Dead Paragons
Torph struggled over to Narascha's side, who was shakily sitting up, her face growing paler by the second. Thank fuck she was still alive. That golem had launched Narascha like Sten threw Calenhad's sticks.
That had been terrifying.
"I think I have internal bleeding..." Narascha said, and yeah, there was blood on her teeth.
Fuck.
Torph sat down next to her, groaning as his aching, bruised body protested.
"That sucked. We didn't even get a Paragon..." Torph coughed, holding his side. "I dodged the most yet I still got battered. What shape is everyone else in?"
He could see Faren bracing Zevran who looked ready to crumble as he held his stomach, while Sten limped their way, Shale at his side. Morrigan had a nasty cut on her forehead and her hands shook as they helped make a sling for Cobian's arm. Wynne looked devastated, but was trying to tend to Faren's broken arm.
How was the kid holding up Zevran with his other arm exactly? Shouldn't he be collapsing from the pain?
Alistair was on the ground, Ciara already pulling at his armour to tend to his wounds. It looked like he had gotten punched by a golem. Oghren looked the worst off though, physically and emotionally. He sat at the spot next to Branka's corpse, eyes glazed. Lawrien stood right at his side.
"I'm not soft, Warden Commander." Oghren grunted. "You can leave me be."
"You've been alone all this time," Lawrien replied. Torph could see her eyes softening. "And now you're at your loneliest. Why would I leave you to deal with that?"
Oghren buried his face into his hands. "If she had just listened... Why, Lawrien? Why didn't she listen?"
Torph bit his lip and looked away, facing Narascha once more. Narascha who was coughing roughly into her hand and Torph winced when he saw the blood staining her gauntlet.
"I think Morrigan is the least injured," Narascha gasped. Once she finally stopped coughing, instead gurgling her water and spitting it out. "Damn, Wynne's going to run out of mana again, and with that spirit..."
Yeah Torph had no idea what to make of that shit either. Wynne was possessed by a spirit or something? He had no clue. That shit seemed more like a mage problem to him, and if Lawrien wasn't stressed out by it, then he wouldn't either.
Epona walked over slowly, squinting at them, and Torph winced when he saw the trail of blood running down her face. "How are we going to survive the walk back to Orzammar, Narascha? I see no clear path," she said.
"Hopefully the Legion of the Dead are lingering about." Narascha grimaced. "We focus on that goal for now. Then the next. Then the next."
"Until we get back to Orzammar?" Torph asked.
"Yes. Then we rest and then, when we are ready, we crown a King," Narascha said firmly, but jerked, coughing once more.
"Yeah... we're gonna die," Torph winced.
"We will make it!" Narascha spat. "We're Grey Wardens, and if we can't get out of here alive Ferelden will fall."
"There are always fallen countries during a Blight," Epona pointed out.
Torph had to admit, she had a point. History was the elf's thing, sure, but even he knew that the Blight has wiped out multiple countries and kingdoms before. It wasn't anything new.
"Doesn't matter! We have a duty to fight, and fight this is what we shall do," Narascha replied. "We tend our wounds, rest and reach the Legion of the Dead first."
"Sure, sure," Torph sighed.
"And so the Anvil has claimed another life... I wish no mention of it had made it into history," Caridin said heavily, staring down at Branka, while Oghren sighed and stood up.
"Yeah... no kidding... that stupid woman... I always knew the Anvil would kill her..." Oghren said mournfully.
"How was it that the woman was unable to disable me or make me do her bidding like she did to you, Caridin?" Shale asked.
"Oh yeah, he had been frozen doing that fight," Torph grunted.
"I do not know. Have you been altered?"
"I once had a pathetic little mage as my master. He... he did something to me... experimented on me. And then I killed him and it rendered me paralysed," Shale explained.
"The paralysis you speak of always resulted when the master perished. As for your free will... well you always were a strong woman, Shayle. I am pleased you remain as such," Caridin said.
"I... I don't know what to say," Shale admitted. "Thank you."
Caridin sighed heavily. "Don't thank me. All of this... this is my doing, my legacy... but at least it ends here. I thank you for standing with me, stranger. The Anvil waits for you to shatter it."
Morrigan grumbled. "Yes, excellent idea, just destroy it, after everything we've been through to get here."
Torph groaned. "We've decided already, Morrigan."
"Yes, yes." Morrigan rolled her eyes.
"Is there any boon I can grant you for your aid?" Caridin asked. "A final favour before I am freed from my burden?"
"Oghren? You lost Branka to this," Lawrien said softly. "I don't suppose there is anything you want?"
