Chapter 91

"Great. Just great. I knew helping my sister and Varric was a good idea. They always seem to know where the best parties are."

Varric chuckled mirthlessly. "Oh, Junior, I've missed your bitching."

"Be that as it may," Marian glanced at Alistair, "I didn't know he could do that."

"Oh, he can." Alistair frowned. "And he knows he should stop because it freaks me out."

Smiling to himself, Aedan disengaged the flames that had sprouted all over his body. A long time ago, he'd picked up a few tricks that had served him in the Fade. They paid off well over the years.

"With blood magic too, I'll bet," Marian muttered under her breath.

Aedan smiled at that too. She looked at him differently now. He could see that. The Inquisitor had recovered her memories, showing all present how he, and the Wardens at Haven, had been responsible for the Divine's death.

"That's unfair, sister," Carver said hotly. "You should know better than anybody how Corypheus can control Wardens. You've seen it with Anders. You've seen it with me."

"We can have this debate once we're outside," Alistair said sternly, shutting up the Hawke siblings.

Aedan said nothing. Everything changed, everything ended. This was no different. The main concern, as Alistair pointed out, was getting out of the Fade, where a great big demon who had been feeding on peoples' fears since times immemorial resided. The Nightmare demon was leading Corypheus's demon army. Stopping it would leave the magister with no army, as the helpful spirit had pointed out.

Ahh, there's nothing like a Grey Warden, boomed the Nightmare's voice. Like Blackwall. Who is nothing like a Grey Warden.

The thing had been taunting them for a good while, and had now resorted to personal insults. Blackwall bristled, but said nothing. Aedan patted his shoulder.

"You've shown your mettle by commanding the Wardens at Adamant," he told him. "At ease."

The man nodded, smiling tightly. Aedan kept moving on.

Dirth ma, harellan, the demon now spoke in Elvehn to Solas, who frowned. Ma banal enasalin. Mar Solas ena mar din.

Aedan glanced at him curiously, but the mage was calm.

"Banal nadas," he replied evenly.

"What're they saying?" Alistair asked in Aeadn's ear.

"'Speak, rebel. You care for nothing but victory. Your pride will be your death,'" he replied in a whisper. "'Nothing is inevitable' was the reply."

"What's that mean?"

"No clue. But solas means pride."

"Huh."

Once again, Hawke is in danger because of you, Varric. You found the red lyrium. You brought Hawke here... haven't you done enough?

Marian and Carver exchanged a look but Varric grunted.

"Just keep talking, Smiley."

In response, the demon chuckled. Evidently, it greatly approved.

"That's the nastiest laugh I've ever heard," Alistair commented.

That was the King's bastard, was it? Did you think you could prove yourself by coming here? It's far too late for that. Your whole life, you've left everything to more capable hands. The archdemon, the throne of Ferelden... all for the love of a bloodthirsty whore. Who will you hide behind now?

"Is that all it's got?" Alistair sighed. "It's sad that I've heard worse than that from Morrigan. But I guess roasting people takes actual talent."

Aedan snorted. The insults were getting more... elaborate. The demon was trying to stay in control. And failing. Which meant that they were getting closer to the exit.

Ahh, little Marian Hawke has come to visit me. Oh, apologies. That is Carver. My mistake. As always, you are in your big sister's shad-

"Shut up!" Carver shouted, waving his fist skywards. "You shut your Blighted mouth, demon! Not another word!" He clapped his hands over his ears. "Lalalalalalalala!"

Speaking of which, did you think you mattered, Marian? Did you think anything you did truly mattered? You couldn't even save your city. Did you think you could strike down a god? You let Anders die, just like your family, and anyone else you care about will die knowing you were a failure!

Marian sniffed. "How much vocal training d'you reckon it must have taken to say all that in one breath?"

"Hawke said sarcastically," Varric chimed in.

"I still hate it when you do that."

"Hawke said in an angry aside to the dwarf."

And who does that leave? Ah, yes. The Hero of Ferelden. How long it has been since I have feasted upon your nightmares, how I have missed your fears. You have been betrayed ever since Duncan came into your life. First, dear Uncle Howe took your family, then Loghain took the Wardens, and then Morrigan left you after she took what she wanted from you. You are nothing but someone to be used, always in service of making the 'right' choices. How often do you have to console yourself that all you have destroyed, everything you have sacrificed, was for the best? One of these days you will make a wrong choice and everyone you hold dear, your Wardens and your friends, will be forfeit! Nothing you ever did amounted to anything. A small paragraph in a textbook in some abandoned library. That is all that will be left of you.

