Chapter six
Anders part two
Just a few more chapters until Fenris!
Once again, thank you to my beta Enchantm3nt for being so great!
Reviews are welcome.
Anders waited in the Chantry courtyard, eyes peeled as he glanced around, checking for signs of Templars. It was a cold night and his breath came out in white puffs to float away on the gentle breeze. He rubbed his hands together for the hundredth time trying to bring some heat to his frozen digits. It also gave him something to focus on other than the fact that Hawke was late. Her tardiness only added to his already frayed nerves. He couldn't help but worry that the Templars had seen through her act, had realised that she wasn't in fact a rogue at all. But he knew the timings of the Templar patrols and he knew that she knew them too. She would have her brother for protection as well and the dwarf, no doubt. She was just late. Nothing more, nothing less. And Anders had arrived extra early, it was his own fault his toes were now numb.
He was surprised a mage who hid her magic was willing to enter the Chantry with him, risking her own skin to help him, more than that though; she was willing to help him free a mage from the Gallows too. He couldn't help but think about the future, about the potential for them to continue to work together to help more mages…
"She does this for her own egotistical needs and not that of the mages," Justice commented, drawing him away from such thoughts.
Anders sighed. He wanted to know why Hawke hid her magic, there must have been some reason for it other than to keep herself safe, there was more to it than that. Why did she hate it so?
Anger rose in his throat, it was the Chantry's fault for putting fear in the heart of every person in Thedas, mages included. Everyone was taught that magic was to be feared and that mages could turn into abominations at any moment. It wasn't right to just lock them away out of fear. It wasn't right to give Templars such control and authority over mages. It wasn't right to take children from their mother's skirts. He could feel Justice bristling, moving to the forefront of his mind, influencing his thoughts, pushing to take control. He swallowed thickly and then his shoulders sagged in relief as Hawke appeared and Justice simmered back down. He was glad she was safe and was surprised just how relieved he was at that fact. She really did remind him of someone he used to know.
Hawke walked up to him in an almost feline prowl, he had no doubt in his mind that if Hawke wanted to become invisible then she could within an instant.
"Focus, Anders. We have a job to do," Justice reminded him as Anders' eyes continued to watched Hawke's swaying hips as she approached him.
His eyes flittered across her companions, her brother was at her side, and the dwarf her other side, behind her was a dusky skinned woman that looked vaguely familiar…she wasn't wearing much and she had a wicked gleam in her eyes as she approached him.
"Anders," Hawke said, nodding at him as if this was a business meeting instead of an escape attempt.
"Thank you for coming," he replied, as he looked at the other companions to thank them too.
"Let's save it Blondie. Ifyou want to say thank you, say it later, when we've got out of the Chantry," Varric interrupted before Anders could say another word.
"Blondie?" he questioned the dwarf who had given him the nickname.
"Well if you'd prefer, I could call you ponytail?" Varric joked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Blondie will be fine, thank you." Anders replied curtly, tightening his ponytail indignantly.
They had entered the chantry to find it silent, he noticed that Hawke's face has become unreadable and yet he knew that she was scared. He instantly felt bad for involving her in this rescue attempt as she had more to lose than he did. He had nothing, but Hawke had her brother. He took a quick look at her brother as he thought about and saw that Carver was glaring at Anders in disgust. Surely the fact that his sister was a mage would make it easier for him to be accepted by the younger Hawke, but apparently not.
They weaved their way through the bookcases and statues of the upper floors of the Chantry until they found the side room where he was supposed to meet Karl. He found his fellow mage standing with his back to him. Anders reached out for his shoulder, willing him to turn to face him; instead of warm eyes and a relieved smile though, he was greeted by dead eyes and a sullen look and the blazing sun of tranquility on Karl's forehead.
"Anders, I know you too well. I knew you would never give up. I was too rebellious, like you, I had to be made an example of," Karl said, his voice flat and emotionless.
"No!" Anders pleaded, his voice breaking. He was too late. Not Karl. Please not Karl. He was such a kind man, such a good man. He could feel Justice rearing his ugly head, pressing at every part of his mind. He was a Harrowed mage. This was not right. This could not be happening.
"The Templars will teach you a lesson too."
Anders swivelled around just as the sound of clattering plate armour approached them; several Templars had them surrounded. For a brief moment Anders caught a glimpse of fear in Hawke's eyes until she slipped her mask of indifference back on. Her brother was in front of her; ready to defend her with his life and so too was the dwarf, crossbow in hand.
The Templars advanced and Anders felt Justice's rage burn through his veins, he remembered Hawke's face as she looked upon the Templars in fear. That fear was just the start of the injustices every mage in Thedas had to live with thanks to the abuse of the Templars. They abused their position and preached that the mages were the ones who abused the world they all lived in. Rage bubbled and simmered until Anders could not contain it any longer. Justice pulled him further into the hatred of the cruelty the mages had to endure.
Ander's fell to the floor, the rage and hatred taking control of his entire body making him shake as Justice burned through his mind. His control started to crack and wither and it literally showed on Anders's skin as he let Justice crack through and make himself to known to these vile Templars. He could feel them trying to drain his mana; they would not escape Justice's burn.
"YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER MAGE AS YOU TOOK HIM!" Justice boomed out to the Templars using Anders' lips.
Justice raised Ander's hand at the Templars and with one swipe of his hand set each and every Templar a light with blue flames. He watched them squirm and begin to scream but before they could call out for help Justice silenced them all with another flick of Ander's hand. Anders saw Hawke through the blurry vision of Justice and saw the look of shock and horror she had thrown at him.
Justice saw the look too; and in an instance he let go of the rage and once again took the back seat of Ander's mind. He seemed too shocked to say anything and became silent as if recovering from the rage that had erupted within them both.
