The corrupted dragon roared again, and Asala had to clutch at her ears to avoid going deaf. Once it trailed off however, her eyes shot back up toward it and she glared. She was never one to give in to revenge, or let her gentle heart be taken over by hate. Asala was always quick to forgive and forget, and she never held a grudge.... but that vashedan ataashi had killed her brother. She watched as its talons-- seemingly made of raw red lyrium, clutched the wall it perched upon and its neck craned back. A barrier was up at an instant, covering all of her friends and herself. When the dragon breathed its lyrium breath, it struck the shield instead of them. She would not have been able to completely guard against it however, so her barrier was angled, so that the breath would glance off of them.
Still when the air cleared, her barrier was near the point of shattering as it barely held itself together. Fractures had formed all across its surface, and her arms trembled from the effort it required to keep the shield up. Still, she didn't quite feel it, instead what she felt was the desire for the dragon to be closer so she could slam the barrier into its face. Foolhardy, most definitely, but it did not change the fact that Asala wanted the dragon to fall.
She would not be able to do it by herself, and she was not so arrogant to believe it would be that easy even with all of her friends' help. She had to calm herself, and the quiet fatigue she felt in her arms went a long way to do just that. She couldn't let herself forget that they fought against more than just the dragon. Demons and some of the Wardens still presented a danger themselves.
"What... do we do now?" she asked Leon, choosing her words carefully. Regardless, she was quite aware that her emotions played out plainly across her face.
He didn't seem inclined to chide her for them, though it was impossible to have even a vague idea what he thought, covered head to toe in armor as he was. âNot much we can do, while it's up there and we're down here." His voice was roughened, through the helm, as though he were consciously suppressing some other tone he could have had. âWe need to get to the wall and draw it to us. Can you cover us with your barriers while we go?" He turned his head slightly, so he was looking at Zahra.
âArrows should keep it focused on us, if you can be irritating enough. The important part is that it doesn't take off after the others." He and Khari wouldn't be much use until they were in at close range, but at that stage, it was easy to tell that the majority of the burden would be theirs to carry.
"I can," Asala answered. She reached into the satchel at her side and withdrew a vial that held a piercing blue liquid. In one deft motion she unstopped the cork and drained it, replacing the vial once she was done. She could feel the fatigue lift as the potion worked through her veins-- though the taste had always left something to be desired.
âYou got it,â while Zahraâs face looked a mess with crusted blood clumped in her hairline, and smeared across the right side of her face, she still managed a weak smile. Like the others, she looked tired. The wild excitement at seeing another dragon had left her eyes, instead they simply looked bright and feverish. She shifted on her heels, and adjusted the bow in her hands. From the looks of it, sheâd refilled her arsenal with arrows picked off the dead. Her left arm, however, was bare of cloth and leather alike, scorched down to red, puckered flesh. Healed somewhat by Asala, most likely. It no longer bore blistered bubbles.
Even so, she hadnât hesitated. Not since stepping into Adamant Keepâs grounds. She behaved as if she were impenetrable in battle, but even she had begun to slow. Grow clumsy. Sweat beaded her brow as she inched close to Leonâs side, and the lip of Asalaâs magical field. She reached over her shoulder and drew an arrow from her quiver, holding it at the ready. She took a deep breath. Perhaps, to steady herself. Then she glanced up at Leon and grinned wide, âMake sure I donât end up this dragonâs last supper.â
Their plan in place, the group made for the wall. While Asala protected them and Zee kept the thing's attention, Leon and Khari swatted aside any lesser demons that accosted them on the way. The courtyard was large, but they were fast, and they'd made it to their target within a minute.
An arrow clinked off the dragon's faceâapparently the last straw. With a mighty bellow, it took off, the force of its jump into the air crushing the building-stones beneath its massive claws. The roar trailed into a sharp shriek; its wings beat with a sound like a gigantic bellows.
Khari turned to face it first. It landed again with an earthshaking thud, swiping for her with wicked claws. She ducked under the attempt, swinging her sword for its digits. The crude blade bit in, but not far, and the dragon flung her backwards right after. She landed hard, but rolled to her feet immediately, apparently not much the worse for wear. From the fact that she charged forward again right after, she was more interested in keeping up the fight now that she was in it than in getting help.
Nevertheless, she got some. Leon, moving very fast for a man in so much armor, burst forward all at once, occupying the dragon's right while Khari charged towards the left. He hit its foreleg at full force, leading with his shoulder. Since it was shifted onto that one to claw at Khari, the blow threw it off balance for a moment, allowing him to follow up with two heavy punches. A dull crack accompanied the breaking of one of the dragon's digits, red lyrium flaking off at the point of contact.
It shrieked again, drawing back its head to breathe another stream of corrupted fire at them.
