Chain of Dispassion and the Chain of Emptiness

  Panic stirred Hawke's emotions when he felt the bracelet's bind was weak against his spirit wrist. It was semi translucent.

  "Hawke... I... the Fade Channel is slipping... currents growing too chaotic... I..."

  "Hold on Fenris. We don't have many chains left. We're almost there. Please, hold on."

  The rage demon's song had been boosted with empowerment. It felt like an external energy was being fed into the channel, carrying a sensation of victory. Iron Bull and his Chargers's fight with the demon itself must have weakened it to give it a boost of confidence.

  What do I do?

  A vision appeared before Hawke, one of Alistair's memories. It was the pivotal moment where the Hero of Ferelden was to declare his support for the crown. Hawke saw himself within the crowds and looking upon the city elf who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  So this is Kiran Tabris. Hawke gasped at seeing the legendary warden for the first time. He glanced toward the far corner of the throne area and saw Alistair watching from the shadows. There was a strong sense of accomplishment and pride from the man's aura.

  Then the moment happened. Kiran's one sentence shattered Alistair's belief system to make his aura flash red.

  "Loghain becomes a Grey Warden."

  A wall of fire went up before Hawke as Alistair's heart was pierced with rage. The flames were so thick that nothing could be seen. They soon solidified into a black wall of ash that rendered the entire memory one big nothing. Just one big emptiness void of care, life and passion. Nothing could get through to Alistair at this point. He allowed his disgust to be his genuine feelings and turned his back on the order, life and himself. Drunkenness was the only grace to his emotional pains. No memories existed afterward. It was a series of moving and breathing and nothing more.

  Alistair's soul song resonated with a heavy melody steeped in sorrow. Hawke recognized notes that matched his own feelings. Both of them carried the weight of expectations and hopes, both had been betrayed by a friend.

  But did the Hero of Ferelden truly betray Alistair? In his own heart, and living in the years of Queen Anora's reign, he suspected the man had greater foresight than anyone that day. The elves he knew thought beyond the realms of current events. Especially Anri Lavellan who saw the need for the Shadow Sect way before Solas's betrayal was revealed to him.

  So he clung to the belief that Kiran had made the decisions not only to give a solution that would satisfy the country but also to unfetter Alistair's belief system that had been built around other people's expectations. It was the cruelest kindness he could give a dear friend. If that wasn't an oxymoron for the ages.

  Looking back on the memories that were chained and how making the man stand out more broke them, Hawke felt sure of how to refill Alistair's void and free him from the rage demon's control for good.

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  He began to sing a soothing and loving melody called the Temperance of Light, which was a song his mother used to sing to him when he felt all hope was lost. It carried strong feelings of when nothing else matters, look for what does and hold on to it.

  When Hawke faced the truth of Anders's terrorism, his belief in the man's cause was shattered. Fear struck him and drew out his anger that he wanted to execute the man on the spot, but he stayed his hand because he felt the cause and effect of this action would lead to worser outcomes. Not that situations weren't already worse at that time, but it was better not to add to the troubles.

  These feelings of harboring so much anger that he wanted to take a life, then instantly letting them go with thoughts of protecting what mattered was carried throughout his melody.

  Gradually an image formed within the void and began to give the space shape until another memory was recalled.

  Hawke grabbed the chains that had been gathered in his hands, with all his might, he broke them. But like the others that were severed, they wiggled and attempted to make new connections.

  Fine threads of Fenris's spirit energy were struggling to hold them back. Unlike last time, these severed chains were thinner and weaker. The rage demon control was lacking. Only one chain was left.

  Waves of turbulent energy slammed into Hawke's being, attempting to push him out of the Fade Channel and shatter his spirit. Fenris's spirit hold on Hawke was just strong enough to keep him tethered to the channel, but it cost some of the strength against the binds.

  The severed connections found each other and were slowly forming a new and mighty link.

  Hawke had to sever the last one before the new chain formed. The full chain would be completely broken causing the severed ones to fall apart and no longer hold Alistair's soul hostage.

  At this point, Hawke's and Fenris's lifeforce was close to being drained. They felt an external energy keeping them together and suspected Dalish was able to pour her magic into them so they could complete their task.

  Hawke focused on the last chain.

  Chain of Loneliness

  The memory was very recent. It was during the time of the Venatori Siege aftermath, when everyone was recovering and enjoying a moment of rest. Alistair observed Hawke and Fenris enjoying an intimate conversation before a campfire: slight touches that revealed two lovers attuned to each other.

  It made Alistair wonder what went wrong and why he never could find someone to understand him.

  The memory transitioned to the last conversation Hawke had had with Alistair before the man left Griffin Wing Keep.

  "You were once part of something bigger, you can be again."

  Alistair was no longer filled with rage but was an empty and lonely vessel. Seeing the men reminded him that he had nothing to live for anymore. This state of being finally allowed the rage demon to take hold.

  His song of sorrow was resonating so strongly it was shaking the foundations of the Fade Channel. Hawke had to counter it with a sentiment that would resonate more strongly with the man than his losses. The man had to define his own identity.

  Feeling the strength of his own will and self-assurance, Hawke fed his feelings of what it meant to him in being the Champion of Kirkwall into his song. He was the champion because he determined his conviction to the cause. The title was from his identity not the other way around. Because it was just another aspect of himself, it didn't matter if it no longer carried respect or honor. He could shake it off and move on. He was Anthony Hawke first and foremost, and that would never change.

  His song resonated with his message of "The make of a man is the will of one." The song increased with such fervor and empowerment that it shook the Chain of Loneliness so hard as to make it shatter on its own.

  Hawke was tossed out of the memory and into a smoky silverish-blue environment where the space was like tidal waves thrashing him about. The Fade Channel was collapsing fast with his spirit drowning within the turbulence.