It had been a few months since Flemeth had left Sandal in my care. In that time, I had managed to connect with him in the Fade. His spiritual self was astounding and he was more cognizant of himself and his thoughts. I theorized that this was because his mind had been overwhelmed by Andruil's spirit when he was far too young, and he simply never recovered from it. His spirit, however, was a different story. It was able to converse relatively effectively, though he still spoke in half meanings and riddles.

Purpose was glad to have Sandal, as it gave it a renewed goal to work at. Each evening, I would speak to Sandal in my dreams, then go hunt demons while Purpose worked with Sandal to bring more of the person out from the torrent that was Andruil's influence.

Bhelen had taken a shine to Sandal and the two were often found in Dagna's enchanting chambers, working with her on refining the process and innovating the craft. House Orodum was becoming known for its exceptional, and unique enchantments.

My scouts had returned with news. They'd found a section of the Deep Roads along the Storm Coast that seemed to lead into a forgotten thaig. They had left some guards there and had mapped a course. They also mentioned that it seemed like the area was much lower than the standard depths of the Deep Roads, and that they had to construct a lift in order to get up and down between the initial cavern entrance to the thaig.

This was exactly what I'd hoped to hear.

I quickly gathered a few hundred warriors, had Rica informed that she would need to attend the Assembly in my place, told Father I would be back in a month or two, and asked Bhelen to look after the House for me. I left within a few days of receiving the news. The scouts had marked the path through the Deep Roads, but it was still slow going. We had to take detours around certain sections that had crumbled or caved in due to a lack of maintenance, clear debris from the paths to allow the brontos and carts through, but in the end we made it to the destination.

I could hear the angry waves of the Storm Coast echoing down through the caverns above us. It was surreal to think of all that water being nearly over our heads, but I suppose it isn't all that much different if you consider we typically had and entire mountain range over them.

As we arrived to the lift, the scouts were searching for the few they'd left behind to guard the area.

One of the scouts approached me as I dismounted my bronto and looked around at the abandoned camp, "My Paragon, I'm not sure what's going on. Once we found the place we set up patrols and guards so that the camp would have someone in it at all times."

"Could it have been darkspawn?" I asked as I walked around, looking for any signs of the spawn.

"Unclear, My Lady," she responded. "I've seen no signs that would point to darkspawn, but I don't think we can discount the possibility. But I'm doubtful."

"Why's that?" Faren asked, his eyes darting around the cavern as he searched for threats.

"We haven't seen many darkspawn around Orzammar or further north since the Blight ended," was the reply. "Even if it was darkspawn, there's no blood or anything to say that this was an attack. None of theirs or ours. No signs of struggle or battle. The camp simply looks abandoned; as if the scouts simply walked away."

"Did you contact the Legion about the place?" I asked as I checked a tent and noted nothing out of turn.

"We did, My Lady," she confirmed with a nod. "They should only be a day or so behind us. I'd recommend we wait for them before venturing further down."

"I tend to agree, My Lady," Faren added. "If it is Darkspawn, I'd prefer to have the Legion of the Dead with us."

"Very well," I granted. "Inform everyone to make camp. I want overlapping guard shifts. Whatever happened here will not happen again. I'll work on making the path down easier for us."

It will be as you command," Faren bowed. He turned and began to relay my orders to the rest of the convoy.

While everyone else set up camp, I wielded my new powers to create a series of stone ramps wide enough for a bronto to walk on along the side of the crevice, down to where the lift would take us. This was a slow process, because while the lift would take a minute or two to go from the top to the bottom, a walkable path took several more minutes as it would need to weave back and forth. The entire project took me about two hours, but it went faster as time went on.

I was still getting used to purposefully molding the stone through my will. I had been practicing with the ability daily and had learned that basic shapes were simple and could be done with almost no thought; I just had to will a spike or a sphere and know where I wanted it, and it would appear. Complex or precise constructions took focus. A smooth, flat surface extending for dozens of yards in a precise angle was surprisingly complex. If I lost focus, or if my mind wandered for even a moment, the resulting imperfections would be noticeable.

Once the task was complete, I wanted to move deeper into the cavern but Faren and my other guards refused to allow me that curiosity. It wasn't safe, and they insisted that we wait until the Legion of the Dead arrived to reinforce us. I understood their intentions and agreed with their council. As much as I wanted to delve deeper, it wasn't like anything was going to go anywhere. I was, however, worried about the missing scouts and believed that waiting only wasted time finding them.

Faren had to point out that they could have gone missing a few hours after they were left alone and would be a month dead by now if that was the case. I couldn't help but agree with him, as much as I hated the thought.