Oghren grimaced. "I don't suppose there is any way you could bring everyone from my house back? Branka? Hespith? Laryn? Anyone? Make them a golem like you?"
Caridin's voice softened. "I would not do such a thing to them, even if I could."
Oghren sighed. "Somehow I didn't think so. Then I don't want anything that will remind me of... all this... Best it is just done and over with." Oghren tilted his head. "There is still the matter of the election. I mean... we still need a Paragon to get the Assembly's support, right?"
"Oghren, you amazing man, thank you!" Narascha said.
Lawrien gave him a quick hug, which Oghren grunted at. "You're the best!" Lawrien grinned.
Torph chuckled. "Yeah, thanks, man."
"Alright, stop with the flattery!" Oghren protested, waving Lawrien's hug away, earning a laugh.
"For the aid you've given me, I shall put hammer to steel once more, and craft you a crown to give to the king of your choosing," Caridin said.
"Our choosing? Is that even allowed?" Torph asked.
"If it isn't, I will shoot one of them full of arrows," Epona said.
"We should have just done that from the beginning," Torph snorted, but laid down as Caridin approached his anvil, and began to work.
The sound of clanging slowly lulled Torph to sleep.
.:.
Lawrien watched as slowly everyone began to pass out. The golems, the remaining ones, seemed to be guarding the doorway, but she didn't rest. Oghren had buried Branka, and was now resting against the stairs to the anvil, closing his eyes and dozing. Cobian had his back to the wall, fast asleep, while Morrigan rested next to him and Calenhad's head laid on Cobian's lap.
Leliana was coaxing Narascha to drink a health potion, and managed to get her out her armour. Narascha had deep purple bruising, and open wounds and some burn marks, and Lawrien winced at the sight.
Those burn marks had been her.
Ciara had Alistair's head resting on her lap, while she sat back, leaning back the wall too. Alistair was fast asleep, as were Zevran and Faren. The only ones now awake were herself, Leliana, Narascha and Epona. Epona who came and sat down next to her.
"Wynne said I had to stay awake because of my concussion," Epona sighed. "I'll be the first one she heals when she wakes up so that I can rest next."
Her head had thick bandages around the top, pinning her hair down, but Lawrien could already see the wound was staining the bandages red.
"I wish I was good at healing magic so I could help more," Lawrien admitted.
"You are very good at breaking things," Epona said, patting her shoulder. "We all value that a lot."
Lawrien laughed. "Thanks. I value it too."
"You also caught Zevran before he could fall to his death when that broodmother launched him at the ceiling, so that was good," Epona said, groaning softly, clutching her head. "My head is pounding right now..."
"Try and get some rest," Lawrien said softly. "I'll keep watch for now."
Epona nodded. "Thanks. I'll try make the cavern stop spinning. One of those golems whacked my head, more like a graze, but... giant stone fist..."
Lawrien grimaced. "Yeah, they got Zevran and Alistair with those too, and none of us have recovered from the rest of our journey here either."
"Getting back is going to be difficult. Narascha said just to take it one step at a time, but we must be running out of time," Epona murmured.
"Let's just focus on getting back to Orzammar for now," Lawrien said. "Narascha is right. We need to take this a step at a time. We've had no help down here, and we need to find our way back too."
Epona sighed. "Fair enough I suppose..."
It took what felt like a day for Caridin to finish. Wynne had managed basic healing on everyone, where their major wounds would be fine as long as they didn't push themselves too much, but Lawrien already knew how that was going to end.
Badly. It was going to end badly.
Caridin handed Oghren the crown. "There, is it done. Give it to whom you will. I do not wish to hear their names, nor anything more of them. I have already lived far beyond my time. I have no place here."
"I'll destroy the anvil," Narascha said, stepping up to them stiffly, still aching.
"That would please me greatly, my lady." Caridin nodded.
Narascha went up to the Anvil, and Lawrien let out a blissful sigh when the voices, all screaming and pleading, were finally put to rest as Narascha smashed the anvil's hammer into it, shattering it to pieces.
Finally it was over.
Caridin headed over to the edge of the cliff which overlooked a pool of lava. Lawrien bit her lip at the sight, feeling Narascha's worry, her nerves, and sadness. She knew what Caridin was going to do.
"You have my eternal thanks, stranger," Caridin said. "Atrast nal tunsha... may you always find your way in the dark..."
Lawrien closed her eyes, just as Caridin took another step, and fell off the ledge. The last embers of his life force fluttering out like a candle. Lawrien forced herself to take a deep breath in, and forced herself to focus.
"Well, that pretty much beat the sod out of how I imagined it," Oghren said softly, approaching her side. "You ready to head back and share the news?"
"Yeah, guess we should get moving again," Lawrien sighed.
