Change. One of the few words that inspires hope and provokes terror all at once. There are many things in this world that can change a life. Darkness changes you, loneliness changes you, family changes you, love changes you. It comes swiftly and often without warning but once it strikes, there is no turning back.
Change is not what defines you, but rather the reaction to change. Will you fight it and be afraid of what is to come? Or will you grab the beast by the horns and accept the challenge?
Chapter 1
Fenris sat beside a gurgling stream, the ankle-deep water reflecting the light of the morning sun. His emerald eyes stared absentmindedly at the surrounding trees, his fingers caressing a red stoned amulet while the breeze blew his low ponytail over his shoulder. His mind wandered, reminiscing on the impact the last sixteen years, starting when he first laid eyes on his daughter, had on his life.
A loud cry caught his attention, his eyes drawn to the sharp movements ahead of him. Across the brook, a young elven woman swung her greatsword, her movements graceful and fluid her black hair whipping in the breeze.
Her golden eyes danced like fire, glaring through the white bangs curving across her brow. "Dammit!" she breathed, her blade bouncing off the trunk.
Although her face was clear of any markings, she reminded Fenris of her mother.
"Your feet are too far apart, Isena!" he called to her, his bangs hanging in his eyes. "If that were a real enemy, he'd have knocked the blade from your hands and you'd be dead!"
Isena rolled her eyes, stomping her thigh-high boots, her pale thighs catching the sun. "Well, father, if you would let me train against something other than tree trunks I might actually improve!"
A chuckle escaped his lips, his hands placing the amulet over his head before tucking it into his sleeveless black tunic. "If you're so eager for a moving opponent, you can spar with me." he stood, grabbing the ice blade Ana made for him all those years ago, the hum of her magic keeping her touch familiar.
Isena's eyes flashed with excitement, the wind brushing fur of her flared coat collar against her cheek before she removed it, a v-neck tunic underneath. She was never one to turn down a challenge. A wide smile spread across her face, her hand gripping the hilt of her blade tighter. "Well, come on then! I won't go easy on you like last time!"
Fenris snickered, the flat of his blade resting across his shoulder. His eyes closed for a moment, revealing blackness when they opened again. Faster than Isena could blink, he vanished. Closing her eyes, she stilled herself, the scents of the Emerald Graves filling her nostrils. It was faint, but she found Fenris's scent. Her ears searched for her father, listening for the slightest movement, the faintest breath. There!
Eyes snapping open, black like her father's, Isena's feet left the ground, her knees tucking against her torso, Fenris's blade arcing beneath her. She grinned, her palm landing against the grass, her body flipping, spinning on her wrist to face Fenris.
"I heard you coming a mile away." she taunted.
A proud grin pulled at his lips before slicing his sword down on her. "Only because I wanted you to."
Isena shifted the hilt to her off hand, driving the blade into the ground, pushing herself up, Fenris's blade missing her as it crashed into the dirt. She laughed, landing on his sword before launching into a roundhouse kick, her heel landing squarely against her father's cheek.
The forest echoed with the crash the sounded when Fenris left a crater in the tree trunk behind him. He chuckled, wiping the blood from his already healed mouth. "You're getting much better, Isena. I guess now I can stop holding back."
Isena responded by grabbing her sword, her body lowered, leaping into an assault. The forest rang with the sound of clashing metal, the two blades meeting repeatedly. Fenris allowed himself to lose ground, retreating back toward the stream, Isena relentlessly on the offensive. Watching his daughter, Fenris's eyes narrowed, spotting his opening.
Evading her powerful slice with ease, Fenris rammed his pommel into her stomach, the air knocked from her with an audible grunt, her blade falling from her hand. Isena hit the ground, her brow furrowed in frustration, her hand lunging forward as she turned to face her father who was coming toward her for the final blow. A feral rage exploded inside her at how he so easily found and exploited her weakened defense.
The creek behind them responded to Isena's outstretched hand, the water rising, spreading into frozen sharpened edges, trained on Fenris. They rushed for him, Fenris immediately spinning into a guarded stance, his greatsword acting as a shield for the incoming onslaught.
"Isena! Control it!" he growled.
Fenris's voice rang in her head, snapping her back to reality, the icy tendrils dropping with her hand.
"Father, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"It's all right." he turned, kneeling to check her for injuries. "Your magic is wild like your mother's, I would be concerned if it didn't try to kill me at least once a week." he smiled at her, helping her to her feet, his arms pulling her into a warm embrace.
