View Single Post
Old 01-18-2013, 03:01 PM   #5
Vaprakgruumsh
Drizzt Do'Urden
 

Join Date: November 24, 2001
Location: Neverending Nights
Age: 53
Posts: 639
Default Re: Dragon Age: Life Begins With Death.

William took the same rag that he had used to shine his sword and dipped it into his over turned helmet, which he had used to capture water from the small pond. It was not the cleanest of water, but it was better than being splattered by blood, muck and soot. He used the rag to clean off his face, his ice blue eyes, peering from his matted blond locks of hair, “Why would Riordan ask you to become a Blood Mage, if you were already powerful as a Mage?”

“Because,” Quinn answered, laying on his side, his hands folded under his head, “Riordan saw the Blight for what it really was. Both Teyrn Loghain and King Cailan, rest in peace, underestimated the Blight. They weren’t Grey Warden. They couldn’t hear the Arch-Demon. They didn’t know how serious it was. When Riordan recruited me – he told me that the chances of surviving this Blight were next to impossible. But it was always the Grey Warden’s way to fight. Despite the odds.” Quinn shook his head. “Damn fool.”

Quinn sat up. “Now the damn idiot is probably dead, lying on some battle field, being feasted on by those vile Darkspawn.” He shook his head again. “I actually liked Riordan,” Quinn admitted, with a slight smile, as if recalling some distant memory. “He knew what it was like. He knew what it took. Despite Blood Magic being banned all over Ferelden, the Grey Wardens had always been allowed to use Blood Magic. They justified it as an excuse to fight the Darkspawn. Riordan knew the potential of Blood Mages. Knew what it was like to unlock that power – to use it against the Darkspawn.” Quinn scoffed as he laid his head down, “I’ve even heard that Grey Wardens have even intentionally become abominations…”

William looked at Quinn as the Blood Mage laid down again. From beneath his locks of blood stained, golden locks of hair, William watched Quinn. The Blood Mage simply closed his eyes and said, “You have first watch. The Korcari Wilds are full of things – not just Darkspawn.”


The fire flickered and faded; embers danced into the sky, trying to escape the flames of fire, like souls that had been damned for eternity. William’s gaze had been transfixed to the dying fire, as darkness slowly crept in closer with the dying flame rapidly fading.

William’s eyes fluttered as he fought to stay awake. Images poured into his memory. He stood there, holding the goblet in his hand, when he realized the tainted blood he had been asked to fetch by Riordan was what he was about to consume. He had seen Blaine drink from his goblet; and watched as Blaine screamed in horror moments later, grasping at his head and screaming over and over. The vivid image of Blaine’s body going into convulsions brought fear into his mind and heart, until finally Blaine’s body ceased moving and his gaze suddenly turned to the dark skies, lacking all forms of expression. Blaine had not survived the joining.

There was another image. A demon. Screaming. William could see them marching. The Darkspawn. Thousands of them. Marching.

William gasped and his eyes flew open.

“Good to know I can trust you to keep guard,” Quinn said, matter-of-factly as he packed his bag. “Surprised neither of us is dead because of your recklessness. The least you could have done is woke me up. Told me you were tired. Something.”

The daylight through the treetops tried to burn away the mist that haunted the Korcari Wilds. William rubbed his eyes, tried to focus, tried to shake the images out of his head. That’s when he noticed blood splattered on Quinn’s robes that had not been there the night before.

“What,” William began to ask, but Quinn pointed to three bodies near the camp.

“Darkspawn,” Quinn snapped. “Three of them. Thankfully, very loud. Woke me up from my slumber. Saw them before they saw me. But they’re tracking us through the blood. They will keep coming for us. We have to get moving. Out of the Wilds, because it’s crawling with Darkspawn looking for survivors of the battle of Ostagar.”

William stood. His body ached. “We should go to Lothering. It’s the closest town. If there’s other survivors, perhaps they had gone there as well.”
__________________
· [url]\"http://www.neverendingnights.com\" target=\"_blank\">Neverending Nights.com</a> ·
Vaprakgruumsh is offline   Reply With Quote