Anders stared at Hawke intensely as if pleading, but before he could say anything to her Karl gasped in shock.
"I-Anders, what did you do? It's like you brought a piece of the fade into this world! I had already forgotten what that feels like!" Karl exclaimed.
"Yes, Anders. What did you?" Hawke growled icily her hands twitching as if readying herself for a fight. Anders didn't know how to explain well enough without running out of time before more Templars arrived. Instead he turned back to Karl.
"It's like a gateway to the fade inside you, glowing like a beacon!" Karl exclaimed again, obviously shocked that the tranquility had somehow been reversed.
"Never mind that Karl, how did they get you?" Anders asked in a rushed voice, he knew there would be more Templars coming soon. He turned to Hawke who was still staring at him in disgust, her brother's face the exact same as hers. He noticed how the warrior had taken steps in front of his sister again as if Anders was now the threat.
"They are ignorant to our cause Anders, this mage holds little love for us," Justice said.
"The Templars here are far more vigilant than those from Ferelden, they found our letters. And now, all of the colour and the music is gone," Karl replied, tears welling up in his eyes.
Anders blamed himself for Karl's fate, he wished there was something he could do for his old friend. He looked at Karl and at Hawke, these mages were the reason his plight was so serious and why he would exact his revenge on the Templars.
"Anders, you know what to do! We agreed years ago should one of us ever become Tranquil then the other would kill them rather than let them become puppets to the blighted Templars," Karl begged.
"I can't Karl, please don't make me!" Anders retorted, disgusted that he did not have the courage to help a friend. He knew tranquility was a fate worse than death but he just couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.
"Would you rather he serves the Templars on hand and foot?" Justice boomed in his mind.
"It's fading Anders; I can feel it leaving me!" Karl begged again, his eyes pleading Anders to grant him this one last favour.
He looked at Hawke; her face had become stony and indifferent again. She turned to her brother and whispered something and her brother had nodded. The group walked away from the scene and out of the Chantry; Anders didn't know whether to thank her for the privacy or slap her for leaving him to do something he couldn't bear to do.
Anders turned to his old friend and unsheathed his dagger from his belt.
"Forgive me Karl," he whispered as gave Karl a final hug and plunged the dagger into his gut.
He looked around at the burnt Templars and then Karl's body; it was in this moment he realised that there would never be a middle ground. If either side got the advantage there would be nothing but blood. But at least the mages would have good excuse to commit such crimes and rebel against the Chantry.
He left the Chantry and walked down to his clinic, doing his best to avoid guard patrols or any Templars. He opened the clinic door and realised someone was already here.
"What are you?" Hawke's voice said from the shadows.
She walked out to face him, daggers already in her hands as if she was ready to strike him at any moment. Her white hair had fallen loose, framing her face and somehow making her look more feral and angry than Anders thought possible and yet at the same time Anders enjoyed seeing such passion on her face. There was thin line between love and hate.
He sighed and sat down on one of the stools that littered his clinic. He gestured that Hawke did the same, but she did not move or sheath her daggers. She looked at him intensely, as if trying to extract the truth from his very soul.
"It's a long story, you may want to sit down," Anders said, gesturing the seat once more.
She sat down, watching him with narrowed eyes as he explained. He told her about his escape from the Circle, about him joining the Wardens, about meeting Justice, and about the offer he made. He watched Hawke anxiously, waiting for her expression to change but it never did she remained cool and indifferent as always.
She stared at him for a moment as if scrutinizing every aspect of his face to see if he truly was being honest but after a few moments she regained her composure.
"And do you usually burn Templars to a crisp?" she asked coldly.
"I do when they hurt my friends like they did Karl, but no this is the first time that this has happened to this degree, I will admit." he said, looking at her red lips that had mashed into a hard line.
"Can you control Justice?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Yes," Anders replied, although he felt that it was a lie on his part, he and Justice were one and they felt the same hatred towards the injustice of mages.
"You do a lot of good in this clinic," she stated, obviously debating with herself whether to kill him or not. For the first time in ages, Anders truly felt scared.
He nodded as she continued "I will let you live Anders, but if Justice even thinks about setting his wrath on Templars again, you should warn him that I will not be so merciful," she threatened, putting her daggers back on her back.
"She speaks the truth Anders, she will kill us," Justice said quieter than usual, as if scared that Hawke could hear him.
She smiled at him now, as if the conversation was forgotten. "If you ever need anything Anders, you can call on me to help you, as long as it doesn't conflict with my morals," she said cheerfully.
He looked at her face as she smiled at him. She was beautiful, her white hair with the one red streak making her looking somewhat mystical. He wanted to know why she did not use her magic, but he thought it would be too inappropriate to ask her just after she had threatened his life.
"My maps are yours Hawke, as am I should you need me," he said, looking at her red lips with desire. He thought he could make her see the plight of the mages; she was one of them after all. Not only that but he had become curious, he wanted to know why she denied herself, why her hair was white as snow when her brother's hair was jet black. He was hungry for the secrets she kept hidden.
"Thank you Anders, we're all meeting at the Hanged Man tomorrow if you would like to join us," she replied a kind smile painted her delicate face.
"I shall see you there, sweetheart," he replied giving her a small bow good night.
He watched her walked out of the clinic again, looking at her wistfully.
"This mage will get in the way with our plight," Justice thought as Anders smiled as he got himself ready for bed.
It felt nice to be smiled at, it so rarely happened to him genuinely. No one else had listened to his story and then smiled at him. Was this woman an angel? He had heard the people of Darktown talk of the rumours of Aria Hawke but none of them could have prepared him for such a woman.
Anders fell asleep that night dreaming of him and Hawke, fighting for the freedoms of their kind.