The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

22: Freed of the Fade

I slowly came to, hearing the distant-sounding voices first.

"Maker! What happened to her?" Leliana cried. "Is all this blood hers? Surely the Sloth Demon didn't do this to her."

"She had a wound when she helped me against the demon posing as my mother," Morrigan added.

"Can someone bring wounds from the Fade to the real world?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Wynne said. "Let me see what I can do. Young man, see if you can wake her."

"Realin?" Alistair's voice clearly cut through the fog in my brain. "Realin, can you hear me? You need to wake up now. We need you, Realin."

My eyes slowly fluttered open. I heard Alistair breath a sigh of relief and saw his, Wynne and Leliana's worried faces.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" I grabbed Alistair's arm and pulled myself into a sitting position, wincing as a pain shot through my back. "Oh, I was hoping that was a dream."

"What happened?"

I looked down at myself. The scratches from Leliana's demon and the cut from Tamlen reminded me that it hadn't been a dream. My heart constricted as I remembered my father's aid.

"Hold still," Wynne said. A bluish white light enveloped the two of us and a moment later, my wounds were healed and the pain was gone.

"Thank you, Wynne," I said as Alistair helped me to my feet. Something passed over his face that was gone as soon as it had appeared. "Niall." I turned and found his body. He was clutching the Litany in his hand. I took it and touched his cheek. "Thank you, friend." And thank you, Father. We left the room as quickly as we could.

~~~

We ran through the halls of the Tower as before. But instead of a Blood Mage or an Abomination, we found a dragon.

"Why is there a dragon in the Tower?" I wondered aloud before it ran towards us and we fought it off as we had everything else before.

After it died, Wynne shook her head. "Where did this come from? There are no dragons in this area," she said.

"Whatever the reason, we need to find Irving and stop Uldred in the process."

"Agreed," Sten said.

We continued our search for survivors along with battling demons and Abominations until we came upon a Templar with blond curly hair that looked like he was in a glowing cage. He watched us as we approached.

"This trick again? I know what you are. It won't work. I will stay strong..." He went to one knee, bowed his head and clasped his hands together. The stance I'd seen many take when they prayed.

"A Templar and it seems he's a prisoner," I observed.

"The boy is exhausted," Wynne said. "And this cage... I've never seen anything like it. Rest easy. Help is here."

"Enough visions! If anything in you is human... kill me now and stop this game."

"Don't say it, Realin. He'll take it the wrong way," Alistair warned, seeming to sense that I was about to correct him on my race.

"You broke the others but I will stay strong, for my sake... for theirs. Filthy Blood Mages... getting in my head... I will not break... I'd rather die."

"Where are the other survivors?" I asked.

"What others?" He stood. "What are you talking about?"

"Irving and the other Mages who fought Uldred," Wynne answered. "Where are they?"

"They are in the Harrowing Chamber. The sounds coming from out of there... Oh, Maker!"

"We must hurry. They are in grave danger. I'm sure of it."

"You can't save them! You don't know what they've become!"

"And you do?" I asked bluntly.

"They've been surrounded b-by Blood Mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts."

 "His hatred for Mages is so intense... the memory of his friends' deaths is still fresh in his mind," Alistair said, the tone of his voice wasn't something I recognized.

"You have to end it! Now! Before it's too late!"

"What do you propose we do?" I had a feeling it would involve killing every Mage we came upon.

"To ensure this horror is ended... to guarantee that no Abominations or Blood Mages live, you must kill everyone up there." I was right.

"I cannot decide on that until I see for myself what is going on."

"That is your choice to make but I beg you to consider what I have to say. You cannot tell Maleficarum by sight. Just one can influence the mind of a king, of a grand cleric."

"I've made my decision." Nothing he would say would make me agree to kill an innocent.

"Maker turn his gaze upon you. I hope your compassion hasn't doomed us all."

"It has nothing to do with compassion, Templar. I will not decide what course to take without seeing for myself."

We left the Templar and ran up the flight of stairs to the Harrowing Chamber. The screams coming from the room were a bit unnerving.