Chapter 21

Year 9:27 of Dragon Age

King's Road, Ferelden

Chloe felt Max's grip on her hand becoming firmer as a solitary armored rider appeared in the view, their templar armor visible in the light of the braziers. "It's Cullen," Chloe whispered, recognizing the survivor of the templar duel, but not necessarily feeling more relieved just because they didn't have to deal with Rylock. She desperately did not want to fight her friend and mentor, but if he intended to take Max back to the Circle, then she was prepared to fight him to the death.

Cullen dismounted a safe distance away from them, carefully walking up to the two fugitives, keeping his weapon sheathed for now. As he came into the range of Max's magic, a burst of energy once again left his hand and struck Max, leaving her doubled over and close to throwing up from the unpleasant sensations. "Damn it... I'm seriously getting tired about everyone doing this!" she wheezed, giving Cullen an angry glare.

"My apologies, Maxine," Cullen looked at her, sounding genuine as he spoke. "I know that you are not a corrupt maleficar... in fact, everything points to you being someone of sound moral character, a young girl with good control over her immense magical potential, yet I must ask you to forgive me for maintaining my cautiousness."

"And still, even if Max has done nothing wrong, you want to bring her back for Greagoir to execute," Chloe said challengingly, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"You know our duty, Chloe," Cullen sighed. "I can't decide her guilt. That would be me overstepping my bounds."

"Cullen, I've watched Max using her magic without ever losing control," Chloe replied passionately. "The demons will never be able to corrupt her, she's not that sort of a person! She poses no risk to anyone... we have hurt only those who had harmed us first," she added, neglecting to mention the events at the Prescott Estate. In truth, she didn't even know if any innocents had perished in the magical fire that Max had caused, and after what had been done to them by Lord Nathan Prescott, she believed that they were well entitled to burn down his house and then some more.

"That might even be true," Cullen shrugged. "But are you suggesting that I take your word for it, and just let you both leave? That would be a dereliction of my duty. Surely you understand that I cannot allow it to happen."

"Just... just make something up, Cullen, please," Chloe begged. "We're going to leave Ferelden and nobody will see us here ever again. I promise that templars will never find out that you've let us go... please, Cullen, I don't want to fight you, but I will do so if you're going to press it!"

"I'm... not unsympathetic, Chloe," Cullen sighed. "But at this point, you walking around freely almost concerns me more than your mage friend does." Chloe gave her mentor a surprised stare at that, prompting him to explain. "The paleness of your skin... those dark circles under your eyes... you're struggling badly with the withdrawal, aren't you? I understand that it is quite horrible."

"Yes... it's... very hard," Chloe ground her teeth, nodding stiffly at that.

"You've been off from lyrium for what, a week, perhaps a little more?" Cullen asked, Chloe nodding again. "On some days, it feels like you're getting the better of it, doesn't it? Well, I have news for you, Chloe. It's only going to get worse from here onwards. Many have tried to kick this addiction before, Chloe, but I know of only one who has managed to do successfully. The worst symptoms will persist for at least six months... and if by some miracle you manage to survive through that, you will not be completely symptom free for many years to come, Chloe."

"She can do it," Max spoke up, looking at her beloved friend with nothing but faith in her eyes. "With my help, Chloe can do it. We'll get through it, together."

"I appreciate your dedication, Maxine, but... what if Chloe's withdrawal becomes so bad that she can't control herself?" Cullen asked. "What if she turns to the life of crime to fund a supply of smuggled lyrium? What if she begins hunting down her former templar fellows for their lyrium? Chloe, a templar in withdrawal is almost as dangerous as an apostate on the run... this is just one of the reasons why I can't let you simply leave."

"Max is right, Cullen... I have it under control," Chloe said, trying to sound convincing, even if in truth Cullen merely speaking about her withdrawal had reawakened the symptoms, making her tremble and perspire all over, her teeth chattering and making it hard for her speak in a steady voice. "She helps me through the worst of my craving episodes... we can handle it if you would allow us to leave together..."

"I'd like to believe that, but I'm not sure you will be able to resist the lure of lyrium, Chloe," Cullen spoke, withdrawing a thin blue vial of the familiar liquid and presenting it to his former charge. "Look at what I have here, Chloe. I know you're suffering right now, I can see it in your eyes... you'd do almost anything for a sip that would take all that pain away, wouldn't you? Well... all you have to do is to come up to me and take this vial. I give you my word that I will not attack you... I will let you take it and drink it all up. Come, take it... you know you want to."