"What was she like?" Isena's head rested against her father's shoulder, her eyes wandering off.
Fenris grinned, remembering his time with Ana. "Your mother? She was- fierce. Kind, loyal, loving. She was slow to trust, and Maker knows I shattered that trust too many times, but she always forgave me." he kissed the top of her head, turning toward their home, his arm still around her shoulders. "She was unlike anyone you've ever met."
"Keeper, we shouldn't linger here much longer. Our hunters have reported signs of dragon activity and they grow closer to the aravel by the day." a young elven man, blonde hair in a tight braid, the sides of his head shaved, sat with a female elf.
"Dragons normally keep to themselves, why would they be moving closer to our camp? Has Amelas seen anything?"
The hunter shook his head. "Nothing, that we know of. We have not heard from him for three days since he entered the forest to meditate."
The keeper nodded her head, her brown hair twirled in a messy bun behind her head, a few strands of bangs hanging in her rose-colored eyes. "I will search for him then. Tell the rest of the clan to be prepared to move when we return."
Bowing his head, the hunter stood. "Yes, Keeper."
The keeper walked through the trees of the Exalted Plains, a waterfall roaring in the distance behind her. It was not uncommon for her son to disappear for days to meditate and hone his skills as a Somniari. He reminded her of his father in so many ways. Thankfully, that made it easy to find him when he would disappear.
Standing outside a small stone doorway, her eyes fell upon a small green glow in the darkness below. She recognized the wards placed around the entrance and easily dispelled them before entering the small ruin, primeval drawings of halla and depictions of the gods decorating the walls. In the corner at the far end of the room sat a young man, slumped against the stone, his eyes closed. His brown hair fell in knotted warrior ropes down his back and over his shoulder, a leather tie holding the thick locs on top of his head and near his face back in a ponytail. His legs were relaxed, one leg straight out, the other bent with his knee in the air.
"Amelas." the keeper whispered, gently touching his shoulder, her fingers spreading in the soft white pelt falling from his neck.
He was silent a moment before his head rolled to face his mother, his eyes still closed.
"Amelas, wake up, my son."
His hazel eyes opened, reflecting the llight of the veilfire torch beside him. "Mother? What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
A smile pulled at her lips, remembering the stories Solas told her all those years ago. "You are just like your father in every way. He too enjoyed communing with the spirits in ruins and caves."
Amelas sat up, his eyes fully adjusted to the dim light of the room. "Is something wrong? You've never sought me out so soon before. What is going on?"
"The hunters have found signs of dragons nearby. Scorched earth, burnt carcasses. They move closer to the camp and the people are becoming unsettled. I think it best if we move on from this place."
Nodding slowly, Amelas stretched, raising his arms above his head, the split in his tunic widening to show his well built form. "The spirits have been agitated. They whisper of a darkness coming, seeking something, but they're unclear what it is."
Before his mother could respond, the ruins trembled, a ferocious roar bellowing outside.
"That sounded like a dragon!" she cried, running to the entrance at the top of the stairs.
Screams echoed, commands ushered from Dalish hunters. Smoke rose from the direction of the aravel, flames rising in the trees. An enormous shadow raced over the ground, the keeper's eyes following a massive black and purple dragon circling, flying toward her camp.
Her heart pounding, she bolted in the direction she came. "The clan We have to do something!"
Isena was accustomed to entering the Fade while she slept. Being a mage, she was rather familiar with the realm and the spirits which inhabit it. Over the years, she had many encounters with spirits and demons alike, but there was one nightmare that would not cease to haunt her. It was the same every time, she found herself in a burning wasteland, black flames devouring what plant life remained. Burning corpses were scattered across the ground, the bodies charred beyond recognition, some appearing half-eaten. Roars echoed all-around but no beast could be seen.
On the other side of the field stood an eluvian, but where the glass should have been stood black iron bars. Behind them stood nothing but darkness. A cold breeze greeted Isena as she approached, pushing her hair away from her face, her eyes searching for anything beyond the gate.
Isena whispered voices from within the eluvian. Beware the Banal'ras, Isena.
"Banal'ras? What is that? Who are you?"
Isena blinked, confusion furrowing her brow. Normally this is when she would wake up. Why was she still here?
The earth shook, echoes of a trembling in the distance. Another one, foot steps? The tremors grew stronger each time. Isena grabbed the bars, an ancient magic reverberating from within.
"Who are you?" she called, the footsteps growing closer.
