Not even a week after helping the Viscount, Sebastian sent a letter for the twins to meet him at the Chantry. Though the mages were a bit hesitant, Isabella assured them that as long as she was with them, nothing bad would happen. They found the Prince talking to the Grand Cleric…
"The Hawkes were very thorough in their hunting of Flint Company," he was explaining. "None survived. Yet now that I know who sent them, it's hard to think of their deaths as justice." Elthina shook her head and placed a hand on his arm.
"Death is never justice, Sebastian."
"Says you…" Anders mumbled with a frown. The almost-Prince looked up with both surprise and relief on his face.
"Lady Adia, Lady Amber, we were just talking about you.
"Oh! Then by all means, pretend we're not here and keep going!" Adia replied, a big smile on her face. "We didn't mean to interrupt you."
"I hope it wasn't anything bad," Amber noted, raising an eyebrow. Sebastian immediately put his hands up in defense.
"Oh no, never! It's just that... I've discovered who hired Flint Company to kill my family." The group looked at him, waiting for an elaboration that didn't come.
"And you have yet to seek vengeance on them?" Fenris finally asked.
"It's... Complicated."
"This should be good," Isabella quipped. Adia gave the Elf a sideways glance.
"Well we have gone a number of days without killing anyone. I think it's a new record for us." The she turned back to Sebastian. "Why is it complicated?"
"It's the Harrimans," he answered after some hesitation. "They were our closest allies and friends. My mother and Lady Johain were nearly inseparable when they were younger. I just... I can't believe that she would do something like this."
"Sebastian, you must handle this carefully, or it could start a war!" Elthina cautioned. The Hawkes blinked at her, and then nodded at each other. The Grand Cleric needed to be told of the other war-monger in her midst…
"Right, because we don't have enough to worry about as it is without ruffling a few nobles' feathers…" the healer retorted, rolling his eyes.
"Anders, I'd keep the feather comments to yourself," Isabella teased as she poked at one of his pauldrons. She got a frown in response.
"Even though you've uncovered her involvement in the deaths of your family, you still want to talk to Lady Harriman, don't you?" Amber asked with a heavy sigh. Sebastian wanting to do the right thing was going to become a headache soon.
"...Yes, I do," he admitted, looking at the floor. "But I shouldn't go alone. I am the last of my line, after all."
"Typical..." the Elf scoffed, shaking his head. The redhead lightly elbowed Fenris and then patted Sebastian's shoulder.
"We'll go with you to talk to them, if you'd like. Right?" She looked at her sister, who shrugged.
"Well, it's better than him going alone," the red-eyed mage admitted.
"I knew I could depend on you two ladies!" the royal archer said with a smile. "Let's head out now."
"...That was your plan all along, wasn't it?" the pirate guessed, looking him up and down.
"...I have no idea what you're talking about!" He quickly headed for the stairs.
"Please be careful," Elthina warned. "All of you."
"We're always careful, Grand Cleric," Adia told her with a sly grin. "We are the very definition of the word! What trouble could we possibly get in? Though I do think it's you who needs to be careful. Especially with those who are close to you and would abuse your seal and position for their own sadistic, cockamamie, and rampant stupidity." The older woman stared at the archer.
"Whatever are you referring to?"
"You have a Mother who is using the Chantry to potentially start a war in Kirkwall, your Grace," Amber explained.
"A war? Oh, you mean that business with Ser Varnell?" There was a pause from the group, and the younger Hawke blinked a few times.
"…You knew about that? How?"
"Viscount Dumar came to talk to me about it. He said you'd had a run-in with that particular Templar, and Mother Petrice."
"That's putting it mildly…" Anders derided.
"That is misrepresenting the facts," Fenris countered. Adia crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a stern gaze at the older woman.
"Petrice and her Templar lap dog captured a Qunari delegation and had them tortured. We came here looking to speak to you, and Petrice cut us off. She told us where Varnell was, but by the time we got there, he had already killed several of the Qunari. I'm not sad to say we returned the favor to Varnell."
"You two are absolutely certain a Mother orchestrated that?" Sebastian questioned, having paused at the stairs waiting for them.
"Sebastian, do you really think the Hawkes are going to start willy-nilly accusing random Chantry members of trying to piss off the Qunari?" Isabella shot back.
"Well, um… No…"
"If Mother Petrice is involved, then I must speak with her," Elthina said with a nod. "Whatever her feelings on our… Visitors… Sparking a war will not help anyone."