Chloe moaned and took a single step forward, the power of addiction overpowering even her iron will. "Chloe..." Max whispered at her, silently begging her to stop as Cullen smiled at them knowingly, feeling as if he had made his point.

"Hurry up, Chloe... it's not going to wait for you forever..." Cullen's grin broadened as he tipped the vial to one side and allowed a few drops of lyrium to spatter on the cobblestones, Chloe letting out another moan as she watched the precious liquid escaping, taking two more steps forward and starting to reach for the lyrium vial. Chloe came to an abrupt halt, however, when she turned her head and caught the earnest look in Max's beautiful blue eyes, staring at her, full of love and pleading for her to stop.

A shudder passed through Chloe at that, a surge of sensations much stronger even than her addiction, and she drew herself tall and proud as she walked up to Cullen and placed her hand on the vial he was holding. But instead of taking the vial and drinking it, however, Chloe simply turned it over and allowed all the lyrium to pour out on the ground, much to Cullen's astonishment.

"You're right, Cullen... the withdrawal symptoms are horrible," she said simply. "But they do not control me. And I have only one thing to say to you, my old friend. We are never going back to the Circle with you. So... you do what you feel is necessary, Cullen. If your duty dictates that you must strike us down... well, then I know what is the one last thing I want to do in this life before I die," Chloe spoke, turning around and walking up to the stunned looking Max. "And that is to kiss the woman I love with all my heart," she said softly, taking the other girl in her embrace.

"Oh, Chloe... I l-..." Max began to speak, but Chloe cut her off.

"I know, Max... I know," she smiled, leaning in as their lips met in the softest, most passionate of kisses, Chloe's head becoming dizzy from the sweetness of exploring Max's mouth, praying for the beauty of these sensations to never end, even as she waited for the tip of Cullen's sword to pass between her shoulder-blades to grant her quick death.

And yet, the killing blow never came. Instead, Chloe and Max heard something landing on the cobblestones with a slight jingle, followed by the sound of glass being smashed. With an extreme reluctance, Max and Chloe broke off their kiss, turning around to observe the source of the sound, Cullen removing his steel boot to reveal the smashed remains of Max's phylactery on the cobblestones.

"Cullen..." Chloe whispered, too shocked to think of anything meaningful to say.

"Maker forgive me," Cullen sighed, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. "Leave Ferelden as quickly as possible. And... don't ever make me regret this..."

"We won't, Cullen... I promise..." Chloe managed weakly.

"Thank you, Ser Cullen," Max added, overwhelmed as the pair continued to stand embraced, watching as Cullen quickly mounted his horse and rode down the path back to Kinloch Hold without saying a further word.

Year 9:27 of Dragon Age

Harbor of Jader, Orlais

It took two weeks for the two fugitives to reach the Orlesian port city of Jader and then a further week to find a ship's captain who would be willing to take them across the Waking Sea to the Free Marches. Eventually, they had made a deal with the captain of a ship called the Siren's Call, a very flamboyant and hugely attractive olive-skinned woman by the name of Isabela. The very scantily dressed woman had flirted relentlessly with both Chloe and Max, making them blush a great deal throughout the whole process of negotiating a price for passage, Isabela eventually agreeing to get them across the sea for mere twenty sovereigns, almost half the price what the other captains were asking for, claiming that she was a hopeless romantic and could not stand in the way of young love. Certainly, Max and Chloe were not blind to the obvious fact that Isabela was not only a romantic, but also a smuggler and a pirate, but there was something endearing about her flamboyant manner that persuaded the two girls to sign on with the irrepressibly flirtatious captain.

During their journey to Orlais, the girls had stopped at West Hill in order to send letters to their parents and inform them that they had won their hard fought freedom. Return letters reached them a few days before their departure from Jader. Obviously, Vanessa was still heavily distraught, having buried Ryan only a couple of days ago, and Max still often broke down in tears when thinking about her father's passage, but Chloe was always there to hold her beloved friend through the worst of her grief. Max's mother also wrote about Chloe's dad William being a great pillar of strength for her during these dark days, something that made both girls feel slightly better. Certainly, William knew from experience what it meant to lose someone he had dearly loved, and as Vanessa wrote to her daughter, he seemed to know just what to do and what to say at the right moment to make her grief feel just that tiny bit lighter.

