" There is only one option… Vinek kathas" As fast as the word left the Arishok lips the spears started to rain down on them. The guardsmen fell to left and right while Aveline started to back away towards the exit. Karasaad rushed towards Hawke with a roar, she disarmed him and knocked him out with ease. Hawke looked around confused, it seemed like the qunari were going easy on them. Most of the karasaad reminded at their spots and the spears seemed like they were not aimed at her.
She looked up and met the Arishok stare, her eyes widened. Was it regret she saw in those usual stern and clear eyes?
" HAWKE ! "Aveline's voice called her back from her thoughts.
She exited the compound in a hurry but made sure to guard her and Aveline's back as they left.
Aveline and Hawke left the docks in haste; the sound of heavy steps hunted them as they reached Lowtown.
"We need to do something quickly but we need help. "
" Well lucky you we just happen to like hanging around in this district." The dwarf said as he readied his crossbow. Fenris, Merill and Anders emerged from the shadows with their weapons ready.
Hawke smile at the sight of her friends and cocked her head.
" Well let the party start, " She said with a smirk as she reached for her twin blades.
" Shanedan Hawke. I expected you."
The Arishok walked down the stairs with his big axe resting on his shoulder.
Hawke met his cold eyes and saw no regret or hesitation in them. She must have imagined things last time.
"Maraas toh ebra-shok, you alone are basalit-an. This is what respect looks like, some of you will never earn it. "
The crowd started to mumble something but were silenced with another glare from the Arishok.
"So tell me Hawke, you know I'm denied Par Vollen until the Tome of Koslun is found. How will you see this conflict resolved without it?"
Isabella's voice rang though the air together with the sound of something heavy falling, before Hawke was able to answer The Arishok.
"I believe I can answer that, I'm sure you find it mostly undamaged." She said as she stepped on a fallen qunari and gave the The Arishok the tome.
Hawke could not help but to give the pirate a smirk and pat on the shoulder.
" I thought you be long gone by now." She joked and mouthed a – I knew she would return- to Varric.
" This is your damned influence Hawke " Isabella complained but gave her a smug smirk.
The Arishok weighed the tome in his hands before he handed it over to another qunari who bowed and took it.
" The relic is reclaimed, I'm now free to return to Par Vollen, with the thief. "
Hawke's eyes narrowed, Isabella's eyes widened and Fenris let out a smug comment.
" You have your relic. I know your rules and laws means a lot to you; and I respect you for that. But she stays with us. " Hawke did her best to look big and threatening but felt like a fool as she was standing in his shadow. But this was something she would not back away from.
"I'm sure he will take that well…. Ravani you might wanna move a bit this way." Varric said and gave Isabella a concern look.
Hawke's body tensed when she noticed the small frown on the Arishok's forehead. She adjusted her position so she covered Isabella.
" Then you leave me with no choice… I challenge you Hawke. You and I will battle to the death with her as a price. "
Hawke felt like someone had poured cold water over her, or as if she was stuck falling into an abyss. She tried to calculate her chanced against the giant but regretted it as she felt fear gnawing at her. The fear left her as she heard Isabella take tone.
" No! If you are going to duel anyone, duel me!" Isabella exclaimed as she pushed Hawke aside.
" You are not basalit-an. You are unworthy." The Arishok said flatly with his stare still fixated on Hawke.
Hawke put a hand on the pirate's shoulder and turned her around to give her a quick hug, before she pushed her back to face the Arishok.
" Very well, Arishok I accept. Till death do us part. " Hawke said with an amused tone and gave the Arishok a wink and a smirk.
Hawke watched the red sun sinking into the ocean, colouring it blood red. She would only have some few precious moments to get ready.
Isabella and the rest had begged her to not accept the duel. Hawke was not someone who turned away from a duel, especially if her friend's life was on the line.
She wrinkled her nose; surprisingly had the Arishok allowed her to step out for some fresh air, but the Kirkwall air was far from fresh. It smelled of fire, blood, despair and fear.
Heavy steps approached her and Hawke slowly turned around. She expected it to be one of the Karasaad, here to fetch her but instead it was the Arishok himself.
He now stood in front of her in silence like a giant mountain towering over her.
The Arishok gave her a stern look then focused his eyes on the sun behind her.
Hawke turned around to face the sinking sun again. Neither of them broke the silence for a long moment, instead they just stood still; two giants in their own way.
" In this wrenched slump, you alone are tolerable, basalit-an."
Hawke almost choked on the air trying to stop a loud -WHAAAAAAT?!- from leaving her mouth. She stayed quiet, hoping for an explanation or for him to continue, but he said no more.
" Well it was a honour to get to meet you Arishok. Gave me new perspective and a lot to think on." She said after some time, trying to stimulate a conversation but failed.
