Author's Note: The following story is a sequel to my story A Sword of Mercy; you should probably read it before you read this one. Plus many of the original characters here can also be seen in my story Chant of Darkness. I know that is a lot of reading, but what can I say I am just mean that way, lol.
Dragon Age: Justice Be Done
What has come before: The year is 9:40 of the Dragon Age, and Thedas is a world caught in the grip of war. A brutal civil war is tearing the Orlesian Empire apart as Empress Celene and her rival the Grand Duke Gaspard fight viciously for control. Meanwhile the Templar order has seceded from the Divine Chantry of Andraste, and they have declared war on the newly liberated Circle of Magi. A war that threatens to spread to every nation, brutality and death are everywhere.
In the Free Marches, the city state of Starkhaven is proving to be a dangerous new player on the field of war. Prince Goran Vael, along with his new High Inquisitor, the bounty hunter known only as Thrash, have seized the Free March city of Ostwick. The Inquisitor's appetites for torture and suffering know no bounds. Starvation, plague, and suffering threaten the common folk of both Starkhaven and Ostwick.
Seeking to end his peoples suffering Sebastian Vael, last surviving son of the original ruling family of Starkhaven has journeyed home to try and regain his throne. The High Inquisitor has sworn to bring the renegade prince to justice at any cost…and with him the woman who tried to murder him.
The woman known as Hawke.
IOI
9:40 Dragon Age: Outside the city of Ostwick
"Sebastian Vael," the inquisitor's lackey declared with great relish, "you stand accused of the crimes of treason, inciting a rebellion, and murder of the forces of his Excellency Prince Goran Vael. How do you plead?"
Sebastian refused to give the toady an answer. It was strange, for the longest time he had come to accept that he would never sit upon the throne of his forefathers. He had pledged himself to the Maker and to continue the work of Grand Cleric Elthina, Maker rest her soul, but when word of the suffering his cousin was bringing to their people reached his ears how could he refuse?
Not that it mattered now, he was about to die, he and all the others who had followed him this far, he wished that the Maker would take mercy on them all in the afterlife.
The plan had seemed fool proof; the High Inquisitor had been shipping weapons to Goran's troops for months as they had laid siege to Ostwick. Sebastian and his few followers had intended to ambush the latest shipment. These weapons would have gone a long way to insuring that the small movement he had founded could grow quickly into a full-fledged rebellion.
Sadly that would not happen now; High Inquisitor Thrash had been waiting for them. The shipment had been a trap.
Now Sebastian and his thirty fellows were about to die, their bodies dumped into a ditch outside of Ostwick, no trial, no jury…simply an execution.
The High Inquisitor was quite fond of executions.
Few would recognize Sebastian from his days in the chantry, the armor that his parents had commissioned for him long ago was gone, he wore the leathers of a simple archer now. His brown hair had grown long, almost too mid back. A short goatee now graced his jaw.
Hawke would have likely tease him about this, she would have made some kind of snide comment how he should be careful not to sneeze, lest his new beard fall off.
Sebastian missed Hawke; he could have used her help right now.
"I do not fear death," Sebastian said bravely, "if I must be executed then so be it, but spare my men. They were only trying to defend their homes."
The High Inquisitor had sent fifty men to capture him, all well-armed and well trained. It had been a serious gamble what he had attempted here, still how could he do anything else.
These people had lost so much because he had not tried to reclaim what was his.
He needed to make amends.
"My Lord," one of the Inquisitors knights, a woman about Sebastian's age with dark hair drew the Captain's attention, "Surely the prince will wish to try these people in person."
"Lord Thrash requested this form of punishment," the captain snorted, "Are you questioning his desires?"
"I believe that these people should be brought before the proper court Ser," the woman replied.
Sebastian admired the woman's bravery, but any court presided over by his cousin was sure to one where his guilt was assured beforehand.
His death would be less painful here; he just regretted that his men would have to join him.
"If you feel so strongly about it then perhaps you should execute the would-be- prince," the captain laughed, "unless you want to be taken back to the 'Proper Court."
The knight blanched.
"Ser…I have served loyally. Why would you ask me to…?"
"You heard me soldier, kill Sebastian Vael."
"But?"
"I gave you an order woman," the captain growled.
