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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
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Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
Parts of this chapter are taken from the dialogue with Branka and with Caridin during the video game Dragon Age Origins. During the section of the quest "A Paragon of her own Kind", the dialogue takes place at the Anvil of the Void between the player character and either Branka or Caridin.
Those dialogue choices belong to BioWare, the creators of the video game.
Thank you all so much for your continued readership! It means so much! And a BIG thank you to everyone who leaves a review!
Translations:
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty." Endearment Zevran uses for Riel.

So this was where the legendary Anvil of the Void was…. Riel mused to herself as she took in the immense open area in front of them. They had been following Branka's notes for days now, and they have led here, to this place. So many miles deep underground that lava bubbled and boiled, running like a rivers along the side of rooms or at the bottoms of steep cliffs. The light that the fiery liquid gave off casted an array of moving shadows on everything, seeming to bring even the rocks and walls to life as the lava churned and flowed along.
The anvil itself was supposedly a magical item of great power, crafted by the ancient dwarven smith Caridin. With its power, golems of both rock and metal could be fashioned and controlled with magical rods to do their wielder's every bidding. At one point in dwarven history, legions of these magical golems were used by the dwarves to battle against the Darkspawn tide to some success. Through various victories, the dwarves managed to push back against the rising Darkspawn tide, and were even able to temporarily regain lost territory. However, at some point the anvil was lost, and with it the ability to create new golems. Coupled with the disappearance of Caridin himself around the same time, the victories that the dwarves had so long enjoyed began to dwindle. Without new golems to replace the ones destroyed or damaged, soon everything that the dwarven people had gained was again lost to the ever increasing Darkspawn horde.
At least, that was how the stories went. Passed on through the dwarves records, and kept by specially trained dwarven scholars by the name of the Shaperate. He and others recorded everything related to dwarven life in the Memories - the written history of the dwarven peoples going back for ages. Births, deaths, and everything in between was recorded in the Memories. Well, everything that they were able to salvage after losing so much to the Darkspawn menace that had plagued the dwarven peoples for over a thousand years.
Their lost history and the ever increasing threat of the Darkspawn were actually the very basis for why Branka and her house descended into the Deep Roads over two years ago. Their mission - to find Caridin's lost anvil and rebuild a massive golem army to once again do battle against the horde that had decimated their people. To finally regain and permanently take back everything they had lost over the centuries.
Branka was a smith caste woman who was married to Oghren of the warrior caste. At one point, she was elevated to status of Paragon - a highly respected and envied position amongst the dwarven people - due to her invention of a new smokeless coal. Paragons became a form of a living god to the people, 'chosen' by their ancestors and venerated by the whole of the dwarves for their wisdom, insight, and abilities. Perhaps that was why Branka thought that she could do what no other dwarf had done and manage to find such a priceless relic of dwarven history and importance. However, even the grandest dreams can end badly. Hespith and Laryn were evidence enough of that.
However flawed the woman was though, Riel needed Branka to gain the dwarven army she needed to fight against the Blight that continued to rage on the surface above them. And this cursed place, miles and miles under the surface, was where Branka's notes had led them to. Anvil or not, Riel was taking the Voidforsaken woman back with her, even if she had to drag her kicking and screaming through all of the Deep Roads herself!
"Branka should be somewhere around here, Warden," Oghren stated, hefting his hammer to his shoulder as they walked.
"Oghren…. I should have known…."
Riel looked up at the sound of a woman's voice, her eyes finding a female dwarf standing up high on rock wall several feet in the distance. With greasy brown hair pulled back from her face by the ties behind her head, pinched facial features and the well worn armor that she wore, the woman looked more like a mad hermit than a noble woman of standing.
"Well shave my back and call me an elf! Branka! It is you!" Oghren laughed joyfully.
"Let me be blunt with you. After all this time, my tolerance for social graces is fairly limited. That doesn't bother you, I hope?" the woman replied in a caustic manner.
"You are Branka, noble woman of Orzammar?" Riel asked cautiously, the warnings spoken of by Hespith still vivid in her mind.
