WARNING
I do not own the characters of Dragon Age. Some dialogs, words and phrases are created by Bioware and belongs to them. This fics was written with the purpose of providing a fun time to everyone.
ALL THAT REMAINS:
ANDERS
by
Airshadow
Anders sighed and looked around; he wanted to be sure that he had all the things that they needed for the sad task that lay ahead. The Ex-Grey Warden had picked up not only a stretcher, but also a sheet to cover Leandra's remains. Whatever he could do to make things easier for Hawke, he would gladly do it. He sighed one more time while he sat down in a corner of his clinic. Aveline and the others would arrive soon.
"Do you care for her a lot, don't you?"said an inner voice that he knew well.
"I do", He admitted, "Hawke is a great woman and her mother deserved something better... Few noble-born would throw away titles and riches to marry a suspected apostate".
"And you expect that she does the same...?", Justice replied, annoyed. "The Spirit of Love lacks of common sense."
"You don't approve of her, I presume".
"She is a distraction.", he stated plainly.
"But, remember that when you possessed Kristoff's body you started to have feelings for his wife".
"It isn't the same. I was starting to live in this alien world, all things were new that time and in consequence they were attractive. Besides, I had an in sight of Kristoff's heart and desire something more than what I am is proper of a spirit...Is Jealousy what you feel?".
"Anders?"
A familiar voice caught his attention. He quickly looked at his Clinic's entrance, Aveline had arrived; surprisingly, Isabela was with her. Isabela and Aveline together without fighting? That was unusual.
Isabela noticed the blue glow in his eyes. "No, Justice...Justice, is Anders there?' Can we speak with Anders?"
"There is not need to scream, Isabela, it's me", Anders rolled his eyes, and Justice seemed to fade away into the back of his mind.
"You were glowing..." Aveline said, in a lower tone than usual. "Are you sure that you have that...thing under control?"
"Yes, let's go", he replied dryly, while he took the stretcher and the sheet. The group walked towards the exit.
- o0o -
The road towards The Foundry District was plagued with bad memories, and that rainy night didn't make anything better. While they were walking through the deserted streets, Anders remembered some hours ago when Hawke had stormed in his Clinic, after she had realized that things weren't all right, and her mother was missing; since then, she was rallying her closest friends in a desperate race to rescue her.
He wasn't surprised to see Sebastian, the Grand Cleric's pet, as one of her companion. The Choir-boy always jumped to action if a good deed was involved. What really pissed him off was the presence of Fenris. How he dared to still wear the red band that she gave him and her family's crest; he had cast her away after had his fun, as if she were nothing.
Anders' memories continued haunt him when they arrived in Lowtown, he remembered the anguish in Hawke's voice while they followed the blood's trail, now gone by the rain.
"Are you all right, Anders?" Aveline asked.
The storm raged as if the sky itself was screaming for vengeance; Anders noticed it, and looking at the Guard Captain, said "This shouldn't have happened to her! Dionne... I mean, Hawke, is a good woman, and Leandra was a sweet, caring mother... Why has such horrible things happened to them? That's not fair!".
"Why don't you ask that to Justice?", she replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "This is the sort of subject that he would enjoy speaking about".
Anders bit his lip and they continued traveling through the alleys; soon they would reach the foundry. When they were inside that place, the trip was easy and quick, and the best of all, without abominations and demons running amok. He knew that they where in the right direction when they reached Quentin's chambers.
"What is this?" said Aveline when she saw the place full of papers, furniture, demon remains, and a painting of a woman that looked like someone as she knew. Anders remembered with sadness that what had happened here was the prelude of Hawke's pain.
"What is this?" Hawke asked when she looked at the center piece of the elaborated altar. "The woman at the portrait...looks like my mother."
"A shrine dedicated to a wife? A sister?", He had theorized.
"This man is either very devoted or very insane..." Fenris had muttered.
Anders would have rather become Tranquil before agreeing with him...but he was right. He looked at the Guard Captain and answered "The reason that we are here..." he started to move towards the nearby corridor and added "If you think that Blood Magic is bad... Necromancy is the worst".
"Necromancy?" Aveline repeated, shocked, before she started to follow him.
