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Blood Song	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 1631 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Break Out

He awoke to stomping feet, something that wasn't a rare occurrence in this place. It was noisy, smelly, and drove him mad that he had no idea what was going on.
Damien pushed himself to a sitting position, stretching the stiffness out of his muscles. Even though the creatures had given him a bed to sleep on, it wasn't the most comfortable. Although, he couldn't complain too much. It was more than he expected from darkspawn.
As he rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the light, he saw as they passed by his cell. A whole group of darkspawn lead by the talking emissary. A strange darkspawn Damien had never encountered before. He was able to control the others, and his speech was intelligent. Damien had had many conversations with him. They mostly consisted of Damien trying to get answers and the emissary evading his questions. He called himself the Architect, and the other talking darkspawn the Disciples.
Damien found it frustrating how he couldn't seem to get answers out of any of them. Including the dwarf girl who always seemed to be by the Architect's side. He could sense that she once used to be a Grey Warden, but was now so deep in the taint none of the other darkspawn noticed her. She was one of them now. Her name was Utha.
There was really only one person Damien could get answers from, but not fully. Seranni was a Dalish elf the darkspawn had captured when they were sent to investigate the clan. She had volunteered herself for one of the Architect's experiments. Slowly he was feeding her corruption, but Damien wasn't sure what he wanted her to become. She didn't even know herself.
As Damien stood from his bed and watched the Architect and Utha pass, he saw the group of darkspawn carrying five bodies. When they went by, he immediately felt four of them through the taint. They were Grey Wardens, and one of them he recognized. “Lisha?” he whispered surprised. “So zey made 'er the commander after all.”
He followed as they went by, wondering how they were captured and what the Architect planned for them. If it was the same as with the other Grey Wardens, it wouldn't be good.
“Oh, hey! Seranni!” he whispered when he saw her at the end of the group. She stopped and looked at him, hesitant as she was unsure to either go to him or continue with the darkspawn. Damien gestured for her to come forward. Finally, after much head turning, she obliged.
“I really don't have much time, Damien,” she said. “What do you want?”
“I know zose are Grey Wardens, Seranni. What does ze Architect plan on doing with zem?”
“He... just wants to talk. Maybe... collect a blood sample as well.”
“And do ze same thing 'e did to my companions?” Damien could see Seranni looked scared, but of what, he wasn't sure. It only occurred to him then what it might be. The fifth body wasn't a Grey Warden, and even though he had only gotten a quick glance, he could still tell she was an elf and Dalish. “Was zat elf they had... was zat your sister?”
Seranni swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“And you're going to let 'im do zis to her?” he asked bewildered. “Your own sister?”
“He's going to offer it to her,” she spoke calmly. “If she accepts, then we'll be together again. If she denies... then he'll have no choice.”
“I don't believe zat. Please, mon ami, tell me: Where is ze Architect taking zem?”
“To the cells right next to his laboratory. Please, Damien, I need to go. They'll look for me.”
“Wait!”
Seranni ran off in the direction the darkspawn had gone. Damien stared at the tunnel for a moment before hanging his head and sitting back on the bed. He knew he had to do something. No longer could he just wait around anymore for either the Architect to decide what to do with him, or for more Grey Wardens to come and rescue him. More Grey Wardens had come, but now they were captured. Damien didn't even know if they had come for him. They probably didn't even know he was still alive.
Looking around his cell, Damien knew what he had to do. Somehow he had to escape and save the others. Somehow he was suppose to get out of his cell and sneak around darkspawn filled tunnels with no armor and no weapons. They had been striped from him when he first arrived. His armor taken and replaced with dirty rags. His two longswords, Veillée and Victoire, forcibly taken and placed where he couldn't get to. He couldn't stand that part the most. Those two swords were his pride and joy. He hated being separated from them. Getting them back was going to be tricky. Getting out of his cell was going to be trickier, but Damien felt that if he could, he might have a chance.
Damien did have one thing that gave him an advantage against the darkspawn. Before becoming a Grey Warden, Damien was a Reaver. Dragon blood coursed through his veins which masked him from lower level darkspawn as well as younger Grey Wardens. This proved very useful when he fought them, allowing him to sneak up on the darkspawn that couldn't sense him coming. Higher levels could still sense him through the taint, however, such as emissaries, alphas, the Architect, and senior Grey Wardens older than him. It was probably the reason why the Architect was keeping him around, wanting to learn more about his unique blood.
