The Winter's Queen [Magus AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"Hawke!" Carver's voice behind her. But with a dwarven accent, with a slight Coalside slant. Before it can do more than look behind itself, Carver's greatsword takes it in the shoulder, just at the crook of the neck. "I'm so damn sorry I failed you, daughter," Varric says softly. "But you need to rest."

[Marian Hawke]

She stills, dropping the spell. "P--papa?" she whispers, her eyes brimming with tears. "Papa, I-- I tried, I wanted to-- I just wanted you to live." 

[Tethras Clan]

"...yeah. I know. It's alright Hawke. Just... rest. Mileen's nice, it'll be okay," he says softly. "I'll meet you there, alright? We'll all be there, Merrill and Aveline and- and even your sister."

[Marian Hawke]

"I can't," she whispers. "I can't let you be dead. I can't. Please, forgive me." So saying, she lifts her hands. 

[Tethras Clan]

"No. Forgive me," Zevran whispers from behind the lich as he slams a dagger into the base of the skull, angling it upwards into the brain.

[GamesMaster]

The cold fades, the room coming back to some semblance of a normal temperature. 

The lich drops, crumpling. It doesn't turn to dust, as they may have expected; instead, it fleshes out, becoming Marian's corpse once more, still and empty, but looking like herself. Where a moment before, Varric's corpse lay, instead is a pile of dust, a crushed skull atop the mound. 

The cage dissolves, freeing Dog. And, worryingly, Carver's corpse keels over as well, landing beside his sister, joining the rest of his family in having died in this room. With the green smoke fading, they can all see the dead wolf across the room, jaws still locked on a now-still zombie, stopping it from getting behind Carver. 

[Tethras Clan]

Standing atop Carver is a faint glimmering shadow. What remains of Varric mets Zevran's eyes for a double heartbeat. "Thank you, son." He eyes flick down. "Hey, see if you can give Carver a second cha-"

"Varric? Varric?" Zevran repeats, louder. I... I guess that means it's really done. He's... gone back. "Look after Hawke and Merrill for me. I'll... I can't leave ma'bela. And you wouldn't want me to follow, not yet. But I will. Wait for me..." He swallows hard, then limps over to Dog. "Let's... let's get T and... get out of here, yeah?"  We'll have to come back to... lay people to rest. And... what was that about... ah.

As he and Dog make their way to the door to see if T still lives, he glances back at Carver's body. Yeah, he does deserve a second chance.

[GamesMaster]

He's been in this room a long, long time. How long, Varric's not quite sure, but it feels like a lifetime. Then again, it could only have been a few days. Some lifetimes are that short. 

He's been telling a story, he thinks. Or maybe he was drinking ale? Well, storytelling's thirsty work, it only makes sense. And this is an important story, so it's crucial he tell it right. Whoever this is he's talking to, it's important they know everything. It's crucial he sum it all up correctly.

[Tethras Clan]

"So basically, when you get past all the bullshit, the trick is to not flinch when it starts to smoke. That's just the flavor intensifying. Everyone always wusses out and yanks the meat of the fire then, but that's the wrong play. Char is flavor."

[GamesMaster]

"THAT'S CERTAINLY AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE," his listener comments. 

[Tethras Clan]

"It's a refined taste, a mature perspective," Varric allows. "But even..." Varric is silent for a moment.

"I'm dead again."

[GamesMaster]

"YOU ARE," his listener agrees. "AND THE WORLD IS POORER FOR THE LOSS, VARRIC TETHRAS." The voice is neutral, but kind. "YOUR TASK, HOWEVER, WAS ACCOMPLISHED. BALANCE WAS RESTORED."

[Tethras Clan]

"Hawke... the lich. So... so she's free? She and Merrill and Aveline are all... free to move on?"

[GamesMaster]

"THERE'S ONLY ONE FATE YOU EVER GET TO KNOW," the listener scolds, gently. "BUT YOU SAW TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR UNDEAD FORMS YOURSELF." 

[Tethras Clan]

"Not asking where they went, just... that they're not still on Aldis," Varric protests.  "But... yeah, okay, that's... more or less an answer, thanks."