"I am." Branka was silent for a moment as her eyes roamed over Riel, appraising her. "And who might you be? Some sniveling mercenary hired by Oghren here to take me back?"
"Mind yer manners woman! This here is a Grey Warden!" Oghren replied.
"A Warden, huh? Something must have happened back in Orzammar then. Your kind normally do not travel this far into the Deep Roads, and never in so many numbers." Branka began to pace along the wall, her eyes locked on Riel. "Let me guess. A Blight is happening and the Grey Wardens have come begging for the dwarves help against it. Never mind how much we have lost on a constant basis fighting the Darkspawn. No, your kind comes asking for more because suddenly it is your land that is now in danger."
"Every land is threatened by a Blight, Branka," Riel spat out, annoyed at the other woman's dismissive tone.
"Every surface land, perhaps. A Blight is the only time we dwarves get a measure of peace in our constant battle!" Branka exclaimed before casting another seething gaze upon Riel. "However, you wouldn't be all the way down here looking for me unless something was preventing you from gaining the dwarven blood and bone you required for your army. What is it then? Is Endrin dead? Seems like the most likely scenario. He was getting old when we left. And now the Assembly is deadlocked in deciding his successor? Trian and his brothers are no longer alive as well?"
"Only Bhelen is left. The other two have died. Harrowmont contests Bhelen's right to rule," explained Riel, her tone hard as her patience thinned.
"An idiot prince and even bigger idiot advisor. Perfect."
"We need you come back to end the deadlock."
"Of course you do," Branka replied snidely to Riel. "You have wasted your time then, Grey Warden. I care not for the trivial matters of deshyr lords or the passing worries of the surface world. What I am after is something worth far more than anything you can imagine! With the anvil in my possession, the dwarven people will no longer need to cower behind their reinforced doors, fearing the Darkspawn that have taken so much from us!"
"Are ya outta yer mind, woman? Whatta bout all the people of yer house?"
"In all things of importance, sacrifices must be made. They pledged their lives to me, to serve me and my endeavours. And they died doing so. The paths here have not always been clear, or free of danger. Their lives were used to get me this far, as was their duty. And with their sacrifices, many more lives will be saved once I have the anvil in my possession."
"You can't go around risking people's lives like that! How could you do such a thing?!" Riel cursed out, her face a mask a anger and horror.
"Branka! This is madness! How could ya think sacrificing yer own people was worth it?"
"I am your paragon," Branka said with a short bow of her head.
"Is that what you told Hespith, Branka?"
Branka pinned Riel with a glare. "She knew what this was about! She betrayed me! Now I tire of your rambling! The anvil is so close, I can feel it! If you wish my aid in placing a crown on the next thick skulled moron in line, then you will do what my house and the Darkspawn they gave to me could not! You will endure Caridin's trials and grant me access to the anvil!" Branka called out before jumping down the other side of the wall and disappearing.
"By the stone! What has gotten in ta her?" exclaimed Oghren, shaking his head.
"Oghren, I need to know you can handle this," Riel replied stiffly.
"What's that supposed ta mean?"
"It means that your wife has lost her senses, dwarf!" Morrigan hissed out in response. "And you need to be prepared to deal with it!"
"Look Warden, just let me talk ta her, Warden. When I married Branka, she was the type of woman ya could talk ta for five minutes and just be amazed at her brilliance! There has got ta be a way to get through ta her!"
Riel rubbed at her temples, fighting the pain that throbbed there. So much for the easy way… she inwardly grumbled. "Fine. We'll catch up with Branka and get this sorted out."
"If there are to be traps ahead, then it would probably be best if Zevran and I take point."
Riel looked over to Leliana and frowned even deeper. She didn't like the idea of putting the two of them in danger, even if they were the most skilled at detecting and disarming traps. No matter how much Riel tried, she couldn't seem to match either of their innate skills. Simple locks she could sometimes pick, but that was the extent of her abilities. To Riel, it was just one more of her failures as a rogue that plagued her mind.
"I don't like-" Riel started before being cut of by Zevran.
"Leliana is right. Both of us are far better trained at disarming traps."
