The tower was had always been considered off limits, even to the mage recruits that joined. The tower itself radiated a cold and condemning aura that it was easy to steer clear of it. Edana walked towards the tower door, Kearney and Leliana in tow, and despite its unnatural aura her fearless resolve remained. She grabbed the rusty iron knocker and slammed it down three times heavily. The noise was so loud that it echoed off the mountains, and through the tower. She waited a few moments, expecting the insane mage to fling open the door and scold them, but he never did. She felt a lingering feeling of panic, perhaps the mage had died? Removing her lock picking set she quickly and expertly unlocked the door. Glancing back at her son for a moment, she opened the door.
The tower was as silent as the grave. Dust adorned nearly every surface in the room, as well as webs. Her heart began to race as she walked toward the laboratory door. The last time she was here, he had said his life was nearly over. She pulled open the door to Avernus' Laboratory and immediately sighed in relief. The mage was standing with his back to them, furiously scribbling in his journal. He did not turn to greet them as they walked towards him. "I see you have returned." He said to the Queen, finally turning to face them. Kearney gasped at the site of the mage, nearly convinced that he was some walking corpse.
The mage did indeed appear to be a walking dead, the skin of his face was pulled so taught against his skull it appeared as if it had shrunk. Sores covered his face and hands, giving the appearance of rotting flesh. The prince pulled his sword, and was quickly placated by his mother. She touched his arm to stop him, indicating that she did not feel they were in any present danger. The half dead mage before them walked toward the stiffly. "And to what do I owe this visit?"
Edana cleared her throat, finding it difficult to believe she were here again. She had thought Avernus insane when they had stumbled across him, his talks of killing other warden's to find the secret powers the tainted blood within them seemed the ravings of a madman. Still she had imbibed the vial of fluid, and gained some kind of strange new strength. These abilities did indeed assist with the fall of the blight, but he had never sent for her when the 'true potential' was found.
"I've come to see if you have progressed in your studies Avernus." She said calmly, despite the fact that her heart was racing in her chest. The mage cackled greedily. "I knew it! You are just as I thought, ambitious! To wield the true power of the taint, you would rival a God." Edana was trembling slightly with fear. "Does that mean you have found it then?"
Avernus scratched at one rotten sore, opening a pustule that released some dark and disgusting fluid. "Perhaps I have dear lady, however I will not lie when I say there is a catch. I fear that no Grey Warden alive will be able to survive it."
She furrowed her brow, beginning to feel helpless. "Please explain my friend. I must know what you have found." The mage looked at her with surprise, but continued. "It seems that the only way to really use the taint one must be infected naturally. We Warden have become infected when we imbibe the blood during the Joining. We infect ourselves, it is not passed naturally. I have yet to find a specimen who is infected naturally without putting me at risk of death. There are the darkspawn themselves, but I have not been able to obtain one to study without having the beast attempt to kill me."
Edana swallowed hard then, now really starting to fear her decision. "And if you were able to come across one such creature, is there any chance of your experiment failing?" She asked with her voice shaking slightly. He regarded her with increasing interest, "There are always risks dear lady. You know that. Have you come across such a specimen?" Edana nodded at the mage, and gestured to Kearney. "I have. This is Kearney, my son."
He had a bad feeling about this, watching with distaste as the mage examined him closely, the ancient man nearly squealing with glee. "A fine specimen indeed, my lady. And he was born from you? It was my understanding that a Warden cannot conceive. The Taint seems to kill any chance of bringing forth life…" Edana nodded, "He is indeed my son. He was born to me and Alistair." The mage eyed her with even more surprise painted on his old features. "Alistair? So this is a child born of not one, but two tainted individuals. Curious. So, you intend to let me experiment on the boy?" Edana nodded and Kearney's eyes grew wide.
"Whoa whoa whoa!!! Do I not get a say in this mother? Father has told me that this man is a maleficar! I will not-" He stopped suddenly as mother turned sorrowful eyes to him. "What is this about?" He said to her, his brow furrowed in questioning. Edana sighed, "I had a dream once a long time ago, shortly after a friend died. She said that there was a great war coming. That two brothers of tainted blood would stand leading each army. She told me that you must succeed."
Kearney looked at his mother with confusion. "Oookay… But that would require me to have a brother…" His eyes widen as he reads his mother's expression. "Wait, I have a brother? You and father have another child?" Edana shook her head at her son. "No, the only child born of your father and I was you Kearney. However your father has another child." She explained to her son, and to Avernus about the ritual that Morrigan had performed. "I was selfish Kearney. I love your father so much that I could not lose him."
Kearney looked at his mother, a thousand thoughts running through his head. He had never seen his mother so shaken before, the panic on her face was painted clearly. "Kearney, I cannot regret the decision I made. I need you to do this, and have faith in me."
Kearney swallowed hard, and accepted the goblet that the mage thrust at him. He stared into the black liquid for what seemed like hours, before raising it to his lips. The bitter acidic taste burned his throat, and his stomach threatened to sick the potion, but he forced it down. He barely finished the potion when a burning sensation raced through his body. He heard voices, thousands of voices, all of them screaming at him. He grabbed his ears and screamed back, the room began to go black around him. He fell to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head as he convulsed on the floor. Before the world completely faded away, he saw a pair of red eyes boring into him. Ciaran! His mind yelled the name, though he had never heard it before. He wanted to recoil from those eyes, fear bubbling in his chest as he gazed upon them. He could feel this thing's evil, and he screamed that name over and over before the world faded away.