The creature, appearing like more of a man than ever before, looked over itself with a curious gaze. It was as though it had never seen itself before, or at least for a long time. Eventually, its eyes were drawn to its surroundings, looking about the chamber with an expression of confusion.
“What is this place...?” he questioned, his hollow voice clearly masculine. “So very... strange... Power... so very faint...”
Everyone looked between themselves perplexed at what was before them. The four Grey Wardens kept their gazes on one another for the longest time, not needing to spare a word, knowing that they were all sensing the same thing. Despite it however, Alistair took a chance, questioningly saying, “C-Corvick?”
At that instant, the creature set his sights upon Alistair, making the Warden-King recoil a step. Just feeling those lifeless, gray eyes on him made him flinch involuntarily. For several moments, a thick silence befell the room, the creature motionlessly staring at the royal Grey Warden. Its still movements were broken as it pointed a clawed finger at him.
“You...” the creature murmured, addressing Alistair as if he were barely even there. “Yes... smells as they do. Those insolent Grey Knights from before... so long ago...” His empty eyes traveled across the commander, Anders and Oghren as well. “All of you belong to them...”
“Grey Knights?” Anders questioned, raising a brow in confusion.
Again, the creature looked about the room, appearing as though lost in its own thoughts. “How long...?” he asked, speaking as though an answer would fall from the heavens. “The lyrium shined so brightly... So loud... the cries of the slaves as they were sacrificed... All that rivaled it were his whispers... offering such power... But... the light was not there... only darkness... It was all that we took...”
“What is this thing goin' on about?” Oghren asked gruffly, scratching his hairy chin.
Anders shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head, just as dumbfounded, muttering, “It's barking mad.”
Grip tightening around his sword, the Warden-Commander readied himself as he prepared to charge the creature. If it was going to give him the opportunity, he was going to take it. Just as he prepared to begin the assault however, what the creature said next halted any movement from him.
“Then you called to us, Dumat!” the creature cried out, eyes wide. “Your voice... singing to us all... So beautiful... we followed it... Deeper and deeper it flowed... from the earth itself... As we found you, gazing upon your majesty... it changed... Your song became demands!”
A gasp of shock was elicited from Alistair, his gaze locking onto the rambling creature. “Dumat...” he whispered, barely able to say the name.
Twilight turned to look at the king, uncertainty on her face.“Who's Dumat?” she asked. Though the unicorn wasn't sure what exactly was going on, she could not ignore the power emanating from the creature standing before the, keeping her from any thought of brash action.
“The Archdemon of the first Blight,” Alistair answered. Though it looked impossible, the king's shock grew even more as he realized something. “Grey Knights... It... it must mean the first Grey Wardens... It wasn't until the end of the Blight that they were referred to as Wardens, accepting the task of watching for the return of the darkspawn...”
Looking somewhat skeptical, Anders looked at his king questioningly, asking, “So this thing is a darkspawn?”
“I don't think it's just any darkspawn,” the Warden-Commander replied, unable to break his gaze from the beastly creature.
But the darkspawn didn't even notice them speak, stilling gazing absently away, his current location never crossing his thoughts. “But then...” he whispered, his expression darkening into a fierce scowl as his eyes narrowed, “those fools... those worms... those knights! They dared to defile you, such insolent creatures they were! They dared to defy us, their true masters! They dared to go against the Magisters of Tevinter, we who bested the Maker himself!”
Alistair and Anders both gasped, gaping at the creature with a new found light. The commander merely stood there, staring at the darkspawn as it all sunk in. “A... A Magister...” the Warden-King murmured, stunned utterly as a quiver of terror crawled up his spine. “He... they... defiled the home of the Maker... They brought the first Blight... became the first darkspawn...” At that, even the ponies gained looks of horror, having been told all about the old tale, knowing full well what it meant.
Anders shook his head, his shock-stricken expression never lessening. “No... no, no, no, that's nonsense,” he said defiantly. “It's just a story... nothing more...”
“Saying that won't make it true,” the Warden-Commander replied, turning his gaze toward the mage.