Riel lowered her eyes to the ground, missing Leliana's wince at Zevran's words. "You're right," she said after a moment. "You two will take point, however I want Shale close by in case of attack. Sten, Oghren and Fen will stay by Wynne and Morrigan, guarding them."
"And what of you, Riel?" Zevran asked.
Riel fixed a fake smile to her lips and met his questioning eyes. "I will do as I always do," was all she said before turning and walking away.
"Arrows, Zevran… Arrows…." Leliana huffed before walking after Riel.
"I don't understand…"
"Perhaps she meant to stick one in that foolish head of yours…" groused Morrigan as she walked by.
What have I done now? Zevran thought to himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The tests and trials that followed were brutal. Designed by the old Paragon Caridin to keep people away from the anvil, they tested every aspect of one's character. Many traps were designed so skillfully to practically go unnoticed by either Leliana or Zevran's well trained eyes. Trials designed to wear down your physical stamina through poisoned rooms filled with rampaging golems. There were also traps to test their agility, their perception, or their dexterity. To pass each trial, a strong enough grasp of mental acuity was also needed to decipher each deadly trap before the traps ended up killing you.
The last trial found Riel and her group in a dark room containing several anvils surrounds a massive stone multi-faced head in the center of the room. As soon as the group entered the room, ghostly dwarven apparitions emerged from the shadows, swinging their ghosted weapons with the power of a charging bronto. And for each one that they managed to defeat, another came forward from the shadows beyond. The trick laid in hitting each anvil in a particular order, while avoiding the ceaseless blows from the apparitions at the same time.
By the time that Riel and others managed to kill the last apparition by hitting the anvils in the correct order, Riel was nursing more than just her sore head. She also had a few new scars to add to her ever growing list of blemishes and marks on her body. The largest one going from her left ear, down across her throat, and reaching to her collarbone. Caused by the swinging blade of an apparition, Riel wasn't able to dodge in time to miss the blow. Now only a pink line was all that was left of the wound, now sealed by Wynne's healing magics.
In truth, she probably could have escaped the blade if she hadn't been so concerned with slicing the apparition that was aiming its attack at Zevran. While he was focused on another hammer wielding apparition in front of him, Riel had spotted the ghostly form try to strike at Zevran from behind. Riel had leaped on the thing, stabbing her dagger through its throat before being thrown backwards. She had managed to control the momentum and stay standing, however she wasn't quick enough to dodge an incoming attack from her side, the slice catching her off guard at just the wrong moment.
The blade had cut through a thick vein in Riel's neck and blood began to spurt everywhere. Quickly she dropped one of her blades and used the free hand to cover the wound. Still her blood gushed forth, and her vision began to darken. Yet still through raw determination she managed to stab the one that struck her through it's eye before collapsing down to the ground.
Zevran was there by her side in a heartbeat, his face contorted with fear and worry as his hands covered her own at her neck. A moment later Wynne was there, Riel's fading eyesight barely catching a glimpse of the woman before Riel felt the soothing feel of magic flowing into her and stitching up the wound. With the blood flow stopped, Riel's dizzy spell lessened and her vision started to come back, yet the pain of the encounter persisted even after the last apparition was defeated and the way to the next area was made available.
Both Leliana and Zevran had tried to convince Riel to stop for a while, However even if she could deal with the further delay, there was no safe place where they currently were. The tunnels and halls filled with Darkspawn and other foul things, not mention the traps and hidden dangers that existed everywhere they turned. There just simply was no place Riel could see as safe enough, even for just a moment. Even if her ears now rung and her vision kept blurring, they had to keep moving forward. It was the only way she could keep them all alive.
Pausing at the end of a long hall, Riel could tell that Zevran was angry at her again, however she was beginning to expect that now. Whatever decision she made, it never seemed good enough for him. Whether to go or to stay. Whether to let one person lead or another. Which switch to pull, which raised tablet to step on, which anvil to hit… None of her answers were ever right. And it all just seemed to make him even more angry at her.
Now standing next to a door leading to the next area, it was all Riel could do to keep her tears away and her body upright. Against her will, her body sagged against the wall that she was leaning against, while a dull buzz filling her mind as she tried to summon the strength that she needed to keep continuing on.
