"So lets see what an ancient darkspawn would keep on him, hmm?" Hawke said tiredly.
The fight had lasted ages, as Corypheus had proved quite powerful. He had barely quaked under the spells and arrows shot at him, and Hawke considered himself lucky that he was nearby when Corypheus had fallen to his knees and he was able to kill him. And now the fight was over, with no deaths on their side either. Sebastian's armor was blackened by smoke from when he didn't get out of Corypheus' flames fast enough and had caught his pants on fire, Nero had cracked a rib at some point and was still wincing every time he inhaled, but Anders was low on mana and couldn't do anything for him yet. But the rest of them had escaped mostly unscathed, save for a few bumps and bruises.
Something shiny caught Hawke's eye and reaching down he pulled an amulet from Corypheus' corpse. Anders noticed and approached.
"That amulet...no one has used that pattern since before the first blight. It was unique to a small sect in Tevinter who worshiped the god Dumat. Corypheus really was a magister. I always thought the black city was just a story." He said breathlessly.
"Even if it's true, it doesn't justify punishing mages over a thousand years later." Bethany said bitterly.
"Do you think?" Anders asked her. "What else might the chantry know that we don't? I-I'll need to study this further."
"Take it then, I don't want it." Hawke said, offering the amulet to Anders, who took it gladly.
"You did well Hawke," Larius said as he approached them, "more than the Gray Wardens of old were able to accomplish. I will tell the Warden Commander of your service here."
"I'd be careful, we don't usually come back from our calling." Bethany told him.
"I must try."
"Why are you talking like that? And why...what happened to you?" Hawke asked, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
"My head is clear now. Without Corypheus' call I can think again. I thank you for my freedom. You've gained an ally here today." He said.
"And here I thought I'd just gained a headache." Hawke said dryly.
Larius smiled, "I will never forget what you did here. The prison stands no more. My gratitude you have, for my freedom. I will show you a quick way out of here, but then we must part ways. I have people I must meet."
The path he used to take them back to the surface, and to the road that would lead them back to Kirkwall, was surprisingly short. They had paused only once, so that Anders could heal Nero, and had made camp as soon as they were back on the surface. Everyone had gone to bed almost immediately, and Bethany had said she would take first watch, as she was probably the least tired person there.
She lay on the ground by her tent and watched the sky, thinking about the events of the day. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Anders get up, and jumped when he sat on the ground beside her.
He offered her an apologetic smile, but she frowned and said, "what Larius said after we killed Corypheus...that doesn't really make sense, does it?"
"What do you mean?" Anders asked, confused.
"When we get our calling we don't just hear one voice, we hear many, we hear what the darkspawn are hearing. The music and all that. So why would killing Corypheus cure Larius of his calling? It makes no sense."
Anders looked away, thinking. "I hadn't...given it much thought. That is fairly disturbing...shit."
Bethany smiled and sat up, "I didn't realize it at the time either, I think we were all too tired to care."
Anders chuckled, "most definitely."
Another thought struck her and she furrowed her brow in confusion and worry, "he kept saying thank you, for his freedom...you don't think..."
Anders followed her train of thought, "that Corypheus possessed him somehow? No, that's crazy. Darkspawn can't do that, mages can't do that."
Bethany laughed, "maybe you're right. I'm just being paranoid."
"After all that happened down there, I can understand that." Anders smiled.
"How are you now? I mean, now that we're not in the deep roads and Corypheus is dead."
Anders patted her leg reassuringly, "I'm fine, same as before. If perhaps a little unnerved by the fact that I attacked all of you and the Chantry doesn't appear to be completely full of shit like I had believed."
"You aren't going to go Andrastian on me now, are you?" Bethany teased.
Anders only snorted in response.
...
The trek back to Kirkwall had taken twice as long as the trek to the carta hideout. Luckily they had come across a trading caravan that sold them some food, so they didn't have to waste time trying to hunt. When they had gotten back to Kirkwall they had all gone their separate ways, to a warm bed and a good sleep. Nero was going to go back to the clinic but Bethany had decided to stay there so he made the decision to rent a room at the Hanged Man, much to Isabela's excitement.
It was less than a week after they had returned to the city that Anders had to see Bethany off. He had enjoyed his time with her, but they had both known going into it that she would have to leave. She promised to write and visit when she could, but he wasn't very hopeful. She would go back to her life with the Wardens and he would be forgotten about.
After she left Justice came back in full force, telling him that they were back in the city and he had let Anders have his fun with Bethany, now was the time to get back on track with the mage rebellion. And so his time became occupied with freeing mages with the underground, healing refugees in his clinic, and writing a manifesto that Justice insisted he write. He didn't even notice when Nero never moved back in, he barely had a thought for anything else, justice kept him sufficiently occupied.
Nero stayed at the Hanged Man, and for the first few weeks he never even saw Fenris. Hawke said that Fenris barely left the mansion, which was fine by Nero, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see the elf ever again. He still felt lonely though, and he tried to fill the void with alcohol, and it worked for a few hours, but he still went to bed lonely and feeling ill. He had even tried, on several occasions, to get Isabela to spend the night with him, not to have sex, he just didn't want to sleep alone anymore, but she refused. Every time he asked why she gave him a knowing look and he felt guilty for trying to use her, so he eventually stopped asking.
It was one night late in the third week of his drinking binge that Fenris showed up, probably dragged there by Hawke. It was wicked grace night, so Nero knew he shouldn't be surprised, the elf was going to make an appearance sooner or later. Short of leaving the city forever, he was going to run into Fenris eventually. Knowing that did nothing to ease the sudden sick feeling he had in his stomach, but he refused to leave. Maybe it was the alcohol making him stubborn, or maybe it was because he didn't want the elf to see him stumble out the door, but he made himself stay, and even played a few rounds of cards before giving up. After that he just sat back in his chair and watched the game and listened to the conversations taking place around him.