We actually didn't have to wait a day for the Legion to arrive. They arrived the very next morning. Apparently, after hearing that I had gathered my men and supplies, and set off quickly, the Legion had done the same and were only a few days behind us. They gained ground because we had to spend time clearing the way and ended up only about a half a day behind us by the time we set up camp.

It was a pleasure to see Sigrun leading the company of Legionnaires. She smiled as she bowed before me, "Paragon Orodum. Captain Sigrun, at your service."

I stepped forward and hugged Sigrun, "I'd heard of your promotion after Ostagar. Congratulations, Captain."

"Please, My Lady," she returned the hug, "call me Sigrun. We've been through too much to stand on titles."

"Then you must call me Merida," I insisted.

Sigrun laughed and shook her head, "I'm afraid you have too many titles to ignore, My Lady. But if it will make things seem more personable, I can call you Princess instead of Paragon."

"Whatever you prefer, Sigrun," I chuckled.

"Thank you, Princess," she laughed and motioned to the camp. "Should we discuss what's been found?"

"Indeed," I turned and led her and her officers to the command tent.

When we were all seated, I began the meeting, "We arrived just yesterday to find the camp deserted. No signs of struggle, attack, or accident. It seems like the scouts who were stationed here simply abandoned the place."

"Unlikely," Sigrun contemplated. "Not darkspawn either. There would certainly be signs of darkspawn."

I concurred, "Just as we thought. This cavern leads to the Ruins of Heidrun Thaig. And it is guarded by dwarves calling themselves the Sha-Brytol."

"I've never heard of them," Sigrun said curiously. "And the Legion has visited the thaig a few times and never reported encountering them."

"The Legion never went deep enough to find them," I responded. "And it's good that they didn't. Any of the Sha-Brytol we might encounter are their most dedicated warriors who drink lyrium to enhance themselves physically, and wear lyrium laced armor grafted to their flesh. They're fanatics and are not to be taken lightly."

"Fanatics?" Sigrun questioned skeptically. "Just what is there to be so fanatical about down here, Princess?"

I stared directly at Sigrun and my expression was dead serious, "They're guarding our birthright, our origins. They're guarding one of the few remaining ancient beings in all of Thedas; a creature that existed before the creation of this world. They're guarding a Titan."

"A Titan?" Sigrun gasped, reeling back at the suggestion. Titans were supposed to be myth to the few people who'd even heard about them. Some Legion members would have seen rumor or suggestion of their existence in the older thigh, but they were always considered to be mythology; stories to explain the dwarve's connection to the stone.

"Are you certain?"

I nodded with all the certainty I could muster, "I am."

"How can you know? Is this some of the knowledge you gained being one of the Fated?" she pressed

"Partly, yes," I admitted. "I knew they were here from the start, but we haven't been in a position to get to this point until now. However, I can also feel it. Ever since Ostagar, I've been able to feel the connection to the Titans. I believe my ability to manipulate the stone is a bounty from that connection."

Sigrun stared down at the table, reevaluating everything she knew with the confirmation that the Titans, and their role in the creation of the dwarves, was all true.

"I'm hoping that they'll see my connection with the Titans and leave us be," I continued. "But if they don't… we'll be hopelessly outnumbered if they call in all their people instead of just the current number of guards along the path."

That snapped Sigrun back into her soldier mindset, "How many could we expect if they call for reinforcements?"

"Supposedly?" I assumed. "An entire city's worth. The information anyone has on them is vague at best, but what we do know is that the ones that are here are simply the most fanatical soldiers dedicated to the Titan's protection, or simply the ones currently chosen to serve as its defenders. Think of them as our equivalent of the Legion of the Dead, except that they consider it the highest honor to serve in that respect. They train all their lives for the honor."

"So they're more like zealots," Faren grumbled. "And what do we do if they acknowledge you, but not the rest of us? We can't just let you go alone."

"I'll try to convince them," I could only shrug. "They speak ancient dwarven. I have a fairly… basic grasp of it thanks to the memories I was granted by the Titans. I've been practicing it in what little spare time I have. If nothing else, I might be able to convince them to allow a small group through. In fact, it might be better to go with a small party and not the entirety of our force."

"That would put us at a severe disadvantage right away," Sigrun sighed.

"If it puts us in a better position to continue unscathed, it would be worth it," Faren countered. "And we can't forget about the missing scouts. We need to hope that they're still safe."

"Assuming it was the Sha-Brytol who took them," Sigrun suggested.