Max and Chloe had made promises to write their parents again as soon as they reached the other side of the Waking Sea and settled down somewhere, already making plans to invite their parents over to live with them, though Chloe in particular doubted that her dad would agree to such a move, being a Fereldan through and through. The destination of the Siren's Call was the free city of Kirkwall, the place where Chloe had been initially assigned to serve as a templar, a fate that she had managed to avoid. Kirkwall was a city with a very large templar presence, so they already knew that they would not be staying there for long, but would be quickly moving on elsewhere, to a less restrictive city.

"Whoa... I still can't quite wrap my mind around this..." Max sighed, leaning in with her back against Chloe's chest as they both stood at the railing on the bow of the Siren's Call. "I think I still expected something to go wrong in the last moment... only now when we're actually on the ship and leaving port, that I can allow myself to believe that we're finally free."

"I know... I feel exactly the same," Chloe smiled, nuzzling tenderly against Max's neck, looking on as the ship carefully maneuvered its way out of the harbor, the breathtaking freedom of the open waters before them, the fresh air of the sea intoxicating as it filled their lungs, making them dizzy with happiness. "A new life of infinite possibilities will await us as soon as we step off the ship in Kirkwall. We will be free to choose how to live it."

"If we manage to survive Isabela's constant attempts at embarrassing us," Max chuckled. "She always makes me feel as if I have the word 'virgin' tattooed on my forehead..."

"She's just very perceptive," Chloe laughed, gently nibbling on the tender skin of Max's neck, making the younger girl sigh contently, positively melting in her arms. "But we're not going to rush just because of Isabela's teasing. We'll take as much time as we'll want."

"Thanks, Chloe..." Max whispered gratefully. "There's been so much happening in such a short span of time. We've been through a real torrent of emotions... I just don't want to ruin something... something special and beautiful by rushing, you know?"

"I'm with you all the way, babe," Chloe smiled, giving Max a tight, comforting squeeze. "Want to spend more time daydreaming about the future? We still haven't decided where to settle."

"Someplace without a Circle of Magi would be a good start," Max replied. "And with as few templars as possible."

"Which cities of the Free Marches don't have a Circle?" Chloe mused. "Seems like most of them do."

"Oh, there are a few," Max smiled. "Tantervale is by far the largest of those without a Circle. Also Wycome and Hercinia. Those are smaller cities, but they're on the coast... and well, I love the sea. But we could visit them all and see for ourselves."

"Indeed we could," Chloe nodded. "Then again, we don't necessarily have to settle down right away. We could join an adventuring troupe or form one of our own. I mean, there's always a demand for skilled mages in the adventuring business, and I'm pretty good with my sword, right? We might get lucky in unearthing some old elven ruin and striking a fortune... and then buy ourselves a lovely seaside villa and retire there to live happily ever after."

"Mhm... you do paint a pretty picture, Chloe..." Max purred. "Unfortunately, adventuring is also a very good way to get yourself killed. If we want to make a quick fortune, we might be better off just joining Isabela's crew of pirates."

"Uh... well, becoming pirates would kinda be like living the dream of our childhood, right?" Chloe laughed before blushing deeply at a suddenly occurring thought. "Though I didn't think you would be onboard with signing on with the woman who has openly stated her intent to bed us both... preferably at the same time..."

"...oh right, she did say that..." Max coughed, blushing deeply as well. "Well, uh, perhaps we should give Isabela a pass then... although we can always discuss it later..."

"Exactly," Chloe grinned. "But we can also choose a more mundane life if we want to. I mean, I know my way around a forge, and you've put in a lot of hours working in the bakery. Or you could indulge your artistic side in some way... and just live your life as if you didn't even have magic at your disposal. It would be safer, though perhaps less exciting."

"I know..." Max nodded. "It would be a bit of shame not to use my magic for something useful, though. But we really don't have to make a decision right here and right now. I would be happy to do... whatever, as long as-..."

"Let me finish that thought for you, love," Chloe whispered, interrupting the other girl. "I, too, would be happy to do anything, as long as we do it together."

"Yep, that's the magical word," Max smiled in content as Chloe spun her around so that they came face to face, the couple starting to trade kisses to the approving whistles coming from the crow's nest high above. "And that's where our future is, love... together. Always together."

FIN