Note: Not much I can say about this chapter except 'here we go'. Feedback is appreciated always and thank you for reading.

Soundtrack for this chapter is Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons.

Dragon Age
"The Relic"

Chapter Twenty One: Possession

For Malcolm and Bree, getting out of Skyhold unseen was simple. They'd been doing it for years. Malcolm readied the horses and Bree collected food, water, and equipment. It was shockingly simple for them to sneak out. Michel and Thom would have a coronary if they knew just how easy it was for someone who knew the Keeps' routine.

They made it down the mountain and out of the valley with enough speed and efficiency to make any military commander cheer. Days on the road were passed as they traded stories and jokes. They were each other's siblings and it showed.

"So, tell me about the Prince," Malcolm asked and sat down on the bedroll with his half of the rabbit.

"He has a name," she replied wiping her mouth.

"I know," he answered. "I've never seen you go head to head with your father like that before. You serious about him?"

Bree smiled when she thought about Jean and Malcolm could see the parallels between her and himself. "I like him. He's nice and handsome and-…"

"The Prince of Orlais."

Bree grinned. Jean being the Prince was only part of his package. "Jealous?"

"Nah…Duncan's more my speed," he joked. "Orlesians are too pretty for me." Bree chuckled at his response. "He seems a decent enough guy…I'm happy for you."

She smiled. "Don't plan the wedding just yet. I got my father to relent I still have no idea about his family," she cautioned licking the remains of the cooked rabbit off her fingers and throwing the skewer in the fire.

"Your father was the biggest hurdle. Remember this was his father's idea," he ventured and Bree nodded. "Get some rest. We need to move quickly…once they figure out we absconded I'm sure they'll try to track us down."

It hadn't escaped her just how much trouble they – she – would be in when they went back to Skyhold or if Michel or Thom caught up with them out here. She laid down resting her head on her saddle that was angled against his.

Malcolm lay down too and they both sighed at the same time.

"I missed you," she said after a long silence.

"You too," he replied with a smile.

The next morning they were riding at dawn and autumn was defiantly settling in, overnight it turned colder prompting Bree to put on her warmest cloak but woodsman Malcolm seemed completely unaffected.

"Mal, where are you going?" she asked as he continued heading south when they should turn east. "It's that way."

"We're at the edge of the Wilds. We can go home, horses could use the rest and we can get more supplies." he explained and a loud rumble or thunder reiterated the need for some shelter. "It's not far." Malcolm had chosen this location because of how close it was to home. On the map it put it near where Ostagar used to be.

Bree was unsure, the stories about the Wilds rattled around in her head. How dangerous and mysterious it was. The fact that people ventured in, and most of the time, never ventured back out. "I've never been to the Wilds."

Malcolm smiled as he flipped the hood of his cloak up just as the rain started to pour. "We'll be fine. Come on," he said and turned Kyp onto the path the horse knew well.

The Wilds were, in a word, creepy. Even as it rained there was a dense mist, it felt like the trees had eyes, and the temperature had dropped a few degrees adding misery to the rain. They were both soaked as she followed Malcolm at every twist and turn through the steadily thickening forest. A sudden and very loud clap of thunder startled them both and Skye bolted. The spooked mare ran into Kyp and Malcolm's reflexes caught the reins before she got past.

Bree gathered her horse back up but looked as spooked as her mount. "You alright?" Malcolm asked and Bree nodded though she didn't look like she believed it. "We're almost there," he assured with a smile on his face that made her feel a little better. He patted Skye's neck and moved on.

She wasn't sure how long 'almost there' was or how long they'd spent since they entered the forest but the cluster of huts came out of nowhere. It looked like a small village of almost a dozen buildings. They reached what looked to be an open barn and she was happy to be out of the torrential rain.

After seeing to the horses she followed her brother up the steps to one of the huts and out of the mud. They squelched as they walked and dripped when they were out of the rain. "Dad!" she heard Malcolm call when they went to the large hut.

"Mal?" Anders questioned, shocked to see him there. Last he knew his stubborn son stayed in Skyhold with his mother but now he was here only a few weeks later. "What are you doing here?" he asked and saw Bree. "And what is she doing here?"

"It's a long story. We just need to wring ourselves out," he replied and took his water heavy cloak off.

Anders wasn't about to turn either of them away and nodded. "Alright, well, let's get you two some dry clothes and food." He was pretty sure neither of them was supposed to be here.

Malcolm was in his father's hut long enough to change his clothes and dry off then went to a hut at the other end of the village. He didn't knock or announce him himself he just walked in like he had a thousand times before. It was a tiny little hut that he had spent a lot of time in.