"No. It won't," the redhead agreed. "Your Mother is walking a very thin line, Grand Cleric. If she feels the need to involve my sister or my friends again in her insanity…" She poked the center of her own forehead, right between her eyes. "And she won't see it coming. I don't even think I've given Carver as many chances as we've given this…Woman…Thing." The Chantry Prince's eyes went wide.
"Lady Adia! Are you actually threatening-"
"No, she is promising action if there is none from the Chantry," Fenris broke in. "Do not say you weren't warned."
"I won't see Kirkwall go up in flames because she has a religious bone to pick with the Qunari," Amber added. "Let's get going, Sebastian."
"...Very well," he agreed, not happy with the situation. Adia gave a last wave to Elthina as she skipped out of the Chantry, the others right behind her.
They followed Sebastian to the Harriman Estate, noting the grandeur of the place. He went to knock, but the door swung open at his touch, and he peeked in. "No guards posted? An unlocked door? This isn't the Lady Johain I remember." He drew his bow as he stepped inside. Adia did the same, eyes darting every which way around the seemingly-deserted mansion.
"Well, at least Varric isn't here to draw out the ambush patrols," she teased, grinning at the others. "Where do you think everyone is?"
"Maybe upstairs?" Anders suggested, pointing to the landing above them.
"No, probably the cellar," the pirate disputed.
"More than likely dead," Fenris reasoned, one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"...Adia, my head is starting to hurt..." Amber revealed, leaning on her staff.
"You are no fun today," Adia quipped, frowning at the Elf. "Where's your sense of adventure?" She lightly poked at him before turning to Amber, concern on her face. "It's not a good hurt is it? Do you want to sit this one out? Are you going to be okay?"
"No... No, something isn't right here." Pressure was slowly building behind her eyes, and the air was becoming thicker with magick. The healer concentrated for a moment, and a blue nimbus surrounded him, and he felt Justice grow tense.
"Amber's right. It's like there's an energy in the house that doesn't belong," he told them. He put an arm around his lover to steady her.
"We need to find the Harrimans," Sebastian stated. "Flora and her brothers Brett and Ruxton should be around somewhere. I grew up with them. Maybe they'll know what's going on here."
"Let's find them then and get out of here..." Adia agreed
"Then let's hurry," Fenris urged. "I too feel uneasy here."
"Uneasy? I'd venture you're just repressed."
"You are seeking for something you won't find, Isabella."
"Says you," she shot back with a smirk. Sebastian started up the stairs, ignoring the conversation. The redhead archer tilted her head at Fenris.
"Repressed?" Then she looked between him and Isabella before throwing her hands in the air. "You know what: Never mind. I don't want to know!" She quickly went after Sebastian. Fenris realized she'd probably gotten the wrong idea.
"Adia, wait, it's not-" he began, before a female voice drifted towards them.
"I know you can hear me! I said more wine!"
"...Well now!" Isabella snickered, wondering what was going on.
"That sounds like Flora!" Sebastian realized, taking off down a hallway.
"He's going to get himself killed charging off like that," Anders predicted.
"We should be so lucky..."
"Amber, he's not that bad if you just learn to block out how amazing the Maker and the Chantry are," Adia gently admonished. "He's rather cute... Like a little kid you just want to corrupt and teach bad things to." Then her ears perked up. "Wine?" She raced off after the other archer, nearly running into him before skidding to a halt. A young woman was standing in front of a HUGE wine cask, seemingly yelling at it, since she was alone in the room.
"More wine, you lazy piece of trash! If you move any slower I swear I will drown you in the dregs." She stumbled, looking drunk.
"Flora! Flora!" Sebastian called to her, to no avail. "...This is no normal wine."
"Maker, what is that?" Amber demanded, nearly doubling over in pain as she caught sight of the woman.
"Sweetheart, what do you see?" Anders asked, rubbing her back.
"It... It looks like dark lines snaking through her..." They almost seemed like veins, but they centered on pulse points and other large areas of energy.
"...If it wasn't for the fact that it's causing my sister pain, I'd ask for some of it," Adia teased. "What do we do?" She looked at Sebastian, who seemed lost.
"I... I don't know."
"How about this: We find someone lucid and ask them what's going on," Isabella suggested as they moved away from the still-yelling woman.
"Agreed," Sebastian said with a nod, heading down another hallway.
"Are you going to be all right?" the healer wondered, steadying Amber as best he could. She winced and gave him a tired smile.
"...I'll let you know." More voices could be heard not far away.
"More gold!" a man's voice called. "I want every scrap in the house! And it must be molten."
"Please Messere, no!" a woman begged, desperation clear in her voice.
"But you'll be beautiful!"
