A/N: I decided to continue this story. This is the first of the experiments on our Warden, and what initially changed him. So review…or else!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age.
Kael Mahariel, who would one day be known as the Champion of Redcliffe, Hero of Ferelden, and Ender of the Fifth Blight, was currently following Ashalle to the Keeper's aravel. He was only five years old, and was rather upset at being dragged away from Tamlen and Merrill. His female friend was making lots of pretty lights, and now only Tamlen would get to see them! Even though all the other da'len wondered what was inside of their Keeper's home, he didn't think it worth missing the tricks over. Ashalle had told him there wasn't anything fun in there anyways.
He looked curiously up at his guardian, who looked very sad for some reason. Trying to cheer her up, he fished around in his pockets and found a small wooden wolf that he had carved. Before Ashalle could take another step, he tugged on her sleeve and looked up at her with sad eyes. She stopped and looked at Kael.
"Ashalle, is there something wrong?"
The female elf looked troubled for a moment, as if debating whether to tell him something or not. Finally, she simply gave a strained, nervous smile.
"I'm fine, da'len. Do not worry yourself over me."
Kael followed her as she began walking again. Internally, he was debating on whether he would give her the little wolf, since it was his new treasure. Then again, Ashalle was sad, no matter what she said. Right as the two elves reached Marethari's aravel, Kael wordlessly handed the wooden wolf to his foster mother. He felt a nice glow inside as she smiled and gave him a tight hug. After he thought Ashalle had broken his ribs, they moved into the aravel.
All the young Dalish could say was that it was…different. Not nearly as interesting or mysterious that the other da'len thought it would be. Diagrams of runes covered the wall, projecting an air of power into the small home. Several staves, made from iron bark and strong looking bones were painstakingly arranged in a corner, each glowing with magical power. A tiny bed was nestled into the far corner, and it barely looked large enough for Kael, let alone Keeper Marethari. From what he could see, the bed was the only personal thing in the aravel. Aside from it, the only surfaces were a small table and a very long desk that was completely covered by ancient elven texts, written in a shiny gold ink. His attention was torn away from his surroundings by Keeper Marethari, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Kael frowned at her. She looked very sad today, just like Ashalle. For a moment he merely stared at the ancient elf, before a slight nudge from Ashalle reminded the child of his manners. With a clumsy bow, he made his greetings towards the Keeper, who merely smiled sadly at him.
That annoyed the boy, who felt as if someone wasn't telling him something. He decided to get answers.
"Keeper Marethari, Ashalle, why did you call me here? I'm missing out on Merrill making the pretty lights!"
Marethari frowned a little at the mention of Merrill's activities. The dear da'len was not supposed to use magic for fun, she didn't have enough control yet. She decided to reprimand Merrill later. For now, she must tell young Kael what is about to occur.
"Da'len, you have been chosen." she said in a grave tone. Kael's ears perked up. That meant he was special! "You will become a great hero to our people, and all you have to do is one task."
Kael was practically bouncing in anticipation. He was going to be a hero! Merrill and Tamlen would be so jealous when he told them! The little elf was broken out of his reverie by Ashalle nudging him again. He looked back at Marethari.
"I will be sending you to the Beyond. When there-,"
"The Beyond! Will I see Falon'Din!"
"Listen!" the Keeper said sharply. "You will be in the Beyond. While there, you are to find a spirit that will be living inside the area you are sent to and speak to it. Do you understand?"
The boy nodded eagerly. He'd always wanted to see the old home of the Gods. Marethari sighed. She hoped the boy would survive what happened next. With a heavy heart, she told him to walk over to the bowl of lyrium on her desk and look into it. As much as she hated the Chantry and their rabid attack dogs, this ritual that she'd "borrowed" was actually useful.
Kael looked into the mesmerizing liquid and immediately felt his mind being drawn into it.
He appeared in a funny looking place with a scary statue. Kael laughed as he waved his hand. It looked strange. After waving his arms and legs for awhile, he got bored and decided to look around. The Keeper had said he needed to look for…something. Kael scrunched up his face as he tried to remember. It was a big, funny word. Not as big as Falon'Din or the other Gods' name but still big. He knew he had heard Merrill talking about the word before, but he couldn't get it. Finally, he gave up and looked around.
The Beyond wasn't very interesting, Kael thought. There wasn't even somewhere soft to sit down! All the dirt was hard and didn't feel right. All he wished for was that he had somewhere to sit. The little elf jumped as he heard a big thump from behind him and immediately turned around. A gigantic smile erupted on his face as he looked at the wooden chair with a soft looking pad that had just appeared. Even though he wasn't tired, he decided to sit down. Maybe he would be able to remember the big word later.
Kael sat down for what felt like hours, making fun things like bows and swords appear out of nowhere. He was trying to make a squirrel when he heard a woman's voice speak.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little mortal in my own domain? From all of the magic I felt, I thought you would be a spirit attempting to take my territory."
The Dalish looked over at the voice and saw a very pretty purple lady with shiny white horns standing there. She didn't have many clothes on, he thought with a frown. Wanting to help her, he decided to make a huntress outfit appear on her. He also put out the scary fire that she had on her head. Ashalle told him many times that fire was bad, and he knew how much it hurt.
The lady looked surprised for a moment, before looking at the young elf with a sinister smile. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell the difference from a malicious smile and a true one. Kael gave a hesitant smile back. He wanted to be kind to the lady, but there was something simply wrong with her. She gave off an air of power and…something else that Kael didn't like. Maybe she was what he was supposed to be looking for.
"Come here, little one." The woman crooned softly.
Hesitantly, Kael obeyed. She grabbed his face and stared into his eyes with her own fiery purple ones. He winced, her fingernails were long and sharp.
