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Requiem for a Dream ~ Clint Mansell (The Battle of Denerim)

We ran into the city itself, fighting our way through the horde. Our goal was the Palace District. We heard the Archdemon roaring as he raced over the city. After he flew past a tower, he started flying erratically. Then he stopped in mid-air, roaring in pain, before diving straight down towards.

"Something's going on," Alistair said.

"Thank you, Ser Obvious," I said. "I think Riordan made his move."

The Archdemon slammed himself into a tower. Alistair pulled me out of the way of the falling stones, throwing his shield over our heads. Sten wrapped his arms around Morrigan and used his bulk to protect her from harm. Once debris stopped falling, I shoved away from Alistair and looked around for the Archdemon. I caught sight of him making his way towards Fort Drakon. He gave a pained roar and a moment later, I saw something fall.

"Creators! No!" I cried.

The Archdemon flew a bit farther before crashing down onto the top of Fort Drakon. I ran full speed to where Riordan had fallen. I crouched down next to his broken and bloodied body. "Oh, Riordan." I had barely known the Senior Warden, but we had a shared sister and brotherhood. We were one of the last of the Wardens left in Ferelden. Now it was just Alistair and I once more. I reached down and closed his sightless eyes and closed my own eyes. "May the Creators guide you to a peaceful rest, Brother." I would mourn him properly once this was over and if I survived to do so. I stood with a heavy heart and I saw the sadness in Alistair's eyes. He looked at me and his face became unreadable. It was going to be up to me to kill the Archdemon. I hoped I wouldn't let down Riordan, the Grey Wardens, or Ferelden.

~~~

We approached the palace. Several Darkspawn and an ogre ran towards us. I drew my bow, took out the archer on the wall and then focused on the others. Morrigan and I gave Alistair and Sten cover as they rushed the Darkspawn as they came down the stairs. They fell and the ogre rushed towards Sten.

"Sten! Behind you!"

I let loose an arrow that pierced its eye. Sten finished it off and Morrigan and I ran up the stairs leading to the palace courtyard. I let loose arrow after arrow at the advancing Darkspawn. The men rushed up the stairs to the palace entrance and Morrigan and I gave them firing cover. I was forced to switch to my blades when three Shrieks advanced on me. Seeing them made me think of Tamlen's death and I let loose my anger and grief on them. They fell and I rushed at the advancing Darkspawn. An Alpha had knocked down Alistair. I vaulted over him and tackled it, breaking its neck on the stairs before vaulting at the ogre. I buried my blades into its throat then flipped off beheading an Emissary while still in midair. I landed lightly on my feet and in a sweep of my blades beheaded two more Darkspawn.

"How is it you're that agile?" Alistair asked.

"Lots of practice."

We went around the palace towards Fort Drakon. I disengaged a trap and returned to my bow, picking off archers. I ran forward, my bow string singing. I abandoned the bow again and leapt at the back of an Emissary, running both blades through its back. I leapt off the Emissary and went for its bodyguards. They fell quickly and I was hit from behind by a Shriek. It died for its efforts. Alistair drew a Shriek towards me. I ran towards him. He crouched and I leapt on his shield vaulting over him and cutting the Shriek in two. I landed behind an Alpha and surprised it, cutting it down. I ducked as a blast of lightning raced towards me. Morrigan's bolt hit the Alpha that had been behind me. More were pouring out of Fort Drakon's gates.

"Creators aid us!"

I heard a loud cry and turned my head to see Kardol leading his Legionnaires in a charge. Thank the Creators, Ancestors, and the Maker for him. I joined him in the charge. Arrows zipped past our heads. I looked up to see several archers had taken up positions on the wall. We needed to get rid of those archers. I calculated the distance. Sten seemed to know what I was doing. He ran towards the wall.

"Warden!"

I ran towards him and he cupped his hands. The moment my foot touched his hands, he launched me upwards. I landed on the wall and started cutting into the archers. The last one went flying off the wall and I pulled my bow and fired at the other archers. From Fort Drakon itself, an ogre barreled towards the battle. It was going to blindside the fighters. I jogged backwards, putting away my bow and drawing my blades again, and judged the distance, keeping an eye on it. I ran full speed and leapt off the wall. I landed on the ogre, blades down. It reached up trying to grab me. I avoided its massive hands. It ran towards the other wall. I leapt and spun around, landing on it back and barely sinking my swords into its flesh before it crashed into the wall. I lost my footing and one handhold. I looked down to see Alistair hacking at its legs. And it was a long drop if I fell now. I swung myself back up, pulling out one sword and stabbing into the back of its neck. It threw itself backward. I was barely able to get out from between it and the wall. I lost a sword and my balance. I stabbed at the ogre attempting to catch myself. My blade caught its side and slide all the way down, slowing my fall. I dropped down to earth as the ogre came crashing down. Alistair handed me the sword I'd lost.

"Only you would have that type of dumb luck," Alistair said.

I flipped him off and turned towards Fort Drakon.

We ran through the gates and I immediately started firing at the Darkspawn there. A small dragon joined the fray and Sten, Alistair, and a few of the Legionnaires went for it while the rest of us went after the Darkspawn. Morrigan let loose a lightning storm. I let fly arrow after arrow into two Emissaries. Their bodyguards charged at me. I abandoned the bow in favor of my blades. I twirled them around to where the blades were against my arms and spun around. I cut into two of their throats before sliding them into the chests of the two behind me. Alistair sent a Darkspawn trying to come at my back flying into Sten's sword. I rushed forward sliding my blade into the Alpha trying to cut down Alistair at the same moment he ran one through that was behind me. The sudden closeness only reminded me of what we no longer had. I spun around and away from him, beheading a smaller Darkspawn and getting my mind back onto the battle. I looked around and saw they were all dead.

"Has anyone told you how insane you are?"

"Frequently. We have an Archdemon to kill."