“But it is!” Anders snapped. “The tale of the first darkspawn is just a legend forced into fact. It's a means to give explanation to the existence of darkspawn where there isn't any other. Just... just a scary story told by the Chantry to warn on the dangers of magic... to make people fear it even more than they already do...”
“Yet we have a Magister right next to us,” Alistair shot back in retort.
It only caused the mage's fiery gaze to be directed toward the king. “This... thing isn't a Magister because it claims to be!” he barked angrily. “It's just as easily a demon of some kind, it's not as though they aren't known for their deception!”
Again, the squabble between the Grey Wardens didn't even register to the Magister. Still lost in his own thoughts, he continued ranting on, unhindered by outside sources. “Then... Dumat,” he went on, “you were felled... There was only silence then. The song ended. Your beckoning call dieing with you... And then those contemptuous knights came for us, led by the Masked Betrayer! The others fell... one by one... Even I... trapped through that wretched mirror... bound between what was real and the Fade itself... But I could still hear them... the others, still singing for us to come...”
The Magister's gaze fell to his own hands, fidgeting the dark-blue claws back and forth. “The spirits there, abandoned by their Maker just as we were... came for me... drawn to my power... just as we were to you,” the darkspawn continued. “I allowed them to feed from my strength... For just a brief moment, they felt the beautiful call of the masters as well... Their song was just as glorious as Dumat's... But they could not hear it for long... only I... hearing their dulcet call... guiding toward them. All I could do was listen... even as they too were silenced one after the other... But you were different, Urthemiel! Your song was most beautiful... as magnificent as you were... I could still hear it... calling... Then once again... it stopped. But it was not silenced like the others... Your song was muffled... quieted... but not gone...”
“Urthemiel...” Alistair murmured, brow furrowing as he thought on the name. “He was... the Old God leading the last Blight.” He blinked with surprise as he turned to face the commander. “The Archdemon you slayed.”
Surprise was shown on the Warden's face as well, about to reply to his king. He was however stopped as the Magister before them turned to him, his empty, grey eyes looking directly at him. “You!” he bellowed loudly, pointing a clawed finger at the commander. “You were the one who did it! The source of it all! I can feel a portion of the beautiful one's power resonating with you! Where?! What have you done with his voice?!”
Everyone looked at the darkspawn like one would a madman, clearly only hearing insane ramblings at this point. But the Warden-Commander held a very different expression. Shock and horror were written all over his face, clearly taken aback by what the monstrous creature had said.
“Even this place is silent!” the darkspawn shouted, his anger growing by the second. A dull light emanated from his hands and they became consumed by a blue glow. “I, Atherias, shall tear the veil itself asunder if I must! I will hear the song again! So shall those who seek it in the Fade!” With one swift motion, Atherias swung his arm downward. And though it should have been impossible, his clawed hand sliced into the very air itself.
All anyone could do was stare at the sight blankly. It was like a tear in a piece of fabric, hovering in the air itself. They could feel a power seeping out form it, just as it felt when the Grey Wardens had entered the Fade. Within that very power, a corruptive and dark influence could also be found.
From the tear, a blackened smoke flowed out. It snaked through the air, splitting into two separate paths. Ignoring the ponies and Grey Wardens completely, the trails of black slithered past them and moved toward the motionless corpses of the two royal guards. The dark strands of smoke disappeared within the bodies, the corpses swallowing it up entirely.
The bodies of the two guards became to move, lifting into the air as their legs dangled limply. Their golden shimmered and rippled, as though melting from their bodies. What was once a beautiful color began to look tarnished as the armor wrapped around their entire bodies, darkening into a bronze colorization. It even wrapped around their horns, while a long piece of cloth draped from the sides, covering most of their legs.
When it was done, the two guards stood there, their bodies completely encased in the corrupted armor. The faces within their helms were just shadows as only a pair of blood-red eyes looked out toward them. Materializing through the remaining dark haze, a razor sharp sword and thick, circular shield appeared. The armaments simply floated in midair, not held by anything but the magical grip of the two ponies, finalizing their change into the quadrupedal revenants now before them.