"The stew is bubbling, Mama." A young woman said without turning.

Malcolm zeroed in on the young woman tending to the stew and quietly walked up to her, turning her halfway, and kissing her deeply. She was surprised but it passed when she realized who was kissing her. She said something indistinguishable by the kiss and turned completely wrapping herself up in his arms. He squeezed her tight but not tight enough to hurt her and after a moment the kiss ended. He pressed his forehead to hers placing his right hand on her cheek. "Hello, beautiful."

"You're back. You were gone so long," she said trying to stay as calm as possible and not tear up from joy.

"I know. I'm sorry," he said and let the urge to kiss her again win. "I love you."

Her mother coming in separated them and he nodded to her. "Malcolm," she acknowledged.

"Vanna," he said with a respectful tone and a smile.

"Staying for supper?" she asked her dialogue stilted and short since she didn't speak the common tongue well. He nodded wanting to remain as close to Lily as possible.

Anders poured some hot cider for Bree and then himself. He wasn't sure why they were here but he knew he didn't like it. He liked Bree, he really did, but she did tend to get Malcolm into interesting situations both good and bad. Malcolm wasn't an angel either but he was pretty sure Bree was the reason they were here.

"Where's Malcolm?" Bree asked after devouring the roast that Anders had prepared. She was warming up finally from the cold rain and had a blanket wrapped around her.

Anders offered her more food but she shook her head and he sat back down. "Oh, he's with Lily."

"The famous Lily…he talks about her." Anders knew that, all that Malcolm and Lily were lacking was an official ceremony.

"You won't see him probably until the morning." Bree blushed at the idea that he was spending the night with her. Anders saw the tinge and smiled. "He's loved her since he met her. They're usually inseparable…I was surprised when he joined the Inquisition." Anders was quiet for a minute and watched her shiver slightly under the blanket. "What are you doing here?"

Bree looked up at him with a blink before looking away. Anders was a father and had seen that look before. "Just trying to help."

Anders shook his head. "No. You are doing something you shouldn't and have dragged my son along for the ride."

"We're just going to check something out," she evaded but the look from Anders told her that the mage remained unconvinced.

"Bree, listen to me, he will do anything you ask him to do but don't take advantage of him."

"I'm not! We're looking for something, that's all. Something to help combat Solas," she defended sounding offended by the notion that she was doing all this just because she wanted to be rebel. "You know what. I'm tired, where can I sleep?"

"Stubborn teenagers." Tess was always better with them then he was and he indicated with his right thumb over his shoulder. "Mal's bed is around the corner," he offered. "He won't be using it tonight."

Bree nearly snorted but that would ruin her grumpy expression. As many times as Malcolm had passed out in her bed from lack of anywhere else it was poetic justice that she got to crash in his.

Lily insistently snuggled against Malcolm after he shifted slightly almost like she never wanted to let him go again. It rained all through the night but the fire heated the hut well enough to keep everything dry. The furs were heavy and warm but the best part was the warmth from the bodies under the furs. Bree was right, he should bring her back to Skyhold.

"You're not sleeping," Lily said quietly in the dark.

"I was," he said and kissed the top of her head.

"You're not staying are you?" she asked and he was quiet for a moment before answering.

"No," he said finally and it killed him to say it. "I'll be back though. Then I want to take you to Skyhold."

"Really?"

"If you want," he replied and she snuggled tighter against him.

The autumn morning in the Wilds was about a picturesque as they came. Beams of sunlight came through the densely packed forest trying to burn off the thick mist that that settled in. To say it was muddy was an understatement but the horses were dry, well rested, and fed.

The fire had successfully dried out everyone's armor and cloaks and as Bree saddled her horse she heard Malcolm approaching behind her. Malcolm in his leather armor was always quite a sight, he was a handsome young man, always had been.

"Did someone have fun last night?" Bree asked and Malcolm blushed. She giggled. "What? After all this time you're bashful now? I've seen you naked for crying out loud."

"Uhh, I was 11 and you stole my clothes," he replied and the girl he was with gave them a curious look. Lily was a medium height woman, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and classic but plain beauty. "Bree this is Lily."

"Hi," Bree greeted with a smile.

"He talks about you," Lily said helping him a buckle on his left arm.

"Malcolm talks?" she asked. Malcolm rolled his eyes and Lily laughed.

"He is a man of few words," she joked as Malcolm ignored their teasing and tended to Kyp.

Anders gave Malcolm and Bree more food as they prepared to leave. The horses stood quietly waiting for their owners to get the show on the road. "Be careful, son, whatever it is that you're doing."

