Chapter 36 - Avernus
"Here it is, Anders."
Alyssa's voice was vibrant, full of emotion as she extended her hand. She was holding a small vial, which looked like it was full of a red liquid.
Anders breathing hitched as he took the vial, his hand shaking slightly.
"I can't tell you what this means to me..."
"I think I do know, actually. It's terrible how the templars can control you through this. But without this, you are free at last. No record of you will exist now. The templars won't have this over your head to search for you if you need to run for any reason."
Anders smiled gratefully at Alyssa, turning to look at Faith who was smiling up at him tenderly. He pocketed his phylactery quickly.
"I would have thought you were going to smash it first thing, not put it in your pocket," Alistair commented around a mouthful of bread and cheese.
"Wouldn't want to stain your lovely stone floors, Your Majesty," Anders retorted, his voice shaking with suppressed mirth.
"So that's what they had that you wanted to get," Faith mused. "I remember you mentioning this. I gather this means you are a common man now, right?"
"Common enough to even marry," Anders blurted out.
Faith stopped eating, suddenly seeming to be made of stone, whereas Alistair choked on his food and had to take a generous gulp of tea - which was hot - burning his tongue in the process. Alyssa just sat there and grinned, her eyes like twin stars.
"Aha! Behold the real reason for this journey!" Alyssa crowed. "You want to get married! Our Anders, notorious flirt and sex addict, wants to get married!" She clapped her hands together laughing.
Anders blushed a bright red, and Alistair joined his wife, chuckling at the look on his favorite apostate's face.
"I - well that is to say, um - " Anders began to say when the doors to the grand dining hall opened and two small figures darted across the room.
"Mamma! Da!" The boy called out, hugging his mother and father in turn, while the little girl did the same. The children stopped when they noticed Anders and Faith, staring at them shyly.
"Duncan, Aurora, this man sitting on my left is the man who was there when you were both born. He is your Uncle Anders and loves you both very much," Alistair said, smiling affectionately at his children.
The little boy really did look much like a miniature Alistair, while the little girl with chestnut hair looked like both her parents. Duncan had bright amber eyes, and Aurora's eyes were dark blue. They smiled shyly up at Anders, who left his chair and was now crouched in front of them both, holding out his hand to Duncan.
Duncan took it and shook it, and Anders then held out his hand to Aurora.
"Prince Duncan, Princess Aurora, it is wonderful to see you both again," Anders smiled.
The little girl took Anders's hand shyly, and then giggled when he shook it solemnly.
"I'm glad to see how much you've grown. Last time I saw you you were both this small." He extended his hands a bit, to show them what he meant.
"So little?" Aurora whispered, her eyes round as saucers.
"Yes, very." Anders replied, a grin on his face.
"Do you know any games?" Duncan quizzed.
"I do. But we're in the middle of breakfast right now," Anders replied.
Both Duncan and Aurora pouted, so Anders immediately wiggled his fingers and a small, glittering rainbow appeared over the children's heads. They clapped and tried to catch it, laughing. Anders had a smile on his face as he sat back down to continue eating.
A servant had entered the room, she was curtesying low now as she spoke to Alistair and Alyssa.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Your Highnesses. They wanted to see you before taking their baths and getting on with their lessons."
"It's all right, Maura," Alyssa said, now hugging her daughter tightly. "I'll be there soon anyway, as soon as breakfast is over with."
"We can all play games this afternoon," Faith smiled. The children smiled back at her and Duncan even nodded. Then, they were led away by Maura, stopping to wave once at Anders and Faith before disappearing through the door.
"Good with children, did you notice?" Alyssa shot at Faith who was grinning.
"I'm a healer," Anders replied nonchalantly. "It's my business to be good with adults and children alike."
"Let the man breathe a bit, will you?" Alistair chuckled.
"I will, as soon as I get the details," Alyssa replied coyly.
"You're relentless, aren't you?" Her husband shot back, clearly amused with her reply.
"Oh, I know how relentless she is, believe me," Anders shrugged. "What I'm really interested is in the potion that helped you get past the taint."
