First off, I would like to introduce you all to Sanshain. She has kindly volunteered to be my much needed Beta Reader. I feel very fortunate to have her guidance. Her work on this chapter was extensive and has really enhanced this humble little story.
I hope that everyone will have as much fun reading this as we did creating it. Thank you for reading, and if you like the story please let us know, by leaving a comment in the review section.
Chapter Two: Remembering
The dimly lit passageway felt disconcertingly calm as Fenris made his way towards Hightown. The rebel mages and other outlaws who typically made use of the underground were currently topside, basking in the anarchy that was taking place throughout the streets of Kirkwall. It was a day when respectable people hid within their homes, holding their children close and praying to the Maker for protection.
"Yet here I am, wading through the sewer once more."
Fenris wondered what it might feel like to be a noble. To hide away, like a frightened nug, instead of constantly fighting. He pictured himself cowering beneath his bed sheets and chuckled out loud at the ridiculous notion.
Approaching the junction where the sewer split, Fenris took the path towards Hightown. The other path led into Darktown. One night many years ago, Hawke, Anders and Fenris had used this passage as a shortcut home after indulging in too much ale at the Hanged Man. Fenris recalled how happy he had felt watching Anders head off towards his clinic that night. Not only was he rid of that annoying mage, but he finally had Hawke all to himself. Wanting to seize the rare opportunity, Fenris spent the remainder of their walk home trying to think of an excuse to invite Hawke back to his place. His courage, however, lost out to his fear of possible rejection. In the end Fenris found himself alone in his bed longing for Hawke's touch. Fenris blushed fiercely as he remembered unbidden how he had sated his hunger for Hawke with his own hands, his own pitiful fingers. Even now the memory heated his blood with desire.
'I've been alone for far too long,' Fenris realized with a dejected sigh.
Fortunately, he was now at his destination. Forcing the salacious memories from his mind, Fenris pushed back the sewer cover and pulled himself up into the streets of Hightown.
He paused at the sight of demon corpses littering the small pathway near Hawke's estate, his heart picking up pace.
'What happened here?' Fenris wondered as he freed his blade, readying it just in case.
Moving quickly and carefully as he picked his way through the strewn bodies, Fenris stepped out of the shadows and entered Hightown Square.
At the foot of the stairs leading to Viscount's Keep, a small group of guardsmen were locked in battle with a powerful blood mage and his throng of angry demons. Gripping his blade, Fenris was about to jump into the fray when he caught sight of Sandal in front of Hawke's estate. The dwarf had a large box strapped to his back and in his arms he carried a huge sack. Even encumbered as he was, the boy was surprisingly quick on his feet. As Fenris watched, Sandal smoothly dodged a lighting bolt, before ducking swiftly to avoid the body of a dead guardsman that was thrown in his direction.
'Where is Bodahn?' Fenris wondered nervously, slashing his sword to lop an abomination in half. He knew Sandal rarely left his father's side.
Moving across the square towards the keep, Fenris found himself suddenly surrounded. A swarm of rage demons had burst from the ground, the creatures' searing heat pulsating as they encircled him.
Swearing under his breath Fenris readied a Cyclone Blow, but before he could react the air around him instantly cooled to freezing, and the surrounding demons burst into slivered ice and vanished. Taken off guard by the sheer power of the spell and wanting to confirm its origin; Fenris glanced back at Sandal but the dwarf was already out of earshot, scurrying towards the entrance to the sewers.
'Could that dwarf actually be a mage?' Fenris wondered in disbelief, peering around the now empty square.
The battle had ended with both sides decimated. Near the keep's entrance, Fenris recognized the corpse of a guardsman that had served under Aveline. Shaking his head in pity and tightening his hold on his blade, Fenris took off towards the site where the chantry had once stood.
As he exited the pathway leading into the Chantry courtyard, Fenris abruptly stopped. By the light of the moon he examined the devastation that Anders had wrought. Ten feet in front of him the courtyard pavement ended, replaced by plummeting darkness. The Chantry, which had once stood so tall and majestic, was now a cavernous hole surrounded by smoldering rubble. Debris littered what little was left of the courtyard. Scorched books and papers mingled with the occasional body part or piece of tattered cloth. There were no signs of life among the ruins.
"Surprisingly, my neighborhood still stands."
Fenris couldn't help but feel somewhat impressed by the mage's foul handiwork. Anders had managed to take out the entire Chantry, including the stairway out front, yet most of the surrounding homes remained intact.
'No sign of Sebastian,' Fenris thought, 'though if I leave now I could possibly catch up with him on the road.' This decided Fenris walked the short distance to his mansion.
Climbing the steps to the second floor, he threw open his bedroom door and pulled a large cloth bag from his cupboard. Fenris had little in the way of belongings and so packed lightly; some clothing, a handful of rings, his last stamina potion and a bottle of wine, of course. Finally, and most importantly, Fenris reached under his bed to reveal a long thin package, wrapped tightly in white cloth and tied off with a golden cord. He untied the cord slowly, setting it aside before carefully unfolding the cloth, staring down at the package's only two contents.
Fenris removed a worn leather bound book. It was the first gift that Hawke had given him, along with a promise that he would teach Fenris how to read it. Flicking the book open to a random page, he silently read a passage. In the end, it had not been Hawke who taught him, that chore had fallen to Sebastian and Varric. Closing the book, Fenris let it drop to the floor.
The second treasure was a magnificent two-handed sword. As he ran his fingers lovingly across the wide blade, the sword responded with a luminous glow. Fenris bit at his lip, fighting to hold back the emotions attached to the memories the blade evoked. Nevertheless a tear escaped, spilling down his cheek.