"You know...if I ever do something so pathetic as this, do me a favor and stick a dagger in my eye" commented Isabela while she walked behind them.
- o0o -
Two blue eyes had met brown ones. They were desperately imploring for help in a way more eloquent than words could say. The Maker knew how much he wanted to be, in that moment, the most powerful healer of the world and save her beloved mother...
"It's nothing I can do", whispered Anders. "His magic was keeping her alive..."
"I knew that you would come" Leandra smiled grimly, while her daughter cradled the broken corpse in which her spirit was trapped.
"I tried to find you..."
"I get to see Bethany again... and your father..." Leandra said with difficulty, while every one present could see how slowly the life was leaving her. "But you will be here alone..."
"I should have watched over you more closely... I should've..."
"My little girl has become so strong... I love you... You always made me so proud..."
- o0o -
"By the Maker!", Aveline exclaimed, "Is this where it all happened...?"
"Yes", he replied, while he watched the room full of the remains of the demons, corpses, among others aberrations. The Mage walked through the room, leading his friends towards some shiny spots, "It's there. I'll cast a spell around her, in order to avoid another…profanation".
Aveline nodded and spoke softly, "Fenris will come with some of my guards and..."
"I thought that we are here to pick up Leandra."
"Taking the in count the...circumstances, the tongues will wage and the Chantry may like to make some inquiries" replied Aveline "I never thought that I would say this, but I don't like that anything here reveals that you two are mages. Rumors have started to reach Meredith and I don't know what could happen, if she decides to act..."
"I understand.." With a movement of his hand, he removed the force field revealing what remains of Hawke's Mother.
"What's wrong, Anders? You have been very quiet," Isabela asked with curiousity. "The only theme that you have been talking about in the last hours is 'Dionne this, Dionne that'... It's surpassing the popularity of your 'Freedom for the Mages' speech".
"Fenris should stay away from Dionne!" he confessed with a jealous tone. "He is only hurting her. I know that I'm not in any position to criticize, but she needs someone more open minded and kind her life. Fenris is just as civilized as a wild dog".
"Oh", Isabela replied in her characteristic teasing voice. "Has the Mage-boy fell in love with the Mage-girl? Are you planning to have with her some magic-toddlers or do you just want to have your own one-fun-night?"
"Shut up, Whore!" Aveline shot back, and looking angrily at the man, added, "And you... Hawke isn't a little girl that just left the Chantry's School. She knows perfectly what she's doing; you and Fenris have to stop fighting in front of her. She has enough things to worry about, without having to continually avoid you two killing each other!" Aveline sighed. "We should move, and as soon as we have finished this, we have to give her a little peace".
- o0o -
Dawn was starting to appear in the horizon, and the working class of Kirkwall started to leave their homes and go to their jobs. During his trip trough the Darktown's corridors, Anders was able to hear the whispers and part of conversations related with what was known as the "Case of the White Lilly Murders" and how one of the victims was Dionne's Mother.
The Mage hastened his pace towards his clinic; he was fed up with those leeches that preyed on the pain of the others. He wouldn't be surprised if some of them would go to the funerals more for curiosity than show they respects.
Anders arrived at his home. He hadn't expected anyone, so he could sit down and meditate...maybe take a nap. He walked towards his bedroom; It was a small chamber, but enough big to hold a little table and a pallet. Its walls and floor were covered with decayed wood and its only light source was a smelly oil lamp that he lit using his magic.
He settled into his pallet and turned out the light. He needed some sleep. His mind flew towards that damned place inside the Foundry District, which now was a slaughterhouse, and what happened there after they had made Quentin pay for what he had done.
He remembered that the Tevinter elf and the Grand Cleric's pet had moved towards Dionne. While Fenris was embracing Hawke, who couldn't stop to sob, Sebastian gently retired her from the twisted mockery of what Leandra had become and said some prayers for the rest of her soul. Anders recalled that Fenris had walked out of the place, still holding her and leading the way towards the nearby exit. He could swear that, as soon as they were close to him, the elf looked him as if he was challenging him.
It didn't make any sense. It was obvious what had happened between them, and were it anyone else, they'd be clawing at each other's throats. Why did she still trust him?
" Jealous?", Justice asked.
" Let me alone!"
" I told you: Love lacks of common sense."