Vigil's Keep – New Threat

Serenity POV

One month after the Archdemon's defeat –

Alistair Theirin is crowned King of Fereldan.

Serenity Cousland, the Lady Unifier, is publically declared his fiancé and assumes duties as the Teyrna of Gwaren. Her mabari, Kaiser, is asked to help repopulate the kennels.

Agrona Tabris, the Hero of Fereldan, is named Warden-Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine. Her wolf, Revas, remains at her side through the chaotic reconstruction.

Morrigan of the Korcari Wilds vanishes without a trace.

Sten of the Qunari returns to his homeland on a ship gifted to him by the new King.

Oghren of Orzammar becomes a general in Fereldan's army.

Leliana of Lothering is called to Orlais at the behest of the Grand Cleric. The reasons are currently unknown.

Zevran of Antiva returns to his homeland to meet with the Guildmaster. It is suspected that he kills his former brethren as he waits.

Wynne of the Circle is declared Archmage and is allowed to live outside of templar supervision with the permission of the Chantry.

Two months after the Archdemon's defeat –

Memorial services for all those who gave their lives in the Blight and Fereldan Civil War are held. A separate service is given to the Wardens.

Both Duncan and Cailan received their own days of mourning.

Three months after the Archdemon's defeat –

Former Queen Anora Theirin is found dead in her tower room. Signs point to suicide, but Crows are suspected anyway.

Princess Consort Serenity Cousland receives records from the First Warden, reflecting knowledge that should have been granted to the three new Wardens and a list of recent darkspawn encounters.

Four months after the Archdemon's defeat –

Denerim is finally repaired from the fierce battles. Joyous celebrations are held and nearly destroy the city again.

Five months after the Archdemon's defeat –

Alistair Theirin weds Serenity Cousland. The country welcomes the new Royal Couple with celebrations and well-wishes. With the exception of the witch Morrigan and the Qunari Sten, all members of the Wardens' party are in attendance as guests of honor.

Six months after the Archdemon's defeat –

Warden-Commander Agrona Tabris finally recuperates enough to visit her new home of Vigil's Keep.

Dark rumors begin circulate on how the darkspawn have not returned to the Deep Roads, as is typical after a Blight.

I sighed in relief as the familiar fortress of Vigil's Keep peeked over the hills. Normally, I found the place a little dreary and stuffy, but today, after day's journey and with a storm looming over us, I decided it was the perfect sanctuary.

"Thanks for coming with me," Agrona told me for about the twelfth time, smiling up at me. "Really, I know there's a situation in the Bannorn."

There's always a situation in the Bannorn. "It will be a lot better for Alistair's authority if it's made clear that he can handle things without my influence," I replied, smiling a little proudly. He had determined that on his own, a good step in navigating politics. "Besides, he has a sense of tact, unlike a certain elf."

She grinned, taking the minor barb with grace. "Still, thanks."

Revas barked from up ahead, alerting us that something was approaching. The two of us exchanged a wary look and carefully walked up the hill. Once there, the two of us just stared in disbelief and sighed.

Darkspawn were swarming the road. It seems the rumors were true, then. Damn.

"I knew this whole thing sounded a little too easy," I commented with another sigh, casually unhooking Vigilance.

"Why can't they behave like normal folks and run and hide when they're thrashed?" Agrona complained, unsheathing Starfang. "Oh, and look there." She used Starfang to point to a woman clad in mauve armor. "A hapless citizen."

I watched said 'hapless citizen' knock a darkspawn five feet. "I don't know. She seems to have some talent."

"That's new." She grinned. "All right, so not quite as bad as I was thinking." She took out some throwing knives. "What's your limit again?"

"Fifteen minutes when we last checked," I replied with a grimace. The time limit before the Taint started fighting was annoying.

"Then let's move fast." With a cheerful grin, she leapt into the fray, tossing a knife into some distant darkspawn's neck.

I followed, going after the darkspawn attempting to flank the armored lady.

"Where's Kaiser?" Agrona called as she decapitated a darkspawn and gutted another. "Revas misses the competitions they had."

