The tunnel opened suddenly into a vast, cavernous hall that seemed alive with motion and light. The walls shimmered with veins of lyrium, their glow pulsating like a heartbeat, each thrum sending a faint vibration through the stone. Pools of liquid lyrium glimmered across the floor, their surfaces rippling with the same rhythmic energy.
Adela stopped at the threshold, her breath catching. "What… is this place?"
Duran stepped forward cautiously, his axe in hand, his sharp eyes scanning the room. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's powerful."
The chamber was almost overwhelming in scale. Uncountable pathways branched out from its edges, disappearing into shadow. The faint echoes of the lyrium's pulse reverberated through the air, almost like the Stone itself was breathing.
As they ventured farther in, a voice suddenly erupted, booming and resonant.
"Children of Stone, what brings you here,
Into a place of heart and fear?
The air you tread, it bears the mark,
Of darkness festering in the dark."
Adela spun around, her daggers drawn. "What in the Stone's name was that?"
"It's not coming from one place," Duran said, his voice tense. "It's everywhere. And nowhere."
He took a step forward, his voice strong. "Who speaks? Show yourself!"
The voice replied, deep and melodic, its tone shifting with every word:
"No shape to see, no form to find,
I am of the Stone, ancient and blind.
Long have I dwelt in this sacred hall,
And watched as your kind has risen—and fall."
A Meeting of Fates
Duran exchanged a wary glance with Adela before speaking again. "You say you've watched us. Who are you? What are you?"
The voice answered, its cadence unwavering:
"What I am matters not to thee,
What you seek is what matters to me.
A name I had in ages past,
But such things fade, for they cannot last.
Tell me, child of Aeducan's line,
What brings you here, beneath the Spine?"
Duran stiffened at the mention of his house. "You know who I am?"
"Aeducan's blood runs strong and true,
The line persists, though times are cruel.
Once, a son of your noble kin,
Did tread these halls, and sought within."
Adela stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Another Aeducan? What do you mean?"
The voice shifted, its tone almost amused:
"Questions endless, answers few,
Yet you seek more than just what's true.
Say now, what purpose brings you near,
Why risk the depths and face your fear?"
Duran hesitated before answering. "We're Grey Wardens. Our people are under threat from the Blight. Darkspawn crawl through the Deep Roads, and worse—they're becoming bolder. We were separated from our companions after a collapse, but we've come this far to find answers. To stop the Blight."
For a moment, the hall fell silent, save for the rhythmic pulse of the lyrium. Then the voice returned, quieter but no less powerful:
"The Blight you seek to end, I see,
A poison deep in earth and sea.
Darkspawn, vile, a curse they bear,
Of shadows long, beyond compare.
To cleanse this scourge, to see it done,
You seek the path, but not the sun."
Duran frowned. "Not the sun? What do you mean?"
"The sun above cannot bring light,
To darkened halls where wrong burns bright.
Yet here I stand, here I shall stay,
To guide the few who walk my way."
The Voice's Knowledge
Adela narrowed her eyes. "You speak of riddles. What do you know of the Darkspawn? Of their origin?"
The voice seemed to hum with power, its response echoing in layered tones:
"Once they were not as they are,
Now they reach, yet fall too far.
Born of pride and thirst for more,
A curse was cast to seal the score.
Grey Wardens, bearers of the chain,
Hold the key to end their bane."
Duran stepped closer to the glowing pools, his voice resolute. "You know we're Grey Wardens. If you truly understand what's at stake, will you help us?"
A deep rumble shook the hall, the lyrium light dimming until only faint glimmers remained. The rhythmic pulse of the Stone slowed, growing softer with every beat. Then, from one of the countless tunnels branching out from the chamber, a brilliant light shone—a beacon among the shadows.
"Follow the path where light shines bright,
For it shall lead you through the fight.
The Stone remembers, the Stone shall see,
The children of dust and their destiny."
Adela turned toward the glowing tunnel. "Is this where we'll find the answers we're looking for?"
The voice answered, softer now, yet filled with ancient weight:
"The path ahead, your fate it binds,
The answers lie where courage finds.
Walk the way, and do not stray,
Or darkness will take the light away."
Duran hesitated, looking around the hall one last time. "Before we go… tell me. Who are you? What are you?"
The voice paused, its tone becoming almost wistful:
"I am the echo, the song of Stone,
A whisper loud, yet all alone.
What I was, I still may be,
What I am, you'll one day see.
Silent now, but loud when due,
Eternal, old, yet ever new."
The voice faded, and the chamber fell still once more.
The Path Forward
Duran and Adela exchanged a glance, the glowing tunnel beckoning before them.
"Do you trust it?" Adela asked.
Duran nodded, gripping his axe. "We don't have a choice. Whatever's ahead, it's better than staying here."
Adela sighed, adjusting her grip on her daggers. "Let's go, then. The others are counting on us."
Together, they stepped into the tunnel, the light growing brighter as they moved forward. The heartbeat of the Stone faded behind them, replaced by the soft hum of lyrium guiding their way.
And somewhere, deep in the silence, the voice lingered, watching as the children of the Stone took their next steps toward destiny.