"Riel, you need to rest…"
Zevran's calm voice pierced through the haze in her mind, yet Riel kept her eyes closed as he spoke to her. She just didn't want to see him look at her as if he were disappointed in her again. Not right now. In truth, never again. However, she would settle for just not having to deal with yet another lecture from him.
"Riel…"
"Riel, we worry about you," Leliana's voice chimed, cutting off Zevran. "All of us."
With her eyes still closed, Riel didn't see the pointed look that Leliana gave to Zevran when she said that last bit. She also didn't catch the look of pained sorrow in Zevran's eyes that he returned the bard's gaze. Riel just remained still against the wall, her eyes closed as she measured each painful breath against the beating of her ragged heart.
"Oh, Maker's balls!" Leliana cursed out, succeeding in getting Riel to open her eyes and peg her with a questioning look. "Zevran, you are an idiot!"
"What?" he exclaimed in response.
"And so are you, Riel!" Leliana added, moving her piercing glare over to Riel.
"What did I do?"
"Zevran, do you love her?" Leliana demanded, getting a shocked look from both elves.
"I-uh… I don't think-" he stammered.
"Stop bloody thinking already! Do you love her?!"
Zevran hardened his gaze on the bard, his honeyed eyes piercing a wicked glare at her.
"Leliana, he doesn't-"
"Yes, I love her!" Zevran bit out, cutting off Riel.
Riel looked at Zevran, her mouth agape as surprise filled her. He still loves me? she thought, her mind whirling. "Y-you… you l-love me?" she whispered, incredulous. Zevran closed his eyes and hung his head, cursing himself mentally. "Zevran…"
Zevran lifted his eyes up to meet Riel's, feelings he couldn't express getting caught in his throat as he tried to find the right words. "I told you, mi bella. I will always love you," he said finally, his voice soft and missing the hardness that he had normally used with her over these past few days. "I am just not very good at it," he added with a sad smile. "However, I will respect your choice. You do not need to worry."
"M-my choice? What choice?"
Zevran shifted his stance and looked around at the others who filled the narrow passageway they were in. He didn't like discussing such private things with so many witnesses, especially when all it was his own shame and disgrace out on display for their eyes and ears to witness.
"Out with it Zevran!" Leliana hissed, her usual light tone gone under the hardness she now expressed.
"This is not the place, Leliana!" Zevran hissed back.
"Zevran…. please…" pleaded Riel, her eyes filling with tears.
Her soft voice begging broke Zevran, his shoulders slumping as he closed his eyes and visibly shook from inner turmoil. Finally he lifted his face and looked at her, tears glistening in his own eyes.
"I know I have been handling this poorly, Riel. I thought that I could handle your rejection. That I could still fight by your side even though you no longer wanted me. It has been killing me, however. To see you in pain and not be able to comfort you. To see you put yourself in danger and not be able to protect you. I have been unfair to you, placing my anger on you when it was myself who I am truly angry at."
"Why are you angry at yourself?" she asked, confused.
"I know that I am undeserving of you. That has never been a question. My anger is at myself, hoping that I someday could be." Zevran shuddered, his deep frown turning up into a sad smile as he looked at Riel. "Despite my troubles, I will still fight for you, have no worry. I shall endeavor to better leash my emotions, however. You do not deserve my self pity or my anger, and so I will do better at withholding them. However, if I ever do offend you so greatly that you wish me gone, I will go. I will not make you tolerate my presence, even though you are far too kind for already doing so."
"Zevran, I-"
"Why are you standing around?!" Branka's shrill voice called out, interrupting Riel. The whole group of companions looked back down the hall to see the enraged dwarf advancing on them, her face set in a deep grimace. "The anvil should be right through that door!"
"Branka? What are ya doing here?" Oghren asked, shocked by her sudden appearence.
"If you will not go forward, I will!" Branka replied, pushing past the group of them and through the doorway leading to the next area.
"Branka! Wait! Sodding woman!" Oghren grumbled as he took off after his wife.
Riel grabbed the front of Zevran's leathers and pulled him close to her. "This isn't over…" she whispered before pushing herself off the wall and chasing after Oghren.