"We can only hope that it was, and that they haven't hurt the scouts yet," I sighed. "We'll continue with a small party of ten. Faren, I want you to choose three warriors from House Orodum. Sigrun, choose four Legionnaires. They need to be patient and level headed; I don't want anyone who will fly off the handle or be provoked easily into a fight."

"What about reinforcements?" Faren asked.

"We have to assume we won't get any," I conceded. "Once we enter those tunnels, we're on our own. Everyone else will only be able to wait for us here."

"They won't accept that," Sigrun suggested. "They'll want to avenge you if something happens."

"Then let's pray nothing happens," I could only hope.

The next day, Faren, Sigrun, and I, along with seven other warriors, set off for the deeper tunnels leading to Heidrun Thaig. I honestly expected to find darkspawn in the initial areas once we entered the thaig. Strangely, there was no resistance; not from darkspawn or the Sha-Brytol. We made our way slowly through the thaig, noting the older style construction and decor. Still, the lack of resistance disturbed me. These areas should have been swarming with powerful darkspawn. In the game, you would find ogres, emissaries… every kind of darkspawn, alphas included.

We made our way through the crumbling and failing infrastructure of the ancient thaig as carefully as possible. I helped us navigate the place to the best of my ability using my memory of the path that was laid out in the game. However, there was considerably more to the thaig than was presented in the game, and the process took hours. One thing was for certain, though… the closer we got, the more we could all hear the song of lyrium, and I could sense the connection to the Titan growing stronger.

Unfortunately, we also began to see more and more signs of darkspawn. Tracks in the dust, and their telltale scent was unmistakable. Imagine our horror when we passed through a doorway into a large, open area filled with darkspawn. The spawn lined the walls, five or six figures deep, and glared at us hungrily. Strangely, they didn't so much as move to attack.

The blood from my face drained when I realized why. At the opposite side of the area, sitting on a throne of dead dwarves, sat a massive hurlock… and behind him stood the Architect. The hurlock was grinning wickedly, seeming pleased that we had arrived. He waved his fingers at us to approach.

"Come, dwarves," he chuckled menacingly. "Do not fret. I will not allow my underlings to harm you. Not yet. Not at least until we speak."

"My Lady, we need to retreat," Faren whispered.

"We can't," Sigrun said shakily. "There are more behind us… and we wouldn't be able to outrun this many. Not with how far we'd have to run."

I glared at the darkspawn. It was able to talk. It could command the others. Was it somehow controlling the Architect as well? Was it awakened?

"I want you all to remain silent," I said quietly. "Act as if this is normal, but be on your guard. Do not act unless I command it."

"As you command," the others said in unison.

I straightened my posture and approached the darkspawn leader with a professional air, offering it a curtsy as I stopped a couple yards away from it, "Greetings. I am Paragon Merida Orodum, Princess of Orzamar. May I ask who I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

The leader chuckled and leaned forward, "Paragon Orodum? There was never a Paragon named in this era other than Branka. Who are you, really?"

It refused to answer me. I needed to consider a new way of addressing it, but decided to remain civil for now, "I didn't lie. I'm precisely who I introduced myself to be."

"So a Paragon and a Princess, then?" it hummed in consideration. "Was it you who manipulated the events at Ostagar? I remember seeing you atop your bronto, and how you handled the archdemon."

That took me aback. This creature had been watching me at Ostagar?

"I was there," I admitted. "I'm not sure how I managed to defeat the archdemon. Up until that moment, I wasn't able to do any of those things."

"You're trying to tell me it was a fluke?" It laughed. "Or divine intervention?"

"I think you already know the answer if you're here," I countered. "Now, before we continue our conversation, might I ask for a chair? We've been walking for some time, and I would appreciate a respite."

The darkspawn leader glared at me for several moments before cackling madly, "A chair? Really? Of all things, that's what you want at this moment?"

"I would appreciate it," I smiled.

The leader looked back at the Architect, "Can you believe her? I'm sitting on a pile of dead dwarves, they're surrounded by a thousand darkspawn, and she wants a chair."

The Architect stared down at me calmly, coldly, indifferent, "She has been walking for some time. They have not stopped for a rest. It is understandable."

"Well," the leader said with a mocking sigh, "I'm afraid we are out of chairs. Unless you'd like to borrow one of mine?" It slapped the face of one of the dead dwarves it was sitting on.

I ignored the disrespect to the dead dwarf and shook my head, "That's alright. I'll get my own."

I moved to sit down and willed the stone beneath me to form into a simple block that I could rest on.

That seemed to get the leader's attention. Its eyes considered the display with interest.

"Now, I believe you were about to introduce yourself?" I said with a chipper tone and subtle insistence.

The leader considered the demand for a moment before it leaned back, "Darkspawn are not given names. But if you must call me something, you may call me Seven."

