I'm sorry, this last chapter came so late but the last couple of weeks were extremely busy for me :P. Without further ado, we move to the finale.

Chapter 16 – Final confrontation

Ghosts and demons were advancing on the Inquisition's soldiers from almost every direction. Unfortunately, the former far outnumbered the latter. They came here with heavily depleted numbers as most of the troops were just returning from the Arbor Wilds. Soldiers fought like lions trying to help the small group of specialists who tried to get to the center of the temple. It was there that the darkspawn had been seen, and it was there that they would surely find the Inquisitor. The blood of the slain stained the black stones that refused to show it to the world. Hawke danced her deadly dance between her opponents. Time and again, her twin blades sunk into the foul bodies of her foes, who dissolved into thin air with a shattering groan. Varric, who had been accompanying her, was spreading a deadly hail of bolts from his automatic crossbow and Bianca was really busy today. Not far from them, they could hear the electric sound of staff discharges with which Dorian disposed of the demons attacking him. Behind mage, the Iron Bull roared throatily, brandishing his sizable axe. The roars were occasionally interrupted by excited laughter, which to Hawke's surprise gave everyone courage. The rest of the specialists stayed behind trying to distract the advancing enemy. The tactic was successful because the closer they were to the Breach, the fewer demons they encountered on their way.

Suddenly there was a loud roar and two membranous wings appeared in the sky. The foul dragon descended, spitting its red breath at the fighters below. Somewhere behind her, Hawke heard the agonizing screams of dying soldiers along with the screeching sounds of demons dissolving into the air. She clenched her teeth. Flemeth had promised that the dragon would not be a problem. If the beast was still alive they had no chance of killing Corypheus.

As if in response to her thoughts another roar pierced the area. The slightly higher tones made Marian plug her ears.

- Sweet Maker, another one? - Varric wheezed. The red scales of the second beast timidly reflected the green glow coming from the Breach. But the dragon did not burn them with its fiery breath. It took Corypheus' pet as its target.

- Flemeth. - whispered Hawke and a sarcastic smile appeared on her face. The witch kept her promise. The two beasts disappeared from their sight in a short time.

- How did we get such an ally? - Dorian asked.

- It's not important. We need to get to the center of the temple and fast. - Hawke growled and, clutching her twin daggers, moved forward.

They were almost there. The last few steps led them to a square surrounded by the remains of the smoky walls. In its center stood Corypheus staring wildly into the sky. Beside him, three Grey Wardens held a spell binding the Inquisitor kneeling on the stones. His upraised left hand spat out a steady green beam feeding the ever-growing vortex in the sky. The agony painted on his deflated face squeezed Hawke's heart. He didn't even have the strength to scream anymore. His body was at its limit.

The Coryphaeus turned slowly and a crooked smile appeared on his deformed face.

- The next witnesses of my exaltation have arrived. - he said in his bass voice, which echoed through the ruins. At his words, the Inquisitor's head shook slightly and then turned towards the arriving group. Green eyes glinted in the pale light, betraying surprise. The bright face of the Champion was like a beacon of hope. Her blue eyes scowled seriously at the Inquisitor. The Herald's surprise and confusion turned to understanding. Hawke by some miracle knew what he wanted to do. A new portion of strength poured into his body. He craned his head hard while gazing at the sky. The green vortex had already grown to massive proportions. Just a moment more and Corypheus would use the sphere. Just a little more.

- You will be disappointed I'm afraid. - Hawke growled. - Because this time I will make sure you stay dead.

At her words, Corypheus laughed throatily and his clawed hands rose slightly. The narrow passage they had used to get here was blocked by a red lyrium that had broken through the rocks. Hawke, along with Varric and Dorian, were cut off from the rest of the troops.

The Champion clutched her twin daggers and charged with a roar. Corypheus, with a slight smile, folded his clawed fingers prepared to repel the attack but Hawke changed direction at the last moment, running towards the Grey Wardens. The mages were as if in a trance focusing on the Herald's binding spell. One of the twin blades sunk into the back of the nearest man, who let out a silent moan and slumped to the ground. The threads of light binding the Inquisitor's hands dimmed slightly. Seeing this, Corypheus growled in anger and his spell went out in his fingers. He corrected it and repeated the incantation. A sparking ball of purple energy hit him in the back, scattering another attempt. He turned abruptly. Adorned with a flirtatious mustache, Dorian's lips lifted in hooked satisfaction. He was already whirling his staff through the air, sending small fiery projectiles at the spawn. Somewhere to his right, several bolts smashed into the lyrium crystals covering Corypheus' body. Varric was just loading his crossbow preparing it for another round. Corypheus growled once more letting two beams of red energy out of his fingers. The mage and dwarf did a quick dodge.