"He's a war hero," I shouted back, cleaving four creatures in two. "So, the bitches were all lining up for a chance to get with him."

Agrona stumbled, staring and laughing from shock. "So, where did that phrase come from?"

"Fergus!"

She rolled her eyes, completely unsurprised. She got to know Fergus enough in the past six months to get a good handle on his personality.

"Um… hi?" the woman greeted me hesitantly, frowning slightly.

"Terribly sorry, but I doubt the darkspawn will let us be polite and exchange names." I smiled. "If you would be a dear and go help the white wolf over there?" Confusion flicked over her face as she looked around the area. "Okay, he's probably white and red, now."

"I see him." The woman nodded curtly and gestured. "But the elf is going after an ogre."

I looked up to see Agrona was in fact showing off her ogre killing skills. "Then it is even more impertinent that we get the other darkspawn." Not that there seemed to be many left.

"Very well." The woman nodded again and finally obeyed me.

I sighed and swung Vigilance in an arc to cut another three darkspawn into pieces.

Strange. Larger numbers than expected, but they seemed far weaker than the ones we fought in the Blight.

Few things were making sense about this.

"Serenity!" Agrona called. I looked up to see her skipping away from a dead ogre. "This fight seem off to you?"

"Very." I hooked Vigilance onto my back and scanned the area. Already, the darkspawn had fallen. Revas loped over to lick Agrona's hand while the woman followed, wary now that the fighting was over. "They seemed too numerous and too weak, Agrona."

"Yeah, that ogre was barely worth the effort." She glared at the corpse. "It was like I was fighting a newborn."

"Maybe…" I noticed the woman was staring at us two, her jaw actually dropped. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, wow!" the woman practically gushed. "The Commander and the Queen! This is so unbelievable!"

"And you are?" Agrona asked dryly, flinging the blood of Starfang before sheathing it.

"Oh, my apologies!" The woman bowed, only slightly awkward with her armor. She's been wearing it for a while. "I am Mhairi. I'm one of the Warden recruits."

"All right, then." Agrona's eyes flicked over the area before focusing back of Mhairi. "What happened?"

"I'm not too certain, truth be told," she admitted. "I was sent to check for your arrival, Commander. Not long after I left the gates, I heard faint screaming. I started to turn back and look, but then the fiends appeared."

"A sneak attack," I murmured, thinking. "Clever."

"Too clever for darkspawn alone," Agrona continued, eyes hard. "The Archdemon is dead, so their cleverness shouldn't exist. What's the chances of this just being dumb luck?"

"Very low," I replied. "Vigil's Keep is famous for being nearly impenetrable. Unless they have the blessings of the Maker himself, I doubt it was luck."

"Um, if I may interrupt," Mhairi piped up hesitantly. Both of us nodded and she gestured behind her. "I think there are more coming?"

I looked past her and saw she was right. "Looks like the speculation needs to wait, then."

"Good." Agrona grinned viciously. "I get to pound out some frustration."

After numerous fights where the darkspawn were obviously going for quantity over quality, the four of us carefully entered the keep.

"The Keep has been overwhelmed," Mhairi commented softly as we looked around the broken around. "How did the Wardens not sense…? I don't understand."

"Don't fall apart now!" Agrona snapped, eyes darting around to scan the area. When she found nothing immediate, she sent Revas ahead.

"We will need your help to determine who should be here and who shouldn't," I added with a wry grin. "Thieves have been known to sneak in to chaotic places."

Mhairi took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, my apologies."

"And to answer your question, Wardens feel similar to darkspawn." Her eyes widened in surprise as I shrugged. "It takes a few seconds to differentiate."

"And they probably had half a second at most," Agrona continued, eyes narrowing. "Maker, this is extensive." Revas yipped. "And Revas has found something in the next room, it seems."

"You can understand your wolf?" Mhairi asked as we walked to where Revas was.

"Of course, for I am one," Agrona immediately quipped.