âHey! Yeah, you,â punctuated with three arrows, fired at once, clattering against the creatureâs scaled snout and half-opened maw. Zahra was huffing at its side, backing away but already notching another arrow in place. Not nearly quick enough. If she thought shouting down a dragon was foolish, she certainly wasnât showing it. Deft fingers pinched the feathers against her cheek and drew even further back before she loosed it in the air, hissing out a âJust die already.â
"Agreed," Asala approved through gritted teeth. She was neither as quick as Leon or Khari, nor was she as direct. Instead she stood a ways out of the fight and when it reared its head back she saw an opportunity. Asala's magic flashed in her hands and when it expelled its corrupted fire, it only went as far as a few yards before the flame was interrupted. Her lips curled back in the effort to hold the barrier against the brunt of the flame, but it did not need to last for long. The barrier she had erected was domed from the inside, and close enough to its face so that when the fire struck the barrier, it ricocheted and engulfed the dragon's face in its own backwash.
The barrier began to fracture quickly under the onslaught, and the toil had fatigued her once again evidenced by her huffing, but it lasted just long enough to dissuade the dragon from continuing, its corrupted flame spilling from its face and onto the ground where it sizzled out. The last act of what remained of Asala's barrier was to slam into the dragon's snout, shattering the instant it touched scale. The damage it had done was nil, aside from maybe surprising it a bit.
It was at least enough to dissuade the dragon from further breath attacks, but even without those, its claws and teeth were certainly fierce enough to pose a serious threat, to say nothing of the red lyrium spikes growing out of its body.
While it was preoccupied with Leon, Khari tried to duck to the side, attempting to cut into its softer underbelly, but she was interrupted by a great rumble, which turned into a cracking sound, and then a grinding clatter, like a rockslide off a cliff. Her head snapped towards the noise.
In the distance, the keep's bridge was visibleâand it was collapsing before their eyes. If Asala squinted, she could make out smaller shapes amidst the rocks, falling alongside the stones. It was impossible to tell for sure, but that was definitely the direction the others had chased Pike in. It seemed likely thatâ
âNo. No!" Khari half-screamed, half-yelled the word, taking a quick pair of steps in that direction, as if to run to the bridge herself. The point of her sword scraped along the stone behind her; her face twisted in some inchoate expression of rage, or perhaps something else. Perhaps anguish, or even the beginning of something heavier like grief.
The dragon granted her no quarter to figure out which. Claws raked brutally across her midsection, tearing into the spaces between her armor plates and warping the chainmail underneath as though it were no more than linen. She lost her footing, picked up off the ground and hurled back almost to where Asala was.
She did not move.
Asala grimaced as panic and fear began to mix with the anger she felt toward the dragon. She quickly took the few steps necessary to reach Khari and erected a dome shaped barrier around them as she dropped to her knees beside her. Khari was still alive, and even conscious, but dazed. It could've been far worse considering the manner of monster they faced. Regardless, Asala was thankful for that and quickly readied a healing spell to begin to patch the wounds where the dragon's talons had reached.
That left Leon to command the majority of the dragon's attention. His did not divert to the collapsing bridge; it wasn't even clear whether or not he'd noticed. He went primarily on the defensive, avoiding or trying to knock aside the dragon's blows and retaliating only when the opportunity presented itself. He wasn't accumulating injuries, and oddly enough blunt damage like the kind he dealt with his hands seemed to have an effect on the creature's tough hide.
Unable to strafe away in time, he caught one hit on his arms, crossing them over his head. The effort of staving off the claws brought him to a knee, but he didn't buckle under the force, and the dragon withdrew rather than attempting to press the issue, so to speak. Instead, it snapped forward with its jaws, closing them over his shoulder.
An arrow thudded against its face, drawing blood from just beneath its eye. Leon's fist drove into some of its teeth from the side, accompanied by a cracking noise. When he pulled back, several of the smaller plates on his gauntlet were missing, but the dragon let him go and reared back, putting its face temporarily out of reach. Leon bled liberally from several large holes in his platemail, but if he was in pain, he gave no sign of it.
Lia, responsible for the arrow, was flanked by several other Lions, among them the elf Cor, Aurora's friend Donnelly, and the Qunari Hissrad, all of whom moved to support the Commander at the front. A few additional ranged fighters fanned out behind, a couple archers grouping up with Zahra to support.
Under Asala's hands, Khari's wounds at least partly stopped bleeding. Khari herself was already struggling to her feet. âI'm fineâsave the magic." Her tone was clipped, curt, with a growling rasp underneath that didn't seem to be directed at Asala specifically. The other woman's mouth twisted; she braced her sword on the ground and used it to stand. Pulling in an unsteady breath, she hefted the blade in both hands and started forward, bypassing the barrier and breaking into a jog. It didn't seem like a good idea to try and stop her.