Sebastian was there and was chatting with Fenris, again. Much to Nero's annoyance.
"Does the Tevinter chantry tell the same story of how the darkspawn came to be?" Sebastian wondered.
Fenris scowled, "slaves are not regaled with a Tevinter version of the Chant of Light. If I were to guess, it'd go something like 'And lo, the greatest of magisters ventured into the Maker's city. And to reward them for their courage, he created darkspawn as a scourge against their enemies.'" Nero chuckled at this and Fenris smiled a little at the sound.
"You don't think they take responsibility for their actions?" Sebastian asked.
"Responsibility is the only thing magisters don't take." Fenris said sourly.
"The chantry does say the Tevinter magisters are responsible for the darkspawn." Sebastian told the elf.
"I believe it."
"The Chant claims that pride was their greatest sin. And now they have infected the world."
Fenris almost smirked, "most magisters would consider this a challenge. Invent a sin that is greater yet."
"I know some ladies who could help them brainstorm." Hawke told them.
"I do hope you don't mean me." Isabela said innocently.
Hawke smiled at her, "perish the thought, I would never implicate you."
"I somehow doubt that." Nero chuckled, halfheartedly.
"With no intention of changing the subject, I've been wondering Nero. You aren't staying with Anders anymore, I know that. Where are you staying?" Hawke asked with a knowing smirk.
Fenris shifted uncomfortably where he was sitting but perked his ears up, Nero only scowled in response however.
Isabela laughed, "our dear Nero has taken to the Hanged Man, and is renting a room here."
Hawke raised an eyebrow, "that seems mighty expensive, especially considering you payed me a large sum of money to buy that mansion in Hightown for you, all those years ago."
Nero pleaded with his eyes for Hawke to drop it, he did not wish to have this discussion here, not in front of everyone, not with Fenris present. But he knew, that this discussion wouldn't even be taking place, if the elf was not here. And Hawke didn't retract his question, nor did anybody else try to steer the conversation somewhere else. It was as if everyone waited with bated breath, for what he would say.
He sighed loudly, indicating that he was tired, hoping that everyone would listen to him when he said, "drop it, please."
But Hawke was a man on a mission, and would not be so easily swayed, "but I'm curious Nero, why would you-"
"He does not wish to answer Hawke, leave it be." Fenris interrupted forcefully.
Nero looked at him, stunned that he would come to his rescue. Hawke sat back with a sigh, but did not continue his interrogation, for which Nero was eternally grateful. He didn't get to thank the elf for his intervention until several hours later, when he had gone downstairs to get another drink but upon realizing the world was spinning just a little too much, asked for water and was given a cup and sent outside. There was a large barrel that contained water in the back of the tavern, that was only accessible through the kitchen and he sat on the ground by it, twisting the faucet at the bottom of it so that water came out and he filled his cup.
He did not know how long he had been down there, long enough that he didn't feel nearly as drunk anymore and Corff had shown up and given him a small loaf of stale bread, which he devoured. Apparently there was a crate of bread that was going to be sent to the man with the pig stall up the street, as was the custom, but Corff had seen how plastered Nero was and figured he might make better use of it.
As it was, he wasn't half as surprised as he probably would have been when Fenris showed up. Nero eyed him curiously for a moment before moving over, so that there was more room for Fenris to sit between him and one of the crates. After looking at him skeptically Fenris sat, but it was several minutes before he said anything.
"Isabela said you probably went to bed, evidently she was wrong."
Nero nodded, "no, not in bed. But I should...thank you, for getting Hawke to stop. I...appreciate it."
Fenris sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "you're welcome."
Several more awkward minutes passed without either of them saying anything. And Nero caught himself eyeing the elf appreciatively, what an attractive individual.
Fenris looked over at him suddenly and Nero started, blushed, and looked away. A small smile graced Fenris' face and, feeling particularly bold that night he reached an arm around Nero's shoulders and pulled him close, so that Nero's head rested on his collarbone. Fenris found himself smiling at the contact and how...comfortable it was. He drank in the sensation of Nero's warm breath wafting across his throat, and one of Nero's leg that had twined itself around one of his own.
Nero had even placed on of his hands on Fenris' chest, initially in a move to push Fenris away but then he realized that being this close to the elf was soothing, even if it wasn't going to last. His thoughts began to spiral downward, and it wasn't' long before he became uncomfortable in the elf's embrace, as he thought of all the pain he had experienced over this man. Fenris was self-centered, and angry, and it wasn't so much that Nero was upset over what he thought was a betrayal as he was terrified of a true one actually taking place. He couldn't even imagine what would happen to him if Fenris truly turned him aside, nor did he know how he would handle a similar scenario to what had taken place after the incident in the slaver caverns.
Nero wanted to go back home, to the estate, he wanted things to go back to how they had been before. But he knew that they couldn't, that event would hang like a black cloud over all of it, souring any precious moments that took place. He was sure of it. He wanted to go back, he wanted to be like this with Fenris again, but just the idea of it brought both a great pleasure and a terrible fear and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get rid of the latter.
It was with these thoughts in mind that he pulled away from the elf and stood. Fenris looked up at him, pain and hurt evident in his eyes and with a sad sigh Nero helped him up. They stood, looking at each other sadly for several minutes. Nero tentatively reached a hand up and placed it on Fenris' cheek, and the elf closed his eyes and leaned into it. Nero felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the man, but he didn't. Instead he let his hand fall back to his side and without a word he headed back into the bar, to get another drink.
