close, Faren moved to the side, "Go, My Lady! Get on!"

"I'm not leaving you two!" I refused.

"Forgive me, my love," Frandlin said as he grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me up for Sigrun to grab my hand, "but we don't have to -ARH!"

I nearly fell back to the ground as Frandlin's grip on me disappeared. Luckily, Sigrun had a firm grip on me and kept me alot. I spun to look back, horrified at the sight of Frandlin staring up at me; pain and panic in his eyes as a spear erupted through his chest, followed by two more as the darkspawn on the other end of the weapons cried out with wicked delight.

"Frandlin!" I screamed, as I reached back for him.

He gave me a grim smile, "Go… Be right behind you…" He turned hard, forcing the spears from the grips of the darkspawn and swung his sword to cleave one of their heads in two. He let out a roar as he stepped forward to cut the other one open at the belly. "For Orzammar! For Paragon Orodum!"

He charged the third creature and buried his sword into its chest, then waded back into the sea of darkspawn.

I screamed, begging for him to come back but Faren had already blocked the way, keeping my escape safe. Sigrun pulled me up onto the bronto and took me back to safety.

We got back behind the dwarven lines and I was forced to regain my composure; to take the pain of losing Frandlin and shove it away, at least until everything was over. Sigrun brought me to the Command line where the Legion Commander for our side of the field was posted.

I slid off of the bronto and marched up to the Commander.

"My Paragon, thank the stone you're safe," he bowed.

"Do not thank the stone," I replied, "Thank Lord Ivo. He gave his life so Faren and I could escape."

"We will honor him after the battle," the Commander stood and moved back to overlook the battle. "For now, we can honor his sacrifice by ending this."

"What's the situation?" I asked quickly. "Where can I be most useful?"

"We can't allow you to put yourself in any more…" the Commander began to protest until I shot him a look that would melt steel. He quickly reassessed his answer, "Fighting is thickest on the sides of the field near the ramp walls and against the human army at the front, My Lady. The darkspawn are moving as far from the center as possible since most of the magic and arrows are covering that area."

"I'll prove to them that they're not safe from magic anywhere," I growled. "Do we have any fresh mounts?"

Sigrun stepped forward, "Forgive me, My Lady, but we took the fresh mounts to stage your rescue. They're already making a second pass."

"Where is your regiment in all of this?" I asked as I looked over the field. Dwarves have excellent vision in the dark. Everything is in blacks, whites, and gray, but we can always see even in the bleakest darkness.

"Augmenting House Ortan and House… Ivo… My Lady," the Commander responded, trying not to inflate the pain of my recent loss.

"How many can you spare?"

The Commander paused and looked at me curiously, "What are you thinking, My Lady?"

"We gather the remaining brontos and let the rest while you pull your regiment back," I pointed to the ever thinning middle of the battlefield. "We form up and drive through the center. The brontos can reinforce the front and the Legion can press the darkspawn from the sides. We pin them between us and the wall."

"Allowing the mages and archers to concentrate their fire," the Commander considered the suggestion. "This would allow us to cut them down quickly, but it would also leave Houses Ortan and Ivo unsupported for the few minutes it would take."

"House Ortan and House Ivo have some of the greatest warriors in Orzammar," I said as I turned and signaled to Sigrun to let the cavalry know the plan. "They'll hold the line once the orders are relayed to them because that's what warriors do. Now see it done! We're ending this!"

The Commander bowed and barked out the orders. In the end, he also had the same orders related to the eastern side of the field. Both Legion regiments would charge in behind the brontos and crush the darkspawn between their respective walls.

I was offered a fresh bronto, but refused. I would charge in at the back line of the Legion, that way I could help reinforce House Ortan and House Ivo. Trian and Shale were on the eastern field, along with their houses. I had more faith in them to hold the line than I did Orta and the others if I'm being honest.

Faren and Sigrun stuck by my side as the formation prepared the charge. The brontos advanced rapidly in a wedge formation now that the center was mostly free of enemies. They plunged through the back ranks of the darkspawn fighting against King Maric's army, and sowing havoc as the appearance surprised the beasts. The Legion followed closely behind, turning in to press the attack on the darkspawn that were trying to stick close to the walls.

Sure enough, the archers and mages clued in quickly and volleys of spells and arrows pelted the dark mass of monsters.

Faren, Sigrun, and I arrived with my one hundred personal guards to bolster the warriors of House House Ivo. We pressed in, fresher than the other warriors who we pressed past so that they could rest a few moments. I heard a familiar battle roar.

"Wojech!" I called as we cut our way through to join him. Wojech Ivo was Frandlin's elder brother and a peerless warrior. He was famed for never using the same weapon twice in Proving tournaments.

