Hello Everyone:

Just a few disclaimers about the amateur story I'm writing:

All Origins exist. But while they do get their chance to shine, this story mostly centers on F!Cousland, and her Spirit Warrior specialization.

I'm taking SLIGHT inspiration from the Dark Urge of Baldur's Gate 3, to make things interesting. See above

Canon will deviate

Because this is a fanfic based on a video game, I'm going to treat it as such! Old abilities will be referenced or tweaked, and new abilities will appear!

Remember! It's all for fun!

Chapter 1

Highever Castle

"Oriana!" Eleanor broke out, rushing to her daughter-in-laws side.

Elissa Cousland knelt down.

Tristan immediately starting yowling, licking Oren's face to wake him.

The air was thick with smoke. There was audible ringing in her ears. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Blood was trickling down her left temple. If her mother was crying, screaming, or cursing the Howes, the young Cousland daughter was deaf to it.

Her hands were encased in her old training leathers. They stretched out to a broken body on the ground.

One hand cradled the head, and another found leverage under his back.

Oren was not moving. He wasn't breathing.

"Oren..." she choked out, the tears starting to form. A glance over to the left side of the room, and she saw another body. Oriana's lips were bloodied, her eyes frozen with confusion.

Her hands were shaking.

"Nnnnnngh...!"

The Cousland matron must have taken notice, for she was watching her daughter with open shock.

"Darling..."

Elissa only responded in grunts of unyielding, unforgiving rage. She just simply kept twitching, her teeth gnashed. The tears were starting to stream down, and she finally laid Oren back down to rest.

That's when Tristan tilted his head back and issued a long, mournful howl.

And that's when the last thread of her self-control was severed.

"ORENN!"

Specialization Unlocked: Spirit Warrior

Beyond The Veil Activated

Soul Brand Activated

Blessing of the Fade Activated

Level temporarily set from 1 to 25

The very air sucked itself in, then exploded with violent force. A shimmering aura of teal energy coalesced around Elissa. Drawing her greatsword, it too was encased in blue flame. Elissa's once brown, ordinary eyes were now shimmering spheres of sapphire wrath.

Eleanor had seen much in the Orlesian Occupation, but she had never seen anything like this. Was this magic? What stood before her looked less like her daughter and more like a ghost.

Footsteps could be heard outside Oriana's room.

"Secure the rooms! The Teyrn's family cannot leave here alive!"

Wordlessly, Elissa strode out to meet them, with Tristan in tow.

Four soldiers bearing the crest of the Howe family charged.

From that point onward, her senses were heightened, her instincts taking over. Everything was a blur. Before she knew it, all of them were thoroughly dead. Stepping over the severed limbs, heads, and leaky corpses, more soldiers rushed out to greet them.

And the same scenario repeated itself. Tristan would sometimes grapple a man to the ground for Elissa to finish off. Her mother was telling her about...the Treasury? The family sword?

It didn't matter. At this point, Elissa was an avatar of wrath, cleaving her way through her burning castle. The sounds of flames consuming her family banners, the smell of blood, smoke and screams, the taste of bile in her throat: they were all dulled, nearly non-existant.

There was only the surge, the river of power that was flowing through her like an unstoppable tide.

There was only her, her sword, and her fury.

One look at the smoke in the Library, and she narrowed her vision through the door.

On the ground was a limp body, soaked in crimson, with wisps of aged hair.

Aldous.

She gritted her teeth and marched inside. A clash of blades, screaming, and arcs of red stained the books, and then Elissa had left her old mentors haunt.

Nearly two dozen men had fallen before they retrieved the Family Sword and Shield of Highever. Elissa was too busy scanning for threats to notice that her mother was strapping them both to her back.

She was purposefully seeking out new soldiers to fight, and her mother had to drag her daughter out of the chapel, and into the Main Hall.

It was a pitched battle.

She was tired of cleaving through flesh and bone like butter. Effortlessly, she took her mother by the wrist and threw her backwards to create some distance. Then, she dashed right into the enemies center, neatly avoiding the blades and arrows.

Fade Burst

With a blast of arcane power, blue bolts emanated from her and found all of their marks. The tendrils of energy lanced through each man then vanished, leaving cauterized wounds as the only indication of their existence.

One frightened mage was left. He tried to summon lightning to strike her down, but was bashed in the face with the pommel of her sword, before her enchanted blade left a cut from hip to shoulder.

The guards rallied to her, and Ser Gilmore ran up to Eleanor.

They were speaking, but again, Elissa was in a complete battle trance.

There were a dozen soldiers left between here and the larder, and there was a knight leading them, but the word was out that one woman was slaughtering them like cattle.

They recoiled at the sight of this spectral warrior.

Massacre

Sprinting, she ducked low. With a single swing of her blade, four souls were sent to the Maker. Heads, limbs and broken weapons flew in all directions, with a bloody arc staining the castle walls and floor.

Arrows peppered the way ahead of her, thining the ranks. Tristan went for a fast kill by tackling a man to the ground, his teeth clamping down on an open neck.

