Archive of Our Own ^beta

They had assembled in the small temple in Ostagar, just the five of them: Duncan, Alistair, and their three recruits.

The recruits that Alistair had been placed in charge of, helping them collect the vials of darkspawn blood.

The recruits for whom, as Duncan had pulled him aside and told him before they made for the temple, he would be performing the Joining.

He had sputtered, shocked and confused as to why he was the one to take on this responsibility. He'd never done anything like this, and he'd told Duncan as such.

Duncan had only replied that he had been placed in charge of the recruits and it was his duty to see it through. And, Andraste preserve him, he couldn't bear to disappoint Duncan. So here he was, standing in the temple room watching his recruits as Duncan prepared for the Joining to come.

"The Grey Wardens were founded during the First Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the First Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint," Duncan said, pouring one of the vials of the dark, black ichor they had collected into the chalice he had brought.

"We're going to drink the blood of those… creatures?" Jory asked. Of course, he'd be the first to voice any objections. Not that Alistair could blame him, not completely.

"No," Duncan replied, swirling the contents of the cup before handing it to Alistair. "The taint is too strong for almost all to take in through the blood directly. But if it is passed through a Warden who already possesses the taint first, it makes it easier."

Alistair accepted the chalice, staring at its contents. The black surface of the liquid inside shimmered in the torchlight, oily and unpleasant. With a grimace, he tossed the potion back. The taste reminded him of his own Joining, the bitter flavor of the taint and the darkness on the back of his tongue.

As he felt the magic spreading through him, Duncan continued speaking. "Not all those who drink of the taint will survive, and those who do are forever changed. That is the price of the Joining. That is why we keep it secret."

"Wait, do you mean to say we can die?" Jory asked, starting to sound panicky. Duncan ignored him.

"We speak only a few words before the Joining, but these words have been said since the First. Alistair, if you would?" Duncan asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you," Alistair intoned, the words etched into his memory. It was lucky for him that they were, because the potion was starting to take effect.

He could hear the taint singing in his veins, feel it burning in his blood. Amidst the cacophony of sensations, his cock was hardening with a speed and intensity that startled him. His trousers were suddenly uncomfortably tight.

"What do you mean, passed through a Warden?" Lyna asked, staring at Alistair.

Duncan looked at each of the recruits before he spoke again. "The essence of the taint is in all of us, Grey Wardens. With the blood you collected, it can be amplified such that when the essence of that Warden is taken in by a recruit, the taint can be mastered within them as well."

"Essence?" Jory echoed, confused.

"And how exactly is the Warden's essence to be taken in?" Lyna asked, brow furrowed.

"You must swallow his seed," Duncan said, direct and concise.

"You mean we have to suck him off? That's the Joining?" Daveth asked, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief.

Jory, for once, stayed silent, just gaping at Duncan.

And Lyna… a look that Alistair couldn't place flashed across her face. Her eyes flicked over to the now obvious bulge at the front of his breeches and then up to his face. She caught his gaze, her own cheeks flushing slightly, maybe at having been caught looking at his… assets. At least he wasn't the only one blushing right now. That was something.

"It is also a part of why it's kept a secret. We must make sacrifices for the greater good," Duncan said.

"It's, ah, it's not ideal, but if you drank the blood itself, you'd probably just die," Alistair said, still not meeting anybody else's eyes.

Duncan motioned for him to proceed, and Alistair reached for the ties to his trousers. He was impossibly hard now, the confinement becoming uncomfortable, but still he paused, hands shaking. He'd never bared himself to anybody like this, had never expected to be in this position. Could he actually do it?

"You're going to do fine, Alistair," Duncan said quietly, loud enough only he could hear it. "I know you're more than capable of this."

The praise cut through his nerves, his hands steadying enough that he was able to untie his laces. Taking a deep breath, he quelled his doubts further and pushed his trousers and smalls down until his cock was freed to the cool night air.

He couldn't, however, find the courage to look up at the faces of the three recruits in front of him. Though it felt like all of the blood in his body had been sent to his cock, he apparently had enough left over to heat his face all the way up to the tips of his ears.

"Fuck it, I guess. I'd rather end the Blight than go to the gallows, and I've polished a knob or two in my day," came Daveth's voice as the man stepped into view of Alistair's downcast gaze, kneeling down in front of him.

He didn't even have a moment to brace himself before Daveth's hand was on his cock, and he bucked involuntarily into his grasp. A second later, he was enveloped in a wet, warm heat as Daveth's lips slid down his length.