Standing from the bed, Damien began to pace, thinking as he went. If he could break out of his cell, then it could be possible. He would just try and avoid the higher level darkspawn and go straight to finding Lisha and the others. It was a plan, and Damien set forth to get it done. All he needed to do was pick the lock. The only problem was he was a warrior, and a horrible lock picker.
***
There was a bright light, something standing in front of it. It was silhouetted, the light shinning behind it like a halo. Lisha tried to look at it, but it was out of focus, blurred and warped. She could sense it, feel its power as it hovered over her, examining her. She realized she was lying down, strapped to a table, unable to move. Her world still swirled around her, making her feel sick as she tried to take in her surrounding.
“So you are the Commander of the Grey?” the thing above her spoke. Lisha tried to focus her vision to get a better look. It felt like a darkspawn, strong, but unlike anything she had ever seen or felt before. Different even from the talking darkspawn. Alien, and even its features were strange, if she was looking at it correctly.
“You do not need to be afraid. I will not hurt you.” Its voice was deep and gravely, sounding cultured and intelligent. Whatever this darkspawn was, Lisha felt it was telling the truth.
She wanted to speak, but nothing seemed to work.
“You should relax,” it said. “It is not wise to try and speak right now. If you wish, we can converse when you are ready.”
Lisha wanted to nod her head, but she couldn't even do that. Every part of her body felt heavy. She couldn't tell if it was because of the restraints or from whatever spell it had placed on her.
Is she one of them? Does she have the song?
It was a voice in the taint. A small voice, light and feminine. Lisha shifted her eyes from the darkspawn and saw what used to be a dwarf standing beside it. A female dwarf, only from the eyes, as her head was bald and the rest of her body was clad in heavy armor and skin as black and leathery as a genlock.
“No, Utha. If she had the song, then I'm sure we could sense it.”
But I thought she was the warden-commander? Isn't that what the mage said before she walked into your spell? The warden-commander is one of the two who killed Urthemiel. I don't understand.
“Yes, but she, apparently is not the one.” The darkspawn shook its head, looking disappointed. “Do not worry, Utha, we will succeed. The Mother will not get her hands on them.”
Lisha looked from one to the other. Were they talking about Arawin and Zelda? Was the Mother after them? She remembered her dream, of the wicked broodmother who screamed and laughed. Lisha didn't like the thought of that thing going after Arawin. She tried to move again, but the results were the same. When she shifted her eyes again, this time she caught a glimpse of the room. It was a laboratory, instruments all over, switches and vials. Over on other tables she saw her companions: Anders and Nathaniel, Sigrun and Velanna. Next to Velanna stood someone. Another elf, Dalish with the same blonde hair as Velanna, skin splotched with corruption. She looked down at the elven mage, confusion and worry on her brow. She then looked over a Lisha, a quick glimpse before shifting her eyes away. They went back to Velanna before looking toward the door behind her.
Seranni? The dwarf spoke through the taint to her. She turned back, milky eyes empty. It's all right. You know she'll accept.
Seranni focused one more time on Velanna. Nothing about her features or facial expressions were convincing. “I'm not so sure anymore,” she whispered.
Nodding to the darkspawn and dwarf, Seranni took her leave of the room. Lisha watched her descend down stairs before disappearing.
The dwarf snorted, making Lisha shift back to them.
I don't think she's going to do it.
“Whatever she decides,” said the darkspawn. “It will end the same.”
So what are you going to do with them until then?
“I will take some samples, heal their wounds, and then place them in the cells below. When they awake, I'll talk to the warden-commander, and then we'll see from there.” It turned its attention to Lisha and saw she was focused on it.
“There's no need to fear. Now sleep, rest. You will need it. And when the time comes, everything will be explained.”
A hand with long, skeletal fingers waved in front of her face. Lisha felt the wooziness, the darkness beginning to creep back into her head. Everything became distorted and out of focus. The heaviness grew, and soon she found herself back in the depths of deep sleep.
***
For a time, Damien stood next to his cell door, arms through the bars as he tried to pick the lock with a make-shift wire. He was having no luck, and getting more and more frustrated as time went by.
“Merde! 'Ow do zese rogues do it?”
There were light footsteps coming down the tunnel. Quickly Damien made his way back to the bed and sat watching the tunnel entrance. There were no guards for him, probably because the Architect didn't think he would try and escape, but occasionally darkspawn would come down to check on him. Sometimes the Architect himself. This time, however, it wasn't either. Seranni made her way into the dungeon area. In her hands something wrapped in cloth. Damien wasn't surprised to see her. Although he didn't know what time it was, whether it was night, day, morning, afternoon. It was always around this time that Seranni would bring him something to eat.
“Here,” she said handing it to him through the bars. “Sorry I'm late.”