"We know," Alyssa nodded.
"No side effects so far?" Anders inquired, leaning forward expectantly.
"None whatsoever." Alistair said. "We sleep well, and contrary to what Genitivi told us, haven't really contracted any major illnesses, other than the occasional cold. But very randomly, and infrequently."
"I'm with child again, too," Alyssa smiled warmly at her husband.
"That's wonderful news!" Faith cried.
"Congratulations to the both of you," Anders grinned. "So, no side-effects and healthy. That's good to know."
"You should speak to Genitivi though. He's living here in the palace now, continuing his research. We don't know what the effect could be in your case, Anders," Alyssa frowned.
"Justice," Anders sighed.
"Exactly. We don't know how that would work," Alistair said, a serious look on his face.
"Is Avernus still alive?" Anders asked.
"Yes, he is, despite telling us he didn't have long to live. And he's still at the peak." Alyssa replied.
"Amazing. He must be well over two hundred, right?"
"Don't know, Anders. Never asked him," Alistair shrugged. "Last time we visited, which was about two weeks ago, he was looking quite drained and very old. I suggest you head off and pay him a visit soon - just to be on the safe side."
Anders nodded, his brow furrowed with thought.
"Yes, I think we may just do that."
...
They spent a week at the palace, enjoying themselves and resting. Anders took it upon himself to make the children scream with laughter whenever he played hide and seek with them and Faith, Alyssa smiling on as she saw their happiness. Alistair was often in meetings and doing other kingly things, so he would miss this more often than not.
At the end of the week Anders and Faith decided to make the journey to the northwest, up to Soldier's Peak . They told Alyssa and Alistair of their decision two days before they left.
"It's a real pity Zevran isn't around. I'd feel much safer if he came with us," Anders mused, a smile on his face remembering the elven assassin who had been a close friend of his.
"Who knows where he is now," Alistair frowned. "The whole idea is awfully silly, if you ask me. Doing away with the Crows to get them off your back isn't really sane, is it?"
"Oh, I don't know. It's not like he's taking them all down, now is it?" Anders shrugged, then his eyes widened slightly when he saw the answer on Alistair and Alyssa's faces.
"Don't tell me he actually went looking for them to kill them all!" He exclaimed, horrified.
Alyssa nodded, biting her lower lip in concern.
"And you didn't stop him?"
"Anders, you know Zevran. How exactly do you think we could have stopped him from doing anything?" She shook her head.
"True, that. But at least you sent some guards with him?" Hope was quickly extinguished when Alistair shook his head sadly.
"You know what Zevran is like, Anders. The only thing he said was he wouldn't be able to surprise anyone if he wandered around with a regiment of soldiers."
"Then he left a day early, so we wouldn't go ahead and send soldiers with him anyway. We never even knew that he had left...until it was too late..." Alyssa added.
"Maker's balls," Anders cursed sadly.
"Have you heard from him at all?" Faith asked hopefully, trying to at least lighten the mood in the room.
"Zevran told us that the only way we would find out anything about him was if we got the news he had...died," Alyssa said quietly, her gaze on the floor.
Anders sighed, shaking his head. After a few moments of silence, he looked up only to find Alyssa staring miserably at the floor, while Alistair was rubbing her back, whispering something in her ear from time to time.
"What is it? Don't tell me you already got the bad news that he's dead?" Anders breathed out quickly.
"No, no. It's nothing," Alistair said quickly, but Alyssa gave a gasp and buried her face in her hands.
"That looks like something to me," Anders retorted, crossing his arms and waiting for either of them to speak.
Alistair shook his head sadly, trying to get Alyssa to lift her head and smile. "Come on, love," he whispered. "It's not like she's never coming back."
"Who's not ever coming back? What the blazes are you talking about?" Anders demanded.
"It's Fergus," Alistair said softly.
"What's wrong with Fergus? Is he ill or something?" Anders asked in shock.
"No, no. It's not that," Alyssa replied, looking up at Anders quickly. "It's Leliana. Therefore, Fergus is a mess right now."