"...That doesn't sound good," Adia noted, taking off towards the sounds of the voices. She opened the door and nocked back her bow, but didn't aim it. "What in the name of Andraste's toasted ass...?!" Two Elves were standing by them, one a man holding a dagger to the Elven woman's throat. A human man paced near them, in front of a large kettle of melted gold. More gold and jewelry were scattered on the floor. Amber dropped to her knees, hands at her temples.
"Pour it over her!" the man ordered the male Elf
"Don't, you'll kill her!" Sebastian argued. The Elf man turned and saw you, letting the woman go and walking towards them, dagger up. Fenris stepped forward and punched him, knocking him out cold. Isabella grabbed the woman, calming her down. The human didn't even pause in his pacing or rambling. Adia turned to the Chantry Prince, practically glaring at him.
"What kind of crazy house did you bring us to?! These people are all insane!" She went to her twin, hugging her gently. "Amber, are you sure you're going to be all right in here?" Her sister nodded slowly, regaining her feet.
"I just... It hurts to look at them... I'm sorry."
"Does she know anything?" the blonde mage asked, motioning towards the Elf woman, who was still shaking.
"Good thinking," the pirate agreed. "What's going on here? Why is this whole house going mad?"
"I- I don't know!" the woman stammered. "The Masters and Mistress have been acting strange for weeks now, and Lady Johain doesn't seem to care... Please, I just want to get out of here!"
"Then go; no one here is going to stop you," Adia informed her. Isabella relaxed her hold, and the woman took off without a second thought. The younger Hawke turned to Sebastian. "Who else would be in the house?"
"Aside from the usual servants and guards? Ruxton would never leave his mother's side, and Lady Johain is obviously still living here."
"Then we need to find either her, or her other son," Fenris advised. "And pray that he has escaped this madness."
"Don't count on it..." Amber softly predicted.
"Come on, let's check the bedrooms," Sebastian suggested.
"Famous last words," Isabella teased, giggling a bit. Adia shook her head and put her bow away, since they hadn't encountered anyone trying to kill them.
"Would this Ruxton be trying to make Elves into gold statues or yelling at wine containers like the last two?" she asked Sebastian, as his jaw went slack for a moment.
"No, of course not!" From an open door at the end of the hall came a male voice:
"Lower... Lower! No, the feather. Use the feather!" Everyone gave each other odd looks, and Adia found herself passed by everyone as they filed into the room.
"Andraste's tits!" Amber shouted.
"I don't think Andraste was an Elf, love..." Anders retorted.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to expose anyone to... This..." Sebastian professed.
"No apologies necessary!" the pirate assured him.
"Where have you been all my life?!" the man's voice continued. "Today I am more than a man. Come. Felicitate me!" As the redhead rogue was approaching the doorway, Fenris caught her, picked her up, and carried her back into the hall.
"Trust me, little rogue, you don't want to see any of that."
"Wait, what?" She wiggled in his grip. "Hey! I want to see too! Felicitate? What's that? What's going on in there?"
"That's a great line! I should use that. Oh, I can get it embroidered on my blouse!" Isabella gushed as she followed them. Anders carried Amber into the hall, the female mage looking rather pale. Adia pouted, and then looked at the healer.
"...Maybe we should take her outside and away from all the crazy."
"I couldn't agree more."
"No, I'm going to see this through..." Amber informed them.
"Amber, you can barely stand!" Anders shot back, arms tightening around her.
"Just... Get me downstairs. I'll be okay further away from the Harrimans." The male mage just shook his head as Sebastian exited the room, looking pale.
"I've known Ruxton my whole life... He's a complete prude!"
"Where's your brother? Let's ask him to join us…" came the man's voice again.
"Didn't look that way to me," Isabella quipped, smiling broadly.
"We have found the children, but not the mother. My guess is that she either caused this, or knows what did," Fenris reasoned, setting Adia down. The younger Hawke suddenly waved her hand in the air.
"Excuse me!" The entire group looked at her. "...Someone want to tell me what was happening in there and what felicitate means, please?" Sebastian turned a fierce shade of crimson, and Fenris raised an eyebrow
"No," he replied.
"Well-" the pirate started, before Amber cut her off.
"Isabella... Please not now. Later you can break my sister's mind, but not while we're still in this house with potential threats."
"You're no fun..." the dark-skinned woman said with a pout. The dark-haired mage sighed heavily as Anders set her down, following Sebastian down the hall towards the main staircase. Isabella followed her, and Fenris was next in line. The healer came up next to Adia, a sly grin on his face.
"I can tell you... If you really want to know," he whispered. She tilted her head up to him and smiled, eyes lighting up and going wider like a kid's, doing her best not to bounce with excitement.