Sebastian tensed, he and his men were not bound, only covered by men with crossbows, if the woman could cause a big enough distraction, he looked to his fellows, trying to will his orders to them. Some of the men nodded.
They had similar ideas.
The female knight refused to back down.
"This is not right ser, there is no justice slaughtering men like rabbits."
"You will do as I command," the captain growled.
The knight's eyes widened in shock, but narrowed in anger just as quickly, fury flashed in her dark eyes. She drew her great sword. Sebastian had only ever seen one other woman skilled with one, Hawke the champion of Kirkwall.
He held his breath, he waited.
The captain sneered at the female knight.
"I'm glad you have seen sense at last. I had no desire to see you exe…"
The knight spun, her great sword took the captain's head off.
"Now," Sebastian cried.
The fighting was quick and brutal.
IOI
The female knight had been gravely injured; she lay on the ground bleeding from several wounds. Sebastian went to her.
"Go… please…" she said coughing up blood, "leave me."
Sebastian could not; this woman had saved his life, saved all their lives.
He would not abandon her.
He examined her wound, she had taken a crossbow bolt in the chest, it had likely punctured her lung.
"My prince we have to go," one of his lieutenants said trying to pull him away.
"No," he said stubbornly, "we shall take her to Ella, she can heal anything. Help me; we must get her out of here."
Sebastian seized the woman by the arm, careful not to touch the bolt, she pleaded with him to flee, but her protests were growing weaker by the moment.
They had to get her out of here.
"I owe you my life Serah," he said gratefully, "thank you."
The woman nodded, her face pale, "I…I let good men die once because I trusted too completely, "the woman coughed blood, Sebastian fought to steady her, "Never again."
Do as I command.
The captain should never have used that phrase in her presence. She lost so much when the last lord she had served had used it.
Her home, her honor, her pride they were all gone.
"Do you have a name Ser?" Sebastian asked?
"Cauthrien my lord," she replied.
"Well Ser Cauthrien, I welcome you to the rebel army, if you decided to stay."
The woman smiled weakly, "Let us see if I survive the night my prince…then we shall talk about that."
The rebels retreated into the mists around Ostwick, they did not capture the weapons shipment they had hoped for, but what weapons they did get, taken off the dead soldiers of Prince Goran, bore a strangely familiar marking.
They were all marked with the sigil of the White Griffon.
Sebastian did not know what to make of this, but first thing was first.
He had to save Cauthrien's life.
Then the war could continue.
IOI
High Inquisitor Thrash watched the battle from a ridge not far away. Prince Goran would be greatly angered that his cousin had escaped here, but Thrash would calm the tyrant.
After all, everything had gone according to plan…Thrash's plan.
The High Inquisitor was a disturbing looking man, bald headed with gray peeling skin. His eyes seemed to glow red when you looked at the just right.
Many had said that the inquisitor looked like a corpse, which was not far from the truth.
Thrash was dead, quite dead, he had died two years ago in Kirkwall during the destruction of the chantry, but his body and name still had uses. The bounty hunter had died in Lowtown, about the same time that the renegade mage Anders had died. When it had happened, Justice had fled his friends Anders' body. Thrash's body had been mostly undamaged, and it still could be put to use.
Justice had seen to that.
The fade spirit was pleased with how tonight's events had gone. He had not expected Cauthrien to turn traitor, but it had served its purpose.
The choir boy was free, and would no doubt go looking for help.
He would go to her for help.
Justice sneered, he had pursued Marian Hawke for almost two years with no success, she and her elven sex slave had evaded him at every turn.
Now he would put her friends in Jeopardy, now she would come to him.
He may even get little Bethany in this trap, that also pleased him. He wanted Hawke to suffer for murdering Anders. Her sister's torment would be sweeter as Hawke watched. She would live just long enough to see all those she love punished.
Then she would face Justice's burn.
He would taste sweet vengeance again.
The spirit smiled, he looked forward to that.
There was a time that the thought of harming innocents would have sickened him, he had been so naïve.
There were no innocents, Justice understood that now. The innocent were born guilty and would sin if given time.
It was better to punish everyone, everyone deserved to be punished.
The world deserved to burn.
But that would come later.
He watched Sebastian flee into the woods. His sneer widened.
"Now go little hound," the spirit hissed excitedly, "go…and fetch me a Hawke."
She would come this time, he was certain.
His baby would come.