Any reply Mhairi had was cut off when we entered the room to see a mage use a fire spell to finish off a squad of darkspawn. He chuckled softly before turning and starting at the sight of us. He glanced around with a sheepish grin. "I didn't do it?" Traces of an accent I couldn't place immediately. Interesting.

"Right," Agrona laughed as I looked around the room, curious. "You didn't just toast a bunch of darkspawn and-"

"Agrona," I interrupted, focusing at our feet. "He was talking about the templars." Four or five of them, all felled with some sort of weapon.

"Oh." Agrona grimaced as she too looked down. It was rather sad that the two of us were still so used to corpses that we didn't notice immediately. "You waited until they were dead?" she asked, more curious than nervous.

The mage shrugged, completely nonchalant. "They kept disabling my magic. I offered to help and helpfully told them that they should focus more on the darkspawn and less on the mage who could, you know, heal them. But no, big brave templars don't need the help of a silly mage, apparently." He had a similar humor to Alistair, apparently. "We were just stopping here for a short break. And now they're dead. Must be a sign."

"A very convenient sign," Mhairi replied through gritted teeth.

"The Maker moves in mysterious ways, my lady knight." He grinned charmingly. "Who can say what He intends, for who knows what He sees?"

"Well, the way I see it, mister mage, you have three choices." I shrugged. "Stay, escape, or come with us."

"Darkspawn, my lonesome self, or three pretty women." He grinned. "What a tough choice."

"You'll have to go after one of those two." I pointed to Agrona and Mhairi. The latter looked horrified and the former merely shot me a glare that I easily ignored. "I am happily married."

"I can deal with that." The mage smiled. "I'm Anders, by the way."

"Anders?" Agrona laughed. "Solana and Alim mentioned you in their stories about the Tower."

"And now I know to be worried," Anders cracked before bowing. "Healing magic is my forte, dear ladies. Ice and fire are my secondary specialties, with ice being my alignment."

"Got it." Agrona grinned. "I'm Agrona Tabris, Warden-Commander and Hero of Fereldan, Arlessa of Amaranthine." Anders eyes widened slightly in either awe or surprise. Probably both. "The mauve-armored lady is Mhairi, a Warden recruit." Mhairi nodded a greeting, her entire posture hinting wariness and fear. She wouldn't survive long in the Wardens with that sort of attitude. "The one who's been talking is Serenity Cousland Theirin, the Lady Unifier, Queen of Fereldan and Teyrna of Gwaren. Maker, that was a mouthful." She playfully glared at me. "Why so long?"

"Because my titles don't group together so easily?" I dodged a half-hearted swipe from her.

"Why 'Cousland Theirin'?" Mhairi asked, curious. "Late Queen Anora dropped her maiden name, yes?"

"She did, but only a Cousland can rule Highever and I am the current heir," I explained. "If Fergus fathers another child, then the 'Cousland' part will be dropped." But Fergus had already told me that if I managed to have two children, he wouldn't look for another wife. Oriana and Oren would forever haunt him.

…But, if I read in the Warden Records was true (and Alistair thought so, based on what he had overheard), then it might take a miracle for me to even have one.

"Why is this place so convoluted?" Agrona complained as we descended from the ramparts. "Seriously, sometimes I wonder if there's some twisted being that purposely makes sure we have to go the longest route?"

"I take it this sort of thing happens a lot?" Anders asked, effortless healing one of Mhairi's wounds. For a shield and sword fighter, she took quite a bit of damage. Especially compared to Agrona (none), Revas (none), and myself (a handful).

"Often enough," I replied, weaker than it should have been. Anders raised an eyebrow and lifted a glowing hand. I waved it away and walked forward, closing my eyes to better get a feel for the Taint.

It was stirring. Terrific.

"Sitting out the next few battles?" Agrona asked, coming up beside me. She sighed when I nodded. "Great. Ah, well, maybe you can figure out why Mhairi keeps almost dying."

"Maybe."

Revas, a good distance in front of us, barked. I grinned when I saw what he was sitting by.

"Is that a lever?" Mhairi asked as we got a little closer.

"It opens the gate up there," I explained, pointing. "Careful. We could have a lot of darkspawn appearing."

