Whispers in the Dark
Each step was getting harder and harder to take. Narascha had never been so deep into the... well... Deep Roads before... it was a mixture of beautiful, wonderful, and terrifying, wandering along the halls of their ancestors, but it was agony too to see just how much they lost.
And this wasn't even a mere fraction of it.
Epona looked worse as the days went by while they descended deeper. Narascha didn't blame her. She missed being above ground too now. Narascha couldn't imagine what it was like for Epona who had grown up in forests all her life...
Okay, well she could, Narascha had felt secure and comfortable in Orzammar, with thick walls around and above her, and the first time she had seen the sky had been terrifying, but Narascha had gotten used to it, and enjoyed it.
Epona clearly did not.
It probably didn't help that they were constantly alert, surrounded by darkspawn, deepstalkers, giant spiders, and the Archdemon was flying around too.
It was all certainly unnerving.
They also didn't get a proper chance to rest, and had to constantly worrying about their supplies. There was no way to get safe water this far into the Dead Trenches, nor food, and hunting was scarce in the first place in the Deep Roads. Their bandages and potions were running low too, as were the ingredients to make them.
"The first thing I do when we get back to Orzammar is going for a bath," Leliana said, closing her eyes blissfully as they walked. "I'm so excited, taking that first step into a nice, hot bath and just relaxing."
Narascha couldn't help but smile at the thought. That sounded really good right now.
"I would just be happy to sit on a chair," Morrigan huffed.
"And eat a proper meal," Torph groaned.
"You Grey Wardens have been eating most of our supplies," Morrigan tutted.
"Sorry about that," Ciara laughed uneasily. "It's a Grey Warden thing in general."
"Everyone be quiet." Epona had frozen on the spot, her eyes hard.
Everyone instantly shut up. Narascha drew her axe slowly, eyeing the shadows, but there was no ambushes awaiting them, and the darkspawn whispers were oddly quiet.
"First day, they come, and catch everyone."
A cold shiver ran down Narascha's back, and Lawrien had gone rapidly pale and dropped her staff, pressing herself back against the wall.
"Oh no..." Lawrien breathed out shakily, clamping her hands over her ears. "Ciara..."
Ciara's eyes widened, but she reached out and grabbed Lawrien's upper arms. "Lawrien-"
"Second day, they bet us, and eat some for meat."
Epona crept further down the hallways, Zevran and Faren on her heels. Narascha hesitated, but Ciara waved them on, mouthing at some of them to stay with the other rogues. Torph went after them, as did Oghren, so Narascha followed suit with Cobian and Morrigan.
"Third day, the men are all gnawed on again."
"What the fuck is this creepy shit?" Torph hissed quietly.
"Fourth day, we wait, and fear our fate."
Fate? And the men, did darkspawn eat the men or was this something even more sinister?
"Fifth day, they return, and it's another girl's turn."
Girl? The thought made Narascha's frown deepen. The voice hadn't mentioned a girl before.
"Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams."
Narascha's grip tightened on her axe. What the hell was this? What was going on? Torph looked absolutely terrified, as did Faren, and Cobian looked nervous as he edged up closer towards Epona. Epona had her bow drawn, and an arrow notched, and her eyes were cold and hard.
"Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew."
Torph flinched hard at that, and mouthed a 'what the fuck' with wide eyes.
"Eighth day, we hated as she is violated."
Narascha stopped in her tracks. Violated? Darkspawn actually violated women?
They ate the men and raped the women.
By the Ancestors... Branka and her entire House... Oghren looked absolutely terrified, his hands shaking hard, while Torph gritted his teeth.
"Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin. Now she does feast, as she becomes the beast."
"Beast?" Torph swallowed thickly.
There was no darkspawn in the room were the echoing voice was loudest. Epona was the first to spot the dwarven woman in the corner of the room, staring at some strangle pink growth coming out from the ground.
She burned with the Taint, even worse than Ruck had. No wonder Lawrien was reacting so badly. Lawrien who was shakily walking in, gripping Ciara's hand tight. Ciara's other hand held her dagger, while Alistair had his sword and shield drawn next to Lawrien.
"That poor dear," Wynne said mournfully, staring at the tainted dwarven woman.
The dwarven woman stood up slowly, twitchy and stiff. Zevran's face was grim, and he had his daggers drawn, but Leliana gestured for him to stop, her face desperate.
"We cannot save her," Zevran whispered to her. "The poor woman deserves some peace, as Ruck did."
Narascha had forgotten that Zevran had wanted to give Ruck a quick end to his suffering. That felt like months ago by this point. The thought made her want to rub her throbbing head.
She was so tired.
"What is this?" the dwarven woman tilted her head. "Humans? Elves? Bland and unlikely. Feeding time only brings kin and clan. I am cruel to myself. You are only a dream of strange faces and open doors."
"We are no dream," Leliana said softly. "We... we would like to help you, if possible?"