âStubborn girl,â Zahraâs voice cut in beside Khari as she jogged shy of her heels. Bow in hand. Rounding up to her right side, a few paces behind. Enough to cause a distraction. Far enough not to accidentally be cleaved in half. She glanced sidelong at her, eyebrows drawn. Though, she made no attempt to dissuade her. The bow-wielding Lions whoâd joined the fray werenât far behind. They were preoccupied pelting the beast wherever they could. While most of the arrows clattered off hard scales⊠some had found purchase, sticking out like porcupine needles behind the creatureâs joints.
Asala rocked back to her feet and slipped in closer to the fight to get better aim for her barriers. She managed to just get into place before the dragon huffed. Its larger bony head turned away from them momentarily, looking over them and at something entirely different. Asala took that chance to slam an edge of a barrier into the bottom of its jaw. A few crystals of lyrium broke away from the scales, but otherwise did not seem to register the blow as anything above annoyance. Eventually, it began to turn its massive body away from the fight at hand, though not before lashing out with its mighty tail. Asala was quick enough to erect a barrier to guard against it, but there was not enough strength behind it.
Its large tail crushed through the barrier with ease and caught her heavily in the side. She felt something snap under the impact and then she was airborne. The shock and confusion was immediate and she'd forgotten which way was up until she abruptly found out which direction was down. It wasn't the hard stone of the keep's wall that broke her fall, the landing had been too soft for that. Instead she'd been thrown far enough to collide bodily with Zahra and take them both off of their feet. The dragon's tail hadn't only hit her, however, as any Lions who hadn't had the time to dodge were also thrown off of their feet.
From atop Zahra, she watched as the dragon beat its powerful wings to lift off from the wall and make a quick exit. Not before striking a tower on the way and showering the battle below it with loose stone and debris. Eventually, Asala was coherent enough to try and roll off of Zahra. "Zee! I am sorr--Argh!" she yelped in pain. Her vision blurred from the jabbing sensation she felt with every breath she took, and it was difficult to force air into her lungs. She clutched at her side as she slumped to the ground, slamming her fist against it from the defeat.
If Zahra was at all aware of what had happened in the span of a few seconds, she certainly gave no sign of it. Hefted from Khariâs side like a weightless doll. From the time they tumbled through the air and bounced off the ground, skidding to an unceremonious halt across the cobblestones, sheâd been motionless. There was a wet wheezing coming from her lips. But as shallow as it was, she was still clearly breathing. Her eyes, half-lidded, rolled white, and finally shuttered closed. A new wound bloomed out behind her head, painting the cracks red. Her fingers twitched, though as far as anything else was concerned, she gave no indication sheâd heard Asala speak.
âGet back to the courtyard." Leon's voice reached Asala over quite a distance. He seemed to be speaking to the Lions, but it was a safe bet that everyone would be heading the same way. âWe need to figure out what became of everyone else." He reached up and took the helmet off, raking a hand through his hair to pull it back from his face. He was still bleeding freely from the giant bite mark that formed a crescent around the right side of his chest and shoulder, but other than the heavy sheen of sweat beading on his brow and running down his face, he gave no bodily signs of being strained by it.
Still, he, like most of the others, would clearly need some form of medical attention soon. His eyes fell on Asala and Zahra to her side. Frowning, he crossed the gap and knelt, checking the captain's head wound more cautiously than he initially seemed capable of. The muscles around his eyes tightened, but he apparently decided she was safe to move, because he settled her with care over his uninjured shoulder.
âCan you walk, Miss Asala? I'm going to have the other healers and medics set up in the courtyard. If a potion will help, I'm sure Rilien brought some." His tone was reserved, but not unkind. It was almost as though he weren't sure which one he ought to be using.
Asala rolled back onto her back and wheezed, "Yes, I--" she winced, "I can." Instead of explaining that she had brought her own supply, as that would probably take air she didn't have, she reached into her pack and fished out a crimson vial of her own. She unstopped it and downed in a gulp letting the vial fall to the ground as she grabbed her side again. This time her hands held healing spells as she worked on her own ribs. The tickling sensation was almost unbearable, but eventually she was well enough to move. Not quickly, but move regardless.
"Is she... okay?" Asala asked after Zahra as she forced herself to her feet. There was no way that she could hide the shame she felt from her face.
Leon waited until they were back down on the level of the courtyard before he replied, perhaps to spare himself the strain of speaking while climbing down the ladders from the wall. Once they were both down, however, he made a noncommittal sound. âWell, she did fall unconscious due to an impact," he pointed out, thinning his lips. He seemed to realize that this might not have been the best thing to lead with, though, and backpedaled quickly. âBut it's not fatal or anything. With a little time and the right kind of care, she'll be good as new in a couple of days, I'd imagine. Though you're more the expert than I."