Anders gestured and fire bloomed in his hand. "Let them. I'll blow them up."

"I could get to like you," Agrona commented with a grin before pulling the lever.

The wooden gate groaned as it rose, though the resulting war cries of darkspawn nearly drowned it out. Agrona was about to give the signal for Anders to turn them all to ash when a voice cried out.

"Oh, we're scared now!" Agrona and I exchanged a look as an unknown drawf appeared out of nowhere. "Don't come near here! Ha!" The unknown dwarf grinned and yelled, "Fire in the hole!" Immediately afterwards, a huge explosion rocked the Keep, removing the darkspawn and fallen stone that had blocked our path earlier.

It also nearly brought the entire fortress on us.

Coughing at the dust, I peered the railing to check the area. Sections of the wall had caved, but nothing blocked the gates, thank Andrastes. I then turned to study the group. Mhairi and Anders were on the ground, coughing as I had been. Revas was nosing them, trying to get them to stand. Agrona… Agrona was nowhere. Oh, where did she go? I refused to believe that a building actually killed her.

"So, any idea what in the Void that was?" Anders asked as he shakily stood up. "Also, anyone dead?"

"Darkspawn," I answered, almost laughing as I looked again at the sea of blood covering the floor. "And if it wasn't a dwarf, I'd say it was magic."

"Damn dwarf nearly killed us with them!" Mhairi growled, standing. Her helmet had been knocked off, revealing short black hair and pale blue eyes. Anders got to work on her new head wound. "Where is the Commander?"

"Over here!" the elf in question called. I focused on the gate itself to see her waving. "I love being fast."

"Let me guess, you only had to worry about body parts?" I called back. She laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, come on," she ordered. "That blast seemed to take out a good chunk of the forces."

Joy. I sighed and vaulted over the railing, splashing as I landed. I wrinkled my nose at the smell and found myself very disturbed that the Taint chuckled.

"I'd be more grateful if it hadn't nearly taken us out too," I replied.

She merely smiled at turned her attention to the mage and warrior still on the second level. "Come down or get left behind."

"We're hurrying. We're hurrying," Anders grumbled, letting Revas show he and Mhairi a safer way down. "What's the plan now?"

"The same thing as always." She grinned mischievously. "Take over the world." Anders and Mhairi blinked and she sighed. "Joke. It was a joke. We're killing all the darkspawn."

"You said that so seriously," Anders commented. "Good delivery."

"Yes, yes." Agrona began walking down the newly opened hallway. "Follow me. Keep up."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," I replied dryly. She shot a glare over her shoulder, but grinned when I did.

"This is insane," Anders murmured. "And I'm a mage."

"Welcome to the Wardens."

"This whole section is remarkably quiet," Mhairi observed as we entered yet another empty room. "Perhaps they are gone?"

"Nope," Agrona replied. "In fact, the next room has some." Anders and Mhairi looked at her oddly and she tapped the side of her head. "Darkspawn sense."

"There's a good deal above us, too," I added. "But only this last group in front of us, it seems."

"We're close to the roof," Anders replied. "I remember as the templars threatened to throw me off it."

…I wish the templars didn't have so many… overly zealous members.

"Strange," Agrona murmured. "I think there are less now."

"Is someone fighting?" I asked.

"Only one way to find out." She opened the door and the five of us walked in to see a familiar dwarf fighting off a squad of darkspawn easily.

Agrona looked at me, confused. "I though Oghren was in the army now…?"

"He was," I confirmed. Then again, Leo mentioned that Oghren had seemed dissatisfied with the life.

As if he heard us, Oghren looked up and actually waved before turning to decapitate the last darkspawn.

Well, that was… anti-climatic?

"Just as I figured," Oghren began, leaning on the railing. "Follow the screaming and here you two showed up. Sorry that I didn't leave any for you. Would have been funny to see them spit teeth out of their arses." And Oghren's sense of humor remains in tact, it seems.

"Oghren!" Agrona greeted with a grin and laugh. "Fancy seeing you here."

