They descended further down into the ruins, each with their own thoughts. Velanna, Sigrun and Oghren kept watch to the sides and behind.
The female dwarf closed her eyes and grunted. "Commander. You can't possibly consider letting that creature use Warden blood."
Deedo sighed heavily. She had thought this through several times since The Architect subdued her and Velanna. She heard in her lulled state. Now with the answer for when her stolen blood whispered, the pieces had fallen into place.
Taking a deep breath. "Yes." She answered.
"Commander?" Sigrun questioned, her tone heavy with accusation.
Deedo nodded, slowed to trail behind to the Dwarf's side. "You may hold it to me, my selfishness. Though consider this, honestly, not for my sake. I have read volumes of this world's history. I know what your race has endured."
Sigrun pondered. She was combating for years to keep the Deep Roads safe. Then, too, suddenly become overrun. Darkspawn slaughtered her Legion before she met an ill fate.
The High Elf continues. "Would you think of the ones before you? The ones after you? Just how many more will suffer, turned? How many families separated to become Wardens, brood mothers, innocent lives lost, if but for a glimmer of hope?" Deedo felt her emotions weigh on her heart. "My desire to see the Blights be no more. I may not be of your order and for that I apologize, and my deepest sympathies. I will sacrifice myself freely to rid what your world still suffers from."
A massive cavern was just insight as the Commander spoke. Incoherent ramblings, pitiful, agonizing screams mingled with bursts of chaotic laughter filled the scant illuminated space between the group tread.
The Mother. Pale, stretched, translucent visage bloated, immobile aside from the flailing in madness she harbored.
Deedo averted her eyes upon the sight of her. The large insect-like matriarch of the Darkspawn terrors that plague the lands of Amaranthine, the one who dared to besiege the city. Deedo swallowed her fear. This monster needed to be put down.
The group snuck closer, tiptoe they tread between the shadows and large ruin structure, a sickening squelch caused them to pause. Deedo looked down in disgust. Sigrun followed the sound, bringing the mage light closer to the ground.
Sigrun jumped back. "Ugh!" She turned quickly, stepping over whatever fleshy sack it was.
Oghren gave a small chuckle. "Better this than bronto dung." He lifted his foot. The tentacle drew back to its owner.
The Mother's voice echoed a whimper before bellowing. "Now the pieces fall into place. The Wardens come, instruments of The Father! Father?" Her distorted voice sounded confused. Then abashedly giggling with glee. "Oh, and Father is but a shadow! Oh, see how our children protect me! See how they love me!" Cackling once more, wriggling her massive bulbus swell.
The Father floats from behind the group, startling them. When did his form turn incorporeal?
"I have spoken… many times. I am not Father… simply the Architect." He wheezed.
Pulling at her already thinned hair grew in agitation. "It does not change what you are!" She flailed wildly, going limp. She sobbed, before groaning in agony, her head in her clawed fingers. "You did it! You took away the beautiful music! Left us with nothing!" Tearing at her pale skin.
"It seems… a mistake to… free you. Has left you… with madness. I truly am… sorry."
The Acting Commander felt no sympathy. "What has been done caused this horror? Even if she was not mad, she is still responsible for many atrocities!" Having read Kristoff's journals, in his findings, many people who fled the Southern regions seeking succor brought to feed this grotesque monstrosity.
A raspy giggle turned cackle filled the air. Harsh her message next. "Ah… perhaps I could tell you it was Father that began the Blight? Father?" She whispered to herself. "Was good, before I devoured."
The two Dwarfs looked at the Commander, worried, the Darkspawn were nothing new to them. Oghren especially knew what the Acting Commander had endured, himself, having traveled with her daughter to stop the very Blight the creature spoke of. Velanna looked at the Architect confused, then at Deedo, whose expression distorted from anger to menacing.
"Commander?" Oghren warned.
She turned from The Mother to the ghostly Emissary. "What do you mean, Began the Blight?" Many years ago she heard the Blight would come. Was what Flemeth said false? Darkspawn hears the calling of the Old Gods. Did this ancient mage have found the dragon disrupting its rest? Woken it up? Was that a possibility? Surely the Blight coming is not as simple as rousing one from slumber.