Other members of the Inquisition, aided by Stroud and some of the remaining Wardens, were already working to set up a triage area, unfolding cots and moving crates of medical supplies onto the site. Rilien was already directing the process. Aside from a gash on his temple, he seemed uninjured. Under his guidance, the process was nothing short of extremely efficient. It looked like he'd already set up stations for the healers to go to work, including the mana potions they'd need to restore their own energies, in addition to the ordinary health ones for the patients. Leon set Zahra down on one of them, on her side so that her wound wasn't in direct contact with any fabric or anything that might irritate it.
Asala reached for a mana potion-- her second of the day. It was a poor substitute for rest, but it would have to do for now. She grimaced as she replaced the vial empty vial and knelt down on the other side of the cot Leon had sat Zahra down on, deciding that she would be her first patient. It was only fair of course, if she hadn't struck her then Zahra wouldn't be unconscious with a head wound. She then solemnly began her work.
The quiet that had descended over what was once the battlefield was disturbed once again, this time from Aurora and Sparrow taking the set of stairs down that led up to the upper walls with Pike in tow. Pike struggled against his captors, but Aurora held a heavy grip on his hands behind his back, her arm up to her neck encased in stoneskin. Aurora had a cut along her brow and a stream of dried blood flaked away in the corner of her mouth. From the looks of it, Sparrowâs leathers were in tatters. Several slices were cut out around her midsection. Crusted with dried blood, but obviously tended to. Blood speckled across her face like macabre freckles and her knuckles were beaten and bruised; torn and freshly weeping as if sheâd spent her time punching someone. Her own hand was poised on the back of his neck. Pike on the other hand was bruised from head to toe, and one of his eyes was beginning to swell shut. He took the stairs with a noticeable limp.
As they reached the bottom, the grumbling from Warden and Inquisition grew louder, but Pike seemed to revel in it. He basked in their hateful stares. "I see that I was missed. Love what you all did with the place by the way," Pike taunted before Aurora's grip on his arms tightened.
âWhat happened up there?" Leon seemed content to completely ignore Pike himself, and addressed the question to the other two. âWhere are the others?"
That caused a shudder of laughter from Pike and he shrugged-- or tried, with Aurora's grip. He didn't seem to care that the question wasn't directed at him. "Oh, you mean the Inquisitors and their friends? Stood a little too close to the edge. Took a nasty stumble I'm afraid-- You know, they might just be reaching the Deep Roads by now. Shh, and maybe we can hear the splat," he said with a cackle.
None of the stares directed at Pike was more hateful than Khari's, and his words were more than enough to provoke her. Her grip tightened on Intercessor; she lifted it from the ground with what seemed to be considerable effort. The end visibly shook, as though she couldn't hold it steady.
âAr tu na'din, you smug fucking son of a bitch!" Her lips pulled back into a snarl; the roughness of her voice was just as much heavy emotion as injury. Despite her still-oozing wounds, she lunged for him, clearly intent on his death. If he was afraid, he did not show it, and instead met her with only a smirk.
She didn't quite make it far enough; a powerful arm caught her around the middle from behind. Leon held her fast, but was mindful of her wounds. âKhari, don't." He moved his eyes to Aurora. âGag him, please." The expression on his face suggested that he thought of Pike as about as disgusting as something suspect on the bottom of his boot. That wasn't anything Asala had ever seen on him before, really; he was usually quite mild on any occasion he wasn't busy fighting.
Khari struggled in his grip. âDon't you dare protect him!" She growled it from between her teeth, scrabbling at the arm holding her despite how clearly futile the effort was. She was even more injured than Leon, and not nearly as strong on her best day. âHe killed them! He killedâI'm going to fucking murder him, and he deserves it!"
Sparrow hawked and spat on the ground at Pikeâs feet, letting her fingers feather away from his neck. A huff sounded, and her hand soon returned. Though this time, much more violently. She wound her fingers through his hair and gripped tightly, jerking his head back. Her mouth twitched into a scowl as she drew her hand into a fist and smashed it into the side of his face. Aurora shifted with the movement fluidly and let the momentum guide Pike to the ground hard. She jammed her knee into his back and reached up for Sparrow to hand her a tatter of leather. She quickly set upon wrapping it around his mouth none-too-gently. Sparrow lifted her boot and poised it across Pikeâs exposed neckline. Not quite enough to smother him, but certainly hard enough to cause discomfort, âYouâll die soon enough, Pike. But not here.â
It was only a few moments after they'd subdued Pike that Asala felt a slight disturbance. It wasn't quite physicalâwhich meant it was in the Fade somehow. A heartbeat passed, and then a rift appeared in the center of the courtyard, not far from where the others were gathered. A bright burst of green light bathed everything in its emerald glow for just a moment, somehow less sickly a color than she'd grown accustomed to seeing. It dimmed a little, but the rift itself widened, growing long and tall enough to let a person through.
