章節 15: Caridin or Branka

After wandering around for almost a month Daveth's Group finally found the way towards the Ortan Thaig. "I thought you knew the way your wife would take as I see you don't know anything right," says Daveth to Oghren who just replied, "I know what I said I didn't know someone could get lost in the Deep Roads." "Just be happy we can feel the Darkspawn or we would have died at least six times already," says Daveth back to Oghren. If not for Daveth marking every place they pass with numbers as Logan taught them they would have lost themselves until they die.

Walking through the Thaig Daveth and the others could see two dwarves fighting some spiders that attacked their camp.

After helping them Oghren recognizes one of the two and says, "You are Endrin's lad, aren't you?" "Duran Aeducan that's my name, not Endrin's lad," says Duran looking at Oghren and keeps saying, "What is a drunk doing here in the deep roads have you finally understood no one wants a drunk and want to commit suicide and brought some people with you." Hearing this Oghren walks over to Duran and wants to headbutt him Duran await it and headbutts back. "Do you want to kiss each other or what's going on between the two of you," says Daveth sarcastic to the two.

"That kid needs a beating that's all," says Oghren while Duran says, "The old man needs an ass whooping so he knows his place." "Now can we stop the fight my commander has an offer for you that I would accept if I were you," says Daveth looking at Duran. "And what would that be?" asks Duran and Daveth let the bomb drop, "To make you King if you do what he says if you don't do it he will find someone else like your brother." the last word were said in a low tone like saying take it or watch your brother reign over all.

"What are the conditions to make me king?" asks Duran Daveth, who answers, "Pretty easy to break some of your traditions like let the Surfacers return to Orzammar and break the caste system for casteless so they could change caste after learning their new caste be in like say casteless wants to be in the merchant caste he learns how to be a merchant and he becomes a merchant caste as he finishes learning how to be a merchant."

"Fine, I can agree to that how is he going to make me king still?" asks Duran and Daveth answers, "We let Caridin or Branka make you a crown with his or her insignia and your name on it."

"How are you going to make a dead Paragon make a crown for me?" asks Duran again "That will be my problem to solve since he is training me to become Commander of the Grey in Ferelden after the Blight is over. Now you will come with us since Caridin is with the Anvil of the Void."

Duran nods and says to the other Dwarf, "Ruck its time to say goodbye maybe we see each other later."

"You are going to make a brother murderer a king really," says Oghren, and Daveth says, "It wasn't him but his younger Brother Bhelen that killed the firstborn and framed him. Logan knows everything what happens in this world and what will happen too. Now let's go."

Walking through the Ortan Thaig they found an old camping side with an old diary and some notes from Branka saying that they found the Anvil behind The Dead Trenches. Walking to the Trenches took them a week killing their way through Darkspawn or Giant Spiders.

Finally arriving the Wardens could feel an Army under them and look from the cliff they were standing seeing the huge army of Darkspawn lead by the Archdemon from their Dreams. "Shit we are fighting impossible odds against us," says Faren to Daveth, who says, "Or they against us don't forget we will have our own Army and a man that can go as an army himself if he wanted."

Wandering through the Trenches the found the Legion of the Dead defending a bridge. "No Darkspawn shall pass under my watch," says the commander to his troop, "We don't fear Death because we are dead already fight and show the Darkspawn that we don't fear them."

Daveth and the group helped them defend the bridge once cleared of Darkspawn the Commander of the Dead comes over and says, "Stone-met friend my name is Kardol what brings you here to the old Thaig Bownammar?" "We are searching for a Paragon and her house that had gone through this Thaig some year ago have you seen them?" asks Daveth, and Kardol answers, "I will say you the same as I told anyone else if she really has gone behind our lines then she and her house should be dead." "And yet she is not," says Daveth continuing, "If she was my Commander wouldn't send me here since he knows everything I only need a way to reach to them."

"Then your commander must be dumber than a donkey to think he knows everything. We can't help you since we have to hold the line so no Darkspawn passes," says Kardol, and Faren a bit angry replied, "He might joke around and be sarcastic sometimes but he when he needs to be serious he is a walking Destroyer he alone killed more than 5000 Darkspawn in one battle so don't talk of him being dumb. He knows when it's better to retreat than to fight a hopeless battle until everyone dies." "There Faren is right he never sends us to do things he doesn't believe we couldn't solve ourselves after all he trained us," says Daveth to Kardol.