"No... you can't..." the dwarven woman would barely look at them, staring at the ground with pale, almost lifeless eyes. "All I could do was wish for Laryn to go first. I wish it upon her so that I would be spared. But I had to watch. I had to see the change. How do you endure that? How did Branka endure?"
Oghren stiffened up. "Branka?"
"Her lover, and I could not turn her. Forgive her... but no, she cannot be forgiven. Not for what she did. Not for what she has become."
Oghren winced painfully. "Lover...?" he muttered.
"What happened to Branka?" Epona asked. "What did she do?"
"I will not speak of her!" the dwarven woman snapped. "Of what she did. Of what we have become. I will not turn! I will not become what I have seen. Not Laryn! Not Branka!"
The woman immediately bolted off down the hall, running deeper into the Dead Trenches. They all warily walked out after her, unsure of an ambush, because the whispers were beginning to grow louder again.
"We need to help that poor woman..." Leliana said softly.
"Maybe worry more about us right now..." Torph grunted.
"She became obsessed. That is the word, but it is not strong enough. Blessed stone, there was nothing left to her but the Anvil. We tried to escape, but they found us. They took us all, turned us."
They continued on, deeper and deeper into the tunnels, fighting through more darkspawn. The female dwarf had grown quieter, and they only realised why when they saw a whole swarm of darkspawn in a forge.
But two of the darkspawn stood out to Narascha the most.
What had armour of ancient dwarves, all welded together surprisingly well. The other was a genlock who had dropped a hammer he had been using to work on more armour on the forge. The thought almost made her jaw drop- the Smith caste would riot- as the genlock forge master raised his bow and opened fired on them.
They all scattered.
.:.
Ciara was trying to get to the forge master, but its arrows were flying her way. It forced her to take cover behind some more rock. She saw Zevran hit a wall hard, his daggers clattering away when he dropped them. He slumped against it, unconscious, as a Hurlock Alpha approached him lazily. It raised its sword, as Zevran began to stir.
Faren rushed in and tackled the Hurlock Alpha from behind, dragging him back from Zevran with a snarl. It turned its sword back and stabbed under its own arm, tearing straight through Faren's leathers and into his gut. Faren let out a pained cry as he fell, the sword still in his gut.
"Faren!" Ciara yelled.
"No!" Lawrien screamed. "Wynne, heal him!"
Wynne couldn't. She was healing Sten, who had been stabbed straight through by the ancient darkspawn. It was currently fighting Shale, Cobian, Narascha and Lawrien now, and it was holding them back.
Faren let out a pained filled shriek, and Ciara glanced back to see that the Hurlock Alpha had stomped on Faren's arm, earning a sickly, cracking noise.
"Ciara, help them!" Epona yelled. "I'll cover you!"
She rained down arrows at the forge master, forcing it to take cover. Ciara ran forward, side stepping a shriek and a few stray arrows, as she sprinted hard for Zevran and Faren.
Zevran sprang into action, leaping on the Hurlock Alpha's back and trying to break its neck with his bare hands. It ripped its sword out of Faren and swung at Zevran, who barely avoided taking the blow to the chest. Instead the sword tore through his shoulder, earning a pained hiss.
Ciara leapt in, grabbing the Alpha's head and throwing herself up, kneeing it in the face and knocking its helmet off. It released its sword and scrambled to try get her off. It stumbled off Faren's arm who winced painfully just as Zevran scrambled over to his side. Ciara didn't pay them much mind. She was too busy hooking her thigh's around the Alpha's neck, stabbing it repeatedly in the face. It killed the darkspawn hurlock but it was too slow and Ciara felt its claws yank down her back, tearing through leather and biting into her skin before it died. Ciara rolled off it as it fell to the ground and winced painfully as her back burned.
A shriek raced towards her, screeching and Ciara threw her dagger, slicing its shoulder. She cursed and tore out the hidden dagger in her brace as it leapt at her, tackling her to the ground and sending a yanking pain along her torn back. An arrow pierced right through its skull, thanks to Leliana or Epona, as Oghren reached the forge master and slammed into it with a furious roar.
.:.
Faren ignored the blinding pain in his arm and shoved a dagger into Zevran's hand, the pommel, not the blade.
"You need to be armed!" Faren yelled, throwing another dagger over Zevran's shoulder, getting another darkspawn who charged at them.
"Your arm. Your side-" Zevran's eyes were wide.
"I'll be fine!"
"You had a sword run clean through you!" Zevran protested.
"There's no time, I-"
"Warden Commander!" Sten screamed.
He had never screamed so desperately before.
Faren whirled round to see Lawrien being thrown off the ancient darkspawn's axe, blood pouring out of her as she hit the wall with a choked cry.
"LAWRIEN!" Ciara screamed.
"Ciara, wait!" Alistair yelled.
He was trying to get to them, but the crowd of darkspawn kept growing larger, trying to swarm them, and he was one of the ones holding them back from reaching Wynne.
