The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

20: Finding Demons

Alistair had made a keen observation. The farther up in the tower we went, the worst it seemed. Some sort of gunk that looked, to me, like exploded Shem covered the walls and floors.

"Ugh," Leliana said.

Even Tristan didn't want to go anywhere near it. I walked forward, not wanting to think what spells were used to make this mess.

"It's time for supper, pet."

We all stopped in our tracks at a female voice.

"Yes, my love," a man answered. "What are we having tonight?"

We stalked forward.

"Roast boar, your favorite. And candied yams. The meal looks sumptuous."

"You spoil me, my sweet. How fair our children at their lessons?"

"You should ask them yourself." The voices were getting louder.

I peeked around a door frame. A Templar with a vague expression was standing facing the door. In front of him was a Desire Demon.

"What have you learned, my son?"

I turned to the others. "Desire demon," I mouthed.

"Lovely," Alistair mouthed, rolling his eyes.

I stepped into the room as the demon had taken on a little boy's voice telling his father about his lessons.

"Everything is just as you wanted, my knight," the demon said when we got closer. "Our love and our family is more than you hoped for."

"So this is a Desire Demon at work," I said. "Pretty sad, don't you think?"

"Do you hear something, Love?" the Templar asked.

"It is nothing, my darling. Just the door. I will get it. The children have finished supper. Tuck them into bed while I see who it is."

"Don't be long. The children will want to kiss you good night."

"I will be but a moment, my pet." She turned to us. "You are intruding upon a loving, intimate moment and I dislike disruptions."

"There is nothing loving or intimate going on here," I said.

She turned away from us. "I have given him what he always wanted. Where is the harm in that?" She went and stood behind him.

"You're deceiving him. I would consider that harmful."

"All emotion is intangible. You cannot see it. You cannot grasp it."

"But it is caused by something real," Wynne said. "Real events, real people. What you've done to him is abhorrent."

"I saw his loneliness and longing for a family that loved him."

"Apparently, you can get your desire and still suffer horribly," Morrigan said. "'Tis truly a lesson for all who consider marriage." That drew a chuckle from Sten.

"How long will you keep him in this stupor?" Wynne spoke again. "Will he know it when his body fails and death takes him?"

"A short blissful existence is preferable to an interminable one of misery," the demon responded.

"He deserves to be free of you," I said. "To find his own happiness."

"What happiness? He has gone through life empty, resentful of his vows. You would return him to this? I want nothing from you. I have what I need. All I ask is you leave us alone."

"So you can drain him and move on to someone else? No."

"Then you leave me no choice." She went and stood in front of the Templar again. "Help! There are bandits at the door! They are going to murder the children!"

"They will not get past me!"

I ran for the demon, but was cut off by another Templar. I took him down with a swift swing of my sword, blood flowing freely from his throat. The demon threw me across the room. I slid into the wall and had a Templar upon me before I had come to a complete stop.

"Realin!" I heard Alistair's cry.

The Templar's sword came down and I crossed my blades. The sound of steel against steel was loud in my ears. I pushed with all my might; he did the same. But he was much stronger than I and was gaining the upper hand on me. A few more inches and... My foot connected with his groin. He backed off in pain and I went in for the fatal blow, my sword sliding through the slit in his helm. I staggered to my feet and I felt a hand around my throat.

"So you kill my pets." The demon's voice was in my ear as she stood behind me. She'd been able to flank me as I fought with the Templar and now my very life was in her hand. Literally. "Perhaps I should make one, or all of you, my pets, hmm?" She walked to the side, my throat still in her hand. "I can see the desires of each one of your hearts. Perhaps I should start with this one."

I turned the blade in my right hand to where the steel touched my arm. She smelled me and turned my head to the side. I could see Wynne's staff over Alistair's chest, as if she was trying to keep him from rushing forward. His face was unreadable. I caught his eye and moved my eyes down to my right. He seemed to realize I had a plan. Tristan was hunched down growling, his muscles quivering and his ears flat back.

"Seems your friends are willing to let you be the first. Now, what desire is in your heart that you wish for the most?"

"Your death." I shoved the blade into her side. She screamed and let go. I staggered forward and ducked as Tristan cleared my head and ripped the demon apart.

Alistair rushed to my side. "Are you alright?" he asked and I heard the relief in his voice.

"I'm not in the thralls of a demon, if that's what you mean."

"That was risky, Warden," Sten said, disapproval in his voice.

"Everything is well and we must continue through the tower. We must find Niall and Irving," Wynne said before anything else could be said.

Tristan rubbed my leg and I reached down and scratched his head to let him know I was alright.

"What are we waiting for?"

~~~

Farther down the hall, we entered another room to find an Abomination kneeling over a man. But, oddly, it didn't rush to attack us like the others had. It stood and faced us. "Oh, look. Visitors," he said, lazily. "I'd entertain you but... too much effort involved."

"Killing demons is enough entertainment for me, thanks," I said, drily.

"But why? Aren't you tired of all the violence in this world? I know I am. Wouldn't you just like to lay down and... forget about all this? Leave it all behind?"

I suddenly felt like a heavy cloak was on my shoulders. I heard a thump and turned to see Tristan had fallen asleep. I turned back to the demon, fighting the drowsiness. "No."

"Can't...," Alistair was saying. "Keep eyes open... Someone... pinch... me."

"We... have much... to do," Sten said.

Leliana yawned.

"This is ridiculous," Morrigan said. "You cannot expect me to rest on a floor sticky with blood..." I heard another thump but I did not turn to see who it was. It was taking everything for me to stand upright and to keep my eyes open.

"Resist," Wynne said. "You must resist, else we are all lost..."

"Why do you fight? You deserve more... You deserve a rest. The world will go on without you."

My eyesight began to blur and everything slowly faded to darkness.