The previous chapter had some nice feedback! Thanks to Yelma for making their presence known, Death7559 and Kiyannah for pointing out a glaring issue, MaryDragon for comments with the most heart, MaryTheMango for the affirmation, dreams2reality for the kind words and Valauthiel for deviating from the norm.

Legends: Of the Sky Chapter 11

Dangerous Thing

Legends of the Sky is a Mass Effect and Dragon Age Fanfiction Crossover by Eisen. Mass Effect and Dragon Age belong to Bioware.

Hawke led her in the opposite direction of where most of the civilians had run off to, heavy booted footfalls never far behind them. She wound through alleys and false dead-ends, clearly more familiar with the streets than the back of her hand. Shepard had never understood that expression, though it seemed appropriate as they raced through the narrow alleys and close pedestrian roads, which would suddenly open up into wide market squares and boulevards.

Shepard was pleased to find out that despite the pain she had been in the previous day, she seemed not to have lost any significant measure of fitness from when she had last been active. Push off, one foot after another, you can do it Eris, it's only pain - she pushed the intruding images aside, it was not the time. A traitorous errant thought still managed to surface that had her wondering how she was no longer in that state, if not worse off - focus Marine! You're supposed to be N7 dammit.

They finally reached an open square that seemed oddly secluded, walled off by tall townhouses on all sides except for where the road entered. Shit.

Hawke was breathing slightly more heavily than Shepard, which the redhead thought was only reasonable considering the alterations her own body had gone through. Hawke actually seemed remarkably fit for an average human in a pre-industrial society. Not that average was a word she would typically use to describe Hawke.

"Hooo, a good run is always nice. Especially when we have someone else to play tag with," the mage quipped.

"Do you take anything seriously?" was the only response Shepard could think of.

Hawke scrunched her face into a thoughtful expression, "Felix. I take Felix seriously."

"Huh?"

"Felix! My staff, you dunderhead, you know, I introduced you earlier?"

"Ah, yes, Felix."

Both women turned to look in the direction they had come from when the footfalls that had been following all that time finally came to a halt behind them.

"You can apologise later," the raven-haired woman stated graciously. Shepard could not tell if she was being serious or not. "But for now, let's entertain our guests. I do believe we've managed to nab ourselves a rather nicely isolated room."

Shepard realised then that all that time Hawke had been leading them to a place where nobody would be caught in the crossfire…. Fuck me. Crossfire? Mage? What I wouldn't do right now for a gun. Considerate of the Loony though - hah, me, thinking of someone as a loony. Shepard, what have you gotten yourself into?

Their pursuers were led by one of the Qunari bearing a shield, face mostly hidden by the grilled visor of his helmet. He held forward a large, thick copper rod that had Shepard looking from it to Hawke questioningly. Is that an electrode? Is this a mage-counter-thingy?

Hawke snarled, her stance immediately turning aggressive and eyes glowing once more.

The Qunari standing behind the leader parted as the two masked ones emerged again, their brutalised features whispering a warning that the Spectre could only guess at. She did not need to guess long, as an orb of energy appeared in the one's palm and the other convulsed, a shimmering aura appearing around him. More mages...guess that explains the running.

The energy was launched towards Hawke, just as the other Qunari catapulted into the air, vanishing in a flash as he reached about two stories worth of altitude.

Before Shepard could look around to where the mage had disappeared to the block of soldiers that filled their only exit surged forward, forcing her to give them her attention.

As the row of shield-bearing Qunari advanced it became clear that the method she had employed earlier would not work. While she attacked one, she would be attacked by two others who would simultaneously be defending the one she would be attacking. It filled her with gratitude that the Reaper ground forces had never been that organised, something that struck her as odd, everything considered. So much for ascension.

She needed an advantage if she was to survive, something more than her equipment, prowess and wits. She needed guerilla options in a closed-off courtyard with no terrain advantage.