You must leave! Before the Banal'ras finds you! The voice cried, growing frantic.
"Not until you tell me who you are! Are you calling me here? What do you want with me?"
Isena squinted, her eyes drawn to something in the darkness. Faint red lines glowed from deep within the prison, outlining the silhouette of a body. A gasp rushed from her lips, a clawed hand extending from the bars, pushing her back. Red tattoos lined the arm, swirls and leaves climbing from the knuckles to the elbow and beyond. I said leave! Before it finds you!
Falling from the force of the shove, Isena frowned. "Not until I get answers!"
The arm retracted into the darkness, silence falling around her. The field faded, one last word breathed into Isena's ears before she woke. Skyhold.
"Mother wait!" Amelas chased her through the trees, the scent of smoke and burning flesh growing thicker, the screams louder.
"We have to help them!" she screamed over her shoulder, the aravel just beyond the treeline.
A screeching roar sent Virana and Amelas to their knees, their eyes shut, their hands smashed against their ears. The earth trembled as the beast landed, the screams ceasing. Crouching as low to the ground as he could, Amelas grabbed Virana's arm, his finger against his lips.
Creeping to the edge of the trees, they watched the massive beast stand amidst the burning aravel, the members of clan Lavellan bloodied and scattered about. The halla had fled, only a few lay dead, their white fur caked in blood. The dragon lowered its head, thick horns bending over its head, the points reaching up just past the base of its skull. Its entire body was black, its belly a deep purple. Its eyes were dark, a slight hue of gold behind slim black pupils.
The dragon turned its head, moving debris with its snout, stepping over the bodies of the elves beneath it. Was it searching for something?
"What is it doing?" Virana whispered, her voice shaking with terror and rage. "It's not even trying to eat those it killed. This makes no sense."
"It looks like it's searching for something." Amelas whispered in return, his eyes never straying from the beast.
A white glow emanated from the dragon, its entire body shining as its shape changed. It shrank, its front legs becoming arms and hands, its hind legs altering to support the new body. Its tail disappeared, the horns flowing into soft hair. When the light faded, a woman stood before them, clad in black leather armor, a purple chest and neck piece, black feathers falling from her shoulders. Her white hair was fashioned like horns on her head, the rest flowing behind her in the breeze. She knelt, pushing the remains of a burnt wagon aside, pulling a chest from the debris.
"It can't be." the keeper breathed, her heart seizing in her chest.
"Who is she?"
She paused, her eyes on the woman, her face white. "Mythal."
As if hearing their hushed voices, Mythal stood upright, her gaze remaining on the box. "I know you're here, Virana. I can sense your magic. My daughter may have cloaked you, but you still drank from my well."
"What is she talking about, 'my daughter cloaked you'?"
Virana shrugged her words catching in her throat. "I don't know. Ana said nothing about hiding me from Mythal."
Mythal faced the trees, her eyes looking at the carnage surrounding her. "No matter. You will find me soon enough. Consider this a taste of what is coming."
The same white light emanated from her, the dragon appearing in her place before rising to the sky. Once she was sure Mythal was gone, Virana ran to her clan, tears falling as she found every member gone. Amelas bit his lip, fighting the lump in his throat, his mind frantically trying to comprehend the slaughter. In his twenty one years, he had spent 18 with this clan. They were his family, and they were gone.
"Mother? Do you hear that?" he said, turning to the chest Mythal pulled from the rubble.
Virana turned to him, listening.
"-rana! Are you there? Ple-...-ell me you can hear this!" a voice came from within the box, muffled and faint.
"That sounded like Dorian." Virana said, rushing to the chest, ripping the lid open. Beneath the pelts and parchment was a small purple crystal, glowing each time the voice came through. "Dorian? Dorian, I'm here, can you hear me?" the crystal shone as she spoke into it.
There was silence, her concern showing on her face. "-hank the Maker! We have-...-ouble in Tevinter! Dragons-...-cision strikes. Unlike anything we've ever-..-een. The Archon-...-ed along with much of the magisterium!"
"Dorian? Dorian what's going on, I can barely hear you!" Virana looked to Amelas, fear gripping her.
"-eet at skyhold!" echoed from the crystal before the light faded.
"What was that?" Amelas said, his hand on his mother's shoulder.
"I don't know. It sounded like Dorian was in trouble. The only thing I understood was 'Skyhold'."
"There is something much larger brewing on the horizon, mother. We need to lay our people to rest and leave for the mountain fortress. This has only just begun."