Aedan Of Highever

by Milton Garby

  The horde charged through the gates and smashed into the shield and human wall like a crashing tidal wave of black rot. The whole might of the darkspawn horde was brought down upon these brave few, pushing them inch by inch from the ground they stood on. They could not falter now. For if they lost these gates, the city would be lost.

  The horrid, rotting stench of the Hurlock ranks pounded on their human adversaries. They climbed and clawed each other to reach the humans that stood in their path. They would not relent, for in this gate lied the key to their victory. They would taste the flesh of these humans who dared to stand in their path.

  Soon the gateway was crowded with that blighted wretches, the mighty walls of Denerim funneling them into that single opening that was blocked off by the brave knight who stood against the waves of Hurlocks that threw themselves against them. Suddenly the onslaught came to a dead hault. They could push no further. "KNIGHTS! PUSH!" Alsitair's order rang like a thunderclap amongst the knightly ranks. A mountain of fearless steel pushed back the rancid Hurlocks. Their numbers nullified by the confined gateway, all the mad blighters could do was vainly throw themselves against Redcliffe Shields and Fereldan steel. The mighty few pushed back the horrible many, they would surrender no more ground.

  More of the darkspawn charged into the crowded ranks to push their line past he Fereldan vanguard, but still they held. The back ranks of the darkspawn onslaught exploded in a wave of disaster and chaos as two massive beings of pure slaughter dropped from the top of the gates and crushed the darkspawn sorry enough to be caught under their combined, colossal weight! Sten swung Asala's dangerous blue length of his sword in a wide, murderous arcs, cutting through the hurlock's shoddy, rusted armor and mowed them as if they were grass! Shale crushed every Hurlock she could get her hands on and threw their mangled bodies like skipping stones as she crushed dozens of them beneath her heavy feet.

  With their back ranks in disarray, the front ranks couldn't mount a strong enough fight against the entrenched defense of Denerim. The time to attack was now. "Knights of Redcliffe! ADVANCE!" The first rank of men swatted the poorly armored hurlocks out of their way like oversized mosquitos with their shields, and plunged their steel blades into their disease-ridden bodies. Waves of black ichor spewed from their pierced flesh, followed by their shrill death cries. The soldiers pushed their enemy out of their sacred city being led by their king's valor. Alistair's advance continued, breaking the ranks of the darkspawn assault, his dragonbone blade stabbing, slashing and severing every Hurlock and genlock that got to close. Black blood, stained and caked Duncan's shield and Maric's sword.

  The darkspawn broke of their assault, and for the briefest of moments, they thought they had attained their crucial victory. But it was short-lived. Every soul holding that line was filled with anguished horror as they gazed upon the darkspawn's trump card. An ogre of the likes Alistair had never seen! Twice the size of an average ogre, this Alpha was clad in a crude but thick plated armor with vicious blades protruding from its forearms. "Men! Stand your ground! Hold this line!" Alistair ordered as he broke from the ranks and charged the colossal freak alongside Shale and Sten.

  Shale was punched square in the body by the Ogre Alpha's gigantic fist, sending the golem flying backwards. Sten tried to whittle the giant monstrosity down by attacking its legs, but the ogre's armor was too thick for Asala to pierce. Sten barely dodged out of the way of the ogre's powerful kick. Alistair stood before the terrible creature born of hate and Blight. It tried to smash the newly crowned king with its armored fists and slice him with its arm-mounted blades, but Alistair was a Grey Warden long before he became king, and knew just how to fight an ogre, difficult and frightening though it may be.

  Alistair quickly dodged the lumbering giant's clumsy swings, staying just outside of its reach as he waited for the right opening. There was a single chink in the ogre's armor, if Alistair could just get the timing right. The ogre pulled back its right fist for a massive haymaker to finally crush the annoying human into a wet, chunky stain on the ground! The massive fist flew at an alarming speed, Alistair side-stepped inside the attack with his sword raised. The breeze from the force of the crushing attack swept his face as the boulder-sized fist barely went past him, and there was his opening! That chink just over the elbow joint where the plates separated. Alistair quickly brought his sword down on the unprotected joint and severed the arm nearly in half.

