Chapter 69: Demands of the Qun pt3

Taking their names from the Exalted Marches of the past, the New Exalted Marches were declared by the Chantry in 7:25 Storm Age after nearly a century of internecine warfare throughout northern Thedas. The Imperial Chantry in Minrathous (the only unoccupied major Tevinter city) marched against Seheron and the occupied eastern territories of the Imperium, and the Divine in Val Royeaux commanded her templars to lead the armies of the south into Rivain. It was the grandest mobilization of martial power since the Fourth Blight.

The greatest advantage that the Chantry-led forces had against the Qunari was, in fact, the Circle of Magi. For all their technology, the Qunari appeared to harbor a great hatred for all things magical. They possessed mages, but these were little better than animals kept on leashes... and none of the Qunari mages possessed anywhere near the skill that the Circle's mages had. Faced with cannons, the Chantry responded with lightning and balls of fire and it proved effective indeed.

For all the force that the Qunari armies had brought to bear on the north, they also lacked the sheer numbers of the humans. As each year passed, the Chantry pushed further and further into the Qunari lines. Dealing with those of the local populace which had converted to the Qunari religion proved difficult, especially as some of these had lived under the qun now for generations, and the response by many armies was simply to exterminate all those who had converted. Officially the Chantry denies this, claiming most converts fled north into Rivain and Par Vollen, but the mass graves at Nocen Fields and Marnus Pell attest otherwise. Indeed, so many were slain at Marnus Pell that the Veil is said to be permanently sundered, the ruins still plagued by restless corpses to this day.

Regardless of how it was done, by 7:84 Storm Age the Qunari had been well and truly pushed back. Rivain was the only human land that embraced the Qunari religion after being freed, and its rulers attempted to barter a peace. Envoys from most human lands gathered to sign the Llomerryn Accord, and peace was made between the Qunari and all human lands other than the Tevinter Imperium. Even there, however, the Qunari withdrew. Humanity had, with the Maker's will, beat back the invaders and returned to its rightful place as masters of Thedas. It is a shaky peace that has lasted to this very day.- The New Exalted Marches from Tales of the Destruction of Thedas Vol.3 by Brother Genitivi.

Lowtown

Isabela was running through Kirkwall cursing to herself the whole time. The pirate couldn't believe she was doing this; she was so close to settling her debt with Castillion. A few more steps to his camp and Isabela would have given the raider the relic and be on her way. But she couldn't do it…that irksome thing called a conscience was beating on her mind like a dozen hammers just like when she found those slaves that started her trouble with Castillion. Not to mention she had broken one of her most cardinal rules: to never get attached to a person ever.

Before she was a pirate, Isabela lived a hard life…born to a scoundrel of a mother who was a thief and charlatan who had infamously posed as a Rivaini seer to help a village in the Rivaini interior in exchange for coin. When she got bored, she would leave the village to steal from other people or con them into buying mystical charms like the Rivaini Fertility Talisman. These trips could last weeks, and Hari would often take her daughter with her to help. The young Isabela took to dishonesty quickly. She sold Isabela into marriage with a business associate of the Antivan Crows in exchange for nothing more than the promise that she would be looked after.

The man she married, Luis, was rich, he bought Isabela many fine things and hired a tutor to teach her to read and write, but the marriage was loveless and she was treated as his "plaything." Though Isabela enjoyed the first few months of her life with Luis, she quickly became bored, and then angry when it became clear she was expected to act as "befitted the lady of the house". Realizing that his young wife was out of control, Luis resolved to get rid of her. According to his journal, he planned to "lend" her to certain business acquaintances who had expressed an interest. Isabela had directly ordered his assassination and never looked back. She spent years wandering the world with no one but herself to rely on until she reached Kirkwall and met Ericks and the others. And just her luck she would grow attached to this group of walking disasters, and now she was hoping she was not too late to save them.


Viscount's Keep

"Here is your viscount" He tossed the head of the viscount Dumar to the feet of the nobles to the horror of the court.

"You dare! You are starting a war!" one of the nobles said. One of the qunari comes from behind and snaps the man's neck like a twig. The men and women screamed in terror, the Arishok could only look on in disgust.

"Look at you. Like fat dathrasi you feed and feed and complain only when your meal is interrupted" he said. "You don't look up. You do not see the grass is bare. All you leave in your wake is misery"

"You are blind. I will make you see" The door opens and the gang approach the stairs. "But we have guests" The nobles clear the way and Ericks and the Arishok gives one another intense glares. "Shanedan, Hawke. I expected you" the Arishok said. "But for all your might, you are no different from these bas. You do not see"

"I see a man who's ready to start a war on principle"

The Arishok scoffed. "And what would the Qunari be without principle? You, I suspect" he said. "Prove yourself, basra, or kneel with your brethren" He gave the signal and the qunari attacked, the nobles scrambled out of the way while the gang stood their ground. The qunari warriors surround them but Anders uses a psychic burst to knock them off balance. Varric gave covering fire while Aveline and Fenris went in to engage the warriors. Ericks held back to keep the dwarf and mage from being flanked. Two qunari warriors threw spears at Anders and the rogue knocked them away allowing the mage to burn them to a crisp with his magic. Aveline blocked a blow from the left that was meant for Fenris and then slashed at the qunari's gut. Fenris impaled the next qunari and ripped out his heart and then swiftly beheaded the next one that was coming for him from behind.