Leon immediately tensed, perhaps preparing for a demon, but what stepped out of the rift was a much more welcomeâand surprisingâsight. Romulus, with Cyrus over one shoulder, emerged first, dropping the few inches between the bottom of the rift and the ground. Right on his heels were Vesryn and Estella, the Guard-Captain supported between them.
No sooner had Estella's feet touched ground than the rift sealed up behind them, as though it had never been there at all.
Still when the air cleared, her barrier was near the point of shattering as it barely held itself together. Fractures had formed all across its surface, and her arms trembled from the effort it required to keep the shield up. Still, she didn't quite feel it, instead what she felt was the desire for the dragon to be closer so she could slam the barrier into its face. Foolhardy, most definitely, but it did not change the fact that Asala wanted the dragon to fall.
She would not be able to do it by herself, and she was not so arrogant to believe it would be that easy even with all of her friends' help. She had to calm herself, and the quiet fatigue she felt in her arms went a long way to do just that. She couldn't let herself forget that they fought against more than just the dragon. Demons and some of the Wardens still presented a danger themselves.
"What... do we do now?" she asked Leon, choosing her words carefully. Regardless, she was quite aware that her emotions played out plainly across her face.
He didn't seem inclined to chide her for them, though it was impossible to have even a vague idea what he thought, covered head to toe in armor as he was. âNot much we can do, while it's up there and we're down here." His voice was roughened, through the helm, as though he were consciously suppressing some other tone he could have had. âWe need to get to the wall and draw it to us. Can you cover us with your barriers while we go?" He turned his head slightly, so he was looking at Zahra.
âArrows should keep it focused on us, if you can be irritating enough. The important part is that it doesn't take off after the others." He and Khari wouldn't be much use until they were in at close range, but at that stage, it was easy to tell that the majority of the burden would be theirs to carry.
"I can," Asala answered. She reached into the satchel at her side and withdrew a vial that held a piercing blue liquid. In one deft motion she unstopped the cork and drained it, replacing the vial once she was done. She could feel the fatigue lift as the potion worked through her veins-- though the taste had always left something to be desired.
âYou got it,â while Zahraâs face looked a mess with crusted blood clumped in her hairline, and smeared across the right side of her face, she still managed a weak smile. Like the others, she looked tired. The wild excitement at seeing another dragon had left her eyes, instead they simply looked bright and feverish. She shifted on her heels, and adjusted the bow in her hands. From the looks of it, sheâd refilled her arsenal with arrows picked off the dead. Her left arm, however, was bare of cloth and leather alike, scorched down to red, puckered flesh. Healed somewhat by Asala, most likely. It no longer bore blistered bubbles.
Even so, she hadnât hesitated. Not since stepping into Adamant Keepâs grounds. She behaved as if she were impenetrable in battle, but even she had begun to slow. Grow clumsy. Sweat beaded her brow as she inched close to Leonâs side, and the lip of Asalaâs magical field. She reached over her shoulder and drew an arrow from her quiver, holding it at the ready. She took a deep breath. Perhaps, to steady herself. Then she glanced up at Leon and grinned wide, âMake sure I donât end up this dragonâs last supper.â
Their plan in place, the group made for the wall. While Asala protected them and Zee kept the thing's attention, Leon and Khari swatted aside any lesser demons that accosted them on the way. The courtyard was large, but they were fast, and they'd made it to their target within a minute.
An arrow clinked off the dragon's faceâapparently the last straw. With a mighty bellow, it took off, the force of its jump into the air crushing the building-stones beneath its massive claws. The roar trailed into a sharp shriek; its wings beat with a sound like a gigantic bellows.
Khari turned to face it first. It landed again with an earthshaking thud, swiping for her with wicked claws. She ducked under the attempt, swinging her sword for its digits. The crude blade bit in, but not far, and the dragon flung her backwards right after. She landed hard, but rolled to her feet immediately, apparently not much the worse for wear. From the fact that she charged forward again right after, she was more interested in keeping up the fight now that she was in it than in getting help.
Nevertheless, she got some. Leon, moving very fast for a man in so much armor, burst forward all at once, occupying the dragon's right while Khari charged towards the left. He hit its foreleg at full force, leading with his shoulder. Since it was shifted onto that one to claw at Khari, the blow threw it off balance for a moment, allowing him to follow up with two heavy punches. A dull crack accompanied the breaking of one of the dragon's digits, red lyrium flaking off at the point of contact.
It shrieked again, drawing back its head to breathe another stream of corrupted fire at them.
