The Grey Wardens' Leader

0.8 - Not My Son

Ashes of Eden by Breaking Benjamin
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   Avril walked into Redcliffe Castle with Leliana, Morrigan, and Alistair tailing her. She stared in confusion as Teagan danced around like the court jester for who she could assume to be the Arl's son, Connor. The young boy clapped and smiled wide as his uncle finished before glaring over at Avril and her companions.

"So these are our visitors, the ones you told me about, mother?"

"Y-Yes, Connor."

   The young boy looked at his mother pointedly,"And this is the one who defeated my soldiers? The ones I sent to reclaim my village? And now it's staring at me! What is it, mother, I can't see it well enough?"

"This is just a woman, Connor, like me. You know what a woman looks like..."Please, Warden, my son doesn't know what he does, he's not responsible for his actions. He can't help it! So please, don't hurt him."

"So he is the evil force that you spoke of..."

"No, don't say that!"

   Morrigan crossed her arms before interjecting,"The child is an abomination..."

   The Arl's wife shook her head,"It's that mage's fault - the one that poisoned Eamom! He started all this! He summoned the demon! Conor was just trying to help his father..."

   The mage with golden eyes snickered,"And he made a deal with a demon to do so? Foolish child."

"It was a fair deal! Father is alive, just as I wanted!"

   Avril took a step forward and whispered,"But at what price, Connor?"

"Enough! Tell us...what have you come here for?"

"I was hoping to see Teagan..."

"Uncle? But Uncle Teagan is right here! Say hello, Uncle."

   Teagan smiled goofily and waved like a child,"Hello uncle!"

   Connor groaned,"I crave excitement and action! This woman ruined my fun by clearing the village of my soldiers, and now she'll repay me!"

   The young boy ran off, leaving the group to fight palace guards and Bann Teagan, all of which were under his "spell".

Avril shot her arrows at the guards from a distance while Leliana attacked them up close. Meanwhile, Morrigan focused her attention towards Bann Teagan with her spells. Alistair bashed his shield into one of the guards, pushing him back onto the blade of one of the other men.

Working together like a well oiled machine, they took down their enemies. The guards lie dead at their feet, blood covering their bodies. Teagan was alive, but weak.

"Teagan! Teagan, are you alright?"

The man smiled slightly and shakily stood up,"I'm alright...I think. My mind is my own again."

Isolde looked down at her feet,"I couldn't forgive myself if you had died as I was the one who brought you here. What a fool I am!"

She redirected her attention to the Warden and pleaded,"Connor isn't responsible for this, we must save him!"

The mage that was locked in the dungeons, the blood mage that was brought in by Isolde to give Connor private magic lessons, bursted into the room,"M'lady, please forgive me, but he's an abomination now. He's no longer your son..."

"You! You did this to Connor!"

"I didn't! I didn't, I swear! If you would just let me help...", he murmured.