The Viscount could not quite believe it when they told him.
“The Chantry?” Dumar mouthed. “A Mother—Templars—killed Seamus?”
“The same radicals who attacked the delegates,” Aveline explained, closing her eyes. “Yes.”
“This could not be worse,” Dumar breathed. “I—I do not have the authority over the Chantry to--”
“Surely the Seekers would come for this,” Abigail said. “If nothing else, a noble is dead. Not a Qunari, not a mage.”
“Do we have enough time to notify them before the Arishok finds out?” Dumar asked. “We can't possibly hide this—I--” he trailed off, eyes overbright.
“We will take care of it, Your Grace,” Aveline assured him. “We will speak to the Arishok.” she sighed. “Maybe we can salvage this, somehow.”
It was too late. The Arishok already knew about Seamus' death.
“If you have come to inform me of the death of one of our viddethari, you are late,” the Arishok said when he saw them approach.
“You...already know?” Aveline asked.
The Arishok inclined his head. “We looked for him ourselves. We found him to be dead, at the hand of one of your people.”
“Not us,” Aveline swiped her hand down. “An extremist--”
The Arishok scowled. “It does not matter what organization the killer belongs to. An attack on one of us is an attack on all,” the Arishok rose to his feet. “We did not allow the death of two of our own to go unpunished, but neither did we realize the full extent of the problem.” he walked down the steps, and Abigail and Aveline stepped back. “Your Chantry attacked and killed three of our own. It is reasonable to assume they killed the viddethari as well.”
“It wasn't the Chantry!” Aveline told him. “Petrice acted on her own--” she stopped when the Arishok tilted his head up, looking at her with narrowed eyes.
“For a second time,” the Arishok said. “We are aware of this woman, and that is by her hand that two of our own are dead. It is also by her hand—and yours—that one of our saarebas escaped.” he pointed to Abigail, then Aveline. “We have allowed your city, this reeking pustule, to attack us for the last time.”
Fenris spoke quickly in Qunlat, which the Arishok rebuffed.
“Arishok, it doesn't have to come to this--” Aveline protested.
“Your city has attacked us since we arrived here,” he said. “Your Chantry has killed several of our own. By your own laws, this would mean war—by the law of the Qun, we should have destroyed your festering city long ago.”
He signaled to the warriors surrounding them, and Abigail sent up a barrier spell just in time for a spear to glance off it.
The three of them ran, tearing out of the compound as fast as they could.
“Where to?” Abigail demanded. “Aveline--”
Before they could decide, the Qunari came bolting out of the compound, right on their heels. Without making a conscious decision, they ran to Isabela's, which was at the far end of the docks and out of the way.
“Maker's ass, what's going on?” Isabela demanded once they were inside.
“The Qunari,” Aveline said. Isabela went pale.
“Oh, shit,” she said. She peered out of a window. “What are they doing? Are they looking for someone or just attacking the city?”
“Attacking the city,” Fenris said.
“Why would they be looking for someone?” Aveline asked.
Isabela sighed and closed her eyes. “The whole reason they're here at all—might be my fault,” she said. “Just a bit.”
They all stared at her.
“What.” Abigail said.
“I stole a relic of theirs—some book or other,” Isabela explained. “The only thing is, they came after me for it, we fought, and now the damn thing's probably at the bottom of the ocean or some Tevinter collector's library, but they still think they can find it here.”
“So this entire issue—this entire situation—is your fault?” Abigail said, incredulous.
“Petrice didn't exactly help,” Aveline said.
“No, but--”
“Is there any way you might be able to recover the relic?” Fenris asked.
Isabela shook her head. “Like I said—it's been three years. The last I saw it, my ship was on fire and getting tossed in a storm. If it didn't fall in the ocean, then whoever has a hold of it is long gone by now.” she tisked to herself. “I don’t know why they haven’t moved on by now...”
“None of this would have happened if you had just decided not to steal from the Qunari!” Abigail exclaimed.
“The Qunari coming here is my fault,” Isabela agreed. “But them staying isn’t. I don’t bloody know why they’ve stayed in the city for years! And anyway, do you seriously think the Chantry would be any better without them here? Even before the Qunari were an issue--”
“Maybe Seamus Dumar wouldn't be dead if they weren't here!” Abigail snapped. In a blink, she pushed Isabela against the wall. Isabela grimaced.
“Maybe,” she shoved Abigail off her. “But I don't know how much that matters right now.” she looked at Aveline. “We need to do something,” she said. “What?”
“We need to get to the Viscount's Keep,” Aveline said. “Maybe—if we can get to the Guard...” she trailed off.
“Qunari warriors are better than yours,” Fenris said. He closed his eyes, and with great reluctance, he added “The only chance you have against them is in contacting the Circle.”
“You're sure?” Aveline asked.