Without warning the two possessed guard corpses charged at the group, their levitated blades swinging at them with a powerful force. Anders and Twilight jumped back, leaving their more physical companions to take the brunt of the attack. Alistair and the commander were nearly knocked off of their feet as they brought up their swords to block the attack of one of the revenants, feeling their muscles strain from the impact. The second one was stopped by Shale and Oghren, unable to break through the golem's rocky exterior
Anders was quick to retaliate, his hands igniting with fire as he threw several balls of flame at the undead creatures. With their large shields however, it was easy for the bursts of fire to be deflected, the metal barriers being placed directly in their path. Even with their attention on stopping the mage's attack, the revenants were able to fight the others as well, their floating weaponry swinging at them with an amazing speed.
Stepping back, the commander looked from the undead ponies toward the one who brought them there. Atherias' hands again began to spark with a magical aura as the ground around them began to shake and crack open. It made firm footing almost impossible as everyone continued to fend off the onslaught left by the revenants.
Even in the heat of battle, the commander's steeled senses were rattled as a painful strike was felt in his chest. His vision became hazy as he nearly stumbled and collapsed onto the ground. Every muscle in his body screamed in a chorus of agony, feeling himself growing weaker and weaker. Holding his hand to his mouth, he coughed into his palm, looking down at it to see the color red showing clearly even in his blurred world.
Twilight took notice to his condition, galloping to his side in seconds. The commander was quick to conceal his hand however, wiping away the blood on his leg. It did little to lower his rapid breathing, or lessen the sweat the dripped from his strained expression.
“We... we have to stop him now,” the Warden said, eyes locking on the Magister. Not waiting for a response from the scholar however, he charged forward, sword held tightly in his hand.
Atherias was quick to see the human coming. The corrupted Magister's hands were raised up as he threw massive bursts of fire and ice at him. Without the large plates of his armor weighing him down, the lighter Grey Warden was able to dodge the magical attacks easily enough. But with his condition, he could only do so much before his body began to slow. Just as he neared the creature, one of Atherias' icy blasts struck him in the chest..
With only his clothes as a protective covering, the blow was much worse than usual. Already, he could feel the muscles tightening as though turning to stone, making it harder to move as the throbbing, burning sensation enveloped him. But the commander didn't stop, clearing what little separated him from the Magister and swinging his sword at him.
The sharp blade made contact, slicing across Atherias' chest. The wound was clear enough, cutting into the tattered robes that were melded with his flesh, even producing a small amount of dark-red blood from the wound. But only a small grunt of pain came from the Magister, barely effected by the blow. Unable to anticipate it, the weakening Warden was easy prey as the corrupted mage grabbed him by the throat, effortlessly lifting him up into the air.
Barely able to breathe, the commander tried desperately to dig his fingers into the Magister's arm, unable to free himself. The flesh of his neck burned from the magic that still flowed from his clawed fingers. Atherias swung the commander outward and slammed his body against one of the nearby pillars, the stone column cracking beneath him.
Atherias looked the commander in the eyes as he pressed him against the stone surface. Even as the Warden struggled against the tightening grip on him, he was unable to peel his sights away from the two lifeless gray orbs. “I will hear Urthemiel's voice once more!” the Magister cried, his other clawed hand moving closer toward the Grey Warden. “I shall tear the secrets from your flesh if I must!”
Poised and ready to strike, the claws were sent straight for the human. The commander couldn't even prepare himself for the oncoming pain, the strangling hold on him being too much. Even as the claws neared him, ready to cut him open like an animal, the world around him became a hazy mess.
It was what made it a surprise to him as the hold on his neck was released, his body falling to the ground. He wasn't even aware of the large, black blast of magical energy, striking the darkspawn from behind as he roared in agony.
The chamber itself seemed to spin as the Warden-Commander thrashed about on the floor, too weak to stand immediately. As his dazed vision looked through the blurry world that encompassed him, he could swear he saw Twilight standing in the distance, her horn still sparking with magic. Something was strange about her though, her different features just barely being caught by him. The Warden noticed her once lavender coat was a darker shade of violet, her mane a deep, jet black. Just as his focus was placed on the mare, his pained body forced him to blink, the momentary collapse of darkness causing her to vanish entirely.