Ciara rushed in, tackling the hurlock. It grabbed her hair, yanking her down, but Ciara stabbed its hand, kicking and thrashing. A wild look in her eyes. The hurlock used its free hand, the unarmed one, to punch her face. Ciara spat blood in its face, ducking beneath its fist, and stabbed its armpit.
It spun round into the attack, tearing a large cut across her side. Narascha charged in, despite the blood blinding one eye. Sten backed her up, still unsteady, but healed enough to fight again. Not even the three of them could take the ancient darkspawn down. It was too fast and strong. It took blows, but gave its own back just as hard.
Now Lawrien was dying and Ciara was going mad. No matter what wounds it gave her, Ciara was back on it. Sten was on his knees, clutching his leg, blood staining his armour again. Shale rushed in, throwing punches, but the hurlock evaded them, laughing. Wynne downed another vial of lyrium and tried to heal them all, her magic flaring frantically.
Faren felt his arm try to realign itself, but the healing magic drifted out from it, much to his frustration. At least it stopped his bleeding though.
"Dammit!" Oghren cursed.
He was still fighting off the genlock forge master. Faren and Zevran were forced to fight against the rest of the darkspawn trying to swarm them, with Alistair, Leliana, Torph, Morrigan, Epona and Calenhad. Oghren howled, battering into the forge master.
"Princess!" Torph suddenly cried out, the pair both spotting Narascha falling to the ground as well as Shale, the hurlock raised its axe- "Narascha!"
Faren turned from his new opponent charging him. Zevran would have his back. He threw his dagger, but desperation caught him off mark. It sliced the hurlock's cheek, missing the eye Faren had intended to hit. It swung down hard, but Ciara rushed in, her leg catching the darkspawn's, tripping him up.
The blade sliced Narascha's arm, catching and tearing the armour as she rolled aside, cursing loudly. The darkspawn backhanded Ciara, sending her stumbling back, before booting her stomach, throwing her to the ground.
A flare of light caught Faren's eyes. Lawrien stumbled to her feet, hands aflame, despite the blood soaking her leg. The ancient darkspawn laughed, a harsh, nasty sound, and grabbed Ciara by her hair, dragging her up in front of him.
"Dammit!" Torph cursed.
"Like hell I'd let you!" Narascha pounced, tackling the darkspawn and dragging it back. The hurlock thrashed, and released Ciara in the process. She quickly scrambled away and Narascha grinned, a fierce, wolfish grin. "I've got him, Lawrien. Go!"
"Narascha, I don't want to hit you!" Lawrien said, the fire growing brighter and larger with each passing second. The darkspawn thrashed against Narascha, tearing claws into her armour and face, ripping her skin.
"JUST DO IT!"
"Fuck!" Lawrien cursed. "Alright, but you better survive. Commander's orders!"
"Of course, Commander!" Narascha crowed.
Fire consumed the ancient darkspawn. Ciara retreated right back to Faren's side, and Faren even raised his hand to protect his face from the sheer heat boiling the caverns. Zevran cursed, even as Torph screamed. Wynne's entire body glowed with healing light, and it all flooded into the fire, heading right for Narascha, and Wynne stumbled, leaning heavily on her staff.
"Shit, Princess!" Oghren screamed.
"IDIOTS!" Torph screamed. "I'll kill them!"
The fire flickered out of Lawrien's hands in one last burst. She collapsed to her knees, blood soaking her side and legs. Narascha and the ancient darkspawn were knelt on the ground, the darkspawn's armour ash, and its skin burn to a crisp. It still tried to claw at Narascha whose armour was dark now, and her face just as ashy. Smoke rose up from them both.
Wynne managed to keep her somewhat intact, but it cost her. Wynne was on her knees, gasping. The genlock forge master bolted past Oghren in his moment of stunned horror, straight for Narascha. Torph was instantly in between them, but an arrow to the genlock's shoulder slowed it down, just in time for Shale to rush in and punch it back.
"We have to get out of here!" Alistair yelled.
"Fucking hell, Sten, grab Nara!" Torph screamed.
"He can't. His side is torn open again!" Ciara said, darting past, but Narascha raised her head shakily and flashed them a grin.
"I made it..." she slurred, then passed out, hitting the ground hard. The ancient darkspawn shifted, reaching for Narascha, but an arrow plunged into its head. That was when it finally slumped dead to the ground.
Faren tried to focus, but his arm, it was burning in agony, his hand crushed and mangled, and even looking at it made him want to throw up.
Cobian's sword swing cut down the genlock forge master finally, but he was limping badly.
"The ancient darkspawn broke my leg..." Cobian breathed out sharply. "I managed to reset it, but it's out of socket again..."
Morrigan rushed up to his side, grimacing. "Your wounds..."
"I'm not the worst off..." Cobian breathed out. "We haven't rested properly in weeks, our wounds are catching up with us too fast. We need to rest and recharge, but do not have the time, we're hitting our limits fast. Faren, are you okay? You're going really pale."
"Faren...?" Zevran called, but he sounded miles away.
The whole cavern spun, and then the world went dark as Faren hit the ground hard.