Love's Bane
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Dragon Age or their characters or their stories. Bioware is to thank for bestowing us such amazing work. I only claim my own original character and any other made up character that I have created.
~At the Gallows~
The Gallows was a grim place. Tevinter designed it to break the spirit of incoming slaves. It was a reminder of what awaited them. Now it was the home to the Circle of Magi and the Templars. But the mages who lived there only saw a prison.
Hawke entered the Templar's Hall with the Grand Cleric and his companions. He noticed two people in the distance who were arguing. One of them was a woman who had armor and wore a red hood with a golden like head piece. The other was an elf who wore dark navy blue robes and carried a staff with three dragon heads on it.
"Knight-Commander you cannot do this. Do not hold all the mages accountable for this. I will help you find this blood mage." The elf said as he seemed a little irritated.
"I think I might know who it is…" The woman asserted as she looked straight at the elf.
"You…you cannot possibly think it's her. She has been in her cell the entire time, the chains are activated she cannot possibly have done this."
"Out of my way Orsino, she has to be dealt with. There is no use for her…"
Hawke let Elthina slip from his arm and approached the two. Both realized her presence and gave a slight bow in respect, "Your Grace, this is unexpected." The woman greeted.
"I know this is unexpected Knight Commander, but I have an old friend to see." The Grand Cleric replied with calmness.
"But your Grace, if you have not heard there is a blood mage about-" Orsino began until he was cut off by Meredith, "We were going to fix the problem; we have already found the blood mage." Meredith interjected.
"It's not her. There is no evidence you can prove that it is her."
"Who are you speaking of?" The Grand Cleric questioned almost narrowing her eyes towards the two.
Meredith and Orsino looked at one another other. Now that the Grand Cleric was present, they were not sure what they would say about the mage. "Your friend…the area where she was has been blocked." Meredith responded.
The Grand Cleric gestured to Hawke, "Then my guard here will solve your loose blood mage problem."
Hawke blindly nodded,"Yes…wait what? I have to go hunt a blood mage?"
"Correct, and I wish you to find my friend and bring her to me."
Meredith's face hardened, "But your Grace, you cannot trust these blades!"
"The Maker made these souls for a reason, they are just as important and trustworthy as many people."
Meredith held her tongue and ceased to speak. She could not turn the Grand Cleric around, and she was just going to have to accept that.
"How will I know what she looks like?" Hawke asked the Grand Cleric curiously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"When you see her, you will know." Orsino and Meredith said in unison to Hawke. They exchanged a glance at each other in confusion then back to the Grand Cleric.
"Don't worry Your grace, we won't fail you!" Hawke said courageously.
"May the Maker watch over you, child." Elthina said as the four left.
~In the Circle~
"Ugh, I hate being here." Anders mumbled as he held his staff, ready for combat.
"It feels like you're trapped here for your entire life." He continued.
"Your people deserve to be locked up." Fenris retorted.
"No, they do not. How would you felt if you were locked up in a place where you can never leave?" Anders said as he passed a few doors.
"Here they go again." Varric mumbled to Hawke with a sigh.
"It's like there's no end. I wish they had something in common." Hawke sighed until he stopped at a room with the door wide opened. In the dead center of the room, was a corpse that laid in a pool of blood.
"No…" Hawke mumbled as he gazed into the room.
"Well, at least we know where the blood mage stopped by." Varric said sighing again.
Hawke ran into the room and jumped over the corpse and to the window, "No! It's not supposed to rain!" Hawke cried as he pounded the wall beside the window.
"Well, the clouds did look like there was a storm coming." Anders said as he inspected the corpse, "I can surely sense blood magic at work here."
"C'mon Hawke, we shouldn't be distracted." Varric said as he pulled Hawke away from the window.
The sound of her heartbeat echoed in her helmet in muffled sounds. Sometimes she was able to really hear it, but it sounded like there was rain tonight so it canceled out the sound of her heartbeat. She wished so much to go outside and actually see everything instead of being in this cell. She sighed heavily as she sat on the cold ground.
"Search for the blood mage! We shall not rest until he or she comes."
She lifted her head to look towards the door. The two slits that were on her helmet, that allowed her to see was enough to actually see where she was going and not a lot of the whole world.
If you were looking at the helmet then you wouldn't be able to see her eyes. Her helmet concealed all of her head so that her face could not be seen. On the side of the helmet were horns that shot back. Then at the bottom of the helmet was a large grin like a gap that reached the sides of her helmet. In the large opening, were small bars that angled in a way to each other to make it look like they were sharp teeth.
