A/N: This chapter is dedicated to a good friend of mine, ChasingTheWind, who convinced me that I should post these stories. She is an amazing writer. You should go read her stories. One of them has...wind in it…WIND! Like Linka in that cartoon…uhmm…Captain Planet. Wasn't she cool? And…I'm blabbering. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and I'm terrified of law suits... Please read and have fun…you can review if you have time.
Sisters
Marian Hawke, eldest daughter of Malcolm Hawke, vanquisher of qunari, champion of Kirkwall, fearless leader, knew she was in trouble. It started like it always does; a letter arrived at her mansion in Hightown baring a request to investigate a cave at the Wounded Coast. The letter came with 30 silvers which Hawke gave to Oriana, her elven servant, to do as she wishes. Wealth was no longer a problem for the Champion and she can afford to be pretty generous these days. Rather these requests are a means for Marian to have fun and help the city while she's at it. But Marian Hawke got more than what she bargained for when she saw an army of undead, possibly possessed by demons, when she arrived at the cave entrance.
"Do not worry, sister, I am with you," Bethany Hawke, younger sister of Marian and senior enchanter of the Circle, reassured her sister with a gentle pat on her back. She turned to the army of undead who seem to be waiting for them to make the first move.
"It's a good thing I thought of bringing you along, Bethy," Hawke smiled at the mage beside her. Marian pulled out her twin daggers, gave her sister a wink before disappearing in cloud of smoke and instantly appearing behind one of the undead monsters. She stabbed the monster's head with one of her blades while slashing another one's throat beside her.
Bethany held her staff high as it glow a bluish hue, the black obsidian staff felt cold in her hands as mana was channeled from her to the weapon she held. The eyes of the three dragons that decorated the top of the staff shined crimson. Bethany felt the surge of freezing magic in her staff and she struck the ground before her. Dozens of undead were impaled by frozen spikes that burst from the ground. Some of the creature froze, others were mangled, but some remained intact, their black, putrid blood stains the translucent spikes.
Marian was a whirlwind of blades. Her attacks flowed smoothly, as one blade sliced an undead the other one was wrenched free from another's back. She went from one monster to the next, inflicting shallow wounds that were not fatal. Bethany was curious of her sister's action and was about to question her when she saw the most gruesome sight. One by one the undead that Marian had wounded each began to fall. Their flesh was rotting at a quicker rate, the black muck that was once blood began to boil, their bones seem to melt, and finally they lie motionless on the ground. Deader than dead.
"Maker's breath, Sister! How did you do that?" Bethany gasped and averted her gaze from the piles of rotting flesh before her. "Augh! I think I'm gonna be sick!"
Marian was beside his sister now with a huge grin plastered on her face. "You like it, Bethy? 'Tis a gift from Mordin. Rachnai blood! I coated my daggers with it before coming here."
"You are spending too much time with that…that…" Bethany said while trying to stop her breakfast from escaping her stomach, "Lizard!"
"Technically, salarians are amphibians," Hawke reasoned.
Bethany was about to tell her sister off when they both heard a fearsome roar that echoed inside the dark cave. Before the Hawke sisters was a creature of immense size. The monster seem to be made out of the remains of the undead they've slayed. Different rotting body parts seem to be stitched together by their very sinews. Black bile was flowing out of what appears to be its mouth. The creature began to advance on them, each step shaking the very ground they stood on. This was it. Marian could feel it. This is the final monster to be slayed.
"Bethany, just like what we've plan. Cover me from a safe distance, distract it as much as you can while I go in for the kill," Marian didn't wait for Bethany's reply. She trusts her sister completely. They were going to be victorious.
She is just a few paces from the monster. She could smell the putrid stench coming from the rotting corpse that composed the creature. Marian, vanished in a cloud of smoke as a giant fist came crashing down on the ground she previously stood on. The creature screamed as Marian attacks it from behind; she vanished again then appeared on top of the creature, driving his daggers through its head. The creature trashed violently and succeeds in throwing Marian off. But the champion was ready, and landed on her feet, smiling with confidence.
"Bethany! Now!" shouted Marian.
The eldest Hawke was greeted with the terrifying sound of silence. Her confident smile faded, replaced with worry. She looked to her sister and saw that she has not moved at all. She just stood there, looking like one of the tranquil mages. She could not believe her eyes. They were so close. So close to victory and…
"Maker…"
Marian looks down and saw what appears to be a sword jutting out from her abdomen. It was dripping with blood. Her blood. And she knew it was over. The creature violently pulled his weapon from the champion, causing her to turn and face the monster. Marian fell on her knees. She tried raising her head to maintain her dignity, only for her neck to meet the monster's blade. It was over.
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"Andraste's tits! This is the fifth time," Marian screamed at the monitor displaying her most hated sentence: You've failed! Return to last save point? Y/N. "What is wrong with that sister of mine?!"
Marian jumped of her chair and rushed out of her bedroom with all the intent of confronting her sister. She kicked the door of Bethany's room and was greeted with the most infuriating sight. There was her sister, headphones on, right hand holding the mouse and left hand barely touching the keys. But it wasn't Dragon Age Online that was on her screen but some kind of comic strip.
"BETHANY HAWKE!" screamed a now furious Marian, effectively pulling her sister from her concentration. "What in Andraste's name are you doing?"
"Marian! Why are you here? I thought we were still playing," asked Bethany, still staring at her screen, reading her comic which just adds to Marian's growing anger.
"You left me to die, sister," Marian was now standing in front of Bethany and looking at her screen. "What is that?"
"Oh! This?" Bethany gestured to her screen. "It's manga. You know, Japanese comic. It's awesome!"
"Let me get this straight. We keep failing quest after quest because you were busy reading these?!"
"No! Of course not," defended Bethany, "I sometime watch anime as well."
Marian's right eye began to twitch and she stormed out of her sister's room screaming.
"I HATE ANIME!"
A/N: Thanks for the inspiration ChasingTheWind!