Taking the opportunity Hawke whirled her daggers taking the lives of the remaining guards. This could hardly be called a fight as the puppet-like individuals offered no resistance. When the last one fell to the ground the binding spell stopped working. Threads of light released the wrists of the Inquisitor, who flopped onto the rocks in an effort to stay conscious. The green beam feeding the Breach went out. Hawke approached him briskly and crouched beside him.

- Make him... - Herald wheezed. -...Make him use the sphere.

Marian only nodded and her blue eyes moved to Corypheus.

- Your plan has failed! - she shouted.

The darkspawn shifted his furious gaze to her. When he noticed that the Anchor spell had been broken his fury turned to pure rage. Another spell bloomed in his fingers. Hawke gracefully dodged the deadly beam.

For a while, all three played cat and mouse with their opponent. They knew they could not defeat him, so they staggered, weakening him with each passing moment. Ayden watched the entire spectacle from behind half-closed eyelids. He did not even have the strength to get up from his knees. Suddenly, driven by rage, Corypheus reached behind the hem of his torn robes. A dark spherical object appeared in his clawed long fingers.

Seeing this, Hawke glanced quickly at the Inquisitor. His green eyes became more focused and using the last of his strength he began to lift himself uncertainly from the ground. The Coryphaeus pointed an artifact at him, which flashed red. The Anchor in the Inquisitor's left hand responded one last time. Ayden gritted his teeth and extended his fingers towards the sphere. A green ray wrapped around the sphere making the Coryphaeus growl in pain. However, he did not let go of the object. Step by step Ayden reduced the distance between them. Hawke, Varric, and Dorian moved away from them, unsure of what would happen next.

-You have been too long in this world. - Herald said throatily, taking one hesitant step. - Your terror ends today. - another step followed. - All the lives you have taken. - and another. - All the dreams you have dashed. - and another. - This is the response of all of Thedas to your desire to become a God.

Ayden was already right next to Corypheus. Anger had been replaced by fear on the darkspawn's deformed face and his weakened knees met the black rocks. Ayden towered over him pushing the spell harder and harder. He grasped the wrist of the clawed hand that clutched the artifact and raised it to the sky. The green vortex was pulsed with bright light.

- Your journey ends here. - Ayden hissed and directed all his will toward the Anchor. Magic flowed through his fingers and, focusing in a sphere, shot toward the Breach. A blinding light covered the area. Hawke closed her eyes, shielding them with her arm. Time seemed to stand still and after a moment her ears were filled with a deafening rumble, after which an invisible force pushed her against the ruined walls of the temple. Her back hit it hard and the air escaped from her lungs. A few small pieces of debris fell on her but they did not cause any serious damage. When the dust settled, it became eerily quiet. Somewhere at the foot of the temple, she could hear a chorus of cheering voices. She shook her head in an effort to drown out the quiet ringing in her ears. She stood up slowly and looked up into the sky. The huge vortex of emptiness had vanished leaving behind a small sparking scar.

-It worked. - she heard Dorian's uncertain voice behind her. - On Andraste's panties, it worked! - he shouted a second time.

- I'll be damned. - Varric added with satisfaction. - We stopped the end of the world. No one will believe me.

Hawke smiled slightly, still staring at the sky. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the square. Her blue eyes searched for the copper head. After a moment she froze and the joy on her face turned to horror. She caught sight of him behind a group of rocks. He was lying on the ground, his lifeless body covered by a layer of dust.

- No. - she whispered. - No, no, no. - she added a little louder running towards him.

Varric and Dorian shifted their gaze to her side.

Marian knelt by the Inquisitor's body and turned him onto his back. His head twisted inertly to the side. The pale, almost chalky face resembled a statue. She put her ear to his face. Maker, she heard no breathing. In a last desperate gesture, she pressed her fingers to his neck. The pulse was undetectable. She grabbed his cheek, which turned out to be stone cold.