The sun sank deeper into the water as the silence returned. Hawke felt oddly calm standing next to the Arishok even thought she knew what would happen. Before she had realised had he become her only certainty. She could not help but to laugh at the thought. The Arishok frowned a bit over the broken silence but did not tell her to be quiet.
" We could had been best friends forever in another world or life." She said with a small laughter ignoring the small change in the Arishok's face that indicated his annoyance.
" I regret that I did not succeeded in capturing you. If I had we would not be here." The Arishok replied with a grunt.
Hawke studied the Arishok trying to figure out what he meant by those words. He had his usual poker face and did not even look at her.
"Parshaara, it's time Hawke."
The Arishok turned around and walked towards the Viscount's Keep. Hawke took a deep breath and gave the sun a last look before she followed.
The battle was just as furious and tense as she imagined it would be. Her blades sang as they danced though the air. The Arishok charged toward her like a crazy bull with both war axe and broadsword.
They were not far into the battle and she was already starting to get tired. The small rest she had been allowed appeared to not have been enough after fighting her way till the Viscount's Keep. It had not gone as she planed at all, instead of standing her ground and fighting honourable she had to resolve to shady tricks. She quickly realised that there was no point in stealth as the Arishok's senses easily found her.
The crowd gasped as he landed a heavy hit on her and sent her flying into the wall. She heard her name being shouted by her companions.
Hawke shook her head trying to clear the fog as quickly as possible. Her head throbbed and blood ran down and her cheek. A blurred vision of the Arishok came rushing towards her. She somehow managed to avoid his charge by doing a clumsy roll without any trace of her usual grace and flexibility.
"Maraas imekari."
Hawke glare at him, had he just called her a child. She twirled her blades and started to circle around him. She noticed how the Arishok got ready to charge at her yet again. This time she stood her ground, when he reached her she danced around him and watched as he collided with the wall.
The giant shook his head but seemed mostly unharmed, he gave her a glare.
She answered with a smirk and started to circle him while carefully observing him.
Without warning she charged towards him, she managed to duck a swing from his broadsword and her blade connected with his arm and left a bleeding wound.
The axe came from her left, she made a twirl and avoided it and manage to slash the Arishok's chest with her twin daggers. Before he was able to swing his weapons again she vanished to appear behind his back as she struck his neck with her elbow.
He let stumbled forward and dropped the axe, Hawke took the opportunity and delivered some well aimed kicks, head, neck and back.
The Arishok manage to turn around and reached out to grab her but she avoided his giant hands with ease.
The pace of the battle had changed; the battle turned into some kind of game of tag for her as she dodged the Arishok. Hawke could not stop a laughter that was bubbling in her. It was probably the rush of the adrenaline, but she had never felt as alive as she did. He seemed a lot less scary without his big weapons, even if his hands probably would be able to snap her in half. He started to get covered in cuts from her blades and bruises. She jumped around him like a cat toying with a large dog.
"Parshaara!" The roar rang though the air and called her back to reality.
The Arishok ceased with his attempts to grab her barehanded and picked up his fallen axe. The fight got serious again and found that she could only keep on dodging and was never able to get a hit on him.
She screamed as the axe bite down into her arm and thanked her lucky star that it did not sever it.
This battle had to end soon, rather now. She could hear her companions and the rest of the people scream her name and cheer her on. Hawke saw an opening and rushed in only to realise that it was a trap. The giant grabbed her wounded arm and lifted her up in an attempt to slam her into the ground. In half panic she knee kicked his jaws, she prayed that the crunching sound was not her knee.
The impact from her knee dazed the giant and he lost his grip of her. She twirled around and hit his temple with a rotation kick. Wasting no opportunity she hit his knee making him drop his axe and fall backwards.
She straddled him and aimed her daggers at his throat.
"Yield…."
Her breath was heavy and her body hurt so much she wanted to scream. But she still managed to look the qunari leader straight into the eyes with a small smirk on her lips. She pressed the knife harder against his throat as he did not utter a word. The hall had fallen silent and everyone's eyes were on them
"Till death, Hawke." He said and met her eyes with a stern look.
She frowned at him but did not move. She heard someone scream for his death, but she ignored them.
"Ataash varin kata. In the end lies glory."
Hawke eye widened, the big giant was asking to be ended, and she swore to herself in silence of course he did. She tried to test her boundaries by applying more pressure to the dagger but she was not able to slit his throat.
She raised her arm as if she was going to stab his head but instead she stabbed his shoulder. The Arishok roared in pain and for the first time she saw raw confusion plastered over his face.
" You are dead to me." She hissed and stood up with her blooded daggers.
She turned around and looked at everyone in the room, no one objected out loud at least. She heard how Varric cheered on her and saw Anders rushing towards her ready to heal. Isabella mouthed an – I own you- and winked at her while Fenris gave her one of his rare smiles.
" We shall return." He grunted and reached out for her, eye fixated on hers before he blacked out.
One qunari picked up their fallen warlord and they all left in silence.