"I do! I do!" He leaned down and quickly whispered not only the meaning, but exactly what had been occurring in the room. Adia stopped walking as her entire body blushed, her eyes went impossibly wide, and her jaw landed somewhere in the Deep Roads. As Anders started snickering, Fenris turned to look at them.
"Mage, what did you just tell her?"
"I swear to the Maker and His flaming Bride, I'm staying a virgin the rest of my life!" Adia vowed, racing past the others towards the cellar. The blonde gave the warrior an evil grin.
"Mission accomplished." The Elf glared at him.
"Start running..." he warned, before a shout from ahead grabbed their attention.
"ANDERS! YOU BROKE MY SISTER!"
"...Shit..." the healer swore, swallowing the lump in his throat.
'Amber sounds very annoyed.'
'She sounds annoyed like the Commander got annoyed.'
'…It's been nice knowing you, my friend.' Adia was down the hall, still very flustered and mostly red.
"I'm joining the Chantry and initiating my master plan! Oh Maker!"
"Joining the Chantry?" Sebastian asked, sounding surprised and pleased. "That's wonder- Wait... What master plan?"
"Converting everyone one by one into loving mages, and then moving to Orlais where I'll overthrow the Divine and freeing the mages. All while keeping what little innocence I have left intact!" The Chantry Prince blinked and then shook his head.
"Let's find Lady Johain... Quickly..." The group got downstairs, and heard noises coming from a door that seems to lead to the cellar. Sebastian once more drew his bow, Isabella unsheathed her daggers, and they went first. Fenris got in front of Adia, and Anders kept Amber at the back of the group. Flora and Brett were standing by another door that appeared to lead further down. The mages were suddenly pushed down the stairs, and Ruxton, clad only in smallclothes, descended towards his siblings.
"You shall not pass," Flora told them, voice devoid of emotion as she pointed at them. "She will not allow it."
"Flora, what-" Sebastian began, before Amber yelled:
"Watch out!" The siblings suddenly dropped, and from their bodies materialized Shades, which attacked them.
"Oh good! I was beginning to wonder when we were going to get to the bloodshed and fun," Adia half-joked, drawing her bow and firing at the Shades over Fenris' shoulder. Minutes later, they were down. Anders quickly checked the Harrimans.
"Well, they're still alive," he revealed.
"Demons?! Here?! I cannot believe this," Sebastian stated.
"Believe it," Fenris told him. "Someone has done blood magick here, and we must put a stop to it."
"Well, those stairs seem to go down. I say we follow them," Isabella advised. Amber slowly stood, taking a deep breath. Anders walked over to her to make sure she was all right, but she hit him in the head with her staff.
"Ow!"
"Don't break my sister again, or so help me I will set you on fire, Anders."
"Yes love..." he sheepishly replied.
"Well, at least you know your place, Mage," Fenris teased, smirk firmly in place.
"Well it's nice to see you're feeling better now," Adia told her twin, smiling at her. "And don't set Anders on fire; you'd miss him." She went over to the stairs and looked down them with a frown. "This has "trap" written all over it..."
"Yes, but we have to at least approach it to know what kind of trap it is," the pirate reminded her.
"Come on, we won't find answers standing here," Sebastian added.
"Agreed," the Elf said as he took point. Adia and Sebastian followed, then the mages, and Isabella at the rear. They hit bottom, and the surroundings looked like some ancient crypt. Amber grit her teeth as her eyes throbbed, realizing that the air seemed more alive with magick than the mansion. She was betting the source was down here. The Chantry Prince was dumbstruck.
"Ruins? So close to Hightown? This was not here when I visited last."
"Well, the good news is that I don't sense darkspawn, so this doesn't go that deep," Anders informed them.
"Maker no! We wouldn't want to add darkspawn this already crazy trip now would we? Why, let's throw in a couple of Ogres and walking skeletons for good measure," the redhead rogue shot back with a frown, clutching her bow tightly. No sooner had the words left her mouth, two Rage Demons haul themselves from the ground and attacked, along with six Shades.
"Damnit it, Adia! Stop being Varric!" Amber chastised.
"Well, at least this isn't a boring trip!" Isabella teased.
"Less laughing, more slaughtering enemies!" Fenris rebuked.
"At least it's not spiders!" Adia added with a giggle as she fired off at the Demons and Shades, trying not to get burnt in the process. They soon faded away to where they came from, and the group paused to catch their breath.
"We press on?" Sebastian wondered.
"We need answers at this point..." Anders told him.
"Unfortunately," Amber added.
"Deeper into the creepy cave we go. Maybe we should leave a trail of breadcrumbs or something so we can find our way back..." Adia mused, eyeing Anders' feathers with a grin. He frowned and took and step back from her.