He felt all eyes burn into his back. The most elaborate one yet had been saved for him. Aedan smiled at that, slightly honoured. It'd basically confirmed that he feared nothing anymore.

"We're close," he said aloud, cheerfully. "Hear the rain upon the leaves, above the sky lies grey. A shred of blue would be denied. Alas, he could not stay."

It was an old song that the Wardens used to sing. Who composed it, nobody knew. It was well known in the Warden ranks and Aedan rather liked it.

He heard Blackwall chuckle. "There was a stir within his blood, and the dreams lay thick upon him. A call did beat within his heart. One road was left before him."

"See how the rain has washed away," Alistair chimed in, "The tears that you were crying? Though the darkness calls me down, you know we all are dying."

Even Carver Hawke took up the song. "And so he came upon the place, where so many tread before. One last look upon the world, before he crossed that final door."

The words gave Aedan gooseflesh. Every time, without fail. It energised him. In a realm ruled by fear, singing the song of death cheerfully was the most apt 'fuck you' he could imagine.

So Aedan grinned wide as he sang the next verse: "Birds reel across the endless sky, above a house upon the plain. In memory she sings to him of a time before the rain."

Then the Wardens, together, chorused the last stanza.

"Sweet Andraste, hear our song, for his road will be ours, too. Before darkness claims our souls, let us see that shred of blue."

"And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we've reached the end of the line," Aedan announced, laughing, as he unsheathed his sword. His blood stirred, calling every fibre of his being to action. "Before you, you'll see a portal back to Adamant, with a great big spider fuck barring our way."

Except, he didn't have to do anything. None of them did. The spirit that had appeared to them as Justinia appeared before them again. It whispered something in Alistair's ear before diving at the Nightmare demon, resulting in a furious explosion.

"That tears it," Varric grunted as the ground began rumbling. "Let's get outta here before Smiley can regroup."

"Good idea!" Marian cried. "Carver, help me throw this dwarf!"

"With pleasure!"

"What? No! Nobody throws dwarves!"

Those were the last words out of Varrics's mouth before he was thrown through the portal by the Hawke siblings, followed by Blackwall and Solas. But before the rest could make it through, the giant spider was back, standing between them and the portal as the Fade warped and broke around them.

"We need to clear a path," Ellana said. Marian nodded.

"Go," she declared. "I'll cover you."

"My ass you will!" Carver responded and stomped over to his sister. "The Great, Mighty Champion, sacrificing herself for her worthless little brother? I think not!"

"Are you fucking serious right now? I won't let you die for some stupid heroism stunt!"

"I'm not asking your permission, Marian! You're the only family I have left! I am not leaving you behind!"

"Corypheus is my responsibility!"

"He's our responsibility. We released him."

The two had themselves a moment of understanding right there and Aedan knew exactly what was going through their minds.

"Say goodbye to Var-hey wait a second!"

"Commander, what-"

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to waste. So, switching to his golem form, Aedan picked up a Hawke in each hand and threw them through the portal, between the spider's many legs. It screeched and positioned itself better, completely blocking the portal.

"You even think about throwing me and I'll slap you," Alistair told him as he returned to normal.

"I won't," Aedan replied as he opened up his sword belt and pushed it against Alistair's chest. He smiled. "That's for my son. Look after him. Two uncles are better than one."

"What? No-"

Aedan put his hand behind Alistiar's head and pulled his forehead to his. "The Wardens did this, and they need to rebuild. That's your job. This is my final order to you as Fereldan Commander of the Grey: Live, and be the Commander they need right now. You can do it. You always could." He then pushed him towards Ellana.

"It's been an honour, Alistair Theirin," he said with a smile as flames sprouted all over his body. "Now go be a fucking Grey Warden."

He threw a fireball at the spider's face and it screeched, starting to amble towards him and away from the portal. Aedan started running while firing balls at the spider.

In War, Victory.

He watched Ellana push a struggling Alistair through the portal, then glance at him one last time before jumping through herself.

In Peace, Vigilance.

Smiling, Aedan stopped and faced the Nightmare demon. The portal was shut from the other end.

In Death, Sacrifice.

"Now," he said, standing tall. He had nothing to fear. Not anymore. "Show me what I'm afraid of."

So, it did.

A/N: I love you, too.