I tried to hide my surprise, but I doubted that I was successful, "Seven? As in the seventh origin?"

Now it was Seven's turn to look surprised. Its surprise turned to wicked amusement as it leaned forward quickly, "I knew it! You're like me! You know everything that should be going on right now! And you're the reason things haven't gone the way they should!"

I bowed my head, conceding his point, "Myself and five others."

"So…all seven of the origins are here in Thedas?" it grinned. "No wonder… I thought we could have slaughtered the forces at Ostagar and gone on to tear through Ferelden. But all of you… you stopped that from happening."

I stared at Seven almost horrified, "What are you saying? Are you saying that you wanted to kill those people? That you wanted to spread the Blight? Why? Why wouldn't you want to bring peace to this world? You could end everything on your own by reigning the darkspawn in!"

"And why would I want to do that?" Seven burst out with a wicked laugh. "Wait, let me guess; you're one of those people who always chose the best options every time because you didn't like the bad things that happened when you didn't make the optimal choices. How boring can you be? Stories are so much more enjoyable when things don't go according to plan."

"For instance, like right now," he motioned around us. "Here, the heroes are surrounded by overwhelming odds. They stare certain death in the face, and the protagonist is speaking with the villain in the hopes that she can somehow convince him to spare the lives of her people. Isn't that interesting? Doesn't that raise the stakes? The tension? Isn't that more interesting than everyone simply getting along?"

"Is that why you're doing this?" I asked incredulously. "You're not going to do what's best because you enjoy things going wrong?"

"How is what I'm doing wrong?" Seven barked, standing and glaring down at me. "I am a darkspawn! There is nowhere in this world where we belong, nowhere we can go where we won't be attacked on sight!. We war against ourselves when not being controlled by an archdemon. We're enslaved by the archdemon whenever one appears. We cannot reproduce, we cannot build a society, we cannot gain free will except by the awakening process, but even that has its limits."

He leaned in so close that his exposed teeth nearly bit at my nose as he spoke, "What would you have me do? Would you prefer if I gathered all the darkspawn together and set them on fire? Perhaps have us hunt down all the broodmothers and kill them so we all die out of starvation, in battle, or old age? Simply tuck ourselves away, out of sight, out of mind so the rest of Thedas can live peacefully?"

"You could rebuild the Deep Roads," I countered as I tried to buy some time to think. "You could live in any of the lost thigh and create place for your people to be productive."

"And how would we sustain ourselves? Hm?" Seven growled. "Tell me that, Paragon. Would we be allowed to hunt bronto or perhaps hunt game on the surface? Would anyone trade with us? Would anyone risk the taint by allowing us to peacefully enter their towns or cities?"

"I never said it would be easy," I countered.

"You may as well have said nothing," Seven waved a dismissive hand. "No, Princess, I will lead the darkspawn to do what we are meant to do. I will hunt down the old gods, and I will kill them; claiming their power as my own. And once I have done that, I will come for the dwarves, the humans, the elves, and the qunari. All will fall before the darkspawn tide, or be tainted and brought into our fold."

I scowled, hearing his plans, "You'll be long dead before you ever find another archdemon."

He glared at me and grinned, "Oh, I don't think so. You see, I know who knows the location of the remaining prisons. And I already have swarms of darkspawn hunting them down for the information."

This concerned me, so I decided to call his bluff, "You may know who has the information, but do you know where they are? It's not like you could just walk up to them and ask politely."

His grin became a sneer, "Weisshaupt Fortress, in the southern Anderfells. I will find the First Warden, and I will flay them alive, inch by inch, until I get the information I need."

I took a long, slow, calming breath. If he knew where Weisshaupt was, then it was only a matter of time before the darkspawn would reach the fortress. I could only hope my spies got there first. Otherwise, we would be doomed.

"You're going to send darkspawn to attack a fortress with hundreds of Grey Wardens in it?" I asked, keeping my tone calm and even. "Grey Wardens, the one force in all of Thedas trained to specifically track and battle darkspawn? That's like sending a mouse into a house full of cats."

"Hundreds of Grey Wardens are a force to be reckoned with, it's true," the Architect acknowledged. "However, they cannot hope to match the thousands of darkspawn we've sent to find them."

"I'm afraid you'll find that we have taken that into consideration when assaulting our natural enemies, Princess," Seven chuckled as he sat back down. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering if there's some way you can get out of this current situation alive."

I arched my brow and canted my head to the side curiously, "Now why would I be wondering that?"

"It would seem she has accepted defeat with some dignity," the Architect offered. "That is commendable."