The Knight was left. He was clearly shaken, but no coward. A swing of his greatmaul was dodged, and Elissa saw her opportunity.

Onslaught

Raising her blade into an Ox stance, three deft strikes sent him reeling back, with the third strike sending the warhammer clattering onto the ground. The fourth strike sawed into his belly, the ghostly blade ignoring metal. Elissa gnashed her teeth, making sure he felt every moment. A swift knee to his groin, and he was doubled over, ready for the coup de gras. The fifth and final strike: she swung the blade past her shoulder, above her head...

...and with all of her might, it descended.

His helmet tumbled away, and the contents therein bounced out. The body crumbled to the ground.

Panting, she suddenly felt her strength leave her.

Beyond The Veil Deactivated

Soul Brand Deactivated

Blessing of the Fade Deactivated

Level reset from 25 to 3

Suddenly, the soreness and fatigue came rushing up at once, as if a dam had broke, and a flood was loose. Elissa collapsed, her sword clanging to the ground. The aura that emanated from her had vanished.

"Elissa, darling!"

Eleanor held her daughters shoulders "Please tell me you can finally speak!"

She was still gasping for air, but managed "Where...where is Father?"

"He's in the larder! Come!"

The weapon was placed back into the sheathe on her back, and she could feel an arm wrap around her, helping her into the pantry.

"Thank...the Maker...you're here..." Bryce smiled faintly. The bleeding was bad.

No longer blinded by bloodlust and rage, Elissa felt a chill right to her core. It was a truth she furiously refused to accept: that Father would not live past this night.

"Dad!"

Some strength returned, and both of the women in life were at his side.

"You were right all along, pup." he admitted. "You were right about him-"

"Don't worry about that now! I need to stop the bleeding!"

Frantically, she searched around, pulling a piece of cloth, and pressing it to his wound. He winced momentarily, but kept a serene, knowing smile on his face.

"You've been hiding secrets from us, my child. I saw you fight in the courtyard."

She couldn't look him in the eye. "We can talk about that later. We need to get you out of here!"

Elissa looked at her mother, who answered her with a grave expression. That only angered her further. "I'm not leaving him!"

"Elissa." her mother was starting to cry "You're the last Cousland."

"NO I'M NOT!" She was shouting. "We are all Couslands, and we are going to leave together."

"I wish it were so, daughter." Bryce's voice was sad, but firm.

Footsteps sounded off behind them. Elissa drew her weapon, but loosened her grip on the handle.

"Duncan..."

"I'm afraid the Teyrn is right." Duncan holstered both of his daggers. "He is in no condition to move. And while you've dealt the enemy a blow, reinforcements are arriving as we speak."

"Duncan, I beg of you, take my wife and daughter out of here!"

"I shall, my Lord, but I must ask something in return."

"Anything!" his eyes were desperate.

"What is happening here pales in comparison to the evil that is gathering in the south. I came here in search of a recruit to face the darkspawn." Duncan's face grew dark, but certain "The Blight demands that I leave with one."

Bryce's form sunk a little "I...understand."

It finally dawned on Elissa when Duncan turned to her.

"...No. No you can't...Absolutely not!"

Duncan did not flinch "I am afraid it is so. The Grey Wardens need your assistance, Elissa. Truthfully, you were always my first choice."

"I refuse!" Elissa shouted.

"Pup..." Bryce began. "Remember that Couslands always do their duty first, no matter what. You need to leave here, and warn Fergus about Rendon Howe's treachery. Then..."

"He's right." Eleanor agreed. She then stood up, readying her bow. "You and Duncan can take the secret exit to the cliffs. There's always horses stabled there. But I'll be staying behind to cover your escape."

"No!" Elissa was choked with grief "You can't ask me this! I'll..." she tried to stand, but stumbled "I'll just go back to killing those rotten bastards...and then I'll kill Rendon myself!"

"You can't." Duncan stood between her and the door. "Whatever you did to cut your path here, the effort has caused too far a strain on your body. If you stay, you will die. That much is certain."

"I..." It was bitter to even speak. She felt a hand clasp hers, and saw her Fathers pale face.

"Listen to me, Elissa. We love you with every fibre of our being. Whatever you've become, don't lose yourself."

"Live, my sweet girl." Eleanor gently pushed her towards the exit. "Live for us."

Her lips were quivering. Every ounce of her wanted to fall on her own sword for her inadequacy, or tear Rendon Howe into pieces, or simply lift both of them up in her arms and race to the stables.

But she was weak. Powerless.

"I have no choice." Duncan's tone was final. "I invoke the Right of Conscription. Elissa Cousland, you must come with me."

For a few moments, she felt empty...

...until she felt Duncan's hands on her, and it all surged out again.

"No! I won't! I won't leave them! Get your hands off of me! Mama! Papa!"

She thrashed impotently, in vain, her gaze fixed only on her parents, who could only watch as Duncan raised a metal fist into the air.

"I'm sorry."

The last thing she saw before the blow came was her parents holding hands. Vaguely, in spite of the pain, she extended her arm out to them...

Only for her body to finally give out. Only darkness remained.