Wojech crushed a darkspawn beneath his warhammer and quickly used the momentum from the swing to bring the hilt of the hammer around to but open another spawn's throat. He turned as a few of his warriors moved to engage more dawkspawn so he could have time to speak with me.

I could feel his expression behind his helmet, his voice was an abyss of sorrow, "My Paragon… Where is Frandlin?"

Wojech and I actually got along very well. He reminded me very much of Trian in his younger days. I had to steel my expression, though no doubt some of my sadness broke through as I quietly shook my head.

He marched over to me, grabbing a darkspawn by the throat after it broke through his men's defensive line and simply ripped its throat out without missing a beat. His brutal efficiency was inspiring. He moved his hammer to the bloody hand and wrapped an arm around me, "He died fighting by your side, Merida. He would have wanted nothing more. Let's finish this for him."

I hugged the man tight, and nodded into his armor, "For Frandlin, then."

We separated and he motioned closer to the wall, "We have this section, My Lady. House Ortan might need your aid closer to the wall. The beasts seemed to be in a panicked fever now."

"Can your men let us through?" I asked.

"We'll happily get out of your way, My Lady," he said, turning. "House Ivo! Your Lord and my brother, Lord Frandlin Ivo has been cut down by the darkspawn defending your Paragon! Show them the fury of House Ivo! Show them the price they must pay for taking our Lord away!"

If a single warrior of House Ivo was saddened by the news, they masked it so well in their fury that I couldn't tell. The entire lot of them lunged forward in such fury that we had a clear path to the wall in mere moments.

"Thank you," I said to Wojech.

"Kill them all," he responded and turned to wade back into the fight.

We hurried forward, running past the line of House Ivo's berserking warriors. I could see where House Ortan was beginning to falter. Their line had been pressed back and they seemed to be struggling to contain the darkspawn. I shouted out to let them know we were coming and we were able to slip past the pressed warriors into the fray. As we engaged the darkspawn, I noticed that they were surrounding a pocket of dwarves who were cut off from the main line.

"We have to rescue them!" I commanded as I slammed the hilt of my sword into a darkspawn's face, stunning it so that someone behind me could finish it off.

We put ourselves between the exhausted Ortan line and the darkspawn attempting to flee. It was a hectic series of moments as we forced our way to join the cut off dwarves. As we reached them, I realized they had formed a circle and were fighting fiercely just to survive.

The first dwarf that caught sight of me smiled through his exhaustion, "My Paragon! Thank the stone you've come! My Lady! Paragon Orodum is here!"

Orta, who was among the group turned and smiled, "Lady Merida! Oh thank the st-" Her words were cut as the dwarf next to her fell to a darkspawn blade, then a sword pierced her throat from the side.

Her eyes snapped wide with shock. Orta had been my dear friend early into my childhood and we had worked together for years to retake her family home and reestablish her family within the nobility. We had worked so hard to fulfill her dreams and now this. The expression of disbelief and confusion on her face is something I'll never forget.

I only remember screaming. Screaming and running forward, nothing more. It was Faren who told me that as I moved, the ground itself jolted up into stone spikes, impaling every darkspawn for dozens of yards.

The next thing I remember was holding Orta in my lap as Orodum and Ortan warriors raged forward thanks to the momentum the stone spikes had given them. They didn't ask questions or hesitate, they simply allowed me my time with Orta while they pressed the attack.

Orta looked up at me, gasping for air as her own blood slowly drowned her. Her tears spilled over her cheeks, and she somehow managed a weak smile. I could only try to match it, but I was certain I failed. She died right there in my arms. I hugged her body close, kissed her forehead, then gently set her down to get back into the fight.

The rage of losing two of my best friends in so short a time welled up within me and I could feel power flowing through me. My rage and magic flowed like an angry river and I charged forward ready to make every single darkspawn pay for what they'd taken from me. The next hour or so was a blur. Eventually we overwhelmed the darkspawn and finally joined our lines with King Maric's men that had held the fort.

The elves were emerging from the forest alongside the chevaliers that survived the battle. Trianna and I had brought two very special things with us from Orzammar; eluvian mirrors that we had found in Cadash Thaig. While the humans and dwarves were practicing their plans, Trianna was searching the eluvian network for the mirror that she'd left behind all those years ago. Once she'd found it, we had set the mirrors inside the hallowed trunks of trees. She had waited in the limbs of one of the trees for the horde to pass before activating the mirrors so that the elves could pass through and charge the back lines.

