Finally! I'm posting something! =D I'm so excited! ^^ Now, for the usual disclaimers:
All characters, settings, and the like involved in the fic's plot (as well as some of the dialogue) are property of Bioware/EA Games. I claim no ownership over any part of them, but this story was written by me, and inspired by and based on 'Dragon Age 2', and it's storyline.

This is only the prologue (obviously . lol) to see if people are interested in my style of writing, plus, this didn't really fit with the next part as well, and wasn't originally meant to be a part of the fic. So, it's be made to be the introduction to the fic, as well as my re-introduction to the writing community here on . =)

I wanted to wait until I had finished this little spurt before posting anything because of my horrible habit of not finishing most things I start. And, against my better judgement, I'm posting this without a beta ^^: What can I say? I'm impatient! But depending on how well this is received (or how much my spelling/grammar is complained about) I will probably seek out a willing beta.

Update, 8-1-11: Yes, I realize there are a lot of typos through this story, as stated above, I didn't have a beta. I was too excited about posting this up on here after I finished it. But once I get the time to sit down and weed them all out, I'll be taking care of whatever one's I find. If people care to help me out there, go ahead and PM me. =) I would greatly appreciate it. ^^

Now, for your reading pleasure, Of Possession and Contention.

FYI: There will be smut. Eventually ^-^

Of Possession and Contention: Prologue

The cavern was dimly light with the sunlight that came through the cracks of the ceiling, but it was given an eerie glow by the power that radiated off of Anders as he surveyed the scene. The templar – Sir Alrik – and his charges were all dead, the only survivor being a mage cowering opposite him of the grisly scene.

"They will DIE!" Anders's warped voice declared slowly before his eyes fell on the solitary mage. His staff beginning to twirl dangerously in his hand. "I will have every last templar for these abuses!" Andra Hawke held her breath, her lyrium-blue eyes on Anders's back.

"It's over Anders, they're all dead." She said carefully, fighting the nerves that were accompanied by the goosebumps scattering across her skin. She didn't want to push Anders over the edge, and have the spirit in control of him turn on them. Anders begins to pace toward the mage before seeming to change his mind. He turned back to Hawke and cried out,

"Everyone one of them will feel Justice's burn!"

"Get away from me! Demon!" The mage girl cried out, shrinking back into the cavern wall behind her. Hawke could clearly see the girl was shaking – utterly terrified – and desperate to get away from Anders. But the girl's comment only angered him as he hurried his approach toward her. He was stood in front of her, towering over her.

"I am no demon!" He yelled at the girl, making her whimper. She held her hands defensively in front of her face, her dark skin almost black in the aura Anders was radiating. Hawke could see the girl's eyes were closed tightly now, and tears were streaming down her face. "Are you one of them that you would call me such?" Anders yelled angrily. Hawke knew she needed to step in before this girl was on the receiving end of Vengeance's wrath.

"Anders, that girl is a mage!" She exclaimed, unable to contain herself as she paced toward him. "We rescued her from being made Tranquil!" Anders spun around, pointing back to the poor girl.

"She is theirs!" He snarled, "I can feel their hold on her!" Hawke was all but in his face, she could feel the power radiating off of Anders in the form of a cold heat. It made her skin tingle with the chill of a Fereldan winter, and the heat of a blazing sun.

"She's the reason you're fighting, Anders! Don't turn on her now!" Hawke pleaded to the spirit.

Anders turned back to the girl, gritting his teeth. The girl dropped to her knees, crying.

"Please, messere..." She sobbed.

Hawke quickly put herself in between Anders and the girl. The hair on the back of her neck was standing on end as she felt Anders's form charge with power. Hawke – against her better judgment – put her gloved hands to Anders's face, grabbing it and forcing him to look into her eyes. She held back a wince. Her eyes burned staring into Anders's eyes, she felt the raw power burn through the hardened leather to her skin. She fought the pain and stared intently at Anders, her own tears forming, and her face all but brushing his. She stared harshly into his blue-orbbed eyes, hoping the Maker was hearing her prayers and Anders would stop before he hurt the girl behind her. The mage was sobbing quietly, trying to make herself as small as possible behind Hawke.

"Hawke!" Merrill cried from behind Aveline. Aveline was holding the tiny elven girl tightly around the waist, to keep her out of harm's way. Merrill knew what Hawke was doing was dangerous, and she must be in pain. Merrill's own sensitivity to magic made her body ache at the power Anders's was emitting. And she was only in the same room with him. But Hawke was brazenly touching him! Touching him!

"Is she out of her mind?" Merrill exclaimed in disbelief. There were few times when the elvhan mage was as serious as she was now, and this concerned Aveline, but she stood her ground. She would not be able to carry back the two of them if they were to be caught in the maelstrom of Vengeance's rage.