He shook his father's hand with a nod. "I will," he said and moved from his father to his girl. He kissed her and hugged her. "I'll be back," he said and then vaulted up onto Kyp with a single agile display.

Malcolm navigated the woods like she navigated Skyhold. He could find his way anywhere in the woods and Bree was surprised she didn't notice that before. As long as she'd been with him she'd never really seen him in his apparent element. Malcolm was amazing. His whistling was annoying, however.

"Do you have to do that?" she said after the annoyance became too much.

He paused in mid whistle. "You're no fun anymore you know that?" he called over his shoulder.

Bree glared but he never saw it. "Kidnapping will do that."

Malcolm scoffed loudly. "Oh, please, that was nothing."

Bree rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Justice." Malcolm resumed his whistling and she rolled her eyes again. For 20 more minutes he whistled before sharply stopping and looking to the left with a furrowed brow. "Don't tell me you can hear over your whistling," she snarked and he snorted.

"Not what I hear it's what I feel," he answered and felt the unique thrum of the Relics power. "This way."

After all these years the field where King Calian died still looked like a battlefield, it still felt eerie and the thin veil unnerved Bree. Even on the edge of where Loghain's infamous betrayal occurred they could feel the ghosts. Grave robbers rarely ventured in out of fear for the 'creatures' that dwelled in the scarred land. The Warden-Queen's company cut Calian's displayed body down and gave him the pyre he deserved along with any Wardens they could identify.

"What does a thin veil feel like to you?" she asked Malcolm and saw him cock his head to the left briefly.

"Like I'm close to the Fade," he replied not really sure how to answer that.

That was a bullshit answer if she'd ever heard one. "Mal, I feel close to the Fade where the veil is thin, you're possessed you have to have a better answer than that."

He grumbled his annoyance. "For the last time: I am not possessed. I don't know what the hell I am but I'm not possessed."

"Sorry," she replied. "Still, your answer sucked."

Malcolm chuckled. "It's almost like I can feel the spirits and demons on the other side."

"Interesting."

The edge of the Ostagar ruins brought them to their destination, the way he moved made Bree curious. "Have you been here before?" she asked and Malcolm pulled his horse up to the location his strange feeling was leading.

"No."

"You're kidding, you live this close and you've never been to the ruins of Ostagar?"

"Never been up to Lothering either, anywhere the blight stained the land I generally stay the hell away from," he said and urged Kyp forward closer to what looked like a ruined building. "This is it," he confirmed as Bree pulled Skye up next to Kyp and looked at her map.

"Looks like it used to be a Temple."

Safe bet but Malcolm scoffed. "A really long time ago."

"There's nothing here, just barely tall ruined walls." She thought about it a moment and remembered what she'd read and was told about where the book was found. It was found in the middle of nowhere with just a marker.

The feeling Malcolm had was the same one he had in the Deep Roads but considerably less uncomfortable. "Oh, something is here," he insisted and dismounted causing Bree to follow suit.

"Are you sure?"

He began to track it. "Yep."

It wasn't the biggest ruin that they'd ever been in but it was by far the most frustrating. It was obvious where the temple once was but it frustrated Malcolm that he couldn't zero in on the thing that he could feel. It wasn't as strong as the one in the Deep Roads but it was definitely here.

After kicking over a head sized rock Bree grumbled. "There's nothing here."

"You need to stop hanging around that Orlesian, ya know," Malcolm replied, "you've become very negative."

She glowered at his back. "I'm so happy we came out here for nothing," she said with a chipper and bubbly tone. "I can't wait to go home and have one or both of my parents lock me in the dungeon for the rest of my life."

Malcolm chuckled. "That's the spirit."

"You're hilarious, Mal, and to think I actually missed you," she deadpanned and he continued to search. Something was there. Something was making him feel like he was going to vomit. "Maybe he found it already or there was nothing here."

He rolled his eyes. Still so negative. "Here," he said as the feeling grew stronger but the location he found was bare, there wasn't even a stone there. "I think it's buried."

Bree sighed irritably. "Terrific." She muttered and gestured for him to start digging. "By all means."

Malcolm blinked and cocked his head to her. "You're not the empress of Orlais yet," he teased. "Did you bring a shovel?"

"One of these days I'm going to kill you," she threatened but Malcolm simply shrugged.

"After you're done digging."

And so they dug and found a plain small box about a foot down. Malcolm could feel the same thrum of power as before as he hauled the box out of the hole.

