Dragon Age Origins: I Am Cousland

Chapter 32: The End of All Things

Chapter 32: The End of All Things

I opened the door slowly. Alistair was close behind me, I could feel his eyes staring me down. I tightened my grip on the sword Riordan had handed to me in his last actions; the entire group stared at me I was set my feet silently on the first step, my entire body was shaking. Sweat poured down my forehead and I walked up the stairs, taking it one step at a time.

I could hear Alistair and Cullen speaking in hushed tones as we neared the top of the tower and neared the archdemon, this was it. I turned around and faced my group, they all stared at me with pained expressions, they knew what had to happen. I had already decided what I was going to do, I couldn't live without Alistair, Ferelden needed him, I wasn't needed.

"Wynne and Morrigan," I pointed at them, "I need the archdemon disabled for us to attack," They both nodded, nothing else needed to be added to that statement. "Leliana, I need you attacking with arrows, aim for the dragon's eyes." I ordered, "Alistair, Cullen, and I will attack from the ground while it is distracted by the rest of you." I concluded, Alistair stared down at his battered greaves, blood was splattered across his face, both black darkspawn blood and his own.

I turned on my heel and slammed the door open, searching the top of the tower quickly. Storm clouds were rolling in, lightening struck in the distance. Causing the dark night to light up for a few seconds; on the far corner of the tower a gargantuan dragon was perched overlooking the burning city and purring at the screams that flooded up from the streets below.

I was rammed with a harsh pain behind my eyes, the same pain I had felt in the Dead Trenches when we first laid eyes on the archdemon and it's army. The dragon's head whipped around and it glared straight into my eyes, I could feel the hatred it had for me, for all of us. 

The dragon hissed and began to charge at me, Morrigan hit it was a spell; the dragon's head jerked over to her as it let out a deafening roar. I wrapped my hands around my ears, dropping the sword to the ground, the metal clanged against the stone as I backed up against the wall. 

Cullen steadied me, "Are you okay?" He mouthed, I shook my head and cocked an arrow in my bow, quickly loosing it at the dragons' head. It shrieked out as the arrow pierced it's scales, I smiled at the corner of my mouth and picked up the sword from the ground, gripping it tight. 

Morrigan and Wynne were doing exactly as I told them, distracting the dragon from Cullen, Alistair and I was helpful and allowed us time to attack and wound the dragon. 

I jabbed the sword into the dragons' foot earning a wail of pain, it swooped its arm around, slamming me with it. I flew backwards and slammed into the stone wall of the fort, I moaned and rubbed my head. Everything was blurred and darkness threatened to overtake me, I stumbled to stand up but collapsed into myself on the cold ground, I gritted my teeth and pushed up.

Alistair ran over to my side pulling me up, the dragon sprayed fire over the top of the fort straight at us. Alistair pulled his shield out and covered us both, blocking the fire. The ends of my hair caught on fire as it whizzed around us, I squinted at the brightness and pushed off Alistair struggling to keep myself up.

Cullen jumped into the air and stabbed his sword into the side of the archdemon, letting gravity drag him down and the sword carved through the dragon's side, earning a shriek as it fell onto the ground. It's head fumbling around as it pushed itself as far away from us as it could get, it's massive wings draped over the side of the tower.

I looked up at Alistair who had a pained expression on his face, "This is it." He sighed and cupped my face in his hands, kissing me passionately, tears flooded down the curve of my cheeks as I kissed him back with everything I had left.