"You do deserve her, Zevran. And once Riel beats the hell out of Branka for putting us through these trials, she will tell you that herself," Leliana smiled before running after Riel. She was quickly followed the rest of their companions, leaving Zevran to stare after them, confused and raw from his expressed emotions.
Cursing, Zevran gripped his daggers and joined the rest of his companions, running past the doorway and into an enormous underground cavern. However, most of the cavern was inaccessible as lava churned and flowed through half of it. The half that they stood on gradually inclined upwards to form a peak in the center of the room that overlooked the boiling lava below. And resting on top of the peak was a great and mighty anvil the size of several men combined. In front of the pathway leading up to it, however, was a giant metal golem that towered over everyone in front of it.
"I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to have the anvil," the golem said to Branka who stood in front of it, shouting and cursing like a mad woman.
"You are a fool Caridin! All these years you could have been helping our people, and yet you hide here, keeping Orzammar's greatest treasure all to yourself? Coward!"
"That is Caridin?" Shale gasped as it looked at the golem.
"I recognize you, Shayle. Please, you must help me protect the anvil from this woman!"
"You say you recognize me? How is that? I do not remember you."
"You do not remember, then?" Caridin sighed. "Has it been so long?"
"I remember very little of my past, and what I do remember is shrouded in clouds that I cannot see past. Tell me, if you recognize me, who am I to you?" Shale asked as it walked closer to Caridin and Branka.
"You are Shayle of House Cadash. We were friends in your mortal life, and it was I who put you under the hammer of the anvil myself. You were the only woman to ever volunteer for such a fate."
"Shayle of House Cadash? I think… I remember something…"
"Oh what does it matter? The anvil is just over there!" Branka yelled as she pointed up the peak behind Caridin. Quickly she turned to face Riel. "You there! Grey Warden! You will help me get past this old relic and get to the anvil! With it, you shall have an army the likes of which you could never have imagined! Instead of just dwarven men, made of flesh and bone, you could have a whole legion of golems at your command! The Archdemon wouldn't stand a chance!"
"No! It is a mistake to use the anvil! That is why I have hid it away down here!" Caridin pleaded in opposition.
"I don't understand. Why was it a mistake?" questioned Riel, looking back and forth between Branka and the metal golem.
"We were fools to think that we could create life! What we did wasn't giving life to a pile of rocks or metal, but transferring the life from one vessel into another!"
"You mean, I used to be… squishy?" Shale asked, disgusted.
"At first, we only took volunteers. Those who wished to extend their life and their power. However, soon the well of those who would volunteer dried up, and we turned to the casteless and poor to add to the numbers of our golems. Then it was rivals for the crown, or who the king disagreed simply with. Noble men and women, rounded up and forced under the blow of the hammer. Soon, no one was safe. And when I objected to the horror my creation had been turned into, I was placed on the anvil myself to feel the crushing weight of my failure first hand."
"Their sacrifice was worth it!" Branka bellowed. "In those six years we had access to golems, decades of losses were finally won back! What is a few deaths compared to the whole of the dwarven people?!"
"Such was the thinking of King Valtor, and the fear and destruction that his blindness caused our people was not so little you would think, woman."
"Nonsense! Every sacrifice was worth it! The dwarven people are dying, and the anvil has the power to save us!" Branka was near hysterics as she ranted, her eyes wide and her voice shrill. "You there, Warden! Surely you must understand how pressing the threat of the Darkspawn are! Your order was built upon the idea of sacrifice and the death of the few to protect the many! Stand with me now and we could create a golem army so massive to prevent any future Blights!"
"Oghren," Riel stated flatly turning to the dwarf beside her. "You have five minutes to talk some sense into your wife before I knock it into her myself."
"It is siding with Caridin then? Good. That is the right thing to do," Shale muttered to itself.
"Branka! Can't ya see how dangerous this is? Ya can't save our people by killing 'em!"
"Oghren you always were the fool! Fine then! If you refuse to aid me, then you will cast aside just like the rest of those fools who opposed me!" Branka screamed out before pulling a long shaft of metal from her side and raising it above her head. "Golems! To me!"