~~~

I was the first to pass through the doors of Fort Drakon. I crab-stepped, my bow drawn and an arrow nocked. Morrigan crab-stepped just behind me, her staff at the ready. The men followed behind cautiously. Darkspawn bodies littered the floors. All was quiet.

"We're clear," I said.

"You remember the way around?" Alistair asked me.

"Mostly."

"Good."

"If we're done chatting let's get to the roof."

"She's right," Sten said. "We need to get to the Archdemon and quickly."

"Let's go." We fought our way through Fort Drakon and to the roof.

~~~

We ran full speed up the stairs and down the hall that led to the roof of Fort Drakon. The place where Riordan had wanted to face the Archdemon and where, with his death, had forced it. We could hear men screaming. I pushed myself to go faster and reached the doorway as a man went flying by. I slid to a stop as I laid eyes on the Archdemon. He was a lot bigger than I remembered from the Deep Roads. Several men had surrounded it. The Archdemon's tail sent a few sailing away from him. He did the same with his head.

Norick rolled to a stop at my feet. "Am I glad to see you!"

I helped him to his feet.

"Someone tore its wing. It can't take flight for more than a few feet."

The Archdemon grabbed a poor soul and bit, tossing the man into the air backward to where he sailed over the tower, screaming.

"Riordan did some critical damage before he fell, then," Alistair said. Thank you, Riordan. He had given us somewhat of an advantage although it made the Archdemon a more dangerous enemy. He crushed another man with its massive claws.

"Gorin's dead and the rest of us soon will be if you don't put an end to this soon."

Men screamed in pain as a plume of fire enveloped them. It saw us and roared.

"What's the plan, General?" Alistair asked.

"Stay alive," I said. "If I fall, it will be you who will make the final blow." I drew my bow as taunt as it would go. "Unleash hell."

The arrow sailed through the air and buried itself into the Archdemon's neck. Sten took that as a sign to charge. Several of the Hunters had arrived before us and had taken up positions in various places. They, too, took my first shot as a sign to attack. Morrigan sent bolts of electricity at the Archdemon. I ran sideways firing arrow after arrow. I caught sight of a ballista.

"Alistair! Man that ballista!"

Alistair ran over to it and began shooting. Sten and the men kept the Archdemon's attention. It bellowed and Darkspawn began to swarm onto the roof. Alistair abandoned the ballista. Several of the men ran and attempted to block the door to keep any more Darkspawn from coming through. I ran to the ballista and fired until I was forced to abandon it and defend myself against Darkspawn assaulting my position. I returned to my swords. I cut down many. I spun around and realized too late that my defenses were open and the Alpha coming for me would break through. An arrow passed through its neck from the side. I looked and Fenarel nodded at me. I nodded my thanks and turned back to the battle. Sten had retreated to stand next to me. The Archdemon was staggering.

"If you are to do this, now would be the time," he said. He was right. The Archdemon was open, his Darkspawn were engaged with the men and the Dalish were picking them off one by one.

I nodded. "You've been a great ally, Sten. I want to thank you now for your aid."

"You are a good woman, Realin." It was the first time he'd called me by my name. "And an even better warrior. I was wrong about you." I glanced over at Alistair as he bashed a Darkspawn in the head and then slashed down, then up.

"Do not let Alistair past you unless I fail."

"Give him hell, Kadan."

I spun around and ran towards the Archdemon. A pair of Darkspawn had broken away from the men. I crossed my arms and quickly pulled them back to their original positions, embedding my swords into their chests. I left them there and kept running. I grabbed a greatsword from out of a Darkspawn corpse as I charged past.

"REALIN!" I heard Alistair scream.

The Archdemon saw me coming and tried to snap at me. I dodged and slid under it, cutting into the hide of its neck. It bellowed in pain and I barely cleared its underbelly before it fell. I turned and looked down on it. This was the moment we had been striving for. The moment we had been fighting for. The moment when we defeated the Blight. I raised the blade.

"BELLANARIS DIN'AN HEEM!" I screamed before plunging the sword into the Archdemon's head.

"NOOO!"

A bright light emitted from the wound, reminding me of the day I became tainted. I screamed, the pain was intense and nothing like I'd ever experienced. Even the pain of the Joining and the pain of my tainting combined did not compare to this. I couldn't back away or let go of the sword, no matter how hard I tried. The light exploded out, throwing me back. I lost the sword as I flew backward. I hit the ground hard and rolled a several feet before coming to a stop on my back. I couldn't catch my breath and I could barely keep my eyes open. The Archdemon was dead. I just knew it. I just knew the Blight was over. I could hear the cheers of celebration before the darkness claimed me.

Bellanaris din'an heem ~ Eternal death to you