Summary: This is the story of the Circle Rebellion, of Elyssa Hawke and Anders, their companions and the series of events that lead to the rise of the magi. Heartbreak and love, loss and victory. Everything happens for a reason. SPOILER ALERT.
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Dragon Age II but alas I do not so I'm stuck writing stories for now~
Author's Note: I did change a few things to mix up the story. Like Bethany Living instead of Carver. And a few other things that you may notice.
Chapter One: The Beginning
Elyssa Hawke stood among the dead bodies surrounded by her sister, lover and companions. Kirkwall had fallen to the mages and she, she had helped them. Standing there staring at all the dead bodies surrounding her and her comrades, she suddenly wished that she had never come to Kirkwall, that the series of events that had lead her there had never happened. Maybe if just one had not come about then this would not be. It was a massacre, too many senseless deaths. Which she had caused. But she couldn't regret, because it had brought about change.
It all began when the blight reached Lothering, causing Elyssa and her family to flee. They tried to head north, her mother, brother, sister and her. But they never really made it that far. The darkspawn caught up to them and as they fought their way out they came upon a couple: Wesley, a templar who was badly wounded and Aveline, his faithful wife who fought at his side with her long sword and shield. Fate had trapped them in the fight. What a tricky bitch she was.
They all fought hard for their lives, darkspawn flowing out of every nook and cranny along with an Ogre who claimed the life of Carver, Elyssa's younger brother. Their mother was never the same after that moment. Elyssa took out the ogre as Bethany and Aveline took down the Hurlocks that surrounded them. But it didn't really matter, because it seemed that for every darkspawn that they managed to kill there were two more to take its place. They were wearing down; couldn't take much more when finally the roar of a dragon as she flung herself off the cliff startled them .Her fires racked across the mountain path burning all that stood in its way. And when she landed, Elyssa felt a great sense of relief; especially when she turned into a woman.
That was the first event that set this all in motion. Maybe if she hadn't saved their lives in Lothering, or given Elyssa that damned amulet, then they would have been fine. But of course she did save their lives and Elyssa did get on that ship with the amulet clutched in her fists. Because Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, had been true to her word and safely delivered the four women to the docks. They may have been short of the two men they had started their journey with but they were now safe. For the time.
There were so many Ferelden refugees amassed outside the gates to Kirkwall when their ship finally docked. El had never seen the likes. But the guards were refusing entrance to all. She wasn't really surprised by this, mentioning to her sister that she was more surprised they had even let them off the ship. They did hit a bit of luck when the captain was attacked and they were able to aid him, for he promised to fetch their uncle for them. It took the man three days to reach them though, and when he arrived he didn't bear good news.
Leandra Hawke was shocked to hear that he had lost the estate and all the money that their parents had left when they died. But looking at him her daughters weren't. He told them that it would cost money that he didn't have to get everyone of them into Kirkwall, but there were people willing to help them. For a price. Bethany and El soon found out that they would have to work it off for a year. They didn't really have much choice though if they wanted in. So they sold themselves to the Mercenaries and for a year life was easy.
It was after that first year that things really started to get on their way. That was the year the Qunari came and the mages started to act up. Elyssa and Bethany were trying to get on an expedition to travel the deep roads when they first met Varric. He and his brother Bartrand were heading the expedition. They were some feisty little dwarves. Varric was pretty cool though, he even got their money back from that stupid little thief, though the fondness he showed his crossbow, Bianca, was a little creepy. Varric offered to let the sisters be partners in the expedition for fifty sovereigns but obviously they didn't have that kind of money. He didn't like El's answer and spouted out something about getting out in the world and sent them on their way to round up money.
It was a day or two later that Elyssa met up with Varric at the Hanged Man and he let her know about needing to find a good passage into the deep roads. Seriously, who plans an expedition without knowing how to get there? Idiots. But it was okay because Varric knew of a grey warden that was hiding in the cities that could tell them of a spot. El wish she had said no, or that she couldn't find him, but she didn't. She said yes and found the grey warden, though he was one well protected mage. She had to go through so many people and even more threats to find him. They managed to track him down to a small clinic deep inside Darktown where he was treating sick people for free. It was admirable; helping the poor without thought for himself. Elyssa remembered Anders face when we showed up, he thought we had come to take him away. Looking back now, in a way they had.
Anders decided that he would trade a favor for a favor and told them that if they helped him save a mage named Karl then he would give them the maps. El readily agreed showing him that she and her sister were also mages that wished no mage to suffer. Karl had been caught by the Templars and taken to the Gallows. The Gallows, even now Hawke shudder at that name, whoever thought it up was sick and twisted. They agreed to meet up at the chantry, but it didn't matter. They were too late to help anyone. Karl had already been made tranquil and the Templars had been killed as had Karl who wanted release from his imprisonment. It was a sad sight; Elyssa feared the thought of being made tranquil. But that was the night she found out about Justice and how Anders had taken the spirit inside of him to try and help the suffering of mages. If he only knew.
Elyssa went home that night a bit shaken. She sat on her bed and sifted through the letters she had received. A couple of them were from Meeran about a couple of jobs he had available. Kill the noble and help the dwarf. They sounded oh so fun. But it didn't matter because she needed the job to get the money. She remembered setting those letters aside and digging through the chest of stuff that was left from her life in Lothering. It was there that she found that silly amulet. A sigh broke from her lips as she held the amulet in her hands. It had to be taken to the Dalish elves; she had made a promise and had to keep it. Oh why had she listened to herself that night?
