Our Story

Let's Go on a Dragon Adventure

(Talc POV)

I raced over the hills as fast as the horse could carry me. I could only catch glimpses of Reece's horse as it streaked over the rocky terrain and around sharp corners. I was mostly following Reece's non-stop screaming and the blur of her golden hair.

I wasn't the accomplished rider Melina was. It would've been better if she had come instead of me, but it was too late for wishes now. Reece was only a few feet a head of me, her wild horse careening down into a dried river bank.

Soon, we were neck and neck. I could almost reach the reigns of her horse. As I reached out to grab them my horse bolted and jumped over a fallen tree, nearly throwing me from the saddle.  My inexperienced recovery made sure Reece's horse pulled farther ahead. I cursed and immediately kicked my steed into high gear again.

I pried my fingers off the reigns and ripped a blue bead from my bracelet.  I could faintly see what was in the bead. Hopefully, it wouldn't kill the horse. 

I flung the bead as hard as I could with an added boost from my technique. It soared like a rocket, bursting in front of the rampaging steed.  The horse suddenly found its steady footing gone as a thick sheet of slick ice covered the ground.  It's hooves skittered over the ice as it slid to a stop on the other side.  I slowed my horse to meet it and took hold of the subdued horse's reigns.

Reece clutched to any handhold she could find. Still screaming, she didn't realize that she wasn't even moving! I held back a chuckle.

“You can open your eyes now, Reece.”

Reece opened her eyes at the sound of my voice. The scream died comically on her lips as she realized midway that she was safe. She scrambled to get off the horse.

“Never again!” she swore stamping her foot, “I'm never getting on another horse!!! No way! I'm walking from now on!”

“At least the plan worked.” I gave her a sheepish smile as I passed a hand nervously through my hair.

She humphed, “Saying, 'Hey, Reece. Now is a good time to get away' and slapping my horse's butt. Is not a plan!”

“But now we can go on an adventure! ” I sang gleefully.

“What kind of adventure?” she huffed
“Dragons.” I smirked.

****

We hadn't been walking for very long before Reece led us through the Hinterlands to some craggy cliffs.

She paused before the mouth of a large canyon.

“This is it, but it's different.” she said pulling her horse to a stop. It had taken some doing but I had eventually convinced her the horse was a necessary evil.

I looked around. The cliffs had old structures carved right into them. It looked like it had been some kind of holy site or meeting place at some forgotten time.

“What's it supposed to look like?” I asked.

“Well, the herald is supposed to make a camp here. So there should be a campsite but there's nothing here.” She pointed to the entrance of the canyon. Rocks had fallen obscuring the entrance. It probably had been covered for centuries.

As we peered up the cliff face, it was obvious a large chunk of the cliff had collapsed. Large boulders, trees, and more mud then I cared to see in my life-time, barred me from my goal.

“That shouldn't be like that. We should just be able to walk right into the canyon.”

“ Maybe it only activates for the Herald.” I climbed down from my horse. “We'll have to figure something out.”

She nodded, “Should we turn back?” she craned her neck to look up at the steep cliff, noting the impossibility of climbing it.

“Nah, just stand back.” I swung a leg over my horse and dismounted. I walked up to the heap of stone.

“We aren't video game characters.” I said as I pulled out my inkwell from my inventory. With a small “ping,” it appeared in my hand. Reece clapped with delight.

“We don't trip over air; Get trapped by folding chairs; or blocked by broken fences.” I began drawing lines over the rock faces.

Reece crept up behind me to see what I was doing.

I paused, “you may want to move the horses back. I don't know how big this explosion is going to be.”

“Explosion?!” Reece panicked and jumped back. She quickly pulled the reigns on the horses to drag them back behind an outcropping of rock a few meters away.

With one last stroke the rune was complete!  I took cover with Reece as a deafening boom announced my success. Rocks and sticks flew high into the air and rushed past the rock where we were hiding. The horses shrieked in terror but managed not to bolt. Reece clung to me and squeezed her eyes closed.

Finally only loose dirt rained down on us. I took that as my cue to stand up and view the damage. Sure enough, the canyon mouth was open.