“Frankly, I can never tell if you are,” Damien said taking the cloth. “I zank you, mon ami, but I'm afraid I'm really not zat hungry right now.”
“You should eat anyway. Keep your strength up.” She nodded toward the cloth before turning around and leaving the room. Damien watched as she went, finding it curious how she was acting.
He sat back on the bed again and unwrapped the cloth. Inside was nothing more than a loaf of bread, nothing new from what she always brought him. He wasn't sure how long he had been here, but he knew it was long enough for him to start hating bread. This loaf seemed different, however. As he picked it up to look, he saw a slit in the side. None of the ends were cut, and it looked as if something was inside. Reaching in, he pulled out an iron key. Damien found himself confused.
“What is zat girl up to?”
Seeing this was what he needed, Damien decided to let it go. Whatever Seranni was planning, he would have to wait and figure out later. Maybe she had been waiting for her sister to be captured, then would use him to get them out. If that was the case, Damien would do what he could. At the moment, however, getting out of his cell and finding his weapons was his top priority.
He went to the bars and checked to make sure there were no guards around. He then closed his eyes and scanned the area, feeling if any darkspawn were coming. He felt none and opened the door.
Stepping out of the cell and finally feeling freedom felt wonderful to him. It was elating, and got his blood pumping, knowing he would have to sneak around the mines with so many darkspawn present. Slowly, Damien made his way through the tunnel, sticking to the walls and stopping every now and then to feel for any darkspawn ahead. So far he found himself very lucky, as the only darkspawn he felt were lower levels, genlocks and hurlocks that could not feel as he snuck up behind them and snapped their necks.
One hurlock he came across he noticed was just his size. Dragging the body into a corner, Damien stripped it of its armor and put it on himself. The helmet was quite big, but served to cover his entire face. He then collected two jagged longswords from the bodies and continued his way through the tunnels.
Covered in darkspawn armor and covered from their eyes, Damien made his way through the mines a little faster. He was able to walk past some darkspawn groups that barely gave him a second look. He still avoided stronger darkspawn, however, and continued to feel for them through the taint before entering new rooms and going down new tunnels. He also tried to search for Lisha, trying to feel her through the taint as well, but searching for one person through a web that seemed to stretch for miles down in these mines was tedious. Damien knew if he searched for her for too long eventually he would be sensed himself. He also knew at some point, the darkspawn who go to check on him next would not find him there. They would send out a single through the taint to the other darkspawn, and it was that single he was waiting to feel.
As he turned another corner, stopping to feel ahead before moving forward, he finally felt a presence that was familiar. His eyes shot open, can't believing he was still alive. Not even bothering to sense the rest of the area, Damien dashed down the tunnel to find at the end another group of cells. In one laid a man on the ground, his eyes closed.
“Keenan! Keenan! Is zat you?” Damien ran to the cell door and used the key to open it even before there was a response. The man slowly opened his eyes, seeming dazed and weak as Damien went and knelt beside him, taking off the helmet. “Oh, zank ze Maker you're alive!”
“D-Damien... is that you?” Keenan struggled to focus on him. His skin was pale, thin, clinging to his face. “I thought... I thought you were...”
“I know,” said Damien. “I thought you were dead, as well. I believed I was ze last one. Can you get up? We need to get out of 'ere. I 'ave some bread if you need it.”
“No, it's not that,” Keenan said as he sat up. Damien noticed that it pained him to do so. “It's my legs. I can't move them because they've been crushed.”
“Ce? 'Ow did zat happen?” Damien noticed Keenan's legs were slightly deformed. He hovered a hand over them, making Keenan grimace from his touch.
“Ah, please don't!”
“Sorry. It's just... hard to see you like zis.”
Keenan slumped to his back, seeming exhausted just from the effort of sitting. “How did you get out, Damien?”
“I was able to get a key,” he said showing it to Keenan. “It's a long story, one I can explain to you later. Right now, I need to try and find a way to get you out of 'ere.”
“No, no! You can't risk it. You're already out, Damien. You should keep going, leave me behind. I'll only slow you down.”
Damien looked down at his friend with certainty. “If you zink I'm going to do zat, then you're crazy. I'm not leaving you behind, no matter what.”
“Damien...” Keenan shook his head. “You need to go, but... could you at least do one thing for me?”
“Anything.”
“There's this large darkspawn, an alpha. He carries a heavy maul. He's the one that crushed my legs. He also took my wedding ring. Please, Damien, do you think you might be able to find him and get it back? If you can't, then I understand. I just want my wife... my wife to know...”