"Oh no! You are not shredding my clothes just to leave a trail."
"Well, it might not be to "just" leave a trail," Amber told him with a wicked grin. Truth be told, if the scenery were different, and she didn't have such a headache, she'd like nothing more than to throw her lover on the nearest bed.
"You're getting evil, sweetness. I like it!" Isabella said with a grin.
"...Let's go," Fenris told Adia, taking her hand and tugging her down the path. She went without any resistance, waiting until they were a bit ahead of the others.
"I could dismantle your armor and use that as a trail, if that'll get a smile out of you at least once on this trip," she mock-threatened, wrinkling her nose at him. He looked at her for a moment before a smirk broke out on his face.
"That would leave me in very thin clothes, little rogue. With it being rather chilly down here, I'd need someone to keep me warm. Is that your intention?"
"You kept me warm in the Deep Roads, so I guess I could keep you warm if we got stuck down here overnight," she replied, tilting her head and giving a sweet, totally oblivious smile. The Elf sighed heavily, but then smiled and tapped her nose.
"Your innocence never ceases to amaze me, Adia. But I would rather spend the night by a fire with a bottle and you, not down here in a dank crypt."
"You two make such an adorable couple. Maker bless your union when it finally happens," Sebastian praised, coming up behind them. The warrior was silent for a moment, but Adia's eyes went wide as she laughed nervously. She pushed Fenris forward down the hall.
"...I could use a drink right about now..." she mumbled. They continued on, fighting through groups of undead with what appeared to be skeletal mages. Anders identifies them as Arcane Horrors, and Amber is all too eager to roast or zap them. Finally, they came to a long, winding tunnel, and heard voices from the other end. "Disembodied voices... Always a good sign deep underground where no living thing should be no matter what the circumstance is..." the redhead archer stated, nocking an arrow as they peered around the bend. An older woman was talking with a barely-clothed, purple, horned Demon. It looked exactly like the one that had tempted Isabella in the Fade. Adia looked at the Demon, and then at her sister, utterly confused.
"...Amber, didn't we kill that thing once before? Why is it back? And why is it still naked?"
"That's a Desire Demon," her twin stated matter-of-factly.
"Very dangerous," Anders warned.
"Very hot..." Isabella added, eyes wide.
"Isabella!" Sebastian admonished.
"It is a different Demon, but the same type as from the Fade," Fenris explained. That other one is well and truly dead.
"We should move quickly to smite the creature," Justice stated, as he manifested with very little fuss. Adia stiffened a little at hearing the Spirit's voice and grabbed Fenris' hand. She still wasn't sure how he viewed Justice, and wanted both of them focused on the enemy. The group crept closer towards the duo.
"I must have more power!" the woman was saying. "I put that idiot Goran Vael on the throne, but the other families won't heed him. I must marry him to Flora and cement my control over Starkhaven. But I need more power."
"Your desires run deep, my Lady," the Demon responded. "You've already traded away your husband and your children. What else do you possibly have to offer me?"
"Step away from her, foul temptress!" Sebastian ordered, stepping to where they could see him.
"Who dares-" the woman began, before the sigh of him caused a look of panic to flit across her face. "Sebastian?!"
"You and my mother were friends, and you murdered her... For power?"
"Murder is such an ugly word," the Demon retorted. "I prefer "removed the only obstacle between her and her dreams"."
"Sully it up however you like, what she did was still wrong," Adia countered, looking at the woman. "How could you betray a friend like that?"
"Now, now, we all have wants and desires. Is my Lady really so different from any of you?"
"We wouldn't sell our friends and family to a Demon!" Amber shouted, the miasma of magick around the Demon almost too much for her to look at. The creature tilted its head as it considered at the red-eyed mage.
"...No, you would not, fiery one. But others of you have given themselves freely to those of the Fade..." It turned its gaze to Justice, who narrowed his eyes.
"I am nothing like you!"
"It was you who started all this then?" Sebastian realized. "You made Lady Johain desire the throne of Starkhaven?"
"I could create such feelings if I wished, but it is much more satisfying to cultivate what is already there," the Demon revealed with a shrug. "Even you, who supposedly shun worldly possessions to stand before the Maker, have wants. You wish to have the same thing that my Lady does."
"I am the true heir. She is a usurper!" Adia turned to her friend, a little confused.
"Sebastian, do you want to be Prince?" He looked guilty for a moment
"I... I had at one point, yes. But I dedicated myself to the Maker."
"Have you really?" the Demon wanted to know. "Does that life truly suit you?"
"I..."