"What happened to Leliana?" Anders asked, somewhat calmer. He had met Fergus whilst escaping to the north, on the way to Amaranthine, and had nursed him back to health. Fergus considered him a brother.
"Well, she's gone, that's what. They had been trying so hard to have children for years. And then one day she woke up and told Fergus that she had heard the voice of the Maker, and had to leave."
"Andraste's knickerweasels!" Anders cursed.
"Who is Leliana?" Faith inquired interestedly.
"She travelled with us around Ferelden during the Blight. She helped us fight the archdemon," Alistair explained kindly.
"She was like a sister to me," Alyssa's sad voice cut in. "She met Fergus after the Blight was over and they fell in love, and got married."
"I can't believe she heard the voice of the Maker, is she for real?" Faith asked.
"Oh, yes. She heard it before. He told her to follow us and help us. She told us about this when we met her in Lothering," Alyssa said in a matter-of-fact tone. Faith bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing outright. Anders saw this and smiled, then quickly glanced up at Alyssa, hoping she hadn't caught his smile. He was relieved to see that she was back to staring at the floor. Alistair, however, was grinning from ear to ear.
"Wait, you were actually in Lothering?" Faith asked excitedly. "I lived there, you know. My family ran from the darkspawn during the Blight. We fought them, as a matter of fact. Come to think about it, my sister, Bethany did mention a Sister Leliana a couple of times..."
"That was the Leliana we met and recruited, I'm sure," Alyssa said.
"I don't understand why we didn't run into you. We spent a whole day in Lothering," Alistair commented.
"So, Fergus is upset, I take it?" Anders queried patiently.
"Oh, yes. He was terribly smitten by her. He loves her dearly. You know this," Alyssa frowned darkly at him and he blinked back at her.
"Yes, of course. I was...just asking," Anders replied hastily. A few moments of awkward silence passed, where nobody dared ask anything. Then Alyssa sighed.
"I suppose it's not that terrible. She writes to him weekly. She's in Orlais, studying and praying, under the supervision of the Divine."
"Well, poor girl. I wouldn't go near the Divine, even if I had to kill her," Anders shot out, his eyes narrowing slightly, while Justice rose majestically to the occasion.
The Chantry and the Templars must be destroyed! There is no other way!
"Shut up, Justice!" Anders practically growled.
"He's there, really there, isn't he?" Alyssa said, totally mesmerized, as she saw Anders skin start cracking and glowing blue.
"I'm barely controlling him," Anders said, breaking into a sweat. He gave a strangled cry and black smoke formed around his feet as Justice overtook him completely.
Alyssa stood up and walked over to Anders, who had whisked out his staff, his eyes now glowing blue. Alyssa put her hands on her hips and looked at him squarely in the eyes.
"Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Faith began, but Alyssa paid no heed.
"Justice!" She shouted. "Why don't you calm down and understand that there is a time and a place for everything?"
"Warden Commander?" Justice blinked at Alyssa.
"You can't change everything right now. These things take time, and careful planning. Remember you were a warrior once!" Alyssa practically growled at Justice.
Justice said nothing, merely glared at Alyssa, then slammed the staff down on the stone floor.
"You owe me! I helped you in the Fade, and helped you defeat the Countess! Don't you dare try to hurt any of us!"
"The mages need our help! Anders won't listen and does nothing!"
"The time isn't right. Things that are this important need careful planning and strategy. You do remember about strategy, don't you, Justice?
Justice faltered. "Yes, Warden Commander."
"Then stop being so impatient. Learn to calm yourself. The Justice I know would never dare harm an innocent. Keep this in mind," Alyssa said softly.
Justice said nothing but Anders doubled over, falling on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Faith helped him get up without saying a word. She still could not believe what had just transpired.
"I - I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Anders asked as soon as he could, his eyes darting nervously on each one of them in turn.
"No, Anders, everything is fine," Alyssa said soothingly, patting his arm. "Don't worry about it."
...