  The ogre stumbled back howling in horrible agony, its severed arm swining wild by a thread of cut flesh and muscle. Now was his chance! Alistair lept onto the giant, screaming creature, jamming his sword into it thick, trunk-like neck. Thick, black blood spurted from the giant, severed jugular as the ogre fell back, its foul chasm of a maw screaming in Alistair's face. The ogre fell with a resounding, thunderous thud that shattered it's crudely made armor under all the weight. There was still life left in the ogre's eyes that still stared hatefully at the human atop of its chest. Alistair yanked his weapon from the creature's neck, plunging the dragonbone blade through the plated helm, thick skull and right into its brain, and twisted.

  With their champion dead, the darkspawn retreated back over the hill to regroup. Shale finally picked herself up out of the rubble she was thrown into and Sten stood impressed, having seen Alistair lay low such a terrible opponent. Alistair pulled his father's sword from the dead ogre's skull, flinging its vile blood from the inscribed blade. He took a moment to adjust to the adrenaline coursing through his veins and breathe the excitement out of his lungs. He looked over to his men and was taken aback by the look of awe in their eyes. Were they looking at him?

  "Holy freaking crap!" One of the knights yelled fervently. "The king just destroyed that monster single handedly! Hail to the fucking king!"

  "HAIL TO THE KING! HAIL TO THE KING! HAIL TO THE KING!" All the knight's chanted, as they saluted with their swords.

  Alistair did his best not to blush from such an accolade. No one has ever cheered for him for anything. Now these people were screaming his name just for doing his job. This could take some getting used to, but he could definetly get used to it. Alistair jogged up to one of the knights. "Send word to the rest of the city: we've held the gates and repelled their assault."

  "Yes, milord." The knight confirmed.

  "Shale, Sten! Come on!" Alistair called. "If we hurry we can still catch up to Aedan at Fort Drakon!" With the gates secured and the attack broken, the three of them ran as fast as they could. With any luck, there could still be some Archdemon left for them.

  The Denerim Alienage….

  Aedan's group and the contingency of soldiers they brought cleared out the Market District and made their way to the Alienage. With the Market secured they prevented the darkspawn that had breached the walls from distributing anymore troops throughout the city, but the Alienage remained unsecured. Loghain had vastly underestimated the strategic value of the Alienage. If the darkspawn took it, they would have a secure foothold that blocked off the path to Fort Drakon, and they would never reach the Archdemon. Unsurprisingly, Aedan found Shianni and her kin leading a valiant effort to secure what elves she could and get them to safety. She and the elves accompanying her were armed with simple but functional bows and slingshots. Shianni's face was painted surprised and relieved. "You…you're here? The Maker certainly gave you the gift of good timing." The elf sighed.

  "Shianni, what's happening here?" Aedan asked.

  "The darkspawn arrived here not too long ago and they're about to breach the barrier gate. We can't hold much longer!" Shianni explained frantically.

  Aedan could hear the darkspawn pounding on the gate. Time was short, and this was the only clear path to the fort. "Shianni, listen to me! I need you to help me clear the way."

  He couldn't be serious! "Are you kidding!? We have no armor and only simple weapons!"

  "You stood against the slavers, Shianni. I need you to lend me that strength now, and fight for your home!"

  In this human's words Shianni fou
nd her courage. "Alright, we'll help you. Just tell us what you need."

  "Stick to the buildings. Give us firing support and keep the darkspawn from entering the buildings. Do you understand?"

  "You got it." Shianni confirmed. "We're not going to let them take our homes from us."

  "We don't have enough time to wage a battle here, Aedan." Morrigan urged. "The longer we wait here, the less likely we will reach the Archdemon."

  Aedan hated to admit it, but she was right. They had to move out, but the death toll of the inhabitants and strategic value of the Alienage was too much to ignore. Aedan had to make this place would be safe without him. "Zevran! Leliana! I need you to hold the Alienage. Make sure nothing takes this ground."

  "I can do this." Leliana comfirmed.

  "No darkspawn will make it past us." Zevran said confidently.

  Aedan walked over to Mithra and Lanaya who was leading the Dalish contingency. "Mithra, Lanaya, listen. This is where your people's dream starts! This is where you must prove your worth to your city-kin. The darkspawn must not pass this line! Do you understand!?"