"Then you must pass the whole Thaig that's infested with Darkspawn to find what you are looking for," says Kardol to them and they leave towards the inside of the Thaig killing Darkspawn on their way. Once inside they here a creepy whisper they go looking for it while hearing it talk.

"The first day, they come and catch everyone. The second day, they beat us and eat some of us as meat. The fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate. The fifth day, they return and it's another girl's turn. The sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams. The seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew. The eighth day, we hated as she is violated. The ninth day, she grins and devours her kin. Now she does feast, as she's become the beast. Now you lay and wait, since their screams will haunt you in your dreams."

Finally arriving at the voice Oghren ran over to the dwarf woman and says, "Hespith you are alive where is Branka?" "Don't you dare say her name she betrayed us all and sold us to them," says Hespith angry to Oghren and continues saying, "They made horrible things to us they killed the man but kept the women alive to toy with. Be happy you weren't with us back then."

"Where is Branka now we need to find her?" asks Oghren again and Hespith runs away from them. The group ran after her only to find a Darkspawn they never saw before. "That must be a Broodmother Logan told me once if I don't have a way out and the Darkspawn has me to kill myself so I never become such a thing," says Neria to the group seeing this monster no wonder Logan told her that. "That will never happen to you, you understand," says Daveth back to her and keeps saying, "We need to kill it fast."

Everyone attacked from different sides destroying first the tentacles it had before killing the monsters that came for her help and then the Broodmother itself. After the fight was finished you could see Hespith on a big Stone and lava under her and she said, "I loved her you know Branka but after doing all this I only feel hate that why I will due today before I become like the other." And she jumped off the stone and fall into the lava and dies like that.

It took them another two weeks just to get to a corridor behind the Bownammar Thaig and arrived at a camp full of dead Dwarves and Darkspawn. And Branka on a rock looking over everything.

"Branka it's time to go home," says Oghren to her but she says, "Oghren what are you doing here. Nevermind you can be useful and make a way for me to enter the ruin to get to the anvil. It's almost in my hands and I have sacrificed everything I have to get it."

"We aren't here to help you in your insanity for the anvil but to find a paragon that might crown a new king in Orzammar," says Daveth to Branka, who says, "I'm not interested in the politics or who is king in Orzammar as long as I get the anvil." "What if we get the anvil will you then help us make someone king?" asks Daveth and she answers, "If you get the anvil before me we will talk." And she disappears out of their sight.

"Now we need to get to the anvil before her," says Daveth and Wynne asks, "Are we really helping her she reminds me of Uldred." "I would say for a Dwarf she already passed into insanity and who is this Uldred?" asks Duran and Daveth answers, "Uldred was an insane mage that almost destroyed the whole circle and Wynne we must see if Logan is right and Caridin is still around we won't need her help. But if he doesn't help us we need will need her. Logan gave me the command to prove that I can lead and decide in difficult times so he doesn't have to worry about the Wardens of Ferelden when he isn't around."

Walking through the ruins killing Darkspawn and solving the puzzle they finally arrived in at a room full if Golems that didn't move. Walking to the middle of the room suddenly a Golem moved to the group they prepared for the worst but the Golem didn't attack like the others but began to talk.

"Welcome to my home Strangers. You stand in front of an old Paragon Caridin that time has forgotten about many think I'm dead. Can I ask you a favor to destroy my anvil so no Dwarf has to fall on it again?" asks the Golem Caridin, and Daveth asks with a question back, "Why should we destroy the anvil?" "It enslaves the soul of someone and puts it in the stone so that you need to form a Golem out of it and it will live forever but without a free will. That's why Golems are also said to be eternal Guardians of the Dwarves. So please can you destroy the anvil so no soul could be enslaved ever again." says Caridin and Daveth says, "If you make a crown for my Dwarf friend here with the insignia of your house so the Steward of the Assembly know it is your work and not someone else and I will destroy it myself." "You are serious destroy something that can give you immortal warriors that could fight the blight forever," says Sten, and Wynne says to Sten, "Daveth is right this time better destroy such an evil object than leave it be misused by someone like Branka."

