.xxxviii.
This can't be, it can't be them. Her friends there, in front of her, and Danarius dead. It must be another trick. What is he trying to get from her? More secrets? Still trying to break her spirit? Whatever he's attempting, it won't work, she won't let it. She has to be strong. She has to end this. She can't remember why or how but she has to find a way. It's her job, it's her responsibility. She remembers that, at the very least, even if everything else it just out of reach, hazy but insistent thoughts.
The demon with white hair rises from Danarius' corpse -good riddance, if only she could have been the one to deliver the killing blow-, and turns to her, face changing from blood lust to... pity? Is that pity on it's face? How dare it look at her like that. She is not some powerless thrall, and she will not succumb to their lies. And why does he look so familiar? She feels like she should know the face, but it must be another trick. Nothing can be trusted. These things cannot be trusted, even if they did Kill Danarius.
"Hawke," the white haired demon says, approaching her, and she stumbles back, her legs not working the way she expected them to. The world tilts dangerously, and she throws out a hand to catch herself, using a pillar to keep her upright.
"Stay back, demon," she hisses, doing her best to sound threatening, but her mouth feels like it's filled with cotton, and the words come out more garbled than she had intended. She tries again, "Stay back," but it's only slightly less incomprehensible.
"Sister!" a demon in the form of a dark haired man calls her, and why does he look so familiar too? He doesn't look threatening, despite his gleaming blood covered armor and massive sword, she almost wants to trust him, maybe- NO! More illusions!
"Back," she utters again, backing away, but she's running out of floor. If they keep pursuing her, she will gave to fight him- it. She doesn't want to, she's too weak, too disoriented, and she's grasping for a clarity that doesn't seem to be there, but these demons are powerful, and they're looking at her with as much confusion as she feels. Convincing actors.
"Blessed are... blessed are.." she starts, but she can't call forth the words. Blessed are what?
"Hawke, please, we need to go," another speaks, a ginger dwarf, holding out his hand placatingly. "It's us. It's me, Varric."
Flashes, bright and blinding in her mind, she knows him, she can remember the pungent scent of ale and the worn edges of playing cards, silver and golden coins rolling across a table and laughter, racous and loud and carefree and... happy.
"Varric?" she chokes, trying to hold back tears. These monsters are truly soulless that they would tease her with the image of one of her best friends.
"Yes, it's me, the real thing."
"The real Varric is-" she falters. She can't remember why but he isn't here. He can't be here. "You're- I will not be fooled demon." She forces herself to full height, brushing her arm against the pillar, and cold fire shoots up her arm with such force it makes her stumble, crying out. The pain is the worst she's ever felt, she's sure, but when the demons surge forward again with the false pretense of aiding her she ignores and draws herself up, lifting her hands menacingly. "Leave me or I will destroy you."
"She thinks to fight us?" Another demon speaks, showing his true form. Blue light crackles over the face of a blonde man, another guise to confuse her because she knows that face, even if she can't place it. "She has been influenced by the corrupt magister."
"Oh, piss off, Justice," another says, in the image of a shapely woman with dark hair, "No one invited you."
"Prove your allegiance, Hawke. Come with us, or you are one of them and we will act accordingly."
"Anders!" the demon with bright red hair and flashing green eyes snaps, "Get in control."
Their gambit must be to play both sides, villain and hero. Clever, but not enough. Lightning crackles in the air around her at her beckon. Most everything else is foggy, but magic is clear, every movement, every word of every spell is still strong within her mind. "I will give you a last warning. Leave, before I make you."
The blue demon plows through it's compatriots, glowing with unspent power. "Very well, Hawke, you've made your stance known."
"No!" the white haired one roars, flinging himself bodily in front of the other. "Her mind has been tampered with!" The blue one shoves him out of the way and keeps making for her, magically blocking the others from approaching him.
"Your emotion blinds you," he speaks as he approaches. "I will deal with this matter. It will be a pity to loose an ally to the cause of mages."
"It will not be a pity to rid the world of one more of your kind," Hawke sneers, launching at him, powered by fear and rage. Immediately she can tell it must be some different kind of demon than the one she was expecting. It fights differently, with control and refined power, catching her mid charge with a spirit bolt, which she just barely shields herself from. It's attack leaves it open and she flings a volley of fireballs, sliding past it and attacking from it's exposed flank with a burst of lighting.
It betrays no weakness, just turns and continues to attack.
"Hawke, please! Don't fight him! This isn't what you think!" a demon that looks like a petite elf with wide, terrified eyes calls from beyond the magical barrier the demon has erected, trying to find a way through.
"Enough. I will end this," the blue one proclaims, raising his hands. Massive clouds of fire well up on the stone ceiling above her. The other demons scream, but she can barely hear it over the pounding of her heart as the fire falls. Not thinking, just reacting, she deflects the fire into the demon, hitting him multiple times. She almost manages to miss them all, but she looks up just in time to see the biggest plummet directly at her.
Fire engulfs everything.
Author's Note: Happy Friday night everyone! I'm celebrating the weekend with a new update (I've been taking so long i'm sorry!)! Maybe I'll be able to get some work done, finally! Haha yeah...
So Hawke isn't exactly on her a game, is she? This has been a tough several months for her, though. Now the only question is: will it get better or worse from here?
MC: *broken weeping* You sweetheart! Nah, slitting his throat was way too cliched! She had to have her own, personal form of revenge, since she didn't get the honors of cutting him down. Thinking about Leto trying to find a way to protect his family keeps me awake at night. Why do these things happen:(
IDRKIt'sme: Don't worry, it's the good kind of stress! I'm glad you were satisfied! I was so worried it wan't going to be enough. Maybe I'm just bloodthirsty, but I wouldn't mind killing him again.
Knifeinthedarkness: I avoided the swiss cheese just for you! I love Anders dearly, even when he's being Justice-y. But yeah, as you can see it went from 'Justice yeah!' to "JustICE NO' pretty quick. That's just how he rolls.
nekochan: Your hatred inspires me:3
Avatarfan444: I actually had a couple suggestions for killing Danarius. A good deal of them features castration.
Secret Companion: Usually I'm 100% o 0%, black or white, angst or sunshine and rainbows, but I'll try to balance it out, even if I do two separate endings.
ElyssaCousland: So many of you guys have recommended both, I'm sort of leaning toward it!
Ah, your responses make me really happy! I'm so glad I didn't disappoint!
Next up: Is Hawke doing to be okay? Is Anders going to be okay? Is anything going to be okay? *cough cough* proabbaly not *cough* Stay tuned!