“I will get your wedding ring back, if I can,” said Damien. “But you're still coming with me.”
“No, Damien, that's not what I want! I want you to find Nida. She should be in Amaranthine. Give it to her and tell her I died trying to make this world better.”
“You died? No, I will not. You are still alive, mon ami, so you can tell your own wife what you will. Now 'ere, eat zis.” Damien handed Keenan the bread and stood to look around the cell.
“You're not going to listen to me, are you?” Keenan asked as he stared at the bread.
“When 'ave I ever?”
“When it comes to important things, then I guess never.” Keenan began breaking the bread in pieces and chewing them slowly. He watched as Damien ran around his cell and the others madly, trying to find anything that would help him get Keenan out of there.
“Ah! Zis should do it!” Damien grabbed a long piece of wood and placed it next to Keenan. “Now, zis will hurt, but I need to get you on zis plank.”
“Yeah...” Keenan said as he looked at the plank. He shifted his eyes to Damien, then nodded. “Just... let me get partially on there first.”
Keenan placed down the bread first then sat up and shifted his upper body over. Pain shot up from his legs due to the movement. Keenan soon settled himself and took deep breaths. Damien made his way to Keenan's feet and waited for his friend to be done.
“Are you ready?”
“Just do it,” Keenan grimaced.
“Right.” Quickly, but as gently as he could, Damien grabbed Keenan's feet and lifted both his legs. Keenan cried out from the pain as Damien placed them on the plank, tears leaking out his eyes.
“Keenan, I'm sorry. Are you all right?”
“I'll be... I'll be fine,” Keenan struggled. “It had to be done.”
Damien hated seeing his friend in so much pain, but he was right. After he saw Keenan would be fine, he went about again and found some dirty clothes. Taking them, he ripped them into stripes and used them to tie Keenan's legs to the plank. It was another painful process, but Damien worked fast. When he was done, he then dragged Keenan out of the cell and to the center of the dungeon area. The scratching of the plank on the stone made a loud sound, along with Keenan's own grunts and involuntary yells. It made Damien stop and rethink his plan.
“See?” said Keenan as he took in deep breaths from the effort. “You need to leave me behind. You're vulnerable with me.”
“I don't care. We're getting out of 'ere together.” Damien took a look around once more but saw nothing that might help. “Wait 'ere. I'll be right back.”
Damien made his way back down the tunnel he had come from. What they needed was something with wheels, and Damien remembered passing a cart. He traveled down a way before finding it, a mine cart that still had all its wheels. It looked broken down and useless, but when Damien began to push it, he found it could roll fairly easily. When he got it back to Keenan, his friend didn't look very happy.
“You're not putting me in there, are you?”
“What else are we going to do? Zis will work. I just need to pick you up one more time. Sorry.”
Keenan braced himself for more pain as Damien picked him up and loaded him in the cart. They waited for Keenan to catch his breath once more before Damien began pushing the cart. It wasn't as easy as Damien had hoped, but it was better than dragging Keenan through the mines.
As they made their way, Damien placed back on his helmet, but he needed to be extra careful. Keenan could be felt now, and the darkspawn would more than likely investigate why Damien was pushing him around. He went slow, listening and feeling for everything. He felt for the alpha Keenan mentioned, as well as for Lisha and the others.
“'Ere,” Damien said as he came across an abandoned bow and quiver in the tunnel and handed it to Keenan. “You might need zese.”
“I'm not a very good archer.”
“Now's a good time to learn. Hopefully you won't need to use it, but at least you won't be weaponless.”
“Do you know how to get out of here?” Keenan asked as he placed the bow and quiver next to him.
“No, but we're not getting out until we get your wedding ring back.”
“Oh, forget about that, Damien. I don't know what I was thinking, having you go after an alpha all by yourself. I won't be able to help you at all.”
“Don't worry about zat. I won't go after ze alpha alone. First, I'm trying to find ze warden-commander. She's 'ere, I saw her, along with some recruits.”
“Really? Who did they choose to be the commander?”
“'Er name is Lisha. She's a Dalish elf, and Arawin's adopted mother, basically. You remember 'er, right? From 'er Joining in Val Royeaux.”
“Oh, yes. I remember her now. She and her husband went through the Joining together and they both survived. Which was quite remarkable, really.”
“Oui, but now she's 'ere with more Grey Wardens, captured just like we were. I need to get zem out as well.”
“Of course, but—Damien watch out!”