âHey! Yeah, you,â punctuated with three arrows, fired at once, clattering against the creatureâs scaled snout and half-opened maw. Zahra was huffing at its side, backing away but already notching another arrow in place. Not nearly quick enough. If she thought shouting down a dragon was foolish, she certainly wasnât showing it. Deft fingers pinched the feathers against her cheek and drew even further back before she loosed it in the air, hissing out a âJust die already.â
"Agreed," Asala approved through gritted teeth. She was neither as quick as Leon or Khari, nor was she as direct. Instead she stood a ways out of the fight and when it reared its head back she saw an opportunity. Asala's magic flashed in her hands and when it expelled its corrupted fire, it only went as far as a few yards before the flame was interrupted. Her lips curled back in the effort to hold the barrier against the brunt of the flame, but it did not need to last for long. The barrier she had erected was domed from the inside, and close enough to its face so that when the fire struck the barrier, it ricocheted and engulfed the dragon's face in its own backwash.
The barrier began to fracture quickly under the onslaught, and the toil had fatigued her once again evidenced by her huffing, but it lasted just long enough to dissuade the dragon from continuing, its corrupted flame spilling from its face and onto the ground where it sizzled out. The last act of what remained of Asala's barrier was to slam into the dragon's snout, shattering the instant it touched scale. The damage it had done was nil, aside from maybe surprising it a bit.
It was at least enough to dissuade the dragon from further breath attacks, but even without those, its claws and teeth were certainly fierce enough to pose a serious threat, to say nothing of the red lyrium spikes growing out of its body.
While it was preoccupied with Leon, Khari tried to duck to the side, attempting to cut into its softer underbelly, but she was interrupted by a great rumble, which turned into a cracking sound, and then a grinding clatter, like a rockslide off a cliff. Her head snapped towards the noise.
In the distance, the keep's bridge was visibleâand it was collapsing before their eyes. If Asala squinted, she could make out smaller shapes amidst the rocks, falling alongside the stones. It was impossible to tell for sure, but that was definitely the direction the others had chased Pike in. It seemed likely thatâ
âNo. No!" Khari half-screamed, half-yelled the word, taking a quick pair of steps in that direction, as if to run to the bridge herself. The point of her sword scraped along the stone behind her; her face twisted in some inchoate expression of rage, or perhaps something else. Perhaps anguish, or even the beginning of something heavier like grief.
The dragon granted her no quarter to figure out which. Claws raked brutally across her midsection, tearing into the spaces between her armor plates and warping the chainmail underneath as though it were no more than linen. She lost her footing, picked up off the ground and hurled back almost to where Asala was.
She did not move.
Asala grimaced as panic and fear began to mix with the anger she felt toward the dragon. She quickly took the few steps necessary to reach Khari and erected a dome shaped barrier around them as she dropped to her knees beside her. Khari was still alive, and even conscious, but dazed. It could've been far worse considering the manner of monster they faced. Regardless, Asala was thankful for that and quickly readied a healing spell to begin to patch the wounds where the dragon's talons had reached.
That left Leon to command the majority of the dragon's attention. His did not divert to the collapsing bridge; it wasn't even clear whether or not he'd noticed. He went primarily on the defensive, avoiding or trying to knock aside the dragon's blows and retaliating only when the opportunity presented itself. He wasn't accumulating injuries, and oddly enough blunt damage like the kind he dealt with his hands seemed to have an effect on the creature's tough hide.
Unable to strafe away in time, he caught one hit on his arms, crossing them over his head. The effort of staving off the claws brought him to a knee, but he didn't buckle under the force, and the dragon withdrew rather than attempting to press the issue, so to speak. Instead, it snapped forward with its jaws, closing them over his shoulder.
An arrow thudded against its face, drawing blood from just beneath its eye. Leon's fist drove into some of its teeth from the side, accompanied by a cracking noise. When he pulled back, several of the smaller plates on his gauntlet were missing, but the dragon let him go and reared back, putting its face temporarily out of reach. Leon bled liberally from several large holes in his platemail, but if he was in pain, he gave no sign of it.
Lia, responsible for the arrow, was flanked by several other Lions, among them the elf Cor, Aurora's friend Donnelly, and the Qunari Hissrad, all of whom moved to support the Commander at the front. A few additional ranged fighters fanned out behind, a couple archers grouping up with Zahra to support.
Under Asala's hands, Khari's wounds at least partly stopped bleeding. Khari herself was already struggling to her feet. âI'm fineâsave the magic." Her tone was clipped, curt, with a growling rasp underneath that didn't seem to be directed at Asala specifically. The other woman's mouth twisted; she braced her sword on the ground and used it to stand. Pulling in an unsteady breath, she hefted the blade in both hands and started forward, bypassing the barrier and breaking into a jog. It didn't seem like a good idea to try and stop her.
âStubborn girl,â Zahraâs voice cut in beside Khari as she jogged shy of her heels. Bow in hand. Rounding up to her right side, a few paces behind. Enough to cause a distraction. Far enough not to accidentally be cleaved in half. She glanced sidelong at her, eyebrows drawn. Though, she made no attempt to dissuade her. The bow-wielding Lions whoâd joined the fray werenât far behind. They were preoccupied pelting the beast wherever they could. While most of the arrows clattered off hard scales⊠some had found purchase, sticking out like porcupine needles behind the creatureâs joints.