Fenris gave a stiff nod. “Yes.”
“How?” Isabela asked. “The Qunari are always fighting with the Tevinters, and they haven't lost.”
“They have not won, either,” Fenris said. “A battle mage would stand a much better chance than a simple Guard, believe me.”
So, they went to the Gallows. Isabela came with them, to provide backup, even though Abigail would have liked nothing better than to see her leave on her ship instead.
The city burned. The Qunari had already fought their way from the docks to Hightown, inciting a great deal of damage as they went. The Qunari were making their way steadily to Hightown, not stopping for anything, which was fortunate in a way, but unfortunate in that they were heading right for the seat of government and the Guard.
About halfway to the Gallows, they found Merrill.
“Merrill!” Abigail exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” Merrill said, taking Abigail’s hands. “Oh, ma vhenan, I was worried! Are you alright?”
“You should go back to the Alienage, Merrill,” Abigail said. “It's safer--”
“Not for long,” Merrill pointed out. “They’re trying to protect it, but if the Qunari come the protection won't hold for long. I came to find you to see if you were trying to stop them.”
“We're going to the Circle,” Abigail said. “Fenris says that mages have a better chance fighting Qunari than ordinary warriors.”
Merrill nodded. “Oh—that's good news, then,” she said. “Anders should be alright.” she took Abigail’s arm. “I’m coming with you,” she said. They couldn’t dissuade her, so she came along.
The Gallows was blessedly free of fires, and Templars were out in force in the courtyard.
Meredith met them at the gate. “Lady Hawke,” she inclined her head. “Guard-Captain Vallen.”
“Knight-Commander,” Aveline said, stepping forward. “We need help against the Qunari. The mages are the only ones who could fight them.”
Meredith raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Really.”
“This is not the time for a lesson on the culture and history of the Qunari,” Fenris cut in. “Simply know that mages are your best defense against Qunari warriors.”
“Even against their own mages?”
“Yes.” Fenris considered. “Templars would be very effective against their saarebas, however.”
Meredith gave a sharp nod. “And you are quite sure of this?”
They all assented.
Meredith closed her eyes and pursed her lips. “We do not have many mages trained in battle magic,” she explained, gesturing for them to come deeper into the Gallows. “The First Enchanter will know who is best suited for battle.” she glanced at Abigail. “I believe your sister has some experience in combat, doesn't she?”
Abigail's back straightened. “Bethany? Is she alright?”
“Of course. Is there a reason she would not be?” Meredith’s eyes glinted with an expression Abigail did not like, but could not examine.
“Can we see her?”
“We must see Orsino first,” Meredith said. She brought them to Orsino, a tall elvhen man with brilliant green eyes.
“We don't have many battle mages,” Orsino said, reiterating what Meredith had already told them. “We have more healers—we are hardly a group of warriors.”
“You must have someone,” Aveline insisted.
Orsino inclined his head. “There are some individuals who may be able to help,” he said. “But I am not sure how much good it will do.”
“Better than none,” Aveline said.
Orsino rounded up a number of mages who would be good in a fight, as well as several healers, which included Bethany.
“Bethany!” Abigail exclaimed, running to envelop Bethany in a tight hug. “Are you alright?”
“Abigail!” Bethany held her sister tightly. She was thinner than she had been (which was alarming, considering how little food they had had when they were still living with Gamlen), paler, her hair somewhat mussed. “How's Carver? Where is he?”
“Probably back at the house with Mother,” Abigail explained. “What about you? How are you?”
Bethany's eyes flicked to Meredith, standing in the doorway. “I'm...alright,” she said. She drummed her fingers on her sister's arm. “That doesn't matter right now. What are we doing?”
“Taking back the city from the Qunari,” Abigail explained.
They and the rest of the mages went back to Aveline and Meredith, who were currently arguing about Templar and mage involvement.
“This is partially the Chantry's fault to begin with,” Aveline insisted. “It's been Chantry personnel inflaming the issue!”
“Extreme outliers are not the fault of the Chantry,” Meredith said. “Letting too many mages out will endanger the mages and the populace, and risk apostasy, as it did during the Ferelden Blight.”
“The city is on fire, and you're worried about apostates?” Aveline said, incredulous. “You're a little late for that!”
“And what do you mean by that?”
“Maybe the several apostates your Templars didn't bother to investigate properly until they'd killed Templar recruits?” Aveline said. “Your Knight-Captain,” she pointed at Cullen, who startled at being acknowledged. “Is so wildly incompetent he let four apostates attack multiple recruits—the apostates weren't even hiding! He just didn't want to question the workers at the Rose!”
Cullen stammered, flushing and shamefaced, and Meredith glared at him. Orsino had the strangest expression on his face, as if he were struggling to hold back a smile.