The box was small and wrapped in disintegrating leather. It was plain save for the same helix pattern on the top. She turned to Malcolm who gave her the same curious look that she wore. Bree opened the box that was made of some kind of stone to reveal a smaller flat wooden box tucked within.

"The plot thickens," she muttered as she opened the second box.

Inside was an ornate palm sized talisman that hit Malcolm with a strong sense of power. "What is that?"

"I…have no idea," she replied.

Malcolm had the strongest reaction to the Relic and even now he was showing that he could feel this as well. The power that was tied to the Relic was virtually unknown to them so they were learning as they went. "No wait, Mal, don't touch that."

He touched it and dropped it immediately when he felt a spark of magic from the talisman.

"What was that?" she asked and Malcolm felt it immediately…something was wrong but he didn't know what.

He stood as the feeling alarmed him. "Oh, no." The black haze swirled around Malcom and Bree felt very strange, thrummed with a power that she had had never felt. It was a powerful, eerie darkness that made her skin crawl. The haze looked like smoke and it concentrated on Malcolm making the stoic healer grunt and bite back yelps of pain. His body flashed the spirit blue and then to an eerie red then back again.

"Mal?" Bree questioned as he let a cry of pain escape, he dropped to one knee and his hands went to his head. "Mal? Mal, what's happening?" she asked and began to panic a little dropping down in front of him cupping his face in her hands. "Malcolm?"

Malcolm's eyes were solid spirit blue but something was very wrong. "Go," he said, his voice strained pushed through gritted teeth. "Bree, get out of here," he added. His eyes flashed from spirit blue to his natural eye color then back again. He cried out in pain staggered to his feet away from her.

"I'm not going to leave you, tell me what's happening!" she refused and watching him flash back and forth from the blue to the red frantically.

"Go, Bree," he gritted and went rigid like he was being shocked by something. The black smoke returned and swirled around him. "Go." The wind picked up around him and the ground rumbled, in addition to whatever was going on, the flashing of his spirit side, and the rumbling ground lightening was crackling from his hands. She saw Malcolm ball up his fists trying to contain his impressive powers and it dawned on her- he was losing control, that's why he was yelling for her to run. If Malcolm lost control of his force ability and his lightening he could level the area and kill her in the process. "RUN!" he roared obviously trying to control himself and she got the point.

The ground shook even more and more lightening escaped from him, the wind continued to swirl around him as the spirit blue locked. Bree turned and ran and heard Malcolm lose his battle.

The smoke enveloped him and picked him up suspending the young mage a few feet from the ground. The mysterious power hit him like a maul and he screamed in pain, his voice changed by Justice. His scream was awful, all of it was pain, like he was being ripped apart. The moment he screamed he lost all control, the ground shook with the force of a powerful earthquake, a pulse of force power went out in all directions with a deafening crack, and last but not least lightening arched out like a lightning storm. Bree wasn't nearly far enough away when the force pulse knocked her off her feet. She glanced back to see what was happening but all she could hear was his screams then she brought up the aegis to protect herself from his power run rampant.

The silence when it was all over it was worse than the apocalyptic sound that destroyed everything around her. The Aegis protected her from his power, falling, and flying debris to a point but when she dug herself out it still hurt when giant rocks fell on her. She slowly got to her feet and made her way through the ruins; Malcolm's uncontrolled power did exactly what she thought it would do. Leveled it. Any remnants of what it used to be gone. The mage was on his hands and knees looking like he was trying to collect himself, the black smoke was gone, the flashing of the spirit side of his had gone away telling her that the spirit was not in control. Something was wrong though…she could feel it. The same strange, eerie power still lingered in the air. "Malcolm?" she called quietly, something told her to be cautious.

Malcolm's face was obscured by the shaggy mop of hair and he looked up, bone chilling eyes striking fear deep within her. They weren't human…they weren't spirit…they were red. The mage stood with effortless ease never taking his eyes off of her. "There is no Malcolm," he said the voice was deep and otherworldly, it sounded like Justice but this was not the spirit that resided within the Healer. "There is only I."

Bree's heart felt like it was thud out of her ribs. "Justice?"

"The Spirit is dead. The one you call Malcolm is dead." he stated.

There was no warning, no pretense. Her childhood friend, the closest thing she had to a brother attacked, his hands came up and released the power of the lightening. She didn't react fast enough in her opinion and the bolt from his right hand struck her armor. The enchanted Keeper variant dawnstone armor absorbed most of the deadly energy but it did knock her off her feet. She shrieked in literal shock and surprise and brought up the Aegis before his next attack managing to deflect his next bolt. No one had come up with an adequate defense against him so she had to figure a way out of his fast.

