Chapter 8

As Hawke walked back into his room, he heard Merrill whimpering softly. Fear gripping him, he burst into the room, and saw his lover thrashing on the bed, fists clenched, and her eyes squeezed shut. He ran over to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her, saying "Merrill! Merrill, wake up!" Eventually, Merrill gasped, opened her eyes, and immediately started sobbing. Hawke held her to his chest, whispering "It's alright, Merrill. You're safe. They can't hurt you anymore." His heart broke with every tear Merrill shed.

Eventually, Merrill stopped crying, and said, "Demons. In my dreams, there were demons everywhere. They were offering me the power to destroy the templars; to take revenge for what Alrik did to me." Hawke cursed to himself; he should have known this would happen. "I refused their offers." Merrill continued. "Now that the Eluvian is gone, I have no reason to deal with them anymore, or use blood magic. My refusal angered them. They all started attacking me. If you hadn't woken me up-" "Don't even say it, Merrill." Hawke interrupted; the idea that he would have to kill Merrill was too painful to even think about.

"It's going to be alright, Merrill." Hawke whispered kissing her on the top of her head. "I am going to stop the templars, and they will never hurt you or anyone else ever again. No demons required." "Good" Merrill said.

They were silent for a moment, than Merrill spoke again. "Ma Vhenan, can you please keep an eye on me tonight, in case this happens again." "Of course, Merrill. Anything you need." Hawke replied. The couple settled in under the covers, and snuggled up together. Hawke kissed Merrill on the forehead. She sighed, closed her eyes and went to sleep again, Hawke staying awake, keeping watch over his lover.

The next morning…

After breakfast, Hawke called a meeting of his gang of soon-to-be rebels, and explained about Thrask and his own rebellion. After Hawke finished, everyone was silent, then Anders spoke up.

"Thrask got mages and templars working together, toward a goal they both agree on? The man must be the Maker in disguise." "Hawke," Aveline said, "are you sure that you can trust Thrask? You seem dead set on killing every templar you find." "Thrask is the only templar I have any respect for, and his daughter was a mage." Hawke replied. "If he says he wants to help, I will believe him."

There was another pause, then Fenris asked "What now, Hawke?" "Now, we wait until nightfall. Then, we gather our forces at the Docks, send a signal to Thrask and his men to launch a preemptive strike on the Gallows, and cross the harbor, and kill every templar that supports Meredith. That is what we will do, Fenris."

"Anymore questions?" When no one spoke up, Hawke said, "Dismissed", and everyone filed out of the room. As Anders walked past him, Hawke suddenly remembered Ander's request before the attack on Merrill, and said, "Anders, wait. I need to speak with you."

When they were by themselves, Hawke elaborated. "I just wanted to apologize for not helping you find the ingredients for your potion. I promise, as soon as we are finished with the templars, I will help you finish it." "I lied, Garret," Anders immediately said. "There is no potion." Taken aback, Hawke asked, "Then what did you need these ridiculous things for?" Anders fidgeted, visibly uncomfortable. "I was going to make…. I suppose that you would call it an explosive device."

Hawke's eyes narrowed into slits. "And what," he said, his tone threatening, "were you planning to 'explode'?" "The Kirkwall Chantry." Anders muttered, staring at the floor. "I see." Hawke muttered, in a flat tone of voice.

Then, he struck at Anders.

He grabbed the mage by the collar of his coat, and smashed him against the wall. At the same time, he used his templar abilities to drain away Anders's mana, so that he could not defend himself. "AND WHAT," Hawke shrieked, "MADE YOU THINK THAT WAS GOOD IDEA?" "Because the Chantry needs to be overthrown," the trapped mage spluttered. "It claims to help the people under it, but it doesn't! It hurts them more than it ever helps! You KNOW that, Garret!"

"Yes," Hawke replied, "I know that, but most people believe that the Chantry IS in the right. Blowing up a Chantry would only make them less inclined to listen to you." Shaking his head, Hawke released Anders, who bent over and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "In fact, it would do worse than make them not listen to you, it would make Meredith invoke the Right of Annulment, and wipe out the Kirkwall Circle, and it would make the Divine declare that simply being a mage a crime punishable by death. Did you even stop to think about that?"

The answer was clear on Anders's face; 'No, I didn't.'

Sighing, Hawke pinched his brow, and asked, "Do you still intend to go on with this plot?" "There's no need to now, Hawke," Anders replied. "You're already launching an attack on the templars, and setting the mages free; I don't need to destroy the Chantry." "Are you going to do it even if it isn't needed?" Hawke needed to make sure that this ridiculous plot did not come to fruitation. "No, I will not." Anders replied.

