Dragon Age: Broodmother (Chapter 3)

Many hours passed as Nora sat in silence a small ways away from the group. Their miserable groans were distracting, and if Nora hoped to escape, she’d need clarity of mind, focus. Her eyes squinted into the inky corners of the room, making out the unchanging rocky wall as it stretched around the carved, circular chamber. Only one door in and out, and it was guarded by a very heavily armored hurlock. Kicks and punches would not do much good. Her heart sank with a heavy sigh as the reality finally sunk in. Unless she could catch the darkspawn off-guard, she’d be stuck here. Even if she were to slip out, there was no way she could carry any of the villagers with her, they would only slow her down.

This time it was not the moaning or groaning of any villagers that broke her thoughts, but the rumbling of her own stomach. Now that she thought about it, she had not eaten since the morning they set out. This fact coupled with the first changes of a Grey Warden, their incredible appetite, did not bode well. Her body burned through food quickly, and the pangs of feeling famished crept at the back of her mind. As if on cue, the chamber door creaked open, and the pair of hurlocks wheeled in their carts of slaughtered darkspawn once again. Had it already been that long? Time was a mystery in the Deep Roads, but the fact remained that she was hungry and they had brought her food. No! She was a Captain of the Grey Wardens; she would not stoop to such depravity as to eat darkspawn! No, she would hold out. She had to.

After each cart was emptied, one of the hurlocks stepped around the sopping heap of foul meat. It sniffed at the air before striding straight toward the group. The girl who had been selected the last time sat huddled behind the others, but it made no difference. A clawed hand clutched her hair and dragged the girl kicking and screaming once more to the pile. Nora rose, still a distance away, but the second hurlock turned and stared her down, hand on its sword hilt. With a shake of its head, the beast sapped all defiance from the captain and Nora dropped to the moist floor again, empathy wracking her expression.

At the mound of dismembered genlocks, the brutish hurlock tossed the girl directly into the pile. She sunk into it like jelly and thrashed wildly at her oncoming tormentor, but the small girl was no match for the behemoth. Thrusting a clawed hand into the meat beside her head, the darkspawn gripped her jaw with his other, squeezing it open. Chokes and sputters cut off her muffled cries before they could even begin. It was horrifying. However, it seemed that this time the girl resisted less. She accepted the inevitable and even managed to avoid vomiting any of the putrid viscera back up. Nora shuddered at the sounds of chewing and chomping, the choked coughs. She herself gagged, and could not believe the girl’s stamina to hold it down.

From what she could see, the feeding ended as quickly as it had begun. Strange, she thought, considering the girl did not look nearly as stuffed as she had after last time. But it was then that the second hurlock pulled a gore-sticky genlock from the bottom of the pile. Alive. It squealed and flailed, but after a heavy blow to the head, it slumped to the floor. The non-feeder hurlock grabbed the pygmy darkspawn by the collar and dragged it beside his comrade. Rising from its business, the feeder picked the creature up, held it high over the gurgling comatose girl and slit its throat.

Nora’s eyes widened in absolute horror. As the blood spattered onto the girl’s face, it seemed to stir her from her feeding-induced stupor. Yet she did not flee. No. Her tongue flopped out of her mouth, and she eagerly drank the thick, corrupted blood as it poured from the creature’s neck. Nora slowly inched herself closer, still remaining seated to avoid hostility. A mix of curiosity and horror drew her in, captivating her attention. The captain could not have looked away if she wanted. Indeed, the willingness was not the only change. Though the shoddy dress barely clothed the girl, Nora could swear it at least fit her properly before. Stained red and drenched in blood, the garb seemed fit to burst around the girl’s bust. If Nora didn't know any better, she’d have thought the feeding and blood-drinking was actually expanding the young woman’s body.

Finally the tide of blood dwindled, and after the final drops drained the hurlock tossed the lifeless body aside. The brute gave one final satisfied growl before turning and marching out of the room with its comrade, leaving the bloodied girl lying still in the disturbingly diminished heap of darkspawn flesh. Once the door slammed shut, Nora could not longer stem her need to aid the poor young woman. She hurried to the girl’s side and pulled her from the pile as the other villagers now skittered close to sate their own hungers. The captain held her in her arms and parted the bloody bangs from the girl’s pale, blotched face. Her breathing was labored and wheezy, and as Nora caressed her cheek, she fluttered her eyes open. They looked distant and glazed and did not even register Nora’s presence. Just as before, the Warden rested a hand on the girl’s bloated belly, comforting her with small strokes. The captain had to stifle a shudder as the young woman now began to purr at the touch. Such a pitiful sight.

As she held the overstuffed girl, Nora’s thoughts were made real. Though it was mostly due to the excessive amount of meat in her belly, the girl actually felt significantly heavier than before; her breasts seemed to press against the inside of her shirt, and her waistline was noticeably wider. Nora slightly tore the fabric at the young woman’s middle and scowled. Dark splotches of taint riddled her body, leaving more dark gray than tan. The poor thing. Now a more sobering thought crossed Nora’s mind, and she gently laid the girl down, ensuring her head was resting on Nora’s folded cloak. Was it wrong to let her endure this horrific torture? Would it not be better to end her suffering? The captain stared at her gloved hands and then gazed over the prone, bloated form of the girl. Even her cheeks seemed fuller, filled with the darkspawn’s corruption.

Again, her dark thoughts shattered at the low grumble from within. Nora’s lips curled into a frown and she rested her hands on her stomach, casting a fleeting glance to the girl’s distended middle. How? How could she possibly still feel hungry after witnessing such brutality? Still, her eyes hesitantly wandered over to the meat pile. The villagers seemed to have taken what they needed to survive and though it was nearly picked clean, a small mound remained. Continuing their journey, her sights rested lastly on the villagers themselves. Many of them bore heavier taint than the previous feeding, and some had noticeable swelling in their face like the poor, nameless victim at Nora’s feet. But Nora was a Grey Warden. She was immune to the taint, and the worst she would suffer was nausea and some very horrific memories.

The Warden’s feet carried her to the small lump of indiscernible flesh and she knelt beside it. Glancing about, she ensured none were watching, though she doubted that any of the villagers still possessed any shred of sanity by now. Squishing the meat between her fingers, she wrinkled her nose and shut her eyes tightly before bringing it to her lips. It tasted more foul than she anticipated, and after only one bite, she gagged and turned, retching the watery contents of her stomach onto the sticky floor. Not as if there was much to throw up. Again, she had to try again. Once more she bit into the tainted flesh, chewing it only a few times before swallowing. It was horrible, but it would keep her alive. Determined to keep up her strength, Nora forced herself to finish the handful before falling back, trembling. She thanked the Maker for her protection against the taint and curled into a fetal position before falling into a welcomed sleep.