At the moment, what she needed to do was block as she formulated a plan to try to subdue him. She'd brought him for protection, but never in a million years, thought she would need protection from him. She got a moment to think as one of his bolts bounced back on him knocking him off his feet. It was just a moment because he recovered inhumanly fast. He attacked again and she countered with fire.

The ground before him exploded into a wall of fire causing him to back off and break his attack. Bree scrambled to the left trying to find cover in the new rubble he had created. A blast of energy slammed into her crushing her against the remains of a rock wall. Stunned, she could see Malcolm coming through the smoke from her fire, disconcerting red eyes were blank…this wasn't him. Malcolm was powerful but even he wasn't fireproof. She refused to believe that Malcolm was gone so she sent a fireball toward his feet warning him to back off. He walked through it and before she could think of what next another pulse from his left hand crushed her back into the wall. Again, there was no banter, no words, Malcolm put his right hand on her chest and electrocuted her.

Now, it was her turn to scream, there was only so much of the immense power her armor could absorb. She couldn't help the ear-piercing scream, it hurt…it hurt more than anything she'd ever felt before. She managed to open her eyes and caught a glimpse of him, his eyes were red…eerie red like she'd never seen before. Her world was starting to close in on itself, this was how she was going to die…at the hands of her best friend, her brother, she closed her eyes.

Then the pain stopped a familiar crackle of power and she was dropped. Malcolm staggered away with painful grunts. It took Bree a few moments to collect herself, but it felt like an eternity, then she looked at Malcolm. He was crackling blue, Spirit blue, and when he looked at her a wave of relief hit, the spirit blue eyes of Justice. "Malcolm?"

"Go," he replied sharply, again sounding like the spirit and under considerable strain. He was shaking, like he was trying to prevent himself from attacking again, his hands balled into tight fists but the ground was starting to vibrate again. "You must find help…"

He was alive, that was all Bree needed to hear. "I'm not leave-…" she started but was a cut short by him.

"GOOOO!" the spirit roared, the ground shook more and he started to flicker back and forth from blue to red again.

Bree turned and sprinted at her top speed from him, she wasn't sure where Skye and Kyp were or even if they survived his initial meltdown. All this started when he touched that talisman, she needed to find help. She kept running, whatever happened to him was momentarily stopped by his true self. He was giving her time to get away.

As she ran she spotted one of the horses, Kyp. "Kyp!" she called weakly, she was out of breath and her throat was dry. "Kyp!" she tried again. The Charger was spooked, turning a frantic circle and snorting, the ruin blew up and probably scared the hell out of him. He shied from her as she reached out for his reins but Bree made a pitiful attempt at Malcolm's whistle to help calm him down. The horse was leaning away from her ready to bolt when she finally gathered him up. One of the million questions she had was where Skye was, the mare didn't usually wander off. She tried her whistle, keeping her eyes peeled for Malcolm and the Dalish All-Bred, there was no immediate response but Bree felt that she was still in danger and sprang up onto the enormous Charger. From the view atop his horse she could see Malcolm coming toward her with a scary blankness in his movement and she spun Kyp driving him into a gallop away from him.

Bree lost track of how long she'd been running in the same direction, Kyp walked blowing hard from the extended gallop he'd been commanded to do. Lathered sweat caused white streaks on the black stallion and he probably hadn't been ridden that hard in quite a while. There was one person she knew could help her, mysterious magic was a specialty of his…if she could convince him to help. Right now, she was in the woods…strange woods. Back in the Wilds. She was exhausted and her entire body hurt from the attack.

Kyp got her back to familiar ground and she found herself back to the little village deep in the Wilds. She dismounted and her legs tingled after being in the saddle for so long. She didn't feel good but she managed to get to her destination.

"Bree?" Anders questioned, shocked to see her before him. His shock was swiftly replaced by concern as she collapsed into his arms. "Bree?" She looked awful, pale and exhausted. He gently gathered her up in his arms and carried her off.

When Bree came to she felt a wet cloth wiping her face, she stirred and opened her eyes looking up at Solas looking down at her. She startled herself as the memories of what had happened flooded back. "Malcolm!" she blurted and sat up straight.

"Easy," Anders said quietly in a gentle healer's tone. "Bree, what happened? Where's Malcolm?"

"Oh, Maker," she breathed but sounded more distressed than ever. "Malcolm…I'm sorry Anders…I don't know that happened."

Anders put both hands on her shoulder and kept himself under control. "Bree, relax…what happened? Calm down. Tell me what happened."