I pried Reece off my arm. “So how far is the dragon from here?”

Reece tapped her finger against her chin. “Not far. We just need to follow the path. The canyon opens up a little farther ahead.”

I bent down and began carving lines into the stone floor.

“What are you doing?” Reece asked, backing away in case something exploded again.

“Our exit strategy.” I said standing. The rune began to glow with a soft blue light, but it didn't disappear like the others. It flickered faintly in the wind that blew through the tough grass, but remained alive and visible. I had no idea what a dragon would be like. I had no idea what would happen. This was the best I could do to at the moment.

“It's not doing anything.” Reece patted the rune with her foot. It flickered faintly but remained alive and visible.

“It wont yet, not until I draw the other half. Shall we?” I asked motioning to the canyon mouth.

Reece cast the rune one last curious look then hurried off to get her bow from her saddle

“We're leaving them?” she asked as I tied the horses to a nearby tree.

“I don't want them getting eaten.”

“Im having second thoughts...” Reece inched away from the gaping hole in the mountain.

“Fine.” I said without missing a beat as I swung my sword unto my shoulders, “I'll just leave you here, alone. You can go back and brave the dangers of the Hinterlands, alone. Tell the Herald I said 'hi' when you meet her....alone.”

“Hahaha.” Reece laughed nervously and quickly fell in step with me, “I guess this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, after all.”

I gave her a wink. I can't find the dragon without you, after all. Its probably not the safest of plans, but  I'm running low on options.

My mind briefly turned to Goldilocks. I shuddered and it wasn't because of the chill in the air.

I'm running low on humane options....

“Here,” I pulled my beaded bracelet off and handed it to Reece.

“OH Wow! It's pretty!” She took it eagerly, “this looks like the ones we used to make at my house!” she smiled broadly.

“You're the only one that taught me to make stuff like this, so I guess it would look the same as yours.” I laughed, “but this one is special. Those are magic beads. If you get into trouble, just pop one out and throw it at who or whatever is causing you problems.”

I didn't want Reece trying to pull another stunt like she had with Solas. Especially not in the heat of a battle. The beads would help keep her safe. She needed them more then I did and I hadn't used them in long time since my training with Foresight had taught me a whole new way to use magic.

“That sounds easier that coding it!” she popped one out and made to throw it. I grabbed her wrist quickly.

“Woah! If you don't know what you're throwing, it could cause some problems for us. Just use it for an emergency. If you run out of beads, I'll make you some more.”

She pouted, unhappy that she was unable to experiment.

We walked for about half an hour before we finally reached the other side of the tunnel.

What lay before us was a beautiful hidden valley . Large stone columns spiraled high into the sky. Standing water pooled around the base of each column. One massive, ruined tower stood in the middle of the valley looking lonely. The valley was expansive and, despite the large columns, it remained quite barren. As if life itself couldn't bear to grow out in the open.

I gave a whistle. “This place sure is purdy.” I admired the brambles and flowering vines that clung to every surface. I took a step forward.

Reece grabbed my arm suddenly and yanked me down behind a toppled pillar. I hit the ground. She had gotten me completely off guard. I let out a yelp of shock and pain.

“Shhhh!” Reece pressed her finger to her lips. She slowly raised her head and ducked down quickly.

“What's going on?” I whispered, suddenly on alert. Were there Templars? Mages? Demons?

“Look.” She whispered back with an hint of glee.

Dragons?

I poked my head up to see over the pillar. I didn't see anything. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She nodded happily.

I heard it before I saw it. The bushes, about a stone's throw from us, began to shake. There was the sound of scales rasping across the dirt and stone of the valley floor. Hissing and grunting filled the air.
Claws clicked and clacked lazily across pebbles. It was coming around the corner, from behind a cracked and blackened wall. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there.

My breath hitched. This was it. This is what I had been waiting for.

The noise became louder.

It was almost here.

I readied myself, every muscle tense like a tiger about to strike. I lifted my hand to grip the hilt of my sword. Home was only seconds away....

It emerged!

My heart fell.

“That's the dragon?” I asked dejectedly.