Both began to discuss and Daveth says, "Enough both of you I made my decision I'm waiting for his." "We have a de-" says Caridin when he suddenly gets interrupted by Branka, "No one gonna destroy the anvil since all of you will be dead." "Branka stop now that you can before you make us do something stupid," says Oghren when Faren says, "Oghren you lost your wife long ago that woman over there is a monster that would do anything to reach her goal you have seen it." Branka brings out a Golem control staff and uses it half of the Golem begin to move and attack. The other half does the same but fight for Caridin and the group was in between everything helping Caridin in this fight.

After destroying the Golems helping Branka and surrounding her. Daveth asks Faren to execute her. Faren goes over while Sten holds her down and slice her head clean of her shoulders. Oghren was sad seeing this but he knows there was no going back the moment she attacked them.

"So are you making us a crown for our friend here with your house insignia so the Steward of the Assembly can recognize it with and we destroy the anvil," says Daveth, and Caridin says, "Then let me make a last masterpiece on the anvil before it gets destroyed. What's is your name King of Dwarves." "Duran Aeducan" "I'm going to work now it will take three days until I finish since it will a masterpiece like everything I make," says Caridin and begins to work.

Oghren and Faren were looking on some big Stone Tablets were name inscribed in it Caridin seeing this while working tells them these were the names of the people who got made Golems by him some willing other unwilling, but they should be remembered that's why he inscribed every name on it.

With the help of Sten and Darrian, the four together made a copy of this and guarded it to take it to the Archives it will give Duran more approval of the Deshyrs in Orzammar. (A/N: Deshyr are Noble Dwarves in the Assembly that can vote in total there are 80.)

After three days Caridin finished his work and gave it over to Daveth. Daveth then destroys the anvil after doing it Caridin only says, "I'm finally free of this burden," and jumps from a cliff down into the Lava.

The group walked their way back it only took them a month since they didn't lose themselves like the first time and walked to the Aeducan Thaig finding Darkspawn scattering on the ground. Wynne, Oghren, and Duran got shivers over their back thinking who or what could let such chaos behind him or them seeing burned Darkspawn to dismembered ones. Sten was surprised but didn't show it on his face and the other four know what was going on.

"Who did this?" asks Duran and Daveth answers, "That was our Commander training the other he is a training maniac who forms your body until he pressed all your potential out of you and then he lets you train on your own since he taught you the basics. But this time we underestimate him too much."

"Wait that was all Logan training the other?" says Wynne looking serious at the four and Sten says, "No wonder he trusts you four if he trained you like this too." "Yes, it was a survival camp outside near the Stormcoast surrounded by animals and bandits he taught us that sometimes you won't get to sleep much because the enemy could attack while you try to sleep," says Darrian to Sten remembering his training and Neria says, "He gave me heavy armor to begin with my stamina training but I felt comfortable with it later on so I kept it on."

"Logan where are you?" screams Daveth out and they could hear an echo coming back to them and then behind them, something moved and attacked them. They tried to defend but couldn't once on the floor they see it was one person alone that put them down with his own hands only using hand-to-hand combat to defeat them.

"Weak as always and I was training right now. The others are a little bit more inside let them fight a bit longer against the Darkspawn," says the voice that defeated them. "Neria you still need to work on your standing you lose to fast your balance. Darrian more on reactions. Daveth you need more infight experience and Faren you rely too much on the two-handed ax. Sten was good I needed a little more strength to get you down, Wynne you need to position faster the enemy won't wait for you to cast your spell and Oghren your have the most fault could be because you are a berserk like I was before my training."

"Did you really do this to us, Logan," says Daveth looking at Logan from the ground.

"I wanted to see if you made some improvement when I'm not looking behind you. Like my father always says 'The person that is prepared for every situation is a person that will live longer than the unprepared one.'" says Logan to them, "Let's go back to the other so you can tell me what happened and I tell you my progress on our side."