Faren, Sigrun, and I had linked up with King Maric, Tyrn Loghain, Trian and Shale, as well as the other Fated. Trian held me close when he heard about Frandlin and Orta, comforting me since he knew how much I'd cared for both of them. Faren informed Maric and Loghain of everything that had happened. The other Fated discussed how they'd done and what had happened with them. By and large, things had gone relatively well. Losses were slightly less than expected thanks to my decision to pierce the center.

We were all exhausted and taking a moment to observe the battle's end when it happened; a deafening roar that rolled out from the woods and entire trees bowed beneath the winds caused by the beating wings of the archdemon as it appeared over the treeline. It was as if we had a spark of hope that was kindled by the battle's end and the archdemon sensed it enough to snuff it out.

The creature was black as ink and slid through the night sky like a thunderbolt. The call went out for the ballistas to ready their shots. Warriors began to scramble to get back in formation, spreading the line around the field to ensure we wouldn't all be caught together when it was brought down.

This battle was limited to archers, mages, and the ballistas. The ballistas fired a dozen volleys. Fire, lightning and ice flew into the sky to break upon the wyrm. It almost looked like fireworks if not for the situation. Several agonizing minutes passed before the archdemon began to falter, its wings in tatters thanks primarily to the ballistas. It fell through the sky in a manic spiral as it tried to air beneath its now tattered wings, slamming down to the ground in an explosion of dirt and dust, blessedly in the middle of the field.

There was a hushed moment before King Maric looked to myself and the other Fated, "Now's our chance!"

"Have the warriors support the elves," I shouted as I prepared my sword. "It can still summon reinforcements! We can handle the archdemon with the help of the Grey Wardens!"

Maric, Loghain and Faren sent the orders out. There seemed to be some hesitation on the part of the armies, but eventually thousands of warriors began to run towards the trees where the elves were waiting.

While the soldiers moved to obey their commands, we began to move toward the archdemon before it could recover from its fall. King Maric, Tyrn Loghain, Shale, Oghren, Branka, Allen, Serena, Aelfric, Faren, and I spread out.

"Lady Orodum, Allen, Aelfric, Lady Serena," Maric commanded as we rushed the creature, "I want you all to keep your distance! Use your magic and bows from an effective, safe distance. The rest of you, spread and don't clump together. I don't want a single attack able to hit more than one of us at a time. If you can manage it, take out its legs. If not, keep it flinching and keep it reeling. Try not to let it focus!"

Everyone shouted their acknowledgement of the plan. To ensure that the archdemon's senses wouldn't come back as quickly as they might, I pumped mana into a Stone Fist spell and launched it ahead of us. The spell slammed into the side of the demon's head and caused it to stumble. Those few moments gave the others time to close the distance.

Maric and Loghain reached the archdemon first, with Maric weaving his sword through the air expertly to keep the snapping jaws of the monsters at bay. Loghain augmented the effort of controlling the demon's head by ducking beneath it's neck and restricting its movements by slamming his shield up against the demon's jaws and neck.

Shale charged in and slammed a stone fist into one the demon's forelegs while Trian continued forward, ducking under the useless wing and raked his sword across the demon's hind leg. Trian was on the opposite attacking the other foreleg while Oghren and Branka went for the hind leg. I moved to the left of the dragon's head, keeping my distance. Serena was to the right, trying to land her shots in the demon's neck while Aelfric was closer to the monster's right wing aiming for its sides and belly. Allen wasn't too far from me thankfully. While my magic was focused on the offensive, his efforts were focused on healing the front line members of our party.

When the warriors had joined the elves to prevent any additional darkspawn from joining the fray, someone had told Trianna what was happening. She'd run back to join us and placed herself just to the left of the tail.

It might have had its wings clipped, but the archdemon was still formidable. Try as they might, the frontline members of the party could hold it still. Unlike in the games, the archdemon was still mobile, and it easily bodied the others out of the way. We had to constantly maneuver around and adjust our placements to keep ourselves safe.

Unfortunately for Serena and Aelfric, they quickly ran out of arrows and became all but useless. To make matters worse, everyone was running on fumes. If we were all fresh, the story might have gone different but eventually, everyone started to slip. Trian was knocked unconscious by a kick that sent him flying. Branka and Oghren suffered similar fates when the archdemon shifted quickly away from an attack and either tramped the or swatted them with its tail. I couldn't quite tell from where I was.

Loghain easily got the worst of it when the demon jumped backwards suddenly and snapped Loghain in his jaws, then flung him dozens of yards away. The archdemon charged forward, flinging Allen away when he couldn't dodge one of the limp wings.

My eyes widened as my exhausted mind realized too late that the monster was charging at me. I could see Faren and Maric chasing after it, but they were never going to be able to make it in time. Something inside me wouldn't let me move.

"You are waking."

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. I watched as Trianna's lightning slowly clawed its way through the air. I could see the Grey Wardens swarming in from every direction, running at what seemed to be a snail's pace.