The next day found Elyssa in Hightown for a few things when she met Prince Sebastian Vael. She hadn't known then that he was a prince, only a brother of the chantry looking for revenge for his murdered family. Deciding to help she took the flier that had been 'arrowed' to the board and placed it in her pocket; she would take care of it when she went to see the Dalish elves. That night she headed into Lowtown to meet with the dwarf named Anso who needed someone to get his property back from the smugglers. Ha, what a load of crap that had been. But she had done it. She had gone to the building and killed all those inside but the chest had been empty confusing her. It wasn't until she had exited the building that she realized that it had been a trap. But not for her. Elyssa had killed those men too with a firestorm and as their captain came running to confront her a silver haired elf had stepped out behind him covered in blood and pulled the man's soul from his body.
He apologized for using her but she had understood. It was then that he had asked for help in taking out his master who was in town. But when they got to the house there were only his men there to kill. The master had fled town and Fenris was free for a time. Elyssa liked Fenris, even though he had something against mages, which she couldn't really blame him for, he was helpful and he had that sexy mysterious thing going on, and a voice that sent shivers up your spine. Oh she had no idea how bad for her he was going to be. A tevinter slave who had a severe hatred of mages, which she was one of. Lovely.
The next day Elyssa, Bethany, Varric and Fenris had set out for the mountains hoping to come across the mercenaries that had been hired to kill Sebastian's family and to meet up with the Dalish elves. They had easily taken out the mercenaries on the wounded coast and had made their way to the Sunderlands. The two Dalish elves that were guarding the camp weren't really happy to see them though. They said some bad names along with Shem before finally realizing that they were there to see their keeper. Elyssa tried to give her the amulet that Flemeth had given her on that fateful day but Marethari told her that she was to take it up the mountain along with her first apprentice, Merrill. Merrill, ah what a sweet girl, though very strange. They found her up the path up the mountain a bit. It was good to have the young elf along as they were attacked by shades and skeletons. Seriously, why couldn't things just stay dead? It isn't that hard really. When they finally made it to the top Merrill did her little chant and out of the amulet burst with a dragon shaped light. When they opened their eyes from the blast, Flemeth stood before them in all her 'I'm extremely powerful and scary' glory. She warned her then that destiny had them all in its grasp and told her of the change that was to come. Take a plunge she said. Well Elyssa had listened and took that plunge and look what had happened.
Elyssa and Bethany went home and in the early morning they paid a visit to Sebastian, telling him of the good news. He was happy that his parents could sleep peacefully which was good because they didn't need any more dead people popping up. Who did? He also offered his services for the expedition. Poor Sebastian, if only he had know then what was to come. If only she had known.
Elyssa and her companions saved the son of the Viscount from the group known as the Winters. Poor kid, misunderstood and too sympathetic. But it did end up putting the Hawkes on his good list, and helping Aveline unearth the traitorous captain of the guard helped too. Things were moving her forward without her knowledge.
Last but not least, Elyssa met the beautiful and daring Captain Isabela. Of course she didn't have a ship anymore because it had been shipwrecked. Poor thing. Isabela was in the Hanged Man when Elyssa stopped by to visit Varric for a drink. Guys had surrounded her demanding money from her, but being the woman she was she told them no and proceeded to kick their asses. She had to admit, she did find the sight thoroughly entertaining. Elyssa had liked her spunk so she helped her out of a tight spot and got rid of some mercenaries that were on her tail along with that idiot Haydar who was hiding out in the Chantry. Seriously, what idiot hides in a chantry…now that she thought back on it; a lot apparently.
Elyssa also had the unfortunate business of having to deal with Sister Patrice and her idiot body guard Ser Varnell, She wish she had killed them the night they had met. It would have been two deaths that wouldn't have been pointless. They would actually have been very enjoyable. Sister Patrice had tricked Elyssa and her friends into escorting the Saarebas out of the city, but when we reached the outskirts we came upon a group of Qunari. The one in front claimed that he was Arvaarad, keeper of the leash of the Saarebas. But El couldn't let them have him; she couldn't let another mage be treated as he did without doing something about it. So she killed them all, every single one of them. And in the end, the Saarebas told me that her that she was Basvaarad, worthy of following, and then he killed himself. It was one of her saddest moments in Kirkwall, but it wasn't the worst.
Then there was that idiot Idunna, the exotic wonder of the east. Seriously, what kind of name was that? But Viveka was right, it did sound better than the other title. She still couldn't believe Idunna had used magic on her and tried to have her slit her own throat. El was happy to sink her blade into Idunna's heart. Eh, she spent too much time around Fenris. He was wearing off on her. She then proceeded to save the Templar recruits from Tehone and her mob of Tevinters and shades. The boy was fine unlike his friend who had become an abomination and had to be killed. Even though he was a templar Elyssa was glad that she had saved his life. Thinking back on that, she was sure that's why the Templars stopped before things got worse. Or at least she hoped it was.
But none of that really mattered because they were only the beginning of the story. The first steps in a journey that would lead the world to a change El wasn't sure it was ready for. But let's start by telling everything. And it'll begin with the day that they left for the expedition. Because that was what really brought change to her life and lit the fuse for everything that was to be set in motion.