Throughout the whole thing, the Arishok was watching the whole fight. He had the greatest amount of respect for Ericks; he kept his word unlike the rest of the bas in this city. If he would submit to the Qun, Ericks would no doubt be one of the greatest among them but he knew it would not be as the rogue was set in his ways just as he was. It was a shame…in another time, another place; the Arishok could have called Ericks, a friend. "Parshaara"

The surviving qunari stood down as the Arishok walked down the stairs, he and Ericks exchanged hard gazes. "You are basalit-an after all. Few in this city command such respect" he said. "So tell me, Hawke. You know I am denied Par Vollen until the Tome of Koslun is found"

"How would you see this conflict resolved without it?" Sounds of fighting were heard outside, a qunari warrior was on the floor knocked out as Isabela walked in with the Tome of Koslun in hand to the shock of the Arishok and the gang.

"I believe I can answer that" Isabela came towards the Arishok. "I'm sure you'll find it's mostly undamaged" The Arishok took the tome into his hand, caressing it gently as one would a child.

"The Tome of Koslun"

Ericks smirked. "Nice of you to finally join the party, Isabela" The pirate was shocked… no cursing, no condemnation, he didn't even sound resentful. Ericks just welcomed her back like nothing happened; it was as if he knew the pirate would come back. Someone having that much faith in her was a very new experience to her.

"It took me a while to get back, what with all the fighting everywhere. You know how it is"

"Heroic acts of sacrifice? People will talk…"

"It's your fault, Hawke" the pirate said. "Always have to be so damned decent…even to people who don't deserve it"

"I was halfway out of here before I knew I had to turn around. It's pathetic" The Arishok gave the tome to one of his subordinates and gazed at Ericks and then to Isabela.

"The relic is reclaimed. I am now free to return to Par Vollen…with the thief"

Isabella frowned. "What?!"

"Oh, no, no, no. If anyone kicks her ass, it's me" Aveline said crossing her arms.

"You got your relic, Arishok. That should be enough" Anders said.

"She stole the Tome of Koslun. She must return with us" the Arishok said. "She will submit to the Qun and the Ben-Hassrath. More than that I will not say"

"Isabela is one of us, she stays" Ericks said.

"I'm sure he'll take that well" Varric said dryly. "Rivaini? You might want to move a bit this way"

"Then you leave me no choice" the qunari said. "A fight to the death, Hawke, with the thief as the prize"

"No! If you're going to duel anyone, duel me!" Isabela said.

"You are not basalit-an. You are unworthy"

"Thought it would come to this…all right. Let's dance"

"Meravas! So shall it be!" The Arishok almost sounded gleeful, like he was itching to fight against Ericks for the longest time. The qunari stood back, this was a duel of honor between Ericks and the Arishok none was allowed to interfere. This also meant the gang; they would stop them from trying to interfere. Ericks got out his daggers and before he could react, the Arishok charged at the rogue. The Arishok was fast for his size and any blow from him could be fatal.

"Dead or alive, the Qun knows your worth" Ericks jumped to the side and tossed out knives soaked with the strongest poison he's made. The knives bounced off of the Arishok like a ball would.

"Vitaar…that is going to be a problem" Fenris said.

"What is that?" Aveline asked.

"You might have noticed when fighting the Qunari that they are very dense despite wearing very little armor" the elf explained. "Half of that comes naturally, and the other half comes from vitaar…the war paint on their bodies"

"War paint? How does that help them?"

"Vitaar hardens their skin to that of steel while retaining flexibility" Fenris said. "For anyone else, the paint is highly toxic"

"Great…so Hawke is eventually fighting a walking dreadnought with poison armor" Varric said dryly. "I wouldn't want to be him, right now"

"It gets worse…qunari heals fast and their stamina is legendary" Fenris said. "Plus the Arishok has experience on his side; it will take everything for Hawke to defeat him" The Arishok swung his axes swiftly with the rogue just barely able to dodge the blows. Soon Ericks found himself back against the wall.

"Think fast, Ericks…" he muttered to himself. The rogue kicked off the wall and kneed the Arishok to the face, briefly stunning the large qunari. "Got him!" Ericks turned his blade downwards, aiming for the neck. The Arishok quickly recovers, grabs his arm and slams him to the ground hard. The rogue swore he could feel a few ribs fracture from the force. Erick then saw the Arishok about to slam his axe down on him.

"ERICKS!" All anyone could see and hear was a cloud of dust and the sound of metal crushing the ground.

Could this be Ericks' end? Next Time! As Always Review and Comment!