A 10-foot long dragon lazily made its way across our path. It had a long neck, powerful tail, and lean muscular limbs. It's silver-blue scales bounced the sunlight back to the sky.

Don't get me wrong, the size was impressive, but it was wretchedly wingless. That thing would never get me home. I needed a dragon with wings.

Large bony protrusions erupted from it's shoulders where wings should have been and never formed. At this point it was just a glorified Komodo.

“It's a drake. They're wingless male dragons.” Reece whispered as she bounced up and down on her heels, “This is so cool!” She watched it lovingly.

I frowned. I didn't come this far for an oversized Iguana.

I glanced at it's head, bony plates and spikes covered it's body from head to toe. It's sharp teeth looked like a thousand tiny needles in its scaly snout.

It began to move away. Unaware that it was being silently watched.

“Wingless males? Which ones have the wings then?” I whispered to Reece.

“Only the females.”

“And they would be....?” I asked peering around the barren landscape.

Reece laughed, “It's only one to a nest. I dunno, she should be around somewhere. I remember fighting her here. The drakes protect her nest so she shouldn't be far.”

I craned my neck to get a better look around. Nothing else around here had wings. Nothing was flying in the sky.

If the females were as small as the drakes, I'd probably need to catch three. They looked strong but I was sure I could handle it.  How would I find the other nests? More importantly how do I lure out this female before Melina realizes I've been gone too long and pitches a fit thinking I've abandoned the “cause?”

I couldn't wait all day. I'd have to get a new plan. At least I knew where this dragon's nest was. I'd pump Varric for more dragon info for a way to bait a dragon.

I sighed, “ Come on, Reece. We came, we saw, lets go.”

“We're leaving!?” Reece whined a little too loudly.

I clamped a hand over her mouth before she could go on.

“There's nothing left to see. Lets get out of here before we run into problems with the Herald. We've been gone long enough.”

“Mmmf MfFm Mmm.” she insisted.

I let my hand fall.

“There's tons more.” she hissed quietly, “follow me!”

She dashed away in a crouch before I could grab her.

“Reece!” I whispered as loudly as I dared “Get back here!”

She ignored me and kept dodging from pillar to pillar.

I groaned internally and took off after her as quickly as I could. I was inches away from grabbing her when she stopped suddenly to point at something. Too late to change direction, I slammed into Reece before I even got the chance to see where she was pointing. We tumbled down a hill and landed against a hard rock in a heap and straight into a pile of bones.

Figures. Of course we fall into the refuse pile. I curled my lip in disgust.

“Did you see it?!” she asked excitedly. She looked down, noticing the bones. “Eww.” she wailed while whipping her hands back and forth.

“See what?” I huffed trying to hide my annoyance as I untangled myself from her failing limbs and a half rotten carcass.

Reece didn't get a chance to respond. The rock shook itself.

The boulder revealed that it had a head. The drake raised it's large head sleepily. I was staring a the back of its head. I held my breath. I was close enough that it might feel the tiny puffs of air.

Reece gasped. I clamped my hand on her mouth again.

The drake yawned. It's jaw spread impossibly wide. I saw just how many rows of teeth it had as the sun bounced off each and every one of its pearly whites.

DontlookDontlookDontlook! I willed it in my mind.

I pulled Reece back ever so slowly, my hand still tight on her mouth. I could feel her shivering. Her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs as we backed away.

Bet she was thinking we were about to join those bones.

Hold it in, Reece. Hold it and we might be able to get out of this without a fight. I begged her in my head. I might be able to take that thing. I wasn't in a hurry to try though. Judging from the amount of bones, there might be more than two of these things in this canyon.

My foot came down on a tiny bone. It's muffled snap sounded like a gun shot in my mind.

We froze.

The drake's head wavered drunkenly for a moment. Its eyes were still closed, lost in its dreamland.

After what seemed like an eternity, it yawned again and nuzzled its head back under its arms for the rest of its nap.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. I turned Reece around to push her up the hill and found ourselves face to face with death itself.

Another drake had watched everything. It's hungry yellow eyes were locked onto us as it barreled down the hill. It's jaws open like a snake to swallow us whole. It let loose a horrible screech.