"There was a talisman…Malcolm touched it and…and I…I don't know what happened," she babbled not sure how to explain what took place. She tried to gather herself to explain it better. "I think something…something possessed him," she said and Anders cocked his head.

"That's impossible. Justice's presence should make that impossible."

"Well it happened." The young girl snarled and got out of the bed a little faster than she needed to. She swayed and Anders steadied her. "He attacked me. He nearly killed me."

"So you left him there?"

"He told me to go. He or Justice…whatever. He got control back long enough for me to escape."

Anders was panicking but hiding it well. His son was in trouble. He would never hurt Bree and she would never leave him unless she didn't have a choice. His relationship with his son wasn't perfect but he would die to protect him. "Take me to him."

Bree didn't argue and headed out of the dwelling. She wasn't quite steady but she'd manage.

Kyp had been tended to and as soon as Anders and Bree made their way out of the hut Lily was there. "Where's Malcolm?" she asked scurrying from Kyp to meet them.

"I don't know. I'm going to look for him now."

Lily's mind raced, the thought of losing Malcolm nearly caused hysterics but she kept them under control. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You're going to stay here."

"I can help-…"

Anders put his hands on her shoulders much like he had with Bree to calm her. "Lily. I need you to stay here. Please," he said locking eyes with her. "I'll bring him back I promise." For all intents and purposes, she was his daughter in law and he kissed her forehead. "We'll be back."

Bree didn't spring up onto Kyp nor did she do anything fancy, instead she clamored up and into the saddle. She still hurt all over but that was something Anders couldn't heal, sore muscles healed on their own.

"Where is he?" Anders asked and giving her a gentle pat on the back, a parental gesture to see if she was okay.

"We're gonna need help first," she said popping the cork on the canteen that was tied to Kyp and taking a long pull off it.

"I thought that's what I was."

She shook her head. "There's only one person I know that can help us with this…if I can get him to help."

Malcolm knew the Fade no matter its façade. His earliest memory was of the Fade. He remembered curious spirits wondering about him but he was never afraid. He'd never been afraid of the Fade…until now. Something was terribly wrong.

He felt empty and the thrum of the Relic's power was so strong his head started to hurt. He didn't feel whole, something was missing…something serious. He hadn't left. He was still in the ruin but in Fade so it was reflected in what it used to be. A tall, strong structure built by Tevinter he guessed. Malcolm looked down at his hands and remembered attacking Bree, it wasn't him but at the same time it was him. He almost lost it there. How could he have attacked Bree? The Spirit was able to breakthrough and hold the Wraith off for her to escape but he didn't understand.

"You have a fascinating mind, young one," The Wraith said and blinked to the red ethereal version of himself that appeared in front of him. "You are the most powerful thing I've tasted in several millennia."

"What are you?"

"Your beginning and your end," it replied. "You cannot defeat me…I will subsume you. Your consciousness, you and the spirit you call Justice, your magnificent power will be mine."

"Over my dead body," Malcolm hissed but he could feel the drain, even now the Wraith was doing exactly what it promised.

"Yes indeed," it said gleefully the drain was felt even more.

"You will not have him," the blue form of Justice roared and Malcolm felt a surge of power.

"This one no longer belongs to you," The Wraith snarled at the blue intruder.

"You will not have him."

"I heard you the first time," the red entity replied and Justice attacked the Wraith. The two ethereal entities collided and Malcolm at first felt a rush of power but the longer the battle raged between them the weaker he felt. Not just a mana drain but everything, he felt tired…something was terribly wrong. He sent a bolt of lightning as strong as he could make it into the red entity causing it to shriek. The use of mana made Malcolm feel like he was going to faint and he nearly did.

Justice left the angry Wraith and passed into Malcolm who felt vastly better as soon as the Spirit re -entered. The Wraith materialized behind him and put its hand into Malcolm's temples.

Malcolm screamed in the Fade and in the real, it was a scream that was not only heard but felt. A pulse of power exploded out from him in and out of the Fade.

Cole saw the flash of lightening as the Wraith failed to master the mage's power and heard the agonizing scream. "No one can save me now," he said to himself and put and hand on Skye's body. The horse was hit by an errant bolt and was killed. Bree's beloved animal died at the hands of her brother. "No one can save me now."

The mysterious rogue moved closer to the ruin past Skye's body and he squatted down to observe. He knew better then to get too close but officially had no idea how to help him or what was going on. He watched Malcolm struggle against whatever had a hold of him and felt the intense fear. In the entire time he'd known him he never felt this coming from Malcolm. His scream was dreadful and his hands went to the side of his head. Cole felt completely helpless. There was nothing he could do to help him.