When Hawke offered him the Blade of Mercy with a pleased smile, Fenris had been delighted to accept it. Mistaking the gift as a romantic gesture, he had worn the sword proudly, even going so far as to brag about it to his friends over drinks at the Hanged Man.
That was how Fenris learned about Anders and Hawke.
With pity in her eyes, Isabela informed him that Anders was moving into Hawke's estate. When Fenris doubted her words, Varric confirmed them. The truth was devastating.
Hawke had been his lover for only a single night, and yet Fenris was unable to forget that night. As much as the other man's touch had brought him unrivaled contentment, it had also awakened a latent darkness, showing him visions of a past he could not recall.
The visions had terrified him.
Waking up in Hawke's arms, Fenris was confused and frightened. Without honestly being fully aware of what he was saying, he ran.
He understood leaving that way was wrong. Fenris meant to apologize immediately but, when it came to love, he was the worst sort of coward. Instead he brooded over Hawke, every moment of every day. Walking the streets of Kirkwall, on some quest or other and fighting at his side, he could never take his eyes off the man. Fenris had so many things that he planned to tell Hawke; if only he could get him alone, if only he could find the right words. He had simply never considered that Hawke might move on to another.
He had told Fenris that he loved him, and Fenris had believed him.
That night Fenris showed up drunk at the Chantry and pounded on its doors until Sebastian emerged.
Sebastian sat with him, patting his back gently while he cried it all out. He told his friend everything, and then he collapsed, emotionally exhausted. The noble archer carried him home on his back, and sat beside him as he slept. The next morning at Sebastian's suggestion, Fenris had wrapped the blade and book together and hidden them away.
"When you're over him you can use them again," Sebastian had promised. "I will pray for you, but the Maker will lend strength and guidance if you turn to Him when in need."
Fenris had taken Sebastian's words to heart, but he never got over Hawke so the package had remained hidden, until today.
'I don't need this blade anymore, but I suppose I can sell it,' Fenris decided firmly. Blade in hand, Fenris tossed his bag of belongings over his shoulder, leaving the mansion. Perhaps leaving the mansion for good.
He got as far as Hawke's estate, before stopping.
'Perhaps I should bring the book with me after all,' Fenris deliberated, his obsession with Hawke searching for any excuse to take a memory, to make something of nothing. He stood indecisively for a long moment, before making up his mind. Turning around he unexpectedly found himself face to face with a desire demon.
The demon grinned at him, licking her full red lips seductively. Fenris took a step backwards as he began to raise his blade but, before he could react, she called forth a spell to instantly stun him.
"Shit!" Fenris cursed, the invisible bonds unyielding to any movement.
Leering cruelly, the demon twirled her hand in a wide circle causing the trap to tighten painfully across his chest, neck and legs.
Cursing his momentary lapse in focus, Fenris struggled against her unforgiving grasp as he attempted to break free.
"Maker, she's strong!" Fenris gasped.
His blade slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground. Closing his eyes tightly, Fenris channeled his inner darkness to ward off her attack. The tattoos covering his body glowed a soft blue, and to Fenris's relief the pain momentarily subsided.
"Nice try, but not good enough," the demon taunted gleefully.
With a snap of her fingers she drained Fenris of his remaining stamina, the lyrium glow fading from his skin and his strength with it. Snapping her fingers again she drained a large portion of Fenris's vitality, sapping him of energy.
"My, my. I've caught myself such a pretty little elf," laughing viciously the demon luridly eyed Fenris from head to toe.
Her long tongue lashed out, licking down his chin and along his tattooed neck. Fenris turned his face away in disgust.
"Get away from me, demon!" Fenris snarled at her.
"Such spunk. Perhaps, I should keep you for myself," the demon reached out, raking a long sharp nail across Fenris's cheek before grabbing him by the chin, forcing him to face her.
"But no, I think you'll make a far nicer present for a certain Tevinter magister," the demon threatened with a smile. "After all your master misses you terribly."
"Shows what you know, witch!" Fenris spat at her. "Danarius is dead, I know because I killed him!"
"Well, yes," she replied, her smirk widening as she fondled her breasts, eyes fluttering with pleasure, "in this world Danarius is dead, but the Fade is what ever I desire it to be. And I desire that, for you dear boy, Danarius will be very much alive."
"You… you can't," Fenris insisted desperately, but his eyes opened wide because what she suggested was indeed possible.
"Oh, but I can," the demon said haughtily, and snapped her fingers yet again.
Closing his eyes, Fenris struggled against the darkness that was growing inside of him. As the demon slowly drained away the last of his strength, he could feel his consciousness slipping away… and then…
Suddenly the air surrounding Fenris shifted.
A soothing aura brushed briefly across his skin, like a passing breeze might caress a blade of grass. It resurrected him, healing him only faintly, but saving his life nonetheless. Forcing his eyes open, Fenris watched as a single arrow pierced the desire demon's right eye. Screeching loudly the demon snapped her attention away from Fenris, focusing on the archer who had dared to interrupt her fun.
Free from the demon's bonds, but too weak to remain on his feet, Fenris dropped to the ground in a heap. Across the square Sebastian stood radiantly, the string of his bow pulled taunt. As Fenris watched, he released a carefully aimed Arrow of Judgment. The projectile gleamed brightly as it flew, absorbing spirit energy and gaining tremendous power until it found its target. It pierced the desire demon's neck dead center. Decapitated, her body exploded into dust, her head dropped harmlessly to the ground.
Closing his eyes, Fenris's lips formed into a smile, and he allowed the darkness to claim him.