The loud laughter turned their attention to the insectoid. "The source of the Archdemon, the one who brought all our kind to the surface? There he is !" Screeching, pointing a clawed finger at the culprit. Deranged laughter made all but Deedo cover her ears.
Hot tears trickled onto her cheeks. The air grew warm where she stood, her own thoughts ready to claim her, her own madness grew.
The visage hung its head apologetically. "I did… find the Old God… Urthemiel. I did not... wish… for another… Blight. An… attempt at… my Joining Ritual." A breath. "My hope… was this would free… the Darkspawn call. Unravel the curse… from the source. Alas, it… was unfortunate."
"Shit." Oghren gripped his axe tighter.
Deedo was livid, calling off in order the people she's lost, recounting the many innocent that lost their lives, she stood a living flame. A light in the dark that filled the enormous cavern. "Had you thought about the repercussions of your actions?" Her body pulsed, singeing the sinew beneath her feet. "Because of you, you caused their suffering!" Launching herself forgetting the image was a mere illusion extended by the Architect.
The Mother cackled again. "Yes, how lonely the Father was. How terrible to be an outsider, an outcast!"
The others circled, Velanna casting spells on them, shielding them for what may come next. "Be on guard, the Mother still has to die." She whispered to the dwarven companions, stepping back semi circle towards the creature cautiously.
Deedo grew hotter, her flames burning brighter. She scorched the rock she slammed against. Her glowing white eyes looked at the Mother. Her gaze was unsettling.
"All was unforeseen… however you… feel about what… I have done… the Mother… still cannot…-"
"Begone shadow!" She shrikes, waving a hand, dismissing the illusion.
Deedo launched herself again. The flames burning the air, staving off the cold. "Now!" She ordered. Spells flew from her flaming fingertips, coating the group to haste and deflect incoming attacks. Bolstering mana and stamina.
Velanna wove spells of her own, and the others roared as they began their attack. They leap to avoid the appendages, ducked and dodged around the Mother, her tentacles lashing about to strike at the Wardens. A spell striking Sigrun's shoulder after just regaining her footing. Another spell striking a few scouts, sending them scattering.
"For my Godson!" Deedo summoned Cailan when the dagger implanted in one of the thrashing tentacles that slammed onto the ground. Every name she said, each child of hers, the flame from her hands lashes out like a whip onto the monster's body. Alistair, her lonely king, her thoughts to heavy on Olett. "For the Order!" Deedo summoned from the depths, fighting illusions that doubled herself and the others with her.
The Dwarven scouts that led them, roaring into action. Velanna, Oghren and Sigrun, doubled their efforts and more to put the Mother down.
It was quiet, save for the winds that blew around them. Quiet, thoughtful, the silence was deafening.
The elven commander's voice cut through the quiet. "Burn the body. Leave no trace." Deedo said, exhausted. "We head back immediately. We will leave you to tend to your injured and dead. Please come back to Vigil's Keep when you are able."
A solemn. "Aye, Commander." Came from the able-bodied dwarven scouts.
Deedolit looked back once more, cast her eyes away, aided by a few Dwarfs back to the surface with the others; the corpse of the Mother crackled in the fire, in the nest as her last resting place.
~*The Brecilian Passage.*~
From the ruins, they noticed nothing lurking in the woods. The Darkspawn seemed to have moved on from the area. Oghren stated not to have felt them as close as they once were from when they first arrived.
Sigrun agreed, still keeping her eyes and ears alert.
"Could it be the Architect?" Velanna asked, looking behind them and sighing with thoughts of her sister. A silent bid of farewell followed shortly.
A hum came from the elder elf. "Perhaps, or perhaps not. I would like to believe the former. We must make note, taking all into account what happened."
"All?" Was Sigrun's question looking up at the tall woman.
Deedo nodded her moonlight head once. "We can take shelter here for the night, then be on our way at daybreak."
They trudged through the forest, hours to the main road to a small, desolate village. The dismal looking area had seen better days.
Maybe, just maybe, the southern lands can flourish once again.