ADD NOTE: I'm thinking Karl and Anders met after he fused with Justice so since Justice never happened – Karl never happened c: (Keep that in mind for later chapters. I'm just adding this in now so I don't forget for later XD) When the chapters comes up when this applies, I will add this part again to the notes. Also, I will be posting a picture soon of Anders outfit in this. Since I don't want him looking ANYTHING like DA:2 – I'm re-designing him with the Awakening look and a different outfit cx Enjoy the chapter! :D
"He-Hello?" Hawke's voice echoed into the darkness that surrounded her.
"Anyone...there?" Hawke's voice shook. Echo.
Hawke hissed, feeling a sharp pain in her wrist. She grabbed onto it and holding it against her chest. She could feel liquid, warm and thick against her hand. Something slit her wrist.
"Who's there?" She yelled moving in a circle, looking around. Another cut on her back, her shirt cutting. Hawke yelled and punching behind her, fire flying from her fists every time she punched the air.
"Who's there?"
Hawke froze, the fire dissipating in her hands.
"Sister?" Hawke shut her eyes.
"N...N..o..." Hawke slowly turned around, forming a fire in her palm to see in front of her. "Bethany..."
"Sister? What's wrong?"
Hawke shut her hand, the fire disappearing, forcing herself not to see Bethany. This wasn't Bethany. It couldn't be. She died...She's dead…
"Mama...Hawke saved me..."
"Go away!" Hawke screaming, tears streaming down her face.
"She took my place. She-"
"No!" Hawke shot her hands towards Bethany, electricity burning and scorching where Bethany once stood.
"I can't believe you're a mage!"
Hawke turned around and saw a young Carver standing with a young Bethany. Part of Carvers shirt was burnt and Bethany was staring down at her hands in awe. Carver growled and pushed Bethany to the ground, "You almost burned me!"
"I-I didn't mean-"
"Hey!" Hawke turned around and saw her younger self running to her siblings, "Carver! Don't touch her!"
"Oh, yes, you bloody mages have to stick together!" Carver yelled, picking up a rock, "Filthy forms of life!"
"Carver!" Hawke yelled, knelling down next to Bethany.
"I'm sorry, sister," Bethany cried into Hawke's shirt.
"Yes, cry, you coward! Mage's are an abomination! You both are disgusting!" Carver threw the rock at Bethany. Hawke stood in front of Bethany, the rocking hitting her back.
"Carver," Hawke warned, looking down at Bethany to make sure she was okay.
"No! It's because of you we had to leave Denerim and move to this...hell!" Carver picked up another rock and threw it at Hawke.
"Carver..." Hawke whispered. She could feel the anger inside her again. She shut her eyes, knowing what came next.
"You filthy mages and-"
"Enough!" Hawke turned around, twisting her hand around towards Carver. Carver flew back from the impact of the fire ball. Hawke's eyes glowed with hatred as she stalked towards Carver.
"Don't you ever talk that way about our family!" Hawke walked through the fire, coming out on the other side untouched and unscathed.
"Sister-" Bethany stood up, hearing screaming from further into the forest.
"If it wasn't for mages, you wouldn't be alive right now!" Hawke screamed, throwing her hand above her head and swinging it down towards the ground. A patch of lightning hit the ground inches in front of Carver.
"Sister!" Bethany screamed, running around the fire towards Hawke, "Templar's!"
Hawke quickly went into action, "Run home. Take the route I taught you-"
"What about you?" Bethany had tears in her eyes, knowing very well she might never see her sister again.
"I'll be fine," Hawke smiled, "Just go." Bethany was the first to leave, Hawke grabbed onto Carver, picking him up.
"If she goes to a circle-"
"I'll protect her," Carver stared at Hawke, scared, "I-I promise."
"I will hurt you if I find out you didn't protect her."
"Why are you doing this?" Hawke screamed into the darkness, falling onto her knees as she heard the Templar's run into the clearing. Hands grabbed at her, swords were drawn.
"Let me go!" Hawke screaming, fire escaping with every flick of her wrists.
"No!" Hawke screamed, being forced onto the ground. A templar laid on her, binding her hands together. A templar sword came across her throat, threatening, daring her to move and get hurt.
"No! Go-" Her thrashing made her jaw cut against the sword. A scream.
"-Away!" Hawke screamed, swing a punch in front of her, hitting Anders in the jaw. Hawke pushed herself out of the cot, pushing herself in the corner between the walls. Hawke hugged herself and mumbled over again.
"Go away. Go away. Go away."
"The fuck, Hawke!" Anders groaned, pushing himself up. He looked over the cot and saw Hawke in the corner, rocking herself and mumbling.
"Hawke..?" Anders got up, stepping over the cot. He got on his knees and crawled towards her.
"Go away. Go away. Go away."
Anders tilted his head and waved his hand in front of her face. No reaction. She didn't realize he was there. Anders furrowed his brow and sat next to her. He looked down at his hand as he summoned magic and than looked over at Hawke.
"It's okay." Anders slowly slipped his hand over her eyes. Her mumbling slowly stopped, her rocking coming soon after. Anders slowly took his hand away, Hawke staring blankly in front of her. He sighed, relieved, leaning back onto the wall. Anders let his hand fall to his side, his head turned toward her. He watched her slowly become aware of her surroundings. Hawke's breathing slowed down, no longer hyperventilating. Hawke didn't move, she knew Anders sat next to her. From the pain in her knuckles she assumed she'd hurt him.
"You don't have to talk," Anders held his hand out, "Just give me your right hand. I think you opened a stitch." Hawke looked down at her hand, seeing Anders was right. She could swear she saw her own knuckle when she wiggled her finger around. Holding back her bile, she shoved her hand towards Anders, turning her head away. Anders took her hand in his and placed his other hand over hers, it glowing with healing magic. Anders turned his head back to her, leaning it against the wall. He continued to hold her hand, even after he finished healing the wound.