Asala rocked back to her feet and slipped in closer to the fight to get better aim for her barriers. She managed to just get into place before the dragon huffed. Its larger bony head turned away from them momentarily, looking over them and at something entirely different. Asala took that chance to slam an edge of a barrier into the bottom of its jaw. A few crystals of lyrium broke away from the scales, but otherwise did not seem to register the blow as anything above annoyance. Eventually, it began to turn its massive body away from the fight at hand, though not before lashing out with its mighty tail. Asala was quick enough to erect a barrier to guard against it, but there was not enough strength behind it.
Its large tail crushed through the barrier with ease and caught her heavily in the side. She felt something snap under the impact and then she was airborne. The shock and confusion was immediate and she'd forgotten which way was up until she abruptly found out which direction was down. It wasn't the hard stone of the keep's wall that broke her fall, the landing had been too soft for that. Instead she'd been thrown far enough to collide bodily with Zahra and take them both off of their feet. The dragon's tail hadn't only hit her, however, as any Lions who hadn't had the time to dodge were also thrown off of their feet.
From atop Zahra, she watched as the dragon beat its powerful wings to lift off from the wall and make a quick exit. Not before striking a tower on the way and showering the battle below it with loose stone and debris. Eventually, Asala was coherent enough to try and roll off of Zahra. "Zee! I am sorr--Argh!" she yelped in pain. Her vision blurred from the jabbing sensation she felt with every breath she took, and it was difficult to force air into her lungs. She clutched at her side as she slumped to the ground, slamming her fist against it from the defeat.
If Zahra was at all aware of what had happened in the span of a few seconds, she certainly gave no sign of it. Hefted from Khariâs side like a weightless doll. From the time they tumbled through the air and bounced off the ground, skidding to an unceremonious halt across the cobblestones, sheâd been motionless. There was a wet wheezing coming from her lips. But as shallow as it was, she was still clearly breathing. Her eyes, half-lidded, rolled white, and finally shuttered closed. A new wound bloomed out behind her head, painting the cracks red. Her fingers twitched, though as far as anything else was concerned, she gave no indication sheâd heard Asala speak.
âGet back to the courtyard." Leon's voice reached Asala over quite a distance. He seemed to be speaking to the Lions, but it was a safe bet that everyone would be heading the same way. âWe need to figure out what became of everyone else." He reached up and took the helmet off, raking a hand through his hair to pull it back from his face. He was still bleeding freely from the giant bite mark that formed a crescent around the right side of his chest and shoulder, but other than the heavy sheen of sweat beading on his brow and running down his face, he gave no bodily signs of being strained by it.
Still, he, like most of the others, would clearly need some form of medical attention soon. His eyes fell on Asala and Zahra to her side. Frowning, he crossed the gap and knelt, checking the captain's head wound more cautiously than he initially seemed capable of. The muscles around his eyes tightened, but he apparently decided she was safe to move, because he settled her with care over his uninjured shoulder.
âCan you walk, Miss Asala? I'm going to have the other healers and medics set up in the courtyard. If a potion will help, I'm sure Rilien brought some." His tone was reserved, but not unkind. It was almost as though he weren't sure which one he ought to be using.
Asala rolled back onto her back and wheezed, "Yes, I--" she winced, "I can." Instead of explaining that she had brought her own supply, as that would probably take air she didn't have, she reached into her pack and fished out a crimson vial of her own. She unstopped it and downed in a gulp letting the vial fall to the ground as she grabbed her side again. This time her hands held healing spells as she worked on her own ribs. The tickling sensation was almost unbearable, but eventually she was well enough to move. Not quickly, but move regardless.
"Is she... okay?" Asala asked after Zahra as she forced herself to her feet. There was no way that she could hide the shame she felt from her face.
Leon waited until they were back down on the level of the courtyard before he replied, perhaps to spare himself the strain of speaking while climbing down the ladders from the wall. Once they were both down, however, he made a noncommittal sound. âWell, she did fall unconscious due to an impact," he pointed out, thinning his lips. He seemed to realize that this might not have been the best thing to lead with, though, and backpedaled quickly. âBut it's not fatal or anything. With a little time and the right kind of care, she'll be good as new in a couple of days, I'd imagine. Though you're more the expert than I."
Other members of the Inquisition, aided by Stroud and some of the remaining Wardens, were already working to set up a triage area, unfolding cots and moving crates of medical supplies onto the site. Rilien was already directing the process. Aside from a gash on his temple, he seemed uninjured. Under his guidance, the process was nothing short of extremely efficient. It looked like he'd already set up stations for the healers to go to work, including the mana potions they'd need to restore their own energies, in addition to the ordinary health ones for the patients. Leon set Zahra down on one of them, on her side so that her wound wasn't in direct contact with any fabric or anything that might irritate it.