Still lying on the ground, staring off to where he saw the altered scholar, the commander didn't even notice the infuriated Magister screaming out in anger as his clawed hand crackled with a yellow aura. His senses weren't fully settled until he felt a magical grip on his leg, the limb being coated in a magenta glow. With a forceful tug, he was dragged across the floor, just narrowly dodging Atherias' attack.
As the twisted mage swung his hand down toward the Warden, the magical power building was released. From his palm a mighty bolt of lightning was fired, striking the ground right where the commander was. The entire chamber trembled as an explosive force rocked it, a sizable crater being left on the spot.
The revenants were proving to be more than formidable foes. As the others fought against them, their blades swung out at increasing speeds. Without the inhibiting effects of arms, it was easy for the swords and shields of the undead quadrupeds to block and slash at the Grey Warden opponents.
One such swipe of a blade made contact with Oghren, smashing into his thick armor and cutting into the metal. The small dwarf was staggered, falling backward several paces. He looked down at the wound, not deep enough to cause injury, but still jarring to see the plated protection failing. The red hairs covering his face bristled as the fiery dwarf charged at the revenant, swinging his ax down on the circular shield it had. The impact was like a clap of thunder, echoing across the chamber and overpowering the other sounds of battle around them. Satisfaction showed clearly on the Grey Warden's face as he saw the sizable dent in the shield, serving to make him attack with even more ferocity.
Even with his honed reflexes and considerable talent as a swordsman, Alistair had trouble with the undead creatures as well. The revenant's blade kept on striking, swinging from angles impossible by any physical means. Just as he dodged or blocked a blow, there was another one to quickly follow it. With nothing but his sword to defend himself with, it proved all the more difficult.
The other revenant, seeing the king lasting against its counterpart, locked its pulsing red eyes on him. Just as the Alistair jumped backward to dodge another swing by his opponent, he felt his entire body seize up, as though the hand of a giant had suddenly grabbed him. To his horror, he could see one of the revenants eying him, its horn glowing even more as he saw a blackened aura wrapping around his body.
Lurching forward, the Warden-King was pulled straight toward the possessed corpse. The revenant's blade aligned itself with the human's body, ready to impale him upon the weapon. Alistair couldn't move, unable to do a thing to prevent the oncoming attack. All he did was stare wide-eyed at the sharp blade, seeing it coming closer and closer.
Mere moments before the king was run through, Shale charged into the distracted revenant. With the golem's mighty fists, it swatted the blade away and struck the undead pony across the face with tremendous force. Stunned by the sudden attack, the revenant failed to notice the king that it was still pulling toward it. Without its sword to attack him, Alistair gripped his own tightly and swung it into the creature's shield.
It was the perfect opening, one that Anders took advantage of. The mage's hands crackling with fire, he focused his magic into a powerful blast of flame and sent it straight for the undead pony. It struck home without a hitch, the walking corpse igniting like dry brush, completely consumed by the flames. Ungodly cries erupted from the revenant as it thrashed about, its stolen body being burned to a cinder. It took only a few moments for the corpse to slow, collapsing onto the floor in a smoky, charred heap.
The other revenant showed no reaction to its companion's demise, only attacking more and more in its need to destroy the opponents set before it. Red eyes focusing on Anders, seeing the mage's armor-less body as an easy target, it lunged at him, its blade raised up to swung down on the human. But in an instant, the revenant stopped in its tracks.
Its empty red eyes widened with what only could have been surprised. The blade in its levitated grasp stood still in mid air, only shaking with a shuddering quake as the revenant appeared to be straining to move it. What was most clear about it however, while it was still caught in the blackened aura that was used to hold it up, there was also a glow of golden light wrapping around it. What was even more clear for the others to see was that the revenant was unable to move, its legs rooted to the ground as they too were enveloped in a glow, this one being of a brilliant azure.
The Grey Wardens looked off to the far side of the chamber, where Fluttershy, Spike and the princesses were safely hiding. But Celestia and Luna were no longer simply protecting themselves as the battle raged on. Both royal equines stood tall, their horns glowing with magical power. There was noticeable strain in their faces, still weak from all that had happened, but they were doing the best that they could.