The trip to Soldier's Peak was uneventful, possibly because Alistair had sent a small regiment of soldiers with them, just to make sure they made it safely there. It didn't take them more than three days to reach the keep because they were travelling in a carriage, and the guards were on horses. Anders had a smile on his face the whole trip there. In fact, he had started to smile when Faith had told him the whole conversation the queen and former Commander of the Grey had had with Justice. Faith hadn't seen him this happy in a while which made her feel even happier.
They stopped when the fortress came into view, its stone walls thick, dark and foreboding in the afternoon sun. Faith's mouth was slightly parted in surprise.
"This belongs to the Grey Wardens, doesn't it?" She asked in a meek voice.
"Technically, it does. I imagine they'll soon start moving over here when nobody fits in Amaranthine anymore."
"I wonder why we never stopped by Vigil's Keep on our way here?" Faith asked curiously.
"I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms, love."
"They shouldn't have allowed Templars in to begin with," Faith replied darkly.
Anders said nothing, getting off the carriage and helping her down. They grabbed their backpacks and trudged up the hill to the entrance of the keep in silence. He led her through the silent halls and up several sets of stairs. Faith moved closer to him and shuddered, just before they reached Avernus's tower.
"It used to be worse. The Veil was torn here. Severely torn. Alistair and Alyssa took care of it, fortunately," Anders murmured, as he kissed the crown of her head briefly, giving her a squeeze before letting her go.
"I'll bet it was haunted, too."
"It was."
"I should not have said that," Faith responded, her gaze darting around nervously as she peered into the shadowed cobwebbed corners.
Anders smiled and took her hand. "I have to warn you. Avernus is a bit...um...eccentric."
"Wonderful," Faith deadpanned, controlling the shivering fear that was creeping forward from the pit of her stomach.
"Nothing to worry about, really. He's totally harmless. Even if he is a blood mage who killed his warden companions a couple of hundred years ago," Anders grinned.
"Any chance he turns into a werewolf and howls at the full moon?" Faith asked nervously.
"Alyssa lifted the werewolf curse during the Blight," he replied cheerfully. "I guess we're safe from that."
The door to Avernus's study creaked open, and Faith tightened her grip on Anders without realizing it.
"Ow! That hurts, you know!" Anders complained.
"Who's there? Don't you dare interrupt my concentration!" A voice croaked, making Faith literally jump.
"Avernus?" Anders called out.
A wizened, bald man crept into their line of vision, dressed in vivid purple and blue robes. His ears stuck out and his eyes had a soulful expression. The dark circles under his eyes and his pale color all indicated that he was exhausted and possibly ill. Faith relaxed her grip on Anders as she regarded the mage before her sadly.
The mage narrowed his eyes as he looked at Anders. Then a memory stirred in his brain and his eyes suddenly shone brightly. He broke into a genuine smile and nodded.
"Anders. I remember you." His eyes fell on Faith and his smile vanished. "I don't know you, however."
"My name is Faith Hawke, Avernus. I'm pleased to meet you," Faith smiled at him.
"Ah. You've come with him, have you?" The old mage shuffled and pointed to three dusty chairs, which were in front of a strong wooden desk. They all sat down. "I'd call for refreshments, but the servants are all out for the day."
Anders burst out laughing.
"Still the same Avernus, I see," he grinned.
"Yes, my boy. When you reach a certain age, change is...somewhat difficult," Avernus replied, giving him a wide smile.
"I daresay I'd be less happy to see you if you had changed," Anders replied.
"Hmm," Avernus hummed, his bright gaze falling on Anders, then Faith, then back on Anders. "I won't ask you what brings you here, because I already know. And quite frankly, I don't know if what I'm going to tell you next will be what you are hoping to hear."
...
Sorry about the cliffhanger...lol.
We'll be seeing a lot of Alistair and Alyssa, mainly after the key events of the game happen. You don't really have to read Dragon Age Revisited (based on origins)in order to understand what will happen. Even though this is an important change to the game, there is still more to come.
Thanks again to all of you who are following this fic! :D