“Then it is even more imperative that we maintain our guard against dangerous magic,” Meredith insisted.
“This isn't a time for debate,” Abigail said. “If we don't do this, the Qunari will take the city. The Guard cannot stand up to them—they have that blasting powder, and they can make poisonous gases, and Maker only knows what else. The only chance we have is to use the mages!”
Meredith pursed her lips. After long consideration, she nodded. “If you insist,” she growled, sending a scowl Orsino's way. Orsino glared at her right back, the animosity between them almost tangible.
They left the Gallows, and found the streets mostly empty, everyone having run or hid. There were no Guards or Qunari out in force as they went through the docks and took the roads from Lowtown to Hightown. Fires burned unattended, although the mages did put them out where they could with some well-placed freezing spells.
When they got to Hightown, things were a different story.
Immediately, they were set upon by a group of Qunari, several warriors and one saarebas.
The Templars slammed several smites down at once on the saarebas, sending her reeling. A warrior landed a hit on one of the Templars, however, allowing the saarebas to recover somewhat. One of the mages flung the Qunari away, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the side of the square.
Abigail and Merrill were soon forced to openly use their magic, as neither of them could stand up to a qunari with conventional tactics alone. Merrill was careful enough to stick to nature magic at first, but there was one frightening instance where a warrior powered through her defensive spells and was dangerously close to landing his sword on her and she was forced to use aggressive blood magic, boiling the blood in his head.
The Qunari fell in a smoking heap, hemorrhaging from all orifices in his head, and several Templars let out a gasp.
When the fight was over, Meredith loomed over Merrill.
“Blood mage,” she hissed, raising her sword.
Abigail came between Merrill and Meredith, Isabela right behind her.
“Don’t you dare,” Abigail snarled, jabbing Meredith with the end of her staff.
“Merrill,” Isabela whispered, taking Merrill's wrist. “Don't.” Merrill had one of her knives out, and it hovered over her wrist, ready for her to cut herself and perform a spell.
“You claim to only want to defeat the Qunari, but you have a blood mage in your midst?” Meredith hissed, trying to step forward, but Abigail shoved her back again.
“Blood magic?” Abigail snarled, thinking quickly. “Did you see any demons?”
Meredith glared at her. She hesitated, seeming to struggle with herself. “Either way, she is an apostate--”
“This doesn’t matter right now!” Aveline declared.
“You are hiding this mage, and you dare presume to order us about?”
“Do you know what I've seen, Commander?” Abigail said, pushing Meredith back again. “I've seen bad magic of all kinds—but you know what's done the most damage? Your people actively lying to us.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You've routinely hidden information about magic and apostates from the Guard,” Aveline said, stepping in. “There were four healers attacking your own people and you didn't tell us!”
“Then the falsehoods lie on both sides, for you have hidden this mage from us!” Meredith narrowed her eyes at Abigail. “And you--”
“As valid as this argument might be,” Orsino cut in, his eyes darting to Merrill. “That isn't exactly the issue at hand, is it?”
“It will be when she summons a demon,” Meredith said, pointing at Merrill.
“I wouldn't do that!” Merrill protested.
“We need to keep moving,” Fenris said. “We do no one the slightest good by standing here and arguing.”
There were heated glares all around, but they kept moving, Isabela and Abigail sticking close to Merrill's side. Hightown was full of Qunari, and it did indeed prove to be a good move to have gotten mage assistance. The Templars, Fenris and Aveline had a very hard time standing up to the warriors, although the Templars could take out saarebas. It was only with mage support that they were able to move as quickly as they did.
They found Carver fending off two Qunari warriors in a sidestreet, and the instant Bethany saw him she went to his aid, attacking the Qunari. When the fight was over, Carver swept Bethany up in a hug, and she hugged him just as tightly back. “What’s going on?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to help,” Bethany said.
“What’s going on?” Carver asked. “The Qunari just started attacking out of nowhere--”
“It’s a very long tale,” Abigail said. She looked around, not seeing Leandra. She frowned. “Where’s Mother, Carver?”
Carver went pale. “The Qunari got her,” he said. “They were going around, rounding up all the nobility—I escaped, but Mother didn’t.”
Abigail had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Where are they now?”
“Viscount’s Keep.”
Abigail nodded. “Then that’s where we need to go. If they have the other nobles, they have the Viscount.”
They encountered no civilians on their way to the Keep, and deduced that everyone was either hiding or the Qunari had taken them all to the Keep for some unknown purpose.
There were a large number Qunari guards outside the Viscount's Keep, but there was no one else in sight.
“How are we going to get in without letting them all know we're here?” Abigail asked. “We've been good with small numbers of guards, but all of them...?”
“Distraction,” Meredith said immediately. “One of us grabs their attention and allows the others to get inside.” she frowned to herself. “But how to get all of their attention at once...?”