The help of the princesses was not wasted as the others charged at the trapped revenant, still fighting against the hold that the two rulers had it in. As Anders prepared another spell, the undead stallion saw it clearly, lifting the mage up with its magic and throwing him aside. With only its shield to use, the revenant brought it up, blocking an attack made by Alistair. Shale however charged into the creature, its mighty hands grabbing onto the rounded shield and crushing it between its palms.
Now utterly vulnerable, the revenant could do nothing to stop it as Oghren swung his large ax and sliced across the creature's neck. As a greyish-black liquid oozed out from the deep trench of a wound made into its neck, the revenant's body shook and trembled for several moments before it collapsed onto the ground, just as lifeless as its counterpart.
The loss of the two possessed guards wasn't noticed by Atherias, still fighting against the commander and Twilight. The Magister's hands never lost their magical glow, power continuously emanating from his fingers as the chamber was turned into a battle-scared wasteland.
As her horn sparked with its own magical power, Twilight's gaze fell onto the ground surrounding the corrupted mage. It trembled and shook until, without warning, thick magical tendrils shot up and wrapped around him. They coiled tightly and kept his arms held down, leaving him open to attack.
Alistair ran to the commander's side as he held up his sword and charged at the darkspawn. As Atherias tore one of his arms free, ready to send a flurry of magical attacks at the coming humans, a large blast of ice struck into his freed limb. Anders' eyes were set on him, his own hands still crackling and ready to cast spells. There was nothing stopping the two Grey Wardens as Alistair and the commander swung their swords forward, stabbing into the twisted monster.
Only a sharp growl of pain came from the Magister, only causing his anger to grow even more as he swung his arm outward. A massive explosion of magic occurred, throwing both Grey Wardens through the air and destroying the tendrils that were wrapped around him. Alistair and the commander came to a skidding stop as the crashed to the ground, feeling as though an ogre had struck them.
“You shall not forestall me in claiming what I seek!” Atherias shouted as the entirety of his arms burst into flames. An intense heat could be felt from them, even with the distance between the Magister and the others. “Face the true power of Gods!” As the twisted mage threw his arms toward them, a massive torrent of flame, greater than any dragon could form, raced toward them like river of fire.
With her quick thinking, Twilight's horn glowed once again, using her magic on the stone flooring around them. A large wall of rock suddenly rose out of the ground, as thick as the walls making up the castle, and just as strong. Everyone ducked behind it, just in time as the flames washed over them.
Even behind the barrier, they could barely take the searing heat of the blaze. The air itself seemed to cook them alive as all they could see around them was the bright red and orange light produced by raging fire.
“How can we beat this guy if we can't even hurt him?” Alistair said over the roar of the inferno surrounding them.
An annoyed huff left the dwarf as he held his ax close. “Can't say I've ever had to fight something you can't kill with a few strikes of a good blade,” he murmured.
“I might have an idea,” Anders murmured, holding an expression of deep thought. “But.. it's a pretty stupid plan.”
“Those are really the only ones that ever work for us,” the commander replied. “What is it?”
The mage looked to them as he said, “Do you guys remember what happened to Avernus before we came here?”
“Yeah...” Alistair nodded. “He died when the Eluvian...” The king's eyes widened as his plan dawned on him. “You're right, that is a stupid plan, Anders.”
Figuring it out himself, the Warden-Commander eyed the king and said, “It's our only plan.”
“But...” Alistair tried saying, sighing in a mix of agitation and acceptance. “Alright... but, how are we going to be able to do it? It's not as though he'll give us the chance, what with all of the powerful magic.”
“Magister or not, he's a magic user, isn't he?” the commander said. “From our world, that means our rules.” His gaze fell on Anders, and as though reading his mind, the mage was shocked at what he realized.
“That... that might work,” Anders murmured. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a small object which he promptly handed to Alistair. “Make good use of it.”