He couldn't- He'd never- He didn't think-

Maker's breath, nothing had ever felt so good. The slow glide of heat along his length, the friction of Daveth's tongue against the underside of his cock, the suction–he'd never have thought something as simple as sucking could feel so Maker-damned good.

And yet he couldn't look, couldn't watch this man as he bobbed his head along Alistair's cock. Alistair didn't even like men. Not really. If he did, he would've felt something during his own Joining, but that had been just as awkward as this. He'd been awkward and fumbling then and he hadn't been able to look the Warden who'd done his Joining in the eye for months after the fact.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, trying not to focus on the man on his knees before him and the all-consuming embarrassment flowing through him, that he jumped when his cock hit the back of Daveth's throat. It tore a moan out of him, and his eyes shot open. When had he shut his eyes? His gaze met Lyna's for an impossibly long, awkward second before he wrenched his eyes away, trying desperately not to look at anybody at all. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as Daveth continued a steady pace along his cock, and he tried not to fight the feelings of pleasure but he couldn't quiet his mind. It was all just too awkward.

He nearly jumped again when Duncan placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in and quietly saying, "You're doing a good job."

That certainly had his body reacting, his cock flexing in Daveth's grasp, and his hips jerking forward slightly. He tried not to think of his reaction too deeply, but he did let himself give in to the pleasure a bit more openly.

He wasn't sure if Daveth was actually good at this; he had no comparisons, of course, but it felt incredible. So incredible. In fact, it was quickly bringing him to his end now that he was letting himself get into it.

What was the etiquette here? He should let the man know he's close, right? In his Joining, the Warden had let everybody know, so he should do that. Yeah, it was only polite.

It took a few tries to get his voice to work, but finally he managed to choke out a warning. "I'm, ah, I'm close," he whimpered out a few moments before he came, spending himself into Daveth's mouth and moaning deeply as Daveth swallowed everything down. It was possibly the best orgasm he'd ever had. His hand had certainly never felt this good.

Alistair watched through a haze of pleasure as Daveth pulled away from his cock, sitting back on his haunches as the taint took hold. Daveth stiffened suddenly, his body jerking straight up and his eyes rolling so far back in his head that only the whites were visible.

This was the moment of truth right here, the final gasp before his body either accepted the taint or gave in to the abyss.

It seemed the latter won as Daveth crashed to the ground, convulsing wildly before coming to an eerily still rest.

"I'm sorry, Daveth," Duncan said, shaking his head as he knelt by the body, pulling it away from where Alistair still stood, motionless but for the bob of his throat as he swallowed hard.

The whole situation would have been more somber for Alistair if he weren't watching it still hard as a rock and cock out for the world to see. And still expecting to have two more recruits on their knees before him. It was an odd feeling, though, looking at the body of the first person to have ever touched him like that and knowing he was partially responsible for Daveth's death.

The sound of feet scuffing had Alistair and Duncan looking up at the other two recruits. Jory was backing away, his hands raised in front of him as if to ward them off.

"No, no, I can't do this!" he said, voice wavering.

Duncan turned to him, stating simply, "You must."

"But, I have a wife. A child! Had I known…" Jory said, continuing to back away from them.

"There is no turning back," Duncan said coolly as he advanced.

"No! You ask too much. There is no glory in this," Jory whined, drawing his sword when his back hit the wall and he could go no further. His hands shook as he brandished it at Duncan.

Silently, Duncan drew a dagger and crossed the few steps between them. Lightning quick, he parried Jory's blade and plunged his dagger into the man's chest.

Jory coughed, blood speckling his lips as he took a ragged breath and staggered against Duncan. Slowly, he slid down to the ground until he was slumped against the wall, blood pooling around him as his eyes dimmed and his breathing stopped.

It was eerily quiet as they all watched him die.

Turning from the body, Duncan regarded the final recruit. "The Joining is not yet finished. Now it is your turn."

Lyna considered him with wide eyes, her mouth a thin line as she looked between Duncan and Alistair. When her eyes dipped down to take in Alistair's cock, still just as hard as before, he felt his blush come back in full force.

Silently, she stepped closer to him and gracefully knelt before him. That look from earlier came back to her face and stayed this time as she regarded his cock in front of her. He swallowed hard, and it bobbed in tandem with his throat. It would have been funny if he weren't so incredibly self-conscious under her scrutinizing gaze.

It was hunger he realized a second later as she licked her lips. She was staring at him with hunger. Slowly, she reached a hand up, fingers trailing against his thigh and stopping short of his cock.

"You haven't done anything like this before, have you?" she murmured as she rubbed small circles into his leg. She could no doubt feel the tremors running through him at her touch. And his nerves.