“Have confidence, Knight-Commander,” Orsino said, with just the slightest smirk to his lips.
He took the staff off his back and summoned a barrier spell before walking out of cover and approaching the guards openly, lightning crackling at his fingertips. He created a very attention drawing lightshow that had all the Qunari guards running to him, and he lead them around the corner, giving the rest of them the ability to move inside the Keep. They had to fight their way through, until they reached the main hall, where the Qunari had gathered the bulk of the nobility. The Viscount couldn't be seen, but the Arishok spotted them immediately. He stood at the top of the steps, just before the Viscount's throne.
“And now you are here,” the Arishok said, as calm as he always was.
“Where's the Viscount, Arishok?” Aveline demanded. The Arishok threw something at them—the Viscount's head. It tumbled down the steps and came to rest at Abigail's feet.
“Oh,” she breathed.
“That is the fate of your leader,” the Arishok said. “It will be your fate as well if you continue to interfere with us."
“So you won't leave?” Aveline said.
The Arishok shook his head with a scowl.
“This isn't your city,” Abigail said, swiping her hand down. “You do not have any authority from Par Vollen to invade us!”
“Par Vollen would take what your Chantry has done as an excellent reason to invade,” the Arishok said, utterly dispassionate.
Meredith clenched her teeth.
“You have attacked us, multiple times, even killing one of your own in the process,” the Arishok said. “This city is a reeking sore—be grateful that we are doing something about it.”
“Heathen,” Meredith accused. “You cannot hold us to the standards of your Qun!”
“You attacked us,” the Arishok reminded her. “You have stolen our saarebas from us, killed our people, killed one who was of your own whose only crime was to choose to become viddethari—can you give me a reason we should not invade you?”
“This is not your city!” Meredith pointed her sword at the Arishok. “Leave, or we will force you to leave!”
The Arishok tilted his head, and raised his weapon.
At once, all the Qunari in the room attacked. The Arishok stepped back, leaving the Qunari troops to deal with them.
After a lengthy fight, however, Abigail, Merrill and Fenris began to turn the tide. Eventually, all of the attacking Qunari were dispatched, dead or otherwise incapacitated. Fenris was covered in blood—he'd torn out the hearts of several of the Qunari, getting absolutely drenched in gore in the process. Meredith and Aveline were little better.
The Arishok scowled. He moved forward himself, and Abigail knocked him back with a force spell, sending him slamming into the back wall.
“Get out of Kirkwall,” she snarled, and the Arishok surged to his feet, appearing little the worse for wear.
He didn't reply to her, just attacked with little warning. The others tried to attack as well. Fenris, the first to reach him, was bodily lifted up and slammed against the ground. Aveline immediately went to his side, and the Arishok slammed his sword down on her shield, shattering it and making her cry out.
Meredith charged, but the Arishok batted aside her sword with his own and then cracked the sword down on her arm, breaking it. She let out a yell and fell back, unable to stand.
Merrill and Fenris were both occupied with large numbers of Qunari, and so it was that Abigail found herself facing the Arishok.
The Arishok raised his weapon to jam it into Abigail's chest, and Abigail saw an opening. She pressed her hand to his bare chest, and sent an entire lightning storm racing through him.
He looked—surprised. He fell back, his sword dropping from nerveless fingers. He stared at her, eyes wide, before his head fell to one side, and it was very clear he was dead.
Everything was very silent for a long moment.
“Lady Hawke...” one of the nobles breathed.
The other Qunari that remained standing looked frozen, unsure what to do now that their leader was dead.
“I...” Abigail said. “He is dead,” she declared. “The Qunari have no more hold over the city.” she looked to the remaining Qunari. “You need to leave,” she commanded.
The Qunari looked angry, but another look at the dead Arishok, and they did turn and leave.
Abigail looked around. No one quite knew what to do.
“...what do we do now?” Abigail asked.
“Lady Hawke?” called one of the nobles. “You—you may need to see...”
“See what?” Abigail turned, and her heart stuttered.
Leandra lay between two noble women, a bloody wound in her chest. She was almost bled white, and her breast did not rise.
“Oh...” Abigail breathed. “Mother.”
“She fought them,” said one of the noble women, a short blonde dressed in ruined brocade. “She—she tried to fight.”
Abigail put her arms around Carver and Bethany. Bethany turned away and covered her face, and Carver seemed frozen. Abigail found she couldn’t move her feet.
“Let us take her,” Aveline said quietly.
“Of course,” one of the other nobles said. “Of course.”
“She—she was brave, Lady Hawke,” the blonde spoke up.
Abigail nodded, words failing her.
“Oh, ma vhenan,” Merrill breathed, coming to stand by Abigail’s side. “I’m sorry.”
Abigail didn’t say anything.