Reece shrieked. The drake behind us snapped out of it's dream world.

What happened next was a blur of fangs and claws. In one second, we were moments away from becoming the disgusting unmentionables of two giant lizards. The next, we were leaping away from them as Reece's shrill screaming pierced my ears.

I landed several feet away with a sharp pain in my leg.

I had jumped out of the way just moments before they could devour us, but in my momentary panic I had hesitated and paid the price. Two of the drake's teeth were embedded in my calf.

I stumbled a bit as I tried to catch my footing. Reece was hyperventilating.

The drakes were on us. They covered the distance in an instant, their nostrils flaring. Their eyes wide with hunger. Blood was seeping down my leg. They were nose-open for me.

The barren canyon began to churn with life. Whooping, hissing, cackling. The sounds of a carnivorous horde that could smell me for miles. Drakes poured out of the craggy canyon walls. They crawled out from under rubble and out of their monstrous dens.

Reece collapse to her knees as the sound swelled.

“I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die.” she breathed, covering her ears to block out the sound.

I drew my sword and tore off the wrapping that had protected the blade for so long.

“You wont.” I assured her.

The beasts lunged at us. They were fast. Faster than I'd thought they'd be. Reece screamed as steel and teeth collided. She threw herself at the ground to avoid the blows.

The drakes were as ferocious as they were relentless. One tried to rip my sword from my hands as I parried its strikes again and again. They tried to get Reece but my sword always kept her just out of reach.

I couldn't believe how fast their bulky frames moved or how hard the scales that covered their body were. Their snake-like necks allowed them to whip their heads around to snap at any opening with break-neck speed.

I threw every rune I knew. The ground became sticky and trapped a few in tar-like mud. Then ice to slick the ground, fire to burn them, lightening to shock them. Fire didn't seem to bother them. Ice and lightening slowed them down but never stopped them. Between runes and swordplay, I could tell I was on the losing end of this battle. I hadn't expected them to be so resistant to everything!

My normal attacks did nothing against their armored scales. I funneled every ounce of strength I had into my arms to hack away at them. My technique alone would have been enough for one, but I hadn't trained enough to deal with a horde.

I was beginning to feel the effect of it. My muscles ached, but not with fatigue. It was deeper. Like something was sucking the life right out of my bones.

I guessed this is why the game required a party system. Rage hadn't exactly covered dragon hunting with me.

Guess he thought I would've been smart enough not to pick a fight with one. He was right. I picked a fight with a horde instead.

One managed to land a solid bite on my blade and, with a whip of its' head, tear out of my hands.

One drake took a deep breath as it reared back. I could feel the heat even before it began to breath the fire. Reece cowered on the ground and covered her head. In slow motion, his fiery breath billowed out around us as her face split into a silent scream. I threw up my hand and the air in front of us condensed into a shimmering wall of protection.

While the rune did its work, I summoned a war hammer from my personal armory. It dropped into my hands.

Hammer meet nail.

I put my all into the swing and let it carry me over. The massive iron head made contact with the drakes head and slammed right through it. The drakes tried to avoid the spinning whirlwind my hammer made, but most were caught by surprise. Most. Not all.

One drake ducked under the hammer swing and landed a heavy blow on my body. I went flying into the solid rock wall behind us. More drakes descended from the cliffs making a beeline for Reece.

Reece started screaming and tearing at her bracelet. Flashes of magic went off wildly, adding to the chaos. A ball of fire here, a massive glacier of ice there, a lighting strike over there. The drakes temporarily halted their advance as they scurried to be clear of the ring of damage.

But it wouldn't be long before they swarmed over her. A few of them were bold enough to take a hit or two from the beads and realized the magic wasn't as strong as mine had been. They were pushing through.

I felt dizzy. My vision was hazy. I felt so tired. All I wanted to do was lay on the ground where I had fallen and never get up again. Everything hurt. Muscles I didn't even know I had hurt. Rage was right. This the burnout technique was going to kill me. It was burning me up.

I promised my friends. The three of us are going to survive this. You have to get up. It's not a question or an option really...