There was an odd pop to her side as Hawke deflected the projectile cast at her, using her staff. Whatever energies it consisted of, the orb exploded with the same sound that had first woken her when it impacted against a wall. The seamless wall cracked and cratered. Note to self, don't touch the shiny.

There was a sound that reminded her of an airlock opening above her and she barely managed to roll to the side as the bulk of the Qunari that had vanished in the air slammed into the ground where she had been standing a moment before. The move had forced her away from Hawke and she was a great deal closer to the steadily advancing line of shields. Her options were growing fewer with every breath. Shit girl, you just going to roll over and die when Fate's not kind enough to stick a gun in your palm?

She tested the grip of the blade in her hand; she could not afford to do anything that would probably leave her too drained to do anything else for the rest of the day.

She made her move as Hawke deflected another of the projectiles. Whether it was planned or not, the glowing missile crashed into the centre of the advancing formation sending the two Qunari that had been at the centre of the blast flying back into their comrades, just as those next to them were staggered to their knees.

The break she needed.

Shepard charged forwards, sword arcing upwards, then back, taking two down: the one staggered, and the one next to him. Her next swing was interrupted by a shield. She had expected to deal with shock trying to dislodge her grip, but it was minor, allowing her to step back just in time to block a strike at her torso without losing the weapon.

Hawke on the other hand had not moved an inch from where she had turned to face their opponents. She spun in an acrobatic move that would have made any breakdancer jealous, but instead of cheering onlookers, her result was a cone of sharp icicles shooting out of the ground around her, impaling the mage, the one that had initially tried to land on Shepard, through the gut. She finished with a flourish that was punctuated by a bolt of electricity connecting with one of the soldiers who had been a part of the advancing formation. The man's scream - muffled as it was by the stitches holding his lips together - was the first sound Shepard had heard from the grey giants in battle, and it set the hair on the back of her neck on end. Two of his companions grunted as sparks arced between them and their companion for a moment, but beyond that, none of the horned men reacted the the electrocution of their ally.

There was a commotion from beyond their lines, but Shepard could not see past their towering ranks. Her attention was entirely focused on the Qunari that had blocked her earlier blow as he retaliated.

The diamond shield crashed into her, the force almost lifting her off her feet. The Qunari's blade snaked out from around it, but bounced off her breastplate; the impact still staggered her though and would likely leave a bruise.

Her armour had saved her and the horned man's miscalculation proved to her advantage. She slammed the pommel of her weapon into his exposed shoulders. The same force as before rippled out, throwing the Qunari to the ground with an audible crunch.

She was not fast enough to meet the next attack aimed at her, though.

Hawke was sowing chaos with bolts of electricity and missiles of fire that exploded into molten slag where they hit, scorching enemies and the walls of buildings around them alike. Her assault had broken the Qunari line, forcing their foes to split up and try to get to her on their own. One had gone for Shepard.

The Spectre felt several ribs break as a massive force hit her from the side, lifting her off her feet and throwing her several yards. She tried to angle her landing, but still jarred her shoulders with the impact. The new pain in her chest exploded, leaving her panting quick short breaths.

She had to push herself backwards, scraping across the rough cobbles, to evade the next swing. Her opponent was wielding a monstrosity of an axe, the metal grinding sparks across the floor after it cut through the air where she had been a moment before.

He did not relent, first kicking the weapon from her hand - the dark metal object clattering loudly - then hitting her face with a follow-up from the other foot. She felt the skin of her cheek split, pain flaring again.

She pushed back, trying to get away from her attacker, but he easily kept up, still being upright. His face was as expressionless as ever, pale eyes boring into hers. She saw the muscles of his chest ripple as he brought the axe around again.

Time to pray that whatever got me here didn't only consider the armour.

On the other side of the courtyard, the air literally thrummed with the energies gathered around Hawke. The commotion on the other side of the Qunari lines was practically on top of them, yet still, the axe-wielder focused only on Shepard.

The axe fell. Blue light flashed. Blood painted the walls. A voice screamed.