The third level, a new crisis
When the last body of a ratfolk fell onto the cave floor, a peaceful atmosphere began to permeate the cave. Elwin and Cassidy panted, their bodies exhausted to the limit, but their eyes were full of solemnity and relief.
Elwin held tightly to "Andraste" in his hand, looking at the still-glowing dagger with a complex expression. "Cassidy, did you see that?" he asked in a hoarse, low voice.
Cassidy lifted her head to look at him, her eyes also filled with confusion. Then she looked at the dagger in his hand, and she froze. "I saw it, Elwin. The dagger, it... it absorbed the energy of those ratfolk."
The two of them exchanged a smile, each seeing relief and fatigue in the other's eyes. The battle had been fierce, but they had succeeded; they had found a way to defeat the demons.
"I never thought that this dagger would have such power," Elwin said softly, raising the dagger to look at it gleaming under the cave's light.