I pushed myself up as quickly as I could. A drake was going in for the kill. Every muscle in my body tensed, every bone strained against the power stressing it to the max. I shot forward like a bullet.

Reece shrieked, ducking as the drake lowered its jaw over her head. My fist made contact first. The impact was like a shock wave. It rippled through the beast's body and sent it tumbling like a cannonball through it's comrades, showering them in blood. Frenzied, the drakes began tearing into the carcass and quickly mistook friend for food as they turned on each other.

I was nearly spent. If we were going to get away the time was now.

I grabbed Reece by the wrist and pulled her to her feet.

We took off through the opening which unfortunately led us deeper into the canyon.

More drakes swarmed out from the darkness of the cliffs. How many were there?! There was no end to them! They were coming from the front, from behind. A wave of them came crashing down the middle of the valley straight to us.

The large tower loomed in the center of the valley between us. If we could make it there, if I could climb it to the top, I could get us out of here. I just needed a moment of safety.

“Come on!” I shouted. I grabbed Reece and pulled her onto my back. She threw her arms around my shoulders in panic. The drakes seemed to sense they were about to lose their prey.

In a single bound, I jumped as high as I could to the closest standing pillar as the spot below us became a boiling inferno.

Of course they breathe fire. Why not? I cursed them in my mind.

The drakes lost sight of us, but not for long. In a matter of minutes they were clawing each other in an attempt to climb the 30 feet of pillar that held us precariously out of their snapping jaws.

I climbed higher as the pillar shook with each attempt they made to pull themselves up. Thankfully, the pillar was too skinny for them to get a good grip.

A heavy thud made the pillar shake like an earthquake hit it. I clung to the small finger holds for dear life as Reece screamed in my ear.

“They're trying to knock the pillar down!” she shrieked. Pretty sure I went deaf.

I looked down to see a wriggling mass of reptilian claws and fangs pulsing at the base of the pillar. One with molted brown and bluish scales reared up and drove his powerful forearms into the pillar's body. I could barely hang on as the pillar began to lean.

“We're moving!” I shouted over the hunting whoops and growls that filled the air.

Gathering up all the strength I could into my legs, I pushed off the pillar as it started fall. We soared through the air to the next pillar.

The wild, writhing, lizard horde followed us on the ground. I couldn't keep jumping from pillar to pillar. I needed a safe place before I ran out of time with my technique. Keeping a hold on Reece was draining on it's own and hopping around with her added weight wasn't helping.

I could feel it. I only had a minute or two left. I was close to the tower. I could make it in one jump if I really pushed myself.

I launched myself at the tower. Reece finally decided to hold her breath instead of screaming in my ear. I was grateful for the reprieve especially since my body could barely handle the launch. It felt like I tore something in my legs. I proved it in the landing.

I hit the wall, hard. I was able to grab hold of the crumbling bricks and grab Reece before the impact knocked her loose. The drakes wasted no time in spreading out at the bottom of the tower.

“They're climbing.” Reece whimpered squeezing my neck.

I began to climb too. I didn't expect them to hold back. I just needed some time. A moment would do. Just a bit of distance between us. Seconds counted. The rune I needed to save us was complicated.

My arms felt like jelly as I grunted and cursed my way up the tower's face. My leg was bleeding and nearly useless. Whatever had snapped was letting its displeasure be known with each inch I climbed. I channeled whatever energy I had left into my leg.

I couldn't suppress the effects of my technique now. I was strong enough to carry us out of reach of the drakes, but it was killing me. My body was burning energy like the sun. I could see my fat and muscles beginning to slowly waste under the intense strain before my very eyes. Seconds weighed on me like hours. I'd never felt so sick in my life.

“You can do it.” Reece began to whisper in my ears.

It wasn't a confirmation, it was a plea. She must've noticed my condition. She could do nothing but will me forward. We had to make it to the top. We had to make it or die.

I had to stay strong. Reece's life was in my hands. Melina's too. I'd promised myself I'd get all of us home. Whatever it took.

“You can do it.” Reece whispered shakily again.

“This is...an awful lot...of trouble...for some dumb lizards...that cant...fly.” I gasped as I heaved myself up the last inch to grip the ledge of a window at the uppermost part of the tower.