Alistair glanced over to Duncan, who watched with some interest, but as he met Duncan's eyes, the other man looked away with a half-smirk. Unsure of what was happening, Alistair answered with the truth.

"No, ah, I haven't. Um, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about this. I'm sure it's all very awkward. It is for me." He was rambling as his nerves got the better of him. "I-"

She cut him off with a squeeze of her fingers around the base of his cock. He nearly choked in surprise and couldn't hide the noise that her action elicited. Looking down, all he could see was her small hand wrapped around his cock and her lips curled up in a smile as she looked up at him through her lashes.

She looked… sultry, his brain provided helpfully. She looked almost happy to be there.

"Shush. Just be a good boy and enjoy this for me, yeah?" she said and while he was still reeling from the effect her words had on him, she dragged her tongue from the base of his cock to the tip and then engulfed him completely in her mouth.

Then his brain kind of just… stopped.

The way her tongue danced around his cock had him seeing stars. Slowly, she drew her head back, tongue dragging along his shaft, until just his cock head was between her lips. She hummed as she twirled that wicked tongue around the head, flicking it along his slit and then down to undulate against the sensitive underside. Then she slid her mouth all the way back down.

Alistair could barely breathe from the pleasure. Whereas Daveth had been utilitarian in his efforts, Lyna was anything but. And Alistair was entirely grateful for it. However good it had felt when Daveth had sucked him, Lyna was making that feel commonplace.

When she grasped for one of his hands and placed it on her head, his fingers grasped her hair almost of their own accord. He jumped when her other hand found his ass and gave it a slight squeeze, pulling his hips forward to thrust himself deeper into her mouth.

She set a pace for him, pulling on his ass until he was able to work up the courage to hold her head steady while he thrust himself into her willing mouth. When his cock hit the back of her throat, she moaned harshly, and the vibrations set off a pleasant shiver up his spine.

It was almost too soon when he felt the coiling tension that heralded his release, and he barely managed to choke out a warning before his orgasm ripped through him, cock throbbing as he spent himself down her throat. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head in a caricature of the effects his seed would soon have on her, but in the meantime, she swallowed down everything he had to offer.

And Maker's breath, it was so much. His cock pulsed and pulsed, jet after jet of his seed greedily sucked down by the woman–no, the angel–attached to him at his cock. He was sure he'd die soon and drift away into the Fade. Dimly, he hoped that it wouldn't be too much taint for her to take in, that she survived her Joining so Duncan wouldn't have a complete loss.

His mind was still clouded with pleasure when Lyna jolted back, her spine ramrod straight as her eyes rolled back. Sobering quickly, Alistair prayed that she would survive.

As she crashed to the ground in a brief spasm, he felt a bolt of fear shoot through him. Then pure, unadulterated relief as her chest kept rising and falling, her breathing harsh but consistent. She would survive.

Duncan approached, regarding their newest Warden with a pleased look before turning to regard Alistair with obvious pride.

"I know that was tough for you, lad. But you did a good job. I'm proud of you."

A shiver went up Alistair's spine at the words, and he grinned. Well, tried to at least. He found it hard to grin so easily when he was still hard, the cool night air chilly on his spit-slicked length.

Trying to stuff his cock back into his smalls, he asked, "How long will this last? I'd very much like to no longer be hard enough to club somebody to death with it."

Duncan chuckled, "It should pass relatively soon. In the meantime, I'll bring our new initiate here down to her own tent, then I'll be back for the others."

Looking from the two bodies to the unconscious woman, Alistair sighed. "I'm glad she survived. One out of three isn't very good odds, and we need everyone we can get."

"Are you sure that the only reason you're glad?" Duncan asked, shooting Alistair a sidelong glance.

Alistair nearly choked in reply. "Of course- I wouldn't-" He tripped over his words in his hurry to disagree.

Duncan merely laughed as he picked up Lyna and headed towards the Wardens' tents. "I'll be back shortly. I'd recommend staying here until that goes down." He shot a pointed look at the front of Alistair's trousers.

Alistair agreed, he didn't need to be walking back to camp still straining his breeches. He'd never hear the end of it if he did that. So he slid to a seat and tried not to think of how Lyna's mouth had felt.

Maybe after this battle, she'd be willing to–

No, he cut that thought off before it finished. It must be the potion still affecting him to make his brain so brazen as to think she'd want to–

But the hunger in her eyes, the way she'd licked her lips.

He could think of this later, after they'd stopped the Blight. For now, they had a tough battle ahead of them.