The Wraith forced himself into Malcolm's mind trying to displace the entity that was already there. Justice held on but he war over Malcolm was taxing and it exhausted the mage, he collapsed unconscious.

Kyp was a different kind of mount then what Bree was used to; he had a long springy gait that made him so much fun ride. She enjoyed him so much that for a brief moment she forgot what was going on, why she and Anders were moving through dense forest quickly. The Charger was a spirited mount but rode differently for someone other than Malcolm. The forest got thicker and colder as they moved on, Anders was quiet but not sure of where they were going.

The connection to Solas was pretty straight forward on his side but on hers it was a little less so. She felt different and obviously had trouble with dreams but she didn't expect to have a general intuition on where the Eluvians were. She didn't understand but right now she was thanking it. She needed his help.

Being back in Solas' fortress made her skin crawl and the Spirits recognized her let her pass but stopped Anders. "Just wait here. I'll be back."

As quiet as Anders had been about why they were there and that his son was in danger because of her he protested to staying behind. "No, Bree-…" he began and eyed the ethereal weapons that were aimed at his neck. Ethereal or not those weapons could kill him just as quick if not quicker than any solid, sharp weapon.

"I'll be fine," she cut him off. "He's probably kind of expecting me. Just don't provoke them." She indicated the Spirits who were okay with her but not him.

Anders bristled but decided to trust the teenager. Bree left him and was able to wander freely, being back made her feel a little uncomfortable. It wasn't every day that she returned to the scene of being held hostage. She found Solas sitting in the same place that she officially met him before only this time he wasn't eating he was studying something. Something she didn't recognize. "Solas."

Solas turned to see Bree in the dawnstone and white armor that reminded him of the armor Khrys wore. Different colors but the Elven style was familiar. He stood looking surprised to see her there. He thought she'd put up more of a fight in bringing him the Relic. "Have you brought me the Relic?"

"No." she answered and Solas cocked his head. "I need your help."

The ancient elf blinked. "Really?"

"It's Malcolm…he's in real trouble and I need your help." Solas said nothing and Bree continue explaining what she'd seen and heard. She explained why she had gone there in first place and got the reaction that she expected from him. It wasn't much, the Elf stood there quietly listening.

"You found something there…I'd already been there," a little puzzled by that, the fact that Malcolm could, in essence, track the power was definitely a surprise and warranted further investigation.

"It was a talisman, about the size of my palm. When Mal touched it this weird magic came out. Something took over him…something changed him, like he's possessed."

Solas cocked his head. "The young man is already possessed."

"This was different…this wasn't Justice," she insisted taking a step toward him. "He tried to kill me, Malcolm would never hurt me."

Solas thought a moment, Malcolm was the only mage that had presented a challenge to him and it worried him to some degree. Helping him just didn't seem to be in his own best interest. "No," he answered and earned a searing glare from her.

" 'No'?" she questioned. "Why not?"

Solas snorted. "Where do I begin?" his sarcasm was subtle and it made her angry.

She was mad and in a rush but kept herself under control. "I'll bring you the Relic?" she huffed and Solas allowed a smile.

His slight shrug made her think of Malcolm. "You'll bring me the Relic anyway."

Her fiery temperament finally flared and she stepped toward him with a fierce glare. "If you don't help me I'll make sure that you never get that Relic and that this place and you are destroyed forever," She threatened but Solas' expression didn't change. He didn't fear her. "Fine, should have known you'd never try to do something decent. All you've ever done is ruin lives and try to kill us all."

As she turned to leave Solas sighed heavily, her words impacted him more than he thought they would. Hearing them come from her was almost like hearing them come from Khrys…which made him feel worse. "Wait," he said making her stop. "I'll help you." He wasn't sure what persuaded him but he realized that she would only be here if it was a dire circumstance. "Who came with you?"

Bree wasn't surprised that he knew someone else was with her, she was surprised that it took him this long to inquire on it. "His father."

One of Solas' least favorite people, they fought constantly when they met the first time. At first Solas was intrigued by him, the human mage who allowed a spirit to possess him. This intrigue dissipated quickly when Solas learned that Anders was losing his mind because he'd corrupted the spirit whether he intended to or not. "Wonderful," he muttered. "Very well. Bring him here, let me think and you rest…you look tired."

She blinked, that was easier then she thought it would be to be plainly honest, and went to leave. "Thank you."

Solas didn't expect that and looked after her. "Bree," he called and took an item off the table, "you left without this." He presented her spirit blade…an item she thought she'd lost. She took the gold hilt that had a dragon design of head and wings. "It's beautiful."