"Do we kill both of them, or just the Demon?" Fenris asked, sword out.
"The Demon is fair game," Adia told him. "I leave what happens to the woman to Sebastian." She aimed at the Demon with a growl, even as it summoned Shades to aid it. Lady Harriman pulls a staff from her back, but before she could cast anything, Amber launched a fireball at her, and then the two women engage in magical combat. Justice meanwhile helped the rest of the group. When the fighting was finally over, Sebastian gazed at the charred corpse of the woman, shaking his head.
"I must return to the Chantry, and pray for her soul."
"She allied herself with a Demon. She deserved her fate," Fenris said.
"...I have to agree. She knew what she was doing, Sebastian," Anders added.
"Boys, now might not be the time to present a united front," Isabella cautioned, seeing the tight set of Sebastian's mouth and the slump in his shoulders. Amber came over, the color back in her cheeks and the bounce again in her step.
"I hate Demons. Hate, hate, hate..." she said with a shiver. Adia put a hand over her heart and feigned shock at the boys.
"Oh Maker, they agreed on something!" Then she winked at her twin. "Well it's a good thing you're so good at killing them then. I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Me too. I probably should have guessed blood magick was at work, but it... Felt different." As much as the Demon's energy had been everywhere in the mansion and the crypt, there had been something lacking with Lady Johain…
"Different than Merrill's magick?" Isabella wondered as the female mage frowned. She still didn't like thinking of the Dalish like that.
"Merrill's has only the barest traces of demonic energy. Most other maleficars have decidedly more… Something."
"Taint?" the healer suggested.
"...I guess." Meanwhile, Sebastian was trudging back down the passage towards the way out. Adia detached herself from the group to catch up with him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Sebastian, are you all right?" He shook his head and sighed.
"No, Lady Adia. I don't think I will be for quite a while. I considered the Harrimans friends. I've known them since before I could walk. Their betrayal... Cut deeply. Could you imagine if someone you trusted like that turned on you?" Adia frowned at the question and decided to reveal something to him.
"You know that we went into the Fade right? None of us ever really talked about it. But Fenris turned on us... On me. He attacked Justice and gave into a Demon's offer of power. So I can understand your feelings to a degree." Now she softly smiled. "But you can't dwell on it. What's done is done and you can choose to let it bring you down or move forward a little wiser from it."
"That isn't even what's bothering me the most though... For just a moment, I actually did agree with the Demon. I wanted to be Prince. But it was my eldest brother who had that title. But now... Now I am still here, and he lies in ashes."
"And you have seen to it that the murderers and plotter behind it all are dead," Fenris said as he joined them. "There is nothing to be ashamed about."
"Fenris is right," the redhead agreed. "Under different circumstances, if your siblings had perished another way, wouldn't the title be passed to you anyway?"
"...I suppose so," Sebastian admitted after a moment. "It just seems so wrong the way it happened. And that a Demon was behind it..." He suddenly turned and punched the wall, startling everyone.
"There you go, let all the tension out," Isabella told him.
"How do you do it?" the would-be Prince asked the mages. "How do you resist a Demon's offer? Why do you two seem to be able to refuse the power they promise?"
"...We aren't the only two mages to ever resist them, you know."
"But to be fair Anders, you don't have any room in your head anymore," the pirate gently reminded him.
"Sebastian, Demons can look into our souls and see what we want," Amber explained. "They use that against us until we practically beg them for the power. No one is immune, but they are drawn more to our power."
"Temptation is a part of life," Adia added. "Everyone is tempted at least once in their lives with something. Demons just seem to have that uncanny ability to see exactly what a person wants and dangle it in front of them like a sweet roll until they give in." The rest of the underground trek was made in silence. When they had reached the cellar once more, Flora and her brothers were there to greet them. Much to everyone's relief, Ruxton had apparently come to his senses and gotten dressed.
"Sebastian! Sebastian, I-" Flora began.
"Are apparently back to normal," Isabella noted.
"Flora... What in the world happened?" Sebastian wanted to know.
"That must have been some wine in that cask," Adia quipped, looking at the woman with a frown. She blushed and looked at the floor.
"The Demon... It made everything feel like a fog."
"We knew what we were doing, but were powerless to stop ourselves," Brett explained, wringing his hands.
"But we remember everything... Unfortunately," Ruxton added.
"When I think of what that Demon made us do... Sebastian, I am so... Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it," Flora told him.
"...You remember everything? Even the falicitate-ing...thing?" Adia wondered, looking at Ruxton. He turned red immediately.
"That's a definite "yes", sweet thing," Isabella said with a wink.