"She has a control rod! Friend, you must stop her!" Caridin yelled in response.
Instantly the dormant golems around them sprang to life, rushing forward and attacking Riel and her companions. Even with Caridin's help fighting off the large stone and metal bodies around them, Riel had a difficult time keeping herself from being crushed by their mighty blows. Because of their hard bodies, blades were almost useless against them, the sharpened metal just scraping against their bodies and doing little in the way of actual damage.
Rolling to the side to dodge a massive boulder being thrown at her, Riel knew that they couldn't fight like this and win. Spying Branka in the midst of the fighting, Riel took off after her. Caridin was battling against the crazed woman, her dodging his blows while he withstood hers, his large metal body shrugging off her attacks just as the other golems shrugged off Riel's.
"Branka you stone addled bitch! You are insane!" Riel called out, her eyes blazing fire as she approached the dwarven woman.
"What do you know of it, elf? Your kind sits pretty on the surface, only having to deal with Darkspawn during the Blights! My kind suffer everyday!" she seethed, readying her blades for attack.
"You think your kind are the only ones to suffer anything?" Riel asked incredulously. "That the dwarves are the only ones to experience loss?"
"Oh do not bore me with your sad stories, elf! You surfacers are all the same! Complaining about the Darkspawn and the Blight only when they make their way up to your own lands!"
Branka rushed Riel, swinging her sword out before slamming her shield into Riel. Winded but not willing to give up, Riel rolled with the strike before slashing out with her daggers. "You are obsessed! You cannot save people by killing them!" she cursed out she as twirled her daggers, the slice cutting so close to Branka's head that a tuft of her brown hair fell free.
Riel twisted around, dodging Branka's blade with ducks of her head and contorting her body is different ways as Branka again and again let her blade fly. With shield and sword Branka attacked, the fury on her face transforming her features into something more akin to that of demons than dwarves.
"You shame your order Warden!" Branka hissed as her sword aimed for Riel's stomach. "In war, victory!" she screamed as she sliced out. "In peace, vigilance!" Another strike, nearly taking Riel's head. "In death, sacrifice!"
"How dare you!" Riel raged.
The words uttered by Branka being the sacred oath taken by all Grey Wardens when they took up their charge to fight against the Darkspawn. It was their sworn oath of duty, of fealty, and of the promise to spend their lives battling the evil that waged war on all the people of Thedas. And to have it so corrupted by Branka infuriated Riel to volcanic levels.
Riel ducked under Branka's strike before rolling her body along the other woman's shield, getting inside the dwarf's personal space. "You know nothing of the Grey Wardens!" Riel hissed the moment her blade sliced into the space at Branka's side where her heavy armor latched together. Both their eyes went wide the instant the blade struck, a look of shock clearly on their faces.
"Well… that hurts…" Riel muttered before she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Pushing herself free the other woman, Riel looked down to see a hidden blade attached to Branka's shield arm. When Riel had rolled along the shield to get close enough to strike, the blade sunk deep into Riel's chest at the same moment her own blade slipped between Branka's armor.
Branka stumbled back a few steps, a look of confusion on her face before she dropped down to the ground. Riel lifted her eyes to the scene before her, seeing the fighting golems suddenly stop in their assault mid swing. Placing her hand on her chest, Riel tried to stop the flow of blood, however a deep weakness began to seep into her. The world spinning, she tried to call out for someone, yet the blood in her mouth cut the sound short.
Dropping her blades to the ground, Riel's eyes sought out her one guiding light. Over by Morrigan, he was sheathing his blades and looking around surprised, no doubt confused as to why the golems suddenly stopped attacking. Her breathing ragged, Riel tried to keep her eyes on the golden skinned elf, even as her knees buckled and she fell down to the ground below her. Vaguely she was aware of someone screaming, however all she could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears. The frantic beating getting slower with each second that passed.
Riel tried to keep her eyes on the elf, yet dark splotches were overtaking her vision, clouding her sight. If she could just keep him in her sight… The darkness was too strong, however. It pulled and clawed at Riel until all her strength left her and she fell backwards, the world around her going completely black.
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Vhenan'ara