"Anders, please." Hawke whispered desperately, tears forming in her own eyes. She didn't want to see Anders do this to an innocent girl, and she knew that he truly didn't want to either. She knew Anders was trapped – buried underneath the wrath of Vengeance – screaming, clawing, and fighting to get out. She just had to find away to help him get through. "Please..." She said in a barely there whisper.

Her head was pounding, and body was shaking. She felt on the verge of combustion at the flare of power that was coursing through her form from standing so close to Anders and touching him in this state. Or was she reacting out of utter fear for the consequences of all of this. In the back of her mind, she could hear her father screaming at her, telling her to get away, and Bethany scolding disapprovingly her right behind him. Hawke didn't have the aptitude for magic that they did, but she still knew she was playing with fire – but it was all for a good reason, and that seemed enough to hush the cries for her to step away.

Suddenly, Hawke felt a jolt that nearly made her collapse onto the mage behind her. Then, the power was receding, and Anders staggered back, dropping his staff in his haste to get away. He grabbed his head and dropped to his knees, fighting for control. Hawke sighed in relief as the girl stood up and ran as fast as she could from the cavern, sobbing loudly. Hawke slowly walked toward Anders, her breathing uneven as she fought the ache from her hands. He was himself again, breathless and in awe. Hawke felt relief wash over her as she walked toward Anders.

Anders was indeed back to normal; Justice's power was dormant within him again.

"Maker, no. I almost..." Anders whispered in disbelief, his eyes wide in terror as he stared ahead of him. He was shaking now as he fought to stand up. He slowly looked to Hawke. She looked utterly drained. If he wasn't in complete shock at his own actions, he might have asked her if she was okay or offered to see to anything that needed mending.

"If you weren't here..." Anders said slowly before he looked around the cavern quickly, "I – I need to get out of here!" Before Hawke could react, Anders was hurrying out of the cave.

Merrill finally made her way to Hawke before she could run after Anders. Merrill took a hold of Hawke's arm and pulled off one of her leather gloves. Aveline approached the two and winced at the sight of Hawke's hand. The palm of her hand and fingers were horribly burned and bubbled, as if she had grabbed a hold of hot steel, fresh from the fires of a forge.

"You shouldn't have done that, Hawke." The elven mage tutted Hawke before she pulled a small satchel from her belt with her free hand. In it was various herbs and a few small vials that held healing salves.

"I need to go after Anders. I need to see if he's alright." Hawke said as she began to turn in the same direction Anders went, but Merrill held fast onto Hawke's arm. Despite the elvhen's size, she her grip didn't loosen any on Hawke, or let her get anywhere quickly. Aveline stepped in as well, and grabbed Hawke's other arm before pulling off her other glove. Sure enough, the other hand was in the same condition. She noticed Hawke's skin was nearly ashen, and her form was shaking – as if fighting to stand. But Hawke was all but ignorant of her condition, staring off worriedly in the direction of Anders's retreat.

"You're not going anywhere until your hands are taken care off." Aveline scolded, putting an arm around Hawke's waist to steady her, and conserve her strength; she would need it for their trek out of the caverns. "I will help Merrill as to make the process go faster, then we can go check on Anders." Hawke saw there was no use in arguing, she was outnumbered, and she knew she couldn't fight off Merrill and Aveline at once, especially with her hands in the condition that they were, not to mention she felt utterly drained. Hawke nodded curtly, and Aveline released her arm, but kept the steadying arm around her waist for now. While humming a nameless tune, Merrill made quick work of applying the salves to Hawke's hands, and Aveline used some bandages soaked in healing poultices to gently wrap them. Merrill's humming seemed to be soothing Hawke's mind as much as the salves and bandages helped her hands. Good – she needed a relatively clear head to talk to Anders.

Once Hawke's hands were tended to, and her burned gloves were back in place, group surveyed the cavern. They decided to quickly search the bodies of the templars to see if there was anything of use on them. After making quick work of doing so - and finding the proof Anders was looking for on Sir Alrik's 'Tranquil Solution' – Hawke began to lead away from the templar corpses. But Hawke paused for a moment, feeling as if she was forgetting something. She looked over her shoulder, scanning the cave for a moment before her eyes fell on something on the ground. Anders's staff was still there, he must have forgotten it in his haste to get away. She turned around and paced toward the mage weapon and picked it up before quickly returning to Aveline and Merrill.

"Let's go, Anders will have made it back to Darktown by now." Hawke said, she was almost running now, pushing her weakened limbs to move faster. She was afraid he would do something rash, and wanted to get there before he had the chance to do so.