"I... Where did that Demon come from?" Sebastian wondered, trying to keep his thoughts in order.
"When we went to expand the house, we found the ruins," Flora replied. "Mother found Allure within. I think Mother thought that because she wasn't a mage-"
"Maker's ass she wasn't!" Amber interrupted. "She used magick!" The siblings looked at each other in surprise.
"Well, she never showed any magical abilities around us..." Brett finally answered, pulling at his collar.
"But that is why she thought dealing with Allure was safe, because she didn't have magick," Ruxton agreed.
"No one is immune to a Demon..." Fenris revealed with a shake of his head. "No one." Adia took his hand and gently squeezed it.
"Everyone makes mistakes... But what she did was unforgivable."
"Then it truly was the Demon's fault..." Sebastian whispered.
"Yes, that's right! Demons are the problem, not mages," Anders agreed.
"Sebastian, if it takes every last coin my family has, we will make reparations to you. Won't we?" Flora assured him as she looked at her brothers, who nodded.
"I'll let you know if I need you, Flora. I... Have a lot of thinking to do." Without another word, he trudged up the steps.
"Seal that up," Amber ordered, pointing towards the ruins. "And Andraste show you mercy if you ever turn on Sebastian again, because I will burn this house down with you all in it!" She then stalked up the stairs, fists clenched at her side. The siblings all took a step back, and the group was a bit confused.
"Sweetheart, wait!" Anders called, racing after her.
"Well now, who put the bee in her bonnet?" Isabella wondered. Then her eyes fell on Ruxton. "If you ever feel like putting aside your prudish ways again, come look me up, big boy. You and that adorable Elf girl." He stared at her in mild shock.
"...What about her brother?" Adia chimed in. "I think I remember hearing something about her brother too." Now Ruxton's entire body went red, and his brother and sister stared at him like he'd gone completely insane.
"Time to leave!" Fenris realized, picking Adia up over his shoulder and carrying her out of the house
"Hey!" she yelled, wiggling and banging on his back as she kicked her legs. "I am not a sack of fruit, Fenris!"
"No, you kick too much for that," Isabella noted with a grin as she followed them. Once they were outside, Fenris set the archer down.
"Adia... You really need to learn when not to comment on things."
"Oh please! She makes things more amusing!" the pirate shot back.
"I'm sorry... I didn't really seem the harm in mentioning it. He said it first, after all," she retorted with a frown.
"And he said it under the influence of a Demon. The fact that he remembers it just makes it that much worse for him."
"Well, at least he wasn't trying to turn a girl into a golden statue," Isabella reminded them.
"...True enough," the Elf agreed with a grimace.
"That whole family apparently has some really, really deep seated problems. If that Desire Demon brings out your inner desires…" Adia shook her head. "Wow..."
"What would a family be if it wasn't dysfunctional in some way?" the dark-skinned woman pointed out.
"There's dysfunctional and there's just disturbing," Adia countered. "We're" She indicated the entire group. "Dysfunctional. They're" She now pointed to the house. "Disturbing."
"...You have a point," Fenris conceded.
"...Yes, she does," Isabella agreed. "Let's go find the mages and the Chantry Prince." Adia grinned and poked them both before skipping off.
"I always have a point!" They saw Amber and Anders sitting on the stairs leading down to the Chantry courtyard, deep in discussion.
"...but they knew, Anders! They knew about the Demon, and they did nothing," Amber was telling him.
"I know, love, but getting upset about it won't help matters. As it is, I think they're terrified of you now."
"Good. Maybe it'll scare them into doing the right thing next time." The redhead rogue approached them, tapping her sister on the shoulder.
"So... You seem a little upset..." Amber turned, blushing for a moment.
"Adia! I... I'm sorry..."
"That's all well and good sweetie, but what set you off?" Isabella wondered. The red-eyed mage was silent, so Anders explained:
"That Sebastian's "friends" knew about the Demon, but didn't go for aid. It took us killing it to snap them back to reality."
"Well, I can sort of understand it," the younger Hawke replied, sitting next to her sister and hugging her knees to her chest. "It was their mother. If they went for help and told someone their mother was trafficking with Demons, what do you think would have happened to her? I'm not condoning what they did... But maybe they were just scared?"
"Wouldn't it be like Carver turning you in for being a mage?" Fenris asked.
"No, that's not the same thing!" Anders shot back with a glare.
"Fine, then it would be like one of us turning you or Merrill over," Isabella suggested, hands on her hips. Anders pulled back and swallowed nervously.
"I..."
"Demons are still bad, whether it's your mother or a stranger dealing with them," Amber stated, shaking her head.