  Mithra never gave much thought to the elves of the city. But after what this human had done for her clan she had no doubt that whatever he deemed worth fighting for, was worth her peoples defense. Yes, she would show her city brethren the value of the Dalish. "These darkspawn will regret ever facing down our arrows, Warden."

  Aedan had to give out last minute orders before "Leliana, I need you to lead the archers. Make every arrow count and use well-timed volleys. If anything tries to get past you, shoot it! Zevran, I need you to lead the hunters around the darkspawn and hobble them from behind and at the flanks. Do not let them get too close to the gates." With his orders confirmed Aedan led the remainder of his companions and the soldiers that followed him through a less pass to Fort Drakon, and hoped that Zevran, Leliana and the Dalish could hold this area. He hoped he hadn't just sent them to their deaths.

  The darkspawn pounded the gates with hurried vigor. The promise of succulent elven flesh just on the other side of this barrier gate drove them to pound harder. Leliana drew her fire arrows into Marjolaine's Recruve. The Dalish elves prepared their special elf-flight arrows, hopefully they would give Zevran and his elves a chance to blitz their enemies safely. The darkspawn were nearly through! "Volley fire, present!" Leliana called. The Ogre bashed through the gate with its massive horns, hurlocks and gunlocks poured through. "Fire!" The elven arrows flew in the air like a rain of death, each one deftly finding it mark in their enemies' blistered heads and black hearts!

  The first wave fell under the volley of elven arrows, but there were still more! "Volley fire!" Every arrow the Dalish elves flew with masterful accuracy, but the sheer numbers of the darkspawn was too much for every arrow to hit. Zevran and his elven volunteers and Dalish hunters quickly did their attack from the sides and from behind. Slashing them with daggers, hacking with hunting or wood axes, even stabbing them with sharpened stakes made from furniture. They would not let a single darkspawn get past them.

  Leliana would not falter now, not after everything they had been through. She swore to the Maker and to Aedan that no one would take this ground, and she would not break her promise to either. As the fought their battle to hold this ground, all she could do was pray that the Maker was watching Aedan and that he would meet success.

  The Top of Fort Drakon….

  It had been an ardous fight to the battlements of Fort Drakon, but Riordan was trainend by the best duelists of Orlais and the most seasoned Grey Wardens of his Order, these darkspawn were quickly cut down by his Topsider's Honor, a dragon-bone longsword so named by the dwarves of Orzammar. Just as Riordan got done kicking a genlock of the tower to its doom he saw it, the Archdemon and it saw him! The dragon swooped down at a terrifying speed, hoping to knock its Warden adversary of the tower with its mighty wings. Riordan had to time this just right, just as dragon came just past the tower he jumped, hoping to stab the Archedemon with his blade in the head.

  He missed. Instead he landed on the creature's neck and the only he could do was hold on for dear life until a moment were he could impale the beast presented itself. The dragon lashed its neck, trying to fling the parasite that was clinging to it, but Riordan held fast until at last his grip let loose of the slippery, rotting scales! He flew backwards only a few paces on the beast's back. It was now or never, Riordan impaled the Archedemon with the Topsider's Honor. The Archedemon gave a great loud roar and immediately tried flying its back into one of Fort Drakon's towers in an attempt to get the blade and it's wielder out of its back. It succeeded. Riordan had to pull out quickly before he became a stain on the battlements. Once again he was flying through the air but saw another chance, he stabbed his sword into the dragon's wing, and the blade held on…for a moment. The wing's membrane couldn't withstand the sheer sharpness of dragonbone or the weight of the man who held onto it. Riordan sword sliced the Archdemon's wing as easy as a knife goes through cheese but this time there was nothing for Riordan to grasp onto, he was finished.

  The last thing Riordan saw was the Archdemon crashing into the top of Fort Drakon, bleeding and in terrible pain. So this was it. This was the end of his life. As Riordan plummeted back to the earth he felt no regret, all his life he had served his Order proudly and with distinction. He could lament that he came so close to slaying the Archdemon himself only to fail, but he didn't. To have come this far was a privilege and he knew that his two younger brothers would succeed in felling the putrid dragon. He could face the Maker proud, knowing he had done his duty and that the future would be secured with Aedan and Alistair lighting the way to a bright new era.

