Hawke's Last Stand

The smell of burning corpses rose from every corner of the Templar's Hall. There Eve Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall stood. Alone, not wanting to endanger her companions further. Tears staining her face as the one person she cared for… used her. Just thinking about it made her want to vomit. He tried to dance around it saying that he loved her, no matter what. But that wasn't enough. She may not have been a mage but she certainly knew the hardships they suffer. She watched her Father die a happy man because of what he had accomplished in life. He had a family. A home. Something that certain mages these days would obliterate an entire city district filled with hundreds of innocent people to achieve.

"Why, Maker? Why me? Why Anders? DAMNIT!" she screamed and fell to her knees," I wish… I wish I had never come to this pathetic excuse for a shithole! I wish I had died with Carver back in Fereldan!" She longed to be home again knew this place had twisted her from who she truly was. Morphed beyond redemption. She sided with the Templars. The Templars! The very people who had endangered her life as well as her family… and she was working with them. She could try to scrub it away but no water in all on Thedas would be hot enough! But after what Anders did… she couldn't stand by and watch as the torment of magic ruined even more lives, including hers.

She kept having flashbacks of their first night together…. Just her and Anders together. It seems as though it's a dream now. All she wanted was for them to be happy again, just like they were 3 years ago. But after she killed the Arishok, he changed… as if the Qunari were just a distraction from the real conflict between Mage and Templar. It was like he always had a tiny bit of anger stored up against her for removing the "distraction". He knew it would come to this eventually... Although he thought his Champion would be on his side.

Her train of thoughts was derailed as she heard footsteps coming down the staircase behind her.

"Well, well… If it isn't the Champion of Kirkwall… alone. With no Templar lick-spittles to follow her. The wonders of this world never cease, do they?" The voice from behind her shattered what little of her heart that was still intact.

The words that spilled from his mouth were acid burning though her soul. She turned to see him just as she had left him in Lowtown… His amber eyes with a re-ignited fire, his hair like a field of wheat glistening in the sunlight. She turned with every muscle screaming in response, but she started walking towards him. She loved him so much, but in the same instance she hated his every movement.

They finally met face to face. At the bottom of the stairs, eyes filled with poorly-hidden sorrow and regret. "Well," Eve said hoarsely, "I'm surprised I'm still alive. I thought surely you would've slaughtered me just as you did the Grand Cleric and half of Hightown as soon as you laid eyes on me." She spat in a dead cold tone. Tears almost welled in his eyes at the thought that the one person he'd given his heart to would think so little of him. They were replaced by anger, however, as he thought about how she had betrayed him.

"You will not gloat about what I've done. Don't think that I don't regret what I did." He growled.

"You said you are fused with a damned spirit of Justice! What I just saw you do to Hightown and the Chantry was no kind of Justice I've ever seen! You murdered innocent people! You destroyed the one thing that most people in this Maker-forsaken city people look to to find a shred of solitude in this fucked-up world! You think THAT is Justice!" she roared as tears burned down her cheeks.

He did nothing but stare at her. Taking in what she said. He slowly muttered, "For the Justice of mages-"

"Again with the 'Justice for mages'! Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, Mages aren't the only living creatures in this world? That justice can't be served to everyone? Don't you think I wish the pious people of Thedas could look upon mages as equals? But when shit like what you just pulled happens you dig a deeper hole for yourself and the innocent mages that have been locked in this pit."

He couldn't breathe everything she said was true. But he had already explained it to himself. If the rebellion didn't pull through then and word spread to other kingdoms then the Right of Annulment would become a widely used tool. Anger pooled in his stomach again.

"You want to equality for mages? If so, then why in the Maker's name did you side with the damned Templars! The Templars! They took your sister from you! Locked her in a cell! You betrayed her, you betrayed your entire family and the risks that they took to keep your sister safe, and you betrayed yourself." He bellowed his eyes momentarily glowed blue and voice became as thunder.