"Tell me, do you want anything? I can make anything you desire happen."
The young elf found himself being drawn into her eyes. They promised to let him make the pretty lights, to be the best hunter the clan had ever seen, to free his people and defeat the shemlin. Kael saw himself cutting the head off Fen'harel, the Dread Wolf, and freeing the Gods from their prisons.
"Ca-can you really make anything happen? You can bring back the Gods and help me free my clan?"
"Of course, dear child. All I ask is that you take my hand. That way we will have a deal, see?"
In the innocence and naivety of his young age, Kael took the elegant hand that was offered to him. When he came back, he would be an even bigger hero than if he had just done what the Keeper wanted! Kael was sure that the Keeper would want him to do this, everyone wanted the Gods to be freed.
He instantly felt terrible pain erupting in his hand. When he looked down, he saw the lady's fingernails digging into his tiny hand. Kael yelped and tried to pull away, but the lady smiled and dug in harder. Eventually, when he could feel the blood pouring out of his hand, the pain was dulled by a new feeling of power. When he looked at the not-so-nice lady in bewilderment, he realized that her previous smile was gone, replaced by fear. Kael continued to look at her in amazement and confusion as she was seemingly sucked into his wounds bit by bit, beginning with her fingernails and then slowly traveling up her arm. After the lady's arms were gone, she began screaming. It hurt Kael's ears very badly, but he couldn't move from the euphoric feeling of power flooding his veins.
His mind was taken off of his pain as he saw lots of pictures in his head. Kael saw every bargain, every life she had destroyed. This was a powerful Demon of Desire, known in the legends as Xebenkeck. The feeling of power was growing, and he felt even more knowledge pouring into him as the demon was seemingly absorbed. In exchange for the power, however, he lost his youthful innocence. He saw thousands of years worth of memories, each one of seduction, plotting and merciless killing. The Dalish saw as she tore entire villages apart in her host's guise, and felt the sensation of having a true body. Kael saw the unending beauty of the mortal world through the demon's eyes, and the feeling of resentment that burned inside of her as she watched the mortals who couldn't even appreciate the beauty of the sky, of the simple existence of a world that couldn't be changed by a thought alone. As horrifying as her actions were to a five-year old boy, who could barely understand them, he sympathized with her. She had been entranced by the mortal world, and would happily give every bit of her power, every second of her immortal life in exchange for a mere day in the mortal world.
Kael continued to see memories, each more disturbing and disgusting then the last. In the end, her memories threatened to dominate him, threatened to turn him into an abomination. His own memories and very being clashed in a desperate fight for survival, not willing to be a demon's pawn now that he had seen those memories. He realized that Xebenkeck would destroy his friends, his Keeper, Ashalle, everyone he knew. In the end, that thought was what allowed him to prevail over the ancient demon. The Dalish slowly remembered what he was, instead of being torn between the separate identities of a young, innocent elf boy, and an immortal monstrosity that caused destruction because of love for a world she had no part in. The memories of the demon were quashed, and left under his own.
When he opened his eyes, he realized he was still in the Beyond. Kael gave a bitter smile that had no place on such a young face. Not that he was truly Kael anymore, he reminded himself. Kael was a young, carefree child, eager to please his Keeper and completely unwary of threats. Now, he didn't know what he was. Thanks to those damned memories, he had matured quite a bit beyond his years. His personality would never be innocent or carefree after seeing the demon's memories. It had definitely altered him greatly, although he did not yet know whether it for better or for worse.
Kael stared at the vast emptiness of the Beyond. He saw it for what it was now. Anyone who was lucid here was essentially a God, bound only by their will and creativity. In the end the home of Falon'Din was nothing more than a vast nothingness, only given shape by what the spirits and demons could copy. With a sigh, Kael wiped the Beyond away, and went back to his true body.
He awoke in the Keeper's bed, and realized that the Keeper and Ashalle were speaking about something. Wanting to learn more about what had happened, he pretended to still be asleep. His ploy succeeded, and his keen ears caught every word the two women were saying.
"-know that he won't become possessed? Many experienced Keepers and their Firsts have fallen prey to demons, and they actually had the gift!" Ashalle ranted angrily.
"Do not worry, Ashalle, I am confident in the child's abilities. Such an entity cannot possess someone with the simple innocence of a child, who hold no desires for the demon to feed off of. I am positive that he will absorb the demon."
The Keeper, of course. Kael was not very happy with her right now, she had practically given him up as a sacrifice. From the demon's memories, he knew that she had fed upon children dozens of times. Every child, be it human or elf, had ambitions. Whether it was to be the best hunter or craftsman, they were still there. Many of those ambitions were discarded a day after they'd formed, but they were there, no matter how briefly. In fact, even he, a child of five years, had desires. He had seen them for himself.
Ashalle growled for a moment, and Kael had the impression that she was desiring to attack the Keeper. In fact, Kael could feel it oozing off of her. That was when he decided to intervene, this façade had gone on long enough. Just as the Dalish child felt Ashalle's desire stretch to a breaking point, he lifted his small torso up and took charge.
"Ashalle, please do not continue upon this course of action."
Both women's attention snapped toward him, and he heard a small gasp from Marethari before being tackled in a hug by his foster mother. He hugged her back, grateful to have her attention before Marethari intervened.
"Ashalle," the old Keeper exclaimed, "get away from him!"
The elf woman looked at her curiously before she looked at what Marethari was staring at: Kael's eyes. They were two flaming amathysts, burning with rage at the Keeper.
"So, Keeper," Kael said in a cold voice, "do you like what you have made of me with that experiment?"