- No. - she said once again stroking the still face. - Please, Maker... - despair surged like a tidal wave into her soul. - Ayden, wake up, I beg you. - she said desperately, as if unable to accept what she had learned. - Wake up! Open your damn eyes! - her desperate voice squeezed Varric's heart. - Ayden I love you, you hear me?! I love you! - she screamed and her fingers tightened on his shirt. She folded her head on his still chest sobbing desperately. Her salty tears soaked into the dusty material. Despite her pleas, the Inquisitor did not respond in any way. The spirit had already left his body.

-Sweet Maker, it's not the end yet? - Dorian suddenly spoke nervously and tightened his fingers on his staff. Hawke raised her eyes. Right beside her stood a luminous figure. The Champion jumped back and, in an acquired reflex, drew her daggers. The figure turned its head slightly and knelt over the Inquisitor's body. Its bright hands clung to the still chest.

- Get away from him, demon! - growled Marian in anger.

The figure straightened up without a word and took a few steps back. Suddenly, a strong shudder shook the Inquisitor's body, and his motionless lungs filled with hard caught air. Hawke shifted her blue gaze to him and the daggers she held fell to the ground with a clang. She knelt by Herald's side, looking at him with hopeful eyes. When his breathing calmed a little, he slowly opened his eyelids. The spring green of his gaze squeezed Marian's throat. He turned his head slightly smiling weakly. Hawke grabbed his neck and hugged him tightly. He didn't have the strength to reciprocate the embrace. A dull pain filled every fiber of his body.

Hawke lifted his gaze slightly while staring at the luminous figure.

- Who are you? - she asked quietly. The phantom turned its head and though its face blended into one image, Marian could have sworn it was smiling. Before the ghost vanished into thin air like billowing smoke, she saw a flash of honey-colored eyes. When she blinked, the ghost was gone. Initially somewhat dazed she was quickly pulled back to the ground by a quiet moan. Once again she hugged the Inquisitor and stroking his copper hair rocked him like a small child. After a moment she looked into his piercing green eyes and suppressed the sob that was rising in her throat.

-I love you. - she whispered. Ayden smiled.

-I love you, too. - he said quietly.

Her cherry lips pressed against his, placing a soft brief kiss.

- What do we do with this? - Dorian asked suddenly. Ayden looked in his direction and made an attempt to lift himself off the ground. Hawke helped him to sit up but he was so weak that he could not even hold his head, which eventually rested against her chest. He glanced quickly at the bodies of the Grey Wardens. None of them seemed to have risen from the dead which meant that Corypheus had indeed been killed.

-Burn him. - he muttered. Dorian needed no further encouragement. He put his hands together in a sign and a circle filled with symbols appeared under Corypheus' body. After a moment, flames shot out from each symbol, covering the entire body. In no time all that was left of the torturer was a pile of ashes. Marian watched in silence as the flames consumed the corpse of her hated enemy.

Ayden felt extremely tired and his eyelids became harder to open. The spell had drained him of all his energy. That he survived was a miracle. He turned his head slightly and closed his eyes, relaxing his muscles. His body desperately needed rest. Hawke twitched with concern but, feeling his calm steady breathing she sighed with relief. She put her arms around him and, placing her chin on his coppery hair, hugged him again.

-Thank you. - she whispered so quietly that it could only be a thought.

-Hawke. - Varric, who was standing next to them, said. Marian lifted her head. She saw uncertainty in the dwarf's eyes. She wrinkled her forehead and her blue eyes told him to say what he was thinking. - The Inquisitor is alive and we are happy about that, but... Can we afford to ignore the strange spirit that breathed air into his lungs? We don't know what it was and what consequences it might have.

Marian placed her chin on the Inquisitor's head again. She silently tightened her fingers on his shirt. The memory of honey's gaze made her smile slightly.

-There will be no consequences, Varric. - she hid her face in dusty copper hair and closed her eyes slightly. - Trust me. - she added after a moment.

The dwarf only sighed in understanding.

For the first time in a very long time, Hawke could think about building her life anew, and that prospect filled her with sincere hope.

The End

Thank you all for taking this journey with me. I'm glad that platforms like this give the opportunity for people to vent artistically and it was a real pleasure not just to read fanfics but also to write them. I definitely will be back with another story. I think it's time to reach the stars :).