He grinned back. "Good t'see you both." He nodded at me. "How's the married life been treating you, Serenity?"

"It was suiting me fine until all this," I answered with a dramatic sigh. "Alas, I am bereft of my lord husband but a month after the wedding!"

Oghren laughed and turned his attention to Agrona. "And how's the commandeering been going for you?"

"I think all you have to do is look around to answer that," she replied dryly. "This couldn't get much worse."

"Sure it could!" I commented cheerfully. "Muriel could be with us like originally planned."

"And here I was, upset that Lanaya couldn't swing her over quite yet." Revas yipped something and she glared at him. "I was not sulking, mutt."

"What are you doing here?" I asked Oghren, cutting off the impending argument.

"I was thinking I could become a bona fida Grey Warden," he replied, much to my surprise. He hadn't shown any interest during our travels.

"A prize for the Wardens, I'm sure," Mhairi replied sarcastically. She might have continued, but Agrona's cold glare shut her up fast.

Oghren gave her a warm look before replying, "I know, I know. Too good to be true." He focused on Anders. "So, who's the mage?"

"Wow, a dwarf that smells like a brewery," Anders quipped before bowing slightly. "Anders. And the lady is Mhairi."

"Nice to see a mage comedian that didn't die young." Oghren hefted his war axe with one hand. "Now, let's go be polite and introduce some darkspawn asses with our feet."

Agrona laughed. "Ah, Oghren, I've missed you. It's great to have you."

"I can't believe that," Mhairi muttered. This time it was my glare that shut her up.

"I would recommend, if you intend on truly becoming a Warden, to open up your mind and stop looking at the surface," I advised quietly.

She nodded meekly and changed the subject. "Who is Muriel?" Mhairi asked.

"Agrona's kid," Oghren answered. "Well, basically."

"She's working on formerly adopting her," I further explained, before looking around the area. "Agrona, Revas has disappeared again."

"So he did." Agrona seemed unperturbed. "Well, I'm sure he's just-" A piercing howl echoed from down the hall. Her eyes widened and she took off, almost blurring to my eyes.

"Hope your fast," I half-joked before running after her.

I laughed when Oghren's complaint filtered up. "Sodding humans and their long legs."

Luckily, the hallway was very linear, so I caught up to her quickly, only to be greeted with the sight of her and Revas desperately trying to stem the bleeding of a dying soldier.

My sight flicked over the wounds and the puddle of blood. I don't think this man was going to live, even with magic.

"Rowland!" I half-turned to see Anders and Mhairi run up. Mhairi continued speaking, horrified. "Oh, what happened?" She shoved past me to kneel beside the man and help Agrona put pressure on the wounds.

"Commander," the man whispered, ignoring Mhairi and focusing on Agrona. "You must… talking darkspawn…"

"Hold yourself together, recruit," Agrona ordered softly. She glanced over her shoulder. "Anders? You mentioned healing?"

"I'm a mage, not a miracle-worker," he immediately replied, confirming my suspicion. Nevertheless, he knelt down to try anyway.

"You mentioned a talking darkspawn," I prompted, kneeling down as well. "Quickly, sir."

"Very powerful. Leader, I think," he continued, fading eyes frantically trying to focus on me. "Magic is… very strong." He reached a shaking hand up and I clasped it tightly. "Roof. After… after seneschal…"

"Everything will be fine," I promised. "Rest easy, Ser Rowland."

He had the gall to smile before breathing his last. Why do people do that?

Mhairi whimpered and Agrona and I immediately stood up. "Set him up for burial, Mhairi," Agrona ordered. "Oghren, Anders, keep watch from behind. Revas, go on ahead."

As they obeyed, she and I wandered over to a corner.

"A talking darkspawn," I murmured, remembering the Vanguard.

"He must have been delirious. That's impossible," Agrona replied, only to stare as I shook my head. "It's not?"

