The ground shook with the explosion, feeling unlike any spell Nathaniel had ever been around before. Having fought beside Velanna countless times, he had gotten used to the ground shaking beneath his feet as he fought. But this… this was something else entirely.
When the blinding light faded from Hightown and his vision returned, the screams started. They came like a wave, growing louder until the noise surrounded both himself and Carver.
"The Chantry is destroyed!"
"The Grand Cleric is dead!"
Both Wardens looked at each other. Carver was the first to speak.
"Marian's going to be at the center of this. We need to find her."
Nathaniel knew all too well how it felt to worry about a sister, and nodded. And even if he hadn't known Carver and Hawke were siblings, he still owed the Champion of Kirkwall his life. He would help as much as he could, the 'neutrality' of the Wardens be pitched to the Void.
They took off, but soon ran into a group of mages being attacked by templars. As it time had slowed down - and maybe it did thanks to a spell - he watched their forms melt and contort into abominations. Then they attacked without reservation, and the Wardens were forced to fight for their lives.
When the last of the abominations fell, Nathaniel looked around. Carver was nowhere to be seen.
Did you see Hawke?he wondered, and continued on in the direction of the docks.
He almost missed it, with the carnage everywhere. There were so many dead: templars, mages, civilians. Most of the mages had become abominations. There was one body, though, with a knife wound in its back and blood soaking its robes. The feathers that covered the shoulder on the ground looked like a butchered animal.
Flecks of blood stained dirty-blonde hair.
For a moment, Nathaniel couldn't breathe. He rushed over to the body and pushed it so it's flat on its back.
Anders looked back at him, the life gone from his eyes.
There was more screaming, but it sounded muted in Nathaniel's ears.
This shouldn't phase him. He's had friends fall in battle before - been able to soldier on. Grief would come later.
But Anders had been stabbed in the back. He didn't look like he had fought it.
Nathaniel looked towards Hightown, where he knew the Chantry was. There was no time to grieve. No time for answers. The dead told no tales.
Nathaniel ran his hands over Anders' eyes, closing them one last time. A prayer found its way past his lips, and though he was no Brother, Nathaniel prayed to the Maker to watch over Anders' and Justice's souls.
He saw a glimmer of gold, and pulled out a Tevinter amulet that was hidden beneath the robes. Nathaniel took it, wanting a memento and doubting he'd get a chance to find his friends' body later. There was no time to cremate the body, not with Kirkwall burning around them.