“That's because only the High Dragons have wings!” Reece pointed up into the sky, throwing me off balance as an ominous shadow passed overhead.

I glanced up as the wind became turbulent, threatening to pull us off the tower and throw us away.

Varrics description hadn't been as fanciful as I would have liked. The beast was massive. Legs like trees. Claw as like knives. Teeth like swords. Scales like razor-edged metal. It's wings blotted out the sun. Night really did live in it's shadow.

It roared with such a tremendously horrible shriek, I thought my eardrums would rupture.

If I had thought the drakes were big, this thing was a mega-behemoth. The dragon swooped down around the tower. Our eyes met as it swooped down to get a better look at the intruder in its domain.

It's horrible yellow eyes focused, plotting, darting between me and Reece. The wind of it's passing was like standing next to freight train. Power. Raw and undefiled. I was nothing before it. And It knew it.
My mouth hung open in horror. I froze like I was glued to that wall. My insides melted.

How stupid I had been to even consider this was possible? Control a dragon? Force it to fly us up and into the Fade? I was out of my league. No one could force a dragon to do anything. I may have just killed us both.

“We have to get inside!” Reece was shouting in my face, “It's going to come back!!” Her voice felt like it was coming from miles away.

She punched my arm trying to snap me out of my daze. “We need to get out of sight!!!”

I snapped back to my senses. I hauled us up over the window sill and we collapsed inside the tower.
We hustled to the far side of the room as the dragon's tail ripped through the brick and mortar where we had just been. Debris hit us as we took cover behind the fallen timbers that lay scattered all over the floor.

The dragon's roar shook the tower.

We coughed and choked on the dust.

“We're trapped!” Reece began to hyperventilate.

I barely had the strength to respond. It had taken everything I had to get us here. I placed my hand over the cut in my leg.

“Reece.” I whispered harshly, “Stand next to me.”

She scurried over to crouch next to me.

I began to draw the rune. I drew the circle around us in my blood. Reece's face was filled with terror and disgust as she watched me spread the red lines from my leg.

“Whatever happens.... Dont. Leave. This circle.” I warned her through clenched teeth as I crawled around on my hands and knees. My bones felt like glass. Every movement was agony. I could barely hold myself up. My vision was going black.

Another violent tremor shook the tower. The dragon had landed.

A massive tail tore though the ceiling across the room. The tremor knocked us sideways as the surrounding section collapsed. The stones missed us but the dust cloud threatened to suffocate us.

"She's trying to crush us!" Reece coughed.

The drakes had finally caught up. We could hear the Click-Clack of their nails and the thudding of their bodies as they hauled themselves up the tower one scaly, horrid claw at a time.

We saw their hungry eyes first. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust. They fought with each other as they all tried to enter the room first.

Reece bolted up right. I made to grab her wrist to stop her from running away. Where could she really hope to go? What she did next astounded me.

She pulled out her bow and shakily stringed an arrow. Her hands were quaking as she pulled back the string. The first one didn't fly straight and neither did the second, but each glancing blow made the drakes pause. She did managed to hit one drake squarely in the shoulder. The arrow bounced off, but he took a second to reconsider whether he really wanted to be the first one through the gap. She fired again and again. Her sobs coming through clenched teeth and tears running down her face. She started screaming again. Terrified, but defiant.

I hadn't expected that from her. I couldn't help but stare in awe at her as she did her best to hold back the horde.

The dragon clawed at the opening she had made. Her massive claws raked across the ceiling and the floor as she twisted and turned to reach us. The drakes that had made it into the room were sliced and torn in her frenzied attack to kill us. There was nowhere to run. I didn't have the strength to even if I wanted to run. I continued smearing my blood over the floor.

Every second counts. Buy me every second you can, Reece.

The dragon lowered her massive head into the room. The drakes ran over each other to tear us apart.
The dragon opened her mouth and sucked all the warmth and air from the room like a vacuum. Flames exploded from her mouth, swallowing everything in it's path.

The last thing I knew was Reece's screams and the inferno on my skin.