I don't own. Enjoy.
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Valko
"Fervor…she's a desire demon," Valko hung his head. Fenris stood up and put himself between their little crowd and Meredith, who had thankfully not heard. Hawke touched his hand and willed him to continue. "She's been around ever since I could remember. Before you even told me demons were bad. I didn't know… She taught me how to take my drawings and ideas and make it real. I see her. Right now, she's feeding off of Orsino. I don't know what she's taking." He shook his head. "I was going to tell you, I swear…"
"Valko, what did you give her?" Hawke wasn't trying to calm him. He knew he had done something wrong. But the guilt was still there. And his Father wouldn't even look at him.
"She didn't ask for anything. She said I was a Dreamer."
Merill gave a little gasp. Hawke drew her breath sharply. Fenris still had his back to him though. That was little comfort.
"Valko," Merill spoke to him like he was holding a very dangerous viper. "How many favors has the demon done for you?"
He thought about it. She had taught him some magic, she had given him speech, and she made his mentally state that of an adult. Which was aggravating him, since Merill spoke to him like he was four. When he was four he might as well have been a teenager. He held up three fingers and Merill's brow furrowed.
"Kitten," The pirate woman asked. "I've done many favors for men, what the number got to do with it?"
"Favors….Demons never do favors, Isabela. It's always a trade. The desire demon is training him for something while she gains nothing." Hawke spoke slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle.
Valko pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the tiny black feather poking him. A human girl in Lowtown had been trying to get some coin for her family. Valko didn't have any, so instead he went to the dwarf Varric and learned to pickpocket. The girl was so happy with the twelve silver pieces; she gave him her favorite item. No matter how he protested, she just kissed him on the cheek and left it with him. Fervor had told him he couldn't see her again, so he hadn't.
"You owe the Fade," Merill said, sounding like he was starting to swallow that viper. "You have to kill the demon or go into the Fade, but we can't do anything for you!" She burst into tears.
Fenris snarled, drawing the weapon from his back.
"Killing a demon isn't that difficult."
Meredith and Orsino stood, waiting for Hawke's reply.
"I stand by the Mages, but Orsino, should you need my help…" The sky was still dark, but as she stood thunder started to rumble. She slammed the butt of her staff into the ground and lightning struck it, making Valko and Fenris flinch. Hell hath no fury indeed. "You'll forgive me if I misfire."
"Think carefully, Champion." Meredith's cold glare wasn't phased. "If you side with the Circle, you share their fate."
"Well, should be fun." Hawke's sarcastic tone made Meredith sneer. Carver forced his way through the crowd of Templars and made a final plea.
"Sister, don't do this. Don't make me kill my only family." His eyes were shiny, possibly from tears but Valko doubted it. He loved his uncle Carver, but he really was a selfish prick.
"Why Carver, you've been itching to 'get out of my shadow.' Would you even follow my orders if I sided with you?" Carver looked like she slapped him. He turned to Fenris, who only shook his head. Despite his own feelings, his loyalty stayed with Hawke. Valko only smiled apologetically.
"Enough." Meredith turned her back to them all. The war had begun.
Valko looked at Orsino. Fervor clapped slowly, showing she enjoyed this display. She hovered to him and patted his head gently. Her claws scrapping the top of his scalp made him want to shy away but he couldn't. Merill said he owed the Fade, or he needed to kill Fervor. And he knew Fenris wouldn't accept him going into the fade, and his pride wouldn't let him ask his mother for help in killing Fervor.
He looked at the demon and she smiled at him. Fighting off a shiver, he saw her retch her hand away from him and hiss. Merill was touching his shoulder, her eyes shut and her small voice murmuring some elven words. He could understand them, Fenris had taught him to read and Hawke had asked Merill to teach him elven.
"To the death with those who harm this child for this child is protected by all who hold him dear, let pain be caused to whomever wishes evil upon the boy and let them know he is cherished by many."
He felt a tingly sensation across his skin, making his eyes water. Merill was glowing with a faint red aura, making Fenris place himself between him and the elf girl. She smiled softly, her eyes closed still. Valko turned when he heard a snarl behind him and saw Fenris gripping the Blade of Mercy and Hawke keeping her hand on his, making him stop before he drew the weapon.
"What did you do?" He glared at Merill, who hung her head. Hawke held him back gently, knowing he wouldn't shove her off for fear of harming her.
"I-I was trying to help. I thought maybe, if I used a hex-" She started to tear up. "Valko is important to all of us!" She stomped her foot and Valko smiled. He saw Fenris's tension side and Hawke hugged the man tightly, smiling.
"Thank you Merill," His mother said. He saw fire consume Fervor's hands as she pointed to the elf girl. He jumped in front of her.
"No!"
Everything seemed to happen at once. His mother and father were running toward him, but they seemed to move in slow motion. The mages Hawke agreed to save were casting spells at Templars who were drawing near. Merill's hand flew to her open mouth at about the same time a sound came, which he assumed was a scream. Everything was so slow. Fervor's angry face turned to one of annoyance then to of panic as she was covered in roots, dragging her under the Earth. He guessed that was Dalish magic. She would most likely be dead, but as she was being sucked in and everyone was moving so slowly, he felt a pain rush across his body. A burning sensation, starting at his chest. He was falling backwards as the pain spread, and he slowly turned his head. He saw a girl on some steps leading into Lowtown. Her face looked pained as he fell. Her ginger hair was longer than he remembered but it clung to her forehead and the sides of her face. He guessed from sweat. He reached out, as if his hand could reach her and she did the same. There was far too much distance, and he was feeling the cold ground touch the side of his face. He knew the feather was destroyed. Fenris told him to protect it, and it was gone. The girl's eyes were wet and her mouth opened, crying something out. He felt his eyes burn and the pain crept up his neck, stinging and singeing his skin.
She was crying his name. He struggled to remember hers. It was a bird's, like his mother's. He thought of the irony. His father was a wolf, bounded to a hawk. He was a wolf, following… Ah, that's right. Her name. It was Aule. It sounded like owl.
"Valko!" he heard everyone scream at once. He blacked out, the pain becoming too much. He felt himself being picked up by his mother and he felt his father's tearing apart the Templars that were surrounding his mother. He was fading out and he knew it. Valko couldn't feel the pain anymore. It was there, but he couldn't feel the burn. He managed to use his Lyrium eyes to see a small bit of chaos. There was blood everywhere, the girl he saw was crying in Merill's arms as Varric and Isabela were shooting/stabbing anyone who got near the girls. He saw Hawke glowing blue as she healed him. That must be why he didn't feel anything. Fenris and Anders protected her as she casted. Sebastian wasn't taking part, in fact he thought he saw him consider shooting Hawke, before he turned and left the scene. Avaline was fighting alongside Orsino, but not protecting the bastard. He felt tears hit his face and saw just how bloody he was. The feather was gone, but the impression of it was seared onto his skin.
Everything went black.
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Due to personal reasons, I may not continue this story. I'm debating it… But I apologize for the late update. You can take this as a last chapter and assume he died, or I can add on in a week or so. Up to ya'll. Thank you for reading!