"The trip back should be easier," Oghren encouraged her.
"I'm thinking of the hot bath calling my name," Leliana said, approaching them, a determined flint in her eyes. "That is my goal. My one true purpose now."
Lawrien laughed. "Mine is food, and sleep."
"Okay, who is taking point?" Torph asked.
"I shall," Epona said.
"I will," Leliana corrected her. "You still need to rest from your concussion. Let me led the way."
Epona sighed. "Very well, thank you, Leliana."
"Worst off in the middle," Lawrien ordered. "Cobian, Faren, Narascha, Epona, that means you lot. Sten, you too. The rest of us are piles of bruises, yes, but you all either have broken bones, concussions, or have been stabbed straight through."
"Uh, Lawrien?" Ciara raised a brow at her. "You were stabbed straight through too."
Lawrien shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm fine-"
"Middle," Ciara insisted.
Lawrien groaned. "Fine."
.:.
Torph didn't know if he was able to walk much further, his throat was so dry, his tongue felt like it was swollen and his body felt so heavy. Narascha grabbed his arm tightly, her eyes firm. "Keep moving."
Her voice came out almost strangled from how dry it was, but he leaned against her, letting her guide his steps. Sten bet them to the end of the tunnel, Shale right at his side and Torph swore he heard voices not their own. He saw Narascha grin, relieved while Oghren let out a cheer.
"Thank the bloody Ancestors! We're back! Here I was beginning to think I had lost my way," Oghren chuckled, but he sounded just as weary as Torph felt.
Thank fuck they were back. He didn't think he could take another step. Not without falling face first into the ground, now he could fall face first into bed.
A bed. A fucking bed.
He almost fell asleep on his feet thinking about it, but Narascha shook him awake again as the guards holding the patrol point rushed into the tunnels, all shocked.
"By the Stone! You're alive! All of you!" the watchman gaped.
"We noticed. Now we could use some healing!" Morrigan spat.
"You will be needed at the Assembly immediately-" the guard tried, but Torph snarled.
"Oh, fuck that shit!" Torph barked out, it felt like his throat was being torn through and he leaned even more heavily on Narascha, inwardly wincing when she hissed painfully. "We've been down there for what like two fucking months? So shut the fuck up and move!"
Lawrien limped her way forward, her face flushed, but her eyes firm. "We'll handle the Assembly later. We have plenty to tell, but first we need to rest."
"You especially Lawrien." Ciara approached her, her face a heavy frown. "You're burning hot, and not in a good way."
"But-" the guard tried.
"Bhelen and Harrowmont can hold themselves for a day." Narascha eyed her friends. "Or two."
Oghren grunted. "Anyone for Tapster's Tavern?"
"Bed," Torph grunted.
"Urgh, fine," Oghren groaned. "I'll go home-"
"Ha!" Torph scoffed. "You're joining us at the Grey Warden estate."
Oghren blinked. "I... am...?"
"Sod off, yes you fucking are." Torph rolled his eyes.
The guards stood aside as they shambled their way into Orzammar. Each step was absolute agony, but Torph climbed the steps, walked down the streets, and gleefully made his way into pretty, shiny, Diamond District while looking like a piece of shit, and feeling like one too. They did attract quite the crowd of gawkers, and an older, bearded dwarf called out for Narascha. Narascha faltered for a moment, mouthing 'Harrowmont', but Lawrien grabbed her arm and dragged her along. They all quickly retreated inside the Grey Warden estate and barred the doors.
Nobody could disturb them now. Assholes. Torph grinned at the thought and gleefully made his way to his room. Bed. Bed. Bed. Bed-
Wynne caught his arm before he could flee. "I would suggest baths first, food, water then sleep. We're filthy. We all need to get out of our clothes and cleaned up properly, and have our wounds treated-"
Torph wriggled free and gleefully made his way past her. "Nope," he laughed hysterically. "I'll get out my armour, but I'm going to bed."
"Same," Narascha grunted, making her way past.
Wynne sighed heavily.
"I'm going for that bath," Leliana said, bolting for the bathing room.
The Grey Warden estate held two of them. A large bathing room for the women, and another room for the men. It had large baths built into the ground, then these weird values that released water from the ceiling lining one side of the room, while the other wall held bathing products and towels. So many towels. Torph however didn't give two shits about that right now. He was going to sleep. He was going to rest.
It was going to be blissful.
He retreated back to the bedroom he had claimed, not even bothering to shut the door. He shrugged off his leathers as best as he could, dumping them on the floor, and flopped down on top of his bed.
Torph groaned happily as he melted into the blankets and pillows lining the bed.
That was the good stuff.