"You called out a name...while you slept-"
"My sister."
"Bethany." Anders nodded, pulling his hand away, he looked down at hers. Her hand had a lot of scars, most of them in her palm. Burn marks, cuts, stabs. She had cuts on most of her body, a couple of them from the fights he's healed her from.
"Thank you," Hawke mumbled, pulling her hand away. She hugged herself, leaning her shoulder against the wall as she stared ahead.
Anders smiled, "Didn't you say we'd never see each other again after yesterday morning?"
"...You're just so sexy, Anders. How could I stay away?" Hawke said flatly with a small shrug, causing Anders to whine.
"Oh, that hurt. I thought we really had a connection." Anders acted hurt, placing his hand over his heart with a saddened look on his face.
"I'm an occupational hazard." Hawke mumbled.
"Being you makes you a hazard? Or...being a mage?" Anders spoke in a whisper. He was ready to defend himself, knowing Hawke may very well lash out at him for finding out. Hawke never replied but Anders knew he was right when he saw her pull out her phylactery and clutch onto it a couple minutes later.
"You can stay the night," Anders pushed himself off the ground, "Well...you have to stay the night. You were badly injured and I wouldn't suggest moving back to your underpass until you are fully healed."
Anders started walking away when Hawke grabbed onto his pants, "Don't...Don't leave me...I can't-...I can't..."
Anders nodded, slipped back onto the ground next to her, Hawke resting her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence until Hawke fell asleep, Anders taking that queue to bring her to a cot. He picked her up carefully, Hawke's fingers clutching onto his coat as he brought her to a cot. Setting her down was easy, trying to get out of her grip was harder. Seeing him unable to get Hawke to let go, he decided to bring her to his bed. He walked over to the backroom and stared down at his bed. He wondered when the last time he ever slept on it was.
Too long.
Anders moved the covers down before setting Hawke on the bed. He tried standing up straight, Hawke's fingers still tangled in his coat. Anders rolled his eyes and pulled the covers over Hawke.
"You get under...and I-"
Anders crawled over Hawke, her fingers never letting him go, and laid next to her on top of the blanket.
"-Get over."
Hawke was quickly to move towards Anders warmth. She curled up next to him, him laying on his side supporting his head with his hand. He's lucky she wasn't awake, he was positive by now his face was as red as a tomato. He tried falling asleep in this position, tried ignoring Hawke pressing herself against him, tried to untangle her fingers from his coat.
"How is she still so strong after tonight?" Anders cursed under his breath as he gave up and just let Hawke have her way with him. He sighed and looked down at Hawke.
"Something about you, Hawke...something..."
As he stared down at her, he remembered her. Every sideways glance, every plot to get out of the Tower, she was there. She never told him her name, he never got to see much of her face since she always covered it by a hood, he remembered a small scar, a unique scar. Almost faded entirely now but then it was still fresh, healing. He hesitantly ran his hand over scar on her jaw.
"How could I have forgotten you?" He mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. He decided not to tell her he remembered. She'd gone through enough, all he could do right now was nothing. He somehow fell asleep in the next hour and woke up to Hawke's fingers untangled from his coat. Her back was to him when she spoke, "Both."
"Hmm?" Anders rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stifling in a yawn.
"Both make me an occupational hazard."
"I don't think so." Anders admitted, sitting up, "I'm more of an occupational hazard than you are."
"How?" Hawke mumbled.
"I'm a Grey Warden," Anders clicked his tongue, "Yup. My job is to kill darkspawn. Let's also add that I'm a mage, who at any time can become an abomination – maybe might become a pet to said darkspawn and use me as an abomination death weapon-"
"Abomination death weapon?" Hawke turned her head to look up at Anders.
"Oh, yes," Anders nodded, with a sarcastic tone, "I've fought one and let me tell ya, Hawke – Not. Fun." Hawke rolled her eyes and sat up.
"I've escaped the tower seven times, Hawke. Seven. And would you look at this," Anders tapped on his forehead, "Not tranquil. Just a Warden."
"Anders-"
"I had to kill templars while I was traveling with the Wardens, because they kept coming after me-"
"Anders!" Hawke covered his mouth with her hand, "I get it. You are the ultimate occupational hazard." Anders stared at Hawke as she continued.
"But I'm an apostate. I don't have a banner or title protecting me. I escaped the circle the last time because I had to get to my family – who by time were dead when I already stepped out of that tower. I had a hard time controlling my magic. An even harder time keeping demons away. I can control my magic better, enough to hide it but demons – they are everywhere. Not just the demons that can possess mage's but my own inner demons that I still haven't beaten. I live under stairs. I live next to dead bodies some nights. I protect who I can and try not to cry when I know I have to ignore their cries for help. I wake up covered in blood some nights because people were murdered on top of the stairs."
"I live in Kirkwall, Anders. We live in Kirkwall. The worst place for a mage – an apostate – to be right now; too many templars and mages in one place. Too many men and women wearing the same armor and thinking what they are doing is okay. Anders, I'm scared when I wake up but I'm terrified when I need to sleep. I keep this part of me hidden – from everyone. No one knows I'm a mage – no one knows I even exist anymore. This phylactery is mine. The deaths that came with trying to get this was unneeded. Trying to get here was even harder, more bodies left behind – with Templar's hunting me until I got to the Storm Coast and hid on a ship." During the time Hawke spoke, her hand left Anders mouth.
"Hawke, I-"
"You have the Grey Wardens protecting you, Anders," She stared at him intently, "I have no one protecting me."