"Good," Hawke said, handing Anders a lyrium potion to start producing his mana again. "And I don't want to hear that you're planning anything like this again." He added. "I won't," Anders replied. Then he drank the potion, and started his way to his clinic in darktown.

Transition

Sebastian woke up, still in the foul mood that had dominated his thoughts for the past few days. Garret Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, was about to attack the Chantry's servants, the very heart and soul of Thedas. He could understand the man's reasons for doing so; a blind man could see that Garret loved Merrill, and what Alrik and Meredith had done to her was inexcusably wrong. But to call for the deaths of every templar at the Gallows, when the Chantry's true justice would see that those who were responsible were punished, was too much.

Standing, he dressed, then strapped on his armor, and walked out of his quarters, and into the main body of the Chantry. There, he saw Grand Cleric Elthina sitting in a chair, reading a book, looking extremely pale. Suddenly afraid, Sebastian hurried over to his second mother, placed a hand her shoulder. Surely Hawke wouldn't hurt the Grand Cleric of Kirkwall. Would he?

Jumping slightly, Elthina looked up, and looked relieved to see it was him. "What happened, Elthina? Did Hawke hurt you?" Elthina sighed, and closed her eyes. "Not physically, no." "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he struck at me spiritually. And he didn't even try to. Ever since I joined the Chantry, Sebastian, I have worked to safeguard and guide the faith of the people of this city. I have always been convinced that the Chantry's way was the correct path, and that all those who lived in the Maker's sight, with us as his eyes, benefited from it, even if they didn't realize it. But now, I look at Garret Hawke, and I am no longer sure of many things that I have long been certain of.

Garret has spent his entire life living in fear of the Chantry, because the templars would take away his father, and his sister, because of our doctrine. Everywhere he went, he was forced to listen to our Brothers and Sisters condemn mages as less than human, that they were abominations in the Maker's sight, and he could not so much as raise his voice in defense of his family.

Then, the Blight came, and destroyed their home, and killed his brother. And he was forced to hear us speak of how the Maker had "saved" his home, when it was really destroyed utterly. He was forced to bring his family to Kirkwall, the heart of templar power, knowing that if they were discovered, it would mean the deaths of them all. Yet in spite of all of this, he went on an expedition to the Deep Roads, toward the very monsters who destroyed his home, in order to provide a home and safety for his family.

And what was his reward? Seeing a templar, a servant of the Chantry, drag his sister away to the Circle, the very place that he had fought tooth and nail to keep her away from his entire life. And throughout, he saw other mages suffer, in the same or worse positions that his family was in all his life.

Then, he found Merrill, the women he loves, and wishes to spend the rest of his life with. And now the Chantry has struck at her as well. Is it any surprise that Hawke wishes this entire religion and its servants wiped from the face of Thedas?"

Sebastian hung his head, shamefaced. "No, Grand Cleric."

"I didn't think so. Meredith may have felt that Merrill was a threat to this city, and for that reason make her tranquil, but such arguments will never be enough to someone who has such strong feelings for her."

Suddenly, Sebastian's head snapped up. He suddenly remembered that, though he told Elthina about the letter Meredith gave ordering the Rite of Tranquility, he had never told the Grand Cleric the reason why she did.

He then explained that Meredith had not acted because she believed that Merrill was a threat, and had in fact been using her authority simply to strike at Hawke. When he had finished, Elthina looked angrier than he had ever seen her. Standing, she placed her book back on the shelf, and said "A servant of the Chantry abused her power in such an unforgivable manner simply to further her own hatred?" Sebastian nodded. "Then perhaps the Champion is correct, at least in the regard that Chantry is far too apathetic towards its own wrongdoers."

Excusing herself, Elthina marched toward her personal quarters. When he heard her close the door, Sebastian exited the Chantry, heading toward Hawke's manor.

He had an apology he needed to make.

A.N.

I wrote the first scene between Hawke and Merrill because I felt that I was giving the impression that Merrill had made an instant recovery from her ordeal, which I know is completely unrealistic.

Also, I apologize to those who hate filler, because that is pretty much all this chapter is. I promise, the big battle will start next chapter.

Secondly, I will be continuing the story after the Battle of the Gallows, starting after Varric is finished retelling his tale to the Seekers.

Finally, I have an idea floating around in my head for a One-shot about this story, called Dragon's Rage: The Musical, where I would list some songs, and set them to certain moments in my story. If you all could send me your thoughts on this, that would be great.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and reviews. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.