Once she heard the sound of the Templars walking away. She then heard screaming. The Helmeted beast struggled in her chains, trying to escape. She then stood up and walked backward to the point that the chain that connected to her large collar was tight. She pulled harder and harder until the chain broke.
She walked forward until the chains that connected the back straightjacket tightened. She pulled until they all broke as well. She did not feel any chains on her, now it was her time to use her magic.
The Helmeted Beast ran towards the door and used a force spell to push the door down. It made a rough impact on the ground, possibly producing cracks in the ground. She stepped out of the room and stood on top of the door while she observed the right and left.
To her left, were dead Templar bodies and smeared blood. Then to her right was a Templar who quivered in fear.
"It escaped!" He yelled until his body rose in the air until a sharp snap managed to silence him.
The Helmeted Beast turned to her left where a mage ran as fast as could away from her. It as her, she felt it. In an instant, the Helmeted Beast made a quick turn to her left and ran as fast as she could to kill this mage.
Hawke struck a blow with his two-handed sword against a treacherous abomination. It stumbled back and threw a fire spell at Hawke, but he quickly rolled to the right and charged up to the abomination. He jumped into the air and sliced right through it.
Hawke stood up as he felt the adrenaline run through his veins. He turned to see the demons and abominations were done. He stretched and sheathed his sword neatly. He motioned his companions to follow him. Once they caught up, he raised his hand to indicate for them to stop. He looked at the door carefully as he heard someone from behind it. The door then swung open quickly and a woman burst through the door. She immediately closed the door behind her and rushed towards Hawke, "Help, Help! It escaped!" She said in between breaths.
The mage then maneuvered her way so that she was behind Hawke while clung to his arm like a child. Hawke looked curiously at the scared woman then to his four companions who had raised brows.
"Umm…what do you mean by 'it'? Is 'it' a demon or the blood mage?" He asked as he felt the mage tighten her grip on his muscular arm.
"It's the blood mage for sure!" She squeaked.
The five heard the muffled sound of metal boots on the ground in the distance. The four readied their weapons as they assumed it was the blood mage. Finally, this could be all over.
Soon the sound became closer and closer until they stopped once they were at the door. There was a moment of silence then…
Bang!
The door made an impact on the ground, the sound echoed through the room as the dust scattered. A figure had walked out of the dust then finally showed its appearance.
The figure wore straightjacket and a fully headed helmet. This was the blood mage? But Orsino and Meredith said Hawke would know Elthina's friend looks like once they saw her. What if this was Elthina's friend? If so then maybe Meredith was right, maybe her friend was the blood mage.
"Ugh." Anders grunted as he cringed slightly at the figure.
"What is it?" Hawke questioned as he looked over at Anders.
"It's like I can feel the fade within her, it's nothing like I ever felt before." He responded as he backed away a tad.
The Helmeted Beast stopped once she was a couple of feet away from Hawke and his companions. A black and red aura around her, and then the mage that hid behind Hawke started to rise. The mage screamed in agony as every single bone in her body was being crushed.
Anders decided to act and shot a force spell on the Beast, causing her to be hurled into the wall. The mage fell to the ground and started to cry from the pain she suffered. Hawke kneeled down beside her and handed her a health potion.
The Beast's helmet was stuck in the stone wall. She struggled around a bit without the use of her arms. The Beast soon used her left leg and placed it on the wall. She concurrently pushed her leg as she pulled her head out. She stumbled backward but caught her balance and turned back to the mage.
Anders was about to throw another spell at her, but he felt his mana was drained completely from him. He could not break a spell.
"What!?" He said as he attempted to shoot a simple spell from his staff.
The Beast paced towards the mage until Hawke held his sword against the Beast's throat, keeping his blade steady. The creature did not move a single nerve and her aura faded, "Stop! Explain right now who you are…or else I will behead you." Hawke demanded.
This was one of few times where Hawke was dead serious. At times, he came across as a fool but he could be serious when the moment is very urgent.
The mage struggled as she rose from her pained position. She looked fearfully towards the Helmeted Beast, "Kill it! It's a damned beast! It has been doing blood magic." The mage said as she clutched her side.
"I have no purpose for blood magic. You are the one who has been dabbling with such a taboo knowledge." The Helmeted Beast said.
Her voice sounded husky and soft, it was not expecting coming from this beast. The voice seemed very soothing and unique but also seemed to have a hint of sadness to it.
Hawke narrowed his eyes at the mage for a second then went back to the Helmeted Beast, "I am…confused. Are you Grand Cleric Elthina's friend?" He asked as he kept his blade steady against the throat of the beast.
"Yes. She…she was asking for me?" The beast said, quite surprised.