Damien pushed the cart hard and moved a split second before the maul could come down on his head. He landed on his backside, Keenan's cart crashing into the the wall of the tunnel making him scream. Damien looked up to see a large alpha hurlock looming over him, a giant maul in his hands. It glared, dark eyes sharp and a red ooze dripping down from its black teeth. It went to raise its maul again, faster than Damien thought it could, and smashed it down. He barely had time to get out of the way.
Going to his feet, Damien grabbed the two darkspawn swords and placed himself in between the alpha and Keenan. He stared down the darkspawn, getting a sense of him, feeling his strength and knowing this wasn't going to be easy alone.
“That's him,” Keenan grunted. “He's the one that did this to me.”
That was enough to send Damien's blood boiling. He would have preferred to take on this darkspawn with the help of the others, but it looked like he was going to have to do it himself.
The hurlock snorted then swung his maul. Damien jumped out of the way and went to cut one of the swords into its flesh, but he had to jump again when the maul came back. The darkspawn was strong, able to wield the maul very easily, swinging it at him without remorse. Damien had to constantly move, every time he thought he could get close, the maul would always drive him back.
“Damien, just forget it!” Keenan shouted. “Get out of here! He's too much for you!”
“No, I am not abandoning you!” Damien yelled back. He let out a battle cry and charged at the hurlock when it swung its maul into the wall. He struck its side with both swords, cutting through the rusted armor it wore. He hit its flesh, but did little to harm it. The maul came flying back around, the handle of it hitting him in the side. Damien felt his ribs crack. He fell to the ground, one of the swords flying from his hand. Immediately, despite the pain in his side, he had to move again as the maul came crashing down.
A hiss then sounded down the tunnel and Damien spotted what looked like two large lizards coming at him. He rolled again as the maul came down, getting close enough to his sword to grab it. He crossed his swords just as one of the creatures snapped its teeth, biting down on the sword instead. He recognized them now, dragonlings. The two little dragons snapped at him, driving him back further. He couldn't defend against both. One he blocked, while the other was able to get past his swords and dig its teeth in his right arm. Damien screamed from the bite, the darkspawn armor he was wearing useless against the dragonling's teeth. He tried to shake it off, but the dragonling wouldn't let go. The other snapped as well, biting him in the chest.
The hurlock alpha came storming forward, bringing up his maul and driving it down. Damien used the opportunity, positioning himself so the maul would come down on the dragonling attached to his arm. The maul crushed the dragonling's spine, forcing it to let go of him. The hurlock grunted, angry at having hit the wrong target. It kicked the limp body away and went to strike again.
Damien's own anger grew as the pain from both his side and arm fueled his rage. He quickly moved, going forward and sticking one of the swords in the hurlock's abdomen. The other dragonling hissed and leaped in the air, only to be brought down by an arrow that had embedded in its neck. Keenan fired another arrow in its head, bringing it down for good. He then tried to fire more arrows at the hurlock, but most of them bounced off its armor.
The hurlock seemed unaffected by the sword in its abdomen. It continued to swing its maul, but Damien was beginning to out maneuver it. He ducked another swing and cut the two swords across the hurlock's chest. He then went low, sweeping its legs. The hurlock raised its maul but when Damien cut its legs, the darkspawn fell. It brought its maul down, however, right on the arm the dragonling had bitten. Damien grunted, but used the momentum to bring both his own swords down into the hurlock's chest, killing it fast. He grimaced as pain shot through his body as he crawled to Keenan's cart and climbed up it.
“Damien! Damien!” Keenan cried as he watched his friend. “Oh Maker, what are we going to do?”
“We're going... to wait,” Damien said as he lend against the cart. “Give me time, Keenan.”
Keenan watched as Damien straightened his broken arm. The other arm holding his side. It took some time, but eventually he saw relief on Damien's face.
“Zat's better,” Damien sighed. “I zink I can continue on now.”
“What? No, you're hurt!”
“'Ave you forgotten about me already, mon ami?” Damien smirked.
“Oh, that's right. I don't know why I forgot about your fast healing. But are you sure it's wise to continue on now? Maybe we should wait a little longer.”
“No, we need to keep moving. Besides,” he said as he bent down and searched the hurlock's armor, finding what he was looking for. “Now zat zis hurlock is dead, I can feel Lisha. 'E must have been blocking me. And you might also want zis.” He handed Keenan his wedding ring.
“Thanks,” Keenan said taking it, although not seeming very happy to have it back. “If we get out of here, I'd like to see my wife.”
Damien saw the sadness in his friend's eyes, heard it in his voice. “Yes, we will get you to 'er. But right now, I 'ave to find Lisha. Come on, Keenan. I can feel zey are close.”

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening
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Blood Song