She hung her head as tears streaked her cheeks once again, "You certainly have some gall using that kind of ammunition against me. I thought that exact same thing not one hour ago and you know what? I realized that Carver and Mother would still be alive if Bethany would have been sent to the Circle. We wouldn't have had to move around as much and we wouldn't have been in Lothering when the Blight began. We wouldn't have had to come to this shithole on short notice and I wouldn't have been the largest instigator in this war, right now!"

"Instigator? What? You think you're the instigator in all this?"

"Your damn right I am! I've been fanning the flames of rebellion in this city since the first time I decided to help the mages 7 years ago! And ever since I became Champion I've sided with the mages. Giving them false hope to being free. I even unknowingly helped you destroy the Chantry so they could be free. After I saw it I couldn't… I couldn't continue helping a lost cause." She let out a sob that shook made his heart wrench, "I… I'm not going to allow more families of mages be pushed around and paranoid like mine was… and if that means that all mages be locked up for the rest of their days … then so be it."

His eyes met the ground. A single tear crept from his eye as he thought to himself, She's really going to let this happen. She's going to derail everything I- we have accomplished. Just then he felt her hand on his cheek. He looked up astonished at what had just happened even after all that he said. Her eyes red and puffy were the most beautiful he'd ever seen them. She then said, "I… I'm so sorry. I know that you'll never forgive me for this. I will never forgive myself. But I don't expect to live past this… and I'm just fine with that. I love you, Anders. And no matter what happens… That will never change."

She still loves me? His eyes grew in disbelief. Of all the things I expected her to say or do that… was not one.

He brought her closer and covered her mouth with his. Oh Maker he missed her. For one moment, the fighting stopped. They permeating stench of burning flesh dispersed and they were whole again. Nothing to separate them. Just Eve and Anders in what seemed like their first embrace.

After what seemed like what was hours in a matter of seconds they parted lips and he asked, "Eve… I think I already know your answer to this question but… It's so very worth asking."

"What is it?"

"Will you… reconsider fighting for the Templars? I don't want to see us kill each other anymore."

Eve's eyes grew wide Why did you have to go and say that? Eve thought "Why did you have to go and ask that? You go and say these things and you make it impossible for me to hate you! And I… I…"

She couldn't say it. She couldn't finish her confession because it wasn't true. She loves him and she can't get past that. She was torn… Maybe I should defend the mages. She thought. Maybe… maybe peace can still be achieved. No… Helping the mages was one thing but, peace after all this? No. It's not possible. Never will be. People, especially pious people, will use this against mages long after Anders and I are gone. But maybe my help would cushion it somewhat? Uncharacteristically optimistic thoughts kept flying through her mind until Anders spoke once in a shaky voice, "I don't want to fight this alone, Eve… Please"

She had to answer. She couldn't leave him in the dark. "Anders… you realize that if this doesn't work-"

"And you help me we'll both be hunted and despised by every Andrastian and every person that fears magic.

"Then you'll have to kill me. Because I refuse to let you pass while I breathe. Either way, you will leave unscathed, because I will not fight you either."

His eyes went wide as saucers. As she offered her dagger to him. "If you truly want you precious rebellion to succeed then do it… KILL ME."

No… No! She can't be asking me to do this! I won't! I WON'T! His mind screamed as his eye and skin cracked and illuminated. Justice had been unleashed on the world once more. The shockwave that was produced by his arrival threw Eve across the Templar Hall. She landed on the ground nest to the entrance gate… Face down… in a pool of her own blood.

As soon as Justice arrived he receded back into the depths of Anders' mind. He stared in disbelief at the woman in the pool of blood on the floor as he sprinted over to her. He flipped her over in his arms she murmured ever so softly, "Thank you…. My love." Her eyes then sealed over her silvery blue eyes ever so gracefully, never to be opened again.

"Eve, NOOO!" he laid her down as he quickly removed the bloody dragger throwing it to the side. His hand started to glow and began to wash over her body. It was too late. Her body could be revived only if her soul agreed and it didn't.

Anders finally realized that nothing more could be done and folded both of her hands over her chest and gave her one final kiss against her still warm lips.

"I love you, Eve…" He whispered in her ear. And walked to the Gallows courtyard to meet his fate.