Hawke paused, fighting the urge to slit his own throat. His muscles strained to keep the blade at bay. NO! Fight it Hawke, please! Jennifer yelled into her own head, frantic. "Anders! Quick!"
Anders peered at Hawke, seemingly trying to stop her magic as well. He straightened, his hand glowing blue. "Let go of my friends!" He swiped his hand down, breaking the spell, Jennifer staggered backwards onto her butt with a undignified oomph!
Hawke stepped forward. "W-what are you doing?" She cried. "Stop that! Stop that now!" She backed away towards the wall, but Hawke was upon her, sinking his blade deep into her belly, she gasped and gurgled before falling to the floor dead. He turned back towards the group.
Jennifer awkwardly got up, rubbing her backside. Anders winced. "I've got the mother of all hangovers. I really hate blood mages." He staggered his eyes flickering blue. Well that's different. "We should search the room. Maybe we'll learn who she's working with." And they did, Fenris looked around uncomfortably till Hawke found a book and a scribbled letter. "Looks like we are going to the Undercity."
They quickly left the brothel the conversations from nearby floating to Jennifer's ears. "He didn't really ask you to wear a feathered boa, did he?" Asked a woman, but the door shut before the reply.
-ooo-
They ran to Darktown, weaving between the people. They came upon a hatch set deep into the ground. Hawke pried the wooden door up and off, then slipped inside, Jennifer fell in, her foot slipping on a rung of the step ladder and landing in Fenris' arms. She chuckled nervously and Fenris cleared her throat before dropping her unceremoniously to her feet. Again… TURD!
She looked around, "A whole sactuary of blood mages. I hope we can handle them all." She bit her lip nervously before following behind Hawke.
"I'm sure we can. What's a little blood magic?" He flashed a cock-sure grin and continued on. When they hit a large corridor, shade and abominations emerged from the ground, hissing. They all fought, Jennifer preferred fighting demons it wasn't as sickening when their skulls were crushed beneath her weapon. As the last demon fell they moved on. As they turned a corner, more demons emerged. "Here we go again!" Hawke cried as he leapt into battle once again.
On it went as they wound their way through the underground sanctuary. By the time they found Keran, that were bruised and battered but still whole. Keran muttered as he was suspended in air. "Mother! The lights!"
When Hawke slowly approached him, a woman approached, he was shrewed looking and dressed in robes. "How wonderful." Her posse stepped up behind her, wearing masks. "More vessels for our experiments."
Hawke scowled at her. "Perhaps the demons will find one of you suitable." The mage smiled.
"Can you mages ever say no?" Anders asked angrily.
"I am not some hopeless waif that ran crying to a demon. I sought them out and embraced them!" She declared, holding her fist before her.
"Why have you taken the recruits?" Hawke asked.
"Demons can inhabit much more than mages and corpses." She smiled. "With assistance, they can control anyone I ask! Any Templar, and noble, and any well-meaning meddler!" She replied threateningly.
"You do know I cut a path through your abominations, right?" Hawke countered.
"Good! Good!" She replied crazily. "The demon's like spirit. If a few more Templars fall prey to the demons, we can seed chaos in their ranks!" She smiled. "How many demons can they find amongst their own before it drives the Knight-Commander crazy!" She giggled in delirious delight.
Jennifer stared unblinkingly at the mage. "The experiments need so much fuel, you see. Some of the vessels are found wanting. Useless vessels can still feed the compost heap, so it's not a complete waste." She crazy!
"Have you no regard for human life?!" Jennifer asked appalled.
The mage turned to her. "In days of old, the Tevinter Imperium spanned the known world! Demons were their allies… held in check by knowledge and power." She scowled. "With a wave of a hand I can do more than a Templar can achieve in a lifetime! Yet they command us? Absurd!" She drew her staff and stepped forward. "We should be ruling them… we should rule you all!"
She brought her staff to the ready a spell on her hands, "Kill the vessels only if you must!"
The mages exploded in a flurry of spells and cantrips. Jennifer bobbed and weaved, aiming for the leader. The mage surrounded herself in a shield and Jennifer's attacks were pointless, so she moved to a nearby opponent, keeping Tarohne in her sights. Slowly the enemies dwindled. The group were low on energy. More than one of them making costly mistakes that prolonged the battle. Jennifer tried to focus, but as the battle continued, she grew tired and sluggish, No! I need to keep fighting! A spell washed through her and she got a quick burst of energy.