"Thought I lost this," she whispered and took it with a brief, awkward smile to him. Solas said nothing in reply and turned from her going back to his table.

Malcolm felt water touch his lips and swam out of the exhausted state he was in. The Wraith couldn't maintain control of him because of Justice and the fight drained him. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious but as his eyes opened he saw Cole squatting near enough to give him water.

"Help me, Cole," he croaked out. Malcolm knew he was in trouble and was desperate for help.

"I can't," Cole replied. "There is nothing I can do to help you." Malcolm sobbed in response. It was hopeless, he could feel it. "Just hold on, Malcolm, they are coming."

Cole had watched the differences in Malcolm from a distance and he could accurately tell who was in control now. It seemed that Justice and the Wraith had an equal measure of control but at different times. When Justice had him he was still, meditating, trying to conserve energy and keeping himself calm. When the Wraith had him he was restless, trying to move and leave the ruin but something kept him there, whether it was the ruin itself, Justice, Malcolm, or something else. It was strange to watch and it frustrated the Wraith who had limited time to control the mage before being forced out allowing Justice or Malcolm control. Malcolm slept, Justice meditated.

Back in the Fade, Malcolm took in his surroundings. He was now in a temple he didn't recognize but it matched the description of what Cole had seen when he encountered the Relic. The Wraith materialized near him but didn't attack, it just looked at him. "Your mind is interesting," it said. "The one who possesses you…keeps you alive." Malcolm blinked but didn't respond to the red version of his likeness. "Your mortal body is weak. I will subsume your spirit and your power and your body will be mine."

Again, Malcolm stayed quiet trying to learn what he needed to do. There had to be some way out of this but the glimmer of hope he felt came from Cole. Someone was coming to help him.

"Who is Bree?" it asked and Malcolm reacted for the first time. "The one I attacked."

"I will die before I submit," he snarled. "So give it your best shot."

The Wraith laughed to his defiance. "Oh I will enjoy you, young one." The Wraith's laugh made his skin crawl. He could defy it all day long but in the end he knew he would lose and he would lose spectacularly. His thoughts landed on Lily. He feared he'd never see her again and felt that pain briefly before he pushed it away to concentrate on giving the Wraith all the defiance he could conjure. He would never submit.

The awkward silence was awful. Bree led in a rush to get back to where she left Malcolm, Anders eyed Solas who, despite his best efforts, always landed in the middle. It irritated Anders that they'd left and Solas still hadn't said much about how they were going to help his son.

"What's your plan?" Anders asked with a demanding tone.

Solas ignored the tone as he ducked under a low branch his bay took him under. "The creature that has your son is a Wraith…well I call it a wraith…a demon spirit from another realm of magic. They crave power, the blood of an exceedingly powerful mage."

"Another realm of magic?" Anders questioned, curious but also irritated. "What does that mean?"

"The Relic isn't of this world," Bree informed and Solas allowed a smile.

"Correct. The Relic is from a civilization that existed long before even my own people," he said. "From Bree's recounting, when Malcolm touched the talisman it latched onto his power but your son is unique, the spirit that possesses him has given the Wraith the ideal host."

"My son is not possessed." It was now more or less an automatic response for him.

Solas figured that out after long bouts of reflection after his encounter. Something was very different about Malcolm and he knew that. "I know that, he is something else." He didn't know what but it was enough to worry him. "Nevertheless, the Wraith has possessed him."

That hit Anders like punch to the chest. "How do you know all this? If the only writing is a book no one can read and far flung 'ruins' how do you know what this is?"

"I'm a Dreamer," he answered and Bree pulled Kyp to a sharp halt quickly figuring out where he going with his explanation.

"You went to the locations and dreamed," she said and Solas again gave her a smile, a truly bright young woman.

"Correct again, Da'len."

"But how? If it's that old-…"

Solas raised a hand. "It takes power and time to learn. I never dreamed anything in ruin," he explained. "I need to think."

"Bree, this is madness!" Anders snapped loudly.

She sighed heavily and looked to the sky. Anders had a point and she agreed with it. "He knows what he's talking about, Anders," she said taking Solas' side.

"Let's not forget he's the reason the two of you came out here in the first place," he argued.

"And the only one who can possibly save your son's life," Solas butted in earning the mother of all glares from Anders. "Forgive me, Anders, we don't have time to argue about this. If I'm right, your son is in grave danger."

Anders made the briefest of eye contact with Bree and she shook her head sharply for him to let it go. The mage growled loudly but tabled his distrust, he didn't like Solas from the moment he met him, he always saw that he was hiding something.