His decision was a quick one. He released his sword from her neck. The Helmeted Beast didn't make a move, but the Mage was surprised and turned to Hawke, "You're going to let it go!? But…" She said until Hawke let a mischievous grin spread on his face.
"Fenris, do the honors." He said as he looked over to Fenris then to the mage in front of him.
"My pleasure." He responded as he walked up to the mage.
He started to glow and jammed his arm right through the mage. He then pulled it out once he heard no breath.
His eyes went to the Helmeted Beast, as well as the others, "Why do they call you, 'It'?" He questioned making quotations with his index and middle finger on each hand.
"It is because they fear me. They do not see me as an equal. I am nothing more than a freak of nature to them." She responded coolly.
"Why is it that you have such a powerful sense inside of you? It feels abnormal, almost like a-" Anders said until he was unexpectedly cut off by the sound of the door bursting open behind them.
The four turned to see Elthina, accompanied by a few Templars and Meredith. Once Elthina eyes looked upon the beast, her eyes dimmed with sadness. She slowly walked passed Hawke and his companions and approached her friend.
"By Andraste, what have they done to you, child?" Elthina said as he gently touched the Beast's helmet, feeling the cold metal against her warm skin.
She turned to Meredith as she let her hand gently fall to her side, "What have you done to her?" Elthina demanded to the Knight-Commander.
She stood up straight, "We are only protecting everyone from it." Meredith responded.
"There is no reason to bind an innocent girl like this!"
"She has killed many people your grace, she is too powerful to be let wondering free."
"Then she must be under better care, you are not fit to take care of her."
Meredith was shocked but bowed and left. Then Elthina turned to Hawke,"I must ask one more favor of you Serah." She said with grim eyes.
Hawke knew where she was going. But something occurred to him, was this what Mentis wanted, a human? There was something that did not add up. But there had to be an explanation.
"Well…I guess we could look after her." Hawke said rubbing the back of his neck while rolling his eyes.
"Thank you Serah, the Maker smiles upon you." Elthina said then she walked over to the Helmeted Beast, "Please, behave and you can come by to see me anytime you wish." She said kindly to the beast.
The Beast nodded lightly then the Grand Cleric gracefully walked out of the room.
"So…what is your name. You have a name right?" Hawke asked curiously as he tilted his head to her.
"I am Eden."
~In Lowtown~
Eden loved to hear the sound of rain echoed in the hollow areas and the droplets pound against her helmet. She missed the feeling of being outside, to feel everything on her skin. The only sensation she could feel was just a tad bit of the water once the droplets streamed down her helmet.
They four were not happy that they were soaked excepted for the Helmeted girl who kept gawking at the sky. Hawke knocked on the door, drops of the rain flew off his gauntlet as he hit his fist against the door.
The door then opened, but Mentis was not in the doorway. Hawke opened the door further to notice a torch lit room with a table in the middle. Around the shack were three tables covered with books and bottles and a king sized bed against the wall, which was probably where he slept and three bookcases on the right of the fireplace. On a table, he noticed the ingredients they had gathered yesterday were there. But instead of bones that sat beside the herbs was a gray dust. Mentis stood in front of that table as he fiddled with the herbs. He turned to see Hawke and his companions, wet from the rain.
"Come in, please." He said as he motioned them all over.
Hawke nodded and slowly entered the shack, his companions soon followed. They were relieved to feel the warmth of a fire as they entered the shack. The one to enter last was Eden.
Mentis grinned as he noticed her enter his shack. But once she entered, she was able to feel a terrible presence about him and the shack she was in.
"Ah, I see you brought the spirit to me." Mentis said as he took a step forward.
In a blink of an eye, Mentis collapsed onto the ground as if something heavy pulled him down. Eden walked around the table, stood beside him and placed her boot on his throat and pushed down harder and harder until she fully beheaded him.
The room was silent, only the crackle of the fire dominated the scene. She lifted her head towards the four as she moved away from the body, "Is this why you brought me here?" She demanded.
Hawke ignored Eden. His full attention was on the beheaded corpse, "What the hell was that for!?"
"Why would you kill someone!?" Anders said with anger in his voice.
"He was a maleficar." She responded quite casually.
Varric's eyes went to each of the living bodies in the room and raised his hand, "Was my hearing right? Did he call you a spirit?" Varric asked.
Eden looked down for a moment, almost like she still did not want to say anything. She knew it was complicated and that they would not understand. They would label her, chastise her. Or would they?
She lifted her head, "That is correct." She responded.
The four raised their eyebrows, curious as to how that was possible. Anders spoke up, "She's a spirit that is possessing a body, we shouldn't trust her." He said to Hawke.
"It's not that, this is my body." Eden commented as she knew it was going to be difficult, "It's…a long story."