“Alright then,” the commander said, looking to everyone else. “Oghren, Shale, you two need to get him toward the Eluvian. Anders, try to keep him occupied. The rest of us will finish it.” As everyone nodded their heads in understanding, the fiery inferno finally died down, allowing them to act on their plan.
Most of the stone floor of the chamber was charred black, heat still rising from the surface. None of them payed it any mind however as Oghren and Shale charged at the Magister. Anders, quick with spells, continuously threw blasts of fire, ice and lightning at the twisted creature.
Atherias easily dealt with the spells cast by the mage, but he was caught off guard as the large statue slammed into him, coupled with a powerful swing of an ax. The Magister was knocked backward, staggered by the sheer force of it. Again and again, the golem and dwarf attacked the powerful darkspawn, never letting up as he was pushed closer toward the Eluvian that stood behind him.
With one final blow of shale, Atherias' back slammed into the magical mirror. Oghren and Shale then stepped back, narrowly avoiding the retaliation of the furious creature. Then, it was the turn of Alistair, Twilight and the commander.
Even with Anders continuing his own attack from afar, still throwing his most powerful spells at the Magister, Atherias' attention was not so easily severed this time. Focusing on the charging attackers, his arms sparked and crackled as magic-fueled lightning engulfed them. As he directed the bolts of lightning toward the coming opponents, Twilight's horn glowed as well. A barrier of magic encircled the three of them, protecting them even from the magic of the Magister. It allowed them to get close to him.
Just as Alistair was just a few feet away, he tackled into darkspawn. As their bodies slammed against the Eluvian at full force, the Warden-King raised his hand upward, a sparkling loop of blue wrapped around his finger. Grabbing onto Atherias, Alistair pressed his palm, along with the lyrium ring he wore, against his forehead.
A powerful surge of magic shot through the chamber, nearly deafening everyone within. The ground split open as it felt like an earthquake was striking them, prepared to topple the whole room. As a bright flash shined out from the spot, Atherias' agonizing screams carried over everything else. As Alistair continued to force the Magister back, the Warden-Commander made the final strike, thrusting his blade forward and piercing through the ancient mage for the final time.
As the light faded and the sounds died, the commander, Alistair and Twilight took a step back.
Atherias just stood there, the sunburst brand on his forehead still fresh, the flesh sizzling. But the new mark wasn't what was most noticeable about him now. All that kept the Magister standing was the long blade pierced through his chest, just as it was pierced through the Eluvian behind him.
Though it didn't seem possible, his gray eyes looked even more lifeless as he looked blankly ahead, mouth quivering as he tried to speak. “N-nothing... I hear nothing...” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “Where... the voice... the song... Can't hear a thing... Everything... so silent... Urthemiel... have we been forsaken...?”
A loud, cracking sound echoed through the chamber. It could be clearly seen, the deep lines running across the surface of the Eluvian. Through the cracks, a blinding light shined through. There was a powerful magic in it. Simply standing there, they could feel the power burning them. It was made even worse for the one pressed against it. All across the Magister's body, similar cracks ran across him, emanating their own light.
All Atherias did was stand there, still joined to the Eluvian by way of the commander's sword. Even as his body was torn apart from the inside by magic, the Magister made no action to stop it, not that he could.
The bright light grew and grew, the unstable power of the Eluvian building by the second. The commander could see it easily, the mirror looking even worse than the one back home in Ferelden. With no time to think, the Warden turned to Alistair, giving the king a hard shove forward. Startled, Alistair stumbled back several feet and crashed to the ground.
All that he saw, all anyone saw, was the power of the Eluvian exploding outward in a powerful burst of white light. The last thing they saw was Twilight wrapping her forelegs around the commander protectively, just before they were lost in the light that flooded the chamber.
When the blinding light finally subsided, everyone gasped as they looked at what was left. Only a portion of the Eluvian's base remained, cracked and broken beyond repair. The mirror itself was completely gone, not even fragments of it remaining, nor of the terrible Magister who was against it. Even the tear that Atherias had created was gone, no longer allowing the malevolent spirits to escape.
What was worse however, was that it was not the only thing missing. Just as the Eluvian was no more, there was no sign of Twilight or the commander anywhere.