  At The Front Gate of Fort Drakon….

  Aedan, his companions and the forces he brought smashed their way through the Blight infested city with few casualties. Aedan witnessed Riordan's sacrifice, and with the Archdemon rendered flightless he would not need the Dalish elves he left back in the Alienage. The darkspawn were deeply entrenched in the fort's front gate, and for some reason they had a couple of winged dragon thralls waiting for them!

  Aedan and Oghren's might, Morrigan's magic and the strength of the soldier they smashed, battered, ignited and eviscerated what darkspawn stood in their way of the front door. But Aedan could sense most the darkspawn that were left in the city were making their way to the Fort to protect their master. They would not be able to lay siege to the Archdemon with the enemy behind them.

  "Oghren!" Aedan called. "All the darkspawn left in the city are charging here. I need you to stay here and cover our asses."

  "What!?" Oghren whinned. "But then you'll have the bleedin' Archdemon all to yourself!"

  "Oghren, you have to lead these men." Aedan explained. "I don't trust anyone else to watch my back."

  "Well…when ya put it that way…Alright, dammit!" Oghren picked up his hammer and turned to the entrance. "Get goin'! I'll catch up with you when I'm done with these nug-humpers!"

  Aedan, Wynne, Morrigan and Dane ran into the fort, leaving Oghren alone with just fifty Orzammar warriors and an ocean of darkspawn coming right at them. Perfect! "Listen up, ya dirt-farming, nug-licking, rusty sword-castes!" Oghren yelled to his fellow dwarves. "These sons-a-bitches only came to the surface because they got tired of gettin' their arses whipped by Orzammar warriors! Well, too sodding bad for them!" The darkspawn were almost at the gate. "No matter where these blighted arse-licks go, they're gonna find Orzammar steel plunged into 'em!" The darkspawn busted through the gates. "VALOS ATRAEDUM!" Oghren screamed as he led his fellow dwarves against the blighted wretches.

  Aedan, his dog and the two mages finally made it to the top of the fortress. They had been harried the whole way up here by unique and powerful darkspawn; master assassins, necromancers, summoners, even a two-headed ogre! Obviously the Archdemon was calling all of the most powerful of its brood to its defense and so it might travel into their bodies should any other idiot other than a Warden kill it.

  The four of them
just got done slaying Hurlock and Ogre Alphas as they reached the door that would lead them to the top of Fort Drakon. They could the mighty roar and bellowing of the Archedemon waiting for them. Aedan looked over to the companions that had made it up with thus far, his faithful hound, Dane, Wynne who had been a surrogate mother to him and his group and finally Morrigan, the love of his life who would abandon him as soon as his mission was complete.

  "Listen." Aedan said to them with concern in his voice. "You don't have to follow me anymore if you don't want to."

  "Aedan." Wynne said almost scornfully. "We have come too far just to abandon you now. If you're going to face this demon you will need all the help you can get." Dane barked in agreement. Morrigan said nothing but the sad and longing look in her eyes spoke a thousand words.

  Aedan motioned towards Morrigan knowing that when this was all done he may never her again. Her or their child. So he did the only thing he could do before he met destiny he cupped her face.

  Morrigan had no idea what Aedan was thinking right now; they were about to enter combat with the Archdemon no less, now was not the time for sentimentality. Yet, still, he walked towards her and cupped her face tenderly as if he was about to kiss her again. "Aedan." She started of angrily. "Now is not the time for such…Mmmph!" before she could finish Aedan pressed his lips down upon hers for the last time, pouring into it with all the passion, love, and loss he could muster. Just as lips parted he looked into her eyes and she could see the sadness in them before the resolve returned.

  "Goodbye." Aedan said sadly to his lover. Aedan then turned his back to her and his face returned to stone as he gripped Starfang tightly in his fist. It was time to end this Blight once and for all. He kicked down the door and he and Dane rushed out to meet the dragon. Just as made it to outside of Fort Drakon's highest battlement the soldiers of this base were already trying their best to fell the beast. They were failing.