"That's boring," Seven snorted. "We saw how she handled the archdemon. I doubt someone like the Princess would give up without a fight. Do you have a plan yet, Princess?"

"I do," I nodded in affirmation. "I don't think I could kill all of you quickly enough to save my party. But I could kill most of you quickly enough to give us all a chance. But they are my friends, so I'm willing to negotiate an end to this confrontation until we meet again."

Seven roared with laughter, "Your arrogance astounds me, Princess! You honestly believe you could kill most of us on your own?"

A shriek echoed from the side. When Seven and the other darkspawn looked to the source, a genlock was suspended in the air, impaled on a spike.

Seven looked back at me, seething with rage, "You dare? Against these odds?"

I remained calm but my expression was dangerous, and my tone shifted to dead serious, "I defeated the archdemon in a matter of moments when I was first gifted these powers. Do you think a small horde of darkspawn would take me much longer? As I said; I believe I could kill you all… but I don't think I could do it fast enough so that all of my friends remain safe… So I 'm willing to negotiate for now."

"Don't worry about us, My Lady!" Sigrun called out. "Our duty is to keep you safe. We're all willing to die to see such a threat ended."

"But I'm not willing to let you die when I can work to allow you to live," I responded without letting my gaze move from Seven's.

The expression Seven gave me could melt steel. I could feel the rage coming from him. He wanted nothing more than to kill me at that moment. He thought he'd trapped us, but he didn't realize that my control over the stone had come as far as it did… and there was nothing but stone surrounding us in the Deep Roads.

"I suppose we'll allow you to leave for now," Seven spit. "Go, and we will not follow."

I shook my head, "No. You and the Architect will leave. You will not harm a single dwarf back in the camp. And if I ever see you again, or if a single darkspawn attacks Orzammar or any of the thaigs, I will make it my life's mission to hunt you down and turn your existence into nothing but pain."

"And what of the darkspawn who are with us?" the Architect pressed, understanding that I only meant to allow the two of them to leave.

"I will be magnanimous," I responded, raising my chain as a show of authority. "How many dwarves are you sitting on, Seven?"

Seven considered the question for a moment, "A handful. Now more than twenty."

"Very well," I looked to one side of the room, and then the other. Stone spikes leapt from the walls and floors, impaling dozens and dozens of darkspawn in an instant. "There. I believe we can all agree that two darkspawn dead for every dwarf is fair."

"I'll kill you for that!" Seven roared in fury.

I stood and stared at Seven, raising my voice now, "I would slaughter the lot of you here and now if it weren't for my friends safety! Two dead darkspawn for one dead dwarf isn't remotely fair. A thousand dead darkspawn aren't equal to a single dwarf life! Your kind are a plague, and one day I will wipe you out like the useless vermin you aspire to be! Now leave, before I let my friends convince me to risk their lives."

Seven hummed in thought, "We will leave for now. But now that I've met you, now that I know that you have been the thorn in my side for all these years, I know who I'm preparing to face. And now, I understand the power I have to overcome. The next time we meet, I will slaughter your beloved friends and feed them to you while I torture you and turn you into a broodmother."

"You will try," I said defiantly.

Seven growled and stormed off through the way we'd come through.

The Architect stared at me calmly, "I understand why you view us the way you do. We do not produce anything. We do not contribute to the world as a whole. But If everyone was joined by the taint, we could work together for the common good of all."

I craned my neck to look up at the Architect, "Forcing everyone to become tainted is a simple violation of their existence. You cannot bring about peace by forcing others to conform to your way of life."

"You can if those who do not conform do not survive," the Architect responded passively. It wasn't a threat or even said with any sort of passion. It was a pure, factual statement.

"What sort of world would it be if you killed everyone who disagreed with you just so that you could rule over those who comply with you?"

"Peaceful," the Architect said succinctly.

"Experience and history has taught me otherwise," I sighed. "Seven doesn't want peace. Not truly. I think you know that. What you have to decide is if it's worth helping them burn the world down out of spite… or allowing the darkspawn to fade into history to allow the world to go on in peace."

"I admire your spirit, Princess," the Architect bowed his head. "I will consider your words. But understand that I must also do what I consider is best for my people."

"As will I," I matched his point.

The Architect followed after Seven, with the other darkspawn swarming out of the area and giving Faren, Sigrun, and the others a wide berth.

I watched them leave with trepidation. Someone had been resurrected as one of the darkspawn… And it wanted nothing more than to simply wipe the world clean simply for the sake of having nothing else to do. I didn't know which threat was worse; Solas or Seven. For now, I could only forge ahead, and hope that the Titans could give me the edge I needed.