"Remember how I requested the First Warden for some of the records?" I asked. She nodded. "I found a single incident, shortly before the Wardens were allowed back in Fereldan, where a group encountered a talking darkspawn who resembled an emissary. There's not a lot of information as the incident resulted in the death of Warden-Commander Genevieve as well as the deaths of Wardens Julian, Nicholas, and Kell. It also resulted in the disappearance of Warden Utha, leaving only Warden Fiona, Duncan, and Maric to give a report." It was a surprise to finally discover that Deep Roads trip Maric made.

"That's…" She shook her head, looking slightly annoyed. "Why look that up? Curiousity?"

"Well, I thought I talked to the Vanguard and was curious if I had gone insane," I replied honestly. "I didn't tell you because I was half-convinced I had." I also forgot in the midst of the aftermath, but I'm not going to tell her that.

"All Wardens are insane," she immediately quipped. "Even the ones who leave."

"Debilitating insane," I corrected. "The point, however, is that this is not isolated. There's that darkspawn, the Vanguard, and now a third one." I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. "That is rather worrisome."

"At least now we know where the cleverness came from." She stretched, nonchalant. "Okay, not so much how this guy got the cleverness, but still."

"Agrona? Serenity?" We looked up to see Oghren and Revas waiting for us on the stairs. He nodded at Anders and Mhairi who were watching us. Mhairi's eyes were red-rimmed.

"Let's go pay the darkspawn back for the lives they stole," Agrona ordered calmly before leading the way up to the roof.

We arrived just in time to watch a darkspawn kick a soldier off the edge and grab another man by the throat.

"Hold it!" Agrona called, announcing our presence.

The darkspawn stilled, threw the man into the wall, and faced us. "You are?"

"Really creeped out," she muttered before continuing with a loud, cold voice. "The Warden-Commander of Fereldan."

"Ah, so it is just as has been foretold." What? The darkspawn smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "I am the Withered. I will be capturing you."

"Good luck with that," I laughed. "Especially with another Warden right here."

"Two Wardens?" he mumbled, surprised. "He didn't mention two." 'He'? "Capture them both, then. But kill the others."

"Leave this one to Serenity and I!" Agrona immediately ordered. "Oghren, take command of the other two. Let Revas go as he wishes."

"What?" Mhairi demanded. "Why do you-?"

"Obey me now, recruit!" she snapped. "Rage-addled actions are only going to get you killed."

"Like a certain elf at Fort Drakon?" I muttered. She gave me a dirty look, and I grinned. "Well, then, shall we?"

As the others dealt with his minions, Agrona and I faced off against the Withered. And by "face off", I mean block his way of escaping so we could interrogate him for information.

"What do you want?" she asked, calmly. "Why are you here?"

"The Architect wished for me to bring you to him," he answered.

"The Architect?" She glanced at me and I shrugged. "Why?"

"You will see when I compete my task!" He lunged, trying to grab her.

I blocked him and punched him into the wall. "Who is the Architect?"

"He who opposes the Mother," he replied weakly, blood streaming down his face. I guessed I hit a little harder than I had wanted. Oops. "One of the leaders."

Agrona and I once again shared a confused look. "Wait, hold up. Why is…?" I dodged his second attempt at a lunge.

Agrona, deciding that it just wasn't worth it, took off his head with a simple slash.

"Sorry," she muttered. "But I wasn't up for a third time."

"Not that the questions were helping." I sighed. "Architect. Mother. Opposing factions."

"Why can things never be simple?" Agrona complained, looking exasperatedly at the sky.

"We're heroes of an epic story," I replied. "Nothing is ever simple for a hero."

Author's note:

So, here we go with the first chapter of Awakening. Yes, Serenity is here, mostly because the tale doesn't seem right just told from one of their POVs. Not the best written, but writing this was like pulling teeth. From a lion.

I'm trying to decide whether to keep doing scenes at the beginning. The one for this chapter, though, it more of a list of things that have happened between the end of Origins and the beginning of Awakening.

Gah, this took forever to write, mostly because I've been playing games other than Dragon Age (shocking) and my mind wants to make novelizations of those games too. Not helping matters it the whole other universe of a dragon age novel running around in my head. Sorry, rambling.

Next chapter – Agrona goes through her ravaged Keep