"Yes, Demons are bad. We get that," Adia huffed. "But losing someone you love is worse. Especially when you know what would happen to them. If you ever had dealings with one... I wouldn't be able to turn you in." The elder Hawke was silent as she mulled over those words.
"...Adia, for everyone's sake, if you ever found out I had accepted a Demon's offer, I would hope you kill me. Because I would probably try to kill you and everyone else sooner or later," she finally said.
"That is very wise of you, Amber," the Elf praised, raising an eyebrow. Anders pulled Amber into his arms, holding her tightly.
"Don't you ever say that! Neither Justice or I will ever let a Demon near you. Neither will your sister..."
"Eeep!" she managed to get out, relaxing into his grip after a moment.
"I couldn't kill you," Adia revealed, poking her sister's nose with a half-smile. "Now, this talk of Demons is depressing. I say we go find Sebastian and spend the rest of the night trying to get him drunk."
"Agreed!" Isabella cheered, taking Adia's arm and walking away.
"Isabella, get back here with my rogue!" Fenris called out. The pirate turned and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Come catch us, Broody! Come on Adia, let's run!" The two rogues took off, the archer fully expecting to become like a rope in a tug-of-war game any moment. The warrior finally reached them, swiftly detaching Isabella's hand and pulling Adia against his chest, a triumphant look in his eyes.
"There, I win this round," he stated.
"So, what do you win?" Isabella wondered, raising an eyebrow at Adia. The redhead was about to ask what the pirate meant, when the mages joined them. Amber still seemed upset, but Anders had apparently had enough for the day. He pushed her against the nearest wall, alternating between kissing her and nipping at her neck. She went scarlet, eyes widening, but only half-heartedly tried to shove him away.
"Anders! We have an audience!"
"Then they'll get a show..." he teased, a perverted grin on his face.
"ANDERS! Get your glowy hands off my sister like that!" Adia shouted, turning as red as her hair. "I've been traumatized enough today!" The healer gave her a mock-glare as he pulled back.
"Fine… And for the record, my hands are not glowing. That would be Justice."
"Damn... And here my hopes for watching the threesome are dashed yet again," Isabella quipped. The mages stared at her, heads tilting in unison.
"...What threesome?" Adia asked. The pirate raised an eyebrow.
"You know: The whole love-triangle thing going on between our two mages and that Spirit."
"Isabella, we are not in a threesome!" Amber told her.
"Justice has never slept with her," Anders added, laughing at the thought. Adia wiggled away from Fenris, still blushing.
"...I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know." She covered her ears and closed her eyes. "Lalalalalalalalalalala!"
"Me either..." the warrior agreed, taking her hand again and pulling her into the Chantry. "We'll let them continue that away from us," he said once they were inside. Adia immediately trapped him against the door with a giggle.
"Your rogue?" she playfully demanded.
"Yes. My rogue. Are you denying this?" he countered, going very still. Adia leaned up so that her nose touched his.
"Prove it," she challenged, giving him a defiant grin. He quickly spun her into the nearest wall, kissing her roughly, hands wrapped around her waist. Adia squealed against his mouth before kissing him back, one hand fisted in his hair.
"AHEM!" Sebastian's stern rebuke interrupted a minute later.
"Oh... Ah... Hi," the redhead sheepishly greeted as she and Fenris broke apart.
"Really you two?" he asked with an exasperated sigh. "In the Chantry? In the very home of the Maker and His Bride?"
"Is there a better place?" Fenris wondered.
"Outside?" the royal archer suggested.
"We're sorry, Sebastian," Adia told him with a shy smile. "Really. Sometimes the heat of the moment catches you. We were just coming to see if you would like to join us down at the Hanged Man for a little while. It would beat being alone."
"I should be praying, not being in a place of sin, Lady Adia," he replied, giving her a small smile to let her know he appreciated the gesture.
"I thought we were taking him to the Hanged Man, not the Rose," Isabella stated as she wandered in. Sebastian immediately turned bright red.
"Isabella! Really," Adia admonished, shaking her head as she looked back at Sebastian. "We won't be doing any sinning..." She started to cross her heart, but paused. "Well... I can't speak for some of us, but I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"Come on, let's get out of here," the pirate suggested with a smirk, "Oh, and the mages won't be joining us. They're... They went home."
"Good," Fenris said with a nod. "Then they can't traumatize Adia any more today." He took the redhead's arm, pulling her against him, and kissed her roughly again. "Shall we, my little rogue?"
"...Keep that up and we'll be going home too..." she mumbled into his lips. Then she grabbed Sebastian's arm, not giving him a choice, and dragged him out of the Chantry and towards the Hanged Man.