Asala reached for a mana potion-- her second of the day. It was a poor substitute for rest, but it would have to do for now. She grimaced as she replaced the vial empty vial and knelt down on the other side of the cot Leon had sat Zahra down on, deciding that she would be her first patient. It was only fair of course, if she hadn't struck her then Zahra wouldn't be unconscious with a head wound. She then solemnly began her work.
The quiet that had descended over what was once the battlefield was disturbed once again, this time from Aurora and Sparrow taking the set of stairs down that led up to the upper walls with Pike in tow. Pike struggled against his captors, but Aurora held a heavy grip on his hands behind his back, her arm up to her neck encased in stoneskin. Aurora had a cut along her brow and a stream of dried blood flaked away in the corner of her mouth. From the looks of it, Sparrowâs leathers were in tatters. Several slices were cut out around her midsection. Crusted with dried blood, but obviously tended to. Blood speckled across her face like macabre freckles and her knuckles were beaten and bruised; torn and freshly weeping as if sheâd spent her time punching someone. Her own hand was poised on the back of his neck. Pike on the other hand was bruised from head to toe, and one of his eyes was beginning to swell shut. He took the stairs with a noticeable limp.
As they reached the bottom, the grumbling from Warden and Inquisition grew louder, but Pike seemed to revel in it. He basked in their hateful stares. "I see that I was missed. Love what you all did with the place by the way," Pike taunted before Aurora's grip on his arms tightened.
âWhat happened up there?" Leon seemed content to completely ignore Pike himself, and addressed the question to the other two. âWhere are the others?"
That caused a shudder of laughter from Pike and he shrugged-- or tried, with Aurora's grip. He didn't seem to care that the question wasn't directed at him. "Oh, you mean the Inquisitors and their friends? Stood a little too close to the edge. Took a nasty stumble I'm afraid-- You know, they might just be reaching the Deep Roads by now. Shh, and maybe we can hear the splat," he said with a cackle.
None of the stares directed at Pike was more hateful than Khari's, and his words were more than enough to provoke her. Her grip tightened on Intercessor; she lifted it from the ground with what seemed to be considerable effort. The end visibly shook, as though she couldn't hold it steady.
âAr tu na'din, you smug fucking son of a bitch!" Her lips pulled back into a snarl; the roughness of her voice was just as much heavy emotion as injury. Despite her still-oozing wounds, she lunged for him, clearly intent on his death. If he was afraid, he did not show it, and instead met her with only a smirk.
She didn't quite make it far enough; a powerful arm caught her around the middle from behind. Leon held her fast, but was mindful of her wounds. âKhari, don't." He moved his eyes to Aurora. âGag him, please." The expression on his face suggested that he thought of Pike as about as disgusting as something suspect on the bottom of his boot. That wasn't anything Asala had ever seen on him before, really; he was usually quite mild on any occasion he wasn't busy fighting.
Khari struggled in his grip. âDon't you dare protect him!" She growled it from between her teeth, scrabbling at the arm holding her despite how clearly futile the effort was. She was even more injured than Leon, and not nearly as strong on her best day. âHe killed them! He killedâI'm going to fucking murder him, and he deserves it!"
Sparrow hawked and spat on the ground at Pikeâs feet, letting her fingers feather away from his neck. A huff sounded, and her hand soon returned. Though this time, much more violently. She wound her fingers through his hair and gripped tightly, jerking his head back. Her mouth twitched into a scowl as she drew her hand into a fist and smashed it into the side of his face. Aurora shifted with the movement fluidly and let the momentum guide Pike to the ground hard. She jammed her knee into his back and reached up for Sparrow to hand her a tatter of leather. She quickly set upon wrapping it around his mouth none-too-gently. Sparrow lifted her boot and poised it across Pikeâs exposed neckline. Not quite enough to smother him, but certainly hard enough to cause discomfort, âYouâll die soon enough, Pike. But not here.â
It was only a few moments after they'd subdued Pike that Asala felt a slight disturbance. It wasn't quite physicalâwhich meant it was in the Fade somehow. A heartbeat passed, and then a rift appeared in the center of the courtyard, not far from where the others were gathered. A bright burst of green light bathed everything in its emerald glow for just a moment, somehow less sickly a color than she'd grown accustomed to seeing. It dimmed a little, but the rift itself widened, growing long and tall enough to let a person through.
Leon immediately tensed, perhaps preparing for a demon, but what stepped out of the rift was a much more welcomeâand surprisingâsight. Romulus, with Cyrus over one shoulder, emerged first, dropping the few inches between the bottom of the rift and the ground. Right on his heels were Vesryn and Estella, the Guard-Captain supported between them.
No sooner had Estella's feet touched ground than the rift sealed up behind them, as though it had never been there at all.