She looked back to Anders with a word of thanks, but he was too busy with another spell on his lips healing Fenris who had sliced on his black from hip to shoulder blade. Tarohne's shield dissipated and she began casting furiously, frantic to win the battle. A haphazard spell hit Jennifer square in the chest and she flew into the wall, she saw stars and grunted in pain. "Ow… Owie ow. OW." She swayed as she got back up. "Not cool." She jumped back in, the effects of Anders spell still coursing through her. She quickly made her way towards the mage leader, she dodged another spell, the mages mana was dwindling. "No! I will succeed!" Jennifer ran up to her, swiping her with her mace, right along her temple. The mage collapsed onto the ground, blood seeping from her wound.
They looked at the man suspended in the air, and walked towards him, whatever enchantment held him, disbursed as they approached and he fell to the ground with a grunt. Hawke crouched beside him. "Is it.." He looked around. "Is it over?"
"Poor guy." Jennifer whispered."
Hawke helped him to his feet. "Keran?" Hawke asked.
"Yes, that's my name." He rubbed his stiff neck. "Oh thank the Maker… I thought he had abandoned me."
Fenris stepped forward speaking quietly, "Be careful, he could be possessed."
Hawke looked at Anders. "Is there any chance he could be carrying an extra passenger?" He asked, gesturing to Keran.
Anders stepped forward, looking briefly at Jennifer. "Well, there is one way of finding out." He shot a simple electric spell, enough for show, but not enough to harm, at Keran. He backpedalled, crying out. "If there was a demon in there, he would have protected himself." Anders stepped back, looking at Jennifer with a strange look. What's he thinking?
"Don't tell the Templars," He pleaded. "I don't know what they would do to me." He looked away. "Please I need to go back tell them I'm alright. Tell my sister… I-I must go." He walked off, leaving the others behind.
When he left, Jennifer rubbed her head furiously trying to relieve the ache. "Son of a biscuit! That really stings!"
Anders smiled and walked up to her, his hands glowed as he massaged her head. "Better?" She ache ebbed away, leaving an almost euphoric sensation before his hand pulled away. She nodded and smiled brightly in thanks. He returned the smile with a quirk of his lips and they ascended the stairs to head back towards the gallows. Anders walked up to Hawke and spoke softly to him, "Try to downplay the blood mage bit when talking with Ser Cullen." Hawke nodded in agreement and they continued on.
As they approached, Keran was in his recruitment's garb and he and his sister were embracing. Hawke stepped towards Cullen, "I've got some good news, and some bad news."
Cullen turned towards him, "What? What is it?"
Hawke pointed to Keran, "Good news, Keran is safe." At the mention of his name, Keran and Macha turned towards Hawke. "Bad news, half of your recruits may have been possessed by demons."
"Sweet blood of Andraste!" Cullen exclaimed.
"d-demons?" Macha stammered. "Did you say something about the recruits and demons?" She backed away from Keran.
Keran glared pointedly at Hawke. "I didn't want to tell you, Macha. They… they were horrible. Those mages see the rest of us as ants to be crushed. They won't stop until they've destroyed the Templars and the Chantry forever."
"Tarohne was crazy." Hawke explained. "Magic didn't make her that way."
"True, not every mage gives into temptation." Cullen looked pointedly at the group. Anders stiffened next to Jennifer. "But none are ever free of it." He stepped forward. "At any time, any mage could become a monster, from the lowest apprentice to the most seasoned echanters. Mages cannot be treated like people. They are not like you and me."
"Surely that's a little harsh." Macha said.
"They are weapons. They have the power to light the city on fire in a fit of pique." Such prejudice. Such hatred. I should read on the history of mages for the reasons why people fear them so much…
"I admit that does reduce their bargaining position." Anders glared at the back of Hawke's head. "But there must be some middle ground."
Cullen complied with the possibility that Templars and mages may act unfairly towards one another, then turned towards Keran, revoking his position into knighthood. Hawke and Cullen bickered about Keran keeping his position and was rewarded for the recruits safe return. As they were turning to leave, Cullen abruptly halted them with his next words. "I will have the mage companion you bring with you."
Hawke turned around. "What?"
"When we fought the demons I sensed magic. You travel with a mage and I will have him now." Anders acted like he was going to flee when Cullen stepped forward intimidatingly. "I hate to do this after you had helped one of our own, but understand we cannot let the mages go free."
Hawke seemed like he was about to curse and argue and generally cause a seen that could get one or all of them killed when Jennifer stepped forward and looked Cullen straight in the eye. "I am the mage."
AN: Dum dum duuuuuuum!