"Open your eyes. Wake and join the whole."

The dirt the archdemon was throwing into the air with every stride slowed more and more until everything stopped.

"Awaken!"

I wasn't me anymore. I was tall. I felt like the size of a mountain. I could feel my panic for the Princess running through my head as I chased after the demon. I was fighting the darkspawn alongside the elves, keeping the monsters at bay so the Grey Wardens could finish the archdemon off. I hurt to my core at the loss of my brother, his potential, and the love of a Paragon who was to be my sister-in-law. I was sitting on my throne worrying for my daughter and all those who'd gone with her. I was sitting at the gate in the tunnels, looking out as the battle raged on hoping everything would be ok and wondering about what new magical knowledge I could gain from it. I sat in my studies, fiddling with a locket and staring at the portraits of my mother and sister who I missed deeply. I was chasing the archdemon, futilely trying to stop it from killing the love of my life.

A thousand, ten thousand, hundreds of thousands of thoughts raced through my head in an instant. I knew everything, was everyone of my people all at the same time. I wasn't me, I was the whole. I could feel the memories back before the Shapereate began to record them, I knew the souls of all those who had been returned to the Stone.

Just there? Parts of the whole, my children, were in danger, fighting a small swarm of the infection and a slightly larger growth of the Blight. It needed to be dealt with and this particular child was determined to see this through. Yes, I could work through it. All that was needed was to bathe the child in the light of my blood to purify it. This would reconnect it fully to the Stone, and allow the child to properly shape it. Give it the natural ability and instincts it had lost.

I was me again, larger in spirit somehow and bathed in a blue light. The archdemon was bearing down on me, its maw open wide.

"No!" I said calmly and raised a hand. At the same time a massive spear of stone erupted the ground and slammed into the demon's side, sending it toppling to the side. I watched it fall and reached out with a grasping motion and the ground swelled up to grab the forelegs of the archdemon and grasped them tight, denying the creature the ability to move.

I marched forward, the blue light still swirling around me as I glared at the monster, "Urthemiel. I have thought about nothing but you since the day I was born into this world. My every moment has been building to this very moment. Not once while I was awake, or even while I slept, did I ever do anything more than prepare for this day."

I waved my arm out sharply to the side and a stone block reached up and pinned the archdemon's head to the ground. I moved in close, placing my face near one of its eyes, glaring into it.

"I united the dwarven people," I lowered my voice to a growl. "I worked with my friend to unite the Dalish clans in Ferelden, joined with the human armies, and worked for three years in this very spot to repair this fort, improve its defenses, and practiced strategies just for this exact moment."

I leaned in, staring at the demon's eye and the reflection of me in it with the strange blue energy swirling around me, "And we still almost lost to you. Two of my closest friends are dead to your darkspawn. I don't yet know how many more of my people will never walk from this battlefield. And if it wasn't for this new intervention, I might have joined them."

"But I'm alive. I beat you. In a few moments, a Grey Warden will come here to finish you off. And after you die, I'm going to hunt down Razikale and Lusacan before they can be infected with Blight. I'm going to kill. I'm going to end this vicious cycle. And only after you and your kin are nothing but memories, will I rest."

I turned and walked away, raising my hand up into a claw. The Stone responded to my will, and several stone spikes just from the ground and impaled the archdemon.

The Wardens had stopped in their tracks and were staring at me. Faren, Serena, Aelfric, Trianna, and Maric watched me, slack-jawed.

"Hurry up and kill it," I said as I passed Warden Clarel, with tears beginning to run down my cheeks. "It will bleed out if you don't, then we'll have to do this all over again."

Faren was the first to get to me, grabbing me by the shoulders to look me over wide-eyed, "My Lady? My Lady, are you alright? What happened to you? How did you do that?"

I could only stare at him and shake my head, "I… don't know. I have an idea but… We're not done. The darkspawn…"

A massive burst of bright energy exploded from behind me, followed by a massive concussive burst that nearly knocked us off our feet. One of the Wardens had killed the Archdemon. The burst was the demon's death throes, the light was its soul trying to escape and find a new host, but was dragged back into the Warden who had killed it, taking the life of the Warden at the same time.

"That will send them fleeing back into the Deep Roads," Trianna said and the others approached. "It looks like we're giving chase but I"m sure some of them will still… By the ancients… your eyes!"

"What?" I asked, trying not to let everything that I'd gone through in the battle and with whatever power I'd just been infused with overwhelm me. "What's wrong with them?"

"They're blue…" Serena gasped, "Like lyrium."

I looked at everyone before simply crumpling into Faren's arms, submitting myself to the exhaustion of the day.